The Templo Mayor was the religious and political center of Tenochtitlan, and it was one of the largest and most impressive religious structures of pre-Columbian America. The temple was a double pyramid, with two shrines on top, one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the war god and the patron of the Mexica, and the other to Tlaloc, the rain god. The Templo Mayor was rebuilt and enlarged seven times during the history of Tenochtitlan, and the final version, completed in 1487 under the reign of Ahuitzotl, was the largest and most impressive.
The Structure of the Temple
The Templo Mayor was a double pyramid, with two shrines on top, one dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and the other to Tlaloc. The two shrines were connected by a single platform, and the temple was approached by two parallel staircases that led up the front of the pyramid. The final version of the temple was about 60 meters tall, and it was built of stone and stucco.
The temple was decorated with stone sculptures, including the great Coyolxauhqui Stone, which depicts the dismembered body of the moon goddess, and with the heads of sacrificial victims mounted on a great skull rack, the tzompantli, that stood beside the temple. The temple was also surrounded by a wall, called the coatepantli, that marked the boundary between the sacred and the profane, and it had a single entrance that was guarded by the priests.
The Symbolism of the Temple
The Templo Mayor was rich in symbolism, and it represented the Mexica understanding of the cosmos and the human condition. The double pyramid represented the two principal forces of the Mexica religion, the war god Huitzilopochtli and the rain god Tlaloc, and it symbolized the balance of the two forces that was essential for the survival of the Mexica state. The two staircases represented the two paths that the Mexica could follow, the path of war and the path of peace, and they symbolized the Mexica commitment to the maintenance of the cosmic order.
The temple was also a representation of the Mexica cosmovision. The pyramid represented the sacred mountain, Coatepec, where Huitzilopochtli had been born, and it was a symbol of the Mexica’s divine origin. The temple was also a representation of the universe, with the four sides of the pyramid representing the four directions of the universe, and the two shrines representing the sun and the moon.
The Religious Importance
The Templo Mayor was the religious center of the Mexica state, and it was the destination of pilgrims from across the empire. The temple was the venue for the most important religious ceremonies of the year, including the monthly festivals of the veintenas, the New Fire Ceremony, and the dedicatory sacrifices performed when a new temple was built.
The temple was also the venue for the most important public events of the Mexica state, including the coronation of new rulers, the reception of foreign envoys, and the celebration of major military victories. The temple was a symbol of the Mexica state, and it was the most important public building in the capital.
The Dedicatory Sacrifices
The most elaborate sacrifices performed at the Templo Mayor were the dedicatory sacrifices, which were performed when a new temple was built or when a new stage of the temple was completed. The most famous of these dedications was the one performed in 1487, when the seventh and final version of the Templo Mayor was dedicated. According to some sources, this dedication involved the sacrifice of thousands of victims over a period of several days, though modern scholars are skeptical of the highest figures.
The dedicatory sacrifices were occasions for public spectacle, and they were witnessed by thousands of spectators. The victims were taken in procession to the temple, where they were sacrificed in front of the crowd. The sacrifices were accompanied by elaborate rituals, including prayers, songs, and dances, and they were followed by feasting and celebration. The dedicatory sacrifices were a form of public theatre, and they served to reinforce the religious and political authority of the Mexica state.
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