The Eyrbyggja Saga on Templestead

Chapter 1 - Herein Is Told How Ketil Flatneb Fares To West-Over-Sea. > Chapter 4 - Thorolf Most-Beard Comes Out To Iceland, And Sets Up House There.

• attestation: The temple contained high-seat pillars with Gods' nails, a sanctuary with an altar-like stall, and a twenty-ounce oath ring

  "Within the door stood the pillars of the high-seat, and nails were therein; they were called the Gods' nails. Therewithin was there a great frith-place."

• attestation: A joinless ring weighing twenty ounces lay on the altar stall, upon which all oaths had to be sworn, and the temple priest wore it at assemblies

  "thereon lay a ring without a join that weighed twenty ounces, and on that must men swear all oaths; and that ring must the chief have on his arm at all man-motes"

• attestation: Sacrificial blood called 'Hlaut' was collected in a blood-bowl and sprinkled with a blood-rod around the temple

  "On the stall should also stand the blood-bowl, and therein the blood-rod was, like unto a sprinkler, and therewith should be sprinkled from the bowl that blood which is called "Hlaut""

• attestation: Images of the gods were arrayed around the stall in the Holy Place

  "But round about the stall were the Gods arrayed in the Holy Place."

• attestation: All men in the district had to pay temple toll and follow the temple-priest on expeditions

  "To that temple must all men pay toll, and be bound to follow the temple-priest in all farings even as now are the thingmen of chiefs"