Another form of offering was the oath. An oath to perform some action might be uttered as an offering to the Regin or the landvættir. During a severe winter the people of Reykdal agree to all take oaths so that they can obtain better weather. These vows were to give gifts to the hof. (304) When Hallfred Vandræðaskald, who was a Northman, wanted to get away from Norway and Olaf Tryggvasson, he and his crew agreed to make oaths to the gods so that they could get fair winds to any Northern country. They promised three barrels of ale to Freyr if they got a wind to Sweden, or to Thor and Othinn if they came back to Iceland. The meaning of this was that they would hold a feast for which ever god aided them. (305) During Yule oaths were made during the sónarblót (boar-sacrifice) on the sónargöltr (sacrificial boar). (306) (307) The boar itself seems to have been sacrificed to Freyr quite often and was holy to him. Both Freyr and Freyja are said to have golden boars. (308)

Prayers to the Regin seems to have been a common practice among Northmen. One of the gods prayed to most often, judging from the literature was Thorr. Thorr was called on for protection during voyages. Even those who had converted to Christianity trusted Thorr more than Christ when it came to long voyages, as is seen in the account in Landnámabók, of Helgi the Lean, who was a Christian. Despite this, when he had to go on a sea voyage or make a difficult decision or any matter he considered of great importance it was Thorr he called on. (309) It was Thorr that was called on during draught as well. When rain was needed prayers to Thorr were given.

The gods were normally consulted on major decisions. Besides Thorr, Freyr was another god that received prayers quite often. It was thought Freyr would send visions to those who had his favor and called on him. (310) Jarl Hákon offered many a prayer to Thorgerd Hörgabrúð. It was only when these prayers were accompanied by tears and a silver ring that she listened. (311)

Animal sacrifices were an important part of Northern religious practices. It is also one that is misunderstood by quite a few people. This occurs because when people think of animal sacrifices they most often think of middle eastern practices or practices from other cultures. In its most mundane and practical sense, the animal sacrifice of our ancestors was no different than going to your butcher for some prime cuts of ribs for a 4th of July cookout. The animal sacrifices of the Northman/woman had holy qualities of course, but unlike some cultures where the animal is burnt to ashes, the animals sacrificed by Northfolk were eaten in the sacrificial feasts. The whole community/family shared in the meal and the eating of it was considered sharing a meal with the gods and goddesses. (312)

Examples of animal sacrifices abound in the lore. In Denmark there was said to be a great sacrifice every nine years in the month of January that consisted of ninety-nine human sacrifices and ninety-nine horses, dogs and cocks. This account comes from Thietmar's chronicle (313) and like the one given by Adam of Bremen when he described the great sacrifice at Uppsala, it is considered to be an invention of legend, (314) and is likely an exaggeration. We know that dogs were not sacrificed normally as only animals that were eaten by man were sacrificed and dogs were not normally eaten by Northern Europeans.

Though various things could be offered to the gods and goddesses, the offering of blood sacrifices and the life force that used that blood as a vehicle of existence were considered to be stronger offerings. These sacrifices would normally be thank offerings but might also be offerings made when asking for help from the Regin. (315) In Íselendinga Sögur the victor of a duel sacrifices a bull with the same weapon he won the duel with.

As with other types of sacrifices the first part of the sacrifice belonged to the gods. This was the blood and certain parts of the animal, like the head, hide, liver, heart and tongue. As mentioned before this was common no matter what the offering was, whether animal or crops. I would like to here quote Grimm on this as it bears repeating. "At the same time these sacrifices appear to be also banquets; an appointed portion of the slaughtered beast is placed before the god, the rest is cut up, distributed and consumed in the assembly. The people thus became partakers in the holy offering, and the god is regarded as feasting with them at their meal . At great sacrifices the kings were expected to taste each kind of food, and down to late times the house-spirits and dwarfs had their portion set aside for them by the superstitious people." (316)

There is also evidence to believe that only male animals were sacrificed. According to Grimm this was the case in more than one account given in the literature. (317)

