Why did ancient sacrifices steam?

Question

Someone just told me that way back, when blood sacrifice was popular, blood spilled on the ground steamed. Apparently this was seen as a somewhat religious phenomena, and it was documented by a few Greek writers (I don't have links).

The basic question my friend has is this: given that the steam occurred, why would this happen? A sun-heated rock? Hot air surrounding the sacrifice? Or the heat of the blood itself? He thought a cold rock might also help.

I can't believe I'm typing this with a straight face, but I'm sure not about to try this in my backyard to find out! SO, any amateur mythbusters out there with a theory? (don't try this at home, PLEASE.)

Answer 1

I imagine that, if the blood spilled did indeed steam, it was more due to something as prosaic as the air temperature.

When most people think of Greece, they imagine someplace hot, but it can get quite cold there in the winter and there can be snow just about everywhere. I live not too far away in central Italy - another place where animal sacrifices once occurred - and it definitely gets cold here. Last December, we had nearly a meter of snow at our house for almost two weeks.

If I had decided to set up an altar to Jupiter and start worshiping in the style of that true Old Time Religion, I'm sure the blood of the calves and oxen I slaughtered would have been steaming away quite nicely as it gushed forth at body temperature and into the frigid air.

Answer 2

When the Catholic Church started burning these native tribes history we of this future time my never know why they did that but we can e sure that it was written and destroyed for thousands of years of their history went up in smoke..............

Answer 3

If it actually steams then it is due to the temperature of the blood itself.

Answer 4

Most likely it's the blood vaporising upon hitting the surrounding rocks. Most of the cultures that practiced ritual sacrifice would do it atop tall temples. These would be heated throughout the day and would cause the blood to vaporise into steam upon contact (at least the water in the blood.) That's my take. Don't think a cold rock would really do anything. It could also be attributed to the heat haze, from the thermals rising off of the rocks. To someone not looking closely enough it probably wouldn't be too hard to mistake that for steam.