When children are sacrificed in a society, it speaks volumes about the morality of that society. Children are generally seen as innocent, incorruptible beings, so it physically disturbs readers when something happens to them. The instances in history where child sacrifice is practiced often reflects its horrific nature in literature. 

Child sacrifices are often seen in human history. After all, our horrific muses can’t just imagine something as disturbing as this without help. The Aztecs often practiced child sacrifice, because they believed that offering sacrifices would keep the gods appeased. Many ancient Hebrews were known to practice sacrifice, as did other cultures, and these instances have been confirmed, both by the Bible and by historical sources. An example of this would be Moloch, an ancient Canaanite deity that is often associated with child sacrifice. The Carthaginians also performed human sacrifices, but they would only sacrifice a child in instances of dire need. Today, however, instances of child sacrifice are still prevalent. In Uganda, children’s body parts are used in witchcraft, which was the tragic fate of a young girl named Jane. In America, many cases of child abuse, such as parents refusing medical treatment for their child because it went against their religious beliefs, and their child subsequently dying, is also seen as a form of child sacrifice. 

It’s because of this history that it’s no surprise to find this in literature and art. For example, in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series, children are sacrificed as “tributes” to a Capital that will do whatever it takes to impose their superiority on others. In the fairytale The Imp Prince, the protagonist manages to save a young girl who was about to be sacrificed at the temple. In H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dreams in the Witch House, the witch engages in child sacrifice. In many fairytales, especially Hansel and Gretel, child sacrifices were a way to emphasize the evilness of the antagonist. In the movie Witch, the titular witch sacrifices the main heroine’s baby brother in order to regain her former powers.

But why is child sacrifice such a popular trope to use in literature? Sometimes, it’s simply for the shock factor. Other times, it’s to show how completely horrible the villain is. And even still, sometimes we just want to explore the more maddening aspects of our psychology. And though many people may read our work, wondering just what the heck we were thinking, we can’t really be judged based on the subject matter of our book. 

Child sacrifices aren’t a pleasant topic to talk about, much less write about. Still, writing gives us a sort of passion that we can explore, even in the darkest corners of our imaginations. What’s more, child sacrifices have often been reflected in history, and writing about them is a way that we can understand just what was going on in those societies. It’s this very thing that’s made literary genres and other non-horror genres so appealing.