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#aztec
dyke-delphinia · 6 months
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3D Reconstruction of Tenochtitlán by Thomas Kole
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alpaca-clouds · 6 months
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Some historical context for Olrox
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Okay, let me prephase this with one important message: Castlevania Nocturne made me really happy by making the plot all about colonialism, as colonialism and its fallout and how it influences us to this day is a topic that I am very passionate about. We do not talk enough about it. The US does not talk enough about it because it could make white people feel uncomfortable. And here in Germany we do not talk about it, because we act as if this had nothing to do with us at all.
But the show talks about it and I love it.
And I honestly also gotta say that I love that the BI_PoC character have a concrete cultural heritage. Olrox is Aztec, Annette is Yoruba, and Drolta is Egyptian. Other shows: Please take notes!
But let's talk Olrox, because he is so fucking interesting and amazing!
We know about him that he is Aztec and also that he is 250 years old. Or roughly that old by the time he kills Julia. Which would put either his birth or his turning somewhere around 1530.
Now, the fall of the Aztec Empire has a very exact date: August 13th, 1521. But you should keep in mind that this does not mean that on that day the Aztec's are extinct. To this day there is still 1,5 million people speaking Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and preserving some of the Aztec cultural traditions. It was just that on that day the empire construct fell to Cortez and the Spaniad conquistadors and a lot of Aztecs went into exile to flee the genocide that Cortez was bringing upon them.
The question of course is: Was Olrox still human at this time or was he already a vampire? From his dialogue it is clear that he was at least alive and grown enough to remember the fall of the empire and the distruction Cortez and his men brought upon them. But you can bet it was very traumatic.
I also am assuming he was turned by a white man. Because so far my assumption is that vampirism is an old world thing that got brought to the new world through colonialism. (Mostly because in Dracula's court we do not see any new world vampires.)
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Now, the other interesting thing is what he says about his dead lover. The one Julia killed. So, first the "town in Massachusetts" he speaks about is clearly Stockbridge. Which was the town in which many Mohicans have settled during the colonial times, as well as other people from the Iroquois Nations. Now, it should be noted that the Mohicans were not part of the Iroquois alliance and in fact went to war with the Iroquois, but by the time colonialism really geared up there was some cooperation between the Mohicans and Iroquois.
Due to this they were in an alliance with the Oneida (who were part of the Iroquois) by the time of the Revolutionary war. Now, the Revolutionary War created a lot of conflict between the Iroquois nations, because they did not agree which side they should fight on. Of course both sides promised that they could keep their land, but the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca did not trust the colonists and hence sided with the British, while the Oneida and Tuscarora (and through them also the Mohicans) sided with the Colonists.
And the dead lover clearly was among those siding with the colonists. Now, a quick refresher for the non-Americans (and the Americans who slept to history class, which is understandable). The Revolutionary War lasted from April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783 (which, yes, also means that Julia and Richter probably were in the US during the war the entire time and the "evil" Julia was fighting probably was linked to it). And of course we all know how it ended for the Indigenous people: The colonists won, countless Indigenous folks died on both sides, only to get booted of their land soon after. The Oneida und Mohicans were made to move westwards not soon after the war ended. So, yes, Olrox would have seen that happen.
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Now, an interesting thing in his dialogue was when Erzebet said: "We will create a new world." To which he replies: "I have heard that one before." And she says: "This time we are going to make it to last."
And the big question is to what this is refering. Is it refering to the colonialization or is it refering to the revolutionary war? Or something entirely different. In both cases it would be possible. And yes, the American Revolution definitely were claiming to create a new world. But was it that what he refered to or something else?
Well, never the less: Interesting character. Really good writing.
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mexican-postcards · 3 months
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The Aztec sun stone (Piedra del Sol), when it was located next to the Cathedral in Mexico City, 1886
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renumuro · 19 days
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nobrashfestivity · 1 month
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Unknown, Fish of the Sea from .Florentine Codex (Vol III, fol 214v) c. 1579
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dailyhistoryposts · 7 days
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[Image description: a clip of a headline that reads: Mexican history> Mexican government acquires long-lost Aztec manuscripts a out the rise and fall of Tenochtitlan]
The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City has announced the discovery of the Codices of San Andrés Tetepilco, three codices nearly 500 years old, telling the history of the city of Tenochtitlán. It includes details of life before and after European contact and conquest, written in a mix of Nahuatl, Spanish, and Indigenous Mesoamerican painting styles.
The indigenous people of Mexico and Central America, including civilizations before the Aztecs, had a very complete written history. However, most of these texts were burned by Spanish conquistadores, making findings like this very exciting.
