Dragon Age: Origins Editorials
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It's easy to see why the people of Thedas are not fans of Blood Magic, or Mages in general. They're terrified! These mages have the potential to manipulate their minds, and the power to reshape the world not to mention the fact that they can be taken over by demons and turned into ravening beasts of mass destruction. Blood Magic is not always evil, however, and many (well, mostly those who use it) hold to the thought that it is really just another tool. A powerful tool, and one that, like any powerful tool, can corrupt its user but a tool nonetheless. In fact, the main saviours of Thedas in times of Blight the Grey Wardens only exist due to use of a type of Blood Magic. That in and of itself proves that Blood Magic is a means to an end that can be justified in the world of Dragon Age.
In the really real world on good ol' Planet Earth, the power of blood has been a constant throughout the ages in almost all peoples and religions. Blood rituals and rites still happen today, in fact, though many of those that appear in the mainstream have become more symbolic than anything else the Catholic rite of communion, for example. Drinking the (symbolic) blood of the Son of God is viewed by Catholics (and some other Christian sects) as cleansing and spiritually healing. This concept, though many may scream otherwise, is not so different in its core element from a Celtic warrior drinking the blood of a fallen enemy or dead relative to absorb that enemy's strength or relative's wisdom; or sacrifice of an innocent and use of that innocent's blood to cleanse a tainted place or person. The core element? We believe that blood has power, whether it be our own blood or that of another.
