ritual killing
Sacred act, lethal
Ritual killing is the deliberate taking of life as part of a religious, spiritual, or ceremonial practice.
The term covers a wide range of acts across cultures and eras—from animal sacrifice in ancient temples to allegations of human sacrifice in moral panics.
The cult was accused of ritual killings.
The phrase often carries sinister connotations, suggesting murder with symbolic or occult purpose rather than practical motive.
- homicideCausing another's death
- fanaticismObsessive, unreasoning dedication
- death cultGroup venerating mortality
- martyrdomSuffering for conviction
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
sacrifice · human sacrifice · offering · ancestor veneration · morality · scapegoating · hecatomb · burial customs · myths · purification · sacred texts · atonement · immolation · human rights · folklore · shamanism · libation · archetypes
ritual killinghealing ritual
Rite meant to restore wellness
ritual healing · fertility rite · baptism · celebration of life · birth ritual
ritual killingritual healing
Cure through sacred rites
laying on of hands · faith healing · last rites · shamanic healing · exorcism
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