There’s a difference between being sacrificed to a volcano, and being sacrificed into a volcano. Sure, people (especially possibly-virgin women and children) were sacrificed to volcanoes. However, the practice of tossing a virgin into the bubbling lava pit of an active volcano is a Hollywood invention.
You’re clearly debasing my argument by lazily (and quite shittily) rewording my opening statement.
As I stated above - you’re right! I cannot find a source were science has done tests on the weathered ancient vaginas of poorly sacrificed remains, nor have I found a source that cites only virgins were targeted.
There are other fair implications that factor in, and you’re spitefully ignoring that.
What we can prove:
Women were the main choice of sacrifice.
Tribal/aboriginal cultures tend to place a higher importance on virginity in contrast to more progressive nations, historically speaking.
Tribal cultures wished to appease their gods with the most pure forms of sacrifice, which is why children were second after women.
That’s not the only possible reason to pick children. They could be picked because it was easier for society to absorb the loss for instance. In other cultures sacrificing a child would be considered a low value sacrifice. Children were a dime a dozen, whereas sacrificing a trained adult warrior showed real commitment.
I agree, thats certainly possible.
It would make additional sense if they were able to justify it further by acknowledging that child for its purity and innocence - a greater sacrifice to the gods, with less problems on the workload or long-term relations.
Do you have any evidence that these specific cultures valued purity and innocence other than vague cultural comparisons and circular reasoning?
On a side note, the philosopher Empedocles threw himself into Mount Etna so people would believe his body had vanished and he’d become one of the immortal gods. The volcano however threw back one of his bronze sandals and the deceit was revealed. (Info from Wikipedia).
You don’t mess with the volcano god!
I feel like bronze sandals are rather uncomfortable for day-to-day wear. And one would definitely want to choose something else on a day when you’re doing a lot of mountain climbing.
I think the OP misread the article. To the question of being tossed into the maw of an active volcano, The Master says this is mostly Hollywood BS, say 99.999%. So it’s not exactly 100%. It’s a hedge and a fair one, if just one virgin was tossed into an active volcano in the past 2.5 million years, then the trop would not be 100% Hollywood BS. Unity of probability works like that.
The OP then confuses a second question, were any virgins sacrificed on a volcano, but not tossed in. Of course the answer is 100% yes, we have the dead bodies to prove it.
Although please continue, I’m completely shocked that Czarcasm should be acting so sarcastically … shocked I say …