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THE DIVINB SERVICE OF THE HEATHENS. 223
bl&56rn) upon captured enemies. It consisted, in
cutting .the ribs from the spinal column and then
through the open wound tearing out the lungs,
which, it was said, they presented to Odin for
victory.*
The inhuman custom which the Norwegian Vik-
ings in heathendom had, of throwing up small children
into the air and catching" them again upon
their spear-points (henda born a spjota oddum),f is
to be regarded perhaps not merely as an outburst
of the most savage ferocity of rude warriors, but
also as a kind of human sacrifice.
The conqueror usually regarded all enemies slain
in battle as an offering he had made to Odin, and
it appears to have been the custom sometimes, in
order that the sacrifice should be still more special,
to besmear the altars with the. blood of the iirst
chieftains among the slain.
Two kinds of bloody self-immolation are mentioned
in the Sagas. The one is "to mark" one's-self
with the Spear-point" (at marka sik geirs-oddi),
a custom by which the Asa worshiper, when dying
of sickness, consecrated himself to Odin. The
introduction of this custom is attributed to Odin
himself,:}: but how far it came into general practice
is not known. Probably it was intended to take
the place of death by arms upon the battle-field,
and thus open to the dying an admission into the
* OL Tr. S. Skalh. L 119; the O. Edda: Sigar5ar-kvi6a Fa&is-
bana, 11. 26 ; Ragn. L655br. S. 18 ; Noma Geats S. 6.
Landnmb. V. 11 ; Fri6>. S. 11.
t
{ Snor. : Yngl. S. 10,