[Aztlan] Human Sacrifices in the Aztec Society

[lahunik.62 at skynet.be]

Human Sacrifices

Seemingly every one is trying to count the numbers of sacrifices that were
made in the Aztec Society. For me not the places, like Tenochtitlan, were so
important to have a general view of the sacrifices, but more the time when
they were made.

And seemingly nobody is asking himself why the Mesoamerican people made such
a big amount of sacrifices. It is not the association between violence and
savagery that we must try to break through. We only get a better
understanding when we could answer the capital questions, when and why they
were made.

According to the Anales de Cuauhtitlan (1570), recorded in the Codex
Chimalpopoca, we are now in the 5th Great Cosmic Period, of Olintonatiuh.
This period began on 1 Tochtli 4 Olin or 1 Rabbit 4 Movement.

So after every cycle of 260 days, on Naui Olin, the Mexica were confronted
with the possible falling down of the 5th Sun and this world. To prepare
them on this crucial day a so called fasting time, a Netonatiuhzaualli, of 4
days was introduced, the Fasting for the Sun. Every one was retreated in
their homes and the kings in the temple of Cuauhxicalco. Every noon, during
the 4 days they blew on a sort of mussel horn, a Tecciztli. That was the
time that every one pierced his tong and ears. The blood collected during
this chastisement was offered to the Sun. The Mexica believed that by
offering their own blood they strengthened the Sun to keep shining. Quails
and incense, including 4 prisoners, were offered in the Temple of
Cuauhxicalco. This period of 4 days fasting was connected indelible with the
representation of the Sun, the Tonatiuh.

In the Codex Borgia, above left of Plate 9, the Tonatiuh is shown. Above
him, in a closed circle of malinalli, a Mozahuani is blowing on a white
Tecciztli. 

It was of vital importance to keep the Sun powerful enough, so he could
appear again in the Eastern sky. This was only possible by human and blood
offerings. The priests lifted up the bleeding harts and the blood in the
eagle plates, the Cuauhxicalli, in the direction of the Sun, the Coniyana.
The Sun who was the source of all live.

And so I would like to come to the point of the so called Great Wars of the
Mexica that were made among the different states and cities. According to my
humble knowledge this wars were nothing else than regular raids to collect
prisoners as many as possible for the amount of human sacrifices. The so
called warriors had the sacred duty or task to feed the Tonatiuh and the
Earth gods, the Tlaltecutli. That is why these warriors, when they died in
these raids, never could go to the underworld but immediately raised again
in the Western Heaven. And after these regular raids was there enough time
left to organize these Great Wars???? 

The different ways of offerings are clearly described in the Anales de
Cuauhtitlan. 

The Tlacateteuhmictliztli, the offering of children to the Raingod.

The Tlacacaliliztli, the shooting with arrows to the human offering, while
the blood was impregnating the Milpa.

The Tlacaxipeualiztli, the skinning of the bodies, the Totecehuayl
quimaquiaya. The skin were used to cover the Xipe-gods, to renew them.

Human sacrifices were not always used. In the beginning only snakes, birds
and butterflies were used, but in the time of Huema, the Prince of Tula,
human sacrifices were already used.

Of course not by every daily rising of the Sun human sacrifices were made.
They were made when the Sun was standing in the Zenith point, or on the day
Naui Olin, or on the devastating time of the Tonatiuhqualo, when the Sun was
darkened by the Moon. 

Lahun Ik 62

Baert Georges

Flanders Fields