Moche Ceremony

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The ruler of the proud Moche people, is a person who must demand respect while holding to the traditions of our ancestors. My father, the king, died during conquest this season. As is tradition, the ritual that puts him to rest must be elaborate to show his power and prestige. I being the new king of these people, am responsible for ensuring that he can pass into paradise. A key part of this ritual requires sacrificial captives that we have collected during raids along our borders. We store the wretches near the great pyramids in preparation of the great ritual, they are provided with the bare minimum to stay alive. I went down to the pits today to see them, once great warriors of their tribes will now serve as a reminder of my father’s power …show more content…

The prisoners, all men, are paraded nude around the pyramid with hands tied and ropes around their necks like animals. Many are confused and frightened, but our warriors leading them along with weapons at the ready prevent them from acting up. At the top platform with me are several priests and priestesses who take a direct role in guiding the ritual to come. They are elaborately dressed, one wearing a headdress to look like a bird, others with various masks and crowns (Sipan). All of them were adorned in gold that glinted as they reflected the torch …show more content…

Now that the slaughter was complete, I descended the steps of the pyramid; priests trailing close behind. I entered the courtyard and the priests following me placed ceramic effigies of the dead prisoners next to each body, the ceramics were then smashed to signify the death of their soul (Huaca de la Luna). With a wave towards the guards and a small nod, they quickly descended on the fresh corpses, desecrating them by taking heads, limbs, and fingers as trophies. The bird priest drawing his tumi knife and expertly skinning one of the corpses, leaving behind a mess of blood, muscle, and bone. This would later be consumed as part of the ritual dinner, not something I am particularly looking forward

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