ABSTRACT
Sacrifice is best viewed as a cultural practice with multiple social sources and, therefore, no unified theoretical explanation. Thus, we must understand animal sacrifice in context, which means we need to know something about the specific history, culture, and communities surrounding any particular case. In this chapter, I explore a specific case of animal sacrifice culturally grounded in celebrations (bembés) for African-inspired gods and goddesses (orisás) in north-central Cuba. Specifically, the chapter describes the offering of goats for the orisá of healing and harming, San Lázaro-Babalú Ayé. I focus especially on the costliness of animals to the people who offer them, how animals assume godlike status in sacrifice, and the “becoming priceless” that the offering of animals makes possible for individuals and their communities.
