The conviction reigns that it is only through the sacrifices and accomplishments of the ancestors that the tribe exists--and that one has to pay them back with sacrifices and accomplishments; one thus recognizes a debt that constantly grows greater, since these forebears never cease, in their continued existence as powerful spirits, to accord the tribe new advantages and new strength. Friedrich Nietzsche
About This Quote

The belief that the tribe is indebted to the ancestors for their existence, and that one must offer them sacrifices, is called ancestor worship. The idea stems from the belief that the ancestors are powerful spirits who live on after death, and therefore are owed sacrifices. The Romans were so devoted to this belief that they would actually consult them on issues of public policy. They believed that the state should do whatever it could to support the continuation of the family line, and thus they enacted laws that favored patrician families.

Source: On The Genealogy Of Morals/Ecce Homo

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