Classical Wisdom Litterae - April 2020

XLVIII According to these foreign sources, the Celts and Germans engaged in both animal and human sacr ifice, not only across the European continent but also in what would later be called the British Isles. Sacrifice was an integral part of their societies, and they used it in a variety of ways. They used animal sacrifice primarily as ceremonial offerings to either bring good f o r t une o r t o wa r d o f f e v i l s p i r i t s . Archaeological evidence suggests that those offering sacrifices typically placed them in the foundations of new buildings or specific locations adjacent to sites of demolition. They offered animals as diverse as dogs, cattle, horses, pigs, bears, and wolves, and even a variety of fowl, including wild geese and other assorted birds. Animal sacrifice was not unusual in the ancient world; in fact, it was common throughout Europe. In this way, the Celts and Germans were similar to other cultures. Human sacrifice, however, was something else entirely. The Greek and Roman sources claimed that the ‘barbarians’ used human sacrifice, especially the Celts, as a matter of course. Yet the archaeological records indicate it was neither widespread nor common practice. In some cases, the Celts used prisoners as tribe, a.k.a Caledonian/Pict/Briton) circa 100-300 AD. “ T HE ‘ CIVILIZED ’ WORLDOF THE G REEKS AND R OMANS VIEWED THE USE OF SACRIFICE IN THE BARBARIAN WORLDWITHDISDAINAND IRONIC DISGUST . I RONIC BECAUSE THE ACT OF ANIMAL SACRIFICEWAS COMMON IN THE ANCIENTWORLD . E VENHUMAN SACRIFICEWAS PRACTICED IN TIMES OF GREAT DANGER , NOT ONLYBY THE C ELTS BUTALSOBYOTHER , MORE ‘ CIVILIZED ’ SOCIETIES . ”