Sacrifice
Aztecs performed may sacrifices each year and it is not for sure known why. We do know however that the practices of sacrifice happened very regularly up until the time the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlan in 1519. But Where? Who? and Why? did the Aztecs sacrificed victims.
(A 16-century drawing of the Templo Mayor form the Codex Ixtlilxochitl)
Templo Mayor
The Templo Mayor located in the middle of Tenochtitlan in the Aztec Empire was was where each victim was sacrificed to the gods. The Templo Mayor was dedicated to the two most important gods to the Aztecs, Huitzilopoctli and Tlaloc. atop the Temple were two twin temples dedicated to each of the two Gods. It was here that thousands of war captives and women and children were sacrificed and their blood spilled to quench the thirst of the Gods.
Who was Sacrificed
The Aztecs sacrificed many different people but the most substantial amount of blood spilled for the gods came from war captives. War captives had become so important to warriors since the reign of Itzocalti, he raised the importance of capture in war instead of killing because these enemies became the nourishment for Huitzilopoctli. He got the common warriors to capture these enemies by promising a promotion in class status. So the number of captives caught rose dramatically and still yet Huitzilopoctli need to be nourished. It was said that those who sacrificed there lives to the gods would become helpers of the sun and could return as humming birds and butterflies(Sagan 1974) Not all the victims were prisoners of war. Substantial numbers of slaves were also sacrificed. In addition, certain youths and maidens were chosen to impersonate specific gods and goddesses. These were treated with great care and tenderness throughout the year preceding their execution.(Dresden Codex 16-century)
Why?
Sacrifice was so important to the Aztecs because they believed with out this sacrifice the Gods would go unnourished and the world could come to an end. The central notion was that with out death there could be no life (Berdan 2005). Also without that constant nourishment of Huitzilopitchli every night the sun would cease to rise. This sacrifice was to keep the universe in balance and kept the world from ending.
Critical to understanding the motivation behind the ritual sacrifices is the concept of ”tonalli,” which means “animating spirit.” The tonalli in humans was believed to be located in the blood, which concentrates in the heart when one becomes frightened. This explains the gods’ hunger for the heart. Without this sacrifice, all motion stops, even the movement of the sun. So when the Aztecs made their sacrifices, as far as they were concerned, they were keeping the sun from halting in its orbit.(Leon-Portilla 1963)
(Sacrificial stone dedicated to Huitzilopitchli, Templo Mayor, Mexico city)