Could you imagine going to church on a Sunday and seeing hundreds of people sacrificed? Human sacrifice was so common for the Aztecs that they were famous for it. The demise of the Aztec Empire was brought about in large part by the Aztecs themselves. They angered their enemies by conquering them and then sacrificing their people. The Aztecs’ wicked practice of human sacrifice led to their enemies’ alliance with Cortes’ army, to the introduction of smallpox into Aztec society, and to the collapse of Aztec leadership and government.. Tens of thousands of Aztec prisoners were sacrificed each year as offerings to Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god. The Aztecs believed blood was necessary for life, both for humans and their gods and if they did …show more content…
E Quickly, in a single motion, two seized him by either arm, forcing him backward, while e two others pulled his legs from under him and flopped him, chest upward, over the e blood stained stone. A fifth priest held his head. Pinned, unable to twist away, he stared e at a sixth priest dressed in scarlet robes with red painted body. In his hand, he held the e sacrificial knife. A foot long blade of flint sharpened to a razor edge.” The Aztecs need for human sacrifices led them to frequently conquer and capture their neighbors for use e in religious rituals, angering the neighboring tribes. This set the stage for Cortes to form e alliances with the neighboring tribes in order to take control of the riches of the Aztec …show more content…
He was originally from Spain, but came to the New World seeking wealth and glory. He was among a group of explorers called “Conquistadores” who were in search of riches and land to claim in the name of King Charles of Spain. One of the first tribes he encountered were the Tabascan Indians. Even though they were outnumbered eighty to one, the Spaniards won the battle because of their superior tactics and resources, including horses and cannons, which terrified the Tabascans. After the battle, the Tabascans joined forces with Cortes. As Cortes approached Tenochtitlan, Montezuma, the chief speaker of the Aztecs, was fearful. He was consumed by his fear of the gods and increased the number of sacrifices to an all time high. He remembered the legend of Quetzelcoatl, one of the creator gods, who had been driven from Mexico by demons but was supposed to return in 1519. Montezuma sent his advisors with gifts of gold and silver to Cortes, thinking Cortes was Quetzelcoatl, but the gifts were never enough for Cortes. He decided to march on and conquer the city of Tenochtitlan. As Cortes traveled from the Gulf of Mexico to Tenochtitlan, he encountered the Totonac Indians who were tired of Aztec rule and their cruel traditions. They joined forces with Cortes against the Aztecs. Next, Cortes encountered the Tlaxcalans and after a brief but bloody battle, they too joined forces with Cortes after they realized that Cortes opposed the
One of the main things the Aztecs are known for are their human sacrifice rituals. They believed that life and balance would not be possible without offering sacrificial blood to the gods since the gods sacrificed themselves to give them the sun. Burying the dead was seen as an act of feeding the earth. The Aztecs preformed two rituals for the dead, the first being for children and the second being for adults. The ritual for adults put special focus on warriors who died in
The religion and culture of the Aztecs played a role in the way the way they thought and fought. They worshiped the war-god Huitzilopochtli. He was identified with the sun and was called "the Giver of life" and "the Preserver of Life" (xxxix). The religion carried some ridiculous rituals such as human sacrifice along with using magicians and wizards to cast spells. In war conditions, human sacrifice played a big role because the Aztecs would not fight to kill,...
They always try to come up with a way to make it sound like they are blood thirsty or they are cannibals for chopping a bunch of people. The reason they do this is because it’s part of their rituals that they believe in. In the book it says “The central act was the sacrifice of a captive warrior chosen for his perfect physical features” (Carrasco, 2014, p. 109). It makes it sound like they sacrifice people only because they have perfect bodies in this ritual. That they only capture perfect people and they kill the people who are not perfect. The reason they do this though is for it can represent itself as god because only a god can be perfect it cannot be imperfect. Also some of them do it because they believe by doing this they can ascend to the heavens where the gods are. Diaz del Castillo from the book makes it sound like the Aztecs are crazy people, and they enjoy killing people. In reality it is part of their rituals where they believe that they will ascend so that they will last forever like the
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.
To get the sacrifices the Aztec went to war with other tribes in Mexico to get these human sacrifices (Conrad & Demmest 47-49) . With each conquest more sacrifices and more land was added to the Aztec kingdom. The Aztec were a strong civilization who were familiar with organized large scale war, had specialized war chiefs, and a well organized system of territorial levy in which large armies could be amassed in a short time (Age of Reconnaissance 124-125). They may have been well organized for war, but they were not prepared for internal changes in there civilization. When expansion was no longer an option there system crumbled.
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.
... (Schweikart 5-6). The Aztecs’ greed for sacrificial hostages turned these Indian neighbors against them (Kingfisher 196-197). The Aztecs were defeated, partially because they had been weakened by smallpox, but also because the Spanish fought together as a single force, while Aztecs fought as individuals (Schweikart 6-7).
Paintings illustrate the Aztec’s style of clothing and the important roles they play as such as those who led the ceremonies wore robes
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.
Why did the culture and customs require human blood to survive? How did high Aztec society view these sacrifice? These answers are easy to obtain using anthropology and archeology and historical documents from the time such as the infamous letters of Cortez. To the first question o why did the Aztecs practice human sacrifice to understand the reasons one must understand their epic religious beliefs. The Aztecs thought the world would end if they did not sacrifice human blood to their gods. The Gods were always locked in an epic battle and needed human blood to keep the universe from being destroyed. According to Aztec mythology, this world was the fifth and last universe so human blood was needed to continue the universe and prevent its destruction. The world had been destroyed four times before by the gods and it was up to the Aztecs who thought they were in the center of the world to stop its
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.
Sacrifice involves an offering, either blood or bloodless. Blood offerings typically consist of animal or human sacrifice, often to a deity or god. The Aztecs sacrificed people and animals to their gods because they believed that blood fed the gods. Also, the Aztecs thought that they owed
The Aztecs cosmology was a unique combination of mythology. Their beliefs about themselves and their purpose were not something they took lightly. “The mystic-militaristic approach characteristic of Aztec religion…felt that the purpose of man’s creation was to provide blood for the maintenance of the Sun’s life” (Leon-Portilla, Aztec Thought & Culture, 122). With this perspective of themselves, the Aztecs believed that human sacrifice was not only justified but necessary for the lives of civilization. Simply put, mankind was “food” for god.
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.