Why did they wear a tiger costume into battle?

Just another reason why Mesoamericans were primitive Chinese. The Aztecs were the Shang with the human sacrifice, and the Purepecha as the Zhou, planting the seeds of centralization of the region.

>>17779620 (OP)
Cause wearing the skin of apex predators into battle looks badass

>>17779620 (OP)
To strike fear in the hearts of their enemies

>>17780218
>>17780204
Is that why he has flowers on his shield, and a little blue fanny pack?

>>17779620 (OP)
Why wouldn't they?! Its tight. I'm suitably impressed (no pun intended)

>>17780192
Then what were the inca professor

>>17780295
Tibetan Empire mixed with a bit of China. Semi-Theocratic empire with Son of the Sun similar to the Son of Heaven

>>17780284
That's meant to be a tiger or a demon on his shield
>>17779620 (OP)
Because it's kawaiiiii

>>17779620 (OP)
Are there surviving examples of those tiger costumes? Were they padded or had armour underneath?

>>17779620 (OP)
>>17780192
>>17780295
>>17780318
The Inca aren't Mesoamerican, and the Chinese wish their tigersuits had the drip that Tlahuiztli did

remember that the "jaguar spot" pattern wasn't fur, it was feather mosaic, see pic

>>17780719
> Inca aren't Mesoamerican
Who said it was?

>>17779620 (OP)
Didn't Celts like wearing bright as fuck colors

>>17779620 (OP)
Because its fucking badass. what do you mean why? people along time ago always seemed to associate themselves with certain animals, finding certain traits in the animals and wnating to embody them for those traits

>>17780192
Literally every single Mesoamerican culture of note practiced human sacrifice, especially the Purepecha, who arguably did it about as often as the Aztecs.

>>17781313
I had to justify my shitty theory by drawing parallels. The Zhou also practiced human sacrifice. Just needed a baddie to tie this thing altogether.

>>17781313
>who arguably did it about as often as the Aztecs.

I kinda doubt this, unless you're excluding the Mexica. What are you basing it on?

Same reason Europeans wore bright colors until camouflage became a necessity. So it is easy to distinguish friend from foe and to demonstrate to the enemy you're the real thing and not going to flee first.

Remember each soldier has their own lives, perhaps a wife, kids and aged mother depending on their income, even if they're not a coward they will be considering fleeing, or they may well be purely self-interested or terrified. They show up on the field of battle hoping that things go their way, that they can scare the enemy off with a show of force and get paid well without a bullet or bayonet in their stomach.

However if they are suddenly faced with professional soldiers rather than a rag tag band of levies like themselves, it changes the game. And these people are usually illiterate commoners or just ill informed, they need to see it, they need a visual display. Seeing columns of disciplined soldiers in the same uniform, or these men in wild colorful tiger outfits who seem absolutely insane, insane enough to risk their lives just to get to you, it has an actual effect on their minds.

To modern eyes it seems silly, but imagine if you are armed only with a revolver and a bunch of MS-13 thugs come covered in tattoos, you know you're fucked. MS-13 look equally stupid, but stupid crazy people can still be dangerous.