Blót
Summary
It can be intimidating to sit down and plan out a Blót. To get through this topic, we are going to first define what Blót is, talk about what we know about Blót from a historical/theoretical perspective and then go through the kinds of Blót you will see around the Asatru community today.
Blót (Sacrifice) is the most sacred ritual in Norse Paganism, the most important, and there are about as many ways to do it as there are Heathens
It can be intimidating to sit down and plan out a Blót. To get through this topic, we are going to first define what Blót is, talk about what we know about Blót from a historical/theoretical perspective and then go through the kinds of Blót you will see around the Asatru community today.
What is Blót?
Simply put: “Blót” is the Old Norse word for “sacrifice.”
Sacrifice is a ritual of offering a gift to the Gods wherein the gift itself is made sacred. Blót is the ritual we use to make an item holy and thus worthy of being given to the Gods. We are going to talk about Blót in two ways.
- First, we are going to talk about Blót from historical perspective
- Second, we are going to talk about modern Blót
What is the difference between a Blót and other offerings?
Some Heathens will use the word “Blót” to mean any kind of offering and some will use it as their word for “prayer” but in this context, it specifically means “sacrifice.” Since the Gods live in a sacred and holy world, Gifts to the Gods (the thinking goes) must be made sacred before they can “pass over” into Their world.
Further, ancestor spirits, elves, land spirits and house spirits all share this world with us. They might be “hidden” but they are there. Gifts do not need to be made sacred, as the ones receiving those gifts are part of the same world we are. That doesn’t mean these offerings aren’t special. But they don’t need to be “sacrificed” and can be given as they are.
Not everyone in Heathenry feels this way, and you’ll see all kinds of different practices and diverse traditions. This is just one way to think about it.
How do we worship our gods?
Heathen spirituality begins with that primary relationship. To worship the gods today, we must go beyond the meanings other religions have given those words to their origins, and reinterpret them in a way that will be in harmony with ancient practice as well as meeting modern needs.
Veiztu, hvé rísta skal, veiztu, hvé ráða skal?
Veiztu, hvé fá skal, veiztu, hvé freista skal?
Veiztu, hvé biðja skal, veiztu, hvé blóta skal?
Veiztu, hvé senda skal, veiztu, hvé sóa skal?
Do you know how to carve, do you know how to read?
Do you know how to color, do you know how to test?
Do you know how to ask, do you know how to sacrifice?
Do you know how to send, do you know how to yield? —Hávamál 144
This stanza from the Hávamál, spoken by Odin after he has described his hanging on the World Tree to gain the runes. The first two lines are taken by many today to describe the basics of runic practice: carving and coloring them, interpreting them, and putting them to some sort of test. The second two are taken today to be the basis of worship: praying to the Gods and sending them offerings, as we believe they have sent us gifts.
This gift-giving relationship is fundamental to how Heathen worship works.
Historical Blót
We know that Blót happened, and that it was centrally important to the Pre-Christian religion. We know that it was so important that even the Christian King Haakon the Good had to attend Blót if he wanted to get the support of the local leadership for his bid for King.
(That’s actually how we know it happened, it was just mentioned in passing as something a Christian King had to do in order to get support at the time.)
But we don’t know exactly what they did during Blót in every detail. There are smatterings of different aspects of sacrifices or offerings mentioned all over Medieval Literature.
Here’s what we are able to theorize about Blót from the source material.
- Blót happened.
- Blót happened at very specific times of the year.
- Blót was specifically a sacrifice to the Gods.
- Blót involved the sacrifice of an animal, specifically its blood.
But what does that mean for us today?
Wait, what was that about Animal Sacrifice?
Animal sacrifice was not only practiced historically, but in some places it is still practiced in a limited capacity.
This form of sacrifice requires people actually skilled in the handling and butchery of livestock. At least one person there needs to know what they’re doing and preferably you would have a team of people to handle the animal. People might not realize this but livestock animals are not easy to handle in all cases and can also get very large. And let’s be real here, they can become frightened and cause a significant amount of damage to property and people.
If you do not have a person who knows what they are doing (not just someone who says “how hard could it be?”) and a dedicated team of people who are going to handle the animal, then you should under no circumstance attempt a Blót with an animal sacrifice.
We aren’t going to go much further than that. We have a list of acceptable offerings for the Gods here. Our models for Blót will not feature an animal.
Sample Blót
You don’t have to do it this way, and this is not the only way you’ll see it done out there in the wild world of Heathenry. People have built up their traditions over time and sometimes the best thing to say is “well, it’s not my way but it’s certainly a way.”
