Phuong Doan
Professor Chrissanthos
History 110A
10 May 2018
Aztec Human Sacrifices The topic of human sacrifices has been relevant throughout history. It has been practiced, usually as a ritual, in numerous cultures each having their own special twist added to it. Many people have disagreed with this act simply because it is the act of taking one’s life. Sacrifices in general are typically done to appeal to their kings, gods, spirits or ancestors. Human sacrifice can also be done with the intention of winning the favor of the gods in warfare. These rituals were performed as religious symbolism towards their way of life and how they function as one civilization. The origins of the Aztecs are uncertain, but they were believed by historians
…show more content…
In the Aztec empire, “temples, palaces, plazas and statues are built to exemplify their undying devotion” (“Aztec Rituals and Religious Ceremonies”) to their gods. Their gods include Huitzilopochtli, god of war and of the sun and Quetzalcoatl", the Feathered Serpent. From their faith, they developed the Aztec calendar which was “based on a solar cycle of 365 days and a ritual cycle of 260 days. The calendar played an important and central role in the religion and rituals of Aztec society” (Harner, 122), including human sacrifices. Rather than 12 months, the Aztecs had 18 months, where there were performed. The 18th month ritual, Izcalli, was only performed whenever leap years …show more content…
He was not curly-haired, he was not rough of forehead ... he did not have a nose with wide nostrils,he was not thick-lipped, he was not a stutterer, he did not speak a barbarous language, he was not large-toothed…” (Florentine Codex, Lockhart). In general, they were looking for a male who would be up to their standards of beauty. After locating that specific person, they would take him, teach him how to hold and work with flowers, how to play flutes, and how to speak Nahuatl, the Aztec language in a sophisticated way. He would be dressed similar to the god Tezcatlipoca and be treated with the utmost respect up until he is sacrificed to the gods. The Aztecs were very serious with this ritual because their ultimate goal was to please their gods, therefore the strict requirements were a way for them to find the one most suitable to please their gods. If they were to not have such requirements, they were afraid that it will make the gods angry and therefore cause natural disasters, which was unwanted by
The religious beliefs of the Aztec’s was bloody they believed they had to make many sacrifices to appease the gods. The sacrifices were an important aspect of the Aztec religion. At the root of these interesting rituals, were the beliefs that the gods needed to be nourished by human beings. This was accomplished through human blood. They did this by a practice called bloodletting. Bloodletting is intentionally harming and drawing blood from the body. Those who were higher in status within the Aztec religion were expected to give the most blood during these Aztec rituals.
Contrary to the majority, the Aztecs did not believe that one's afterlife was determined by the way they lived. Rather they believed it was determined by the way one died. Aztecs believed that there were different realms you would go to depending on how you died. Growing old was not seen as a great achievement, therefore those who died a normal death would go to the underworld called Mictlan. The Aztec underworld consisted of nine levels. A person would start off on the top level and have to endure trials and rough terrain in order to get to the final ninth level where their soul would finally be at peace.
You are unlucky enough to find yourself kidnapped, along with your family. Your mother is taken away quickly, but your father is forced to sacrifice himself to the Aztec gods. What does this mean, exactly? According to The History of the Indies of New Spain by Friar Diego Duran, your father’s chest is severed, and his heart is taken out of his body. This is all while he is still awake, and before the time of pain medication.
The perspective of another society is always subjective, especially when two completely different cultures interact for the first time. In Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s The History of the Conquest of New Spain, the first-hand account illustrates a barbaric and pagan society where sacrifices are pervasive in everyday life. However, David Carrasco’s essays titled “The Exaggeration of Human Sacrifice” and “Human Sacrifice / Debt Payments from the Aztec Point of View” shed a significant amount of insight into the religious roles that human sacrifice played in Aztec society, rather than the cruel and barbaric connotations which Daz heavily implied. Based on the readings of Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Carrasco’s essays offered an outside perspective into the ritualistic practices of human sacrifice and in doing so, introduced the concept of nextlaoalli as well as the commonality of the ritual human sacrifice in Aztec society.
In today’s society, sacrifices play a big role in our everyday lives. They range from small, such as sacrificing that piece of cake to keep you feeling healthier and a little better about yourself, to big sacrifices such as a firefighter sacrificing his life for a complete stranger. At the end of the day, they all all make a difference for better or for worse. In the play “The Crucible”, many various sacrifices were made during the process of exposing the possible witchcraft that was going on in Salem. These sacrifices were a result of fear. People were afraid that they would be accused of witchcraft and would do anything to avoid being pinned. A few of the sacrifices that were made were people 's lives, the happiness
Human sacrifice is one of the oldest practices of the Mesoamerican culture. The Aztecs, the last empire of the Mesoamericans, performed human sacrifices in their festivals as a means to show political power and to maintain the order of the universe. The Mexica Empire also considered war and sacrifice to be essential in the gaining of their vast territories. It is believed that hundreds, or even thousands, of victims were sacrificed each year at the Aztec religious sites. However, in addition to the religious ritual, sacrifices had the effect of intimidation for outside visitors/ enemies and the population in general.
