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Brenda Ralph Lewis
Ritual Sacrifice
Blood and Redemption
Sutton 2006
Stron 182, format: 17 x24 cm
Książka jest używana: zagięta okładka z tyłu, innych defektów brak
81 ilustracji
THE principle of sacrifice is as old as human life itself. Human, animal or inanimate offerings were an essential part of an effort to handle natural disasters, secure good luck or good health, ensure success in war or commerce, in fact to produce any outcome that could improve life on Earth.
This fascinating book provides the first general, fully illustrated overview of sacrificial practices around the world from prehistoric times to the present day. Human sacrifice is shown to have been common to civilizations as different as Ancient Greece and preHispanic Mexico; animal sacrifice is traced through biblical times to modern-day Voodoo; inanimate offerings, such as flowers, grain or possessions, are seen to be common to many societies and religions from native Americans to Hinduism. The reasons behind these rituals are examined, and in the case of human sacrifice an attempt is made to understand the mentality of the 'victims' who often willingly went to their deaths.
Cover illustrations: Inca Child (Charles & Josette Lenars); the burning of the Wicker Man in the Orkney Islands (Corbis)
Contents
List of Illustrations iv
Introduction vii
One The Nature of Sacrifice: An Overview 1
Two The Birth of Belief: Sacrifice in Prehistory 13
Three The Wrath ofYahweh: The Bible Lands 25
Four In Search of the Sun: Ancient Egypt 37
Five A Classic Approach: Greece and Rome 49
Six Twilight of the Gods: Northern Europe 65
Seven Heart of the Matter: Central and South America 79
Eight A Darker Continent: Africa 99
Nine A Sacred Profusion: The Indian Subcontinent 113
Ten Steppes to Salvation: Central Asia and China 127
Eleven Invite to a Cook-Out: The Pacific Islands 145
Twelve New Age, New Fears: A Modern Perspective 161
Sources 175
Bibliography 177
Index 179
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