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The Importance of Religion in Aztec and Incas Cultures Essay

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INTRODUCTION
Religion played a very important role in the Aztec and Inca culture. Religious rituals consisted of human sacrifice and polytheism. Their deities were inspired by nature and the earth’s physical makeup. Both appear to be similar but peel back the onion and notable differences reveal themselves. It is difficult for modern day society to understand how human sacrifice can exist in such advanced civilizations.
THE INCAS (CHILDREN OF THE SUN)
The Incas Empire began around 1200 and lasted until the Spanish arrival in 1532. They were the largest civilization in pre-Columbia with a territory of 380,000 square miles and a population of about 7 million. Around 1400 the empire began its expansion stretching along the western coast of …show more content…

Cristobal de Molina, a Spanish priest who would eventually establish a hospital in Cuzco, witnessed the Capacoha and recorded the ritual:
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui also invented the Capacocha, which was carried out in the following way: The provinces of Collasuyo, Chinchaysuyo, Antisuyo, and Cuntisuyo would bring to this city, from each town and lineage of people, one or two small boys or girls, of ten years old. They would also bring clothes and livestock, as well as sheep [made] of gold, silver, and mullu. These were kept in Cuzco for the reasons that will be told. After all this was assembled, the Inca would sit in the plaza of Haucaypata, which is the large plaza of Cuzco. There the children and other sacrifices walked around the statues of the Creator, Sun, Thunder, and Moon that were already in the plaza for this purpose. They made two turns around them, and after finishing, the Inca summoned the provincial priests and had the offerings divided into four parts for the four suyos: Collasuyo, Chinchaysuyo, Antisuyo, and Cuntisuyo, which are the four regions into which this land is divided. And he would tell them, “Each of you take your share of these offerings and sacrifices, take it to your principal huaca, and sacrifice them there.
The huaca was the sacred shrine or god and they were all about the Inca Empire. The children were chosen by the emperor about one year prior to the Capacocha

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