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Violent clashes were avoided by the decision of the Althing in 1000 AD to put the arbitration between them to Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, the leader of the pagan faction. He opted, after a day and a night of meditation, that the country should convert to Christianity as a whole, while pagan worship in private would continue to be tolerated. [35]
The Saga of Hákon the Good in Heimskringla states that there were obligatory blóts, at which animals were slaughtered and their blood, called hlaut, sprinkled on the altars and the inside and outside walls of the temple, and ritual toasts were drunk during the ensuing sacrificial feast; the cups were passed over the fire and they and the food ...
The fylki were divided into fourths or eighths and a church of minor rank was established in each subdivision. [39] Wealthy people were allowed to build private churches, known as convenience churches. [39] The earliest churches were built by the monarchs or noblemen and the builders' successors insisted on the appointment of the local priests ...
The Viking raids were, however, the first to be documented by eyewitnesses, and they were much larger in scale and frequency than in previous times. [89] Vikings themselves were expanding; although their motives are unclear, historians believe that scarce resources or a lack of mating opportunities were a factor. [92]
The Norwegians were given many treasures and relics, including a splinter off the True Cross that Jesus had allegedly been crucified on. This was given on the condition that they would continue to promote Christianity and bring the relic to the burial site of St Olaf .
In the hands of Early Christian writers they became apocalyptic hordes. Throughout the Middle Ages, they were variously identified as the Vikings, Huns, Khazars, Mongols or other nomads, or even the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The legend of Gog and Magog and the gates were also interpolated into the Alexander Romances. According to one ...
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Its design shows a strong Anglo-Saxon influence and suggests that the carvers were heavily influenced by Anglo-Saxon stone carving. [5] The importance of the Gosforth Cross (as well as the Irton Cross ) caused the Victoria and Albert Museum to have replicas made in 1882, [ 6 ] which are on display in the Cast Hall at the museum.