The great Mayan civilizations of Central America practiced bloodletting and human sacrifice. This was an important aspect of their religious system. The high priest would make a sacrifice to a facet of god on behalf of the Mayan people. To do this he was required to pierce his foreskin and drip blood onto strips of paper that were burned later in the rite. The smoke from these burning strips was used both as an oracle, and as the vehicle that was to take the prayers and hopes of the people directly to god.