The Aztec civilization was a very complex society that was feared and known well for their various gory sacrifices done to please their many gods in their polytheistic religion. The much feared civilization began by the exile of one of the two Toltec leaders, which lead to the decline of the Toltec state that was later replaced by Mexica, or the Aztecs. According to the Aztecs, the land chosen to build their main city was chosen by the portrayal of an eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. Through military might, the Aztecs managed to become the most powerful civilization in the mid-fourteenth century. They maintained their power through military might and the fear they caused other civilizations because of the human sacrifices they performed on their captured victims. In the mid-fourteenth century, the Aztecs used the method of human sacrifices to uphold fear in their neighbors by using the method year round to please the gods and ensure their survival.
Carrasco shows that sacrificing was key to the Mesoamericans. Their entire belief is through world renewing, world making, and world centering. Both Aztecs and Mayans revolved their society around structures that they thought was centered around the universe. Each one believed that their society revolved around the universe. Sacrifices such as autosacrifice, removing the heart while the person was still alive was a daily ritual with the Aztecs, and Mayans. The purpose for public sacrificing was to feed the gods and make the them happy with their people. The type of people sacrificed was the beautiful and the captured warriors after a war. The beautiful was sacrificed because the gods didn't give any distinct quality to be remembered for such as a disfigured face.
Paintings illustrate the Aztec’s style of clothing and the important roles they play as such as those who led the ceremonies wore robes
How far would you go for your god? The Aztecs would probably do almost anything. Picture a man begin strapped to a post and then repeatedly shot all over the body with arrows. Once the man is covered in arrows he is taken to an Aztec priest where he is to be skinned. After the victim was done being skinned he would be decapitated and his head wold be placed on a stick, sometimes the Aztecs would cut up the entire body. They then would wear the victims skin around while performing this sacrifice and the ritual to appease the gods. Could you imagine what it would be like to be a part of that ritual everyday? Or to wear someones skin as a favor to your god? It is absolutely disturbing. The Aztecs had many ways of sacrificing
Although there are good reasons for emphasizing human sacrifice, there are even better reasons for emphasizing agriculture. An example is the Aztecs' exceptional use of their surroundings, such as the willow trees for anchors, and reeds for frames. Human sacrifice can be also emphasized for the Aztecs' belief that the Gods needed blood, but the spotlight is on agriculture.
To understand the practice of human sacrifice one must look at the reasons why the culture did such practices. There are three main ways of examining a cultural practice from an anthropological perspective.
There are many questions in life such as what is the meaning of life and what is the secret of the bermuda triangle. Know one knows the answer but there are also more simple questions such as the one I will answer. The Aztecs were really strong people with many things to be found. As of now the stuff we found leaves historians wondering what should be emphasized more. The Aztecs agriculture or human sacrifice. That is the question I will be answering.
To begin with, the Aztec's cruel tribute system allowed Cortes to act as a liberator. The process of human sacrifice was extremely common and was feared by the majority of the common people. The Aztecs as a nourishment for the Sun and all other gods needed human sacrifice. The Aztecs sacrificed between 10,000 and 50,000 victims per year. As the majority of those who were sacrificed were war captives who opposed the Aztecs, they obviously greatly feared the brutal tribute system. However not only war captives were sacrifices, common adults and children were also sacrificed at times. Cortes himself was disgusted at the thought of human sacrifice, this allowed him to gain Indian allies as well as gain respect among Mexican tribes that feared and opposed the Aztecs. The majority of the population feared the process therefore making Cortes, whom despised the process, an appealing alternative. Many followed Cortes as they shared the same views on the 'human sacrifice' topic.
A common example of human sacrifice in modern day is war. The soldiers who take part in battle give themselves up to defend their nation. In the front lines the soldiers never know when they’ll take their last breath or step. They sacrifices themselves for the better of the country. In The Odyssey, Circe informs Odysseus, before hand, that he will come across a prodigious monster on his voyage. This monster’s name is Scylla and she has six heads and twelve legs. For every one of her heads, she swallows a person off the ship. No ship was ever passed through this dangerous monster without losing at least one man. Overall, six men were sacrificed in order for Odysseus and the rest of the crew to get home safely. But today, human sacrifice is not common whatsoever. The majority of the people do not take practice in any form of human sacrifice. “Religious wars and persecutions are still not at all uncommon in various parts of the world. Christianity and Islam...both have a long history of religious wars persecutions” (Pearson, 1). Strictly speaking, some Christians and Muslims take part in human sacrifice during the times of war and persecution. In conclusion, human sacrifice, similarly to how it occurred in Greek Mythology, still exists