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Public Ritual Sacrifice As a Controlling Mechanism for the Aztec" (2017)

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Public Ritual Sacrifice As a Controlling Mechanism for the Aztec University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Honors Scholar Theses Honors Scholar Program Spring 5-1-2017 Public Ritual Sacrifice sa a Controlling Mechanism for the Aztec Madeline Nicholson [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Folklore Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Nicholson, Madeline, "Public Ritual Sacrifice as a Controlling Mechanism for the Aztec" (2017). Honors Scholar Theses. 549. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/549 APRIL 2017 Public Ritual Sacrifice as a Controlling Mechanism for the Aztec MADELINE NICHOLSON UNIVERISITY OF CONNECTICUT Anthropology Honors Thesis Public Ritual Sacrifice 1 Introduction against the Mesoamerican archaeology. Help from other anthropologists such as: Catherine For decades, archaeologists have Bell, Pierre Bourdieu, Edmund Leach, Emile researched the fascinating finds of Aztec Durkheim, and Åsa Berggren supplement the sacrifice. Evidence of their sacrifices are seen two main theories. on temple walls, stone carvings, bones, and Rituals are the foundation of society. in Spanish chronicler drawings. Although They create an environment where laypeople public ritual sacrifice was practiced before lose their personal identity in favor of the the Aztecs, with evidence from the Olmec group. They reinforce social roles and civilization (1200-1300 BCE) and Maya ideologies through their performance. Pierre (200-900 BCE), Aztec sacrifices are among Bourdieu explains rituals through “practice the most extensively documented. How does theory where rituals are seen as expressions such a practice as human sacrifice survive in of meaning, as parts of a structuration process different civilizations through different where everything and everybody are tied rulers? This thesis will analyze the phases of together into a whole that is perceived as Aztec public ritual sacrifice and the close objective and true” (Bruck 1999: 176). relationship to their origin myths, or founding Rituals being perceived as “objective and stories. It will also use anthropological true”, or normal, bleeds into Roy Rappaport’s theories of ritual to explain how ritual assertion that ritual conventionality is gained sacrifice functions. by ritual’s “invariant procedures,” which To address this question, this paper make it seem like the ritual has been done uses anthropological theories of ritual to since the beginning of the civilization examine rituals of the Aztecs (1300-1539) (Rappaport 1979: 176). Origin myths and the testimonies of rituals in the Colonial function similarly as they are, logically, made period (1539-1848). Specifically, I will by the people to institutionalize community analyze the phases of Aztec public ritual behavior while also appearing as though they sacrifice and the close relationship to their were created pre-civilization. origin myths, or founding stories. The Another important category of ritual analysis will determining the trajectory of the is the liturgical order. “A liturgical order is a rituals based on their origin myths and sequence of formal acts and utterances, and discuss how the number of victims, location, as such it is made real only when those acts and length of ritual changed over the course are performed and those utterances voiced” of Aztec history. (Rappaport 1999: 118; emphasis added). In Ritual Theory other words, rituals, as liturgical orders, must be performed to keep their gravitas. They To begin, we must define what we are “not only recognize the authority of the studying. Since ritual is used as a social glue, conventions it represents, it gives them their I emphasize definitions of ritual that are very existence” (Rappaport 1999: 125). concerned with group theory. This thesis is Additionally, archaeologist Åsa Berggren especially concerned with analyzing the defines ritual “as action, [as] part of the theories of René Girard and Roy Rappaport dialectical relationship with structure, which Public Ritual Sacrifice 2 contributes to change and continuity within One way for violence to manifest in society” (Berggren, Stutz Nilsson 2010: 173). ritual is scapegoating. Girard reduces the The ritual’s action reinforces stasis, solution to recurring community conflict legitimizes change, and inherently codifies caused by mimetic rivalry for limited structure within a population. resources, to scapegoating. First, mimetic rivalries are caused, he argues, because much Like everything in the universe, the of human learning occurs through imitation. natural order is to disintegrate. “It is therefore What one wants, according to Girard, is necessary to establish