logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
37m 33s

42: Human Sacrifice: Dark Rituals Throug...

Heart Starts Pounding
About this episode
Human sacrifice has been a part of many cultures throughout history. But why did they do it? And more importantly, what was it like for the person being sacrificed? In this episode, we dive into ritual sacrifice in places like the Aztec Empire and Cahokia. Subscribe on Patreon for bonus content and to become a member of our Rogue Detecting Society. Patrons ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
166. Feral Children: The Wolf Girl of Devils River, The Ukrainian Dog Girl, and The Kellogg Experiment
Go to https://kachava.com and use code HSP for 15% off your first order. Feral Children used to be the stuff of legends, but their stories are shocking, devastating, and real. Today, we're diving into multiple stories of feral children: the girl who was raised by her dog when her ... Show More
39m 30s
Feb 26
165. Terrifying True Urban Legends: A Haunted Forest, The Elevator Game, Britain’s Hannibal Lecter
When villagers in a remote Thai forest heard screams echoing from the woods every hour for three straight days, they were convinced the legends of ancient spirits haunting those trees had come to life. In Taiwan, a woman and her young daughter walked into an elevator, rode to the ... Show More
38m 11s
Feb 19
164. Backwoods Horror: The Mysterious Disappearances of Amy Bechtel & Polly Melton
Go to https://kachava.com and use code HSP for 15% off your first order. One summer, a 24-year-old runner parked her car on a remote Wyoming road, left behind a to-do list with one uncrossed item "run" and was never seen again. Across the country, another woman was walking with f ... Show More
42m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2022
Human Sacrifice
Ritualistic human sacrifice was a common practice in early and classical cultures. While we know it was done to earn the blessings of the gods, many scholars and archaeologists point to the underlying ways that human sacrifice served to enforce social control. In this episode, we ... Show More
42m 18s
Sep 2023
Self Sacrifice in Ancient India
<p>Today we’re looking into self sacrifice in ancient India. Why did people do it? How did people think about death and the afterlife? Who were the gods people would sacrifice themselves for? And why would a widow sacrifice herself by sitting on top of her dead husband's funeral ... Show More
34m 45s
Apr 2024
Sex in the Aztec Empire
<p>The Aztec Empire might conjure up images of human sacrifice.</p><br><p>And whilst religious violence was part of their society, theirs was also a very egalitarian society where pleasure was valued and sexuality was an unashamed part of every day life.</p><br><p>How was queerne ... Show More
44m 4s
Aug 2023
Maya Sacrifice & Warfare
<p>With a history stretching back thousands of years, it’s about time that the Ancients started looking at the extraordinary Maya civilisation in Central America. Even with a range of sources that survive, many aspects of these ancient peoples remains debated and shrouded in myst ... Show More
53m 42s
Mar 2024
3. Machu Picchu: Inca Gods and Human Sacrifices
<p>Part 3/4. Juanita the Ice Maiden is one of the most famous mummies in the world. She was found in 1991 by anthropologist Johan Reinhard lying out in the sun on top of a dormant volcano in the Peruvian Andes. Found almost perfectly preserved, she was bludgeoned to death as a hu ... Show More
44m 2s
Apr 2024
History of Sh*t: Aztec Poo Goblins to Viking Turds
<p>Of all the taboo topics covered on Betwixt the Sheets, this one might make you wince the most.</p><br><p>But it cannot be denied that poo and our management of it through history has massively shaped human civilisation.</p><br><p>What are the evolutionary reasons why we're so ... Show More
35m 50s
Apr 2024
Aztec myths
Were the Aztecs really obsessed with death and sacrifice? Did they have a pantheon of deities similar to the ancient Greeks or Romans? And how did a magical gem change the fortune of the Aztec people? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Camilla Townsend delves into their myths, legends a ... Show More
47m 53s
Nov 2018
Introducing Assassinations
People who defied society. Bullets that defiled bodies. Deaths that define history. Assassinations recounts the lead-up, the fall-out, and impact of history’s most dramatic deaths. Within each story, we explore the people who picked the target, pulled the trigger, or poured the p ... Show More
1m 12s
Apr 2024
The Aztecs
Since the arrival of the Aztecs in central Mexico from the early 1300s, history has been fascinated by them. They’re widely reputed to be a savage people who left behind obsidian knives, skull racks, and disturbing remnants of human sacrifice. But in reality, the Aztecs were far ... Show More
57m 38s