Spring Blot — When the Earth Awoke and the Gods Blessed the North

When the Nordic winter finally began to give way, and the snow slowly retreated from the fields, the Vikings held their spring sacrifice – one of the most important sacrifices of the year. It was the time when the earth would awaken, the cattle would be let out, and the seeds would be put back into the soil. The spring sacrifice marked the first great sacrificial feast of the year , where people asked the gods for fertility, good growth, and safety during the coming season.

Time and meaning

The spring equinox occurred sometime in March or April , often in conjunction with the spring equinox , when light and darkness were in balance for the first time in a long time. It was symbolically important – the light prevailed, and the gods blessed the Nordic region with life and warmth.

The god Frey, who ruled over fertility, earth and prosperity, was at the centre. Together with his sister Freyja, the goddess of love and life, he was summoned to earth through song, sacrifice and drinking rituals.

Beer, bread, meat and sometimes animals were sacrificed. The sacrifices could take place at the farm's sacrificial site – often a sacred grove, a stone altar, or at a spring. Sometimes runes were carved into wood or stones as part of the rite, especially runes for wealth and growth:

• ᚠ (fé) – “wealth, fertility, prosperity”
• ᛅ (ár) – “season, good harvest, growing”

The runes were carved on small pieces of wood that were placed on the ground or in the water as offerings to the gods.

Ceremonies and magic

During the blót , songs and incantations were often held that connected humans with the powers of nature. It is told in sagas and sources that völvas , female seers, could be present at larger blót. Through sejd , a form of Norse spirit magic, they tried to read the signs of nature – whether the year would be good or bad.

It was also common to “wake up the earth” by rolling a wooden wheel across the field , symbolic of the sun’s movement across the sky. The wheel was a symbol of the sun’s cycle – a sign that the heat would return and the earth would bear fruit.

The afterlife of spring blood

When Christianity eventually took over the Nordic countries, the blot was banned, but many of its symbols survived. Celebrating spring, the return of life and the earth's power to grow has always been a natural part of Nordic culture. Many customs in Easter and spring celebrations originate from this time – eggs, fire and green branches as symbols of life.

The spring solstice was therefore more than a religious ceremony – it was a renewal of the bond between man and nature, an annual reminder that all life returns.