The rationale for Aztec human sacrifice was, first and foremost, a matter of survival. According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if the darkness won, the world would end.
Did the Aztecs really practice human sacrifice?
They did. Human sacrifice was an integral part of the Aztec religion—as it was for many other societies in the New World, including the Maya.
Do Aztecs eat people that they sacrifice?
The Aztecs sacrificed human beings atop their sacred pyramids not simply for religious reasons but because they had to eat people to obtain protein needed in their diet, a New York anthropologist has suggested.
How did the Aztecs choose who they sacrificed?
How did Aztecs choose their sacrifices? Children were selected because of their association with the tlatoque, the small helper gods of Tlaloc, whom the sacrificed children would join in the afterlife. Thus their sacrifice was seen as "fueling" the power of Tlaloc to ensure the return of rains. Click to see full answer.
Did the Aztecs participate in human sacrifice and why?
The Aztecs sacrificed humans because they believed that without the sustenance of human life-blood, the sun would fail and the world would end. Their gods had sacrificed themselves to bring the world into existence, so humanity must continue the sacrifices to ensure the world remained sustained. The Aztecs were, in many ways, an apocalyptic ...
Where did the Aztecs get their sacrifices from?
The ritual killing of war captives and the large-scale displaying of skulls were visceral reminders of the strength of the empire and the extent of its dominion. DNA tests of recovered victims from the Templo Mayor site show that the vast majority of those sacrificed were outsiders, likely enemy soldiers or slaves.
Why did the Aztecs make sacrifices?
The Aztecs sacrificed human beings atop their sacred pyramids not simply for religious reasons but because they had to eat people to obtain protein needed in their diet, a New York anthropologist has suggested.
What did the Aztecs fear would happen every 52 years?
The 52-year cycle The cycle of fifty-two years was central to Mesoamerican cultures. The Nahua's religious beliefs were based on a great fear that the universe would collapse after each cycle if the gods were not strong enough. Every fifty-two years a special New Fire ceremony was performed.
What did the Aztecs do to cheating spouses?
Adultery was a capital offense for the guilty couple and for those who were aware of the offense and failed to report it. Men were punished for adultery only they had relations with a married woman.
What is the purpose of a blood sacrifice?
The shedding of blood in ritual sacrifice, which is believed to release the vital force that sustains life, precedes most ceremonies in which blessings are sought from the ancestors or divinities.
Why did the Aztecs prefer to take their captives?
Aztecs fought to kill, but more importantly, they fought to take captives. They believed that, if they died in battle, their souls would join the gods.
What was one purpose of the Aztec oral tradition?
The Mexica did not have a formal writing system, so Nahuatl was not a written language. Therefore, oral traditions were very important and most of Mexica culture and history were passed down verbally by specialized speakers whose jobs were to remember and recite rituals, events, and information.
Why did the Aztecs disappear?
Invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés overthrew the Aztec Empire by force and captured Tenochtitlan in 1521, bringing an end to Mesoamerica's last great native civilization.
What was the reason for the Aztecs to sacrifice?
The rationale for Aztec human sacrifice was, first and foremost, a matter of survival. According to Aztec cosmology, the sun god Huitzilopochtli was waging a constant war against darkness, and if the darkness won, the world would end. The keep the sun moving across the sky and preserve their very lives, the Aztecs had to feed Huitzilopochtli ...
How many people were sacrificed for the Aztec inauguration?
While it's true that the Spanish undoubtedly inflated their figures—Spanish historian Fray Diego de Durán reported that 80,400 men, women and children were sacrificed for the inauguration of the Templo Mayor under a previous Aztec emperor—evidence is mounting that the gruesome scenes illustrated in Spanish texts, and preserved in temple murals and stone carvings, are true. Why did they carry out such brutal ceremonies? John Verano, an anthropology professor at Tulane University, explains the practice held spiritual significance for the Aztecs.
What did the Aztecs do to the bodies of their victims?
In addition to slicing out the hearts of victims and spilling their blood on the temple altar, it’s believed that the Aztecs also practiced a form of ritual cannibalism. The victim’s bodies, after being relieved of their heads, were likely gifted to nobleman and other distinguished community members. Sixteenth-century illustrations depict body parts being cooked in large pots and archeologists have identified telltale butcher marks on the bones of human remains in Aztec sites around Mexico City.
