Temple At Uppsala Heimskringla Gesta Danorum Adam Of Bremen

The temple is only sparsely documented, but it is referred to in the Norse sagas and Gesta Danorum, and it is described by Adam of Bremen. The chief controversy is exactly where in Old Uppsala the temple was located and if it really was a building. Some believe that the temple was confused with the hall of the Swedish kings (located some tens of metres to the north of the present church). Churches were usually built on top of previous pagan temples, and during an excavation of the church, the remains of one or several large wooden buildings were found.

The Temple at Uppsala was probably destroyed by king Ingold I in 1087 during the last battle between the pagans and the Christians.

In the year 2000This page is about the year 2000. See 2000 AD for the UK comic book, Number 2000 for other uses. 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar), and also the International Year for a Culture of Peace''. Events Y2K passes without the seri, the first blótThe Blot was the pagan Germanic sacrifice to Norse gods and Elves. The word is related to the English word bless and they are derived from blood an important component in the rites. Rites and beliefs The verb blota meant to "strengthen" and the intention was performed at Old Uppsala for over 900 years, by the Swedish Asatrúar.

1 Heimskringla

Snorri Sturluson relates that the Temple was built by the god Frey, who settled at Uppsala:

According to Snorri, there was a main blót at the Temple at Uppsala in February, and they sacrificed for peace and for the victories of the king. Then the Ting of all Swedes was conducted and there was a grand fair, and this continued even after Sweden had been Christianized. The Disablót was performed to see how large the next harvest would be.

2 Gesta Danorum

Like Snorri, Saxo wrote it was a place for human sacrifice founded by the god Frey:

Also Frey, the regent of the gods, took his abode not far from Upsala, where he exchanged for a ghastly and infamous sin-offering the old custom of prayer by sacrifice, which had been used by so many ages and generations. For he paid to the gods abominable offerings, by beginning to slaughter human victims.[7]

He also writes that there were assemblies of people entertaining themselves:

And when he ( Starkad) had done many noteworthy deeds among them, he went into the land of the Swedes, where he lived at leisure for seven years' space with the sons of Frey ( House of Yngling). At last he left them and betook himself to Hakon, the tyrant of Denmark, because when stationed at Upsala, at the time of the sacrifices, he was disgusted by the effeminate gestures and the clapping of the mimes on the stage, and by the unmanly clatter of the bells. [8]

3 Adam of Bremen

Adam of Bremen wrote that the Swedes had a famous temple named Ubsola, near which there was a large tree with wide branches. It is always green, winter and summer, and no one knew what species it was. There was also a well where they used to perform the sacrifices and immerse a living man and if he disappeared the gods would answer the prayers. It was not far from the towns of Sigtuna and Birka.

A golden chain was around the temple hanging over its gables and the chain could be seen glittering far and wide for those who approached. It stood on flat ground sourrounded by mounds like a theatre. Inside the temple which was richly decorated with gold, there were three statues of gods. The most important god, Thor sat on a throne in the centre and beside him sat the gods Odin (whom Adam called Wotan) and Frey (called Fricco by Adam).

Thor was said to govern the air, thunder, lightning, winds, rain, good weather and harvests. Odin, which meant the furious, brought war and gave strength against enemies. Frey who gave peace and pleasure was represented by a statue with an immense phallos. Odin's statue was armed, and was likened to Mars and Thor was likened by Adam to Jupiter. The people also worshiped heroes who had been elevated to gods, such as king Erik about whom it is told in Vita Ansgari.

There were priests appointed for the gods, and if plague or famine threatened they sacrficed to Thor, whereas they sacrificed to Odin for war and to Frey for marriages.

The tradition was that every ninth year, there was a great feast at the vernal equinox which was attended obligatorily by all Swedes. Not long ago, a Christian king named Anund (either Ingold I, whom the story fits best, or Anund Uppsale who fits the name and had to leave Sweden but later returned to seek reconciliation) had refused to sacrifice to the gods and had left glady for his faith.

All the kings and the people brought gifts to Uppsala an even the Christians had to redeem themselves by attending, which Adam found to be distressing. There were feasts and sacrifices for nine days and each day they sacrificed a man and animals so that when the nine days had passed seventy-two men and animals had been sacrificed.

They offered nine male heads of every living thing that was used in sacrifices, even dogs and horses together with the men (four of the remaining were probably cocks, pigs, goats and bulls) and the bodies hanged in the sacred grove adjoining the temple. Every tree in the grove was sacred due to the death and decomposition of the corpses.

A 72-year-old Christian had seen the corpses hanging arbitrarily from the branches and reported that the songs sung were many and improper. Adam considered it best not to be more specific about their content.

4 Destruction

When Olof Skötkonung had been baptised he wanted to have it destroyed, but the Temple at Uppsala was probably destroyed by king Ingold I in 1087 during the last battle between the pagans and the Christians.

The new cathedral of the Swedish archbishopric was constructed on the site, and during an excavation of the church the remains of one or several wooden constructions were found.

The area also has a vast grave field that once comprised 2000-3000 mounds, and the remains of the houses of the Swedish kings. Since the Iron age, the area has always been the property of either the Swedish king or the Swedish state (the centre of the Uppsala öd). There is a museum and a restaurant where visitors can drink mead from horns.

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