Throughout history, numerous civilizations have emerged, each leaving a distinct mark. Some cloak their achievements in enigma, while others lay them bare—take, for instance, the notorious Aztec death whistle. The Aztec civilization, a powerhouse of the 13th century, showcased its prowess through impressive city-building, intricate social structures, and vibrant cultural practices.

They honored powerful deities like Camazotz and engaged in intense rituals, including human sacrifice. The Aztecs built temples and monumental structures that stand as some of the most remarkable in the ancient world, competing with Roman achievements in both scale and creativity. Yet, one of their most haunting artifacts—the death whistle—grabbed global attention in 2020 when a guest sounded it on the Joe Rogan Experience, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and amplifying its eerie reputation in the modern imagination.

Rogan vows no repeat of the 2020 viral whistle moment

On January 9, 2020, during an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience featuring Bryan Callen, Eddie Bravo, and former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, Callen playfully blew into an Aztec death whistle. Historically, warriors used these whistles, and the Aztecs believed their piercing sound could summon spirits or gain favor from their gods. Some scholars interpret the whistle as a call to underworld deities—or even “demon-like” forces—intended to instill fear and assert spiritual dominance in battle.

Coincidentally, that same day marked the first reported COVID-19 death in China, sparking a wave of social media chatter linking the whistle moment to the emerging pandemic. Five years later, Rogan revisited the incident on Episode #2369 of the Joe Rogan Experience with Ed Calderon. This time, he refused to blow the whistle, reflecting on the episode with cautious humor. “I don’t know if it’s true or not true, but it’s an odd coincidence… Listen, man, people have been blowing these whistles all over the world,” he said.

Rogan also acknowledged the instrument’s growing popularity online, noting, “Yeah, there’s a bunch of those whistles out there. There’s no way… The only thing is, I don’t think anybody ever blew one on a podcast that was seen by millions of people.” He emphasized that while the death whistle has become a viral phenomenon, any connection to COVID-19 was purely coincidental.

Furthermore, scholars and enthusiasts continue to debate whether the Aztec whistle truly symbolized misfortune or, alternatively, functioned as a psychological warfare tool, deliberately designed to emulate human screams and intimidate opponents.

Joe Rogan discusses the fall of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations

Beyond the Aztec and Mesopotamian civilizations, numerous other great societies once flourished, including the Indus Valley civilization, the Nabateans, and the Egyptians. While some of these cultures are well-documented, others retain an air of mystery. The gradual disappearance of the Mayan civilization, despite its sophisticated understanding of astronomy and writing, remains a historical enigma—paralleling the sudden collapse of the Aztec civilization.

UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan offered his perspective on this historical tragedy. Speaking on Episode #2253 with guest Wesley Huff, Rogan argued that European colonizers played a central role by introducing devastating diseases. He cited historical accounts from priests who visited Aztec markets before the epidemics decimated the population.

The podcaster remarked, “When you think about how many people existed back then, and then Europeans came and everybody dies. Everybody dies of disease. And it’s like how many people died, like millions, millions of people died here, millions of people died there…. Like holy sh*t, and you go through… Like the accounts these priests had of visiting these Aztec markets and how incredible they were—these people from Rome who’d come to visit the Mayans…. And then [diseases came in and] gone, everybody’s dead.”

While Rogan underscores the catastrophic impact of European contact, historians and scholars point to a broader set of pressures that contributed to the collapse of these civilizations. Factors such as prolonged droughts, overpopulation, and internal conflicts compounded the devastation, ultimately accelerating the decline of societies that had once thrived with remarkable sophistication.