Humans have been around for a while now, and there are many historical artifacts that we have yet to understand completely. One of them is the “death whistle.” We assure you the sound created is just as ominous and chilling as the name suggests. Moreover, you are not supposed to be accustomed to the haunting sound in today’s world unless you are a specialist in the subject. So, imagine the fear when you encounter it in the dark while you are on a leisurely walk with your dog.
Loads of us have a fear of the darkness. This experience is probably not going to do that fear any good, so be warned! Recently, a viral clip from the camera of a doorbell captured a person and their dog beating a hasty retreat after an extremely chilling sound came floating through the air. The clip was originally posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). The clip is short and direct. It shows a person standing calmly in their backyard. They were holding on to their dog’s leash. At that moment, out of nowhere, a wailing shriek shatters the silence. The shriek is the stuff of nightmares! Take a look at the clip:
The Historic Death Whistle
The person in the video did not spend any time pondering what the shriek could be. They promptly retreated into their home. But what was the cause of that sound? The original poster believed that was the Aztec “death whistle.” It was probably a recreated one, based on designs already unearthed. As per the Daily Mail, archaeologists first unearthed this peculiar instrument among a skeleton’s arms in 1999 during an Aztec temple excavation. The skeleton had two skull-shaped instruments firmly grasped. Experts believe it was a reference to the Aztec god of the Underworld, Mictlantecuhtli.
It has since percolated modern imagination. According to James J. Orgil, the instrument was originally dismissed as a toy. However, it was only in 2014, that a researcher decided to blow in the top hole. The resulting sound is this kind of horrifying death shriek. Orgil had also shown how to reprint a modern replica using a 3D printer. Since then, there has been a myth that the shriek was used as a means to strike fear into the Aztec’s enemies. However, that is completely unfounded and their purpose remains unclear.
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Later on, Arnd Adje Both, a music archaeologist, took a closer look at the “death whistle”. He used CT scans to create a replica that is as identical as possible to the unearthed specimen. However, the resulting sound was nowhere near as loud as those produced by larger replicas created via 3D printing. Both theorized that the instrument, described as an “air spring” instrument, was possibly a symbolical guide for the spirit of the deceased. In Aztec culture, the god of the underworld and the god of the wind were often connected. This is also the more plausible reason why historians refer to it as the “whistle of death”.
Was It Really A Modern Replica In This Clip?
As for striking fear into the enemy of the Aztecs, there are accounts from Spanish explorers to the area that it was not the case. Tomas de Torquemada, a friar from Spain, described that he had seen two instruments being played before any kind of conflict. One was a drum, carried by an Aztec general on their shoulder that would be sounded before a battle begins. The other one was huge shell trumpets that others would blow during the battle.
However, that does not disprove the original theory. However, Both does point out that there is yet to be an Aztec warrior remains excavated that had this “death whistle” anywhere on their body. So it is safe to say that it had a ritualistic purpose, for now. However, that does not mean people today don’t use it to scare people. Comments on the post even admitted to it: “I have one, they’re awesome. I have scared a few people at the park late at night lmao.” You can even get one on Amazon.
To be honest, if that is the sound, people should definitely be more considerate about when to use it. Regardless, for this particular clip, comments were leaning towards the sound originating from a wild animal, like a fox or a mountain lion. What do you think it was?