Note 105 — Chapter XIX · Mounds and Earthworks in North and Central America.—Migrations of the Toltecs and Aztecs.—The Quichés.—Aboriginal races.—Palenque.—Hieroglyphs.—Temples.—Desertion of the Temples and stone buildings in Yucatan.—Conquest of Yucatan by the Aztecs.—Antiquity of Palenque and Uxmal.—Aztec custom of imprisoning captives in cages and sacrificing them to the gods.—Civilisation of the Toltecs.—Note upon the symbol or Totem of the Serpent.

The custom of confining captives or slaves in wooden cages for the purpose of being prepared for sacrifice, was supposed to have been established by the Aztecs about a century after they had settled in Mexico.

There is reason to believe that in consequence of their being surrounded by enemies and engaged in constant wars, they considered it necessary to propitiate the war god in the most terrific manner. Thus when the great Teocalli, erected for the worship of Huitzil-pochli, was completed, many thousands of victims were sacrificed as propitiatory offerings. When colonies of the Aztec race were advancing in the direction of Tabasco and Yucatan, similar sacrificial ceremonies were performed.

Bernal Diaz saw, in one of the Indian towns that had been captured by the Spaniards, three large cages full of prisoners who were waiting to be sacrificed. They were fastened by collars to prevent their escape. They were taken out of the cages and sent back to their own tribes. He elsewhere observes that the Indians devoured human flesh after the victims had been sacrificed, in the same way as the Spaniards devoured oxen. It is evident that great numbers of the aboriginal natives must have been kept in slavery and, in time of war, were killed and eaten by the Aztecs.