Ritual self (“auto”)-sacrifice

I sometimes like to imagine the Spaniards converting the Aztecs to Christianity in this way:-
”Look, you no longer need to make any sacrifices. Someone has already made a BIG sacrifice for ALL of us! His heart is so big and so beautiful that all our hearts are nothing by comparison. And his sacrifice alone was so great that the sun and planets would never need any sacrifices again, ever. So forget about sacrifices. You no longer need them!” :D

I’ve been reading from many different sources over the past decade. My favorite though is here. Mexicolore. Thanks for the insight into Mexica-Aztec culture. I’ve learned more here than anywhere else.

The pics can be interpreted as what you want but the meaning was there. I mean we all have publications of war within our history but never was a story told so old or so true... i believe some of the meanings have gone amiss, like the sacrifice or a heart, maybe that wasn’t a literal thing but a figurative thing, and when you see the world from your heart it changes perspective? Either way this seemed well informed without any biased opinions, which is nice in todays world :)

Oh dear! How grotesque! I’m not from the uk *sigh*, but I’m glad I found your website! So very detailed, and it helped me on a project muchly!!!!!

A quick question...I’ve heard different responses, but all from non-professional sources. I know that the Aztecs believed greatly in being brave, and enduring pain. If someone, either being ritually sacrificed on an altar, or doing smaller auto-sacrifice, were to cry out, would that ruin it for the Aztecs? Where they to not cry out, to show no pain, or was the willingness to offer ones self the most important part.

Great ideas behind this site, however it’s a pity you have chosen to push the view that the aztecs sacrificed people. To this date there is no proper evidence for this claim. There are biased spanish accounts, theories, and misunderstood glyphs, but no true evidence.
I study mexhika pactli from a mexican teacher and would encourage you to learn some nahuatl to see the true meanings behind the aztec names- not western theories. it’s funny how we cannot credit “savages” with using metaphors...

For the ones who understand and have read some about the culture, use the information for good, for the ones tat don’t know about the cultures of Europe(where most of the present US population come from, sacrifices and the shedding of blood had a meaning in the entire world, if you don’t know about it and don’t research it does not mean is wrong, every single culture in the old world did it for different beliefs. Remember, if you don’t read about it, you will not understand it!

i wouldnt like to have a peirsing because of all the blood

This is brilliant. I’ve read three books about the Aztecs, for research. I wish I’d come to you first.

amazing site. very detailed, and i can tell you have put in a ton of effort to make it the best possible.....well you effort has made a HUUUGGGGE difference and helped my entire class for a assignmnt worth a ton of marks. Thanx much!! =)=) i luv, luuv, luvvv the site!! keep up the awesoe work! :)

I believe this is a great website; it contains much of the information in one place instead of jumping all over websites. I think the Mesoamerican culture has much to offer and much we can learn from them, they are the wise people of the west, the masters of awareness and were connected to nature. And if you really think about it, we are not much different than them, are we? Or perhaps our current cultures are the worst this planet has ever seen in any given time in humankinds existence. We live in fear, in “mental slavery”, in mental and physical abuse, and empires invade smaller countries. Famine, drugs and porn is a thing of the present, was it of the past? Awesome website!! Thank you!

I wanted to thank the people that set this website up. Time has come to educate people of all races. How could you say that sacrificing is gross. Do you even know what it's like to sacrifice yourself for your people. This is one of many reasons why we need to further educate people that do not know in their minds what truly lies behind a closed door. These indigenous people have suffered long enough...So next time you decide to pass judgement on someone's culture why don't you educate yourself and try to understand the unknown. Let's not forget that these people who clean your house and raise your kids are the true Natives of this land (Arizona,Nevada,California,NewMex.Utah, Texas and so on!!!!) One Day Aztlan will rise again...and take back what once belonged to Aztlan(Mexico) PEACE KNOW THE TRUTH

This page is wonderful! I am doing a project for school about the aztec sacrifices, and this is the best information I have gotten! Thanks!

To all EXCEPT Cehualli & the Responding Individual (in light blue bg color), you commentators know very little about this truly holistic culture, the people of Meso-America have a Cosmology that is unique and original amongst all civilizations, everything had meaning and purpose, compared to today, they lived rather than existed, please shine some light on your closed bud of a mind (water & feed it too), so it can blossom into something meaningful to yourself and others.
To Cehualli, I second you on the necessity of keeping these images, I too do not want this Info and Imagery to be wiped from history EVER AGAIN! (The Researchers, Archaeologists, Historians, Professors toiled and labored in the pursuit of the truth to rebuild the Chronology of this culture, shame on you kids). There is a Reasoning that the Burning of the Library of Alexandria by the same ignorance that nearly genocided Mesoamerica, quite a few modern religions tend to over-shelter and over-protect the young to the point of making them into walking-talking Knee-Jerk Reactions (The Idiot, Moron, and Fool Reflex), to anything that scares them, they respond with ignorant hate, or immature quips (just like these comments, not Cehualli's nor the blue bg replier's).
Sacrifice is a significant display of devotion to Family, Noble Causes, and paying respect to the Ancestors, please remember "Kids" you would not be here if it wasn't for sacrifice of something important by your Parents and ancestors, it doesn't have to be bloody to be a sacrifice.
Children have to face truth and reality eventually, otherwise they won't mature to adulthood.
Thank You for the generous libation of knowledge that this page and site as a whole has provided to the Global Community.

this place rocks

I dont't find it very suitable because of the violence of
stabbing and killing. Me and my friend are 9 and we find it really
disturbing

I think this is a well-written introduction to an important historical religious practice, and the images from the codices are a vital component of it. Please don't remove them -- I can't understand how they could possibly be more inappropriate for children to see than, say, Michaelangelo's "David." Both are significant cultural artifacts with deep historical value.

these pictures are really gross and are not appropriate for some people who are looking at this website