Aztec Bloodletting

Bloodletting

Bloodletting was a very important and necessary act that had to happen in Mesoamerica to try and keep a balance between society and the universe. The act of bloodletting was to do a puncture on one's body or self-cut in order to release blood that would serve as an offering to the deities or as punishment or even a form of debt payment. “This practice was usually performed by nobles through the perforation of body parts, mainly, but not only, tongue, lips, and genitals. Both men and women practiced these types of sacrifices” (Nicoletta Maestri). The practice of bloodletting began in the time of the Olmec and dispersed through all of Mesoamerica. In this process only the nobles were able to perform bloodletting procedures because they were high in the hierarchy and they would communicate

with the gods and royal ancestors. The reason for trying to communicate with past royal ancestors and gods was to obtain advice on how to balance the world. Meaning how to balance the civilization with the universe because in Mesoamerica keeping a balance was very important, thus making this ritual important and necessary. In this case the gods that would usually require bloodletting offerings were Feathered Serpent Quetzalcoatl, the God of Maize Centeotl, and the God of Rain Tlaloc. These rituals were usually enacted on the summits of elevated platforms in open plazas where the masses could gather together and watch the bloodletting. In Mayan bloodletting, their ritual’s main purpose was to talk to the gods. "Maya auto-sacrifice, using any of the kinds of perforators noted, produced blood that was spattered on paper or scattered in a ritual gesture. Blood-spattered paper in bowls or baskets is displayed, and apparently burnt, during rituals that produce visions of serpents with ancestors in their jaws" (Joyce). Once the god who the Maya were trying to talk to receive the blood sacrifice, they would appear and serve the purpose for what they were wanted.
Even though so far I have mentioned that bloodletting was meant as a blood sacrifice to the Gods, many in our generation have only captured the vicious side of this sacred act.

Many have read about the Aztecs and their form of bloodletting which lead to the death of thousands of individuals. In the article I read that the Aztecs perfected the act of bloodletting, but eventually made the Gods mad due to all the killing. “The Aztecs gained an infamous reputation for bloodthirsty human sacrifice with lurid tales of the beating heart being ripped from the still-conscious victim, decapitation, skinning and dismemberment” (Cartwright). The Aztecs were seen as a vicious civilization because of all the societies they were able to ambush and capture. By doing this they gathered many humans that either were kept as slaves or were sacrificed. In the Mayan civilization, bloodletting was more calm and only done when necessary. “Ritual bloodletting, along with fasting, tobacco smoking and ritual enemas, were pursued by the royal Maya in order to provoke trance-like state and supernatural visions and therefore communicate with dynastic ancestors or underworld gods” (Nicoletta

Maestri).
This information is important to our generation in the 21st century because by analyzing ancient script and carved statues or walls, we have learned that the act of bloodletting was necessary and beneficial for the maintenance of sociocultural and political structure. “Evidence of bloodletting rituals comes primarily from scenes depicting royal figures on carved monuments and painted pots” (Stevens). Through the discovery of ancient facts, we have discovered that bloodletting was not just based on killing enemies and sacrificing them for Gods, but the main reason for bloodletting was to show demonstrate the legitimacy in ruling. Other discoveries have made it possible to learn that the bloodletting rituals were usually done at significant dates and events like the beginning or end of the calendar cycles, when a king ascended to the throne, also for births, deaths, marriages, and war. Ritual bloodletting was a common practice because the ancient Mesoamericans believed they owed a blood debt to the gods.