Germanic Sacrifice & Sanctuaries

Unlike the Greeks and Romans, the Germani built hardly any fixed temples. Their belief lived in the landscape: in sacred groves, at springs, lakes and bogs.

Sacred groves instead of temples

Tacitus describes that the Germani did not enclose their gods within walls but consecrated woods and groves. Famous are the Semnonic grove and the grove of the Nahanarvali with the Alcis cult.

Blót, gifts and bog finds

Animals, weapons and precious things were sacrificed – often sunk into waters and bogs. The great weapon and army sacrifices (Nydam, Illerup, Ejsbøl) attest this impressively. In the north the sacrificial feast was later called blót, the sacrificial blood hlaut.

"They consecrate woods and groves and call by the names of gods that hidden thing."after Tacitus, Germania 9 (public domain, own translation)

Sacrifice and groves are the heart of Germanic belief. Continue with the Semnonic grove and Germanic religion.

Read more with us

Germanic Religion · The grove of the Semnones · The bog army-offerings · Nerthus – the earth goddess · The Nahanarvali.

Sources & literature

Tacitus, Germania 9/39/40; archaeology (Nydam, Illerup, Ejsbøl); Snorri, Hákonar saga; quote public domain (own translation).

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