Page 51 - All About History - Issue 12-14

FALL OF THE AZTECS

would take their people as sacrificial victims. Cortés the middle of a giant lake and here you have come to sit on your place, on
had allied with some of the best fighters in Mexico probably the largest and most your throne. Oh, it has been reserved to
and long-standing enemies of the Aztecs, the sophisticated city on Earth at you for a small time, it was conserved by
Tlaxcalans, even converting some to Christianity, the time. This was the prize those who have gone, your substitutes…
by demonstrating his military might but also by Cortés had risked everything Come to the land, come and rest: take
respecting the Tlaxcala traditions. for and spent nine months possession of your royal houses, give
Together, the Spaniards and their native allies plotting, fighting, marching food to your body.”
sealed their allegiance with the massacre of and killing for. Whether The Aztec tlatoani greeted Cortés
hundreds of natives at Cholula in October 1520, suing for peace or truly as the reincarnation of Quetzalcoatl
who were firmly under Aztec rule at the time, believing him to be the and the two men apparently paid
following a supposed assassination plot against incarnation of a god, tribute to one another – Moctezuma,
Cortés. The killings numbered anywhere between Moctezuma welcomed according to the Spaniards, pledging
3,000 and 30,000 and sent a chilling message to Cortés to Tenochtitlan, his loyalty to Cortés – though
Moctezuma – resist us and die. By November 1519, inviting the Spaniards to the Spaniards were horrified at
Cortés had 50,000 American allies and had arrived the city and into his own seeing the extent and nature of
in Tenochtitlan, bringing an army of the Aztec palace, where they were the Aztec’s predilection for human
Empire’s enemies right to its front door. lavished with precious sacrifice. In response, Cortés had
For their part, the conquistadors were metals, allegedly saying Moctezuma clapped in irons; the
dumbstruck when they saw the size, intricacy and to Cortés’ men: “You have Statue of Aztec god of rain Tlaloc, tlatoani subsequently held hostage in
a major deity in their culture
genius of Tenochtitlan, a city essentially built in come to your city: Mexico, his own palace by the conquistadors as

HUMAN SACRIFICES

How common was human sacrifice? Worst of all…
The Aztecs dominated most of the Once every 52 years, the high priests ascended the
surrounding city states at its height, with highest hill in Tenochtitlan and at midnight one priest
around 10 million subjects. Making constant would kill a captive and pull out his heart; inside the
victim’s chest cavity he would attempt to ignite a fire.
human sacrifices meant the numbers of If the priest failed the Aztecs believed the stars would
sacrificed people were huge and probably the go out and the Gods would consume the Earth.
greatest number in human history.
Who performed it?
The Aztecs had large numbers of priests who
would carry out the sacrifices, usually one
male and one female priest would officiate. As
a result, they would develop good anatomical
skills in removing the skin and organs of
sacrificial victims.
Why was it done?
The Aztecs subjugated other native people
and demanded tributes in the form of human
sacrificial victims, required to placate
and please the Aztec gods. Sacrificial
victims frequently went to their
deaths willingly, promised great
riches in the next life. For their part, the
Aztecs did not carry out these sacrifices
out of bloodlust, but because they believed
they were necessary for continued prosperity.
How was it done?
Cortés was horrified by what he saw at
Tenochtitlan – the scale and brutality of the
human sacrifices disgusting even the violent
conquistadors. Aztec warriors attempted
to capture their enemies alive, in order to
sacrifice them to the Aztec gods. A number
of horrific methods were documented at the
time: hearts were often removed and shown
to the Sun; victims were flayed alive and
their skin worn by priests and tributes were
often boiled in huge vats, the priest and other
nobility believed it was important to ingest the
essence of fallen enemies.

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