Why bloodlust used to be normal
... and how it became abnormal.
Saturn devouring his son (1819-1823). Francisco de Goya (1746-1828) – Wikicommons (Soerfm)
Before the State imposed its monopoly on violence, a man would use violent means to defend himself, his family, and his kin from perceived threats. The resulting man-to-man conflict would create intense emotion in him and then “bloodlust” — the desire to see, feel, and taste his opponent’s blood. The more he satisfied that desire, the stronger it would become, and the more an initially defensive action would turn into a frenzy.
Once seen as normal, such “hemomania” became less acceptable as the State monopolized the use of violence. The new social environment discriminated against those individuals who responded positively to the sight, feel, and taste of blood — a response now deemed abnormal — while discriminating in favor of those who responded negatively. In this way, and in line with the degree of State pacification, hemomania was selected out of the population and hemophobia was selected in.
For more, please read:
Frost, P. (2025). Bloodlust: Altered or Ecstatic States of Consciousness. In: Shackelford, T.K. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Religious Psychology and Behavior, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38971-9_2043-1
Looking at videos from Haiti and the South American cartels on gore websites, bloodlust is very much not selected out of the population. There are plenty examples for "the desire to see, feel, and taste his opponent’s blood" including ritual and casual cannibalism of slain opponents. And one can only imagine how much of this is going on not captured of video and uploaded.
To kill without distinction of sex or age is a significant indicator of bloodlust. Those who restrain it better or are less impacted will more rationally spare the useful and the beautiful for their own use or Auctioned off into Slavery to compensate for the costs of War.
Hence Bloodlust even during the time of Ancient Greece when Alexander sacked Thebes didn't have the same kind of bloodlust as the kind of indiscriminate slaughter that characterizes the Civil Wars of Imperial China even up to the Taiping Rebellion. Even if said Society seem more benign during times of peace.
The Qin Code with the 9 Familial Exterminations without regard to Age or Sex or the Sacrifices of the Aztecs.