Online Blót
Thanks to advances in streaming, we can now live-stream rituals and share them with people that have previously been unable to attend any rituals at all. It’s been a great tool and a comfort to people to find community and connection where they otherwise would feel isolated and alone. They also allow people who may have disabilities or just don’t have enough money to travel to participate and that’s the kind of inclusive approach we encourage.
“Nothing beats a ritual in-person and out in nature!” Sure. But if the choice is between that and nothing at all? That’s hardly a choice we think people should have to make with their faith. Heathens who use technology to help bring more people to the table and engage and connect people to their faith are truly doing the good work.
Individual Blót
You can of course also just choose to make offerings to the Gods on your own. There will be less fanfare, less feasting and a far shorter Symbel, but again, if the choice is between depriving yourself of that nourishing spiritual connection to the Gods and practicing with others because of whatever restrictions or challenges you’re living with, you can modify this basic sample to fit with your own circumstances. The important thing is that you feel safe, connected and restored by deepening your relationship with the Gods and the world around us.
Note on time: Blót can take up to an hour, but rarely does it go longer than that. There are some groups that have long rituals involving chanting and dancing and those can go very long but rarely will it ever go beyond an hour.
- Space that can be made sacred
- Safe space for the offering (altar of some kind)
- An offering (we go into what makes a good offering in our blog on offerings)
- Fire is a good thing to have around for purification
- A Bowl to collect liquid offerings for sprinkling on people (optional)
You can add in garb or costuming as you choose. Some people like to wear some kind of “holy vestements” to get them in the right mental space to perform a Blót. You can also add in prayers as well.
Most of us do not have access to a “church” so we make do with what we have available. Sacred space can either be temporarily claimed via some kind of ritual purification (like the Hammer Rite) or it can be a permanent fixture with private access.
Sacred space is a place where people feel safe, protected, and free to conduct this very important ritual. In this sense, sacred space is more of a feeling than any specific guidelines for what a sacred space needs to look like. Some groups need a very specific set of guidelines in order for their space to feel sacred.
Some practice groups need wood beams measured to a particular height and width, fencing, a fire pit dug to a specific depth, certain materials used or forbidden. Other groups just need a quiet spot in the woods around some kind of natural feature like a grove or a spring or a natural rock outcropping. And still others just need a quiet corner or a community room where they feel connected with one another and with the Gods and Spirits.
Above all, sacred space is whatever it needs to be for the group or the individual to achieve that feeling of connection, safety and peace.
The space in which a Blót occurs has to be sacred space. Either you have a grove, shrine or temple already, or you’ll have to make a sacred space in an otherwise mundane part of the world. One way to do this is to process around the space with a candle or some kind of fire to claim and purify it.
Prohibition on Weapons, Iron and other local prohibitions and practices
Some groups prohibit weapons or any items made of iron. Many groups will prohibit electronics in the Holy Space. Even if you don’t agree with that, if you are a guest at someone’s Blót you need to either follow their rules or leave the Holy Space. You can ruin relationships when you don’t respect the prohibitions a group has on what you can bring into their Holy space. If you are guest at a Blót, your host will tell you what you can and can’t bring with you.
Some groups require ablution or some kind of ritual washing before you are allowed into holy space. Some groups require veiling or some kind of head covering in order to enter holy space. If you’re not comfortable or disagree with those practices, it’s better to not participate than to try to sneak in on the sly or insist on participating even though you refuse the pre-requisites.
Not every Asatru group is going to be the right group for you! It’s an honor to be invited to a Blót, and an honor to participate, but if they’re practicing in a way that doesn’t make sense to you or that violates a belief you have in a way that cannot be reconciled, it’s better to just let that be and move on.
If you’re doing this alone or with a group, it’s important to get everyone in the right space for a ritual. Muslims do this through ablution. Christians will sometimes walk into a small chapel to say a prayer before service begins. For many of us there are little “mini-rituals” we do before important events in order to put ourselves right.
You can lead people in a meditation if you want, or even just a prayer. You don’t have to take people on a mental odyssey through the Nine Worlds just to go do a Blót. Sometimes just a “this is what we are going to do” and a practice run through a song or a prayer is enough.
There are some variations here. Sometimes people will circumambulate (which is a fancy word for “walking around in a circle”) the holy site for a bit while saying prayers. Some will bring a candle or torch to “purify” the space. How you get there depends on your tradition as a group and the logistics of the holy site.
