Human Sacrifice
The Aztecs are perhaps most well known for their gruesome human sacrifices. Now why did the Aztecs sacrifice humans? Well according to the Aztec creation myth, Nanauatzin and Tecuciztecatl sacrifed themselves to create the sun and the moon for the earth as there wasn't any after a rain of blood destroyed the sun. It was their self-sacrifice along with the blood from all of the other gods that made the Aztecs believe that because the gods sacrificed the blood for the existence of humans, humans are in a unpayable debt to the gods and in order to show how grateful they are, the Aztecs sacrificed human lives and blood.
What is human sacrifice?
Human sacrifice is when you kill one or more human beings usually as an offering to a god as part of a religious ritual. The Aztecs often sacrificed humans in massive amounts at a time. When the Great Temple in Tenochtitlan was first dedicated in 1487, more than 20,000 people were sacrificed.
Who was sacrificed?
The Aztecs didn't only sacrifice humans, they also sacrificed animals. Some of the victims sacrificed were members of the Aztec community but most were prisoners of war. Instead of killing their enemies in battle, they would capture them and take them back to the capital to act as a sacrifice to the gods. The Aztecs had a army especially organised to keep the priests supplied with victims to sacrifice and sometimes, they would stir up trouble among the conquered tribes as an excuse to go and take prisoners to become sacrifice victims.
Where were they sacrificed?
The most important place where the sacrifices took place was the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, the Huey Teocalli. The victim was sacrificed at the top of the pyramid. But not all the sacrifices took place on top of pyramids. In some cases, sacrifices were battles between the victim and the priest. Children who were sacrificed to Tlaloc was carried to the God's sanctuary on top of the mountains that surround Tenochtitlan. But most commonly, sacrifices were made on top of pyramids
How were they sacrificed?
Victims were taken to the top of large pyramids such as Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan. Before the sacrifice, victims were given pulque, an Aztec alcoholic drink. The sacrifice were mostly carried out by stretching the victim over a special stone, cutting open the chest and removing the heart using an obsidian or flint knife. The heart was then placed in a stone vessel and burnt in offering to the god being sacrificed to. Sometimes, there was instead of human sacrifice, ritual bloodletting.
Female victims who impersonated gods were sacrificed by being decapitated and/or dismembered. Some sacrificed to Xipe Totec were skinned as an imitation of seeds shedding their husks. Children were sacrificed for the god of rain Tlaloc. They were taken up into the mountains into the god's sanctuary and sacrificed there. Also sometimes, prisoners of war were sometimes given a chance to escape their fate as a sacrifice and to gain their freedom. The prisoner would fight seven Aztec warriors, one at a time while being tied to a stone. The weapon the prisoner has is not the same quality as the warriors. If the prisoner was a challenge, he would often be put against a left-handed warrior to confuse him
Why were they sacrificed?
The Aztecs valued qualities such as bravery, nobility, honor, integrity and respect for the gods. Whoever had a large amount of these qualities were considered to be loved and favoured by the gods. The Aztecs believed in more than a thousand gods, one for almost every aspect of their lives. The Aztecs believed that they owed everything to the gods as they created the world around the Aztecs. They believed that they owed a blood debt to the gods and in order to avoid disaster, have a good crop yield or good weather, they would pay the endless debt as well as show their gratitude by offering their blood to the gods in regular rituals. For example, they sacrificed hearts to the gods as the Aztecs believed that the sun needled blood of human sacrifice in order to rise everyday. The children were sacrificed to Tlaloc for there to be rain
What is human sacrifice?
Human sacrifice is when you kill one or more human beings usually as an offering to a god as part of a religious ritual. The Aztecs often sacrificed humans in massive amounts at a time. When the Great Temple in Tenochtitlan was first dedicated in 1487, more than 20,000 people were sacrificed.
Who was sacrificed?
The Aztecs didn't only sacrifice humans, they also sacrificed animals. Some of the victims sacrificed were members of the Aztec community but most were prisoners of war. Instead of killing their enemies in battle, they would capture them and take them back to the capital to act as a sacrifice to the gods. The Aztecs had a army especially organised to keep the priests supplied with victims to sacrifice and sometimes, they would stir up trouble among the conquered tribes as an excuse to go and take prisoners to become sacrifice victims.
Where were they sacrificed?
The most important place where the sacrifices took place was the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, the Huey Teocalli. The victim was sacrificed at the top of the pyramid. But not all the sacrifices took place on top of pyramids. In some cases, sacrifices were battles between the victim and the priest. Children who were sacrificed to Tlaloc was carried to the God's sanctuary on top of the mountains that surround Tenochtitlan. But most commonly, sacrifices were made on top of pyramids
How were they sacrificed?
Victims were taken to the top of large pyramids such as Tenochtitlan, Texcoco and Tlacopan. Before the sacrifice, victims were given pulque, an Aztec alcoholic drink. The sacrifice were mostly carried out by stretching the victim over a special stone, cutting open the chest and removing the heart using an obsidian or flint knife. The heart was then placed in a stone vessel and burnt in offering to the god being sacrificed to. Sometimes, there was instead of human sacrifice, ritual bloodletting.
Female victims who impersonated gods were sacrificed by being decapitated and/or dismembered. Some sacrificed to Xipe Totec were skinned as an imitation of seeds shedding their husks. Children were sacrificed for the god of rain Tlaloc. They were taken up into the mountains into the god's sanctuary and sacrificed there. Also sometimes, prisoners of war were sometimes given a chance to escape their fate as a sacrifice and to gain their freedom. The prisoner would fight seven Aztec warriors, one at a time while being tied to a stone. The weapon the prisoner has is not the same quality as the warriors. If the prisoner was a challenge, he would often be put against a left-handed warrior to confuse him
Why were they sacrificed?
The Aztecs valued qualities such as bravery, nobility, honor, integrity and respect for the gods. Whoever had a large amount of these qualities were considered to be loved and favoured by the gods. The Aztecs believed in more than a thousand gods, one for almost every aspect of their lives. The Aztecs believed that they owed everything to the gods as they created the world around the Aztecs. They believed that they owed a blood debt to the gods and in order to avoid disaster, have a good crop yield or good weather, they would pay the endless debt as well as show their gratitude by offering their blood to the gods in regular rituals. For example, they sacrificed hearts to the gods as the Aztecs believed that the sun needled blood of human sacrifice in order to rise everyday. The children were sacrificed to Tlaloc for there to be rain
Fun Fact 3# The Aztecs had their own language called N'ahuatl. It was a form of picture writing.