It was not an uncommon practice to leave offerings at the foot of a holy tree or for wreaths to be hung on them. This practice continued after the Christian conversion. (62) A tenth century Greek account tells of a practice of the Rus who were traders on the Dnieper who brought cocks with them for the purpose of sacrificing as a thank-offering. They laid their sacrifices at the foot of an enormous oak on an island now called St. Gregory's Island. This oak survived into the nineteenth century. It is thought the Rus were sacrificing to Thorr who was often called upon to assist travelers and with whom the oak was associated. (63) The Langobards also left offerings at trees as is evidenced from their "blood-tree" or "holy tree." (64) There is evidence of this with other cultures such as the Lettons who believed their god Pushkait lived under the elder tree. They would leave bread and beer for him beside the tree and would not burn elder wood for fear of bad luck. (65) And of course there is the practice of hanging animal heads and carcasses/skins in the limbs of the tree which we'll examine more closely later.

As would be expected certain trees were immune from cutting. Oaks and hazels were not to be cut. In order to cut wood from the elder tree, a prayer was required sometimes on bent knee and bare head in later times. This is most likely a survival of a Northern tradition. Tales exist of men beginning to cut down certain trees only to hear a voice commanding them not to cut down the tree. (66)

Many times individual trees were given names, specifically names of goddesses (67) or were addressed with female titles. The later traditions of beautiful maidens sitting inside the hollows of trees and even later Christian traditions of the 'Madonna in the Wood,' were possibly derived from this tradition. Tree's might be called by the names of Hlin, Gna or be addressed as frau or dame; words for woman or lady. (68)

The Veneration of holy trees was something that continued into the Chrsistian conversion. In Minden on Easter Sunday the young people of both sexes used to dance, with loud cries of joy, in a circle around an old oak. (69) Despite this survival of Northern custom, the Christians went out of their way to cut down holy trees. There are cases, however, where the Northmen stood up and would not allow the Christians to desecrate their holy sites according to Grimm. Despite those instances of resistance Christians were always ready to cut down holy trees and groves wherever they found them and replaced them with Christian churches. When ever they did not chop down the trees the sites they were on were converted to Christian churches. The church at Fritzlar was actually said to have been built out of the wood from the holy oak that had stood there. (70)

Like holy groves there is evidence that may point to holy trees being connected with the alfar. Some pine trees were thought to have what was called a 'hafs-fru' (sea-maiden?) dwelling under them. It was said one could sometimes see snow-white cattle being driven up from the lake and through meadows to them and no one dared to touch the bows of the tree. Trees of this sort were thought to be holy to individual alfar. (71) There are also descriptions of processions being made to a holy oak near Wormeln, Paderborn once every year. Most all the evidence we have for processions are connected with Vanir gods and goddesses. (72) As we have seen, the alfar and Vanir seem to be intimately connected. In the Eddas one would expect that when the tribe of the Aesir was mentioned the Vanir would also be mentioned. It is interesting to note that instead it is Aesir and Alfar that was mentioned many times.

It is then possible to say that the vé (holy grove or field) was a particular feature of Vanir worship? In Viga-Glúms Saga we here of a field that was devoted to Freyr. Glúm killed someone in that field and thereby incurred the wrath of the Vanir god. (73) While we could not say for sure that holy groves and trees are a feature of Vanir worship we could say that there is a strong possibility of such, as most all the references we have of the veneration of trees and groves are connected either with Vanir deities or with the alfar.

Holy Stones

Another holy space used by Northmen was the holy stone. These were many times massive and/or strangely shaped stones. (74) In Landnámabók we find Eyvind the son of Lodin who is said to have settled in a valley and on the edge of whose land was the Gunnsteinnar (Gunn-rocks) which he worshipped. (75) Northmen were adept at arranging great masses of stone and many times used them in grave-mounds as well. (76) Oaths were sworn on holy stones at Things and stones were used in sacrifices as well. (77) There are also examples of folk traditions surviving that most likely have Northern origins such as the Hollow Stone near Hesse. On Easter Monday the youths and maidens of the villages nearby carry nosegays and draw some water and will not venture down from the area of the stone unless they have flowers with them. (78)

Holy Mountains and Hills

There were quite a few examples of whole mountains or hills being considered holy. Some of these are shown in place names such as Wodan's Hill or Thunar's Hill. (79) Thórólf Mostrar-skegg ("Moster-beard"), when he moved to Iceland, found a large outcropping of rocks which he named Helgafell and considered most holy. He believed that he would fare there to live with his ancestors upon his death and no one was allowed to look on it (pray to it) without having washed. Nor, as is common with holy space, were the animals living there allowed to be killed. He also built a hof nearby. (80)
According to Grimm the so-called 'witch's mountains' of later Christian times were originally places holy to Northfolk and used for sacrifices. The Christians, of course, turned them into places where 'devil worship' occurred by witches. Elves also took up residence in hills quit often and these alfar were often given offerings. (81)

Holy Rivers, Lakes, Bogs, Springs ect.

There are many examples of holy bodies of water in the lore. There have been many archaeological finds indicating offerings from bogs and in lakes. River bends that formed an ea (aue) were thought to specially holy to the gods. (82) There were many instances of a holy spring or well located beside hofs or holy groves. There are still folk customs that have their followers making offerings to these wells and springs. (83) Offerings were thrown in lakes and there was an example of man who threw offerings of food into a waterfall in Iceland. (84) In Skedemosse on the island of Öland a large number of objects have been recovered from a dried up lake bed. These objects are thought to have been offerings. (85)

Descriptions of Holy Places

     There are more than a few descriptions of hofs and holy spaces that have survived in various literature. Some may have been influenced by the author's knowledge of Christian churches in England or on Mainland Europe. One of these descriptions, about which there is much debate among scholars as to whether it is an authentic description of a Northern hof, is Adam of Bremen's description of the hof at Uppsala. It is described as being made completely of gold and to house the statues of three gods. Thor was said to occupy the middle seat and to the left and right were the statues of Wodan (Othinn) and Fricco (Freyr). The temple was encircled by a golden chain which hung from the gable of the house, the reflection of which was able to be seen very far off by those approaching the hof. (86) It is doubtful that the whole hof was constructed out of gold, although this could have been wood which was coated with gold foil.

The hof of Thórólf Mostrar-skeggr is described in Eyrbyggja Saga. It was made of wood and possibly sat on a groundsill as it is mentioned that he took earth from beneath the 'platform' when he took the temple down to transport it to Iceland. There were two pillars on either side of the high seat on which Thorr's statue would have been placed and one of the pillars had the likeness of Thorr carved into it. The door to the temple was in the side-wall near one end and just within this were two more pillars, the 'holy columns' on which were the reginnaglar (god- nails.) These columns as I have postulated before could have been primarily used to anchor the groundsill. This of course does not bar them from having holy significance as well. Within this hof there was another, like the choir in Christian churches, and in the middle of the floor stood a platform or stalli (an altar) which lay a ring that was un-joined and the hlautr-bolli, (sacrificial blood bowl) (87) which was used to catch the blood from the sacrifices. This ring was the oath-ring which was worn on the arm of the gothi or chief at the Things and which weighed 2 ounces (20 ounces in other accounts). On it were sworn holy oaths. Also on the stalli was the hlaut-teinn (sacrificial blood twig) (88) which was used to sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the walls, altar and those present at the blót. Around the platform stood the statues of the gods. 'Near at hand' was the dómhríngr (Doom Ring) within which stood Thorr's Stone over which the back was broken of those to be sacrificed. (89)

Thorgrim Helgisson was said to be a great performer of sacrifices. On his farm land at Kjalarnes he had a hof which is described as being one hundred feet long by sixty feet wide. Thorr received the highest honors there and it had a round vaulted roof. Thorr's statue was the central statue with the statues of the other gods grouped around his. Before Thorr's statue was a stalli. This stalli was covered on top with iron and there was a fire which burned on it that was never allowed to go out and which was called the holy fire. Also on the stalli laid a large silver ring which like the one in Thórólf Mostrar-skeggr's hof was worn by the hofgothi during meetings such as at Things and which all oaths were sworn on. There was also a hlaut-bolli here as well which was made of copper. The animals sacrificed were served at the feast and the humans who were sacrificed were thrown in a bog nearby which was called the blót-kéllda (sacrificial pool/bog). (90) (91)