Definition of sacrifice - What it is, Meaning and Concept

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, the sacrifice includes killing a human being or a animal .For example: "Some pre-Columbian peoples used to kill children to deliver them in sacrifice to their gods" , "Local people gave three goats in sacrifice for the Pachamama ", " Human sacrifices have been banned by law for centuries ".

human sacrifices developed in antiquity with the intention to make the divinities happy and not discharge their anger against the people.In the case of animal sacrifice , the slaughter sought to ask the favor of the god en (an animal was killed with the intention of requesting something in return, like a good harvest).

The notion of sacrifice is also used to name a great effort that makes a person , whether to achieve a goal, help another subject, etc.Sacrifice, in this sense, may imply putting your 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 house on fire to rescue the child and could not leave: his sacrifice is a source of pride for all his neighbors ” , "It's not worth working so hard to receive so little, it's too much sacrifice" .

In general, it is understood that sacrifice is a way to reach a goal .The person who sacrifices studying for years, to name an example, is confident of graduating and obtaining a degree that will allow to grow professionally and personally.

When the sacrifice does not represent the death of someone but the voluntary rejection of certain activities in pursuit of a great objective, the term does not have a negative connotation, although this does not mean that it describes an easy decision ; on the contrary, say no to leisure, outings with friends, to rest in the afternoon to, instead, study and improve in a certain discipline, it is so difficult that only a small percentage of the world population seems willing to do so.

On the other hand, the notion can be used to reproach another person for not having reciprocated a series of great efforts as expected.Many parents neglect part of their lives and their interests to focus on the education of their children and do not accept the lack of gratitude or the refusal to follow the path they planned for them.

The Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, famous not only for having a virtuosic voice but for her peculiar repertoires, launched in the year 2009 a cd entitled " Sacrificium " (which, as indicated at the beginning of this definition, is the Latin word from which "sacrifice" derives).the more than ten pieces that make up this album, many of which had not been recorded before, Bartoli dazzles his audience with the agility that characterizes it, but at the same time denounces the sacrifices to which they were submitted so many hundreds 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 the sound quality of the few castrati who came to 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.Besides, the music written for these brilliant young people is unparalleled : it demands an impeccable breath, agility that allows you to jump comfortably from one end of the voice to the other and a great speed to do justice to the most ornate passages.