Jaguar warrior
Jaguar warriors (in Nahuatl : Ocēlōtl ) were members of the Aztec army . They acted as elite units and were professional soldiers . Another group were the eagle warriors (Nahuatl: cuāuhtli).
The totem of the jaguar warriors was the moon and stood for the night. The jaguar warriors were used as active fighters on the battlefield. This group of warriors could be recognized by their elaborate jewelry and clothing. They often dressed in the skin of a hunted jaguar .
Aztec children learned how to handle weapons from an early age and trained in special schools for war. Up until the age of fourteen, the upbringing of children was in the hands of their parents. After that, the state and their calpulli (company) were responsible for them. They regularly took certain exams to test their progress. Only the best students could rise to the caste of jaguar and eagle warriors. For this, they had to distinguish themselves through special deeds on the battlefield and capture enemy warriors for the solemn human sacrifice .
literature
- Ross Hassig: Aztec Warfare. Imperial Expansion and Political Control . University of Oklahoma Press, Norman 1988, ISBN 0-8061-2121-1
