Blood brotherhood refers to two or more people not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other, typically through a ritual in which small cuts are made and pressed together so that each participant's blood mingles with the other's. The bond formed typically obliges the participants to mutual support and loyalty, and when practiced between groups it most often serves to bind together potentially hostile parties, forming an alliance in war or concluding a peace. The custom is documented across a wide range of cultures: Norse foster brotherhood (fostbraedralag) sealed through a turf-raising ritual, Scythian oaths mixing blood with wine in a shared cup, Mongol, Turkic and Chinese traditions, the Philippine sandugo rite sealing friendships and treaties, oath-taking across sub-Saharan Africa, and blood-oath alliances in the Balkans under Ottoman rule.
Facts
Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountDocumented among Norse, Scythian, Mongol, Turkic and Chinese cultures, in the Philippines (sandugo), across sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Balkans under Ottoman rule. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Blood brotherhood is a documented real-world instance of fictive kinship: a socially recognized kin-like bond created between people with no birth relation.
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