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AmishMechWarrior ago

Shots of MEAD? Who serves mead, especially in shot glasses. Is that a ritual component?

RedGreenAlliance ago

Yes I believe it is a reference to the Blot, or Viking pagan ritual sacrifice which was finished off with 'libation' (a toast to whatever God they were offering the sacrifice to)

From WikiPedia

The verb blóta meant "to worship with sacrifice",[2] or "to strengthen".[3] The sacrifice usually consisted of animals, in particular pigs and horses. The meat was boiled in large cooking pits with heated stones, either indoors or outdoors. The blood was considered to contain special powers and it was sprinkled on the statues of the gods, on the walls and on the participants themselves.

It was a sacred moment when the people gathered around the steaming cauldrons to have a meal together with the gods or the Elves. The drink that was passed around was blessed and sacred as well and it was passed from participant to participant. The drink was usually beer or mead but among the nobility it could be imported wine.

NB Wikipedia has sanitised it but if you search for Human Sacrifice Blot - there is much discussion about the "ultimate sacrifice" of humans. In most cultures this was usually women or children.