348 



RELIGION. WORSHIP, SACRIFICES, ETC. 



men wanted to capture it it ran into the woods and became 

 furious " (Ynglinga, ch. 30). 



The people believed that good or bad years were often 

 caused by faith, or want of faith, in the Asa creed ; a year was 

 good when their chiefs sacrificed much, bad when they were 

 not zealous sacrificers. 1 



The ceremony was divided into two parts : first the slaugh- 

 tering of animals, and reddening of the temple and altars with 

 blood probably on the first night ; then the sacrificial feast. 



In some places the expenses 2 of these feasts were defrayed 

 by the godi, who in return had the care of the temple posses- 

 sions and of the temple tolls : 3 in the earliest times people had 

 to pay taxes a custom said to have been instituted by Odin. 



It was the custom to cook the flesh of the slaughtered animals 

 in large kettles hanging over these fires along the floor of the 

 temple. The people then assembled to eat it seated along 

 the walls, and the filled horns were carried between or round 

 the fires, which were probably regarded as holy, the person 

 having charge of the feast consecrating the horns and the 

 meat (i.e., making the sign of the hammer of Thor over them). 

 First was drunk the horn of Odin, for victory and power ; then 

 Thor's horn by those who trusted in their own strength and 

 power ; Njord's and Frey's horn for good years and peace ; 

 Bragi's when solemn vows were made ; and the memorial toast 

 for dead kinsmen which was proposed by the sacrificing priest, 4 



Of the solemn ceremonies which took place at the slaying 

 of the living animals we have no description, but the blood 

 from the sacrifices of either animals or human beings was 

 collected into a bowl (Hlaut-bolli), generally of copper, which 

 had its place in the temple at the principal altar. The altars 

 and walls of the temple, and the people and idols, were 

 spattered with blood with a kind of broom called Hlaut-tein 

 (blood-twigs). 



Snorri's Olaf Trygg- 



1 Ynglinga, 47. 

 viison, 16. 



2 Sometimes the expenses devolved on 

 the king, at others the feasts were pro- 

 vided for by the food and ale brought by 

 those in attendance (Hakon Adalsteins- 

 fostri, 16, 18). How far people went for 



sacrifices is seen in Landnama v., 8. 



3 Eyrbyggja, 4, 10. 



4 In Herraud's Saga, ch. 12, the toasts 

 are given in different order. The first 

 toast is dedicated to Thor ; then one to 

 all the Asar; theu one to Odin; and 

 lastly, one to Frey. 



