HISTORY 169 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Encomienda, Bourbon Reforms, Peninsulars
11 Mar 2017
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Human sacri ce: human sacri ce is the act of killing of human beings as an offering to a deity or part of a religious ritual, both the maya and aztecs took part in human sacri ce. In maya religion, human sacri ce was a way to keep the cycle of life going by reciprocating back to the gods. It was a way to maintain balance in the world: the toltecs introduced the notion of a sacred way through conquest and human sacri ce. This later in uenced the aztecs, who used human sacri ce to protect the world and keeping the sun and moon moving in the sky. War captives were seen as worthy offerings to the gods. For the aztecs it had both a religious and political function, by inspiring terror in conquering groups: incas rarely used human sacri ce, only to for special occasions such as natural disease or the death of the sapa inca.
