Aztec Death Whistles: Why Are They So Scary and How Were They Used?

In 1999, a clay Aztec death whistle was discovered in a grave in the Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl Temple in the Tlatelolco archaeological site in Mexico City. A skeleton missing its head had the original whistle in its hand, and subsequently, many death whistles were found at this site. What are Aztec death whistles? Why are they so scary, and how were they used?

Who Were the Aztecs?

The Aztecs, also called the Mexica or Tenochca, were the indigenous people in power in Mesoamerica when the Spanish showed up in the 1500s CE. Their capital city was Tenochtitlan, which they founded in 1325 CE. Today, the area occupied by this huge pre-Columbian settlement is now Mexico City.

The Aztecs had a deep imperialistic culture that ruled over an array of city-states. Their empire was united under the Nahuatl language, and they had a complicated system of agriculture. Huge trade networks and complex architecture supported their civilization, which forcefully dominated the region.

Perhaps their most famous legacies are their artistry, religion, and brutal military ideals. Human sacrifice was a major part of their worship of various deities representing different animals, aspects of nature, or important human behaviors like war.

The Spanish conquered the Aztecs in the 1520s CE using superior weapons while benefitting from the susceptibility of the indigenous population to European diseases. Once the Aztecs fell, Tenochtitlan was demolished, and Mexico City was built.

What Is an Aztec Death Whistle?

An Aztec death whistle is a skull-shaped whistle that produces a human-like screaming sound when used. They may be associated with the god Ehecatl since they were found in a temple complex dedicated to him. Ehecatl is a god associated with air and wind.

The in situ placement of the whistles also hints at an association with the god of death called Mictlantecutli, and the skull iconography of the whistles themselves helps to reaffirm this. At the Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl Temple, where this whistle was found, human sacrifices took place.

Today, many replicas of some of the original death whistles exist. Some are made by hand, and some have been replicated using 3D printing. In Mexico City, they’re frequently sold as souvenirs to tourists.

How an Aztec Death Whistle Sounds

Aztec death whistles sound like the screams of terrified people in major distress. They are shaped like the larynx of a human to emulate human screams. Some think they may have been molded using clay that was applied to dead bodies to replicate human anatomy.

As a stream of air is blown into one hole of the whistle, the stream is then divided in two. This creates sound wave oscillation, and these sound waves rotate around a chamber before leaving a second hole. Depending on how Aztec death whistles are handled and played, they can produce many different kinds of sounds.

Some whistle models also have a ball bouncing around the oscillation chamber, adding another depth to the emitted sound. The size and shape of the whistles also affect the quality of the sound.

In 2005, five Aztec whistles shaped like skulls held at the Ethnological Museum Berlin were scanned and studied. These whistles were described as raspy or howling with sounds reminiscent of wind. Interpreting these specific whistles as a deathly wind makes sense since Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, the god associated with the temple where these whistles were found, is a wind deity.

Why Are Aztec Death Whistles So Scary?

Aztec death whistles are so scary because they seem to have been specifically crafted to induce fear through sound. The noise that the whistles make sounds exactly like a tortured human facing death or someone who is overcome with fear. This sound causes a negative visceral reaction when you hear it.

Despite their harrowing sound, the way that the Aztecs created these whistles and interpreted the sounds may not come with the horror that we associate with the death whistles today. When European colonizers ran into Aztec music centuries ago, they described many instruments and tunes as sad, gloomy, shrill, and horrifying.

However, music to the Aztecs was a form of communication with either the spiritual or with their leaders. Music often wasn’t intended to be a melodic tune nor was it purposefully designed to cause extreme emotion. The truth is no one is certain why these whistles were made, how they were played, or what they originally were intended to sound like.

How Were Aztec Death Whistles Used?

No one is sure exactly how Aztec death whistles were used. It may have been used during sacrifices as an aid for people’s souls on the way to the afterlife. This is the prevailing theory as they were found near the site where many ritual sacrifices took place.

They may also have been used in battle. When securing outsiders for sacrifice to the gods, the whistle may have been used to intimidate the intended prisoners. The idea may have been to reduce morale as a way to make people easier to capture.

It was common for crowds of non-Aztec women to scream in terror and sadness when fetching the bodies of the sacrificed. These whistles may have been created to emulate these conclusive moments as a way to horrify those who were about to become prisoners.

Aztec death whistles may also have been made as burial objects. Some scientists draw this conclusion because some of the whistles that have been studied closely are not as terrifying as the more famous whistles found in popularized recordings. Because of this, it has been suggested that they had a more ritualistic use.

After the original whistle’s discovery in 1999, it took scientists fifteen years to realize it was a whistle that sounded like a screaming person. Before then, it had been assumed that it was a toy of some kind.  

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Robert Och/iStock via Getty Images