The 10 deadliest rituals in religious history
Religion has played a key role in shaping cultures and societies throughout human history. It is a source of inspiration, comfort and moral guidance for billions of people. Yet there is a dark side to religious practices, which is often overshadowed by peaceful and spiritual aspects.
Join us as we explore the creepy and morbid rituals of religious traditions that have led to death and suffering. From the creepy Voodoo rituals to the gruesome Aztec heart extraction, these rituals offer a glimpse into the dark side of human devotion.
Related: 10 Strange Stories from America’s Spiritualist Craze
10 Voodoo Death: When Faith Kills
Voodoo is a religion that emerged from the blending of African spiritual practices and Catholicism in Haiti. It has a reputation for its spells and curses.
Voodoo death is a phenomenon in which a person strongly believes that he is cursed and subsequently dies. It’s as if the power of suggestion is taken to its extreme. The fear and anxiety that arise from this belief can lead to severe stress, triggering a cascade of physiological responses that lead to death.
Imagine believing so strongly in the power of a curse that your own belief becomes a death sentence. It is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the depths of faith. This eerie ritual is a grim reminder of how our thoughts and beliefs can shape our reality.
9 Mayan human sacrifices: blood for the gods
The ancient Mayan civilization, known for its impressive architectural and astronomical achievements, was also practiced human sacrifice. During their religious ceremonies, they sacrificed human lives to the gods, believing this was necessary to ensure the well-being of their civilization.
Victims, often prisoners or volunteers, were subjected to brutal rituals that culminated in their death, usually by decapitation or heart extraction. The Mayans believed that blood was a source of nourishment for the gods and goddesses, and that sacrificing a living creature was a powerful sacrifice.
It is fascinating how advanced and sophisticated the Mayans were in many ways, yet engaged in such cruel practices. It makes you wonder what drove them to make these sacrifices and whether they truly believed it would benefit their society. It can be a reminder that even the most enlightened civilizations can have dark corners.
8 Roman animal sacrifice: rituals of blood and fire
In ancient Rome, animal sacrifice was a common religious practice. The Romans believed that offering animals to the gods would guarantee divine favor and protection.
The sacrifices usually involved various animals, such as sheep, goats or bulls. These animals were an essential part of Roman religious ceremonies and had to be the best specimen of their kind. It was often cleaned, dressed in sacrificial clothing and decorated with garlands of flowers.
While animal sacrifice may not seem as extreme as human sacrifice, but it was still an important part of Roman religious life. It’s like offering a juicy steak to appease the divine, but on a grander scale. The sight of blood and fire during these rituals would probably have been fascinating and disturbing.
7 Servant Sacrifice in Egypt: Pharaoh’s Path to the Afterlife
The ancient Egyptians are known for their elaborate burial practices. They believed that in the afterlife they would need servants, guards and even animals to ensure a comfortable journey.
To provide these services, they would kill and bury servants after their death, along with their pharaohs. The most common form of death was strangulation, poison, cutting of the throat and the creature buried alive. This macabre practice involved people willingly sacrificing their lives to serve their pharaoh in the afterlife.
It is a thought-provoking example of devotion and belief in the afterlife. The idea that service continues even after death is both haunting and a testament to the power of religious faith. But it also raises ethical questions about the consent of those who were sacrificed.
6 Burning Sons in the Bible: The Story of Child Sacrifice
The Bible is a sacred text for millions of people. It contains stories that are both inspiring and deeply disturbing. One such story concerns child sacrifice.
This is told in the book of Kings King Ahaz offered his sons as a burnt offering. This chilling story shows the lengths people were willing to go to in the name of faith. In a twist of fate, this act angered God, and in later religions the valley symbolizes hell.
It’s like a gripping thriller in a holy book. This story shocks and makes you wonder about the motivations of people who are willing to make such extreme sacrifices in the name of their beliefs. It is a stark reminder that religious texts are filled with a wide variety of stories, not all of which are uplifting.
