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Dísablót
The ''Dísablót'' was the ''blót'' (sacrificial holiday) which was held in honour of the female spirits or deities called '' dísir'' (and the ValkyriesThe article ''Diser'' in ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (1991).), from pre-historic times until the Christianization of Scandinavia. Its purpose was to enhance the coming harvest."Disablot", ''Nationalencyklopedin''. It is mentioned in '' Hervarar saga'', '' Víga-Glúms saga'', ''Egils saga'' and the ''Heimskringla''. The celebration still lives on in the form of an annual fair called the Disting in Uppsala, Sweden. The Dísablót appears to have been held during Winter Nights, or at the vernal equinox.The article ''Distingen'', in the encyclopedia ''Nationalencyklopedin''. In one version of ''Hervarar saga'', there is a description of how the sacrifice was performed. Alfhildr, the daughter of king Alfr of Alfheim, was kidnapped by Starkad Aludreng while she was reddening a horgr with blood. This suggests that the rite was per ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blót
(Old Norse) and or (Old English) are terms for " blood sacrifice" in Norse paganism and Anglo-Saxon paganism respectively. A comparanda can also be reconstructed for wider Germanic paganism. A ' could be dedicated to any of the Germanic gods, the spirits of the land, and to ancestors. The sacrifice involved aspects of a sacramental meal or feast. Etymology The word is an Old Norse strong neuter noun (genitive ). The corresponding Old English neuter (genitive ) may be influenced by Old Norse; the Old English gospels have prefixed "sacrifice". The reconstructed Proto-Germanic form of the noun is "sacrifice, worship". Connected to this is the Proto-Germanic strong verb with descendants in Gothic (), Old Norse , Old English and Old High German , all of which mean "to sacrifice, offer, worship". The word also appears in a compound attested in Old Norse as "house of worship" and in Old High German as "temple". With a different nominative affix, the same stem is found ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |