blood debt
Killing demands repayment
A blood debt is an obligation created by violence—typically a killing that demands revenge or restitution.
The concept appears across cultures where honor or justice requires that spilled blood be answered with blood or equivalent payment.
His family believed they owed a blood debt to the clan whose son had been murdered.
The phrase also applies more loosely to any profound moral obligation arising from sacrifice: We owe a blood debt to those who died for our freedom.
- vendettaProlonged retaliatory conflict
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
- eye for an eyePunishment matching the offense
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- honor killingMurder for family disgrace
family honor · feud · sworn enemy · mortal enemy · oath · retribution · vengeance · kin · murder · sworn · obligation · clan · repayment · grudge · old grudge · ancestral · avenge · sacrifice
- ancient obligationsoath, vow, fealty, tribute, tithe
- revengeretaliation, payback, vengeance, vendetta, score settling
- revenge talesvengeance, vendetta, retribution, revenge plot, grudge
- Maya Lawroyal courts, noble courts, council of elders, divine judgment, land disputes
- Honor themesvalor, loyalty, duty, integrity, virtue
blood debtforgiveness
Releasing resentment toward offenders
life debt · debt of gratitude · pardon · absolution · amnesty
blood debtblessing
Prayer seeking divine favor
gift of life · benevolence · act of kindness · good deed · clean conscience
blood debtclean slate
Record wiped clear
clear conscience · closure · atonement · innocence · righteousness
blood, debt, bloods, bloody, bloodied, bloodying, bloodier, bloodiest, bloodless