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Traditional war rituals and giving booty to god
RSRonnie Sim · Jun 25, 2019, 3:41 PM · Last modified: Sep 28, 2026, 11:38 AM
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Warriors in traditional societies often completed various war rituals before and after battle. Perhaps warriors had to purify themselves before or after. Perhaps there were rites for presenting god with booty gained in successful battles. If you know of such a concept and what gains from battle were given to god, and how they were given, for thanksgiving or other reason, I would be pleased to correspond with you to learn more. Are there cases in which defeated people warriors, or ordinary people in a community -- were part of a ritual of giving to god?
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"Are there cases in which defeated people – warriors, or ordinary people in a community -- were part of a ritual of giving to god?" I'm no expert on them, but didn't the Aztecs sacrifice defeated foes? And one might argue the same for the defeated enemy leader (ritually?) strangled after a Roman triumph. Certainly gladiatorial shows were in theory religious ceremonies ...
Did the Nazis undertake any kind of war ritual to the deity afterwards? Not sure. Did ISIS ritual killings then undertake a ritual taking their killing to Allah? I don't know. They may have.
BUT, in traditional societies such rituals were performed in some cases. If I were an anthropologist I might know the literature. I'm hoping translators will offer examples.
David Edwards wrote an anthropology book on suicide bombings as war sacrifice in Afghanistan. A review of the book is on Academia.edu by Mohammed M. Hafez at https://www.academia.edu/38827604/Review_of_David_Edwards_Caravan_of_Martyrs_Sacrifice_and_Suicide_Bombing_in_Afghanistan
Quick search gave no results on current or modern war ritual sacrifice practices.
Wouldn't church services and prayer count as such rituals? Asking God for safety and success in the pursuit and slaughter of the native American "savages"? And thanking Him afterwards for safety and success in such endeavors?
I'd have to look for the historical documentation, but I can hardly imagine that the colonists in North America would not have engaged in such rituals.