--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pre-history of our species is…" description: "\"“The pre-history of our species is hag-ridden with episodes of nightmarish ignorance and calamity, for which religion used to identify, not just the wr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/christopher-hitchens-117_burned_the-pre-history-of-our-species-is-hag-ri_1646677.jpg" --- # The pre-history of our species is hag-ridden with episodes… ![“The pre-history of our species is hag-ridden with episodes of nightmarish ignorance and calamity, for which religion used to identify, not just the wrong explanation but the wrong culprit. Human sacrifices were made preeminently in times of epidemics, useless prayers were uttered, bogus "miracles"…” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/christopher-hitchens-117_burned_the-pre-history-of-our-species-is-hag-ri_1646677.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/christopher-hitchens-117_burned_the-pre-history-of-our-species-is-hag-ri_1646677.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b97/christopher-hitchens-117_burned_the-pre-history-of-our-species-is-hag-ri_1646677.jpg) > ““The pre-history of our species is hag-ridden with episodes of nightmarish ignorance and calamity, for which religion used to identify, not just the wrong explanation but the wrong culprit. Human sacrifices were made preeminently in times of epidemics, useless prayers were uttered, bogus "miracles" attested to, and scapegoats--such as Jews or witches--hunted down and burned.”” [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Religion historically blamed scapegoats for crises, leading to harmful practices like human sacrifice. **In simple terms:** Religion blamed minorities for disasters. Key Takeaway Question harmful narratives. Themes history religion scapegoating crisis Mood critical analytical Type philosophical historical When to use this quote - pandemic response - social panic - political rhetoric - legal systems - education Key Concepts blame social control mythmaking Questions to Reflect On - How do modern societies avoid scapegoating? - What role can critical thinking play? A Different Perspective Not all religious influence is negative; some provide community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burned/) [Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calamity/) [Culprit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culprit/) [Down and](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down-and/) [Epidemics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemics/) [Episodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/episodes/) [Explanation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explanation/) [Heretic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heretic/) [Human Sacrifices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-sacrifices-405358/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Ignorance Calamity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance-calamity-614518/) [Jew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jew/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracle/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Pre History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pre-history-614519/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religion Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion-used-460854/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Scapegoat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scapegoat/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) ## Related quotes > [One must state it plainly. Religion comes from the period of human pre-history where nobody - not even the mighty Democritus who concluded that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/one-must-state-it-plainly-religion-comes-from-the-period-of-human-pre/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [But what really excited me was the idea that humans had a tremendous pre-history that went back millions of years. I wanted to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-johanson/but-what-really-excited-me-was-the-idea-that-humans-had-a-tremendous/) [Donald Johanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-johanson/) > [Older recordings just seemed to take me somewhere into my own pre-history. That's always been an interesting, sort of sphinx-like territory for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-maddin/older-recordings-just-seemed-to-take-me-somewhere-into-my-own-pre/) [Guy Maddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-maddin/) > [Barbarism is not the inheritance of our pre-history. It is the companion that dogs our every step.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-finkielkraut/barbarism-is-not-the-inheritance-of-our-pre-history-it-is-the/) [Alain Finkielkraut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-finkielkraut/) > [“The altar, as in pre-history, is anywhere you kneel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-altar-as-in-pre-history-is-anywhere-you-kneel/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Pre-history tells us that our species used to be a hunter-gatherer society. This means that the job of raising a family was split 50-50…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-bruce-cameron/pre-history-tells-us-that-our-species-used-to-be-a-hunter-gatherer/) [W. Bruce Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-bruce-cameron/) > [“There were rituals that sometimes involved animal sacrifices, but there is no record of human sacrifices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlson/there-were-rituals-that-sometimes-involved-animal-sacrifices-but/) [Robert Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlson/) > [It is said that our indigenous ancestors, Mayas and Aztecs, made human sacrifices to their gods. It occurs to me to ask: How many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/it-is-said-that-our-indigenous-ancestors-mayas-and-aztecs-made-human/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) > [There is a great ladder of religious cruelty, and, of its many rungs, three are the most important. People used to make human sacrifices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/there-is-a-great-ladder-of-religious-cruelty-and-of-its-many-rungs/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Every apartment devoted to the circulation of the glass, may be regarded as a temple set apart for the performance of human sacrifices. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lovell-beddoes/every-apartment-devoted-to-the-circulation-of-the-glass-may-be/) [Thomas Lovell Beddoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lovell-beddoes/) > [Only if you have some knowledge of the human sacrifices, the vicious temple rites, the degrading superstitions and customs that were practiced . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlton-j-h-hayes/only-if-you-have-some-knowledge-of-the-human-sacrifices-the-vicious/) [Carlton J. H. