chapter 11-oxford

Overview of Human Sacrifice in Religious Traditions

  • Definition of Sacrifice:

    • From Latin sacrificium (sacer = holy, facere = to make). Acts of killing an animal or person as an offering to a deity.

    • Extends to giving up valued objects for a greater cause (e.g., pawn in chess).

  • Symbolism of Sacrifice:

    • Sacrifices convey profound communications leading to social changes and rejuvenating relationships with supernatural beings.

    • Human sacrifice as a form of performative violence that may seek to establish or reinforce social order.

Key Findings in Mesoamerican Context

  • Human Sacrifice in Mesoamerica:

    • Practiced for over 1500 years; often linked to human “debt payments” to gods.

    • Evidence through archaeological finds (e.g., the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent) of high-status human remains and sacrificial rituals.

    • Ritual sacrifices were deeply embedded in social, pictorial, and literary records, creating a unique understanding of religion and violence.

  • Forms of Human Sacrifice:

    • Distinguished into roles like war captives and ritual killing as a social performance.

    • Public sacrificial rituals communicated commitment to cosmic warfare and societal debts to the gods.

    • Sacrifice portrayed as an instrument for moral teachings and social ideals.

Performative Scenarios of Sacrifice

  • Sacrificial Ritual Components:

    • Liminal Space: Setting where transcendental and social worlds interact.

    • Forceful Separation: Object (human or animal) set apart for ritualized act.

    • Symbolic Injury/Destruction: Infliction of pain on the chosen sacrifice boosts perceived social benefits.

    • Cosmic Significance: Aimed at revitalizing the community and reinforcing connections with divine entities.

  • Analyses of Victim Roles:

    • Captives often transformed into divine figures before death, exemplifying the cyclical nature of life and death, even at the expense of personal suffering.

    • The view that gods sacrificed themselves to nourish humanity created obligations for humans to reciprocate with offerings.

Cultural Expressions of Human Sacrifice

  • Comparative Practices:

    • Human sacrifice observed also in other regions (e.g., Greek, African, and Middle Eastern cultures) serving to reinforce authority and social cohesion.

    • For instance, in the Athenian context, pharmakoi (scapegoats) symbolized communal guilt.

  • Self-Sacrifice Traditions:

    • Notably among Aztecs, self-sacrifice via bloodletting was common, emphasizing personal devotion over traditional communal offerings.

    • Instances of 'sati' in Hinduism, demonstrating self-immolation as an act of honor and perceived moral duty.

Mesoamerican Human Sacrifice Scenarios

  • Warriors and Sacrifices:

    • Sacrificial events served as displays of power, with details narrating the physical and aesthetic transformations of sacrificial victims.

    • The transformation of heroes and captives into living images of deities justified the acts of violence within a cosmological framework.

  • Thematic Festival Narratives:

    • Each ritual festival often structured to symbolize seasonal changes or the rebirth cycle, establishing justifications for the continued practice of sacrifice.

    • Instances of seasonal rituals imply that sacrifices would rejuvenate nature and affirm social orders through bloodletting and ritualistic killing.

Examination of Societal Perceptions

  • Impact of European Conquest:

    • Spanish accounts exaggerated human sacrifices to justify colonization, asserting that rival societies practiced extreme violence, though transformative interpretations also emerged in post-colonial discourse.

    • The relation between this sacrificial past and modern violence raises questions about the ongoing legacy and moral implications of such practices.

Conclusion and Theoretical Implications

  • Sacrifice and Modernity:

    • Human sacrifice raises ethical questions on the nature of violence and its theological significance in culture.

    • Challenges modern readers to explore their timelines and rituals, considering the lineage of violence in religious and secular contexts.

  • Reflective Juxtaposition:

    • Consideration of contemporary acts of violence and their symbology prompts inquiries into how societies evolves from sacrificial traditions.

Key References

  • Bloch, Maurice. Prey into Hunter.

  • Burkert, Walter. Homo Necans.

  • Carrasco, David. City of Sacrifice.

  • Sahagún, Bernardino. The Florentine Codex.

These notes encapsulate human sacrifice from various religious traditions, providing detailed insights, key findings, and thematic explorations to facilitate deeper understanding of this complex cultural practice across time and space.