The Olmec's Religion

144 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Religion in ancient civilizations

Olmec Religion

The Olmec’s religion had bizarre beliefs and ways of worshipping gods. The Jaguar was an ancestor and a god. They supposedly had influence on good in bad the world. Rain ceremonies were believed as a way to control weather. When they needed it most, they would smoke to summon rain. When the Olmec’s tribe master died, they would put them in the middle of a burial mound, which can be found in one of the four corners of the exhibit. When he was put in, they would toss in jade jewelry with the body. The Olmec really stood out from the other tribes because they worshipped a half man, half jaguar, stone heads, and other things.

Talk about stone heads
Describe the location of the religious facts and actions
Evidence based claim

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of The Olmec Culture: The Kunz Axe

    266 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Kunz Axe is a votive axe that is associated with the Olmec culture. It was found in the hills of Oaxaca, Mexico by George Kunz in 1890. The axe appears to be dating around 800-500 BC, which is part of the Middle Formative period. Although this artifact is considered an axe, it does not mean that this was its function. The votive axe appears more of a sculpture and it is “more likely that it was used in ritual settings” (Milner Library, n.d.). The material that was used to made this artifact is jade. Because the artifact was made out of jade, it is believed that it was “reserved for the adornment of gods and royalty” (The Met, n.d.). The Kunz Axe has a blue green color and it is about eleven inches high. It appears to depict a human with

    Read More

  • Aztecsinga Clendinnen

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    Inga Clendinnen's Aztecs:An Interpretation is an outstanding book dealing with investigations into how the Mexica peoples may have veiwed the world in which they lived. From the daily life of a commoner to the explosively, awe inspiring lives of the priests and warriors. Clendinnen has used thoughtful insights and a fresh perspective that will have general readers and specialist readers alike engaged in a powerful and elegantly written interpretation that is hard to put down without reflection upon this lost culture.

    Read More

  • Meso-American Beliefs

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    Meso-American religion involves a variety of beliefs and rituals of the people of Central America and Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s C.E. The beliefs of the ancient Meso-American religious traditions were focused around an annual calendar that had an accompanying ritual cycle. This calendar was associated with various Meso-American deities, often representing different aspects of the cosmos including a creator god, a god of war, a sun god, a fire god, etc. Various beliefs were practiced by the ancient Meso-American peoples that included diverse forms and levels of the afterlife, with each containing its own deity. Religious rituals and practices were typically governed by priests that had been educated in astronomy and genealogy. These priests were often adorned with jewels, ornaments of many colors, exquisite jewels and many had dual roles as diviners. Using idols was common in Meso-American religion and they were usually depicted in the form of animals or having animals as a part of them. Several of these ancient traditions included rituals of sacrifice to the gods, even human sacrifice.

    Read More

  • The Nine Guardians

    796 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... god. Religious meeting were held in secrecy in the homes of members of the church, mainly female members of the church. Amalia risked her freedom by holding a meeting in her home. (p232) Both the Ladinos and the Indians believed that they were being punished by their gods for the sufferings they experienced. The Mayans believed that they were being punished by their gods for the suffering their people were experiencing at the hands of the Europeans. “They came, who were destined to come; haughty and hard of manner and strong of voice, such were the instruments of our chiding”. (Castellanos, year, p 56) The religious rites and customs practised by the indigenous people were constructed by Europeans as “lies and deceptions which the devil had invented” (Tignor et al 2002, p97) They were to worship only the Christian God instead of bowing to their many idols.

    Read More

  • Religious Roles in The Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads his tale, one learns just how dedicated he his to that of his Christian faith; from his constant narration of the scriptures to the way that Equiano feels a growing sense of empowerment from the biblical texts for the oppressed community. However, at the same time, one may question Equiano's own Christian piety. Did Equiano really seek to tell the tale of his soul's spiritual journey, did he really believe God would set him free or was he simply using religion as a ways of manipulating British and American readers to accept him as a credible narrator. Regardless of which of these facts is true, religion is quite possibly the defining feature of his life story.

    Read More

  • The Role of Religion in "The Conquest of New Spain"

    613 Words  | 2 Pages

    A major element of Aztec life was religion, as often is in the case in ancient civilizations. The Aztecs were a polytheistic people, and they often made use of human sacrifice to please their gods. Diaz often makes reference to the blood-stained walls of the Aztec temples in his account of the conquest. In reference to the success of Cortes and his soldiers, an anci...

