Blood

As with all bodily fluids, blood is considered ritually impure and a source of pollution upon contact. Blood is also
deemed a “hot” and powerful substance,
not only by virtue of its impurity
(ashaucha), but also because of its connection with life. Witches are popularly
seen as deriving their nourishment from
human blood. This highlights both their
malevolent character, since they can only
live by destroying others, and also their
marginal, antisocial quality, since they
feed on a substance considered violently
impure. In another context, blood from
animal sacrifice is often offered to village deities or to certain powerful and
terrifying forms of the Goddess. Any
deities taking blood sacrifice are considered “hot,” meaning that they are powerful enough to grant favors to devotees but
also marginal, potentially dangerous,
118
Black Yajur Veda
Depiction of the god Vishnu’s Boar avatar.
Vishnu appears on earth in the shape
of a boar to combat a demon.
and requiring continual infusions of lifesustaining blood to maintain their powers. See also witchcraft.