Thicker Than Water : The Origins of Blood as Symbol and Ritual

ISBN-13: 9780415935296 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 263 str.

Melissa L. Meyer

Opis

Presents an account of blood in ritual, and its potency as a symbol of life, death, and gender. Ranging from ancient to modern times, and encompassing beliefs from around the world, this work reveals the history of blood's meaning and sites it at the centre of cultural development.

Spis treści

1. Introduction: The Human Inclination to Symbolize and Ritualize Blood2. Women's Blood vs. Men's Blood at the Dawn of Human Culture3. Puberty: Menstruation and Imitative Ritual 4. The Blood of Pregnancy and Childbirth5. Blood and Funerary Rites6. Blood Sacrifice and Human Sacrifice7. Blood Symbolism and Gene-Culture Co-evolution8. Conclusion

O autorze

Melissa Meyer is Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on the different aspects of American Indian identity, including blood quantum requirements for tribal enrollment, intermarriage, and the historical experiences of people of mixed descent.