The peoples of Ancient Greece used blood as a ritual cleanser, a means of eradicating miasma, the pollution associated with bloodshed. Sulphur, when burned, resembles blood as the aureate crystals dissolve into a viscous, crimson fluid. Mastic and myrrh have a strong association with blood in Ancient Greek ritual and myth. This article explores the relationship between these organic bloods—sulphur and spices—as blood substitutes in cleansing rituals and as conduits to the ancient gods.
