History YMMV / AztecMythology

** It must be emphasized none of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are understandably horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve. This definitely does ''not'' excuse the excessive brutality, but the Aztecs weren’t doing this for the sake of being evil.

* ValuesDissonance: Oh hells yes. Now to be fair, the extremity of some sacrifices has been debated and more than a few are likely the results of the Spaniards who witnessed them exaggerating or outright lying. Nonetheless though, there is [[TruthInTelevision legit proof]] of truly ''horrible'' rituals that were undertaken.

** The only ritual that is believed to [[EveryoneHasStandards not be celebrated]] as such is Xipe Totec's sacrifice; to wit: the offering was either a young virgin boy or girl, who had to be volunteered, who was offered a couple of days of unrestricted abandon regarding food and sex, meaning they had to have sex with as many partners as possible whether they wanted or not. They were then killed and decapitated (or killed by decapitation, but only because it was easier to do the following) and then their entire skin was removed to manufacture a "costume" which was then worn by a priest who proceeded to dance around for days until the skin dried and rotted; symbolizing how the seeds are planted, grow, give fruit and then dry throughout the season. This suddenly makes a lot of {{Mayincatec}} sacrifices look tame in comparison.

* NeverLiveItDown: The whole mythology tends to be overshadowed by the sacrifices.

** It must be emphasized none of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are understandably horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve. This definitely does not excuse the excessive brutality, but the Aztecs weren’t doing this for the sake of being evil.

* ValuesDissonance: Oh hells yes. Now to be fair, the extremity of many sacrifices has been debated. While there are sacrificial victim remains, isotope testing has shown that cannibalism (one of the main components of these supposed rituals) was rare, so the extreme gruesomeness and cruelty of those rituals might have been fabricated. Considering the few remaining sources on Aztec culture are highly biased one way or the other, this is highly plausible. Nonetheless though, there is [[TruthInTelevision legit proof]] of truly ''horrible'' rituals that were undertaken.
** It really must be emphasized none of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are understandably horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve.

* ValuesDissonance: Oh hells yes. Now to be fair, the extremity of many sacrifices has been debated. While there are sacrificial victim remains, isotope testing has shown that cannibalism (one of the main components of these supposed rituals) was rare, so the extreme gruesomeness and cruelty of those rituals might have been fabricated. Considering the few remaining sources on Aztec culture are highly biased one way or the other, this is highly plausible. Nonetheless though, there is legit proof of truly ''horrible'' rituals that were undertaken.
** It really must be emphasized none of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve.
** The ''babies'' sacrificed to Tlaloc to insure rain, had to asphyxiate but not drown, and they had to be crying when put in the water, so they blocked their nose and mouth with liquid rubber and slapped them around, then threw them into a pool. The hearts were indeed extracted with the sacrificial "victim" (it was considered an honor to feed the gods) still alive and through what was basically an open heart surgery performed with obsidian blades. The only one that is believed to not be celebrated as such is Xipe Totec's sacrifice; to wit: the offering was either a young virgin boy or girl, who had to be volunteered, who was offered a couple of days of unrestricted abandon regarding food and sex, meaning they had to have sex with as many partners as possible whether they wanted or not. They were then killed and decapitated (or killed by decapitation, but only because it was easier to do the following) and then their entire skin was removed to manufacture a "costume" which was then worn by a priest who proceeded to dance around for days until the skin dried and rotted; symbolizing how the seeds are planted, grow, give fruit and then dry throughout the season. This suddenly makes a lot of {{Mayincatec}} sacrifices look tame in comparison.

