Charming.

G-d doesn't 'hate'. That is a human emotion and it is idolatrous to assign such things to the Holy One.

The arrests were justified.

The impressive golden funerary headgear depicted in the photographs expresses the power of a supreme ruler and his symbolic relationship with the sun.

Ultimately, this gold and silver work demonstrates the growing hierarchical structure of Peruvian societies in the pre-Columbian period.

The development of gold working coincided with the rise of the Moche lords. In the Moche culture the "Lords" acting as high-ranking political and religious leaders who ruled over cities like Moche and Sipán, overseeing the construction of impressive pyramids and temples, farming and trade systems.

Gold was associated with the sun and the divine, often crafted into intricate jewelry, masks, and sacred objects for rulers and gods.

Silver, often linked to the moon, was similarly used for ceremonial items and ornaments.

The loser of this battle would have his hands tied behind his back, disrobed, and perhaps his hair was cut. Their bodies were painted with symbols. Their throats were slit inside temples and their blood collected in sacred bowls

The sacrificial ceremony involved offering the life, heart and blood of the victim to calm the fury of the gods, spirits, and/or cosmic forces. It began with a ritual battle.
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In Moche art depicted here, Ai Apaec is shown in pottery and metalwork, where his image is sometimes linked to themes of transformation or duality, with representations of both human and animal forms.

He is commonly associated with warfare, creation, and fertility, and sometimes described as a decapitator or a god of sacrifice. Ai Apaec was typically represented with fierce features, including a fanged mouth, large eyes, and sometimes a headdress made of feathers.

When one of the combatants knocked the opposition's helmet off and grabbed his hair, the battle would be over and the loser would become a prisoner and often sacrificed .

Archeological finds, such as the armour shown here, match artistic depictions of this combat.

Photos are mine.
#AncientBluesky

These were represented in human form, in animal form (such as jaguars and snakes) or as hybrids.

Photos are my own.

#AncientBluesky

The ceramic vessels photographed here, express three basic notions of Andean thought: the existence of opposite and complementary forces, constant regeneration, and the existence of the upper world and underworld and their constant interaction.

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