Student Question
Why did the Aztecs practice human sacrifice?
Quick answer:
The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice primarily because they believed it was essential for sustaining the universe. They thought that the sun required nourishment from the blood of sacrificial victims to prevent its destruction. According to their beliefs, four previous suns had already been destroyed, and sacrifices were necessary to maintain the current sun's existence.
The most usual answer for this is that they believed that the blood of the sacrificial victims was needed to keep the universe going. It is said that they believed that the sun needed to be nourished with this blood or else it would be destroyed. They believed that there had been 4 previous suns that were destroyed and that the sacrifices were needed to keep the current one going.
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