Wanted: Female Virgin for a Human Sacrifice

[BoyScoutKevin]

Would someone explain to me, where the film idea , that one had to be a female and a virgin to be an acceptable human sacrifice , came from. I know of ten films that supposedly showed a human sacrifice, and not one specifically required a female virgin. Indeed, the male victims outnumbered the female victims.
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Beastmaster: practices child sacrifice, so I presume they're all virgins, but boys are just as acceptable as girls.
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Children of the Corn: all the sacrifices I know about were male, and as two of them were the town's police chief and the town's minister, I doubt if virginity was a requirement.
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Crusoe: all three victims were male. No word as to whether they had to be virgins.
>                                                                                                                                                  Dragonslayer: females were required, but, as one was the blacksmith's wife, and she had a daughter, I doubt if virginity was a requirement.
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Help: as the sacrifice was suppose to be Ringo Starr, being a female was not a requirement, and I doubt if virginity was.
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Kings of the Sun: males were required. No word as to whether they were suppose to be virgins.
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Lair of the White Worm: virgins required, but, as one of them was a boy scout, being a female was not required.
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Race with the Devil: the victim was female, but it was not stated whether she had to be a virgin.
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Wicker Man: Virginity was a requirement, but the victim also had to be a man.
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7th Victim: the victim was a female, but I don't remember whether she had to be a virgin.

[Fearless Freep]

How about "Dragon Slayer"  -  all  victims were female although I'm not sure about virginity.  (as that would be an easy way to be removed from the lottery)

[Evan3]

Well, I think you only have to be a virgin woman to have your EGGS sacrificed to the Devil. In every movie I have seen about antichrist it is always a virgin woman or had an inability to conceive. End of Days, Rosemary's Baby, etc.

[Neville]

Mmmm... In "Dagon" they just accepted any woman that fell in their claws. Have satanic sects finally accepted the new realities of  the XXth Century or they were just desperate?

[AndyC]

(Warning: spoilers) As I recall, in the Wicker Man, it all had to do with the quality of the sacrifice. Produce and livestock were acceptable. Humans were more highly valued. As an adult who willingly kept himself "pure," the sergeant was a rarity, and even more valuable as a sacrifice. His value was further increased by his being an authority figure and his coming to the place of sacrifice of his own free will. Mind you, he only came because he was tricked, so I wouldn't have called him a willing sacrifice.

I think the idea of sacrificing a beautiful young virgin probably relates to the old idea of women as property. It has to do with her being of greater value to potential suiters and to her family, making it a greater sacrifice. I'm not speaking from any authority - it just seems like a reasonable explanation to me.