Page 2 | The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

GettingTetchy · 2024-01-15T15:58:46+00:00

Am I being unreasonable to say that ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb’ is a recent invention that fits in with modern ideas. YABU = this is the origin of ‘blood is thicker than water’ YANBU = ‘blood is thicker than water’ always meant family is more important than everyone else.

quisensoucie · 16/01/2024 08:41

@GettingTetchy Hello!
The comment about misogyny (I clearly created my own spelling of this at first posting!) wasn't just in relation to this issue rather that it seems sometimes whatever the topic (drag, buying tomatoes), someone will call misogyny!

LenaLamont · 16/01/2024 08:39

I agree with @Milange , it’s religious. That your brothers and sisters in Christ (or in Judaism) are your true family above all else, including your birth family.

There is a covenant between God and believer, and upholding that, being true to it, is more important than family concerns.

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 08:36

quisensoucie · 16/01/2024 08:30

Serious analysis????? don't make me laugh

Show quote history

Yes. Serious analysis.
Mind you my objection isn’t so much that it’s misogynistic just that it’s bollocks.
If you’ve had this argument so often you think there are common tropes attached to it, what convinced you?

OP posts:

quisensoucie · 16/01/2024 08:30

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 08:21

It’s a bit rich to tell up a bonkers origin story and then get all defensive when people subject it to serious analysis.

Show quote history

Serious analysis????? don't make me laugh

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 08:21

quisensoucie · 16/01/2024 07:57

Omg, I wondered how long it would be until the mysogenistic trope was wheeled out.
Congratulations!

Show quote history

It’s a bit rich to tell up a bonkers origin story and then get all defensive when people subject it to serious analysis.

OP posts:

Milange · 16/01/2024 08:18

I thought it was a religious thing- the blood of the covenant ie, ones faith in the Church (blood comes from taking communion), is thicker than the water of the womb (symbolic of family in general, not just your mother)- basically your commitment to God is above your commitment to your worldly family.

Shown through Jesus allowing himself to be crucified for God, even though it caused pain to his mother and disciples.

That’s the use I’ve always know.

quisensoucie · 16/01/2024 07:57

DoIgotothefuneral · 15/01/2024 18:36

I haven't come across that saying before and I think it's horrible. Very misogynistic as of course the ones you have spilt blood with would be men, and the giving birth would be women. So they are saying your war buddies mean more to you than your own mum???!!!

Omg, I wondered how long it would be until the mysogenistic trope was wheeled out.
Congratulations!

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 07:54

petticuliar · 16/01/2024 07:40

@thatsjustthewayitisok Blood is thicker than water DOES mean family are more important than non family.

This is the modern interpretation of the saying.

What is 'water'?
Water is birth. It is amniotic fluid.

What is 'blood'?
It is toil and struggle

So those who you toil and struggle alongside are more important than those you just happen to be related to.

Example: your DH should put you before his family

I've always wondered when people thought 'blood is thicker than water' took blood to mean family what they thought water meant

But the idea that
”those who you toil and struggle alongside are more important than those you just happen to be related to.” Is a modern idea.

OP posts:

petticuliar · 16/01/2024 07:40

@thatsjustthewayitisok Blood is thicker than water DOES mean family are more important than non family.

This is the modern interpretation of the saying.

What is 'water'?
Water is birth. It is amniotic fluid.

What is 'blood'?
It is toil and struggle

So those who you toil and struggle alongside are more important than those you just happen to be related to.

Example: your DH should put you before his family

I've always wondered when people thought 'blood is thicker than water' took blood to mean family what they thought water meant

petticuliar · 16/01/2024 07:36

DoIgotothefuneral · 15/01/2024 18:36

I haven't come across that saying before and I think it's horrible. Very misogynistic as of course the ones you have spilt blood with would be men, and the giving birth would be women. So they are saying your war buddies mean more to you than your own mum???!!!

No. It means people you have chosen in life and who you have toiled and struggled alongside and who share the same values and life experiences are more important than family in you just happen to be related to.

petticuliar · 16/01/2024 07:34

89redballoons · 15/01/2024 17:15

I reckon whoever said this hadn't given birth; otherwise they'd have known that childbirth itself is actually a lot more bloody than it is watery.

