Why did the Aztecs sacrifice prisoners of war to the god Huitzilopochtli?

Question

to keep volcanoes from erupting

to keep volcanoes from erupting

to keep neighboring people from invading

to keep neighboring people from invading

to keep slaves from revolting

to keep slaves from revolting

to keep the god from growing weak

Answer 1

The primary reason the Aztecs sacrificed prisoners of war to the god Huitzilopochtli was to keep the god from growing weak. Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of war and the sun, and the Aztecs believed that human sacrifices were necessary to nourish him and ensure the continued passage of the sun across the sky. This belief was tied to their cosmology and the need to maintain balance in the universe. In their view, without regular sacrifices, the sun might fail to rise, which could lead to chaos and destruction.