The Viking Age (Vol. 1&2) - Paul B. Du Chaillu

Скачать книгу

the expenses232 of these feasts were defrayed by the godi, who in return had the care of the temple possessions and of the temple tolls:233 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; Njörd’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.234

      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).

      “Sigurd Hlada-jarl was a very great sacrificer, as his father Hakon had been; he kept up all the sacrificing-feasts in Thrandheim on the king’s behalf. It was an old custom when a sacrifice was to take place that all the bœndr should come to the temple, and take with them the provisions needed while the feast lasted. Every man was to bring ale; there were also slaughtered all kinds of small cattle, as well as horses. All the blood which came therefrom was called hlaut (sacrifice blood), the vessels for holding it hlaut-bowls, and the twigs, hlaut-twigs. With them the altars had to be reddened all over, and also the walls of the temple inside and outside; then the men were to be sprinkled with them, but the flesh had to be boiled for people to eat.

      “Fires were to burn on the middle of the temple floor, and kettles to be put on them; the drinking-horns had to be carried around the fire. The chief who made the feast had to consecrate the horns, and all the sacrifice-food. The horn (toast) of Odin must be drunk first, for the victory and power of their king; and then the horn of Njörd and Frey, for a good year and peace. Many used to drink Bragi’s horn next to these. Men also drank horns for those of their kinsmen who had been great men; these were called minni (memorial horns). Sigurd jarl was a most open-handed man; he did a very famous deed, as he held a great sacrificing feast at Hladir, and himself alone paid all the costs” (Hakon Adalsteinsfostri (Hkr.), ch. 16).

      It was customary to try and find out the decrees of fate or the will of the gods by a kind of divination or casting of lots with chips dipped in the blood of sacrifices; the most common way of making inquiry was by Blótspán (sacrifice chip) and by lots (hlut)—both methods of casting lots, but differently performed—the former of which apparently meant the throwing these sacred chips of wood.

      Mention is made of the use of scales with lots in them, on one side favourable, on the other side unfavourable; if the favourable one went higher up than the other, it was a good omen.

      Einar, an Icelander, and one of Hakon jarl’s scalds, wanted to leave him and join Sigvaldi his foe at the battle of the Jomsviking, for he thought he had not as much honour with the jarl as formerly.

      “When Hakon saw that he was going, he shouted for him to come and speak with him, and so he did; the jarl took two scales of burnished silver, gilt all over; with them were two weights, one of gold, the other of silver, on each of which a likeness was made; they were called lots and were of the kind customary with men. Strong qualities were in them, and the jarl used them for all things of importance to him. He used to put them on the scales and tell what each of them should signify to him. When it went well, and the one he wanted came up, the lot in the scale which signified what he wanted never kept quiet, but moved on the scale and made a tinkling sound. These costly things he gave to Einar, who became merry and glad, and desisted from going to Sigvald. From this he got a name and was afterwards called Skálaglam = ‘scale tinkle’ ” (Jomsviking Saga).

      “Ingjald gathered men and went against Granmar and his son-in-law, Hjörvard; he had a far larger host than the two others. The battle was hard, and after a short time the chiefs of Fjadrundaland, Vestr-Gautland, Nœriki, and Attundaland (they were with Ingjald), and all the host from these lands, fled. Ingjald received many wounds, and with difficulty escaped to his ships; his foster-father Svipdag the Blind fell there, with both his sons, Gautvid and Hulvid. Ingjald went back to Uppsalir dissatisfied with the expedition; he saw that the hosts from the kingdoms he had conquered were unfaithful. After this there was a great war between the kings; but when it had lasted some time the friends of both brought about a reconciliation. The kings appointed a meeting, met, and all three made peace, which was to stand while they lived; this was bound with oaths and pledges. The next spring Granmar went to Uppsalir to sacrifice for peace, as was the custom towards summer. The sacrifice-chip fell so as to show that he would not live long” (Ynglinga Saga, c. 42).

      Marks were cut on pieces of wood or other material, and each person had his mark. Sometimes the places at feasts were assigned by lot, and lots were also drawn for human sacrifice. The images of some of the gods were sometimes marked on the lots.235

      “At the advice of powerful men it was agreed that the kings should draw lots as to which of them should hereafter rule, and the lots were to be cut and put in the folds of a cloak. Then Eystein asked his brother King Olaf with whom he sided in this matter. He answered: ‘We have long kept our love for each other and agreed well; thy will in regard to the rule of the land and the laws, King Eystein, is also mine. Eystein said: ‘I advise thee, King Sigurd, to cut the third lot for the cloak, for King Olaf, like ourselves, is the son of Magnús.’ Sigurd answered: ‘Men can see that every expedient has now been tried, for thou wantest to have two lots where I have one, but I will not deprive King Olaf of any honour.’ Then the lots were put into the cloak, and the lot of King Sigurd came up, and he was to rule” (Sigurd Jorsalafari’s Saga, c. 21).

      It seems to have been the custom among zealous sacrificers to consecrate their lands and property to the gods, without however denying themselves the use and enjoyment thereof. That this was customary all over the North we may conclude from the mass of names of farms, villages, &c., named after the gods Odin, Frey, and Thor.

      In their colonies the people followed the same custom of dedicating their settlements or lands to the gods, and we find ample proof of this in England, Normandy, Iceland, the Orkneys and Faroe Islands.

      Among the gods most worshipped besides Odin were Frey, Thor and Njörd.

      We find from the Sagas that Frey was worshipped equally in Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, and no doubt also in Denmark.

      One summer when Hallfred and his followers came from Iceland to Norway, and asked for tidings, they were told that there had been a change of chiefs in Norway; that Hakon Jarl was dead, and Olaf Tryggvason had come instead with a new creed and commandments.

      “Then the men on the ship agreed to make a vow; they vowed to give much property to Frey if they got a fair wind to Sweden, but to Thor or Odin if they got to Iceland; if they should not get a fair wind to sail, the King should have his way.” They never got a fair wind, and had to sail to Thrándheim (Hallfredar Saga, c. 5).

      “When Hrafnkel had settled at Adalbol (Iceland) he had a great sacrifice. He had a large temple made. He loved Frey more than other gods, and gave him one-half of all his most precious things. He settled in the whole valley and gave lands to the people, but wanted to rule them and became godi (= temple-priest and judge) over them. After this his name was lengthened and he was called Frey’s godi.”

      Fig. 774.—Runic stone, with hammer, at Stenqvista Södermanland, Sweden. Stones with a similar-shaped hammer have been found in several places in Denmark and Sweden.

      “Hrafnkel owned one valuable thing which he loved more than any

Скачать книгу