Aztec sacrificial cult
The Aztecs ' cult of sacrifice was at the center of their religion . Like that of other Central American cultures, this demanded human sacrifices in order to secure the course of the sun and the continued existence of the world. The Aztecs believed that the universe out of the fight between light and darkness arose was. Since the gods, like humans, were mortal, they had to be nourished by human gifts.
Victim
Although the Mesoamerican cultures are notorious for their human sacrifices, these were an exception. Most of the time, resin that was burned in censer , but also fruits , flowers , food or animals were sacrificed .
In the Aztec beliefs, the gods sacrificed themselves for the world . They wanted to thank them for this by providing them with food. A human life represented the highest possible gift. Depending on the deity , warriors, slaves , children, women etc., and later also conquistadors, were sacrificed. Mostly, however, they were prisoners of war from the flower wars . The sacrificial rituals were also different depending on the deity. For example, many were burned, skinned or pierced with arrows.
Human sacrifice was probably introduced to a greater extent in the second half of the 15th century and was established under the rulers Axayacatl or Auítzotl . Some scholars already see this development as a sign of decadence and an impending downfall of the Aztec empire, regardless of the Spaniards.
Doubts about credibility
The number of people sacrificed is uncertain. The Spanish missionaries and conquistadors of the time may have exaggerated the numbers. The estimates vary widely and range from a few thousand to 10,000 to 15,000 up to 50,000 human casualties per year. At times the human sacrifices were contested as a whole: Corresponding pictorial representations of the sacrifices were interpreted as symbolic, as devoid of any “physical realism”, as a pictorial representation of initiation rites or internal spiritual purification and renewal processes; the conquistadors had the image of bloodthirsty savage self-interest hawked and be credible as a witness. In addition, some accounts depict the sacrifices in ways that would be anatomically impossible. Some descendants of the Aztecs also consider the entire sacrificial cult of their ancestors to be an invention of the Spanish missionaries. The Mexican political activist and publicist Xokonoschtletl Gomora claims in his book The True Aztec History that the sacrifices were surgical interventions . However, this is contradicted by scientists and archaeological finds, including those from recent times.
cannibalism
The cannibalism of the Aztecs could be clearly proven with the findings of Zultepec . There it was proven that the Aztecs sacrificed and consumed 550 people over a period of about 7 months. For the Aztecs the ritual feeding of their opponents was a sacred act. Only respected warriors and other high-ranking members of society took part.
Flower wars
In order to meet their need for human sacrifice, the Aztecs organized campaigns against other peoples, the so-called flower wars ( xochiyaoyotl ). In the Aztec Empire there were numerous independent enclaves with which such battles were staged. The flower wars were mutually agreed and announced in public places. The aim was to take as many prisoners as possible who could later be sacrificed while avoiding the killing of opponents. The Aztecs in particular were able to bring numerous "flowers for the gods" (prisoners) into their power. Many of these oppressed peoples sided with the Spaniards. Only with their help could the Spanish conquerors take the Aztec empire.
In addition to the flower wars, more peaceful battles for human sacrifices could also be fought: in the Mayan and Aztec ball game, the ulamaztli , the losing team was occasionally sacrificed to the gods.
Consecration of the Templo Mayor
In 1487 the Aztec ruler Auítzotl consecrated the newly built Templo Mayor ("Great Temple"), the highest place of worship of the Aztecs. A flower war had previously been ended with great success. According to Aztec reports, up to 84,400 people, mainly prisoners of war, but also volunteers, were sacrificed on the occasion of this consecration in honor of Huitzilopochtli over four days, by hand by Auítzotl himself. This number is hardly credible for logistical reasons, however would have meant that around the clock for four days in a row around 15 people per minute should have been killed. Research therefore assumes that the number was exaggerated in order to underline the splendor of the ruler in this way.
Gods to whom humans were sacrificed
Today, at least 13 Aztec deities are known to claim human sacrifice. Like fallen warriors and women who died in childbirth, the spirits of victims should also become part of the sun. After four years they should then be reborn as hummingbirds and enter the garden of paradise.
Huitzilopochtli
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Huitzilopochtli was the sun and war god of the Aztecs. In order for the sun to shine daily, sacrifices were made daily. The sacrifice in honor of Huitzilopochtli usually took place on the platform in front of the shrine of the god on the temple. The Templo Mayor ("Great Temple"), the most famous Aztec pyramid , was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli (and Tlaloc ). The victim climbed onto the pyramid, clad only in a loincloth and painted with red and white vertical stripes. Four priests held the victim by the limbs and stretched it out on a stone block. This stone block (techcatl) was about 50 cm high and consisted of holy volcanic rock. A fifth priest made a quick cut below the chest with a stone knife and pulled out the beating heart. The veins were severed with the blade and the heart held up to the sun, then it was placed in an eagle bowl. The images of the gods were then soaked in the warm blood.
