Valhall Sacrifice In Aztec Culture

Centuries after the fall of Ancient Egypt, an oceangoing warrior culture arose in the coastal regions of Scandinavia. Known for their ferocity and daring expeditions, the Vikings were talented sailors, ship-builders, and fighters that were active from the eighth to eleventh centuries AD (history.com). Often referred to as Norsemen, the Vikings practiced their own religion that was centered upon mythology and the worship of ancestors and Gods such as Odin. The afterlife was an integral aspect of Nordic religion and belief that was considered to have comprised two main realms, Valhalla and Helheim (legends and chronicles). Similar to Christian notions of heaven and hell, Valhalla represented paradise and was achieved through an honorable death, …show more content…
In this way, the Aztec people continued the tradition of the Gods by sacrificing themselves in the same way that the deities had once done for them. They believed that the flesh and blood of the sacrificed would sustain the deities and keep the world in proper balance. Priests were expected to carry out the human sacrifices, which were considered to be righteous tasks. An integral part of this process was cutting open the person’s body and removing the heart, which often occurred while the victim was still conscious. Once the heart had been removed, the body was disposed of in one of many ways, including being thrown down the temple’s steps, fed to the animals, or, according to some, falling victim to …show more content…
Motivated in a large part by religion, they looked to the Gods as an explanation for the cosmos, establishing an interconnected relationship between life and death. The Ancient Egyptians focused on treating the body after death, going to great lengths in order to preserve the corpse and prepare for the afterlife. The Vikings incorporated their seafaring ways into funerary tradition, building massive ships for deceased leaders to aid them on their journey to Valhalla. Lastly, the Aztecs emphasized the importance of human sacrifice, using bloodshed to please their gods and ensure future prosperity. These cultures shared many similarities, such as burying the dead with items from their earthly realms and preparing themselves for an extension of life after death. The ways in which these ancient civilizations approached death reveals their values, beliefs, and identities; ironically, these varying funerary practices shed some of the brightest light on how these cultures existed in life. Some of the greatest leaps in understanding of antiquity have arisen because of discovery and study of burial sites. From King Tutankhamun to Gokstad, Norway to Tezcatlipoca, we in the modern age can thank death rites for some of our deepest knowledge of mankind’s development and