7. Sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli were by specific ritual performed by a priest
The principal place of worship in Tenochtitlan was the Templo Mayor, which consisted of a pair of pyramids, one for the god Huitzilopochtli and the other for the primary god of rain, Tlaloc. The former represented the sun when it was at its greatest height, and was associated with south, military affairs, and the sun. Sacrifices to him were conducted by a priest at the top of the pyramid for which he was associated, using a sacrificial stone on which the victim was placed and a knife of sharpened obsidian. The heart was cut out of the living victim and the body then pushed down the side of the pyramid to rest at a stone representing Coyolxauhqui, the sister of Huitzilopochtli, who had been dismembered at the base of a mountain in Aztec belief. Accordingly, the body of the sacrificial victim was dismembered at the stone.
The remains could be given to the Aztec warrior who had captured the victim for disposal or for cannibalism, or the warrior could give them to important tribal leaders or priests as tribute. Those signs of respect often led to promotion or at the least an increase in standing for the warrior awarding the gift. During festivals of the Aztec calendar, the victims were adorned on a manner to appear as Huitzilopochtli, wearing a costume resembling that believed to have been worn by the god, and carrying an effigy of the fire-breathing snake which the god carried in Aztec lore, used to burn down towns and buildings during the extended period of creation. Often the blood of the sacrificial victims would be retained by the priests, used to mix with maize to create a dough which would be shaped as an effigy of the god, baked, and eaten by the celebrants at the festival.