Part 13/20:
This society, with its rigid stratification and relentless militarism, exemplifies an oriental collectivist worldview—worshipping chaos and predation rather than conquering or rationalizing it. Their culture’s aesthetic was brutal: deformed skulls, elongated heads, and blood symbolism colored their art and rituals. They believed their gods, like Tezcatlipoca and Huitzilopochtli, demanded sacrifices of millions—often their own people—to stave off divine wrath.