β[To the Dacians] the soul contains the truth about the things that exist or existed, about virtue, justice - unjustice, formalism. The human soul is immortal, dies and revives in time and it can never be destroyed [β¦] death touches only the material part, but not the soul, which remains intact. [β¦] As concerns the sacrifice of the young man elected as Zalmoxis' messenger, the periodical sacrifice made once in four years, took place in the circular sacred precincts from the Dacian hieropolis of Sarmizegetusa, in front of the great potif and king, with a special suite consisting in representatives of the prelates and of the army. The message for Zalmoxis was secretly pronounced by the great priest to the messenger. Four warriors, especially chosen, had to throw the messenger upwards, so that he would fall right on the spear points, without touching the ground.
At the Getae there was the custom that the woman should be killed on the man's grave, as a sign of great honour [β¦] The sacrifices of couples could be the result of breaking the unwritten rules of the human group, of living together, or a ritual of fertility, benefic to the whole community in which they had lived.β
β LaurenΕ£ia Georgescu, Emma-MΔdΔlina Georgescu; βHuman Sacrifice?β (1998)