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[Image description: a page of the Codices of San Andrés Tetepilco, showing the inventory of a church on bark paper via imagery. It is faded and ripped in many places]
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gregor-the-man-man · 7 months
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Aztec Gods: Centeotl - Mixcoatl - Chalchiuhtotolin - Xiuhtecuhtli
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pazzesco · 6 months
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Jefas Bonita
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Zapotec women call themselves Tehuanas. The Zapotec civilization was an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization. Tehuantepec is the center of Zapotec culture. In Tehuantepec women are the heads of households, control the purse and represent the community to outsiders. To this day the women rule the roost in their matriarchal society where women used to hold exclusive trading rights and still dominate the in-town markets. The business acumen of the Zapotec women is respected today and was widely celebrated in 19th century writings.
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The Tehuanas are also known for their traditional dress, full skirts, artisanal embroidered blouses and florid hairstyles. adopted by the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
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tropigar · 7 months
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shi-gu · 7 days
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March 21st is Donají's birthday!
I had wanted to do a family portrait for a long time. From left to right:
Béelia (Donají's mother).
Donají herself.
Yela (Cousin).
Gueela (Aunt)
Bio' (Eldest cousin).
Also a February reward release!
Some people may be seeing Gueela for the first time. She's Béelia's older sister, and has a very frail health so she doesn't go out often. She's the mother of Bio' and Yela.
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artifacts-archive · 11 days
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Skull Necklace Aztec, Late Postclassic, 1200-1520 CE
The impressive motif of this necklace is presented by 18 nearly identical carved shell beads in the shape of skulls, separated from one another by simple disk spacer beads. All were carved from thick shell that has been identified as Spondylus, possibly Spondylus princeps. The symbolism of this necklace plays with two concepts: the fertile waters of the home of the shell and the fertility ensured by human sacrifice. The carved beads suggest the dry, bleached crania of sacrificial victims as they were displayed in the temple complex on the public skull rack (tzompantli in Nahuatl). The cord passing through the skulls mimics the way in which skulls were arrayed on wooden poles on the rack. Life and death are thus interlinked and dependent on each other.
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thoughtportal · 5 months
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Stunning Codex Documenting Aztec Culture Now Fully Digitized The 16th-century “Florentine Codex” offers a Mexican Indigenous perspective that is often missing from historical accounts of the period.
{read}
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alpaca-clouds · 6 months
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Quetzalcoatl
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So, Olrox has a Quetzalcoatl form. And that one is interesting, right? Though it also makes a lot of sense then in the context of the series. Well, kinda.
Let me get one thing out of the way: There is a tendency in western media to say "a Quetzalcoatl", as if there were many. Because a lot of western understanding does understand Quetzalcoatl as just another form of dragon. He is not.
I am not gonna claim, that I know a ton of Aztec/Mexica mythology. I do not. So, I cannot do the kinda comparative mythology stuff that I can do with western and Asian mythology. I am fairly certain that there is some comparative mythology going on in South America, too. But... I just do not know about it.
But what I can tell you, is that Quetzalcoatl is one of the creator deities within the Mexica mythology. And that he is the God of the planet we call Venus, the god of the wind, the sun, of learning and of knowledge. (Which is doubly interesting, because the old CV show had this core theme of knowledge going on.)
Quetzalcoatl presented himself as the feathered serpent, which is also what his name means. And Olrox having this form implies something within the context of the show.
Because with Erzsebet the show establishes that the vampires can drink from the blood of a god and take some of their powers. And Olrox having this form (and also his powers relating to thunder) implies that he might have drunken from the blood of the actual Quetzalcoatl.
Interesting is of course the powerlevel there in comparison with Erzsebet's Sekhmet. Sekhmet of course is a war goddess and as such has a lot of fighting power. But also, Quetzalcoatl is one of the highest deities of the Mexica people.
What is interesting, too, is that Erzsebet (if she is really the historical figure) should be about the same age as Olrox. A bit younger in fact.
And just going off the little I know about Quetzalcoatl... For one, it is interesting he is also a sun deity. But also, I do think that Olrox probably should be able to take on Erzsebet. And the reason why he does not do that is very probably interesting.
(Probably gonna write a bit about that in the evening.)
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sealhaus · 4 months
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Dog gods
Half of my illustration and design final
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worldhistoryfacts · 3 months
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What was it like to be an Aztec kid? According to this document, not so great. This page of the Codex Mendoza shows us a boy (left) and girl (right) at ages 11-14. We see the naughty tweens punished at ages 11 by being held over burning chili peppers until they cry. Then, at age 12, the boy is tied up until he behaves, while the girl does chores around the house. By ages 13 and 14, they’ve apparently learned to behave: the boy is helpfully collecting reeds and fishing while the girl makes tortillas and weaves.
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Much more on Aztec life here:
{Buy me a coffee} {WHF} {Medium} {Substack}
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nobrashfestivity · 11 months
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Unknown, reverse side, Coronation Stone of Motecuhzoma II (Stone of the Five Suns), 1503
Aztec (Mexica) Tenochtitlan, Mexico
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