The Aztec skull whistle emits a high-pitched, piercing sound. Research indicates that these whistles can have a disturbing influence on the human brain. It is believed that the Aztecs may have intentionally utilized this effect during sacrificial rituals.
Various ancient civilizations incorporated musical instruments into their ritualistic ceremonies. The ancient Aztec society from pre-Columbian Mesoamerica had a complex mythological system that played a significant role in their rituals and sacrifices. These events featured visual and auditory symbols of the Aztec deities associated with the underworld, which could also be represented by the infamous death whistle. The skull-like design might signify Mictlantecuhtli, the Aztec God of the Underworld, while the haunting sound could be associated with preparing sacrificial victims for their mythical journey to Mictlan, the underworld of the Aztecs.
Unique design of Aztec death whistles
To decipher the sound mechanisms responsible for the whistle’s eerie tone, a research team from the University of Zurich, directed by Sascha Frühholz, a Professor of Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, created 3D digital models of original Aztec death whistles housed at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin. These models unveiled a distinctive internal structure featuring two opposing sound chambers that generate turbulence in the air, resulting in the shrill sound. Frühholz remarked, “The construction of these whistles is quite unique, and we are not aware of any similar musical instruments from other pre-Columbian cultures or from different historical periods.”
Chilling effects of death whistles
The research team also acquired audio recordings of authentic Aztec death whistles and their handcrafted replicas. Test subjects found these sounds to be extremely eerie and unsettling. The sounds produced by the Aztec death whistle seemed to replicate certain deterring noises. Notably, listeners perceived the death whistle’s sound as having a familiar, organic quality, akin to a human voice or scream. “This aligns with the tradition of many ancient societies that aimed to mirror natural sounds using musical instruments, which may explain the ritualistic significance of the death whistle in evoking mythological figures,” Frühholz elaborates.
Emotional reactions and symbolic connections
While participants listened to the Aztec death whistle sounds, their brain activity was monitored. Regions of the brain associated with emotional responses showed significant reactions to the sounds, reinforcing their unsettling nature. Additionally, the research team noted activities in areas of the brain that link sounds to symbolic meanings. This indicates a combined or “hybrid” characteristic of these death whistle sounds, merging basic emotional responses with more complex cognitive processes related to sound symbolism, thereby illustrating its iconic significance.
Bridging modern and ancient audiences
Music has always evoked deep emotional responses among listeners, both in present and past cultures, making it a vital component of religious and mythological ceremonies. Aztec societies may have specifically harnessed the frightening and symbolic qualities of the death whistle sound to sway audiences during their rituals, drawing on an understanding of how such sounds affect even present-day humans. “Regrettably, we were unable to conduct our psychological and neuroscientific studies with individuals from ancient Aztec cultures. However, the fundamental ways humans react emotionally to frightening sounds are universally applicable across different historical contexts,” states Frühholz.
