Blood Brotherhood - Blood Oath

One of the most sacred of rituals and practices in Scythian culture was that of Blood Brotherhood. Two warriors that had been friends for many years and were as close as brothers would take a cup or horn full of wine and then each would spill their blood into it. They would then dip their swords, spears, arrows, axes, and other weapons into the mixture. After, incantations or prayers would be chanted over the mixture. Finally, nose to nose they would drink together, as depicted in the above gold plaque. This bond was unbreakable and as such a warrior would only have a select few blood oaths over the course of their entire life (CUNLIFFE, 2021).

This practice is one of, if not the earliest documented ritual of blood brotherhood, a ritual that is still carried out today, although much more simply. The more common practice today is for two people to cut their hands and place them together, causing the blood to mix in that way rather than mixing it into a drink.

While this ritual is commonly referred to as blood brotherhood, it is my opinion that the majority of warriors would participate in this ritual at some point in their lives at least once, women warriors included, of which Scythia had plenty.

CUNLIFFE, B. (2021). Scythians: Nomad Warriors of the Steppe. OXFORD UNIV PRESS. (Pg. 217)