Part 9/20:
Their history also reveals a society obsessed with prophecy, which they believed marked the end of their current cosmic cycle. The Aztecs, calling their era the “Fifth Sun,” believed they were living in the final phase before destruction. Their frantic human sacrifices were pleas to the gods to sustain the universe, reflecting a society in fearful anticipation of impending doom. These sacrifices—sometimes involving cannibalism—highlighted their collective anxiety and dependency on appeasing their capricious deities.