Human Sacrifice in the Viking Age

Did the Vikings conduct human sacrifice? Here I examine the evidence for human sacrifice among the Vikings, and its implications.

Did the Vikings conduct human sacrifice? It is a sensational claim. Not only does it make for an intriguing field of study, but it also makes for fantastic media coverage. The idea of human sacrifice is not new to the study of the Vikings. While the evidence from the historical and archeological record supports the claim that Viking Age Scandinavians sacrificed human beings, we must tread carefully when considering the ubiquity of such practices. Here I examine the evidence for human sacrifice among the Vikings, and its implications.

Textual Evidence for Human Sacrifice in the Viking Age

Our best textual evidence for the practice of human sacrifice comes to us by way of the bishopric of Hamburg. As early as the 830’s, the monk Anskar embarked on a mission to the north to proselytize the Scandinavians. His journey took him to Upsala, in Sweden, where he made observations of the local culture, including some rather disturbing rituals involving sacrificial human beings. The chronicler Rim…