A blood ritual is a ritual involving a deliberate blood discharge.
The general blood ritual is a blood brother ritual, which began in ancient Europe and Asia. Two or more people, usually men, mingle with their blood in some way. This symbolically brings the participants together into one family. This can be an unsafe practice in which pathogens are carried blood-related; the use of safe and sterilized equipment such as lancet can reduce this problem.
Body piercing can also be part of a blood ritual. Although piercings do not always cause bleeding, it certainly can. Piercing has been practiced in a number of indigenous cultures around the world, usually as a symbolic transitional rite, symbolic death and rebirth, initiation, or for magical protection reasons.
Blood rituals often involve symbolic death and rebirth, because physical birth literally involves bleeding. Blood is usually considered very strong, and sometimes it is not clean. Blood sacrifice is sometimes considered by practitioners of prayer, magic rituals, and casting spells to intensify the power of the activity. Native American Sun Dance is usually accompanied by blood sacrifice.
Some blood rituals involve two or more parties cut themselves or each other followed by blood consumption. Participants may consider the release or consumption of blood as a beneficial energy producer as a sexual, healing, or mental stimulus. In other cases, the blood is the main component as a sacrifice, or component of the material for the mantra. Blood rituals are practiced by different groups of people, including those with religious or political affiliation. Some blood-related rituals have been practiced for centuries, and are still practiced in the 21st century (Baker 1, Copeman 2, Malik 2). Shia Muslims practiced a ritual called Matam in 2002 in England (Malik 2). However, the Aztecs participated in blood rituals about 500 years ago (Pendragon 1). Blood in rituals has a symbolic meaning, depending on the group and the ritual performed.
== Around 1376 to 1521 AD, Aztecs use blood and often sacrifice as an offering to the Sun God (Pendragon 2). The Aztecs see death as part of life, just like birth (Pendragron 2). They believe the gods sacrificed their own blood to create the universe, so in turn the Aztecs offered blood to the Gods as a kind of mutual exchange and reward for their creations (Pendragon 2). In addition, the ritual blood supply is believed to retain abundant lush plants and aid in the continuation of the Aztec world. Author Jasmyne Pendragon, who has a degree in archeology, states in his article The Purpose of the Aztec Blood Ritual Part 1, that "The Aztec lifestyle is governed by the need to provide sacrifices of fresh blood to the sun-gods in need of hearts, men to give life to the world and help the souls of warriors who die to the Aztec version of the heavens 2. Rituals maintain the relationship between the Aztecs and their gods (Pendragon 2.) The Aztecs believe that the gods will provide abundant plants and live a long healthy life as long as the blood is given ritually (Pendragon 2.) If blood is not sacrificed to the gods, people believe that they will be punished and bear excessive pain "harder than man can do" (Pendragon 3).
Video Blood ritual
India
Some Indians practice voluntary political rituals in which people donate blood as a way of remembering deceased politicians (Copeman 126). Blood donors are literally donations to people who need transfusions (Copeman 132). Participants donate in donation camps during birthdays or anniversaries of politician deaths (129). Jacob Copeman, a professor of social anthropology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, stated in his article "Blood Will Have Blood: A Study in Indian Political Rituals," that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi are two politicians who especially "remember" during blood donors ( 131). Both of these politicians were murdered and considered dying for India, or important people who "... shed their blood for the nation" (Copeman 131). According to Copeman, in a speech made by Indira Gandhi in 1984, he "... strikingly linked his blood with the health of his people, his blood will continue to nurture the nation even after his death..." (132). The reason behind the donation is to survive or to give people who receive more blood for life (Copeman 130). The reason why politicians are involved in this is because donors make contact with the dead, symbolizing the blood donated to the blood of respected politicians (Copeman 131). This is important because even though these people die, they still help to sustain life, by the Indians who donate blood for their honor (Copeman 135). In a sense, donors are in touch with politicians, continuing good for the nation and continuing life through death (Copeman 136).
"The Blood Ritual" is also a ritual created by L. Ron Hubbard who summoned Dewi Hathor from Egypt.
Maps Blood ritual
Jobs Cited
Baker, Aryn. "Confirms Beliefs with Blood." Time. Time Inc. January 2007. Web. November 7, 2011.
Copeman, Jacob. "Blood will have Blood: A Study in Indian Political Rituals." Social Analysis 48 (2004): 126-48. EBSCO HOST. Web. November 7, 2011.
Malik, Shiv. "The Wounds on The Young's Back." New Statesman 134.4743 (2005): 22-24. Full Academic Search. Web. 22 November 2011.
Pendragon, Jasmyne. "Aztec Blood Ritual Purpose Part 1." Archnews.co.uk. Heritage Daily, 2010. Web. November 7, 2011.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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