This introduction to the imaginative world of the Mexica (or Aztec) explores sacrifice in the richly textured life of 16th-century Mexico. Kay Almere Read describes a universe in which every object was timed by a given lifespan and in which sacrifice was the mechanism by which time functioned. This book makes a convincing case for what sacrifice meant religiously and for how it came to be that human sacrifice of staggering proportions could be accepted, matter-of-factly, by the Mexica people.
The Mexica are known for their sacrificial practices that appear shocking to the world. This book makes sense of these practices. It explores sacrifice as an essential foundation for and an ethical response to existence in the world of the Mexica. It also includes a glossary for readers unfamiliar with the Mexica.
