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Question for December 2010

Did they have the same seasons as we do?? Asked by City of London Freemen’s School. Chosen and answered by Our In-House Team

Although some dictionaries list words in the Aztec/Mexica language, Náhuatl, for 4 seasons -
• xopan/xopantla - spring (green time of year, rainy season)
• tonallan/xopaniztempan - summer (time of heat)
• tonalco - autumn (during the heat)
• cecuizpan - winter (time of cold)
- these don’t mean a huge amount: the farming year in Mesomerica in essence consists of just two main and opposite seasons, RAINY and DRY. In Aztec times these matched two principal and contrary activities - AGRICULTURE and WAR. In turn these sacred duties were governed by two of the most important gods for the Mexica: Tlaloc (god of rain) and Huitzilopochtli (god of war and sacrifice). If you follow the link below (Professor Manuel Aguilar-Moreno’s answer on symmetry and the Aztecs) you can see a picture of the main temple of the Mexica, dedicated to these two gods - and to these two central duties.

On this page is an image from the Historia Tolteca-Chichimeca which illustrates clearly the importance placed by the Mexica on the balance between opposite forces in life and the universe - in this case, water and fire. When combined, they form an even more powerful symbol, that of sacred warfare. Serge Gruzinski (Painting the Conquest) calls this image ‘cosmic flames leaping from precious water (which also represents blood leaping from sacrificial victims captured in battle)’.

The mission of the Aztecs/Mexica was to struggle eternally to keep all the opposite forces in the world, including the two main seasons, in balance - constantly moving up and down/round and round but maintaining this all-important symmetry.

The Aztecs and symmetry

Our In-House Team has answered 25 questions altogether.

Comments (1)

l

lisa robets

8th Mar 2019

i honestly love the Aztecs. i wish i was an Aztec. i am always so eager to learn more about the Aztecs. your cite has expanded my knowledge of the Aztecs by so much. thank you so much!!! -Lisa

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