1555 Olaus Magnus Archbishop of Uppsala Historia de Gentibus Septentrionalibus "A Description of the Northern People" Book III, Chs. 3-4 Excepts Translated by Peter Fisher and Humphrey Higgens Edited by Peter G. Foote, 1996. [HOME] [POPULAR RETELLINGS] |
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Chapter Four On Three Lesser Gods |
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Besides these three
gods several others were also worshipped, who, as Saxo says, after
winning possession of simple folk's minds by their skill in some
marvellous trick of jugglery, laid claim to the rank of deity. For not
only the Goths but all the northern provinces too were encompassed by
them in nooses of idle credulity, excited with zeal to pay them worship,
and, worst of all, defiled with their derisive contamination. The effect
of their deception became so prevalent that the other nations, revering
a divine power in these impostors and thinking them to be gods, or
confederates of gods, offered solemn prayers to such inventors of
sorceries and devoted to sacrilegious error the regard which properly
belongs to sacred beings. Among them was one Methotin, eminent in the magic art, who secured for himself an exceedingly high reputation for a grandeur that was purely imaginary. By report of his skilful trickery he led astray the minds of ordinary people and induced them to submit idolatrous offerings to him. Since this man was the chief priest of the gods, he so distinguished and regulated sacrificial rites that a particular form of worship and libation was celebrated for each of those on high, for he asserted that offences done to the gods could not be atoned through oblations shared by all or with mingled ceremonies. His crimes were at length discovered and he was killed at a public assembly, but after his death he destroyed a great number of people with the pestilent infection from his corpse, until he was dragged out of his grave-mound and impaled upon a stake, as his vain-glorious illusions deserved. Freyr, too, a deputy of the gods, had his seat not far from Uppsala, where he changed the ancient custom of sacrificing, followed by so many peoples for so many centuries, for a dismal and abominable expiation; initiating the slaughter of human victims, he rendered foul offerings to those above. After he had finally been translated to the company of the gods, black victims were slain on his behalf because he was held to be the god of blood, and banquets of the gods and nocturnal games were dedicated to him whenever the annual feast days came round, as once they were at Rome to Dis and Proserpina. Vagnhofthi and Hading were worshipped with no less honour, because they were believed to be prompt in bringing special aid during bitterly fought wars. It was thought that, because during his life Rostiof the Finn had been foremost in the carefully-thought-out study of divination, he was removed after death to the society of the gods. To these may be added Rostar, whose incredible savagery so desired to be appeased with offerings of human blood that his worshippers would dedicate to him the souls of those whom they were about to destroy. Finally there were thought to be several other sons of the mighty Thor or of Odin, who were granted divine honours by the people and deemed worthy of public sacrifices. |
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