October 14 is the modern date for the autumn blot – a pre-Christian ritual and feast.
"This was when people gave thanks to the gods for the harvests," Jon Vidar Sigurdsson tells Science Norway. He is a historian and professor at the University of Oslo. Sigurdsson specialises in the cultural history of the Viking Age and the Middle Ages in Nordic countries.
"Most likely, the sacrifices were made to Freyr," says Sigurdsson.
The word blot refers to the sacrificial feast itself – an offering to the gods.
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"These sacrifices were made for peace and prosperity," he says.
The offerings often included livestock. Sheep or cattle were slaughtered and then eaten by those gathered. This was a key part of the ritual.
"It took time and effort to make contact with the Norse gods," says Sigurdsson.
God vs. Odin
Sigurdsson points out that, unlike the Christian God – who is believed to be everywhere and hear everything – the Norse gods such as Odin, Thor, and Freyja were not omnipresent. Read more about Norse mythology on Science Norway.
Getting in touch with the gods required several steps, and sacrifice at the blots was among the final stages, according to Sigurdsson.
"The chieftain usually led the blot, acting as the intermediary between humans and the gods," he says.
Sigurdsson explains that each farm likely contributed to the offerings, but it was the chieftains who performed the sacrifices on behalf of the entire community.
The autumn blot was one of the year's major celebrations, much like other blots. You can read more about midwinter blot on Science Norway, which eventually merged with the Christian celebration of Christmas.
During the autumn blot, the entire village gathered for a great feast with plenty of food, lots of beer, and possibly even children joining the festivities.
A depiction of the disablot, another religious festival.(Image: August Malmström)
Age limit: 3 years
Sigurdsson points to the guild laws – collections of rules and statutes from the High Middle Ages that outlined how gatherings were to be organised.
And the guild statute from Tysnes specifically mentions that the age limit for attending the feast was three years, Sigurdsson explains.
As Christianity spread through Norway, the traditional blot celebrations gradually disappeared. Still, this particular day retained its importance. Known as winter night, it marked the start of the winter season.
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It was the day when the primstav – the runic calendar staff – was turned over to its winter side.
And on the primstav, October 14 is symbolised by what looks very much like a mitten.
Mitten day?
The primstav was a widely used perpetual calendar in Norway, used to keep track of holidays and important events throughout the year. Most wooden rune staffs had two sides, one for summer and one for winter.
They were used in Norway from the Middle Ages up to modern times.
"The primstav guided much of everyday life and work in the old farming society," says Sigurdsson.
Many important days are marked on the primstav. These days are represented with a variety of symbols, including Christian ones.
Among them are crosses, axes, and fish.
And mittens. Almost all rune staffs mark the start of the winter side with a mitten, according to the late historian Audun Dybdahl. You can see a selection in the image below. These symbols were collected by Kaare Hovind.
"It's quite a fitting symbol for the colder season ahead," says Sigurdsson.
A collection of mitten symbols gathered by Kaare Hovind.(Image: Kaare Hovind)
The pope's glove?
Whether the mitten symbol has a Christian connection is unclear, but Dybdahl notes in the Great Norwegian Encyclopedia that some have interpreted it as representing the pope's glove – though it is 'just as likely that the mitten symbolises the cold season.'
Sigurdsson believes that this is the most likely explanation and points out that most people in Norway at the time probably had little knowledge of what the pope was doing.
What they did know, however, was how to dress for the cold.
Although October 14 was significant because of the autumn blot, it was not replaced in the same way as other sacrificial celebrations after Norway became Christian.
"It's more uncertain what actually happened to the autumn blot, whether it was replaced by a saint's day or not," says Sigurdsson.
According to the Great Norwegian Encyclopedia, October 14 – winter night – is also associated with Saint Calixtus I, an early pope. Yet it's unclear how well-known this saint was in medieval Norway.
Sigurdsson thinks it’s unlikely that people in Norway knew much about him.
"There are few, if any, churches dedicated to him. At that time, the Catholic Church had around 2,000 saints," he says.
In other words, there were far more saints than there were days in the year. Saint or not – it might be time to start wearing your mittens now.