Another strong tradition that appears in many sources is the hanging of carcasses/skins of animals either on poles or in trees. I believe what eye witnesses saw as carcasses were actually the head and skin of an animal that was sacrificed. These heads and hides of the animals were many times, hung in the limbs of holy trees or in the limbs of trees in holy groves. (318) A traveler in Denmark in the Viking Age described how he saw cattle hanging up outside the house in which sacrifices had been made. Davidson agrees that this was most likely only the hide with the head, horns and hooves attached, as the meat would have been eaten at the sacrifice. According to Davidson this was a practice that could be traced back to very early times in Northern Europe and that it was kept up until recent times by some of the people of the Steppe. In 1805 the hides of horned creatures were given to the church in one remote district in Sweden until a bishop objected because he thought (rightly so) that it looked too much like a Northern custom. (319) The account of the great sacrifice at Uppsala given by Adam of Bremen also states that it was carcasses that were hung in the trees of the holy grove that was next to the hof but here again it was probably the case of an outsider seeing hides with hooves and head still connected mistaking them for carcasses. (320) Grimm confirms that the head was not eaten but instead consecrated to the gods. He also confirms that it was the head and hide of the animal and not the carcass (321), that were hung on the limbs of holy trees. (322) It is likely from accounts such as those from a Traveler's account of the Viking city of Hedeby that if a holy tree was not available that the hides were hung on poles. In Hedeby the carcasses of the animals killed for sacrifice were hung on poles outside the house where the ritual was taking place. Here again it is more likely that what is being described is the hooves, head and hide of the animal. (323) On the holy oak in Romove the Prussians would hang clothing on the limbs. (324) Does this indicate that the tradition of hanging offerings in the limbs of trees was one that was used for other offerings besides animals?

The animals that were sacrificed might be sometimes chosen by lot. In the account of the Rus Traders who sailed the Dnieper, we are told that they chose the cocks they would sacrifice by choosing lots. The lots decided which would be sacrificed, which would be eaten and which would be kept alive. (325) Using lots in this fashion was seen as letting the gods decide which should be sacrificed, for it was they who controlled the outcome of the drawing of lots. (326) Another method which some scholars believed may have been used were the horse fights and horse races that were said to have been held at the great feasts. (327) It is thought that the fights and races would decide which animal would be kept for breeding and which would be sacrificed. (328) This would be logical as it would be preferable to breed the strongest and most virile horse and thereby guarantee the line continued with the strongest horses. We know definitely that horses were sacrificed and it was the eating of horse flesh that was considered a sign of being Northfolk. In the saga of Hákon the Good, the Christian king Hákon refuses to eat horse flesh at the feast as it was considered sinful by the Christians.

The types of animals sacrificed might depend on circumstances or to whom the sacrifice was intended for but we do know that only animals that were eaten were sacrificed to the Regin. We know that the sacrifice almost always was accompanied by a feast and that this feast was considered to have been shared with the gods and goddesses. Sacrificing an animal that was not eaten by man could have been seen as insulting to the gods. Grimm agrees with this when he says, "… only those animals were suitable, whose flesh could be eaten by men. It would have been unbecoming to offer food to the god, which the sacrificer himself would have disdained. At the same time these sacrifices appear to be also banquets; an appointed portion of the slaughtered beast is placed before the god, the rest is cut up, distributed and consumed in the assembly. The people thus became partakers in the holy offering, and the god is regarded as feasting with them at their meal (see Suppl.). At great sacrifices the kings were expected to taste each kind of food, and down to late times the house-spirits and dwarfs had their portion set aside for them by the superstitious people.- (329)

Although dog skeletons have been found in sites that have ritual significance these are most likely grave sites because they were found with human skeletons and we know that from various sources that it was common to kill animals owned by the deceased so that they could be buried with him or her. (330) So even though these animals were killed in a ritual way, we probably should not consider them in the same light as the blót sacrifice. Additionally, in the many accounts we have of animal sacrifice in the literature there is never a mention of a dog or any other animal that was not eaten by man. Bears, wolves or foxes were likewise never sacrificed. It was believed that they possessed a 'ghostly being.' The only blood sacrifice that was given but not eaten was man himself. Of human sacrifices I'll examine more closely in another place. (331)