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Mesoamerican religion from the perspective of conquistadors
Fajkus, Jaromír ; Kostičová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Lyčka, Milan (referee)
Mesoamerican religion from the perspective of conquistadors (Human sacrifice as observed by Spanish conquerors in contrast with contemporary reflection) Annotation The thesis describes human sacrifice in one of the most important ethnic groups in Mesoamerica - the Aztecs - and deals with the overwhelming influence of the ritual that has been performed on a large scale. The two primary contexts, in which the human sacrifice is interpreted, are the political context and the dietary one, more specifically the ritual cannibalism. While the thesis exploits the scientific research of Mesoamerica from the 20th century onwards, the emphasis is put on the textual evidence from the Spanish conquerors, which is used to either prove or disprove the aforementioned research and as the main source of description of the discussed phenomena. The goal of the thesis was to demonstrate the plurality of approach to human sacrifice, the questionable findings of certain research and the complexity of thought that the human sacrifice is based upon.
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Ritual Decapitation in Mesoamerica
Baudiš, Adam ; Kostičová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Křížová, Markéta (referee)
This master's thesis deals with sacrifice by decapitation. Its goal is to describe systematicaly this phenomenon which was widely practiced in the Mesoamerican area. To accomplish this there were firstly introduced the main interpretation lines of human sacrifice. The importance of maize for the Mesoamerican culture was described in the next chapter. The third part of this thesis introduces some Aztec festivities which are connected with ritual decapitation in Sahagún's Historia general. Then this thesis deals with the main aspects of the Mesoamerican ballgame and its connection with the story of the Hero twins from Popol Vuh is introduced here and analyzed. The fourth chapter describes the methods of ritual decapitation. It deals with the question of the fixation method described by Sahagún as "espaldas con espaldas" and the question of the ritual instrument which should have been used in this situation. Then it describes this method in the context of Maya sacrifices. The final part deals with the posthumous dealing with the head and the body of the sacrifices. Big part is given to the problem of tzompantli and the treating of the body. Two main techniques are presented here - skinning and ritual cannibalism. Then it describes the Maya techniques of treating the head which include storing skulls...
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The collapses of distant worlds
Kozina, Václav ; Halbich, Marek (advisor) ; Budil, Ivo (referee) ; Horák, Miroslav (referee)
Diploma thesis "The collapses of distant worlds" deals with interpretations of the conquista of Mexico and Peru (i.e. the conquests of Aztec and Inca empires). The basic question, which all the works considering the conquista deal with, is: how could the arrival of small groups of Spanish conquerors disrupt great Indian empires in such a short time? My thesis has two main goals: to define the typology of interpretations of the conquista and offer my own interpretation which places emphasis on the role of mentalities and cultural complexes. I have distinguished four basic types of interpretations of the conquista: 1. the metaphysical ones; 2. the technological ones; 3. the environmental ones; 4. the mentalistic ones. I used the conception of mentalities (derived from the work of Lucien Lévy-Bruhl) and the system conception of cultur, where I worked with the term "cultural complex" especially. After my approach the conquista represented the clash between two different types of mentalities: the archaic one (which Indian societies featured) and the literary one (which was developed in European societies). Differences in mentalities and cultural complexes provided advantages to the Spaniards in their struggles with the Aztecs and the Incas. So finally the Spanish conquest of Indian empires is...
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Ritual Decapitation in Mesoamerica
Baudiš, Adam ; Kostičová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Křížová, Markéta (referee)
This master's thesis deals with sacrifice by decapitation. Its goal is to describe systematicaly this phenomenon which was widely practiced in the Mesoamerican area. To accomplish this there were firstly introduced the main interpretation lines of human sacrifice. The importance of maize for the Mesoamerican culture was described in the next chapter. The third part of this thesis introduces some Aztec festivities which are connected with ritual decapitation in Sahagún's Historia general. Then this thesis deals with the main aspects of the Mesoamerican ballgame and its connection with the story of the Hero twins from Popol Vuh is introduced here and analyzed. The fourth chapter describes the methods of ritual decapitation. It deals with the question of the fixation method described by Sahagún as "espaldas con espaldas" and the question of the ritual instrument which should have been used in this situation. Then it describes this method in the context of Maya sacrifices. The final part deals with the posthumous dealing with the head and the body of the sacrifices. Big part is given to the problem of tzompantli and the treating of the body. Two main techniques are presented here - skinning and ritual cannibalism. Then it describes the Maya techniques of treating the head which include storing skulls...
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The collapses of distant worlds
Kozina, Václav ; Halbich, Marek (advisor) ; Budil, Ivo (referee) ; Horák, Miroslav (referee)
Diploma thesis "The collapses of distant worlds" deals with interpretations of the conquista of Mexico and Peru (i.e. the conquests of Aztec and Inca empires). The basic question, which all the works considering the conquista deal with, is: how could the arrival of small groups of Spanish conquerors disrupt great Indian empires in such a short time? My thesis has two main goals: to define the typology of interpretations of the conquista and offer my own interpretation which places emphasis on the role of mentalities and cultural complexes. I have distinguished four basic types of interpretations of the conquista: 1. the metaphysical ones; 2. the technological ones; 3. the environmental ones; 4. the mentalistic ones. I used the conception of mentalities (derived from the work of Lucien Lévy-Bruhl) and the system conception of cultur, where I worked with the term "cultural complex" especially. After my approach the conquista represented the clash between two different types of mentalities: the archaic one (which Indian societies featured) and the literary one (which was developed in European societies). Differences in mentalities and cultural complexes provided advantages to the Spaniards in their struggles with the Aztecs and the Incas. So finally the Spanish conquest of Indian empires is...