Usually this is accompanied by prayers, songs or motions like prostration or kneeling. You can also simply lower your gaze. This conveys the respect you have for the offering and reflects its holiness or worth (it’s so holy you can’t even look at it, that kind of thing). You might also pass fire over the offering, or ritually sprinkle water on it in order to purify it. Purification with fire or water are both common and many groups can and do both. These motions can be accompanied by different prayers.
Invoking Thor is a wise thing to do here because of Thor’s function as a God who can bless, hallow or renew things with His hammer. In fact, there is a runestone in Vestrgodland saying “THOR VIGI” which means “Thor Blesses.” It’s why His name is used in the “Hammer Rite.” Even though the rite itself is based on Wicca, the instinct to call on the power of Thor to bless and hallow a given space is consistent across ancient and modern Heathenry.
You don’t have to invoke Thor, and many don’t invoke any God at all. There are a few schools of thought on that. One way to think about it is that human beings don’t have the power in and of themselves to sanctify something. Only the power of a God can actually make something worthy of being given to the Gods.
Prayer to Sanctify Offering
[Invocation]
In the name of Thor,
Purifier, sustainer of all
We bless and hallow this offering
We purify and hallow this offering
Once the offering has been sanctified, now comes the time to actually offer it! There are a few ways to actually make an offering. You can burn it, you can leave it out or you can pour it out as a libation. Burning is most likely the way it would have been done historically. It also makes for easy clean up! But not everyone is going to have access to a place where you can burn an offering. So, others leave the offering out for a period of time and then dispose of the offering.
Prayer for an Offering to Freyja in the Spring
[Invocation]
Freyja, Bright Lady
Dawn Bringer, Spring Bearer
[Offering]
See this: fruit of bough and branch,
this fruit of grass and vine
Gifts of Earth and Sun, we bring.
[Request]
Bless us with Your abundance
Renew us in Your Holy Name
[End]
We give that you will give
for peace and plenty
a gift for a gift.
If there has been a libation that has been blessed, this is the time when you sprinkle some on people and bless them. Usually you take a bit of the blessed liquid in a small bowl and flick it on people using a sprig of a spruce tree or something like that.
Sometimes it’s nice to say a little blessing for everyone there too. And if you’re super fancy you can have some kind of prayer to invite people to share in the feast to follow.
This is where you leave the space and get to feasting!
On disposal of offerings:
Don’t worry about upsetting the Gods when you’re disposing of the offering. Say you’ve got a loaf of bread sitting there and you’ve just finished your Blót: A good way to think about it is that the Gods have already taken the part that they wanted out of the offering, leaving behind the mundane loaf of bread. Since they could only take the part of it that was sacred, they took that already.
Why do we Blót?
There are a lot of thoughts as to why we perform Blót. We’re just going to suggest one way of thinking about Blót.
As a matter of faith, the gifting cycle isn’t a transactional relationship. The gifting cycle isn’t payment for services rendered or a divine bribe. While giving a gift might make someone feel obligated to return it, if the intention is to place obligation on someone else, then it’s not a gift.
We cannot emphasize this enough: a gift is something we give when we expect nothing in return.
We have faith that the Gods will not fail to return a gift for a gift, but our giving places no obligation on them, just as their giving places no obligation on us. If we wish to continue the relationship with them, we will continue exchanging gifts with them. Just like we do with the people in our lives that we love and care for.
“What does God need with a starship?” Captain Kirk asked in the almost universally despised Star Trek V. Apparently a bad movie, but a good question. What do the Gods need with our gifts? They’re Gods, after all, couldn’t they just get it themselves?
The Gods do not need sacrifices. The Gods theoretically have existed since before the dawn of time, and long before humankind ever knew about the gifting cycle, and will continue to exist long after any one of us is able to continue that gifting cycle.
Some Heathens, with a theology influenced by Neoplatonism, even see the Gods as ‘perfect’ beings, in that they are complete and whole in and of themselves and require nothing to make them whole (while the rest of existence is constantly in a state of becoming something else).
If the Gods needed or wanted our gifts, then it wouldn’t be generous of them to give us gifts in hope or expectation of more sacrifices. Sacrifice would just be a transactional relationship. We give them what they want, and they give us what we want. It reduces this holy relationship to nothing more than putting offerings into a divine vending machine.
In theory, then, the Gods’ very essence and nature must be goodness and generosity, otherwise faith in the gift cycle makes no sense.
If the Gods have no need of us or our gifts, but they do keep the gift cycle, then it follows that their participation in the gifting cycle is something essential to their very being. Which should make us pretty happy, actually. They give because it is in their nature to do so. To think otherwise would be to worship Gods that are arbitrary or capricious, and who would want to do that?
