Preview

Cosmic Mission Theory Early Americans

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
295 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cosmic Mission Theory Early Americans
Lauren Finkelstein
His111-41
Early American
In this chapter I found a lot of it to be very interesting. The Aztecs have always grabbed my attention in the history of knowing who they were and reasons behind their human sacrifices and social classes. What fascinated me about the cosmic mission theory, also known as the human sacrifice, was how these once humans thought that killing another human would benefit them in a spiritual way. This theory was basically feed humans to the sun to maintain its heat, light and life. The sun, according to the Aztecs, was the life in the heavens and when it went “dim,” and grew dreary, the hearts from humans was the only life that would brighten the sun and energize it with life. It was on a daily routine

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In this week’s reading, “Day of the Dead Ritual Serenity” by Margarita Orellana illustrates the many cultural elements and traditions different indigenous regions of Mexico celebrate the Day of the Dead. The reading gives insight in the variety of forms the ritual is practiced and how many indigenous populations utilize various forms of Aztec mythology to commemorate the dead. The reading illustrates the various feasts and dances that are practice to honor the dead. Moreover, it explains how many of the indigenous rituals were practiced often throughout the Aztec’s daily life before the Spanish invasion. Due to colonialism, the Spanish invasion caused a change in some of the indigenous customs of honoring the dead throughout life to celebrating…

    • 347 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The dominant theme is still the comparisons of the two kingdoms. Like a good salesman, Cortés hammers home the fact of idol worship by the Aztecs, accompanied with the acts of human sacrifice and cannibalism. These are clear violations of Gods law. Acts that cannot be allowed. Cortés brings the point to bear off-handedly that it is the king’s duty to save these savages souls. He sales this fact splendidly playing on obvious moral standards recognized and enforced by king and…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Which of the following is true of the peoples of Australia in the fifteenth century?…

    • 6394 Words
    • 26 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Broken Spears Quotes

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Montezuma, who was the ruler of the Aztecs, had a funny feeling about them. Not too long after they arrived, the Aztecs realized that the Spanish could be killed just like their other enemies, so they went to war. They caught some of the Spanish, killed some of them, even ate some. The Spanish won out because of their preparation, and because they brought so many diseases with them, it killed some of the Aztecs as well. The Spanish came to the Aztecs land, and the Aztecs thought that this was the 'God' that they had been waiting for. They treated the Spanish with riches and lavish food, as they would a God. They only treated them to the finest of treasures because they were sure this was what they were looking for. The Spanish reported that they 'were sickened by the people's shocking routines', which was mentioning toward the sacrifice they saw. Then, when the Spanish tried to take advantage of what the Aztecs had given them, they realized they weren’t the Gods they thought they were looking for. So they cut them off. Conversely, the Spaniards had the horses, firearms, and they had most of the people of the Aztec society on their side. With that being said, the Spaniards didn’t like how the Aztec land was being run. With these people and the Spanish's knowledge expansions, they overthrew the Aztec Empire. After the Aztecs were conquered by the Spaniards, they were turned into…

    • 472 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The second Spanish conquistadors’ motive that greatly affected the people living in the new world was Christianity. This motive is easily seen in documents 1, 4, 7, and 8. Document one is an excerpt that was to be read to the Indians stating that if they did not except the Christian Church as their superior and listen to Christian priests that the Spanish would invade their country and take them all as slaves. Document four is Cortez talking about how he overturned the Indians idols and rolled them down the stairs. Then he goes on to say he replaced the idols with Christian images and Cortez knew that these images were really important to Aztecs and he didn’t care. In document seven it is a royal decree from Charles I. It states that the written down volumes of the Indians rites, idols, and…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The only thing that I knew before reading the chapters and from watching The Mission, was that the Spanish took over America. I didn’t really know much on the subject. I actually learned that the Spanish were cruel people to take over America in the way that they did. They tried to enforce their beliefs and religious background into everyone or else they would suffer the consequences.…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Religion conferred a substantial portion of the battle within the two groups. In the Aztecs religion, they believed that a human sacrifice was essential to be made so they could keep the gods pleased. They believed that the gods could be satisfied through animals, objects, and humans. Huitzilopochtli, the god of sun and war was mostly offered the human heart, which belonged to the Aztecs enemies and prisoners during these sacrifices. So when the Spanish arrived at the land of Tenochtitlan, the Aztecs considered that these Spaniards were exceptional for the human sacrifice. Though the emperor thought contrarily, Moctezuma believed that Cortes resembled their god Quetzalcoatl, including the magnificent coincidence regarding the arrival of Cortes and the…

