Beyond the End: The Fascinating Mexica View of Death

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Discover the philosophy of a civilization that understood death not as an end, but as the beginning of a new cycle.
For the ancient Mexicas, existence and death together formed the heartbeat of the cosmos. Ready to see the world with new eyes?
Explore the secrets of the afterlife in the Mexica worldview. From the underworld to the solar paradise, a journey that redefines life and death.
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00:00The Pulse of the Cosmos

00:01Death and rebirth in the Mexica vision for many modern Western cultures,

00:06death is the end of everything, the antithesis of life.

00:11But for the ancient Mexicas, with their vibrant capital in Tenochtitlan,

00:15this could not have been further from the truth.

00:18Their perspective on life and death was deeply intertwined with their complex religion.

00:22In the Nahuatl world, death was not the opposite of life.

00:26Rather, existence and death together configured what they called life,

00:30just as the heart beats in a cycle of systole and diastole,

00:33existence and death formed the very heartbeat of life.

00:37For the Mexicas, everything was done in anticipation of death,

00:40not as a final defeat, but as the threshold of a new cycle.

00:44They saw the human being as a sun that is born in the east,

00:48reaches its zenith in the south, and dies in the west.

00:51But just as the sun crosses the underworld at night to reappear each morning,

00:55the human being was transformed through death.

00:58It was a process of cosmic and literal recycling.

01:02After being buried plot cutly, the earth deity would devour the mortal part of the body.

01:07After four years, the bones were taken by from the deepest part of the underworld

01:10to be ground by the goddess Kvalastli.

01:13It would spill his blood on them, giving that human being a new life.

01:17This powerful image underscores the fundamental idea that life was generated through death,

01:23a cycle of nourishment that allowed the essence of the deceased to embark on their next journey.

01:29The destiny of the deceased was not determined by how they lived,

01:32but by the manner in which they died.

01:35They did not aspire to the 13 heavens, which were the dwelling place of the gods.

01:38Instead, there were four main destinations.

01:42El Primero, Iravel, Inframundo de Nouve, Nivelles, Reservado, Paraguayans, De Veyes, Oporc Houses and Trelles.

01:51The first was the gloomy underworld of nine levels, reserved for those who died of old age or from natural causes.

01:58It was a four-year journey, full of trials.

02:01Until they reached Mclantacookley and Mclasahuitl, the lord and lady of the underworld.

02:06After overcoming all trials, the deceased became part of the universe, achieving final rest.

02:13The second was Toneshu Ichin, the House of the Sun.

02:16A paradise in the east for warriors who died in combat, and for women who died during their first childbirth.

02:22They were considered warriors, and their destiny was to accompany the sun god, Toneshu, in his daily battle.

02:29After four years, the male warriors would be reincarnated as hummingbirds,

02:33and the women would return to earth every four years as suetatio, spirits of fertility.

02:39The third destination was Tualocan, the place of a paradise of abundance for those who died by drowning,

02:45lightning strikes, or diseases related to water.

02:49Finally, Sincolco, the House of Maze, was for those who died by suicide or strangulation.

02:54The Mexicas even saw human sacrifice as a way to nourish their deities,

02:58guaranteeing the balance of the cosmos and the vital movement of the sun.

03:03Although their civilization was marked by a certain harshness,

03:06their poetry and prayers reveal a profound tenderness and lament for loss.

03:11But even in the defeat of the Spanish conquest, the idea of continuity prevails.

03:17Tenochtitlan became Mexico City, and in a sense, the empire itself was reincarnated into something different.

03:23For the Mexicas' death was not the end, but the beginning of an endless cosmic cycle of transformation and regeneration.

03:30It was the profound start of a new life.

03:32Money expressed.

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