1. A chieftain’s burial entwined with sacrifice and sexual rites When a leader died, the rite often demanded a willing slave girl accompany him into the afterlife. After days of ritual intoxication, she was joined with the community, then slain, her body sent to the sea atop the ship that bore the chief. In their belief, this ensured eternal service and power beyond the grave.
2. The Blood Eagle: a chilling display of mercy gone terrifying The Blood Eagle—whether myth or maelstrom of fear—depicts the back opened, ribs severed from the spine and spread like wings. A grisly sacrifice to Odin, reserved for enemies or those deemed egregiously treacherous.
3. Yule mass sacrifices: a fearsome cycle of devotion Did nine days, nine victims per day, for a total of 81 souls offered to the gods at Uppsala. The bodies hung in sacred groves as feasts and revelry roared around the ceremony, a brutal vow to secure prosperity.
4. Draugr defense: mortuary mischief to keep the dead at bay To ward off the revenants, the living pinned branches to garments, set open scissors on chests, drove needles into soles, and bound big toes. Some rites even moved coffins in pools of confusion to bewilder the restless dead.
5. Blot: a bloody tribute to the gods Blot was a fierce, communal gratitude—blood spilled from cattle and beasts, poured into bowls, drunk, chanted over, and anointed upon participants. The larger the sacrifice, the louder the thanks to the divine.
6. Berserkers: the line between man and animal blurs These warriors shed humanity to summon totemic fury—bears, wolves—through rites of death and rebirth, living wild, charging combat unarmored and unafraid, a primal storm on the field.
7. Decorated teeth: a grim, status-marking art Vikings carved and grooves were painted into front teeth, turning mouths into banners of distinction—an unmistakable, if eerie, status symbol.
8. Fire by urine: a passing flame for long-distance travel A practical, ruthless trick: a fungus from bark was boiled in human urine and dried, creating a smoldering compound that carried fire further than ordinary flames.
9. Battle odysseys: magic, omens, and sacrifices Before confrontation, warriors read omens, etched runes on weapons, and offered sacrificial beasts—boars, bulls, or stallions—to endow the fight with luck, strength, and protection.
10. Pale gold of the wind: hair as proof of Viking vigor Blonde hair stood as an ideal of beauty; harsh, alkali-rich soaps lightened manes and beards, a practical ritual that doubled as lice elimination and a symbol of enduring vigor.