Why did the Aztecs fight the Flower Wars?
Instead of engaging in violent battles to the death, the Aztecs and Tlaxcalans agreed to fight so-called “Flower Wars,” ceremonial battles in which the goal was to capture, not kill, as many enemy combatants as possible . Verano says that these battles provided an important venue for young Aztec warriors to gain social status by bringing home a gaggle of captives, some of whom would ultimately be sacrificed.
How many skulls were found in the templo mayor?
More than 650 skulls and thousands of fragments found near Templo Mayor.
What was the nature of warfare during the height of Aztec power?
The nature of warfare during the height of Aztec power was also unique . By the late 15th century, the Aztecs had won control over large swaths of central and southern Mexico. The only remaining holdout was the neighboring city-state of Tlaxcala to the east. pinterest-pin-it.
What did the Aztecs do?
In addition to slicing out the hearts of victims and spilling their blood on temple altars, the Aztecs likely also practiced a form of ritual cannibalism. An Atztec human sacrifice atop the Mesoamerican temple pyramid.
What was the role of sacrifice in the Aztec culture?
Role of sacrifice in Aztec culture. Sacrifice was a common theme in the Aztec culture. In the Aztec "Legend of the Five Suns", all the gods sacrificed themselves so that mankind could live. Some years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a body of the Franciscans confronted the remaining Aztec priesthood and demanded, under threat of death, ...
How many people were sacrificed in the Aztec temple?
This number is considered by Ross Hassig, author of Aztec Warfare, to be an exaggeration. Hassig states "between 10,000 and 80,400 persons" were sacrificed in the ceremony. The higher estimate would average 15 sacrifices per minute during the four-day consecration. Four tables were arranged at the top so that the victims could be jettisoned down the sides of the temple. Additionally, many historians argue that these numbers were inaccurate as most written account of Aztec sacrifices were made by Spanish sources to justify Spain's conquest. Nonetheless, according to Codex Telleriano-Remensis, old Aztecs who talked with the missionaries told about a much lower figure for the reconsecration of the temple, approximately 4,000 victims in total.
What was the Aztec rite?
Aztec rite. Prisoners for sacrifice were decorated . Human sacrifice was common in many parts of Mesoamerica, so the rite was nothing new to the Aztecs when they arrived at the Valley of Mexico, nor was it something unique to pre-Columbian Mexico. Other Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Purépechas and Toltecs, performed sacrifices as well ...
How many people were sacrificed in Mexico in the 15th century?
Michael Harner, in his 1977 article The Enigma of Aztec Sacrifice, cited an estimate by Borah of the number of persons sacrificed in central Mexico in the 15th century as high as 250,000 per year which may have been one percent of the population.
What is the extent of human sacrifice?
What distinguished Maya and Aztec human sacrifice was the way in which it was embedded in everyday life and believed to be a necessity. These cultures also notably sacrificed elements of their own population to the gods.
Where was Huitzilopochtli worshipped?
Huitzilopochtli was worshipped at the Templo Mayor, which was the primary religious structure of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. The Templo Mayor consisted of twin pyramids, one for Huitzilopochtli and one for the rain god Tlaloc (discussed below).
How many children were sacrificed to Tlaloc?
Archaeologists have found the remains of at least 42 children sacrificed to Tlaloc at the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan. Many of the children suffered from serious injuries before their death, they would have to have been in significant pain as Tlaloc required the tears of the young as part of the sacrifice. The priests made the children cry during their way to immolation: a good omen that Tlaloc would wet the earth in the raining season.
Why did the Aztecs sacrifice humans?
Human sacrifice was intended to pay back the debt that was formed when the gods let blood from themselves to create the world.
Why did the Aztecs believe in human sacrifice?
The Aztecs believed that you had to give back to the gods because they gave to you.
What were some of the people sacrificed as impersonators of the gods?
