Aztec Reincarnation: Rebirth and Renewal in Mesoamerican Theology

Abstract

The Aztecs, the empire located in modern Mexico, had a large religious system with a main emphasis on reincarnation. Reincarnation was present through most of the social life and myths of the Aztecs by being the system that both the world and the gods relied on. Because of its prevalence, reincarnation became a tool of discussion between social classes. This allowed for the elites to extract resources from the commoners, since reincarnation can be used as justification for actions, as a method of controlling the public, and as a way to enforce moral ideals onto the public. Despite this, commoners used reincarnation to remind the elites of their fragility in their station and to provide the commoners with a moral standing over the elites, all while protecting themselves from anger from the elites. Because of this duality, both the elites and the commoners received benefits from their belief in reincarnation and used reincarnation to keep the other party in check.