In Hinduism, Blood, like other body fluids, is regarded ritually unclean and a cause of contamination when anything or anyone comes into touch with it.
Not just because of its impurity (ashaucha), but also because of its link to life, blood is considered a "hot" and strong material.
- Human blood is said to be the source of sustenance for witches.
- This emphasizes both their malicious nature, since they can only survive by killing others, and their marginal, antisocial nature, as they feed on a highly unclean material.
- Blood from animal sacrifice is often given to village deities or to certain strong and frightening manifestations of the Goddess in another setting.
- Any deities that need blood sacrifice are called "hot," which means they are strong enough to give worshippers favors but also marginal, possibly dangerous, and in need of constant injections of life-sustaining blood to keep their abilities alive.
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