* ValuesDissonance: Oh hells yes. None of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve.
** Why is it so horrific when looked through modern eyes? The babies (YES, BABIES) sacrificed to Tlaloc to insure rain, had to asphyxiate but not drown, and they had to be crying when put in the water, so they blocked their nose and mouth with liquid rubber and slapped them around, then threw them into a pool. The hearts were indeed extracted with the sacrificial "victim" (it was considered an honor to feed the gods) still alive and through what was basically an open heart surgery performed with obsidian blades. The only one that is believed to not be celebrated as such is Xipe Totec's sacrifice; to wit: the offering was either a young virgin boy or girl, who had to be volunteered, who was offered a couple of days of unrestricted abandon regarding food and sex, meaning they had to have sex with as many partners as possible whether they wanted or not. They were then killed and decapitated (or killed by decapitation, but only because it was easier to do the following) and then their entire skin was removed to manufacture a "costume" which was then worn by a priest who proceeded to dance around for days until the skin dried and rotted; symbolizing how the seeds are planted, grow, give fruit and then dry throughout the season. Xipe Totec was HARDCORE.
** Then again, the extremity of these sacrifices has been debated. While there are sacrificial victim remains, isotope testing has shown that cannibalism (one of the main components of these supposed rituals) was rare, so the extreme gruesomeness and cruelty might have been fabricated. Considering the few remaining sources on Aztec culture are highly biased one way or the other...

* MagnificentBastard: In one version of the myth Tezcatlipoca is a trickster god and the brother of Quetzalcoatl. Conspiring with Huitzilopochtli and Tlacahuepan to overthrow his brother to usher in a new era for the gods overshadowed by his reign to be venerated, Tezcatlipoca infiltrates the ailing Quetzalcoatl's palace and tricks him into drinking a "medicine" that rejuvenates him until he continues to force him to drink the rest, after which Quetzalcoatl goes on a drunken spree of self-humiliation, exiling and then killing himself to be reborn. Successfully supplanting his brother's peaceful reign, he introduced the Aztec people to war and human sacrifice, granting them his boon in exchange, protecting slaves from abuse by striking down anyone who dared to hurt them. Finally, he set aside his rivalry with his brother to dismember the monster Tlaltcuhtli, creating the Fifth Sun from her remains.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: the groups of Mesoamerica in general worshipped more or less the same gods but giving them their own spin. For instance, the Chichimec worshipped Tlazolteotl (to the Aztecs a very complex sexual goddess related to sin and forgiveness) as Itzpapálotl, a female warrior goddess. This also explains why there are several sun gods (Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli, as even Tezcatlipoca sometimes), several moon gods (Nanahuatzin and Coyolhauxqui) and an unspecified number of deities for the Morning Star (Tlahuizcanpantecuhtli --now that's a mouthful, Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl). Some believe that the most complex figures, like Tezcatlipoca and Xipe Totec come from Toltec culture, whereas other gods such as Huitzilopochtli are the tribal gods from the Aztec's past in Aztlan.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: the groups of Mesoamerica in general worshipped more or less the same gods but giving them their own spin. For instance, the Chichimec worshipped Tlazolteotl (to the Aztecs a very complex sexual goddess related to sin and forgiveness) as Itzpapálotl, a female warrior goddess. This also explains why there are several sun gods (Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli, as even Tezcatlipoca sometimes), several moon gods (Nanahuatzin and Coyolhauxqui) and an unspecified number of deities for the Morning Star (Tlahuizcanpantecuhtli --now that's a mouthful, Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl). Some belive that the most complex figures, like Tezcatlipoca and Xipe Totec come from Toltec culture, whereas other gods such as Huitzilopochtli are the tribal gods from the Aztec's past in Aztlan.

* MagnificentBastard: Tezcatlipoca, in spades.

** Then again, the extremity of these sacrifices has been debated. While there are sacrificial remain victims, isotope testing has shown that cannibalism (one of the main components of these supposed rituals) was rare, so the extreme gruesomeness and cruelty might have been fabricated. Considering few of the remaining sources on Aztec culture are highly biased one way or the other...