5 Pharmakos: Scapegoats of Ancient Greece
In ancient Greece there was a ritual called “Farmakos.” In pharmakos, a person, often a criminal or pariah, was chosen as a scapegoat. This person would be paraded through the city, subjected to humiliation and abuse, and then exiled or killed.
Often pharmakos was performed during disasters, famine, invasion or plague. The scapegoat would take on the impurities of the community as a whole. Once exiled or murdered, the belief was that this ritual would cleanse the community of its sins and problems.
Pharmakos is the old equivalent of blaming someone for all your problems and then banishing or punishing them. It reflects the human tendency to look for someone to take the blame and relieve us of our guilt. It’s a dark ritual that raises questions about the ethics of making one person pay for the perceived sins of an entire community.
4 Celtic Bog Bodies: offerings to the earth
The Celts were an ancient European civilization. They had a tradition of offering valuable objects and even human lives to the gods and spirits of the land. In some cases they would deposit these offerings in swamps. These so-called ‘swamp bodies’ are remarkably well-preserved remains of individuals who met gruesome ends, often by violent means.
The first swamp bodies were found in the 17th century and still turn up occasionally. Although the swamp water makes identification impossible, victims were often killed by being strangled, hung, stabbed, dismembered, and hit on the head. These individuals were likely criminals or enslaved people.
The idea of sacrificing something valuable for the Earth is intriguing. It’s like burying your most prized possessions in the backyard, believing it will bring you luck. These swamp bodies are like time capsules, offering a glimpse into the past and the beliefs of our ancestors.
3 Sacrifices to Benin: Blood for a kingdom
The Kingdom of Benin, located in what is now Nigeria, had a long history human sacrifice. These rituals were often accompanied by the coronation of a new king. Victims, usually slaves or prisoners of war, would be sacrificed to ensure that the new king’s rule would be prosperous and secure.
It is also thought that many of these sacrifices took place during the anniversary of the Oba’s reign during an annual beading ceremony. This would please the gods during bad weather that threatened crops or during a health epidemic.
It’s as if becoming king means making a blood contract with the gods. This practice is a stark reminder of how power and authority have been intertwined with bloodshed throughout history. The sacrifices were seen as necessary for the greater good of the kingdom, but it’s hard not to cringe at the price.
2 Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries: Recent Dark Chapter in Jamaica
In Montego Bay, Jamaica, a disturbing incident involving a religious sect known as Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries sent shockwaves through the community as recently as October 2023.
Led by a charismatic leader, Kevin Smith, this group is suspected of ritual stabbings and shootings. It is suspected that the rituals were performed to remove impure blood from the victims. When police contacted the church, a shootout ensued with police, resulting in at least two deaths.
This dark chapter is a chilling reminder that even in modern times, extreme beliefs can lead to unspeakable beliefs acts of violence. The influence of charismatic leaders and the power of religious fanaticism can drive people to commit heinous crimes. It is a sharp cautionary tale about the dangers of blind devotion, and illustrates how radical beliefs can still lead to unthinkable consequences even in today’s world.
1 Aztec heart extraction: rituals of blood and reverence
The Aztecs, known for their advanced civilization and rich culture, had a dark side to their religious practices. At the heart of their beliefs was the idea that the gods needed nourishment in the form of human hearts. This led to gruesome rituals in which prisoners were sacrificed and their hearts ripped from their chests.
Nasty extract the hearts, priests used knives, axes and even long sticks. There are recorded testimonies of these rituals taking place in ancient Mesoamerican iconography. The only inconsistency is the location on the body where the heart was removed.
Imagine a society in which the pinnacle of devotion entails a human sacrifice so gruesome as to be difficult to fathom. It’s like offering your most valuable possession, but in this case it’s a beating human heart. Aztec practices are a stark reminder of the lengths people went to in the name of their gods.