Tovar Codex, Aztec Gladiatorial Sacrifice

Entitled: Modo depelcar entie el gattia de sacrificar y ser sacrificado. The gladiatorial sacrifice was a giant spectacle the entire city would attend. The captives would be paraded in the streets followed by eagle and jaguar warriors to the sacrifice stone. The eagle and jaguar warriors would dance around the captives and display their shields and weapons to the crowds. The captives would be forced to drink pulque to intoxicate them. They would be painted and given a sword and a shield. The warriors would then attack the victim who was tied down to the sacrifice stone with an obsidian laced club. The gladiatorial sacrifice was done as a ceremony, for the return of warriors with their captives. The gladiatorial sacrifices were held during the month of the Feast of the Flaying of Men. The Tovar Codex (16th century) contains detailed information about the rites and ceremonies of the Aztecs. The codex is illustrated with 51 full-page paintings in watercolor. Illustration taken from a 19th century transcript of Juan de Tovar's Historia de la benida de los yndios apoblar a Mexico (the Codex Tovar)

Picture No

12696084

Media ID

47670040

Size

4425px x 3233px (2.7MB)

Credit

LOC/Jay I. Kislak Collection/Science Source/Mary Evans