Aztec Laws

Warning - I may be poking fun at some of the Aztec laws here...but I am no way belittling them. I'm just having fun :)

Document Section, page 593

These laws tell me some funny things about the Aztec society:

1)      The King is such a King!

The King is so important that if he chooses not to show up and be the King, he doesn’t have to! (#1). The King can wear sandals in the palace, be adorned with beautiful threads to show off that he’s the King, and he can sentence citizens to death. But, should he chose to “stay home”, he can.

2)      They Aztecs and their favorite sin: Vanity.

With the exception of #1, the first 6 laws and # 9 were focused on what certain classes could and could not wear. There seemed to be so much emphasis on who wears what so you can identify them in a crowd, it’s like reading People Magazine’s best-dressed at the Oscars! We’ve learned there are more important things then who Kim Kardashian is wearing.

3)      Is every crime worth dying for?

According to these laws, if anyone does something incorrect, wears the wrong shoes, or the wrong type of fabric, those individuals can be sentenced to death! So, if I were a commoner, who most likely worked all day, in the heat, with little shade, I would not be allowed to wear cotton clothing. Cotton – which is breathable and comfortable. No, that is reserved for the elite. I would only be allowed to wear “garments of maguey fiber”. Mmmm, sign me up for that!

All kidding aside (am I really kidding?) these laws (if we assume they are accurate) seemed to set quite the foundation and lifestyle of the Aztecs and if they hadn’t been conquered, I am curious what would have become of them and  wonder how would their laws have changed over time. There is still much to learn about these peoples, but I enjoyed reading this section.