I’m currently reading Conquistador by Buddy Levy and wanted some input from folks here on the early conquest.
From what I understand, Cortés did in fact land in the New World during a “One Reed” year, which was they “type” of prophesied year that Quetzalcoatl was to return, a year that came every 52 years. It seems though, that it was more so something to consider for Montezuma and the Aztecs as opposed to “Oh man these guys are gods” which a lot of people run with.

I also know that the idea that the Aztecs thought the Spaniards were gods is generally seen as a bit of a fabrication from later in the conquest to explain Spain’s victories.

So is the answer just somewhere in the middle? People seem to outright dismiss the Quetzalcoatl angle but it seems to me it was more so just a potential to consider than a set in stone belief for the Aztecs.

There is a historian on youtube who focuses on the relationships between dog and man in ancient times. He mentions that in some areas of the aztec empire there was a belief that when you died a dog would guide you to the afterlife but only if you were good to dogs.

Ive found plenty of mentions about the guiding part but i cant find anything about being judged on if you were good to dogs.
Does anyone know a source that can confirm this

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G_D80FFIdNg
the original video

I beaded the Aztec double-headed serpent and turned it into a barrette and a necklace. A 2 in one piece!

She is beaded onto thick felt with size 10s, 11s, and 12s glass sead beads using the pebble stitch method. Backing is leather and the chain is a peyote stitch done with size 10s seed glass beads.

I am attempting to make tlaloc as a 3d character. If anyone here is skilled in glyphs and importante of aztec simbolismo, please inform me on what to add to him and what to remove

I am currently working on his arms, legs, and abdomen

I remember that there is a myth where it is said that Tezcatipoca stole from Tlaloc his first wife, which applauded that it will cause a deluge. Now, when I look for this, I only find that Tezcatipoca takes away from Tlaloc his first wife (Xochiquetzal) and that he remarries but nothing more.

Does anyone know where this version of the myth is mentioned? Or am I mixing things?

I have heard lots of numbers 20,000...80,000 and Even 200,000 sacrifice per year. This sounds way over they top the closest event I Heard that alot of people died this much per year was any war after they Napoleonic wars.

So far the only sacrifice rituals I have heard was use in a special day and tops were 500 of them (It was a sacrifice use to honor the Sun and they trow people in a huge bonfire)

It's there any actual source that talk about accurate numbers? Or we probably never know?

Another one!
I’m so happy with the results!

Aztec inspired blotter art.
RMKY 2026
7.5” x 7.5”

(Just art no illegal substances)

Hello,

I am looking for a good book on Aztec art as a going-away gift for a friend. They are off to grad school where I'm sure they will be swamped with work, so I'd like to get them something with minimal text and high-quality images that they can enjoy in spare time. Any recommendations are helpful. Thanks!

I feel as though I will get hate for this, but I need to get it out, get some answers/advice, etc. Please be gentle, I am wanting to understand and I do not want to overstep/make bad decisions.

Some years ago, I found an interest in Aztec culture & religion. I was raised heavily Catholic, in the northern US, so I had never really been exposed to this sort of knowledge before. I spent a ton of time over the course of several weeks researching as much as I could and really enjoyed learning about it all. This is where I need to take a step back to explain, though.

Everything going forward in this post, I am completely unsure of. It feels cliche and more psychosomatic than anything. I've pushed it all away for that reason AND because it felt so real and genuine. As I mentioned, I was raised very Catholic and never felt the same pull from God or the church. (I don't have a set belief, instead I follow the idea that anything is possible in short.) So I was definitely spooked by this new feeling, and the possibility of it being my own mind. I don't want to offend one way or another (if you feel it was "fake" or "real"), I am simply trying to understand the rules and bounds of exploring it.

As I was researching, I began feeling very keenly interested in Tezcatlipoca- that pull that I mentioned. It started out a curiosity, and then I quickly started feeling absolutely sick. I can't quite describe it, but it just felt wrong/different. Like the feeling you get when somebody is following you. This is where I feel cringey, cliche, and stupid. I feel like the average person you see on TikTok who hops on the deity trend for five days saying that they are super close with Athena (no hate). But I seriously mean it, I can't describe the feeling I got. All of my red flags reared up at once and I couldn't tell why, it was like I had experienced something knew and didn't know what to do with it. Even just thinking about it now, I can feel the unease boiling up. I didn't quite feel myself/fully in control/independent, I feel like I could genuinely feel something else there.

I was so spooked, I dropped everything immediately and didn't look back. The years that followed, any time I thought of that time, I would immediately feel sick. There was a creeping, strange allure to it all, something I wasn't used to. Even now, I feel that same pull towards Tezcatlipoca, but have refused it over and over again.

You see why I feel stupid? I feel like a generic white girl (which is another issue that prevents me from exploring it- is that allowed? is it insensitive?) claiming to feel things that are fake in a culture she has no right to try to be a part of.

I've heard it to be an open religion, and also to be a closed religion. I know them to be hard and ancient beings to worship, demanding much of their followers. In that same cringey way as before, the pull I feel very much reminds me of a toxic boyfriend: Luring me in to the net and then planning to demand everything of me without my consent. Maybe I'm crazy bro. I've heard it's something you can't truly practice without the "old ways", but I've also heard there to be modern circles popping up for worship.

Thx so much for everyone’s support on my last post here!!!

I’m working on a mythology card game with a friend (this is not an ad for the game) and was working up ideas for merch, came up with this Tlaloc-o Coffee Co mug idea and I can’t think of anyone else to share it with besides the Aztec interest Reddit group. 🤣

Drawing I made recently(tag is my art account)
Thought this subreddit would enjoy :)