Among the Germanic tribes, blood was used during their sacrifices; the "Blóts". The blood was considered to have the power of its originator, and, after the butchering, the blood was sprinkled on the walls, on the statues of the gods, and on the participants themselves. This act of sprinkling blood was called "blóedsian" in Old English, and the terminology was borrowed by the Roman Catholic Church becoming "to bless" and "blessing". The Hittite word for blood, "ishar" was a cognate to words for "oath" and "bond", see Ishara.