The Aztec religion incorporated deities from multiple cultures into its pantheon. Ritual sacrifice played an essential role in the religious practice of the Aztecs, and they believed it ensured the sun would rise again and crops would grow. Everyone was affected by human sacrifice, and it should be considered in the context of the religious cosmology of the Aztec people. ... Every level of Aztec society was affected by the belief in the human responsibility to pay homage to the gods, and anyone could serve as a sacrificial offering.
Religion played a large role in the daily life of the Aztec people. ... For example, the Aztec believed that the sun god needed sacrifices of human hearts to ensure that the sun rose each day. Some of the sacrificial victims were enslaved people, but most were prisoners of war.
