Ullamaliztli: The Aztec Ball Game of Life and Death

In this episode of Tenochtitlan, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most overlooked aspects of Aztec life: the sacred ball game, ullamaliztli. Played on an I-shaped stone court called a tlachtli, the game used a heavy rubber ball (olli) that players could only hit with their hips. It was far more than sport—it was a cosmic reenactment of the sun's journey, a venue for massive gambling, and sometimes a prelude to human sacrifice. Lucas walks Luna through the game's rules, its religious ties to gods like Xochipilli and Tezcatlipoca, and the famous court in central Tenochtitlan that Spanish chroniclers like Bernal Díaz del Castillo described. They also discuss the ball game's role in diplomacy and its outlawing after the Conquest. The conversation weaves in archaeological details from the Templo Mayor precinct and ends with the game's legacy in modern Mexican culture. A must-listen for anyone curious about how the Aztecs blended sport, ritual, and power. #Ullamaliztli #AztecBallGame #Tenochtitlan #Mesoamerica #Aztec #Tlachtli #Xochipilli #Tezcatlipoca #BernalDiaz #HumanSacrifice #RitualSport #AztecReligion #Obsidian #MexicoCity #Conquest #History #FexingoHistory #AztecEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo