In this video, I discuss the pagan sacrifices in the sagas in context of Hakon the good's saga and Eyrbyggja saga, and connect it to archaeology, Adam of Bremen's description of the temple of Uppsala, and Guta saga.
I enjoyed this. Provides me with a video to showcase to individuals who, in my opinion, are too content with a “We don’t know, therefore make it up” approach to Ásatrú. I believe I do know, though, of an instance of metallic offerings being made in the literature. From Færeyinga Saga: “The Earl cast him down at her feet, and there he lay long, and when he rose up he told Sigmund that they should bring her some offering and lay the silver thereof on the stool before her.”
The lake sacrifices are described in England I believe, a bishop is complaining that the new converts are still sacrificing to holy lakes by throwing stuff into them.
In the recently excavated Odin temple at Fæsted near Ribe, excavators found many spearheds poked into the ground near the some columns inside the house. Could they be reginnaglar? (Link in Danish historienet.dk/kultur/arkaeologi/stort-odintempel-gravet-op-i-kendt-vikingeomraade )
I'm not sure that I would interpret them as Reginnaglar, since those are said to have been placed on the öndvegissúlur (high-seat pillars); but I believe they have found similar finds of spears stuck into the ground at the hall in Uppsala. The scholars that have worked with this are referring to Grímnismál 9, which describes Odin's hall. Here it says the rafters are made of spears(!) That's pretty cool!
