Aztec periodReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
Aztec Religion and the Fifth Sun
On the timeline · around Aztec period ·
What happened
The Aztecs worshipped a vast pantheon led by Huitzilopochtli (sun and war), Tlaloc (rain), and Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. They believed they lived in the age of the Fifth Sun, an unstable world that only human sacrifice could keep from collapsing into darkness.
Why it matters
The belief that the sun itself needed human blood to keep rising placed sacrifice at the centre of Aztec life — a theology that drove their relentless warfare.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Aztec Pantheon · Reputable source
- World History Encyclopedia. Huitzilopochtli · Reputable source