The Aztecs and Monotheism?

Over time I have found that some others that have felt called to the Nahua religion have decided to say that Ometeotl is “God” in a more monotheistic sense, and that all others are just names for Ometeotl. I have heard talk of ‘teotl’ not meaning ‘god’, and thus all ‘gods’ of the Nahuas aren’t truly gods. I have heard some claim that polytheism amongst the Aztecs was all a bunch of Spanish misrepresentation. I think this is unfortunate thinking.

It is true that teotl does not mean ‘god’ specifically. It seems the English translation closest to the original word is something divine or supernatural. In and of itself, teotl can denote anything of the sort, from the energies of the universe to the cihuateteo, the spirits of women who have died in childbirth. I see no reason for divinity and the supernatural to not encompass gods.

I place very little value on Spanish interpretations and claims about things. If I did, then I must be worshipping a god who is an evil manifestation of the devil, which I hope I have made clear is not anywhere near the case. However, I see no evidence that the Nahuas believed in one divine being rather than many. In fact, through studies of their own texts I find it far the opposite. While Ometeotl is clearly the ultimate divinity, Ometeotl is not the one and only “God”, or even necessarily to be considered a god. The Nahuas did not worship Ometeotl, no temples were erected for the source of divinity. Ometeotl was in everything and everywhere, not truly a being but rather the entire holiness of the universe. It was considered useless to worship Ometeotl, as Ometeotl was not conscious or caring, Ometeotl would not answer prayers or appreciate devotion. Ometeotl didn’t even create the Earth and mankind, Ometeotl manifested the gods and supplied the divine energy for other things to be created. The Divine Duality is remote and distant from mortals. The gods were the children and first creations of Ometeotl, they are the ones with the most direct influence over the world.

But why the trend towards monotheistic claims? I fear that this may show that European thinking may have infiltrated the very people claiming to release themselves from it more than one hopes. The common theme seems to be the claim that the Nahuas were too sophisticated for such primitive beliefs as polytheism. This is the kind of thinking which religiously enslaved the people to begin with. Who is speaking there but the centuries of Spanish friars? Contemplate this for a moment, for I see no reason to think that faith in many gods is primitive.

The vast majority of religions throughout the world are polytheistic. In most cultures, in all continents, the spiritual beliefs encompassed many gods and other divine beings. I don’t speak of the religions who are dominant through force now, I speak of the original spiritual inspiration of people throughout the world. From such large religions as Hinduism, to the religions of Africa, pre-Christian Europe, and yes, ancient America, multiple gods were everywhere. Many of the greatest civilizations had faith in many gods. Indeed, compare the cultures of the world with the three main monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, which all arose in a comparatively small region of the Middle East. Only because of ideals of conversion and conquest is Christianity one of the world’s largest religions today, and as a result, a monotheistic viewpoint the dominant one. Why should I accept the Christian idea of a polytheistic Aztec religion as primitive and idolatrous any more than I should accept the Spanish inquisitor’s belief that they were doing God’s work in committing torture and murder?

The point of this comment is not to say that Christians are evil. It is merely to make a comparison. Why accept some oppressions and not others? I am proud to say that I believe in all the deities of the Aztecs.