So who were the Aztecs?

They were a tribe that lived from the 13th to the 16th century in and around the area which is now known as Mexico. Religion and the gods were extremely important to the Aztecs. Their daily life revolved around pleasing and honoring the gods.

Aztec tribal tattoos were used for a variety of reasons:

• Aztec tribal tattoos were done during rituals and always to honor of a specific god.
• Different Aztec tribal tattoo designs were used to identify different tribes.
• Aztec tattoo designs were used to show a persons status. For example a warriors rank.

There are several common Aztec tattoo designs that we see:

A lot of the designs involve the sun. Sun tattoos were in honor of Huitzilopochtili, the Aztec sun god. The sun was very important to the Aztec people, it was the guardian of the heavens. Therefore today, an Aztec sun tattoo symbolizes belief in an afterlife.

Quetzalcoatl – the feathered serpent god of ancient Mexico – has also been adapted to Mexican tattooing. Quetzalcoatl, the god of weather, creativity and fertility, was the most powerful of all Aztec gods.