Griffith experiences sensations of the sacrificial slaughter nourishing his existential transfiguration.
A sacrificial ceremony (降魔の儀; literally "ceremony of demonic surrender") is an event which begets the demonic transfiguration of a given honoree — typically an owner of a beherit — in exchange for a sacrifice. There are three known types of sacrificial ceremonies.
The first two types of sacrificial ceremonies are those which see the birth of an apostle and a God Hand member — a relatively common occurrence in the case of the former and an event occurring once every 216 years in the form of the Eclipse (an "occultation ceremony") in the case of the latter. Such an event is instigated by the activation of a beherit in a moment of great anguish of its owner. Thereafter, an interdimensional space is created wherein the God Hand manifests to offer the guest of honor demonhood — and by extension the renewing of their most burgeoning desire — in exchange for the sacrifice of that most precious to them.[1] Should a beherit owner will such a sacrifice, a fissure will open in their soul into which evil will surge,[2] and their rebirth as a demon will begin. Humans offered as sacrifices during a ceremony are marked with the Brand of Sacrifice, thenceforth having their lives given to demonkind and their souls doomed to the Vortex.
The third type of sacrificial ceremony is known as the Incarnation Ceremony. Occurring once every 1000 years, the Incarnation Ceremony mirrors the Eclipse and brings about the manifestation of a divine being in a body made flesh.[3]
Known Sacrificial Ceremonies[]
- The mass sacrificing of Gaiseric's capital city and those within it.[4]
- An undisclosed sacrificial ceremony involving Void and an unidentified man clad in the Berserker Armor, during which the Lady Priestess of the Cherry Blossoms was marked with the Brand of Sacrifice.[5]
- Emperor Ganishka's sacrificing of his son in exchange for being reborn as an apostle and escaping the near-successful attempt on his life.[6]
- The Count's sacrificing of his wife in exchange for being reborn as an apostle and greatly dulling his human emotions.[2]
- Grunbeld's sacrificing of Benedikte, Sigur, and Edvard in exchange for being reborn as an apostle, which renews him from a heavily injured state and empowers him to continue fighting.[7]
- Rosine's sacrificing of her parents in exchange for being reborn as an elf-like apostle.[8]
- Griffith's sacrificing of the original Band of the Falcon during his occultation ceremony in exchange for being reborn as the God Hand member Femto.[9]
- The mass sacrificing of refugees in Albion during the Incarnation Ceremony for Femto's incarnation in the form of Griffith.[10]
References[]
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Advent"
- ^ a b Berserk :: Volume 3, "Guardian Angels of Desire (5)"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 18, "Spirit Road (2)"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 10, "Thousand-Year Fiefdom"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 41, "Vision of Death"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 34, "Backlighting"
- ^ Berserk: The Flame Dragon Knight
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 16, "Firefly"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 12, "Parting"
- ^ Berserk :: Volume 21, "Falling Sky"
Appendices[]
| God Hand |
| Apostles
Zodd · Wyald · Unidentified Roaming Apostle · The Count · Borkoff · Rosine · Unidentified Female Apostle · Snake Lord · Egg of the Perfect World · Rakshas · Locus · Grunbeld · Irvine · Ganishka |
| Pseudo-Apostles
Zondark · Elves of Misty Valley · Great Goat · Mozgus · Mozgus' Disciples · Ganishka's Spawn |
| Phenomena
Abyss · Brand of Sacrifice · Sacrificial Ceremony (Eclipse · Incarnation Ceremony) |
| Others
Beherit · Man-Made Beherit · Sea God · Daka · Dead Spirit · Demon Child (in essence) |