Human Sacrifice In Aztec Culture
Aztec was an ethnic group that lived for three centuries in central Mexico and constituted a dominant portion of the Mesoamerican Chronology. The Aztec spoke Nahuatl language and had different currencies for trades. Aztec Empire was formed on 1325 when Tenochtitlan was founded and remained until 1521 with the foundation of Mexico City near Tenochtitlan after the Spanish conquest (Berdan, 32).
After the Spanish took hold of the Aztec Empire many new intriguing features were found to be practiced in the Empire. The most striking feature was the human sacrifice. Human sacrifice has been practiced in various regions and remained their cultural aspect for many centuries but Aztec Empire took human sacrificing to an extended level. In Mesoamerican cultures, human sacrifice was important as well but it was not common where most of the times lethal prisoners were sacrificed but the human sacrificing became more of a political factor and therefore it was highly practiced whether it was needed or not (Sahagun, 14). Other historians also state that though the human sacrificing was very common in the Aztec Empire, but the figures most of the times have been exaggerated mostly by the emperors in order to gain political and other benefits.
It was found that there were eighteen festivals when the human sacrificing was compulsory, not including other events that were manufactured from time to time. Eighteen festivals were according to their months which were 20 days long. It is not known when did this sacrificing began because of the lack of the historic information but it is believed that first of the sacrificing included the daughter of King Coxcox which also included her skinning. In Aztec Empire it is believed that Tlacaelel emphasized on human sacrificing much more than his predecessors (Sahagun, 32). Tlacaelel is considered as the major architect of the beliefs, part of the emperor family, and practices of the Aztec Empire and under his guidance the frequency of sacrificing was increased. He increased the frequency during the natural disasters started in 1446 and depicted Aztec people as the chosen one who have been given the responsibility of sacrificing in order for the god to run the world peacefully. It is also stated by ethno historical perspective that Aztec people have created myths, mostly by their scholars and priest on the order from emperors that they should sacrifice because the gods previously sacrificed so that the people on the earth could live happily (Restall, 66). The “Legend of Five Suns” points towards the sacrifice that was practiced by the gods. In fact when Spanish came across these people and asked for a reason for this brutality, the answer was quite easy which stated that this life on earth is because of the gods who have sacrificed their lives so that we could get ours and it is their responsibility to give back (Sahagun, 97).
Aztec believed that the sustaining of the earth, land, weather and crops all is related to the sacrifice to gods. The reason behind that was the stereotyping that was being created by the priests which required paying off the debt to the gods. Sahagun (1982) observed that the sacrificing was also an important ritual for the Aztec people who happily took part in the sacrificing. The barbarism was at its peak which saw skinning, burning, smashing, burying and slaying of the humans. The illiteracy of the Aztec people was at the peak as they also sacrificed different animals including bees and birds. Different objects were also sacrificed by breaking into pieces. The place for sacrifice was the pyramid temple in the center of the city which was designed by gold and silver and humans and animals were buried in the pyramid as well. The pyramid temple was the sign of alliance of the three tribes which combined to form the Aztec Empire and sacrificing on the pyramid meant that they are trying to save the Aztec people from the god’s revenge by committing these actions.
Self sacrificing was another important part of the rituals and obligations which required that people should either kill themselves or use their blood for tainting. Many important people sacrificed their lives in order to keep the trend alive whereas common people used their blood from genitals and tongues apart from using sharp knives to cut their skin to obtain blood. This was like self harming of the body which is currently practiced as well in society but the reasons for both the actions are very different. People even clipped off their genitals to showcase the care for the god’s sacrifice and it was also believed that gods also gave sacrifice of their genitals to keep the people alive. The blood constituted a special place in all the Mesoamerican culture and it portrayed the love for the god. Beliefs and actions that were performed by Aztec people critically determined their important mythology dependence. Aztec people are regarded to have created myths for each and every action they perform in daily lives and during the sacrificing.
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