Animal sacrifice

As an animal sacrifice is referred to the killing of an animal for ritual or religious reasons. Animal sacrifices were performed in many cultures and religions for various reasons around the world. Sometimes the customs of ancient hunting rituals and ritual slaughter emerged, in other cases they replaced time previously practiced human sacrifice.

Sacrificial animals are dedicated to a deity or a force of nature and this passed symbolic. In some cultures, the carcasses of sacrificial animals were left and disdains to weathering. In other cultures, the sacrificial animals were afterwards consumed. Of particular importance was the highly ritualized sacrifice to in cultures mummified animals after sacrifice and durable made ​​.

Animal sacrifices in the history

Animal sacrifices were already practiced in prehistory. It is mentioned in Homer. In Greek and Roman sculpture, there are many pictures on which sacrifice scenes of animals can be seen. For example, the Bukranion or Aigikranion is one such plastic. Particularly common is the sacrifice of the bull, who enjoyed cult worship, but also of sheep or ram or goat. The sacrifice of an animal to God or the gods is part of a religious act.

Entrails of sacrificed animals are also used for Hieroskopie (also Hieromantie ) used a method of divination from offerings.

A special form of animal sacrifice is stored in the underground of a building to be constructed foundation sacrifices, should be kept away from the future residents with misfortune.

Animal sacrifices today

Many cultures practice even today animal sacrifices or received traditions with sacrificial character. However, no world religion sacrificed animals still in the original sense, in which the animal is completely dedicated to the deity and otherwise has no meaning.

In Buddhism, animal sacrifices are generally rejected and are replaced by symbolic acts. Likewise, in Hinduism, the exceptions knows how about goat sacrifice in the Kali temple in Kolkata as well as in Nepal buffalo sacrifice for the feast of the goddess Durga.

Animal sacrifices are mostly rejected in Christianity today, only in the Armenian Church has with the Matagh (originally passover ) get a early Christian custom of sacrifice. The Eucharist can be interpreted as a historical vestige of a sacrifice, but is not canonical since the late antiquity in this function.

The Jews sacrificed animals do not, but provides for the slaughter on religious rules, without which the meat loses symbolic value. In this tradition, the sacrificial character of the slaughter is included only rudimentary. The Old Testament Abraham sacrifices a ram instead of Isaac demanded by God, which can be interpreted as a contemporary description of the transition from human to animal sacrifice today.

See also: sacrificial animals in the Bible

In Islam, slaughtering of sheep, goats, cattle or camels to be practiced today on ritual occasions - on a large scale in the festival of sacrifice Id ul- Adha, the meat is often afterwards supplied to the trade or free distribution to the needy. This slaughter is justified from the history of religion, or with local traditions and ever conducted according to denomination in very different forms.