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208 RELIGION OF THE NOETHMEit.
m6tlatiss) weighing two ounces. By this ring all
oaths were taken, and the ruler was to wear it upon
his arm at all meetings. On the platform stood the
bowl for the sacrificial blood (laut-bolli), in which
was the laut-teinn, a kind of sprinkling-rod with
which they sprinkled the laut, or blood of animals
sacrificed to the Gods. Around about the platform
within the smaller house (afhusit), were placed the
statues of the Gods. Near at hand was the Doomring
(domhringr), within which human beings were
doomed to sacrifice, and within this ring stood
Thor's Stone, upon which the victims were broken
when about to be offered up. It was believed that
traces of blood were still visible upon this stone
long after the introduction of Christianity.*
The Icelandic chieftain Thorgrim, a son of the
Northman Helgi Bjola, was a great performer
of sacrifices. On his farm-land (tiin) at Kjalarnes,
in southwestern Iceland, he raised a temple one
hundred feet long by sixty wide, in which Thor re-
ceived the highest honors. It was built round in-
side like a cap (with a vaulted roof), and was all
tented overhead (himg with tapestry). Thor's statue
stood in the middle, the other Gods upon both sides.
Before Thor stood an elevated place (stallr), made
with great art, and covered on the top with iron.
Upon this burned a fire which was never extin-
guished, called the sacred fire ; there lay, also,
upon it a large ring of silver which the hof-go5i
was to wear on his arm at all meetings, and by
which all were to swear. There was, besides, upon
» Eyrb. a 4, XO; Landnmb. II,, X2,