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlton-j-h-hayes/) > [“Since time began man has been struggling with the problem of behavior. In early days, when almost every human attribute had its counterpart in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-e-lawes/since-time-began-man-has-been-struggling-with-the-problem-of-behavior/) [Lewis E. Lawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-e-lawes/) > [“The Tezuman Empire in the jungle valleys of central Klatch is known for it organic market gardens, its exquisite craftsmanship in obsidian, feathers and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-tezuman-empire-in-the-jungle-valleys-of-central-klatch-is-known/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [For when a nation becomes civilized, if it does not drop human sacrifices altogether, it at least selects as victims only such wretches as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-g-frazer/for-when-a-nation-becomes-civilized-if-it-does-not-drop-human/) [James G. Frazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-g-frazer/) > [The major parties could conduct live human sacrifices on their podiums during prime time, and I doubt that anybody would notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-major-parties-could-conduct-live-human-sacrifices-on-their/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) ## More by Christopher Hitchens > [“The spirit of our accurate and exact philosophy is outraged by conclusions that contradict each other so glaringly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-spirit-of-our-accurate-and-exact-philosophy-is-outraged-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“Many governments employ torture but this was the first time that the element of Saturnalia and pornography in the process had been made so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/many-governments-employ-torture-but-this-was-the-first-time-that-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [To be against rationalization is not the same as to be opposed to reasoning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/to-be-against-rationalization-is-not-the-same-as-to-be-opposed-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [ \[Religion\] attacks us in our deepest integrity - the core of our self-respect. Religion says that we would not know right from wrong, we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/religion-attacks-us-in-our-deepest-integrity-the-core-of-our-self/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In the very recent past, we have seen the Church of Rome befouled by its complicity with the unpardonable sin of child rape, or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-the-very-recent-past-we-have-seen-the-church-of-rome-befouled-by/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's surprising to me how many of my friends send Christmas cards, or holiday cards, including my atheist and secular friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-surprising-to-me-how-many-of-my-friends-send-christmas-cards-or/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Suppose there were groups of secularists at hospitals who went round the terminally ill and urged them to adopt atheism: 'Don't be a mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-there-were-groups-of-secularists-at-hospitals-who-went-round/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“It isn’t so long since a test of Anglican orthodoxy was applied to anyone seeking to study or teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-isn-t-so-long-since-a-test-of-anglican-orthodoxy-was-applied-to/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Gullibility and credulity are considered undesireable qualities in every department of human life - except religion ... Why are we praised by godly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/gullibility-and-credulity-are-considered-undesireable-qualities-in/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's much worse to see a woman drunk than a man: I don't know quite why this is true but it just is. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-much-worse-to-see-a-woman-drunk-than-a-man-i-don-t-know-quite/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-true-that-obscenity-is-a-matter-of-taste-and-in-the-eye-of-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I worked out early on to give up things I couldn't do well at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-worked-out-early-on-to-give-up-things-i-couldn-t-do-well-at-all/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Writing is what's important to me, and anything that helps me do that - or enhances and prolongs and deepens and sometimes intensifies argument…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/writing-is-what-s-important-to-me-and-anything-that-helps-me-do-that/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) [Explore all 1,241 Christopher Hitchens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More Burned quotes > [“my stomach turned and burned with the acid of failure”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-ames/my-stomach-turned-and-burned-with-the-acid-of-failure/) [Heidi Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-ames/) > [These mercenaries, I swear by God, those who are still in Washington, they have sent their troops to be burned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/these-mercenaries-i-swear-by-god-those-who-are-still-in-washington/) [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-saeed-al-sahaf/) > [Men feared witches and burned women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/men-feared-witches-and-burned-women/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [“I knew I didn't have much of a chance of getting away from that swarm of fae piranha, but it was an infinitely larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-knew-i-didn-t-have-much-of-a-chance-of-getting-away-from-that-swarm/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Truth is error burned up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-o-brown/truth-is-error-burned-up/) [Norman O. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-o-brown/) > [I know I have I have sliced , burned ,bruised wriped at](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slowly-fading/i-know-i-have-i-have-sliced-burned-bruised-wriped-at/) [Slowly\_fading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slowly-fading/) > [years ago we would have been burned for this. Now what I am suggesting is that we've advanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cleese/years-ago-we-would-have-been-burned-for-this-now-what-i-am-suggesting/) [John Cleese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cleese/) > [The life of men and women is so cheap and property is so sacred. There are so many of us for one job it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-schneiderman/the-life-of-men-and-women-is-so-cheap-and-property-is-so-sacred-there/) [Rose Schneiderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-schneiderman/) > [Promoting the use of sustainable and renewable rainforest products can help to stop rainforest devastation. The rainforests are much more valuable alive than cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/promoting-the-use-of-sustainable-and-renewable-rainforest-products/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) > [I would be a traitor to these poor burned bodies if I came here to talk good fellowship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-schneiderman/i-would-be-a-traitor-to-these-poor-burned-bodies-if-i-came-here-to/) [Rose Schneiderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-schneiderman/) > [I checked out all types of tobacco trying to find one that would be easiest to live with, I ended up using pipe tobacco.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-strathairn/i-checked-out-all-types-of-tobacco-trying-to-find-one-that-would-be/) [David Strathairn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-strathairn/) > [“Looks delicious," he lied. "A mite crispy along the edges - but then, I like it that way." Incredulous eyes met his own. 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