The link between sacrifice and creation already exists when Proto-Indo-Europeans emerge as a significant language group c. 4500 - 2500 BCE. Blood sacrifice is connected to the vital fertility of the land and the continuance of life.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
See also:
An important part of fertility rituals, blood sacrifice is patterned on early creation myths. Myths evolve to explain conflicting or violent stories as rational parts of the overall ideology. Blood sacrifice doesn't have a complex rationale until people assign it one.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
Everyone knows the death of one thing precludes the birth or beginning or another. New trees grow from those fallen and rotted wood returns to earth. Flesh of the dead sustains the living. The people recognize the evidence everywhere in daily life.
See also:
Mythology of the Proto-Indo-Europeans is based on a fundamental Pantheon of Gods. They include the Sky God, Earth Mother, Divine Twins, Dawn Goddess, Sun Goddess and Moon God.
Later, a God of fields, roads and flocks appears in myth, as well as a Weather or Storm God. Before creation, the Gods dwell in a place of nothingness until a catalyst occurs.
See also:
The Proto-Indo-European creation myth tells of twin giants, Manu and Yemo, strolling across the cosmos, shaking the vast nothingness with their footsteps. They're accompanied by a primordial cow.
Before this time nothing exists. According to the Rigveda (c. 1500 - 1000 BCE):
"There was neither non-existence nor existence then there was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond. There was neither death nor immortality then. There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day."
See also:
Manu decides to sacrifice his brother and create the earth. It's not known whether Yemo agrees to this, but the process of creation begins with blood sacrifice. Blood represents fertility of the soil. Blood in the earth enriches the soil. The people know this to be true.
READ: Cult of the Fire God - Bronze Age Quest Adventure
From Yemo's body Manu forms the natural elements, the earth and stars. He's aided by the Sky God, Divine Twins and the Weather God, who is a later addition to the myth.
See also:
Because of his divine connection, Manu becomes the first High Priest. He sets the standard for sacrificial offerings, ritual behavior and communication with the Gods. Sacrifice is necessary for the land to thrive, and not just any sacrifice.
The point is to offer the ultimate sacrifice, the blood of a King, God ... or brother. In the Hebrew Bible story, Yahweh tells Abraham to sacrifice his son. Naturally it's a test to see how much of a sacrifice Abraham is prepared to make.
See also:
Having begun the creation cycle Manu then sacrifices the primordial cow. Animals and plants spring from her body. Post-mortem, Yemo becomes the first King.
Mortals of certain social classes arise from his body: priests from his head; warrior class from his chest and arms; and commoners from his legs and sexual organs. The First Warrior is Trito. As the mythical warrior protagonist he sets guidelines for future hopeful heroes.
See also:
Yemo, as the first being to die in the primordial sacrifice, and the first King, assumes the role of God of the Underworld. The Underworld is the source of groundwater. Vegetation grows from below and in later cultures vegetation gods often dwell in the Underworld.
To the warrior Trito the Gods give a gift of cattle. The cattle are stolen by a three-headed serpent, called *H₂n̥gʷʰis, meaning 'serpent.' For his first heroic deed Trito fights the monster to get the cattle back.
See also:
At first the battle goes badly for him, but the Gods give him an energizing drink. Aided by the Weather God Trito rallies and slays the serpent. He gives the cattle to a priest to make a proper sacrifice, which the priest does.
Trito is now the hero warrior. Through his deeds he maintains the cycle of mutual giving between gods and mortals. Here arises early mythology of cattle-raiding cultures and stories of Proto-Indo-European, Celtic and other cattle raids of folklore.
See also:
Theories of the Proto-Indo-European creation myths come from reconstructions, historical precedent, descendants of the language and environmental influences of the time. Similar patterns develop across various cultures.
See also: