Heitstrenging
Encyclopedia
Heitstrenging, also known as Hietstrenja, Heitstrengingar or Strengdir, was the Norse
ritual
of making solemn vows, particularly at Yule
. The practice was eventually discarded when Christianity
gained dominance in the region.
The vows were traditionally made while laying hands on the bristles of the sonargöltr
, the boar sacrificed at the blót
on the evening of Yule Eve, and in association with the Bragafull or chieftain's toast. According to some sagas, the speaker would stand and first place his foot upon a stone or bench, prefacing his vow with the words "I mount on the block and solemnly swear...".
The association with the sacrificial boar and the ritual toast gave the vows the force of an oath
. However, due to the ritual process, they usually came after the speaker was drunk. They became a topos in the later sagas, often as a form of bragging and promising the performance of some great feat, and taking place not only at Yule but at other sacrificial feasts, weddings, arvals
or just ordinary banquet
s. The vows were solemn and there were punishments for breaking them, but they were not always important. Harald Hairfair
, the unifier of Norway
, promised to not comb or cut his hair until he ruled the entire country. More often, though, they were regarded as a matter of great significance. In Jómsvíkinga saga
, the compatriots of Sweyn Forkbeard vow to ravage Norway and kill Haakon Jarl, while making sure to rape Thorkill's daughter.
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
of making solemn vows, particularly at Yule
Yule
Yule or Yuletide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January...
. The practice was eventually discarded when Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
gained dominance in the region.
The vows were traditionally made while laying hands on the bristles of the sonargöltr
Sonargöltr
The sonargǫltr or sónargǫltr was the boar sacrificed as part of the celebration of Yule in Germanic paganism, on whose bristles solemn vows were made, a tradition known as heitstrenging....
, the boar sacrificed at the blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
on the evening of Yule Eve, and in association with the Bragafull or chieftain's toast. According to some sagas, the speaker would stand and first place his foot upon a stone or bench, prefacing his vow with the words "I mount on the block and solemnly swear...".
The association with the sacrificial boar and the ritual toast gave the vows the force of an oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
. However, due to the ritual process, they usually came after the speaker was drunk. They became a topos in the later sagas, often as a form of bragging and promising the performance of some great feat, and taking place not only at Yule but at other sacrificial feasts, weddings, arvals
Arvals
Arvals, Arvels or Arthels , primarily the funeral dinner, and later, especially in the north of England, a thin, light, sweet cake, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, served to the poor at such feasts. The funeral meal was called the Arvel-dinner...
or just ordinary banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
s. The vows were solemn and there were punishments for breaking them, but they were not always important. Harald Hairfair
Harald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
, the unifier of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, promised to not comb or cut his hair until he ruled the entire country. More often, though, they were regarded as a matter of great significance. In Jómsvíkinga saga
Jómsvíkinga saga
The Jómsvíkinga saga relates of the founding of Jomsborg by Palnatoke, and of the famous Viking brotherhood of the Jomsvikings....
, the compatriots of Sweyn Forkbeard vow to ravage Norway and kill Haakon Jarl, while making sure to rape Thorkill's daughter.