Pacific Lutheran University

"...although they have writing, by means of certain cords and knots they remember things of the past, through their principal means of recalling is through the songs which they have, as we have here, about events and battles which happened long ago..." (Miguel de Estete 1918).

Aztec Song and Music

    When thinking about the Aztec empire many people;s first thought is that of sacrifices and mass killing. What people failed to see about the Aztec are the complexities and beauty that the society held. The Aztec had the ability to create delicate poetry and soft music that puts to this day many societies to shame. While war and sacrificial songs were more prominent uses of songs--it also had the means to give an in depth view of Aztec past and history. Many songs that the Aztec families sang were that of their ancestral past and the deeds that the family has done to reach thier current postitions.

    Looking at the poetry and art that the Aztec could conjure up it is even better to image every twenty days a festival being held where families flood into the streets and sing all their thoughts and beliefs that spur their existence. In the eyes of those who behold it, their music and religion is to a point we cannot fathom (Martens, 1928). Every aspect and ideal that was behind the songs and instruments had a religious beat to it, as well as some political spicing.  There was such passion and understanding of thier music and what it represented to them.  When comparing the Aztec to our society today, many areas of music have a political or religious ballot hidden in them, whether you look for them or not.

    It is misplaced for someone to infer that the Aztec people were barbaric and uneducated, when they had such a system of dealing and pressing the matters of religion on the people around them by using music. It comes without saying then that the Aztecs religion controlled the songs and (that is the emperor and priests) had control over the how the people acted in society and religion based off of the lyrics of the song.  Thus the question of how people ascertained the idea of Aztec being barbaric and primitive comes into my mind.  The system so closely wraps all the people into a web without them even knowing or thinking how the songs and festivals in a sense controlled them.