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SACEED EDIFICES. 209
it a large copper bowl, into which they collected the
blood of the animals or men that were given to Thor.
This they called laut or lautbolli, and out of it the
people and cattle were to be spimkled. The victim
was to be served up at the banquet, but the human
beings that were sacrificed, were thrown, after being
killed, into a swampy pool near the door, which was
called the sacrificial pool (blot-kellda).*
By the former of these descriptions, which is undoubtedly
very credible, it may be seen that in the
heathen temples of the ancient Northmen, there was
sometimes a distinction made between the inner
Most-Holy, where the statues of the Gods were
placed, and the outer part of the temple, doubtless
the most spacious part, in which it may be presumed
the sacrificial banquets were held. It must, there-
fore, have been this, last-named part of the temple
that is described elsewhere in the Sagas as being so
constructed as to have fires burning along the floor,
with the flesh-pots hanging over them and with seats
upon each side for the accommodation of the guests.f
This outer part of the temple is, doubtless, the same
building which in other places is called the Disar-
salr. For instance, in Frithjof 's Saga this is de-
scribed as being the highest among the buildings
of the temple in Baldur's grove, and constructed for
the festivals with fires along the floor and seats upon
the sides.:]: In the Tnglinga Saga, the Disar hall of
* Kjalnes S. 2.
Snor. . HSk. 6(55. S. 16.
t
X Pri6>. S. S, 9.