The legal effect of the presence of a superseding event is that:

managing the colonial war effort while also forcing for and moving towards america's independence was the major agenda of the debate in course at the second continental congress. the delegates at the congress also adopted the united states declaration of independence, in so doing acting as the ''de facto'' national government of what later became the united states of america

it depends on which society you are referring to. many civilization performed rituals so the gods would with their growing season but the most well known is that of the aztecs. they would make sacrifices, usually animals, but sometimes humans as well.