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Comments on Why was blood used, or believed, to consecrate entities?

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Why was blood used, or believed, to consecrate entities? [closed]

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Closed as unclear by qohelet‭ on Jan 28, 2022 at 22:14

This question cannot be answered in its current form, because critical information is missing.

This question was closed; new answers can no longer be added. Users with the reopen privilege may vote to reopen this question if it has been improved or closed incorrectly.

  1. Why did worshippers believe that blood "make 'sacred' or 'holy'"?

  2. Why did religionists believe that consecrating something with blood "render a thing inviolable from profane use of men and evil influence of men or demons"?

  3. How's any of this related, at all, to the blood of Christ?

The streaking of the lintel and doorposts with blood, Exodus xii. 23, to mark them as holy to the Lord and inviolable by the destroying angel, was apparently the kind of idea expressed by blóedsian in pre-christian times..

  1. In its earliest attestations in the OED, bless and blood continued to coincide with each other. Once an entity was consecrated with blood, it was thought to rid off evil influences of men and demons. When used in this context the entity know [sic. I think this is a typo for "now"] is controlled by God’s prospering care, which can be linked to the present day use of bless before dinner, when praying over food. The OED dates this documented history back to the eleventh century.

  2. This usage of bless, which is “to sanctify or hollow by crossing yourself,” can be linked back to the first entry. The cross is put up in the defense of evil, and the usage started to circulate in circa 1225. Using the cross as protection can visually imitate the power of God to rid of evil, and is similar to the act of consecrating an entity with blood to gain God’s favor over it.

Smith, Ranesha, "The Etymology of bless" (2014). 2014 IPFW Student Research and Creative Endeavor Symposium. Book 14. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/47232289.pdf

Anatoly Liberman wrote about the etymology of "bless" on October 12th 2016. See also Etymonline.

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1 comment thread

Could you give some examples of consecrating entities with blood in a Christian context? I started to... (5 comments)
Could you give some examples of consecrating entities with blood in a Christian context? I started to...
gmcgath‭ wrote over 2 years ago

Could you give some examples of consecrating entities with blood in a Christian context? I started to write an answer about the history of blood sacrifice but then realized you were asking specifically about consecrating things, as opposed to seeking divine favor, and got stuck thinking of any examples.

TextKit‭ wrote about 2 years ago

Sorry...I don't know any "examples of consecrating entities with blood in a Christian context". I'm just relying completely on these quotations. But the context doesn't have to be Christian. Don't hesitate to moot other religions.

Monica Cellio‭ wrote about 2 years ago

You're asking on the Christianity community and ask if it has something to do with Jesus, but the only example you give is from the exodus from Egypt, which long predates Jesus. I'm having trouble understanding what you're asking.

Peter Taylor‭ wrote about 2 years ago

This appears to be a question about either etymology or pagan Norse/Germanic religion. Neither of those is on topic for this site.

qohelet‭ wrote about 2 years ago · edited about 2 years ago

Closed as unclear. It could be focused as to the meaning of blood in ancient Hebrew sacrificial rites and the significance for later Christianity, but as written it's unclear and too broad.