Aztecs: Childbirth Equals Battle

Ancient Aztecs Equated Childbirth and Warfare

On November 8, 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlán, the capital city of the Aztec Empire, and was immediately struck by the empire's complex social hierarchy and unique cultural practices. Aztec historian Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxochitl documented the empire's customs, including their views on childbirth and warfare. In the city of Tenochtitlán, Aztec women who died in childbirth were honored with the same rituals as fallen warriors.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that ancient cultures viewed childbirth as a natural and feminine process, separate from the masculine realm of warfare. The standard story goes that women who died in childbirth were mourned, but not necessarily revered as heroes. However, this oversimplification neglects the complexities of Aztec culture and their nuanced understanding of sacrifice and honor.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Matthew Restall argues in his book "When Montezuma Met Cortés" that Aztec women who died in childbirth were considered heroes, equivalent to men who died in battle, as evidenced by the writings of Aztec historian Diego Durán in 1579 and 1581. On specific dates, such as February 22, 1521, and October 12, 1524, Spanish conquistadors observed Aztec rituals honoring women who had died in childbirth. The Aztecs believed that the pain and suffering of childbirth was a form of battle, and that women who died in this process had earned the same honor as warriors who died on the battlefield. According to the Florentine Codex, a primary document written by Bernardino de Sahagún between 1540 and 1585, Aztec women who died in childbirth were given the same funeral rites as fallen warriors, including the ritual of cremation and the offering of sacrifices to the gods. Sahagún's work, based on interviews with Aztec survivors, provides valuable insights into the empire's cultural practices, including their views on childbirth and warfare. By examining the writings of these historians and primary documents, it becomes clear that the Aztecs had a complex and multifaceted understanding of sacrifice, honor, and the role of women in their society.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Francisco López de Gómara and Bernardino de Sahagún, who were closely tied to the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire, deliberately omitted or downplayed the significance of Aztec women's roles in their accounts. By doing so, they contributed to the erasure of this aspect of Aztec culture. The Council of the Indies, a Spanish governing body, also played a role in suppressing information about the Aztecs, as they sought to promote a narrative that justified the conquest. Specifically, the destruction of Aztec codices and other indigenous texts by Spanish colonizers meant that many primary sources of information about Aztec beliefs and practices were lost. This destruction of records, coupled with the biased accounts of Spanish historians, effectively buried the story of why the Aztecs believed that dying in childbirth was equivalent to dying in battle.

The Ripple Effect

The suppression of this aspect of Aztec culture had concrete consequences for the indigenous women of Mexico. As Spanish colonizers imposed their own beliefs and practices on the region, the status and respect afforded to Aztec women who died in childbirth were gradually lost. Today, the remains of the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, a site where Aztec women who died in childbirth were once honored, serve as a direct link to this forgotten history. The fact that this temple is now a tourist destination, with guided tours that barely touch on the significance of these women, is a stark reminder of the consequences of suppressing this story.

The Line That Says It All

The Aztec belief that dying in childbirth was equivalent to dying in battle was reduced to a mere footnote in the historical record, a fact that is only now being rediscovered by scholars.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Aztecs and their cultural practices during the pre-Columbian era.