The Role Of Death In Aztec Culture

Mexico has a distinguished culture of traditions, which have been in existence for more than three thousand years. As a direct consequence of colonisation, over time Mexico’s rich past of lost civilisations has amalgamated with European traditions and religion. In particular, distinct connections can be made between modern Mexican and pre-Hispanic Mayan death customs. As a consequence of this historical cycle of colonialism and domination, incredibly unique traditions are observable in Mexico today; notably, overall beliefs concerning death, burial practices and the Day of the Dead holiday. Latin American Folklorist, Gabriel Moedano Navarro said “although the cult of death is a trait that appears among every people, there is nowhere in the
Contemporary Mexico treats death differently to most other places around the world, primarily due to the unique history of the region. Similarly, it is these ancient traditions that are the roots by which the Mexican concern for death originates. Long before the first colonisers entered Mexico, the Aztec civilisation had already begun adapting and merging their death beliefs throughout their extensive history. It has been suggested that the period represented by the Aztec civilisation flourished from “an intricate fusion of previously existing influences, which were assimilated by later generations.” Similarly, although Christianity replaced the old polytheistic religions after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and the indigenous Mexican was “dimmed forever,” “a murmur was to
There are numerous culinary aspects of Aztec mortuary rituals that are strikingly similar to the contemporary Day of the Dead, particularly the incorporation of anthropomorphically shaped foods. Based on both comparative and historical evidence, only in Mexico does the widespread array of moulded sugar and sweet breads such as skulls, animals, cadavers and caskets exist on the Day of the Dead. The existence of sugar cane figurines in the colonial era brings up Mexico’s undeniable connection between sugar, death and colonialism. Additionally, although sugar, colonialism and death were also present in other Latin American states such as Peru, there exists nothing like the elaboration of sweets related to the Day of the Dead in Mexico. On this festive day, the sugar caskets and cadavers are eaten, along with the death they represent. In Mexico, this is interpreted as the denial of death, and put in another way can even represent the assertion of life. This once again coincides with the overall view Mexican’s have regarding death. Similarly, it is clear that the anthropomorphic form of the Day of the Dead sweets is part of both Spanish and ancient Aztec traditions. This conjunction of Spanish and indigenous culinary habits and tastes no doubt culminated in the ofrenda patterns we observe