Northern mythology

212 NORTHERN MYTHOLOGY.
OF PLACES OF WORSHIP i.
Spacious and magnificent temples, in honour of the
gods, were erected in many parts of the Scandinavian
countries, besides which there were stone-groups or altars
for sacrificial purposes. Such a pagan altar was called a
horg, whence the priestesses attending it were denominated
horgahrudar. By every horg or temple there was a sacred
grove, or a solitary tree, on which the offerings were suspended.
Such trees were supposed to possess great virtue
in the cure of diseases. Hence it is that even now some
trees are regarded with a superstitious veneration, particularly
the lime, and those in
which ' elf-holes,^ or openings
fomied by two branches that
have grown together,
are found. These are often cut do^ai for superstitious
purposes. Women, who have difficult labours, are drawn
through them, and have thereby not unfrequently lost
their lives ; and superstitious persons may be often seen
carrying sickly children to a forest, for the pui-pose of
dragging them through such holes.
By every sacred grove there was a well or fountain, in
which the offerings were washed.
OF SOOTHSAYING AND S0RCERY2.
Besides the regular priests, the Northern nations had
also their wise men and women, or soothsayers. The
principal kinds of witchcraft were seid (sei^r) and galder
(galdr) ; though there seems also to have been a third
species, as the prophetesses (volur), prophets (vitkar), and
seid-workers (sei^-berendr) are distinguished from each
other, and spring from different origins^. Galder is a derivation
of at gala, to sing'^, and consisted in producing
1 Afzelius, i. 18, 20.
2 From Petersen, Danmarks Historic and Keyser, Relig. Forfatn.
3 Hyndlulj. Str. 32. ^ Like our enchant.