When you think about Russia, a bear and a balalaika pop up in my head. Remember Norway - warlike Vikings will appear before your eyes. But as soon as you think about the Aztecs, the mood instantly spoils. One thought of mass sacrifices, burning and skinning does not let you fall asleep and gives goosebumps on the back. But what then was the instigators of such events?
Sacrifices
Sacrifices were the main public institution of the ancient Aztecs. Only in this way, in their opinion, could God be propitiated. Their imagination in killing their own kind knows no bounds. Moreover, the victims themselves considered it an honor and were not particularly upset by a combination of circumstances. It's like now: people are ready for anything in order to gain popularity. Indeed, a huge multitude was going to see the bloody ritual. The poor people probably even managed to wave their acquaintances.
The entire "show" was held on a stone pedestal. The participant came up, they laid him on the table, under the howls of the crowd they cut his chest and pulled out a still beating heart. All parts of the body were sorted: heart to hearts, head to heads. Moreover, the scale of sacrifices sometimes reached several thousand victims. It is not surprising that in the long run it became a routine for priests.
Cannibalism
Parts of the body were sorted for a reason. They had to go to the dinner table. However, only priests and leaders of the Mexican Indians won the honor to try such a dish. In general, the protein did not disappear in vain. The bodies were actively eaten, and various tools were made of bones. Only much later arrived Christians with surprised eyes offered them pork instead of humanity.
Such cannibalism, according to modern scholars, was limited only to rituals. The theory of the widespread practice of eating human meat does not find its actual confirmation.
Skin peeling
No less frightening is their passion for leather goods. Several captives were selected for the skinning ritual. They were well fed, clothed and provided with feminine affection for 40 days. Then the free cheese ended and the mousetrap slammed shut. All skin was allotted all day. Later, priests wore human skin for a month after the sacrifice.
This was done for a particular deity - Heepe. It was his attention that the priests dressed in leather wanted to attract. Even the leader of the Mexican Indians could not turn his back on this duty, because he was nobody before the almighty Gods. At least that was believed without a doubt.
Fire dancing
The Mexican Indians' hottest practice is dancing. In this they were very inventive. Draw a picture for yourself: the gentle sound of songs and flutes of Mexican Indians, a large bonfire around which cheerful people dance. And on their backs are burning people alive. This small detail probably did not allow such art to enter the rank of "folk".
Such dances were supposed to moderate the ardor of the fire god. The still living victims pulled out of the fire were killed only after the ritual. Their suffering and heart-rending cries were to attract the grace of a fiery deity. However, the Spanish conquistadors did not like such entertainment, and all participants in such rituals were executed.
Sacrifices for Children
Children also contributed to the prosperity of the state. Bought from poor parents, they became victims of the rain god. Such sacrifices were carried out during periods of drought. Moreover, which is symbolic of rain, the children had to cry on the way to the sacrificial altar. When the crop was received, then the mortified bodies of the children were sent for storage as relics.
It is worth saying that the most unprincipled of the parents managed to do "business" on this. They specially bred as many children as possible, with the aim of selling them to the priests. Of course, mores were different then, and they could not feel remorse comparable to current morality. Society as a whole did not condemn such actions, and they were considered ordinary earnings. Let us not forget that sacrificing ourselves was a noblest act.
Gladiator fights
Entertainment worthy of the Great Roman Empire, and took root well in the society of Mexican Indians. And in Rome, of course, such fights were not fair, but the Aztecs found themselves at a completely different level of injustice. The prisoner was given a small shield and a club, and the Aztec in full uniform came out against him. And even in case of success, the first resorted to help, leaving no chance for the victim. Needless to say, the aim of such battles was, rather, a murder rather than a battle.
History, however, reveals a case of victory in such gladiatorial battles. The captive king of a hostile tribe of Mexican Indians was able to defeat six Aztec warriors with a shield and club. According to the rules of the duel, he was granted freedom. True, he refused her, preferring to die and go to a special paradise. This case tells us a lot about the mentality of the Mexican Indians of that time.
What is war for?
Such mass sacrifices required many people. If you use only your own citizens, then the population will quickly dry up. For the sake of replenishment of human stock, wars were started. In addition to the usual battles, where soldiers participated, whose purpose was precisely the capture of prisoners, a kind of "funny" battles were held. Two troops converged with each other and fought without weapons, on fists. Each goal is to recruit as many prisoners as possible.
By the way, the number of captives among Mexican Indians then is the same as the amount of money a person has now. The more - the higher the authority. And therefore, everyone sought to become a "successful person", to gain universal respect.
The show should not go on
Such things seem incredibly wild to us now, but we will keep in mind the features of that society. These were not civilized people, they were tribes who tried to appear as a state. They had their own special world in which they lived. They knew how to "play war" between themselves, but could not do anything with their army of millions against the few conquerors.
To everything else, it was only about the upper class, which simply did not know how to occupy itself, and used unlimited power for such frightening rituals. Ordinary people were described as very hospitable and good-natured. The history of this civilization has its own achievements and features. So, wondering at the cruelty, you should not judge them by the worst representatives. And, of course, the history of such a distant and isolated tribe always carries some exaggeration.