Aztec tattoos came to prominence while the Aztec civilization was thriving. This was about the 14th century A.C. in Mexico. The Aztec peoples were highly advanced and intelligent. Among their many rituals and beliefs, art was very important to them. Included within their art forms was the Aztec tattoo; a highly ritualized art form that held a great deal of importance in their culture.
Aztec tattoos often had religious, spiritual and ritual meanings. The Aztecs had many gods and had a rigid set of beliefs. Many of the types of Aztec tattoo are related to one of those gods and are seen as a way to honor them or show devotion to them. Additionally, the Aztecs believed the universe to be in three parts; the earthly world they live in, the underworld of the dead and a sort of cosmic aspect that was for the gods.
The sun, moon and stars were all religious and spiritual symbols and can be seen in Aztec tattoos. One of the most common types of Aztec tattoo is the sun, making a variety of faces. The sun was extremely important to Aztec civilization as it was said to be the giver of life. The sun was also the basis for their calendar.
All of the various gods of the Aztec civilization were worshiped for different reasons. Many had their own temples built for them. The Aztec gods were also depicted in pottery, sculpture and paintings. These same depictions often formed the basis of an Aztec tattoo.
Aztec tattoos were not for adults only. Young children would be tattooed with the symbols of a god that they were devoted to. Either on the basis of what they were named for, an early event in their life or a particular belief or feeling of closeness. These tattoos could be on their stomachs, chest or wrist. An Aztec tattoo had a specific location that it had to be put to mean a certain thing or be ritually significant and correct. Therefore you could not place an Aztec tattoo just anywhere. They were done at specific times, to signify specific events or gods and on specific places of the body.
Today, the Aztec civilization is remembered not only for their highly advanced civilization and belief system, but also for their warrior spirit and mentality. Therefore many people who get an Aztec tattoo do so to either honor their Aztec heritage or connect with their own inner strengths. As an example, boxer Fernando Vargas was known as the “Aztec Warrior”.
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[...] Aztec Tattoos – Mexican tattoos often derive from historical Aztec tattoos and the Aztec belief system. [...]
amazing! I REALLY enjoyed this read! I’d love to see more like this. So much history there and many of us Latinos can trace roots back to those ancient cultures. It’s amazing. I was looking for an Aztec design to incorporate with my back as a sleeve for my left arm and I found this:
http://www.warvox.com/index1.php
“WARVOX” It’s definitely worth checking out.