Xipe Totec
Xipe Totec , "Our Skinned Lord", was the Aztecs' god of war and fertility . The sacrifice for Xipe Totec should have a positive impact on the corn harvest . The victims, mostly prisoners of war, were tied to a stake and pierced with arrows by Aztec warriors. Afterwards, their skin was peeled off, which the priest then wore for 20 days. This was to symbolize the new green dress that spring brings to earth. The dried out skin still had the pimples of the fat layer and is said to have made cracking noises when it was worn. The priest wore the skin of his face as a mask .
At the beginning of the 14th century, the Aztecs came to Colhuacan , where the ruler Achitometl ruled. He let the Aztecs settle in the neighborhood; the Aztecs performed mercenary services and had to pay tribute. In 1323 Achitometl approved the marriage between his daughter and the Aztec chief. The Aztecs welcomed the daughter and sacrificed her to the Xipe Totec. When Achitometl was invited to the wedding, he saw a priest wearing his daughter's skin as a dance dress. The Aztecs then fled Achitometl's army to Lake Texcoco , where they founded Tenochtitlán two years later .
Tlaloc
Tlaloc is the rain god of the Aztecs. The sacrifices in honor of the Tlaloc were supposed to bring rain . They mostly took place in spring or during periods of drought . Children were sacrificed because the Aztecs compared children's tears to raindrops. The children were made to cry , including through torture , and were locked in cages . There they either starved to death or were later impaled. Lots of tears meant lots of rain. The Great Temple was dedicated to Tlaloc.
A few years ago, over 30 child skeletons were found near the Tlaloc Temple in Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City ). It is believed that they were sacrificed to Tlaloc. This is one of the few skeleton finds of victims at all.
Huehueteotl
Huehueteotl was the fire god of the Aztecs. The victims were burned alive in the fire . It is believed that the victims before with drugs were stunned.
Teteoinnan
Teteoinnan (also Toci) was the mother of the gods. In her honor, women who were skinned were sacrificed.
Tlazolteotl
Tlazolteotl was the goddess of lust and earth mother of the Aztecs. But it also brought disease to people and caused cramps . Women who were skinned were also sacrificed to her.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Dr. Lars early care, Prof. Dr. Bernd Schmelz: Maya, Inca and Aztecs . In: WHAT IS WHAT . tape 130 . Tessloff, Nuremberg 2011, p. 41 .
- ↑ so in 1992 the Swiss ethnologist Peter Hassler: The lie of Hernán Cortes
- ↑ cf. Overall: Peter Hassler, Human sacrifice among the Aztecs ?: A source and ideology-critical study (Europäische Hochschulschriften / European University Studies / Publications Universitaires Européennes), Verlag Peter Lang, Bern 1992
- ↑ Peter Hassler: "You tore your heart out still twitching". In: www.nzz.ch. Neue Zürcher Zeitung, December 4, 2010, accessed on July 28, 2020 .
- ^ Matthias Schulz: Cult of the dead on the fire mountain . In Der Spiegel from May 26, 2003 (edition 22/2003)
- ↑ Page no longer available , search in web archives: The sacrificial cult of the Aztecs. Horrible finds and terrible reports in ZDF-Expedition (TV report broadcast on October 30, 2005)
- ↑ DER SPIEGEL: Mexico: Temple of fertility god Xipe Tótec discovered - DER SPIEGEL - science. Retrieved July 26, 2020 .
- ↑ Bloody cult: deity in Mexico was honored with skins. January 3, 2019, accessed July 26, 2020 .
literature
- Peter Hassler: Human sacrifice among the Aztecs? A source and ideology critical study. Peter Lang Verlag, Bern 1992, ISBN 3-261-04587-6 (also dissertation, University of Zurich 1992).
- Marvin Harris : Cannibals and Kings. The growth limits of advanced cultures ( Cannibals and Kings , 1977). Dtv, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-423-30500-2 .
- Hanns Jürgen Prem : The Aztecs. History, culture, religion. 5th edition. CH Beck, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-406-45835-4 .
- Hugh Thomas : Cortez and Montezuma. The Conquest of Mexico ( Conquest , 1995). Fischer Taschenbuchverlag, Frankfurt / M. 2000, ISBN 3-596-14969-X .