Abstract
‘Cosmovision and human sacrifice’ investigates the facts behind Aztec human sacrifices. Human sacrifice undoubtedly happened, but the extent to which it did was hotly disputed. Eyewitness accounts are at odds with what archaeology has uncovered. Sacrifice was carried out as part of a wider ritual context, linked to the Aztec worldview, or cosmovision. They believed that the world came into being through the sacrifice of the gods, who could only be sustained by the sacrifice of human blood. Sacrifice was often carried out at the Great Aztec Temple, where the Moon Goddess was discovered in 1978. Further insights can be gleaned through the study of various divine songs and festivals.
