The Aztec civilization, which flourished in South America between 1345 and 1521 CE, gained an infamous reputation for its bloodthirsty human sacrifice, with gruesome tales of a still beating heart bursting from the torn chest of an immobile victim, mass beheadings, skinning and dismemberment. … Yes, all this took place, but it is important to remember that for the Aztecs, the act of sacrifice was a strictly ritualized process that gave the highest honor to the gods and was considered a necessity in order to ensure the prosperity of their people, and sometimes the salvation of all mankind. Aztec gods and goddesses needed living hearts for food. All hearts were good, but the hearts of the bravest captives were considered especially nourishing for the Aztec gods.
Their main god was Uitzilopochitl, an immortal warrior - the sun who fought with other gods and endless darkness to ensure the survival of the Aztecs. Witzilopochitl, like any warrior, needed food to keep fighting. But as a god, he preferred human blood. In order to continue to feed Uitzilopochitl, the Aztecs were forced to engage in endless wars.
This situation did not develop by itself, but grew out of the geopolitical situation. Tlacaelel the First, son of the great Emperor Utziliutl and the beautiful Kakamiuyatl, helped his uncle unite the Aztec tribes into an alliance unparalleled. He introduced ideas about the exclusivity of the Aztecs, making them the chosen gods. And as the main god - patron, he elevated the warlike Uitzilopochitl among others. There were reasons for that. To maintain such an alliance and continue the growth and strengthening of the empire, new ideas and a new order were needed. Today we would call it ultra-left militarism.
The army was given priority and several different factions of warriors emerged. Eagle Warriors and Jaguar Warriors were two special troop units. These were people trained in war. War for war and for new victims. Another source of sacrificial offerings was ritual games in which the losers paid the maximum price for their defeat.
Children also had to be sacrificed. In particular, in honor of the rain god Tlaloc during ceremonies held in the sacred mountains. It was believed that the very tears of child victims could help cause rain. Among other things, slaves were not neglected either: they, as a rule, were given more modest roles - to accompany their master in death, to ensure the prosperity of business by death, success in a small business.
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The killings were very bloody. Very.
The central place of sacrifices was the Great Temple - Huey Teokalli, in Tenochtitlan (capital of the Aztec empire, and now the bustling center of Mexico City). Here a specialized priest with a sharp knife - Tekpatlem cut out the heart from the still living victim, placed it in a prepared vessel, and threw the body down the steps of the pyramid. After that, the head was cut off and placed on the tsompantli or in the cranial pillar of the temple.
Tekpatl has one of the key values in the Aztec culture. Outwardly, it is a petal-shaped flint knife, with a usually richly decorated handle.
Tekpatl was a god and was born in heaven but was thrown off by his brother. When it fell, it broke into 1600 fragments from which the first gods arose. And this event in the Aztec calendar is designated as the first year - Tekpatl.
Tekpatl is also associated with the underworld located in the north, as a fiery protector.
Flint pieces were the oldest known method of producing fire. Thus, the flint knife simultaneously sent a gift to the gods and served as their direct continuation, part of their world.
The god of the dead, Miktlantecutl, was depicted with a tongue - Tekpatl.
It should be noted that not all victims received a place in the pyramid of skulls. In addition, in some cases, special staged fights were organized between the victim and the priest, where the priest fought with real weapons, and the victim, being already tied to a stone or wooden frame, fought with a wooden or feather weapon.
Children sacrificed to Tlaloc were often transported to the god's shrines on the mountaintops. Those who were sacrificed to the Thorn-Totek (“the one with the skin removed”) were painted in different colors to imitate seeds growing through the husk.
According to average estimates, about 20,000 people were sacrificed annually. The flesh of those who were sacrificed was sometimes consumed by the priests who performed the sacrifices, as well as by members of the ruling elite or by the warriors who themselves sacrificed.
Author: ScientaeVulgaris