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Bernardino de Sahagún and Pre-Columbian Understanding of the World
Trčková, Helena ; Křížová, Markéta (advisor) ; Binková, Simona (referee)
(in English) The aim of this thesis is to document the Pre-Columbian understanding of the world based on the early colonial text Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España. The author of this book is a Franciscan Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, for that reason I also focus in the introductory chapters of this thesis on the Franciscan activity in the area of the former "Aztec Empire" straight after the conquest. To provide a complete introduction into the context I also include basic information about the Aztec civilization before the arrival of the Spaniards and about the dramatic encounter of these two cultures. The core of my work is a summary and an analysis of Historia general. In this thesis the Pre-Columbian culture is presented throught its two aspects - the spiritual and the "mundane". The content of the thesis provides information about the singificance of the gods in the life of the Aztecs, the rituals dedicated to them, political administration of the "empire" but as well for example the education of the young girls and boys in the Aztec society. Based on the analysis of the Sahagún's text I also mention the distortion of some parts of the text and I point out the necessity for critical reading of his work.
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Ritual Decapitation in Mesoamerica
Baudiš, Adam ; Kostičová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Křížová, Markéta (referee)
This master's thesis deals with sacrifice by decapitation. Its goal is to describe systematicaly this phenomenon which was widely practiced in the Mesoamerican area. To accomplish this there were firstly introduced the main interpretation lines of human sacrifice. The importance of maize for the Mesoamerican culture was described in the next chapter. The third part of this thesis introduces some Aztec festivities which are connected with ritual decapitation in Sahagún's Historia general. Then this thesis deals with the main aspects of the Mesoamerican ballgame and its connection with the story of the Hero twins from Popol Vuh is introduced here and analyzed. The fourth chapter describes the methods of ritual decapitation. It deals with the question of the fixation method described by Sahagún as "espaldas con espaldas" and the question of the ritual instrument which should have been used in this situation. Then it describes this method in the context of Maya sacrifices. The final part deals with the posthumous dealing with the head and the body of the sacrifices. Big part is given to the problem of tzompantli and the treating of the body. Two main techniques are presented here - skinning and ritual cannibalism. Then it describes the Maya techniques of treating the head which include storing skulls...
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Motives of the pre-Colombian art in modern Mexican art
Taltynová, Marie ; Křížová, Markéta (advisor) ; Binková, Simona (referee)
Diploma thesis Motifs of pre-Columbian America in modern Mexican art deals with the pre- Columbian motifs in the work of three leading representatives of the Mexican muralism - Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Muralism, monumental painting with a clearly defined socio-educational function, started to develop on the initiative of the post- revolutionary Mexican government, since the 1920s of the 20th century. During its development, it gained international fame and today it is widely regarded as a uniquely Mexican style of art. An integral part of muralism form scenes from the life of pre-Columbian cultures. The main objective of this work is to analyse these scenes, the origin of particular motifs, their original meanings and meanings, which they assumed in the context of the murals. The work also reflects where muralists acquired knowledge about the Indian civilizations and what image of pre-Columbian past they created. The work also seeks to clarify the question in what specifically was the muralist access to pre-Columbian cultures innovative. The paper uses qualitative methods of analysis of the available written sources and analysis of visual materials.
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Administrative and economy of the so called Aztec Empire
Dušek, Jakub ; Křížová, Markéta (advisor) ; Binková, Simona (referee)
(in English): This thesis examines and tests the hypothesis whether political entity, in literature traditionally referred to as the "Aztec Empire", was actually an empire equivalent to European states of that age. Based on this hypothesis there are two objectives in this paper. The first one is to answer the question of what principles really stood on this political entity, how the relationships between the core of the empire and other provinces varied and what affected these relationships. The second objective is to examine the economic system of the Aztec empire because that was extensively intertwined with its political actions and influenced them. All three components of the Aztec economy are analyzed, thus supplying the Triple Alliance on its own (intensive agriculture, trade) and extracting tributes from conquered territories. Attention is also paid to the history of "Aztec empire" and its Mesoamerican context. The main sources are edited sources from early colonial times, depicting the situation before the arrival of Europeans and secondary literature, stemming mainly from ethnohistorical research.
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Human Sacrifice and its Reasons in Cultural and Religious Context
Baudiš, Adam ; Gebelt, Jiří (advisor) ; Kostičová, Zuzana (referee)
This bachelor work deals with the problem of human sacrifice and its goal is to find the reasons for this ritual practice. The work is divided into six parts. First part discusses the problem of human sacrifice among the Aztecs. This chapter is largest because this theme was discussed largely in literature. In this chapter is also given a short essay about the Aztec's practice of ritual violence. Next chapter deals with human sacrifice in the Andas and especialy among the Incas. There you can find also little chapter about iconography of the Incas and about the quechua term huaca. In third part are discussed human sacrifices of the Celts. There is also given a short essay about cult of head which was largely practiced among the Celts. Fourth part deals with some theories about human sacrifice. The final part of this thesis tries to compare and summarize the facts given in previous chapters and compare them with the existing theories about human sacrifice and deal with them. - 6 -
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