RITUALS & CEREMONIES
There is limited knowledge on the heathen practices of norse mythology.
However brief discoveries determine the possibility that Vikings
practiced human sacrifice as well as animal sacrifice. No priests
existed in norse religion, moments of worship as well as sacrificial
ceremonies were led by chiefs.
These sacrifices were completed in honour of the gods who
sacrificed their cherished possessions in order to gain divine
attributes such as ultimate wisdom and immortality.
There was also evidence of the ritual of burial. Nordic warriors
were sometimes buried with slave girls in the belief that the women
would become their wives in the afterlife. At a traditional chief’s funeral his body was placed on a boat with all of his possessions, and the boat was set alight.
Worship and places to worship existed but little is known. Odin, Thor and Freyr were among the most important deities to be worshipped. little is known about the rituals of Nordic worship. Traditional worship took place in the open. Although, there were possible temples made of wood, however few have survived.