You’ve heard that phrase before, we want to suggest here a modification of it, slightly. Not “we give that you may give” but “we give because you give.” We sacrifice because in so doing we are reflecting that divine essence of goodness back to the Gods, as the Gods show their goodness through their gifts to us.
Further, we show that divine essence when we act in generosity towards all beings. When we show kindness, we are reflecting that goodness. When we protect the defenseless, we are reflecting that goodness. When we welcome all people with hospitality, we are reflecting that same goodness that is in the Gods.
It is in line with these values that we express through Blót that Heathens give without expectation, to welcome the needy without reservation, to protect the defenseless and care for the poor, the sick and the infirm. It is in line with these values that we welcome all who share our faith regardless of their assumed racial identity, ability or gender to participate in the gifting cycle with the Gods.
Following the values we express in Blót, a Heathenry that is not inclusive makes no sense.
When can you Blót?
Anytime. It doesn’t just have to be at holidays, though if you’re looking for a reason to get people together a Blót can be quite the occasion for it. There are some Heathens out there who believe in idea that Blót can and only should be performed at certain times of the year when the stars and the seasons are particularly aligned for it, but that kind of strange alchemy is far beyond our scope here.
Yes, you can Blót whenever you want.
There are many different ways Heathen communities perform Blót.
Because Heathens have many different ways of performing Blot, we can’t just show one.
We will show two different ways people perform Blot with the basic elements. You can do either or both, or a blend of the two depending on how your group functions. We will call the first kind the “Classic” Blot that was most popular form through the 80’s, 90’s and early 00’s. The “New Modern” Blot is a form that has gained more popularity since the 00’s,
This isn’t an endorsement of either one as being “the true way to perform Blót” but the Classic is the one you will see most often out in the world.
Classic Blot
Classic Blot is the most common basic form of Blot you’ll find out in the wild. Most Heathens either do a variation of this Blot or are familiar with the format.
This doesn’t mean that this ritual form is “more correct” or more historically accurate. This was just the way people first started doing it. If you’re familiar with the Wiccan rituals of drawing down the moon or calling the corners, elements of the Classic Blot will seem familiar to you. That’s because they’re based in a large part on those Wiccan rituals.
You’ll also notice a resemblance between a Classic style Blot and Symbel. In many practice groups, these rituals are identical. In fact, some Heathens will refer to the Classic Blót style as a “Blymble.”
We separate them out because the intention and goals of the rituals are very different.
Materials for Classic Blot
- Beverage for offering (mead, most commonly)
- A drinking horn
- Bowl for collecting some of the libation
- Hammer for the Hammer Rite (optional)
- Sprig of evergreen for aspersion
Where to stand in the Classic Blot
Worshippers in a classic Blot stand in a circle facing inward.
Step by Step instructions for Classic Blot
- Perform the Hammer Rite (optional)
- Bless the beverage with the Hammer
- Pour the beverage into the horn and invoke the God/Goddess
- Raise the horn and say a toast to the God/Goddess
- Drink from the horn
- Pass the horn around the circle, all raise the horn in toast to the God/Goddess and drink.
- When the horn reaches the first person, pour out some as a libation into the bowl
- Continue with a second round to Heroes, pour out some as a libation into the bowl
- Conclude with a third open round for toasts and boasts, and pour out the rest as a libation into the bowl.
- Dip the evergreen sprig in the bowl full of mead then sprinkle people with the mead using the evergreen sprig as a blessing
- Pour the libation out onto a sacred spot
New Modern Blot
New Modern Blot is a synthesis of developments in Heathen praxis since the establishment of Classic Blot as the dominant form of Blot. Heathens eventually got wise to the generous borrowings from Wicca, and hit the history books to try to figure out if they could reconstruct a genuine pre-Christian Blot.
Unfortunately, no such description exists, so practices continued to vary across the Heathen community. No clear alternative to the Classic Blot ever really emerged.
We wanted to include this synthesis as a way of acknowledging the reconstruction efforts that Heathens have made and continue to make for the sake of forging a deeper relationship with our Gods, with the spirits that share this world with us and each other.
Materials for New Modern Blot
- An offering (food or beverage most common, see this article for a list of potential offerings)
- A beverage offering for libation (optional)
- A bowl to catch some of the libation for a blessing (optional)
- A sprig of evergreen for aspersion
- Fire and water for blessing and purifying the offering and the sacred space
- For the fire, you will need candles or torches depending on the space and a brazier or fire pit to contain the sacrificial fire.
