All of the historical references to Aztec sacrifices derive from Christian sources, and this should be reason enough to be suspicious of their reliability. With two exceptions, there are virtually no eye-witness accounts of any Aztec sacrifices. All of the evidence derives from sources compiled long after the native Mexicans were conquered, and subdued or killed.

Both of the existing eyewitness testimonies come from two Conquistadors who personally participated in the destruction of what both of them have described as the most beautiful city on earth, and in the slaughter of its inhabitants: Hernan Cortés and his henchman Bernal D¡az de Castillo. According to these Spanish accounts, after an initial battle with the Aztecs, the Spanish main force was outnumbered and had fled to the base camp at Tlacopan, on the shore of Texcoco lake. From here our witnesses claim to have seen about fifty Spanish captives being sacrificed on the Great Temple of Tlatelolco, which ritual is described by D¡az in great gory detail. A glance on a map reveals that the distance between our witnesses and the alleged sacrifice must have been in excess of four miles. D¡az can hardly have been nearer to the place since Tlatelolco (Mexico city) was built on an island then. It does not seem very convincing that he actually saw exactly what was happening four miles away. Anyway D¡az wrote his account more than forty years afterwards, and like Cortés, was probably interested in justifying the Spanish conduct and genocide in the New World. A similar reason may lie behind the instances of Cannibalism (a word deriving from the Caribs, native inhabitants of the Caribbean exterminated by Christians) the invaders apparently encountered on their voyages.

All other original accounts of Aztec and Maya sacrifices derive from Inquisition sources, for example from the notorious Diego de Landa [SH82, WS167], and were either testimony given under torture or came from converted natives who had learned to despise their forefathers' traditions as "satanic idolatry." To give one example of the background of this kind of evidence: the Inquisitors "ordered great stones attached to [the Indians'] feet, and so they were left to hang... and if they still did not admit to a greater quantity of idols they were flogged as they hung there, and had burning wax splashed on their bodies..." [WS168] Under such circumstances the Mayas (or Aztecs) surely revealed anything they could think of... but apparently even the scholarly world of today still takes such Inquisition accounts at face value.

Other defendants accused of human sacrifice (usually child sacrifice) were witches, and Jews, who also have confessed human sacrifices under torture, and were burned at the stake after being sentenced by an Inquisition tribunal. No one in his right mind (except faithful Catholics - but how can one be in his right mind and still be Catholic?) would believe witches or Jews actually practiced human sacrifice. In Europe in the 15th century there were even Christian paintings depicting Jews sacrificing (of course) Christian little children. Countless original native paintings and sculptures, especially those from the sanctuary areas, have been interpreted as depicting the bloody sacrificial rituals that allegedly were practiced in the temples. If such a conclusion is valid, then every crucifix representing a tortured and executed human body in a Christian Church indicates the bloody crucifixion rituals the superstitious Christians obviously practice in their temples. (one should certainly mention the possibility that some of the scenes which show Aztecs killing individuals could show examples of Aztec death penalty)

Even the scholarly world interprets any human remains such as bones found in excavations of Aztec sanctuaries almost inevitably as instances of "sacrifice." Likewise any human remains found in the vicinity of Christian churchyards should accordingly indicate the well-known compulsory Christian rituals of human sacrifice. An especially interesting point is, that according to scholarly experts of Nahuatl, the Aztec language, numerous words were used to describe the various sorts of animal sacrifices and fruit offerings: but apparently there was no word exclusively referring to human sacrifice. The Nahuatl word "tlacamictilitzli" which - according to the Spanish monk and interpreter Fray Alonso de Molina referred to human sacrifice - simply meant "man-killing"and was the same word used to describe murder or any other homicide.

From an anatomical point of view it seems questionable if it is possible at all to cut open the chest of a victim with a stone knife wide enough to tear his heart out of the wound. Apparently any such operation requires the use of a saw, which contradicts all of the accounts given of the Maya and Aztec sacrifices. Furthermore, a rib spreader, an article readily available in modern surgery, but apparently never archaeologically present, must be used. [RM80ff] I recommend that you Christians out there, if you feel the need to lash out at the bloody Aztec rituals, look up the word "blood" in your bible, or - on the net - search the Online Bible. At a glance I find way over 400 occurrences of the word.

Oh you're such savages!

While I can not decide conclusively if there were human sacrifices or not, I certainly have reason enough not to trust the Christian sources: considering that Aztecs bathed daily, while Europeans of the time thought it a sin to wash regularly; Aztecs had a thousand officials to wash and sweep their streets every day, while European cities' streets of the time were littered with refuse, offal, and other filth; Aztecs knew a host of plants, roots, herbs and other medicines to cure various diseases, while Europeans generally could offer no other medical help except Holy water. While in European cities of the time regularly the victims of the Inquisition were burned at the stake in the name of God, I am to believe that Aztecs butchered their captives on the top of their temples?

As long as there is no other evidence except accounts given by their faithful Christian exterminators, I will view Aztec human sacrifice as just another lie used by Christians to detract from their own abominable historical record.