History Main / ThankYourPrey

* "Apology to a Cow" from ''BatBoyTheMusical''.

* In Creator/UrsulaKLeGuin's ''AlwaysComingHome'' the Kesh always do this when butchering animals, even if they just mutter it in a perfunctory fashion.
* Jondalar, the [[RelationshipSue mate]] of [[GodModeSue Ayla]] in ''EarthsChildren'' is often described as asking the prey he just killed to confer his thanks to the "Great Earth Mother".

* In the ''{{Redwall}}'' books, the Abbot/Abbess would say a prayer to this effect whenever the inhabitants eat a meal of fish.

* In S. M. Stirling's ''{{Emberverse}}'' novels, younger members of Clan Mackenzie begin doing this when they hunt.
* In the WorldOfWarcraft novel ''{{Lord of the Clans}}'', the Orcs thank the Spirits of the Wilds for their prey and promise they won't waste any part of it - its meat for food, fur for clothes, bones for tools.

* The Pahkwa-thanh in the StarTrekNovelVerse. A reptilian race of carnivores who believe their prey animals have souls, they honour the creatures they bring down and kill.

* In Norma Fox Mazer's ''Saturday, the Twelfth of October'' the prehistoric tribe the main character accidentally ends up with does this all the time.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' episode "Jack and the Hunters", Aku hires a band of alien hunters who pretty much [[PlanetOfHats live for the profession]] to bring Jack down. They actually succeed in doing so, but not before [[WorthyOpponent he gives them the greatest hunt in their careers]], so great that they refuse to hand him over to Aku, then let him go and leave him a message thanking him and telling him to "Run free."

It's something an EgomaniacHunter is not likely to do.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' episode "Jack and the Hunters", Aku hires a band of alien hunters who pretty much [[PlanetOfHats live for the profession]] to bring Jack down. They actually succeed in doing so, but not before he gives them the greatest hunt in their careers, so great that they refuse to hand him over to Aku, then let him go and leave him a message thanking him and telling him to "Run free."

* Conner does this in his native tongue in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed3''.

* In the ''{{Redwall}}'' books, the Abbey mother would say a prayer to this effect whenever the inhabitants eat a meal of fish.

* [[KinosJourney Kino]] apologizes to the rabbit she kills in one episode.

* {{Galactus}} may count.

* ''TheGodsMustBeCrazy'' has a scene like this.

* In {{Ursula K LeGuin}}'s ''AlwaysComingHome'' the Kesh always do this when butchering animals, even if they just mutter it in a perfunctory fashion.

* Demonstrated after the deerhunt in ''{{Last of the Mohicans}},'' where the hunters thanked the spirit of the deer for its body so that they could live.

* In ''TrueBlood'' Amy, a FantasticDrug addict, blitzed on vampire blood and in the midst of sex with her boyfriend, turns and slurs that they ought to thank their supplier, FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire, Eddie "for the gift he's given us." Since Eddie has been kidnapped, chained to a lawn chair in their basement and forced to watch their antics, he replies with a sullen burst of profanity.

* ''KevinAndKell'' has this show up at times. At one point Rudy is upbraided for venturing into JerkJock territory, and is asked if he's grateful for everyone else involved--his teammates, his coach, and the prey that they all hunt down and kill. Said prey shows up to agree with the point made.
* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2007-03-21 Squigley says it's more like an apology to the chicken sandwich than grace.]]

* In ''{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2388 Squigley says it's more like an apology to the chicken sandwich than grace.]]

** Averted with Tigerclaw, however. He feels he doesn't owe [=StarClan=] thanks because he caught the prey on his own.

** Averted with Tigerclaw, however. He feels he doesn't owe StarClan thanks because he caught the prey on his own.

* Wolves from Beyond The Beyond in the ''GuardiansOfGaHoole'' series have a thing at the end of every hunt where they lock eyes with the prey they kill. Doing this is apparently an insurance of the prey getting to the afterlife, and if you can't lock eyes with someone, you basically go to hell, as a not-so-unfortunate bad guy finds out.

* ''{{ElfQuest}}'': In ''Kings of the Broken Wheel'' 5, there's a bit of gentle ribbing of Pike, because he always thanks his prey for the meat, even though it can't hear him anymore. [[http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics/KOBW/KOBW05/DisplayKOBW05.html?page=12]]
* ''{{Sillage}}'' has a case of "Sorry, but I need your meat to survive" from Nävis on the very first page, while she's taking aim. The Püntas in ''Gearing Up'' have a tradition to this effect as well, to the degree that the yak-like animals walk up to them for slaughter before dying of old age.

* In the WorldOfWarcraft novel ''{{Lord of the Clans}}'', the Orcs thanks the Spirits of the Wilds for their prey and promise they won't waste any part of it - its meat for food, fur for clothes, bones for tools.

* There is a joke that goes as follows: A priest is walking through the woods when a bear attacks him. He falls to the ground crying, "Oh, Lord, make this bear a Christian." A moment later he hears growling that sounds like, "Bless this meal that I am about to receive..."

* ''WerewolfTheApocalypse'' has the "Prayer for the Prey" rite for this purpose.

* FullmetalAlchemist :Brotherhood has Ed and Al stuck on an island by their alchemy teacher in a flashback. They catch a rabbit and apologize for killing it, thanking it for extending their lives.

* In the ''CallOfCthulhu'' supplement ''Terror Australis'', adventure "City Beneath The Sands'', Power Boy (who had some relationship with Aboriginal deities) could call animals and ask that they allow themselves to be eaten. If they agreed, he praised their beauty and courage.

* [[FantasticFour Galactus]] may count.

* Demonstrated after the deerhunt in ''Last of the Mohicans,'' where the hunters thanked the spirit of the deer for its body so that they could live.

* In the WorldOfWarcraft novel Lord of the Clans, the Orcs thanks the Spirits of the Wilds for their prey and promise they won't waste any part of it - its meat for food, fur for clothes, bones for tools.

* "The Sweetest Gift," an episode of the CBS miniseries Christy ([[AdaptationDisplacement based on the book]] by Catherine Marshall) featured [[NobleSavage mixed-race]] Billy Long teaching Creed Allen the importance of thanking a turkey's spirit after shooting it.

* This is a real tradition found around the globe, connected with the belief that animals have a spirit/soul that should be honoured.
** From a psychological perspective, it's a way for people to deal with the cognitive dissonance of life. Hurting creatures is bad, but we still have to eat, and that means inflicting pain and death on something else. We also know that we will eventually die and be eaten in turn. Thus, rituals to try and make sense of it all.
* The German inscription in the bottle of Jägermeister: "It is the hunter's honour that he protects and preserves his game, hunts sportsmanlike, and honours the Creator in His creatures".
** For those of you who don't know basic German, Jägermeister roughly translates to master hunter.