at least some merely a reflection of what another desires, conventions in a manner which protects them and vice versa. The scapegoat mechanism is from dissolution in the variations of day-to- the origin of ritual sacrifice, which is why it day behavior and the violations in which is repeatedly turned to, especially in times of history abounds. [Liturgy] establishes and instability. Concerning ritual sacrifice, when ever again reestablishes those orders” violence is included in the origin myth of a (Rappaport 1999: 130). Conventions bind a civilization, violence in the name of the gods community in the face of change. The most is therefore inherent in the community. In powerful and effective conventions are order to return to the stasis before the rituals. To strengthen the ritual, sacrifice is conflict, a reenactment of the origin myth is added to the performance. Archaeology done to quell tension. Such reenactments are demonstrates that any ritual could be used comforting because everyone is familiar with and adapted depending on the situation. the stories. Mimetic Theory in Ritual One key feature of ritual sacrifice is Sacrifice that the victim(s) is (are) marginal to the community. For example, orphans, slaves, Since ritual is the basic social act, as and captives are often used. In some cases, argued by Girard, ritual sacrifice then acts in idealized warriors are chosen. However, in a similar manner, binding communities and every case, the sacrifices are distanced from power-relationships together. Rituals are the community before the sacrifice. The designed to make the performers and viewers separation ensures that the scapegoat, or feel attached to a successful tradition substitution victim, has an identity far enough established by their ancestors. Ritual removed to not cause enemies with their sacrifice is unequivocally powerful because it death (which would defeat the purpose of the connects to historical excellence in an ritual), yet close enough to stand in for the “inexact imitation of the generative act” community tensions. “Durkheim believes (Girard 1972: 269). Everyone knows one’s that men are shaped culturally by an founding story; it is common knowledge. So educational process that belongs to the spear a regularly-timed performance, intensified of religion. To carry Durkheim's insight to its with a loss of life, would be a useful conclusion, I will add that religion is simply mechanism to a ruler. Replaying the another term for the surrogate victim, generative act would remind the people of reconciles mimetic oppositions and assigns a social norms such as the hierarchy and sacrificial goal to the mimetic impulse” characteristics to strive toward. (Girard 1972: 307). To complete the theory, every sacrifice is a double substitution. The Public Ritual Sacrifice 3 first is one victim who replaces every The Aztecs member of the community in the origin myth. The second substitution, which is made in In 1345 CE, the Aztec capital of every consequent sacrifice, are those who Tenochtitlan was founded. From 1345- 1521 stand in for the original victim. The original CE, the Aztec civilization flourished in victim comes from inside the community. Mesoamerica. On August 13, 1521 CE, The second substitute victim must come from Cortés, the famous Spanish conquistador, the marginal or outside communities, captured their capital city of Tenochtitlan and otherwise a community catharsis could not be the Aztec empire quickly fell soon after. reached. There was a constant struggle for power in central Mesoamerica during Aztec rule. The Ritual sacrifice is designed to benefit many warring city-states learned to want the community; this is at its heart. In times of power from observing others want of it, uncertainty, whether it be from war or otherwise known as mimetic learning. climate, rituals are called upon because of Because of this mimetic learning, a social their enduring quality. Girard stresses that the bond was needed to maintain social order and function of ritual sacrifice is to restore peace buffer the threat of instability. The to a community for a time until the process mechanism was ritual sacrifice. The origin needs to be repeated. He states that sacrifice myths which contained sacrifices legitimized in a ritual provides an opportunity for the social action. catharsis that would otherwise not happen. There is no vengeance within a community The Aztecs ruled from the 14th to 16th attached to ritual sacrifice; the identity of the century until the invasion of the Spaniards. victim is structured to ensure this. “The They dominated most of central and northern surrogate victim dies so that the entire Mesoamerica with their strong warriors, community, threatened by the same fear, can precise calendars, vast organized road be reborn in a new or
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