Huh? Non of mine were bloody at all

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 07:27

LifeofBrienne · 16/01/2024 07:19

I’ve never heard that saying, only ‘blood is thicker than water’ meaning people put family first. Your version sounds like something from a scary cult!

I hadn’t heard it before Sunday either.

OP posts:

LifeofBrienne · 16/01/2024 07:19

I’ve never heard that saying, only ‘blood is thicker than water’ meaning people put family first. Your version sounds like something from a scary cult!

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 07:15

lemonjuicer · 16/01/2024 07:00

‘Blood is thicker than water’ is mostly used to make people feel bad for having boundaries with their biological family so I prefer the ‘new’ meaning although have always understood that ‘blood of the covenant…’ is not the original saying.

That might explain it.
It used to be used more often to mean I’ll be there for you.

OP posts:

lemonjuicer · 16/01/2024 07:00

‘Blood is thicker than water’ is mostly used to make people feel bad for having boundaries with their biological family so I prefer the ‘new’ meaning although have always understood that ‘blood of the covenant…’ is not the original saying.

theduchessofspork · 16/01/2024 06:50

XenoBitch · 15/01/2024 22:13

I am not too bright, so bear with me on this.... or it was my upbringing.

I always understood 'blood is thicker than water' to mean you look after family before friends. That was what my parents told me anyway.

But now, I kind of get it means the opposite.

It doesn’t I don’t think, that’s just a later invention

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 06:47

Fozzleyplum · 16/01/2024 06:35

Have just read the Wikipedia entry above. Interesting - so the modern usage of " blood is thicker than water", referring to the strength of family ties, has completely changed the original meaning. You learn something new every day!

Wikipedia can’t find any citation before the 1990s that means anything other than blood ties are more important than other ties. That was the original meaning.

OP posts:

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 06:41

Grilledsquid · 16/01/2024 06:24

Lots of sayings have changed into less encouraging sayings.
Curiousity killed the cat - but satisfaction brought it back
Jack of all trades but master of none - but better than just master of one
And so on.

‘Jack of all trade’ seems to have gone full circle: Jack of all trades = compliment
Jack of all trades but master of none = insult
Jack of all trades but master of none - but better than just master of one = compliment
“Satisfaction brought it back’ is a good retort to ‘curiosity killed the cat’ and was presumably invented for that purpose.

OP posts:

Fozzleyplum · 16/01/2024 06:35

Have just read the Wikipedia entry above. Interesting - so the modern usage of " blood is thicker than water", referring to the strength of family ties, has completely changed the original meaning. You learn something new every day!

Fozzleyplum · 16/01/2024 06:31

I think these are 2 completely separate things. The fact that they both refer to blood and water is making people think they are versions of the same saying, but they have very different meanings.

Grilledsquid · 16/01/2024 06:31

It's not misogynistic imho. One could argue that water of the womb was used because with sperm, it wouldn't make consistency wise sense....
It's simply saying that relationships outside of family can be stronget than family ties. Out family relationships can be stronger bond than family relationships obviously. Not all families are good.

Now it's used at people who want to go NC from abusive families.

Grilledsquid · 16/01/2024 06:24

Lots of sayings have changed into less encouraging sayings.
Curiousity killed the cat - but satisfaction brought it back
Jack of all trades but master of none - but better than just master of one
And so on.

Original poster

GettingTetchy · 16/01/2024 06:19

Holidayhell22 · 15/01/2024 22:27

I thought it was The blood that is spilled on the battlefield, is thicker than the water that is in the womb.’
Which is the opposite to how most people interpret it.
I do agree it’s misogynistic to suggest that the bond between a mother and child is not as strong as the bond formed between 2 men during battle.

Have you ever heard it used to mean anything like that? Or just as a put down to anyone who uses the expression to mean family ties are important?

OP posts:

XenoBitch · 15/01/2024 22:32

GettingTetchy · 15/01/2024 22:19

Yes. I think your parents were right. This strange explanation is new and false.

Show quote history

Ok, thanks. Although, I do think the people I choose to have in my life are more important than the ones who take it for granted. A lot of my family are terrible, and I don't want anything to do with them.

Holidayhell22 · 15/01/2024 22:27

I thought it was The blood that is spilled on the battlefield, is thicker than the water that is in the womb.’
Which is the opposite to how most people interpret it.
I do agree it’s misogynistic to suggest that the bond between a mother and child is not as strong as the bond formed between 2 men during battle.