The Aztecs were a race of Mesoamerican people who were especially powerful in the 14th to 16th centuries. The area now known as Mexico city was at the heart of the Aztec empire and many ruins and monuments still remain within the city, marking the art and culture of the war-like Aztec peoples.
The Aztecs were a very proud race. Warriors who were captured in battle would often submit to their captors and willingly allow themselves to become blood sacrifices. These sacrificial events drew large crowds of people who would watch as the captured warriors were led to the top of the Aztec pyramid temples by priests. At the peak of the pyramid a short ceremony would take place, in which the warrior was bent backwards over a stone. Priests would stretch his body taut as another priests sliced open the warriors belly and reached inside him, removing the still-beating heart and holding it up for the crowd to see. The body of the warrior would then be tumbled in a bloody mess down the steps of the pyramid. This method of sacrifice could be performed incredibly fast, meaning that with several priests working together, a few thousand sacrifices could be made in a single day.
This tattoo collar decorates this guys neck and chest with tribal Aztec architectural elements. Tribal Aztec tattoos are often chosen by modern warriors; athletes and fighters who appreciate the strength and honor of the Aztec warriors. [source]
Aztecs believed that blood was very important, that the spirit essence of man existed in his blood. By tumbling the bloody bodies of the sacrificed warriors down the steps of their temple, they were essentially giving the warriors power to the temple by allowing the warriors blood to soak into the stone of the temple.
A tribal Aztec tattoo design of Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and death. Xolotl would often be painted or carved on or around temples, as he was the deity who transported souls into the afterlife. He is mostly shown as a dog-headed man or a man-beast with reversed feet. The colors used in this tattoo were typical of Aztec paintings and art. [source]
In some ceremonies, Aztec priests would collect the skulls of the sacrificed warriors and display them on wooden racks. The skulls were skewered by wooden poles through holes drilled into the temples. These racks would mark religious and political areas such as temples and public grounds. The skulls were a display of power a show of how many people that particular sect of Aztecs had captured and slain. Sometimes decorative skulls were carved or sculpted in honor of the dead. This connection with death and displaying human skulls may be one of the cultural practices that led up to the use of sugar skulls to honor the dead in Mexico. (For examples of sugar skull tattoos, see Celebrate the Day of the Dead with Sugar Skull Tattoos.)
This tribal Aztec tattoo shows an eagle warrior. Eagle warriors were Aztec warriors who were soldiers of the sun, as the eagle was a symbol of the sun. These warriors wore eagle heads for protection and as a symbol of their rank. A tattoo of an eagle warrior is worn in modern times as a symbol of ancient Aztec races. [source]
The Aztec blood sacrifices are one of the most well-known facts about this Mexican race, but it was not the only aspect of Aztec culture that should be noted. The Aztecs were highly cultured and enjoyed holding festivals in which musicians, poets, acrobats, dancers and singers would compete for a prize. Poetry was especially appreciated, and when viewed in the vivid picture language of the Aztecs, the poem comes to life, recreating the Aztec culture for just a few moments.
This tribal Aztec tattoo shows Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god of life. The complex designs of the Aztec people translate well into tattoo designs as they have strong shapes and unusual curves. Both of these design aspects add up to make an attractive tattoo design. [source]
The Aztec language, Nahuatl, uses pictures as words. For example, the word eagle is expressed with a drawing of an eagles head. The picture word for rain is a bit more obscure, depicting what could be a rain deity instead of the rain itself. Many Aztec temples, buildings and other structures were decorated with these picture words, and while these carving may appear purely decorative to the modern eye, the creatures, deities and elements portrayed in the images held a wealth of meaning for ancient Aztecs. The Aztecs would have used these carvings to mark places in much the same way that we use sign boards and street signs today.
Examples of the tribal language of the Aztecs. These symbols are sometimes used in tattoos because of what each symbol represents, such as the power of the eagle or jaguar. [source]
The Aztec style of art is highly distinctive, with a particular shape that marks Aztec symbols. This art style has been recreated by tattoo artists to create modern Aztec-styled tattoo designs. Because the Aztec picture language accepted the same word presented in different ways, this use of the Aztec style to create a tattoo design would probably have been greeted by the Aztec people as an acceptable use of their written language.
A colorful tribal tattoo of the Aztec god Quetzacoatl as a feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl, like all Aztec deities and ideas, takes on different forms in Aztec art. Sometimes he appears in the form of a man and other times as a winged or feathered serpent. Quetzalcoatl was believed to be the bringer of life, the god who gave of his own blood to raise the bones of the deceased and create the Aztec people. [source]
The most popular Aztec tattoos feature animals such as eagles, jaguars, frogs and monkeys. These are totem animals, also known as spiritual guides. When a person chooses an animal totem, it is because they feel a particular affinity for that animal and are inspired by the creatures way of life. Some totems are a symbol of power and of being at the top of the food chain, such as eagle and bear totems. Other totems, like the frog totem, celebrate the importance of that animal in the circle of life, while others display a characteristic that humans enjoy, such as the silly humor associated with monkeys, or the slow ponderous nature of the tortoise.
A tribal Aztec tattoo design that shows a carving of an eagle totem animal. The tattoo artist has inked cracks and shadows into the tattoo design to create the illusion that the persons skin is made of stone. [source]
Aztec tattoos celebrate the culture of the Aztec people and the animal or deity depicted in the tattoo. An Aztec tattoo can be an animal totem or a word created out of the Nahuatl language. For people of Mexican descent, the Aztec language can be used to create tattoos of childrens names or a meaningful word. If youre not keen on creating a word tattoo, tattoos of the Aztec gods and goddesses have powerful meanings too.
Aztec tattoos usually show figures in profile surrounded by symbolic headdresses, clothing and weapons. The bold outlines and bright colors give Aztec tattoos a cartoon effect. [source]
Travelling is my life
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon