RELIGION.—ALTARS, TEMPLES, HIGH-SEAT PILLARS, ETC.
The most primitive form of altar—The earliest Asa temple in the
North—The temples in Norway and Denmark—Size and materials of
temples—Their magnificence—Temple priests—Support of
temple—Holiness and sacredness of temples—High-seat pillars—Sacred
pegs.
The _hörg_ was a sacred altar, built of stones, often mentioned in the
Eddas and Sagas, but never described, and was quite distinct from the
_stalli_, or altar. Perhaps it was an enclosed structure, or was built
over a sacrificing mound or upon some elevation. Its primitive form
makes it undoubtedly of far greater antiquity than the temple, though
both were retained as we see in later times by the people in their
worship. It seems to have been especially used for sacrifices to the
Alfar and Asar;[242] and from the words of Freyja to Hyndla, who was her
friend, when speaking of Ottar, we find that a hörg had been raised to
her by the latter, and sacrifices made to her.
He made me a hörg
Reared of stones;
Now have these stones
Become _gler_.[243]
He reddened it in
Fresh ox blood.
Ottar believed
Always in Asynjur.
[Hyndluljód, st. 10.]
The first temple belonging to the Asa creed which Odin is fabled to have
established was at Sigtuna; afterwards the most celebrated of all the
temples in the North was that of Upsala, but unfortunately we have no
description of it in the Sagas; its fame was so great that on special
occasions people from all over the North came to it.
The two principal temples in Norway were in Hladir in Thrandheim, and in
Gudbrandsdal.
“Gudbrand of Dalir was a great friend of Hakon Jarl. They owned a temple
which was the second for size in Norway, the largest being at Hladir (in
Thrandheim). The former was never unlocked except when the Jarl came
thither” (Njala, 87).
The largest one in Denmark was in Hleidra (Zeeland), but unfortunately
in this case also the Sagas give no description. Other temples of less
repute were also built.
The _Hof_ or temple was often of large size, and the Sagas give us
examples of their appearance, some of them being of great splendour;
they were generally if not always rectangular buildings,[244] with a
rounded addition at one end like the apse of a church. Some had two
parts: an inner or more sacred one, where the images of the gods were
placed; and an outer one, where the sacrificial feasts were held. At the
_blotveitsla_ or sacrificial feast the people seem to have remained
standing, high seats existing only for the _blotgodi_ (sacrificing
priest). At the farther end the _God_ (god-idols) stood on their _stall_
(altar).
“Olaf sailed to Hladir, and had the temple broken down, and all the
property and ornaments taken out of it and off the gods. He took a large
gold ring from the temple door, which Hakon Jarl had made, and then had
the temple burnt.
“Olaf sent the large gold ring which he had taken from the temple door
to Queen Sigrid, Storrada (the Proud) in Sweden (he wanted to marry
her). She had it broken, and brass was found inside. She got angry, and
said that Olaf was likely to be false in more things than this” (Olaf
Tryggvason, 65, 66).
Sometimes these buildings were magnificently furnished and adorned with
costly and precious metals; their walls were hung with tapestries, and
otherwise ornamented,[245] and on the door was a golden ring.[246] Many
of them must have been the property of powerful and wealthy bœndr,[247]
as may be inferred from the fact that some chiefs when they left the
country tore them down and took them away, together with the temple
mould on which they stood, which was holy.
“Ketilbjörn, a famous man in Norway, went to Iceland, and dwelt at
Mosfell. He was so rich in personal property that he told his sons to
make a cross-beam of silver in the temple which they were building. As
they would not, he with his thrall Haki and his bondmaid Bót drove the
silver up on the mountain with two oxen; they hid it so that it has
never been found since; then he killed Haki in Hakaskard, and Bót in
Bótarskard” (Landnama v. 12).
“Thorhad the old was temple-priest in Thrandheim, in Mœri. He wished to
go to Iceland, but first took down the temple, and carried with him the
temple mould and the altars. He came into Stödvar-fjord and made the
whole fiord as holy as the temple place in Mœri, and allowed nothing to
be slain there except homestead cattle. He lived there all his life
afterwards; the Stodfirdings are descended from him”[248] (Landnama).
The _hof-godi_ or temple-priest was occasionally a woman.
“Steinvör was a priestess, and took care of the head temple; to this all
bœndr had to pay temple tax. Steinvör went to the chief Broddhelgi, for
she was related to him, and told him her trouble, that Thorleif, the
Christian, did not pay temple tax like other men. Broddhelgi said he
would take up this case for her against Thorleif.”[249]
A tax, as we have seen, was said to have been imposed in Odin’s time for
the support of the temple; in the time of Frey a change took place,
according to the sagas, and certain lands and properties in the several
districts called _Uppsala-Aud_ (Uppsala wealth) were set apart for this
purpose; but in later times again, in Norway at least, and probably in
other parts of the North, the bœndr had to pay taxes for the support of
the temples, some of which seem to have been the private property of the
godi.
The temples were considered so holy that any one damaging them or
entering them armed was declared an outlaw, and no one who had committed
an offence punishable by law was allowed to enter; such person was
called _Varg i Veum_ (wolf in the sanctuary). The grove or fields
surrounding the temples were often regarded as inviolate, so that no act
of violence would be permissible within their precincts. This was
expressed by the ancient name of _Ve_ (sanctuary, sacred place), which
was extended so as to embrace the _Thing_-place, which was also regarded
as sacred, while the _Thing_ was going on.
“Ingimund went into the temple, and before he was aware of it Rafn ran
in with a sword. Ingimund turned towards him and said, ‘It is not the
custom to bring weapons into the temple, and thou wilt turn the wrath of
the gods against thee; such a thing is impossible unless it is atoned
for’” (Vatnsdœla, c. 17).
“Búi went to the temple, and when he arrived there, saw that the
enclosure as well as the temple was unlocked. He entered and perceived
that Thorstein lay on his face in front of Thor. Búi walked silently
until he came to Thorstein, and grasped his knees with one hand and his
shoulders with the other in such a manner that he lifted him and struck
his head so hard against a stone that his brains were scattered over the
floor; he died immediately. Búi carried him out and threw him near the
fence of the enclosure, and entered the temple again. He took the sacred
fire, and, kindling lights, carried them around the temple and set the
hangings on fire. The fire quickly caught one thing after the other, and
in a short time the temple was in flames. He went out and locked both
the temple and the enclosure, and threw the keys into the fire and
departed. Thorgrim Godi awoke in the morning and saw the temple burning;
he called on his people, men and women, to run with water vessels and
save it; he also called upon his son, Thorstein, but he was nowhere to
be found. When they reached the gate of the enclosure it was not easy to
pass, for it was locked, and the keys were nowhere to be found; they
were obliged to break open the door, for the fence was so high that they
could not get over it. Entering the enclosure, they saw Thorstein there
dead; the temple was also locked, and nothing in it could be saved.
Hooks were brought and the temple was pulled down, and thus part of the
temple was saved” (Kjalnesinga Saga, c. 4).
For this Búi was outlawed by Harald Fairhair, but was subsequently
forgiven.
“King Beli ruled over Sygna-fylki (in Norway); he had three children;
Helgi and Hálfdán were his sons, and Ingibjörg his daughter. Ingibjörg
was fair-looking and wise; she was the foremost of the king’s children.
On the shore west of the fjord there was a large bœr,[250] called
Baldr’s hagi (Baldr’s field or enclosure), which was a place of
peace,[251] where a large temple stood, surrounded by a high wooden
fence; there were many gods, though Baldr was most worshipped. The
heathen[252] men were so careful about the temple that neither man nor
beast was to be hurt there; men were not allowed to stay with women
there” (Fridthjóf’s Saga, 1).[253]
“When Fridthjóf had left Norway the kings held a _Thing_, and outlawed
him from all their lands, and took to themselves all his possessions.
King Hálfdán settled at Framnes, and rebuilt the burned part of the
farm; and they repaired the whole of Baldr’s hagi, but it was a long
time before the fire was extinguished. King Helgi disliked most of all
that the gods had been burned. It was very costly to build Baldr’s hagi
again as good as it was. King Helgi then resided at Syrstrond”
(Fridthjóf’s Saga, c. 10).
The fact that some of the old temples were a subject of pilgrimage to
those who had emigrated from the land is further proof of the veneration
paid to them.
“Lopt Ormsson went from Gaulardal in Norway to Iceland when young, and
took up land along the Thjórsá river. Lopt went to Norway every third
summer for himself and for his mother’s brother Flosi, to sacrifice in
the temple which his grandfather Thorbjörn had guarded” (Landnama v.,
ch. 8).
Inside the principal door of the temple stood the high-seat pillars,
which were highly venerated, and in which were placed the so-called
_reginnaglar_ (sacred pegs). It was the custom for families to take
these pillars when they left their old home for Iceland, and when at sea
to throw them overboard, and settle where they came ashore: they, the
timbers of the temple, and the mould under the altars of the gods, were
considered sacred.
“The summer that Ingólf and Hjörleif went to settle in Iceland, Harald
Fairhair had been king in Norway for twelve years. There had passed from
the beginning of this world six thousand and seventy-three winters; but
from the birth of our Lord, eight hundred and seventy-four winters.
“They sailed together till they saw Iceland, and then separated. When
Ingólf saw Iceland, he threw overboard his high-seat pillars for luck,
saying that he would settle where the pillars went ashore.
“Ingólf took up his abode where his high-seat pillars had come to land;
this was at Reykjarvik, and there the high-seat pillars still remain in
a hall”[254] (Landnama).
“Thórólf Mostrarskegg made a great sacrifice, and inquired from his
beloved friend Thor whether he should reconcile himself to the King
(Harald Fairhair), or go away from the country and seek other fate. The
answer pointed out to him Iceland. Thereupon he got a large seagoing
ship, and made it ready for the Iceland journey, and took with him his
household and live stock. Many of his friends went on the journey with
him. He took down the temple and carried with him most of the timbers
which had been in it, and also the earth and mould from under the altar
on which Thor had sat. Thereupon he sailed out to sea with fair winds,
reached the land, and went along the south coast westward past
Reykjanes. Then the fair wind ceased, and they saw that large fjords
went into the land. Thórólf threw overboard his high-seat pillars, which
had been standing in the temple; the image of Thor was carved on one of
them. He declared that he would live in Iceland, at the place where Thor
landed them. As soon as they left the ship they drifted to the western
fjord. Then there came a breeze; they sailed westward past Snjófellsnes
and into the fjord; they saw it was very broad and long, with very high
mountains on both sides. Thórólf named it Breidifjord (broad fjord). He
landed on the southern side, nearly at its middle, and laid the ship in
the bay, which they afterwards called Hofs-vag. They searched the shore,
and found on the point of a ness north of the bay that Thor had there
landed the pillars. The ness was called Thórsness. After this Thórólf
went with fire around the land which he took up from Stafá (river) to
the river which he called Thórsá, and there settled his ship’s crew. He
raised a large house at Hofs-vag which he called Hofstadir. There he had
a large temple built; there was a door on the side wall, near the one
end; inside stood the high-seat pillars, and pegs were in them; they
were called _regin naglar_. Inside this there was a great _peace-place_;
in the innermost part of the temple was a room like the choirs in
churches now, and a platform was raised on the middle of the floor like
an altar, on which there lay a jointless ring weighing two ounces, and
on this all oaths had to be sworn. The temple priest had to wear that
ring on his arm at all meetings” (Eyrbyggja, c. 4).
After Ingimund had departed from Norway for Iceland he landed at
Borgarfjord. He was met by Grim and Hámund, the former of whom invited
him to remain with him, and take whatever he wanted, whether real or
portable property. For the offer Ingimund thanked him, but said he would
only remain over winter, and in the spring would go to look for the
place he intended to settle on. The following summer he wandered about,
and in the autumn took winter quarters in a valley called Vididal, at a
place which was afterwards named Ingimundarhöll.
“When spring came and the snow began to melt on the mountain sides
Ingimund said, ‘I should like some men to go up on a high mountain to
look if there is less snow in other places, for I do not think we will
settle in this valley, for it is not an equal bargain.’ They went up on
a high mountain and saw far away. They returned and told him that the
mountains on the north-west were very snowless, and soon they were all
on their way thither. As they approached the Vatnsdal valley Ingimund
recognised it from the description given by the Fins; and when they came
to the Vatnsdal river Vigdis said ‘I must rest a little while, for I
feel sick.’ She gave birth to a girl who was named Thordis, after
Ingimund’s mother. He then said that the place should be called
Thordisarholt. He chose a site for his residence in a very beautiful
grove, raised a large temple, one hundred feet in length; and when he
was digging holes for his high-seat pillars he found the image of Frey
of silver, as he had been foretold. Then he said, ‘It is indeed true
that you cannot go against fate, but nevertheless I like this. This farm
shall be called Hof (temple)’” (Vatnsdæla, 15).[255]
Lodmund the old, a Norwegian from Voss, went to Iceland:
“He threw his high-seat pillars overboard at sea, and said he would
settle where they were driven ashore. They landed in the eastern fjords,
and he settled in Lodmundarfjord, where he lived that winter. When he
heard that his high-seat pillars were on the south coast he carried on
board the ship all his property, hoisted the sail, laid himself down,
and bade no one be so bold as to utter his name. After he had been lying
down for a short time a loud crash was heard, and it was seen that a
large land-slip had come down upon the farm where Lodmund had dwelt. He
rose and said, ‘It is my imprecation that the ship which hereafter sails
out from here shall never come undamaged back from the sea.’ He took up
land where the high-seat pillars had come ashore” (Landnama iv. 5).[256]