    • 1005 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aztec DBQ Essay

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages

    There are many aspects of life that one can focus on for a certain population or in a country. Two main aspects of everyday life for the Aztecs were agriculture and human sacrifice. Of course both are highly important and part of the Aztecs society, but with an astonishing 10,000,000 people in the Aztec population, could one really put more emphasize one or the other? This is defiantly a tough question for historians to answer… or is it? To decide on great agriculture or brutal sacrifices, it would have made this decision much easier to choose from if we saw a first person document written by someone that was going to be sacrificed. For three important reasons, greater emphasis should be placed on agriculture: the enormous chinampas were out of this world, the amazing construction of the chinampas, and that it leads to be part of everyday life for the Aztec people.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There religion was mainly focused on keeping nature in balance. The Aztecs religion believed it took 5 tries to create the world. The first creator turned into a jaguar and destroyed his world. They believe in sacrifice others. The Aztecs achieved many achievements.…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Three Dominate Empires

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The 15th c.e Aztecs of Central and Southern Mexico utilized their religious upper hand to develop a military culture of war and human sacrifice for their sun God. They maintained their empire by backing their agriculture and tribute system with force and conquering ethnic peoples and regions to become givers of labor, raw materials, food and valuable items. This can be derived from an Aztec “Tlacochcalcatl” (military general), depicted in the Aztec manuscript ‘Codex Mendoza,’ 16th c.e, which is a primary source. The other evidence found of the tribute system is the Tribute-Roll section of the ‘Codex Mendoza,’ 16th c.e (compiled by a Spaniard). It shows specifically the Aztec religious sacrificial items needed such as animal pelts, and colored feathers. This empire was able to stay in control long enough to become one of the greatest empires of the World because of it’s definite military clout and coordinated economic…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    3. What can you infer about Cortes’ motives in writing about “the wonders of Tenochtitlan” and the Aztecs? Why did he choose to write about the topics he addressed in this letter? Who is is intended audience, and how might that have influenced the letter?…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Aztec Calendar Stone

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Cited: Aveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.…

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “The dismal drum of Huichilobos sounded again, accompanied by conches, horns, and trumpet-like instruments. It was a terrifying sound, and when we looked at the tall cue (temple-pyramid) from which it came we saw our comrades who had been captured in Cortes’ defeat being dragged up the steps to be sacrificed. When they had haled them up to a small platform in front of the shrine where they kept their accursed idols we saw them put plums on the heads of many of them; and then they made them dance with a sort of fan in front of Huichilobos. Then after they had danced the papas (Aztec priests) laid them down on their backs on some narrow stones of sacrifice and, cutting open their chests, drew out their palpitating hearts which they offered to the idols before them. Then they kicked the bodies down the steps, and the Indian butchers who were waiting below cut off…

    • 1596 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sacrifice In Aztec

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages

    My role in the Aztec community is to sacrifice for the sun god (Huitzilopochtli) so that he may bring prosperity & life to our people. We sacrifice to our gods as they did when they sacrificed themselves to bring us here, & in a way we are repaying our debt to the heavens. I am a priest of the city of gold and this is my life..…

    • 998 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Mission

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Issue one from the McKenna text presents two divergent political philosophies from Humanities professor Wilfred M. McClay and Historian Howard Zinn regarding the concept of American exceptionalism. McClay and Zinn provide convincing arguments as they support their contrasting viewpoints with key examples from American history on the question, “Should Americans believe in a unique American mission?” On one hand, McClay offers a belief in the unique American “mission” as interconnecting with our Founding Fathers through divine providentialism. On the other hand, Zinn rejects this notion asserting that restraint from the mythical belief of American exceptionalism will suppress combative desires.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays