Blood sacrifice is a custom in some cultures of the known world in which living creatures, sometimes including humans, are ritually killed to appease gods.
Rituals
Braavos
The Faceless Men of Braavos consider themselves to be instruments of the Many-Faced God[1] when they assassinate targets, believing they are giving a gift to those marked by their god.[2]
Priests of Aquan the Red Bull in Braavos sacrifice a pure white calf every thirteenth day and offer bowls of blood to beggars.[3]
Ghiscari
Pit fighters killed in fighting pits are considered blood sacrifices to the gods of Ghis by the Ghiscari.[4]
Iron Islands
As part of the Old Way, followers of the Drowned God can drown adversaries as sacrifices to their god.[5][6]
Old gods
Blood sacrifice was performed in the past by followers of the old gods,[7][8] with entrails hung from the branches of weirwoods.[8] The Skagosi are rumored to still sacrifice humans to their weirwoods.[9]
Pentos
The Prince of Pentos, chosen from the forty families of Pentos,[10] can have his throat slit as a sacrifice to the city's gods[11] during a famine or after a lost war.[10]
Qohor
Daily blood sacrifice is made to the Black Goat of Qohor. Usually this is through animal sacrifice, but condemned criminals are instead used on holy days. High nobles of the city might sacrifice their own children in times of peril.[12]
R'hllor
Some red priests burn humans as sacrifices to R'hllor, the Lord of Light.[13]
Sothoryos
The Sothoryi are said to be cannibals or ghouls who worship dark gods with obscene rites.[14]
Thousand Islands
The people of the Thousand Islands allegedly sacrifice sailors to their squamous, fishheaded gods.[15]
History
Some of the oldest tales of Garth Greenhand claim he demanded blood sacrifice from his worshippers to ensure a bountiful harvest.[16]
In legends about the hammer of the waters, hundreds of greenseers from the children of the forest are said to have fed a thousand captive men to the weirwood. Alternatively, the greenseers are said to have used the blood of their own young.[17]
Because the Night's King sacrificed to the Others, all records of him were destroyed after his fall.[18]
King Qhored I Hoare had King Bernarr II Justman drowned as a sacrifice to the Drowned God.[19] Aubrey Crakehall was sacrificed to the sea by the Shrike.[20]
When Ice Eyes recovered the Wolf's Den from slavers, slaves freed from the dungeon are said to have hung the slavers' entrails in the limbs of a weirwood as an offering to the old gods.[8]
The Patrimony of Hyrkoon sacrificed tens of thousands of Jogos Nhai to their dark and hungry gods.[21]
Maester Pol wrote that he was exiled from Qohor after discovering that blood sacrifice was used by the city's smiths to work Valyrian steel, with slaves even young as infants being slain.[12]
Before battle, Racallio Ryndoon would throw the bones to determine which god he should honor with a sacrifice.[22]
During the Lysene Spring, there were rumors in King's Landing that blood sacrifices were being made in Maegor's Holdfast.[23]
Legends from Pentos claim that Hukko slew seven swan maidens as sacrifices to his gods.[24] After the execution of the Prince of Pentos, the Tattered Prince fled after being chosen as the new prince by magisters of the city.[25]
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
Aeron Greyjoy drowns Benfred Tallhart in seawater during the harrying of the Stony Shore,[5] and Theon Greyjoy has Septon Chayle thrown into a well to drown after the capture of Winterfell.[6]
A Storm of Swords
Lord Guncer Sunglass and the surviving sons of Ser Hubard Rambton, all imprisoned by Stannis Baratheon for treason, are burned by Melisandre at Dragonstone.[13] The red priestess desires to sacrifice Edric Storm, believing that doing so will awaken a stone dragon.[26]
A Feast for Crows
Lord Alester Florent has been burned as a sacrifice to R'hllor as a traitor by Melisandre.[27]
It is rumored that Euron Greyjoy appeases the Storm God with blood sacrifice.[28]
A Dance with Dragons
Suffering from a blizzard during Stannis's march on Winterfell, some of the queen's men desire to make a sacrifice to R'hllor to end the storm.[29] Four Peasebury soldiers are burned by queen's men at a crofters' village after being accused of cannibalism.[30]
After the Iron Fleet captures Ghiscari Dawn, Victarion Greyjoy has its captain bound and thrown overboard as a sacrifice to the Drowned God.[31]
Quotes
Davos: I want no part of you, my lady. Or your god. May the Seven protect me.
Melisandre: They did not protect Guncer Sunglass. He prayed thrice each day, and bore seven seven-pointed stars upon his shield, but when R'hllor reached out his hand his prayers turned to screams, and he burned. Why cling to these false gods?[32]—Davos Seaworth and Melisandre
The Lord of Light cherishes the innocent. There is no sacrifice more precious.[26]
I have heard your arguments so often I could plead your case myself. Shall I? The fighting pits have been a part of Meereen since the city was founded. The combats are profoundly religious in nature, a blood sacrifice to the gods of Ghis. The mortal art of Ghis is not mere butchery but a display of courage, skill, and strength most pleasing to your gods. Victorious fighters are pampered and acclaimed, and the slain are honored and remembered.[4]
Davos: What gods do you keep?
Bartimus: The old ones. Me and mine were here before the Manderlys. Like as not, my own forebears strung those entrails through the tree.[8]—Davos Seaworth and Bartimus
References
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 45, The Blind Girl.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 64, The Ugly Little Girl.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 2, Daenerys I.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 37, Theon III.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 50, Theon IV.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Dawn Age.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 29, Davos IV.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Stoneborn of Skagos.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 1, Tyrion I.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Qohor.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 10, Davos II.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: Sothoryos.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: East of Ib.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Garth Greenhand.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: The Breaking.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 56, Bran IV.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Black Blood.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Bones and Beyond: The Plains of the Jogos Nhai.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 25, The Windblown.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 29, Arya V.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 42, The King's Prize.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 62, The Sacrifice.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 63, Victarion I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III.