Some of them were sacrificed as generic victims – if they needed to sacrifice say five people. Some were sacrificed as impersonators of the gods, known as ixiptla ; they took on the mantle of a god and were killed in honour of the gods they were impersonating. These ixiptla formed a prominent part of the regular festivals.
What would happen if a man died in sacrifice?
Then, you would go off to become a hummingbird or a butterfly that dances in the sun and sips nectar.
Where did the children sacrifice?
Children were sacrificed in particular for Tlaloc, the rain god. These children were mostly from within the Aztec group – they came from Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital of the Aztec empire. We know that if you were born with a double cowlick – those flicks that make your hair go in the wrong direction – then you were destined to become a sacrificial victim.
Was there a voluntary sacrifice?
A: In theory, there were some voluntary victims of human sacrifice. In reality, it’s very hard to tell whether this was the case. The majority of victims were people (mostly men, but sometimes women and children) captured in war. Some of them were sacrificed as generic victims – if they needed to sacrifice say five people.
Why did the Aztecs give up their lives?
Rather, it was a central part of their religion and spirituality, to give up their blood and lives in devotion and dedication to the gods who had sacrificed themselves to create the world and keep it going. Most religions contain an element of sacrifice—giving up meat in Lent, for example—and giving your life for a friend is a great act of love. The Aztecs accepted this as a necessary part of life. By dying as a sacrifice, they honored the gods. Still, we can’t help but think that many didn’t wish to die, but accepted it as inevitable.
What did the Aztecs eat?
Studies of the Aztec’s mainly vegetarian diet flavored with occasional turkey or dog revealed all necessary ingredients to sustain life. The Aztecs had laws against murder and injury, just as we do, so it wasn’t that they were depraved savages.
Why did the Aztecs go to paradise?
People who died as a sacrifice, as a warrior or in childbirth went to a paradise to be with the gods after death. In contrast, a person who died of disease went to the lowest level of the underworld, Mictlan. Many scholars have devised theories to explain this “darkness” of the Aztecs, their love of human sacrifice.
Did the Aztecs sacrifice willingly?
That’s not to say that all Aztecs and other Mesoamericans went to the sacrifice willingly. No doubt many did not want to be sacrificed or to die. Others, however, agreed to give of themselves for the greater good. When we picture victims being led to sacrifice, we see them as weeping, moaning and fighting to get free.
Why were the Aztecs chosen for human sacrifice?
It was even believed that the most handsome of the Aztec people were chosen for this service. After the Aztec sacrifices were killed, their skin and skulls were kept as holy relics, and according to the Aztecs, the way one died determined the type of afterlife they would enjoy.
Why did the Aztecs sacrifice humans?
It was however a great honour to be chosen to be sacrificed because it would mean that they would join the sun god, of course not everyone wanted to meet the sun god.
What were the tools used for sacrifice?
Sacrifices were so important to the Aztec people that they even had unique tools for the job. The main materials used for human sacrifice included a flint knife called tecpatl, which was typically ornate and fastidiously designed. The techcatl was the sacrificial stone the Aztecs used, and a cuauhxicalli was the container that held the hearts of the sacrificial victims.
What animals did the Aztecs sacrifice?
The sacrifice of animals was a common practice for which the Aztecs bred all kinds of animals including dogs, eagles, jaguars and deer. Objects were also sacrificed by the Aztecs by being broken and then offered to the gods. Self-sacrifice was also common, the Aztec people would taint maguey thorns with their own blood from their tongue, ear lobes, ...
What were the Aztec rituals?
Aztec human sacrifices were performed typically in time with a ritual, a festival, celebrations or a big important Aztec event. Many of their main Aztec myths and festivals were re-enacted with dances and celebration about the creation of the cosmos, and some of the Aztec events that required human sacrifice were the beginning of battles or wars, and the passing of natural disasters, like eclipses or flooding.
Why did the Aztecs want to repay the Aztecs?
The Aztecs thought they were indebted and wanted to appease their gods, so they would repay them by providing the greatest gift and sacrifice of all, human life. The Aztecs also believed that this act would ensure the existence of the human race, and ultimately themselves because the sun rising was dependent on it.
What was the first human sacrifice?
