The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-02-05

dreaded war god of the Aztecs. He is
large, blocky image with a savage,
cavernous mouth and skirt OF inter-
coiled snakes. A hollow-eyed human
skull is carved on his belt, symbolic
ing death, 1t was believed that the des-
TIMES of war were in his control. He
could decree victory or defeat Hideous
monster that he represented it was
thought that only the blood of captives
taken in battle could appease his wrath
and lend victory to Aztec arms.
The human lives annually offered in
superstitious dread to satiate the thirst
for blood of this stone deity is appall-
ing. Fifty thousand victims are said
to have been sacrificed when he was
enthroned in the temple where the
Spaniards first saw him.
Bernal Diaz, who was with Cortez
as chronicler of the expedition, wrote,
of his first visit to the temple, that the
idol was entirely covered with gold and
Jewels and had around his neck figures
of human heads and hearts made of
pure gold and silver, ornamented with
precious stones of blue color. Be-
fore the idol was pan of incense with
three hearts of human victims, which
were then burning, mixed with copal.
1.-THE whole OF that apartment" he
relates, "both wall and floor, was stain
ed with human blood"
Neither gold nor jewels now adorn
the idol. The gold-loving Spaniards
Oh o1tIo IA nff
and sent them across the Atlantic as
trophies of their expedition. This stone
image and other idols in the temple
were thrown down and for 800 years
kept buried from the sight of the ma
tives. The heather temple itself was
demolished and on the very spot where
that magnificent structure stood the
ardent Spaniards built the Great
Cathedral of Mexico, that grand church
edifice costing 100000, with affairs
and shrines lavishly adorned with sill
yer and gold and dedicated to the
saints and the God of the Christian
faith
In another part of the museum is
the famous sacrificial stone on which
the victims to be offered up to the God
of War were placed. The stone is dark,
and three feet high. It's surface is COW
cred with nicely designed carvings. In
the centre is bowl-like depression.
From this a groove two inches deep
leads to the outside
This stone once occupied a conspicu-
Gus place in the temple in the days of
Montezuma. Human sacrifice was prac-
ticed on this stone almost every day.
The supply of human hearts, which
were kept burning night and day be<
fore the god of war was unfailing.
Blood flowed most freely on feast days.
when war was being waged against
neighboring tribes, when several hum
dred victims sometimes would be offer
ed in single day.
The manner of sacrifice was cruel.
The ceremony was performed by five
long gowns of white, and one, the exc
cutioner, was robed in scarlet.
When victim had been brought for
ward he was seized by four priests,
placed upon the stone, and each, grasp
ing one of his limbs, held him helpless
while the executioner, armed with an |
obsidian knife, stood over him and de-
liberately extracted the heart, which
he then held aloft in view of the shout
ing thousands assembled around the
temple. When the bleeding, pulsating
seat of life had ceased to drip, that |
gruesome object was cast into the vase
of hearts, the lifeless body removed |
and another captive brought forward
The vase of hearts can now be seen in
the museum.