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Egypt And Mesoamerica

    1089 Words  | 3 Pages

    There were also many differences in detail. Egyptians believed the sun god and the land god, including Atum which was in human form, Re which had human body and falconhead, Osiris which represented resurrection, Isis... In Olmec, people considered Jaguar as the most powerful predator; they believed were-Jaguar, bred by a human woman and a Jaguar, was their ancestor. They had semblable system of religion, but believed different

    Read More

  • Religion In Okorafor's Lagoon

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    Okorafor’s novel, Lagoon, depicts religion as causing both an internal and external conflict between several of the characters. First off, Father Oke is a major player in the portrait of Christianity. Father Oke is the bishop that Chris turns to when he is fighting with Adaora. Father Oke isn’t the typical man that comes to mind when you think of a “Holy Man”. He owns several nice cars, wears expensive clothing and is simply in the business for the money. The gateman at Chris and Adaora’s house said, “even though he was Muslim, he had nothing against Christians. But a Bishop displaying such extravagance seemed wrong” (41). As we can tell from the gateman’s observation of the bishop, it was obvious that he wasn’t afraid to hide his wealth. However,

    Read More

  • Omelas Culture Essay

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Describe the Culture of Omelas and how you do you Think it got That way.

    Read More

  • Meso America

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Mayan interpretation of the cosmos included a plethora of gods: some benevolent, others malignant; some unattainable, others close at hand. Defining past, present and future, it concerned itself with death, the afterlife and reincarnation. Itzamna was a Mayan god that represented the earth and sky. This god was there to produce vegitables. The Aztec beliefs were very similar to that of the Mayan civilization. Both societies were very similar in their belief of gods, sacrificing, and wars. The ritual of human sacrifice was infulenced by the Toltec tradition. Praying, sacrifice, speaking in metaphors were all forms of speaking with dieties. The calendar was very accurate, more accurate then the calendars that we follow now. Europeans thought that Mesoamerican people were wild people because they were cannibals, believed in many gods, and "enjoyed sex".

    Read More

  • Mesoamerican Civilization Essay

    1254 Words  | 3 Pages

    The consistent interaction between Mesoamerican civilizations within the region created a cultural diffusion that allowed Mesoamericans to share a great degree of their cultural practices and knowledge with each other. Church and State are one of the same. They considered the gods to be the everyday rulers of their daily lives and depended on their priests and rulers to ensure that the gods were appeased and didn't destroy the earth or extinguish the essential life sustaining Sun. The Maya religion required a highly complicated method of worship that demanded bloodletting and sacrificial rituals that were often fulfilled by the kings and queens. These efforts were necessary because it was believed to "feed" the gods.

    Read More

  • Mesoamerican Empires

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    These three civilizations were focused on their religions, causing some similarities. They all built cities as religious centers. Both the Mayas and the Aztecs worshipped their gods through human sacrifice. The Olmecs were so dedicated to their gods that they transported 50 ton boulders from the mountains to the shore. For the Mayas, even their games were related to their religion. The Aztec society was constantly at war for the sole purpose of making sacrifices to their many gods. Religion dominated the cultures of these Mesoamerican empires.

    Read More

  • Mayan Religion

    1535 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the Central America, most notably the Yucatan Peninsula, are the Maya, a group of people whose polytheistic religion and advanced civilization once flourished (Houston, 43). The Maya reached their peak during the Classic Period from around CE 250 to the ninth century CE when the civilization fell and dispersed (Sharer, 1). Although much has been lost, the gods and goddesses and the religious practices of the Classic Maya give insight into their lives and reveal what was important to this society. The major Mayan gods and goddesses all have common characteristics and, according to “features which they share in large part with the gods of neighboring people of Middle America” (Thompson, 198). One of these characteristics is that Mayan gods and goddesses have “features which they share in large part with the gods of neighboring people of Middle America” (Thompson, 198).

    Read More

  • The Culture and Religion of the Ancient Mauryan Empire

    1053 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Mauryan Empire was a very intriguing empire, with rulers of different beliefs and ways of ruling, as well as antithetical ways that the rulers gained and maintained their power. Important events occurred during this period of time that affected future generations. The Empire’s people mainly had a Buddhist religion. The people of the Mauryan Empire contributed greatly to the fields of art, and architecture. The Mauryan Empire was very important to India’s way of life.

    Read More

  • Olaudah Equiano's Relationship With Christianity

    1389 Words  | 3 Pages

    While The Female American, Olaudah Equiano, and Robinson Crusoe are all extremely unique novels in and of them, the relationships each person forms with Christianity can be closely related to one another. Just like Robinson Crusoe, Unca Eliza Winkfield and Olaudah Equiano both form very reliant relationships with their God, which could be because of the path that Crusoe laid out before them. Although these three novels are very distinctive, it is without a doubt apparent that the structure of each of their relationships with Christianity are both in the same literary family as Robinson Crusoe.

    Read More

More about The Olmec's Religion

Open Document