Disablot — The Holy Night of Women and Destiny

Among all the Viking Age blots, the Disablot was one of the most enigmatic and revered. It was held to be the dísir – the female spirits who were close to the fate of humans. They could be ancestral spirits, fertility powers or protective beings tied to a family and its farm.

The Disablot was a celebration of the maintenance of life , but also of death and the presence of ancestors . Here the visible world and the invisible world met.

Timing and significance

Disablot was usually celebrated in February or early spring , around the same time as the spring cleaning began . It was a time of transition – winter was still present, but the light was slowly returning. Sacrifices were made to mitigate fate and so that the spirits of the dead would bring blessing, not misfortune.

The festival was a women's ceremony. It is said in Old Norse sources, including Heimskringla , that the blót was often led by women – sometimes by queens or priestesses. They were called blótgyðjur and were responsible for bringing the people's prayers to the powers.

The ceremony

The ritual was held in secret, often in the evening. Food, mead, and sometimes blood from sacrificed animals were offered to the dísir. Drinks could be poured on the ground, on a stone slab, or in a sacred grove, as symbolic nourishment for the spirit world.

Runes were often carved in connection with these rites. The runes that carried fate, protection, and wisdom were central:

• ᛏ (Týr) – “justice, strength, order”
• ᛦ (Yr) – “death, transition, the end as the beginning”

ᛦ (Yr) was a rune with dark meaning – it reminded us that all life must end before new life can be born. It was therefore often used in ceremonies seeking balance between life and death.

Disablot's connection to Uppsala

In Uppsala, the center of the Old Norse cult, a large Disating was held, a market and court meeting that coincided with Disablotet. This shows that the festival was not only religious, but also a social and economic event. The spiritual and the secular were united – a typical reflection of the Viking Age worldview where everything belonged together.

Aftermath and the influence of Christianity

When Christianity took over the Nordic countries, the Disablot was condemned as a pagan and female “witchcraft being.” But the legacy lived on – especially in “disa” names like Diseröd, Disavägen and Disby, which still bear witness to the strength of the ancient cult today.

Disablot was a celebration of female power, destiny, and legacy. It was the night to honor those who had gone before – not with fear, but with reverence.