Sonargöltr facts for kids
The sonargǫltr (pronounced "SO-nar-golt") was a special wild boar in ancient Norse traditions. People in Germanic paganism sacrificed this boar during their Yule celebrations. Yule was a big winter festival, similar to how some celebrate Christmas today.
A very important part of this tradition was making serious promises, called heitstrenging. People would place their hands on the boar's bristles (its stiff hair) and make these vows. After the vows, the boar was sacrificed in a ritual called the sonarblót.
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Ancient Stories About the Sonargǫltr
Old stories, known as sagas, tell us about the sonargǫltr. These sagas are like historical tales from long ago.
The Hervarar Saga
The Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is one of these old stories. It describes how people made their vows on Yule Eve, the night before Yule. They would put their hands on the boar's bristles. After this, the boar was sacrificed as part of the sonarblót ceremony.
Here's what the saga says:
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Ok skyldi þeim gelti blóta at sónarblóti. Jólaaptan skyldi leiða sónargöltinn í höll fyrir konúng; lögðu menn þá hendr yfir burst hans ok strengja heit. |
And they would sacrifice a boar in the sonarblót. On Yule Eve the sonar-boar was led into the hall before the king; then people laid their hands on its bristles and made vows. |
The Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar
Another old poem, called Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, adds more details. It says that people made their vows while drinking a special toast. This toast was called the bragarfull, which means "chief's cup" or "best cup."
The poem explains:
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Um kveldit [jólaaftan] óru heitstrengingar. Var fram leiddr sónargöltr. Lögðu menn þar á hendr sínar ok strengðu menn þá heit at bragarfulli. |
That evening [of Yule Eve] the great vows were taken; the sacred boar was brought in, the men laid their hands thereon, and took their vows at the king's toast. |
The Ynglinga Saga
The Ynglinga saga also mentions the sonarblót. In this saga, the ritual was used for divination. This means people used it to try and predict the future or get answers about what might happen.