The first human sacrifice reported in the sources of Aztec history was the sacrifice and skinning of the daughter of the king Coxcox of Culhuacan, and this sacrificial story is a part of the legend of the foundation of Tenochtitlan.
Who wrote the history of the Aztecs?
First, when people and (often tertiary or worse) sources say that "tens of thousands" were sacrificed, they are almost always referring to a single passage from Fray Diego Durán' s History of the Indies of New Spain, an extensive history of the Aztecs written in late 16th century by a Spanish friar who had grown up in the core Aztec cities of Texcoco and Tenochtitlan. Fluent in Nahuatl and familiar with the culture, Durán's text is a marvelous work, but does fall into a genre of works -- often written by native or mestizo authors, but sometimes by Spanish clergy -- who were interested in portraying the indigenous past of New Spain as glorious and equal to the kingdoms of Europe, though sadly pagan.
Did the sacrifices of children happen?
So yes, the bulk of those sacrificed were captives taken in battle. Specific religious rituals, however, did call for specific types of persons to be sacrificed. The month of Atlcahualo, at the start of the dry season, had rites dedicated to Tlaloc, the rain god. These rites involved the sacrifice of children -- Sahagún lists seven in total -- as specific ritual sites around the Tenochtitlan. Children were selected because of their association with the tlatoque, the small helper gods of Tlaloc, whom the sacrificed children would join in the afterlife. Thus their sacrifice was seen as "fueling" the power of Tlaloc to ensure the return of rains.
Why did the Aztecs sell their children into slavery?
By tradition, whole groups of prostitutes willingly signed up to be sacrificed to the goddess of love. During a drought, some Aztecs resorted to selling their children into slavery for 400 ears of maize.
What was the Aztecs' divine duty?
The Aztecs’ divine duty was to fill the insatiable appetites of their gods through human sacrifice. Usually, the Aztecs used enemies whom they had defeated in war as offerings. But there were only so many wars to be fought and only so many enemies to capture. They needed more victims.
How many Aztecs did Tlahuicol kill?
According to Aztec legends, one man named Tlahuicol actually survived. With nothing but a wooden sword, he single-handedly killed eight fully armed Aztec warriors. The Aztecs were thrilled, and they offered to make him the commander of their army. Their offer, he told them, was an insult.
What did the Aztecs believe about twins?
The Aztecs had odd and often contradictory beliefs about twins. Their myths were full of twins, usually treated as venerated deities worthy of the worship of man. Twins appeared in their stories as monster slayers, heroes, and even the creators of the world.
What did the priests do to the bodies of the sacrificed men?
The priests skinned the bodies of the sacrificed men in an imitation of a plant shedding its husk. The skin was then dyed yellow to look like gold. Some skins were given to priests, who danced in them. Other skins were given to young men, who spent the next 20 days begging while draped in a loose coat of human flesh.
What was the honor of being a sacrifice to the gods?
To the brave, becoming a human sacrifice to the gods was an honor. In fact, when the Spanish came and tried to free Aztec prisoners, some were furious that they had been robbed of the honor of a godly death.
What was the body of the sacrificed?
The bodies of the sacrificed were often baked with corn and shared among the priests for a feast. Other times, enough was prepared for the whole city, and every person present would partake in a shared act of ritualistic cannibalism. The bones were then fashioned into tools, musical instruments, and weapons.
How many people were sacrificed for the Aztecs?
While it’s true that the Spanish undoubtedly inflated their figures—Spanish historian Fray Diego de Durán reported that 80,400 men, women and children were sacrificed for the inauguration of the Templo Mayor under a previous Aztec emperor—evidence is mounting that the gruesome scenes illustrated in Spanish texts, and preserved in temple murals and stone carvings, are true. Why did they carry out such brutal ceremonies? John Vernano, an anthropology professor at Tulane University, explains the practice held spiritual significance for the Aztecs.
What was the nature of warfare during the height of Aztec power?
The nature of warfare during the height of Aztec power was also unique . By the late 15th century, the Aztecs had won control over large swaths of central and southern Mexico. The only remaining holdout was the neighboring city-state of Tlaxcala to the east.
Why did the Aztecs fight the Flower Wars?
