Miniature macuahuitl that I made for a school project.

    by Mocha_Mender

    16 Comments

    1. A **macuahuitl** is a [Mesoamerican](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica) weapon consisting of a wooden [sword](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_(weapon)) with several embedded [obsidian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian) blades. The name is derived from the [Nahuatl language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahuatl_language) and means “hand-wood”.[^([2])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl#cite_note-auto-2) Its sides are embedded with [prismatic blades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prismatic_blade) traditionally [made from obsidian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian_use_in_Mesoamerica), which is capable of producing an edge sharper than high quality steel razor blades. [^(])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl#cite_note-3) By the time of the [Spanish conquest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_colonization_of_the_Americas), the macuahuitl was widely distributed in [Mesoamerica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica). The weapon was used by different civilizations, including the [Aztec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec) (Mexicas), [Olmec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec), [Maya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization), [Mixtec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixtec), [Toltec](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toltec), and [Tarascans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pur%C3%A9pecha_Empire).

      as a result of their scarcity, most of what is known about the macahuitl comes from contemporaneous accounts and illustrations that date to the 16th century and earlier.[^([4])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macuahuitl#cite_note-Hass85-4)

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    2. boring-old-fart on

      Besides being very sharp, another frightening aspect is that the brittle nature of obsidian meant that when the weapon struck, the shards could break, leaving smaller pieces embedded in the flesh. This not only caused immediate, severe damage but also made the wound difficult to treat or heal.

    3. Very cool, be sure to wear the rest of the blood moon armor set when you make your second one

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