Thicker Than Water: The Origins of Blood as Symbol and Ritual

Meyer, Melissa

ISBN 10: 0415935296 / ISBN 13: 9780415935296

Published by Routledge, 2005

About this Item

Presents an account of blood in ritual, and its potency as a symbol of life, death, and gender. Ranging from ancient to modern times, and encompassing beliefs from around the world, this work reveals the history of blood's meaning and sites it at the centre of cultural development. Num Pages: 272 pages. BIC Classification: JFC; JHM. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20. Weight in Grams: 498. . 2005. 1st Edition. hardcover. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780415935296

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Thicker Than Water: The Origins of Blood as Symbol and Ritual
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415935296
• ISBN 13: 9780415935296
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Blood is more than a fluid solution of cells, platelets and plasma. It is a symbol for the most basic of human concerns--life, death and family find expression in rituals surrounding everything from menstruation to human sacrifice.

Comprehensive in its scope and provocative in its argument, this book examines beliefs and rituals concerning blood in a range of regional and religious contexts throughout human history. Meyer reveals the origins of a wide range of blood rituals, from the earliest surviving human symbolism of fertility and the hunt, to the Jewish bris, and the clitoridectomies given to young girls in parts of Africa. The book also explores how cultural practices influence gene selection and makes a connection with the natural sciences by exploring how color perception influences the human proclivity to create blood symbols and rituals.

About the Author

Melissa Meyer is Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on the different aspects of American Indian identity, including blood quantum requirements for tribal enrollment, intermarriage, and the historical experiences of people of mixed descent.