** Why is it so horrific when looked through modern eyes? The babies (YES, BABIES) sacrificed to Tlaloc to insure rain, had to asphyxiate but not drown, and they had to be crying when put in the water, so they blocked their nose and mouth with liquid rubber and slapped them around, then threw them into a pool. The hearts were indeed extracted with the sacrificial "victim" (it was considered an honor to feed the gods) still alive and through what was basically an open heart surgery performed with obsidian blades. The only one that is believed to not be celebrated as such is Xipe Totec's sacrifice; to wit: the offering was either a young virgin boy or girl, who had to be volunteered, who was offered a couple of days of unrestricted abandon regarding food and sex, meaning they had to have sex with as many partners as possible whether they wanted or not. They were then killed and decapitated (or killed by decapitation, but only because it was easier to do the following) and then their entire skin was removed to manufacture a "costume" which was then worn by a priest who proceeded to dance around for days until the skin dried and rotted; symbolizing how the seeds are planted, grow, give fruit and then dry throughout the season. Xipe Totec was HARDCORE.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: the groups of Mesoamerica in general worshipped more or less the same gods but giving them their own spin. For instance, the Chichimec worshipped Tlazolteotl (to the Aztecs a very complex sexual goddess related to sin and forgiveness) as Itzpapálotl, a female warrior goddess. This also explains why there are several sun gods (Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli, as even Tezcatlipoca sometimes), several moon gods (Nanahuatzin and Coyolhauxqui) and an unspecified number of deities for the Morning Star (Tlahuizcanpantecuhtli --now that's a mouthful, Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl). Some belive that the most complex figures, like Tezcatlipoca and Xipe Totec come from Toltec culture, whereas other gods such as Huitzilopochtli are the tribal gods from the Aztec's past in Aztlan.

** Why is it so horrific when looked through modern eyes? The babies (YES, BABIES) sacrificed to Tlaloc to insure rain, had to asfixiate but not drown, and they had to be crying when put in the water, so they blocked their nose and mouth with liquid rubber and slapped around, then thrown into a pool. The hearts were indeed extracted with the sacrificial "victim" (it was considered an honor to feed the gods) still alive and through what was basically an open heart surgery performed with obsidian blades. The only one that is believed to not be celebrated as such is the crops god sacrifice; to wit: the offering was either a young virgin boy or girl, who had to be volunteered, who was offered a couple of days of unrestricted abandon regarding food and sex; meaning either had to have sex with as many partners as possible wether they wanted or not. They were then killed and decapitated (or killed by decapitation, but only because it was easier to do the following) and then their entire skin was removed to manufacture a "costume" wich was then worn by a priest who proceeded to dance around for days until the skin dried and rot; symbolizing how the seeds are planted, grow, give fruit and then dry throughout the season. Xipe Totec was HARDCORE.

* ValuesDissonance: Oh hells yes. None of the gods are really "good" or "evil," and while people from most other cultures are horrified at the vast number of bloody sacrifices the religion entailed, they were seen as absolutely necessary to the practitioners. For instance, the reason for the child sacrifices to Tlaloc? To make sure there'd be rain. Ripping out hearts? Make sure the sun keeps moving across the sky. People being flayed alive? Otherwise the corn won't grow and everyone will starve.

* [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Mexica Love Huitzilopochtli]]: The ruling Mexica of Tenochtitlan considered Huitzilopochtli their patron.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: the groups of Mesoamerica in general worshipped more or less the same gods but giving them their own spin. The Chichimec worshipped Tlazolteotl (to the Aztecs a very complex sexual goddess related to sin and forgiveness) as Itzpapálotl, a female warrior goddess. This also explains why there are several sun gods (Tonatiuh and Huitzilopochtli, as even Tezcatlipoca sometimes), several moon gods (Nanahuatzin and Coyolhauxqui) and an unspecified number of deities for the Morning Star (Tlahuizcanpantecuhtli --now that's a mouthful, Xolotl and Quetzalcoatl). Some belive that the most complex figures, like Tezcatlipoca and Xipe Totec come from Toltec culture, whereas other gods such as Huitzilopochtli are the tribal gods from the Aztec's past in Aztlan.