- For water, carry a single clean jug and a bowl so the Blotsmen or Gothi/Gythia can wash their hands and face before touching the offering.
Where to stand in New Modern Blot
Depends on your own philosophy. Some choose to stand in a circle around the sacrificial fire, others prefer to stand all on one side of the fire with the Gothi/Blotsmen standing near the fire.
Step by Step Instructions for New Modern Blot
- Set up the sacrificial fire with wood/accelerant
- Pour fresh water into a jug and get a bowl for the water
- Gather the offerings together
- Gather everyone for a procession to the holy space
- Distribute candles or torches
- Light the candles and torches and proceed to the holy site where the sacrificial fire will be
- Walk around the holy space with lit torches/candles 3 times (you can chant a simple prayer during this for blessing and purification)
- Hand the Gothi/Blotsman a torch or candle to light the sacrificial fire
- Pour fresh water into the bowl and allow the Gothi to wash their hands and face. Pour the water out.
- Gothi speaks a prayer to invoke the God/Goddess
- Prayers/Chants/Songs/Dances as the Gothi sanctifies the offering at the sacrificial fire
- The Gothi/Blotsman now either puts the offering in the fire or leaves it out on a sacred altar or stone. If there is also a libation, this is the time to pour it out and catch some in the bowl for the blessing.
- Kneeling and prostration usually happens at this time. Dances stop while the offering is made.
- Chants and songs continue until the sacrifice is done (this can go on for quite some time, but usually no longer than an hour)
- Once the sacrifice itself is made, the Gothi leaves the sacred space, blesses the gathered and announces the beginning of the feast.
Can I do a Blót by myself? Advice for going it alone.
Can you conduct a Blót by yourself? Of course you can, and there have been thousands of people who have done exactly that before you. And we don’t mean in the Iron Age, either: today, thousands of people, for one reason or another, conduct Blót by themselves.
Whether you’re limited by circumstances, time, or are just trying things out: you are perfectly capable, on your own, of engaging in the gift cycle with the Gods. While community is great, you can still achieve a fulfilling and spiritually nourishing relationship with the Gods, the spirits in the world around us, and other people all by yourself.
But, of course, those Blóts we mentioned above aren’t great help as guides, are they? Because they’re geared for a community.
What do I need to do a Blót by myself?
- You’ll need some space, not much, but enough where you can feel comfortable. There’s some schools of thought as to orientation: some traditions like to face North, others face West. Let’s assume direction isn’t an issue for you.
- You’ll need a shrine. A shrine can be any number of things but normally it’s a protective enclosure where an icon or a symbol of a deity is kept. Personal home shrines can be very elaborate, but can also just be as humble as a piece of cloth that tie up into a sack, in which you keep sacred items, icons, and symbols.
- You’ll need an offering bowl or small brazier. You can pour offerings into the bowl or drop small offerings in a fire in a small brazier if possible.
- You’ll need an offering. There are many things that are good for offerings, it doesn’t have to be expensive, bespoke, or anything like that.
- Would be nice to have candles and bells.
Here’s one way to Blót at home:
- Kneel in front of the shrine and position your offering bowl/brazier between you and the shrine.
- You can pray palms together or palms open, but it’s good to open with a prayer. We have more on prayer in our article here, but you can start with “O Thor, Hallower, Thunder Lord, Friend of Mankind…” or whoever you like.
- You can then go on to something like “I come to you in this my hour of need…” or “I have prayed and you have answered”
- You can then present your offering. Some at this point say an additional prayer to Thor to hallow and bear the offering to the Gods.
- It’s at this point many people will prostrate, sing, chant, rock back and forth, or do some kind of combination of these depending on what moves you at the time. You can stay in this moment for as long as you like.
- Finish by coming back to kneeling, clasp your hands together and end your offering just with a general wish for peace and goodwill. You can simply say “Hail to you, the great Gods, for peace and for plenty.”
What do I do with my offerings?
Ah the age old question of what to do with offerings. Well, if you burned them you don’t need to worry about much besides disposing of the ashes. If it’s a libation there’s nothing wrong with pouring it out onto the ground. If it’s small food items like grains or dried fruit, nothing wrong with putting it in the compost.
Yeah but can I eat them, though?
Some Heathens do consume offerings themselves as a way of connecting themselves to deity. This is fine. It’s just another way of connecting and it’s a practice many Heathens do. Though others do not believe it’s a good thing to eat them for one reason or another–sometimes because it just “feels weird.”
This is one of those things that is truly up to you.
