The murials at Bonampak depict human sacrifice and rituals that reach deep into understanding the ancient Maya.  For the contemporary Maya, sacrifice is a two-way process of exchange between people and gods, involving the consumption or absorption of soul and flesh by both humans and supernatural entities.  The soul is something called ch'ulel.  There is a connection made between blood and the ch'ulel.  Ch'ulel appears as droplets of blood falling from the hands of sacrificial victims in the Bonampak murials.  Since blood is seen in contemporary people as a primary conduit of the ch'ulel, it is reasonable to see the sacrifices depicted the Bonampak murials as scenes of priests and warriors capturing the souls of their victims.  In a sense, this is a communion with the supernaturals and the nurturing of the gods with ch'ulel.  Whereas, modern Mayan sacrifice chickens, the ancient Maya sacrificed humans in the ultimate giving to the gods and it was a sacrifice for the people as a whole.  It was ritual performed by the kings and warriors intended for the benefit of the community.