Reputation-wise, the Aztecs are not considered to have been a happy, fun bunch of people. After all, most people are most familiar with them because of their sacrificial practices, which have been covered in gruesome detail in numerous resources that can be found elsewhere. However, it should be noted that other aspects of Aztec life were often harsh as well, with an excellent example being the Aztec stance on alcohol. In short, the Aztecs tolerated the use of alcohol under specific circumstances, but outside of those specific circumstances, the use of alcohol was frowned upon, as shown by the numerous stories of catastrophic consequences of drunkenness. In fact, some sources even suggest that public drunkenness could be punished by execution!
What Was an Aztec Death Whistle?
Regardless, the reputation of the Aztecs meant that when archaeologists began uncovering whistles bearing skulls and other fantastic imagery, they became known as “death whistles.” Currently, no one is sure regarding the exact purpose of the so-called “death whistles.” However, they have become associated with death as well as the wind because one example was found in the hand of a man who had been sacrificed at the temple of the wind god.
As a result, there are some experts who speculate that the death whistles might have been used to imitate the sound of the wind, which could’ve not have been on-call for important rituals involving the wind god. This is further supported by a source stating that the sacrifice to Tezcatlipoca was required to carry a whistle that was symbolic of that particular god, which presumably, would’ve referred to one of his many roles as the master of the night wind. Whatever the case, the death whistle certainly makes a chilling sound, particularly when a group of them are sounded at the same time. As a result, those who are curious about what they sound like might want to check this video, seeing as how there are a lot of experts who have been working on recreating death whistles as well as their sound.
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