The Aztec Class System
The preceding conception that slaves were chosen to be transformed into Ixiptla, sacrificed to the gods and manifested by the people who captured them, in a way contradicts the Aztec class system. There existed two groups of people within the Aztec society: the lords, nobles, and priests (pipiltin) made up one group; while the commoners and workers (macehualtin) made up the other. The pipiltin controlled the economic, political, social and religious systems within their ward. They were people born of high descent, who enjoyed many privileges and had authority over the commoners of their ward. The majority of Aztec population was made up by the commoners or the working class citizens. These people were not of noble birth and as a result they all had to pay tribute to the supreme leader with their products and services, which were required by the State. All of the macehualtin were required to take part in war and expansion. Extreme bravery on the battlefield was about the only way that members of the macehualtin group could increase their status or possible acquire land of their own.
The king was the supreme leader of the Aztec Empire. He was responsible for all of the provinces and people over which he had control. The king was extremely powerful as a result of the Aztec belief that kings were the descendants of the god Huitzilopochtli, the god of war who was responsible for the movement of the sun. This belief manifests the role of kings as being in the position to mediate between the gods and men, and initiate the celestial activity of human sacrifice. It is important to note that the kings, unlike the victims of sacrifice, were not regarded as gods. It was only those slaves who were chosen for sacrifice that truly became connected with the great Aztec gods.
The priests were in charge of the administration and care-taking of the temple; learning about and educating others about the gods, rituals, the calender and astronomy; and most importantly the priests were in charge of performing the rituals. Priests kept the sacred fires burning in large braziers, played music at ceremonies, and made numerous offerings to the gods. “Their faces and bodies were dyed black. Much of their body was scarred and mutilated from constant bloodletting. Their unwashed hair, worn long, became matted with dried blood from their ears and tongues” (Smith 221). This description of a typical Aztec priest may paint a gory picture to outsiders, but it also shows their true devotion to the gods. They would surrender their blood through “autosacrifice” or piercing in order to pay tribute to the gods and rekindle the suns energy. Although autosacrifice was an important and prevalent ritual, it was only a substitute for the more powerful human sacrifice.
The lords, nobles and priests may seem more important than the commoners and working class citizens, however these lower class citizens were essential in creating the powerful Aztec society. It was the tribute of products and services that the commoners paid to the State which allowed the upper class to enjoy their majestic lifestyle. As stated above, it was the slaves who could become the formations of great deities and die for the sun and it’s people. It is ironic that these lower ranked citizens were indeed the ones who became closer to the great gods and provided in many ways for the rise of the Aztec culture. Each person, therefore, had an important role to play in the construction of the empire and the continuation of the life of the great sun.
Conclusion to the People Of The Sun
Light, life or matter in electronic state is transmitted from the sun, reflected by the planets to Earth in molecular state; and this, combined with the Earth’s mineral state of matter, produces cellular matter or organic life on the surface of the Earth. But when the organic bodies incorporating this energy die, their energy is reconverted into light and returns to the sun. (Waters 206)
This illustration of the sun can be seen as the basis for which the Aztecs lived. The Aztecs were indeed the people of the sun. They held many myths that centered around the creation and rising of the sun, and it was through these myths that they created their own society and rose as a great empire. The Aztecs offered their own bloods and hearts to restore the sun, and the sun returned this energy for life back to the people. It was the sun who inspired the Aztecs to conquer the surrounding towns and grow as a powerful culture. It was the sun which allowed even the lowest ranked people to manifest as the people of the sun. Even though the Aztec life was permeated by the profound sadness of a future of defeat, it still remained strong and vital. Each day that the sun rose was a battle to be celebrated by the Aztec people, for the god of life has reigned.
As has been stated before, myths are a mixture of fact and fiction. This is enough to make one wonder how much truth there is in the myths that have been discussed in this paper. It is the decision of each individual to decide what they want to believe, because there are in fact many ways to be human. The manner in which the Aztecs decided to live was their own cultural construction, and is only left for others to construct interpretations and universal meanings. One thing is certain, the sun played a vital role in the way of life of the Aztec people. The Aztecs decided to pay tribute to the sun as an important source of energy that gives light and life to all creations. Through this energy given off by the sun, the Aztecs grew and flourished as a powerful people. Although some aspects of Aztec life may seem ruthless to it’s interpreters, one ray of light can be sent to all of humanity. Every living soul lives beneath the same bright sun, and with the dawning of each day one should be thankful and celebrate the gift of life they have received for that new day.