Our ancestors lived in a world different from the modern.
It’s not about computers or mobile phones, not fast
Internet or other benefits of civilization. The world itself, in their minds, was
completely different. According to the sources that have survived to our day, we
we collect the crumbs of the lost cultural layers of a thousand years ago.
Worship animals or plants, weather or people
endowed with divine power. This is our story, the origins of traditions and
behavioral patterns.
We instinctively fear the unknown, give it a mystical
component. Remember when in childhood, after watching
�”Horror”, it was scary to turn off the light. Or silhouettes in the dark,
who painted our scared mind. Something similar to
Our ancestors experienced observing natural phenomena.
Lightning strikes or thunder, flowering plants or their
withering, all this was trying to find an explanation. This explanation
became the spirits and gods, in whose power was life itself and death. They
possessed reason and character, and therefore could be supportive
or, on the contrary, angry. But how to appease a creature from which
Does your existence depend? Just like a man – gifts. So
there were attempts to incline the spirits to their side in the hope of
good weather, heavy rains and harvests.
Contents
Human sacrifice
Before their extinction, the Aztecs were a fairly developed culture.
They lived in the territory of modern Mexico and became famous
as many pyramids and doomsday calendars as
extravagant sacrifices.
It should be clarified, the Aztecs did not know what a renaissance is and
did not enjoy the achievements of the French Revolution. They were strangers
the concept of natural rights and the concept of “value of life”.
Everything that they did fit into the logic of their lives and was perfect
normal. And being a victim is an honor, because she is
the embodiment of the deity.
Goddess maize
The basis of the life of the Aztecs is agriculture. From good harvest
depends on the survival of the whole city, which means you need a high yield
provide at any cost. Most often, the honorable victims were
slaves captured in other settlements. For rituals used and
adults and children.
So, для сентябрьского праздника в честь богини маиса
(relative of corn), the Aztecs chose a young girl no older
14 years old. For the rite was not suitable any, but only beautiful
victim.
The clothes of the child were decorated with thematic items: put on
maize ornaments, hoisted the miter and fastened the green feather. Everything
It was done for the sole purpose of betraying the appearance of a goddess. AT
this appearance was taken to their homes, where the young lady played
ritual dance. ATечером того же дня, жители города собирались в
the temple where the first part of the ritual began.
AT храме располагались покои богини маиса, которые, в эти дни,
were lavishly decorated. Inhabitants brought seeds and ears of corn.
crops. Under the unceasing music in the temple
a column of priests appeared, in the center of which there was a divine
victim.
The girl stood on a stretcher, filled with seeds and
on the cob, after which the high priest approached her. The first wave
The ritual sickle from the girl’s head was cut off a lock of hair and a feather.
These gifts were brought to the statue and, in prayer, they ascended from
thanks for a good harvest. AT концеритуала девочка сходила с
stretcher and could rest.
In the morning the ritual continued. The sacrifice personifying the goddess of maize
again became on a stretcher. Under ritual songs and music,
the column was in the sanctuary of the god “Huitzilopochtli” and returned to the chambers
goddess maize. The child walked off the stretcher to the vegetables and
cereal floor. After that, all residents came to the chambers one by one.
cities. The ritual was begun by the elders who offered as gifts
saucer with own dried blood. Each of the chambers
expressed respect for the personification of the deity and squatted
(analogue of the knee).
At the end of the ritual, the inhabitants went home, where they could
rest before continuing the rite. By evening it was coming
final phase of the celebration. ATоплощение богини окуривали
incense, laid back on the floor covered with seeds and
cut off the head. Blood poured from a wound was collected in a bowl and
they sprinkled it with offerings, a statue of the goddess, the walls and the floor of her chambers. One
from the priests, tore off the skin from the body of the child and pulled on himself. ATместе с
skin used and its decorations. Began the final
ritual dance, which was headed by children’s skin
priest.
God of male beauty and fertility
No less bloody was a ritual dedicated to
masculine and fertility. Among the prisoners chose the most
young and handsome guy. Usually, a warrior was chosen for this role from
captured tribe. When choosing a victim guided
the absence of defects (scars, marks, injuries) and the concept of
male beauty. Being the personification of the deity, the guy was treated
respectively. For a whole year the best food was available to him, he always
was surrounded by guards. AT это time the victim was taught manners, language and
playing musical instruments. Four months before the ritual,
his order was given by four women.
The sacrifice took place on top of one of the pyramids. On
the poor fellow’s altar opened his chest and cut out the still beating
a heart. A breathless body threw off the crowd, where everyone tried
taste some of the divine flesh. AT это время жрец поливал себя
remaining blood in the heart and ate it.
Despite seeming wildness, similar rituals were performed before
XVI century, until the invasion of the conquistadors. ATпрочем, не только
The Aztecs were famous for sacrificing people. On протяжении долгого
time in India, the divine pantheon was revered in a similar way. Before
Christian plantings, bloody celebrations were popular in
Rome and Greece. Doped clergymen cut off parts of their
bodies and threw them overheated crowd. By belief, catch a piece
ear or nose fanatic – this is to luck. But nowadays, on religious
traditions, believers taste the blood and flesh of their god.
But that’s another story…
