title: The symbolism of drinking; a culture-historical approach.
abstract: The historical symbolic connections between alcoholic beverages and blood, milk and water are discussed, with the conclusion that alcoholic beverages were often symbolically interchangable with these life-giving substances. Many cultures thus saw drinking as a positive and reinforcing part of their societies, rather than solely in a negative or tension-reducing aspect.
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000209:etiology; D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D003469:Culture; D003643:Death; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008892:Milk; D009229:Mythology; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D013561:Symbolism; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water