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The purpose of Aztec blood rituals

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Montezuma
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« on: November 20, 2010, 01:17:01 am »




The true history regarding where the Aztec's originated from has long been debated, however, the Aztec's made strong claims that they were the descendents of the Toltec's whom they believed reigned from Teotihuacan around 700 CE (Renfrew & Bahn 2006: 22; Tompkins 1990: 66-67).  The claim to come from royal descent would have furthered the power and influence of the Aztec emperors, just as so many other Mesoamerican leaders had done before them (Tompkins 1990: 66-67).  However, it is more likely that the Aztec's wondered through the ruins of Teotihuacan around the year 1100 CE in response to the decimation of the Toltec empire at Tula.  The later was possible because new lands had opened up allowing the nomadic Aztecs to hire themselves out as mercenaries and eventually overthrow their overlords (Tompkins 1990: 66).

 The Aztec's believed the Toltec's were great warrior heroes who were brilliant conquerors, righteous, wise and expert astronomers and artist, and the Toltec's were the inventors of all things that were wondrous, marvellous and magnificent (Scarre & Fagan 2003: 456-458; Coe & Koontz 2005: 190).   

 ritualBecause the Aztecs were fascinated and held accolades for all things Toltec, they incorporated everything that was believed to be of Toltec origin into their own creation myths, artistic practices, warfare, religion and human sacrifice.  However, archaeological (Scarre & Fagan 2003: 456-458) and historical evidence provides evidence for a more aggressive and a higher demand for sacrificial victims, for example the human skull rack discovered at Tenochtitlan (Diaz & Rogers 1993: 68-77).

 Virtually all-Aztec artefacts bare witness to the Aztec's constant desire and purpose of human sacrificial victims (Sahagun no date: online; Del Campo no date: online).  The many Mexican codices, for example the Codex Borgia (Diaz & Rodgers 1993: 68-77) displayed  on page one of the tonalpohualli, [otherwise known as the 260-day ritual calendar] the need for sacrifice and blood in varying forms is evident and in graphic detail. 
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