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Warriors preparing for combat performed wine sacrifices that combined petition for victory with acceptance of possible death. The wine poured before battle invoked both martial courage and peaceful rest for those who would fall. The dual purpose reflected the wine’s dual nature—bringer of joy and bringer of death, celebrant of life and mourner of loss.
The draco standard was sometimes anointed with wine before campaign. The wolf-dragon banner that would lead warriors into battle received blessing through application of sacred substance. The wine stained the fabric, creating visible mark of divine favor. A draco that had been wine-blessed and then survived multiple battles became especially sacred, its accumulated power making it valuable trophy that enemies sought to capture.
Individual warriors poured personal libations asking for specific protection—that their shields would hold, their weapons strike true, their wounds (if received) would heal cleanly. These private offerings occurred alongside or in addition to communal battle ceremonies. The wine each warrior poured created individual relationship with the divine, ensuring that even if the war band fell, each member had made their own appeal.
Victory celebrations included massive wine sacrifices. The surviving warriors poured wine for their fallen comrades, naming each dead individual and pouring cup in their honor. This memorial libation fed the deceased in their new underground existence, provided them sustenance and recognition. The wine sank into earth where the dead now dwelt, carrying the community’s gratitude and grief down to where it could be received.
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