The last Aztec
America - General America

The last Aztec.

Booker prize-winning novelist DBC Pierre (Vernon God Little) takes a trip back to the Mexico of his youth to explore the downfall of the Aztecs - one of the greatest civilisations in history. Raised in Mexico by his English parents, Pierre has had a life-long obsession with the Aztecs. It was this obsession that once drove him into debt and dissolution. Now he sets out to revisit the Aztecs' epic tale of decline and conquest and hopefully finally lay his own ghosts to rest. Part historical film, part road movie, The Last Aztec follows him as he traces the advance of the Spanish conquistadors toward the Aztec capita.

About the Aztecs.

Coatlicu
The Aztec earth goddess Coatlicue.
Aztec Empire, Native American state that ruled much of what is now Mexico from about 1428 until 1521, when the empire was conquered by the Spaniards. The empire represented the highest point in the development of the rich Aztec civilization that had begun more than a century earlier. At the height of their power, the Aztec controlled a region stretching from the Valley of Mexico in central Mexico east to the Gulf of Mexico and south to Guatemala. The Aztec built great cities and developed a complex social, political, and religious structure. Their capital, Tenochtitlan, was located on the site of present-day Mexico City. An elaborate metropolis built on islands and reclaimed marsh land, Tenochtitlán was possibly the largest city in the world at the time of the Spanish conquest. It featured a huge temple complex, a royal palace, and numerous canals. After the Spanish conquest, the empire of the Aztec was destroyed, but their civilization remained an important influence on the development of Mexican culture. Many contemporary Mexicans are descended from the Aztec, and more than 1 million Mexicans speak Nahuatl, the native Aztec language, as their primary language. In Mexico City, excavations continue to uncover temple foundations, statues, jewelry, and other artifacts of the Aztec civilization. Aztec refers both to the people who founded the empire, who called themselves Mexica, or Tenochca, and, more generally, to all of the many other Nahuatl-speaking ethnic groups that lived in the Valley of Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest. The name Aztec is derived from Aztlan, the mythical homeland of the Mexica; according to tradition, Aztlán was located northwest of the Valley of Mexico, possibly in west Mexico. The name Mexico is derived from Mexica. As an agricultural people, the Aztec depended heavily on the forces of nature and worshiped them as gods. Most important was their patron deity, the sun god, Huitzilopochtli, who was also considered to be the god of war. Other important gods were Tlaloc (the god of rain) and Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent (the god of wind and learning, also associated with resurrection). The Aztec believed that the benevolent gods must be kept strong to prevent the evil gods from destroying the world. For this purpose they conducted human sacrifices. Victims of sacrifice were usually prisoners of war, although Aztec warriors would sometimes volunteer for the more important sacrificial rituals. The god Tlaloc was believed to prefer children as sacrificial victims. The sacrificial rituals were elaborate in form, calculated according to the stars to please specific gods at specific times. A victim would ascend the steps of the pyramid. At the top, a priest would stretch the victim across a stone altar and cut out the victim’s heart. The priest would hold the heart aloft to the god being honored and then fling it into a sacred fire while it was still beating. Often many victims were killed at once. In 1487, according to legend, Aztec priests sacrificed more than 80,000 prisoners of war at the dedication of the reconstructed temple of the sun god in Tenochtitlan.


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Nat Wolff is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo
written by Mrs.Nat Wolff, June 04, 2007
Nat Wolff from the Naked Brothers Band Is So Hot! smilies/kiss.gif To bad he is in love with Rosalina. smilies/angry.gif >:
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...
written by tamara foley, November 28, 2008
I just watched your doc. and i was hopping you could give me more informtion on the aztec's and any you may have on the maya. I was to go to mexico in 2009, but i'm not able to now. so i would love to get any informtion i can. thank tamara

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Maza is born in the Netherlands about 40 years ago and has studied economics in the 90's. He is very much a travel buff. He has also a hughe intrest in science and astronomy. At the moment he is working for the local municipality. If you like you can contact him at info @ mazalien.com.© Mazalien 1999 - 2010
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