Is Sacrificing Goats a Dark Art?

[Marukai]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

[Emma Eldritch]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

 
I think that's called 'heavy meal idiot who thinks he's a Satanist' actually. I have a feeling black leather and old Iron Maiden LPs were involved.


(On a more serious note, some traditions - like Voudou - do involve animal sacrifice, and I personally do not have a problem with that. But that does not sound like the bullcrap your friend-of-a-friend is talking about. Sounds more like urban legend fodder.)

[Faemon]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

Back when I lived in Jakarta, every Ramadan a lot of the neighbors would keep a live goat to later butcher and sacrifice and give the meat to all the people who couldn't afford food. Apparently you could keep an ox, but a goat was cheaper. It was an Islamic practice, to feed the poor, if that's a Dark Art...?

What do you mean "what tradition"? Is there any people outside of vegans and vegetarians who don't find goat meat delicious? I've read that some practitioners of seidhr do this for channellers of Thor, to make sure that the bones aren't broken in the meat offering. Channelling like that gives me the creeps, but I wouldn't call seidhr a Dark Art just because of my bias.

[Marukai]

Back when I lived in Jakarta, every Ramadan a lot of the neighbors would keep a live goat to later butcher and sacrifice and give the meat to all the people who couldn't afford food. Apparently you could keep an ox, but a goat was cheaper. It was an Islamic practice, to feed the poor, if that's a Dark Art...?

What do you mean "what tradition"? Is there any people outside of vegans and vegetarians who don't find goat meat delicious? I've read that some practitioners of seidhr do this for channellers of Thor, to make sure that the bones aren't broken in the meat offering. Channelling like that gives me the creeps, but I wouldn't call seidhr a Dark Art just because of my bias.

 
When I say tradition... I mean is it part of Wicca, Stregheria, or Feri Tradition? Perhaps another tradition not mentioned?

[Marilyn/Absentminded]

When I say tradition... I mean is it part of Wicca, Stregheria, or Feri Tradition? Perhaps another tradition not mentioned?

It is the central Mystery of The Caprine Brotherhood.  It is very difficult to come up with any information on the members or the philosophy unless you happen to live near one of the rare Evangelical Caprines.

Absent

[Faemon]

When I say tradition... I mean is it part of Wicca, Stregheria, or Feri Tradition? Perhaps another tradition not mentioned?

Your friend said it was for Samhain, that sounds Wiccan to me. The sacrificing goats part sounds like he was making a joke with you, about a stereotype that a few non-Pagans might have, of Wiccans. So, I think that he invited you to laugh with him, to laugh at other people, because those other people would think that he practices the dark arts and sacrifices goats... and that thinking is not correct, therefore it is funny for him to laugh at.

The movie Dangerous Ground had a goat sacrifice as part of the funeral rite of the family of the main character. That does not mean that every time somebody sacrifices a goat, that it is a cinematic art! It does not.

So... a sacrifice is a sacrifice. A goat is a goat. What is a Dark Art?

[RandallS]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

Sacrificing animals is common to a number of religions. If killing animals is a "dark art" then it is a widespread "dark art" considering it is common on farms and slaughterhouses throughout the world. :rolleye::

[Aisling]

If killing animals is a "dark art" then it is a widespread "dark art" considering it is common on farms and slaughterhouses throughout the world. :rolleye::

 
*noms on sacrificial breakfast sausage after binding it to a dark arts biscuit*  

Evil is so tasty!

[Rhyshadow]

*noms on sacrificial breakfast sausage after binding it to a dark arts biscuit*  

Evil is so tasty!

 
LOL - Aisling, you're so 'evil'

Back to the OP - I think that 'friend' was yanking your chain as it seems more a Satanic thing than something that the other paths would indulge in.

Even Judaism has it's form of animal sacrifice - to be considered Kosher, the animal must be slaughtered in a specific fashion with a certified person observing.

[Catherine]

*noms on sacrificial breakfast sausage after binding it to a dark arts biscuit*  

Evil is so tasty!

 
Oh! TC rule #1, broken!

Thanks a lot Aisling...

[Rhyshadow]

*noms on sacrificial breakfast sausage after binding it to a dark arts biscuit*  

Evil is so tasty!

 
Oh, question...

Is that "dark arts" biscuit Rye or Pumpernickel?

[HeartShadow]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

 
Well, it's hardly a dark SCIENCE, now is it?

Though personally I prefer my sacrifices with decent lighting.  How can anyone appreciate the artistry with the lights off?  tsk.  Lazy, if you ask me.

[Tana]

Oh! TC rule #1, broken!

Thanks a lot Aisling...

 
Tststs... you're here long enough to know better.

[Catherine]

Tststs... you're here long enough to know better.

 
I'm so very ashamed :ashamed:

[Fausta]

I met a person through a friend that told me about his former co worker... He said every Samhain he would require a few days off to perform rituals. He then said that the ritual consisted of sacrificing a goat? What is everyone's thought of this? Is this a Dark Arts magician? I've heard of doing blood sacrifices, but never an animal. What tradition is this considered?

 
Your friend's former co-worker was joking, playing at stereotypes of "what Witches do".