Human sacrifice

Long ago, some people did human sacrifice. They did this as a ritual. They wanted to please their gods. Some thought it would bring good luck.

Others did it to help a leader. They believed servants could serve them in the next life. In some places, people did this to help crops grow. This was a very old practice. Today, it is extremely rare. Most people and religions say it is wrong.

Laws now treat it as murder.

Human sacrifice is a ritual act. It involves killing people as part of a ceremony.

People have practiced this since prehistoric times. They did it for many different reasons.

Some people did it to please their gods. They hoped to bring good luck. Others did it to help crops grow. In ancient Japan, legends speak of "human pillars." People were buried near buildings to protect them from harm.

In the Americas, the Aztecs used sacrifice in their rituals. They once killed many prisoners during a large ceremony.

Some cultures used sacrifice to help a leader. They believed servants could serve a king in the next life. This is called "retainer sacrifice."

In ancient Egypt, some servants were buried with kings.

Today, human sacrifice is extremely rare. Most major religions say it is wrong. Modern laws treat it as murder. In the past, many groups replaced it with animal sacrifice.

Human sacrifice is a ritual act where one or more people are killed.

This practice has happened in many different societies since prehistoric times. People often did this to please or appease their gods. It could also be done for a human ruler. Some rituals were meant to meet demands for justice through capital punishment. Other times, it was done for spirits of dead ancestors. This is sometimes called ritual murder.

There were many reasons why people performed these ceremonies. Some believed it would bring good fortune or pacify the gods. For example, it might happen when finishing a temple or a bridge. Fertility was another common theme in ancient religious rituals. The Aztec god Xipe Totec was linked to these themes. In ancient Japan, legends tell of "human pillars."

These were people buried near buildings to protect them from disasters. Some groups also used it to win favor during warfare. In Homeric legend, Agamemnon was to sacrifice Iphigeneia to appease the goddess Artemis.

History shows that these practices changed over a long time. By the Iron Age, sacrifice became less common in Africa, Europe, and Asia. During classical antiquity, many people began to see it as barbaric. In the Americas, some groups continued the practice until European colonization.

The Aztecs held a massive ceremony in 1487. They reported killing between 10,000 and 80,400 prisoners over four days. This was done to re-consecrate the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan. Such large events were part of their religious life.

Some cultures practiced what is called "retainer sacrifice." This happened when a monarch's servants were killed to serve them in the next life.

Early Egyptians may have practiced this during the early dynastic period. At Abydos, servants were buried with kings to accompany them. King Djer had 318 retainer sacrifices buried in his tomb. He also had 269 others in enclosures nearby. This showed the high importance of the pharaoh. Other groups like the Mongols and Scythians also had similar beliefs.

Today, human sacrifice has become extremely rare. Most major religions in the modern world condemn the practice. Modern secular laws treat these acts as murder.

In the past, many societies replaced human sacrifice with other things. They might use animal sacrifice instead. Some used the mock-sacrifice of effigies, which are models of people. This change happened as religious and legal ideas evolved. The practice is now mostly a part of history and ancient stories.

Human sacrifice is the ritual act of killing one or more individuals. This practice is typically performed to satisfy specific religious or social goals. Common motivations include pleasing or appeasing gods and spirits of dead ancestors. It can also serve human rulers or fulfill jurisdictional demands for justice through capital punishment. Some societies practiced retainer sacrifice, where servants were killed to serve a monarch in the afterlife.

In some contexts, the practice is also referred to as ritual murder.

The mechanisms behind these rituals vary depending on the culture's specific beliefs. Many rituals are intended to secure good fortune or pacify divine beings. For instance, sacrifices might occur during the dedication of a new temple or bridge. Fertility is another common theme found in ancient religious contexts. The Aztec god of agriculture, Xipe Totec, was associated with these themes.

In other cases, the practice serves a protective function. In ancient Japan, legends describe "hitobashira," or human pillars. These were people buried near or at the base of constructions to protect buildings from disasters or enemy attacks.

Different types of ritualized killing served distinct social and spiritual purposes. One type is retainer sacrifice, intended to assist a leader in the next world. This was practiced by Mongols, Scythians, and early Egyptians. Another type involves divination, where the future is sought through the victim's body. The historian Strabo noted that Celts would stab a victim with a sword to divine the future from death spasms.

A related but distinct practice is headhunting. This involves taking the head of a killed adversary for ceremonial, magical, or prestige reasons.

Historical records show that human sacrifice has been practiced since prehistoric times. By the Iron Age, the practice became less common across Africa, Europe, and Asia. This shift occurred alongside developments in religion during the Axial Age. During classical antiquity, many societies began to view the practice as barbaric. However, in the Americas, human sacrifice continued among some groups until European colonization.

The Aztecs provide a notable example of large-scale ritual. During the re-consecration of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, they reportedly killed between 10,000 and 80,400 prisoners over four days.

In Ancient Egypt, evidence suggests retainer sacrifice occurred during the early dynastic period. At Abydos, servants were sometimes buried with kings to accompany them into eternal life. Skeletons found at these sites showed no obvious signs of trauma. This has led to speculation that these acts might have been voluntary or drug-induced.

The scale of these burials reflected social hierarchy. For example, King Djer had 318 retainer sacrifices in his tomb and 269 in nearby enclosures. This suggests a much higher level of importance for the pharaoh compared to court officials.

Religious texts often reflect the history and abolition of these practices. The Bible contains several accounts that suggest an awareness of and disdain for human sacrifice. The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 is often viewed by scholars as an etiological myth. This means the story may explain the historical shift from human sacrifice to animal sacrifice.

Other biblical accounts, such as those involving the kings of Judah, describe the practice as an abominable or cruel act. In Carthage, archaeologists have found a child cemetery called a "Tophet." It contained an estimated 20,000 urns, though the exact cause of death for these children remains a subject of controversy.

Today, human sacrifice is extremely rare and widely condemned. Most major modern religions reject the practice entirely. Modern secular laws classify these acts as murder. As societies evolved, many replaced human sacrifice with symbolic alternatives. This includes animal sacrifice or the mock-sacrifice of effigies, such as the Argei in ancient Rome.

These transitions mark a significant change in how human societies handle justice, religion, and the divine.