Arts & Culture
Religious Syncretism and Cultural Hybridity in Colonial Contexts
Quick fact
In colonial Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe was venerated by Indigenous Christians, but she incorporated elements of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin, whose shrine stood on the same hill—an explicit example of religious syncretism that helped convert millions.
Why this is interesting
You might think that when one culture conquers another, the conquered culture simply disappears. But what if the outcome is something entirely new—a mixture that neither side fully controls?