Instead of engaging in violent battles to the death, the Aztecs and Tlaxcalans. Agreed to fight so-called “Flower Wars,” ceremonial battles in which the goal was to capture. Not kill, as many enemy combatants as possible. Verano says that these battles provided an important venue for young Aztec warriors. To gain social status by bringing home a gaggle of captives, some of whom would ultimately be sacrificed.
What is the significance of ritual sacrifice?
Verano says that across history and cultures. The rise of ritual human sacrifice often coincides with the emergence of complex societies and social stratification. It’s a particularly effective method of intimidating rivals and keeping your own people in line. Just look at the gladiator battles of Imperial Rome or the mass burials. Of servants and captives alongside Egyptian Pharaohs and Chinese Kings.
Who sliced open the chests of sacrificial victims?
When the Spanish conquistador Henen Cortes and his men arrived in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán in 1521, they described witnessing a grisly ceremony. Aztec priests, using razor-sharp obsidian blades, sliced open the chests of sacrificial victims and offered their still-beating hearts to the gods. They then tossed the victims’ lifeless bodies down the steps of the towering Templo Mayor.
Did the Aztecs have cannibalism?
In addition to slicing out the hearts of victims and spilling their blood on the temple altar. It’s believed that the Aztecs also practiced a form of ritual cannibalism. The victim’s bodies, after being relieved of their heads, were likely gifted to nobleman and other distinguished community members. Sixteenth-century illustrations depict body parts being cooked in large pots and archeologists. Have identified telltale butcher marks on the bones of human remains in Aztec sites around Mexico City.
Overview
Holistic assessment
According to Diego Durán's History of the Indies of New Spain (and a few other sources that are believed to be based on the Crónica X), the Flower Wars were a ritual among the cities of Aztec Triple Alliance and Tlaxcala, Huexotzingo and Cholula. This form of ritual was introduced probably after mid-1450s following droughts and famine caused many deaths within the Mexican highlands. The …
Role of sacrifice in Aztec culture
Sacrifice was a common theme in the Aztec culture. In the Aztec "Legend of the Five Suns", all the gods sacrificed themselves so that mankind could live. Some years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a body of the Franciscans confronted the remaining Aztec priesthood and demanded, under threat of death, that they desist from this traditional practice. The Aztec priests defended themselves as follows:
Sacrifices to specific gods
Huitzilopochtli was the tribal deity of the Mexica and, as such, he represented the character of the Mexican people and was often identified with the sun at the zenith, and with warfare, who burned down towns and carried a fire-breathing serpent, Xiuhcoatl. He was considered the primary god of the south and a manifestation of the sun, and a counterpart of the black Tezcatlipoca, the prim…
Calendar of sacrifice
The cycle of fifty-two years was central to Mesoamerican cultures. The Nahua's religious beliefs were based on a great fear that the universe would collapse after each cycle if the gods were not strong enough. Every fifty-two years a special New Fire ceremony was performed. All fires were extinguished and at midnight a human sacrifice was made. The Aztecs then waited for the dawn. If the Sun appeared it meant that the sacrifices for this cycle had been enough. A fire was ignited …
Primary sources
Visual accounts of Aztec sacrificial practice are principally found in codices and some Aztec statuary. Many visual renderings were created for Spanish patrons, and thus may reflect European preoccupations and prejudices. Produced during the 16th century, the most prominent codices include the Ríos, Tudela, Telleriano-Remensis, Magliabechiano, and Sahagún's Florentine. A contrast is offered in t…
Archaeological evidence of human sacrifice
Modern excavations in Mexico City have found evidence of human sacrifice in the form of hundreds of skulls at the site of old temples.
Other human remains found in the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan contribute to the evidence of human sacrifice through osteologic information. Indentations in the rib cage of a set of remains reveal the act of accessing the heart through the abdominal cavity, which correctly follows imag…
Proposed explanations
Different anthropological or other sources have attempted to explain a possible ecological explanation of the need for human sacrifices to supplement overall Aztec diet. Harner's main argument lies within his claim that cannibalism is needed to assist the diet of the Aztecs. He claimed that very high population pressure and an emphasis on maize agriculture, without domesticated herbivo…