The concept of sacrifice frequently appears in the field of religion.
Sacrifice is a notion that comes from the Latin language ( sacrificium ) and has several uses. It may be a tribute or offering that is made to a divinity with the intention of paying tribute . In these cases, sacrifice includes killing a human being or an animal .
For example: "Some pre-Columbian people used to murder children to give them as a sacrifice to their gods" , "The local residents gave three goats as a sacrifice for Pachamama" , "Human sacrifices have been prohibited by law for centuries" .
Human sacrifices were developed in ancient times with the intention of ensuring that the deities were happy and did not vent their anger against the people. In the case of animal sacrifice , the slaughter sought to ask the favor of the gods (an animal was killed with the intention of requesting something in return, such as a good harvest).
Sacrifice as effort
The notion of sacrifice is also used to name a great effort made by a person, whether to achieve a goal, help another person, etc. Sacrificing, in this sense, can involve putting one's own life at risk or even giving it up: "I had to make the sacrifice of not sleeping for three nights to take care of her," "The young man entered the burning house to rescue the child and "He couldn't get out: his sacrifice is a source of pride for all his neighbors," "It's not worth working so much to receive so little, it's too much of a sacrifice."
In general, it is understood that sacrifice is a path to reaching a goal . The person who sacrifices himself by studying for years, to cite an example, hopes to graduate and obtain a degree that will allow him to grow professionally and personally.
Sacrifice can be associated with the effort that a person makes with the aim of achieving a certain goal.
From negative to positive
When sacrifice does not represent the death of someone but the voluntary rejection of certain activities in pursuit of a greater goal, the term does not have a negative connotation, although this does not mean that it describes an easy decision; On the contrary, saying no to leisure, going out with friends, resting in the afternoons to, instead, study and perfect oneself in a certain discipline, is so difficult that only a small percentage of the world's population seems willing to do so. do it.
On the other hand, the notion can be used to reproach another person for not having reciprocated a series of great efforts in the expected way. Many parents put aside part of their lives and interests to focus on their children's education and do not accept the lack of gratitude or the refusal to follow the path they planned for them.
The sacrifice of the castrati
The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, famous not only for having a very virtuosic voice but also for her peculiar repertoires, released in 2009 a CD titled " Sacrificium " (which, as indicated at the beginning of this definition, is the Latin word for which derives "sacrifice"). Throughout the more than ten pieces that make up this album, many of which had not been recorded before, Bartoli dazzles her audience with the agility that characterizes her, but at the same time she denounces the sacrifices to which so many hundreds were subjected. of thousands of children, the castrati , to satisfy the twisted search for new voices.
Naples was the city in which castration was most practiced, and this took place for more than a hundred years . Given the vocal abilities and sound quality of the few castrati who achieved fame, it is easy to overlook the sacrifice that such an act of cruelty must have represented for them, especially if we consider that it was their parents who endorsed it. Furthermore, the music written for these brilliant young people is unparalleled: it requires impeccable breathing, agility that allows one to jump comfortably from one end of the voice to the other, and great speed to do justice to the most ornate passages.