German-Scandinavian mythology is mentioned by the great Roman writers. Caesar (1st century BC) and Tacitus (1st century BC) talked about beliefs and sacred rituals.
So, according to their testimonies, first the Germans came to the sacred groves, in which they turned to their gods with requests. At the same time they went into these groves in fetters.
The Germans did not skimp on gifts to the gods. As scientists later found out, from the animals that were sacrificed, they took out the lungs, liver, heart. The bodies were burned at the stake. The people gathered were sprinkled with collected blood.
Later, the Germans began to erect temples (pagan shrines, temples). The figures of Freyr, Thor, Odin (Scandinavian gods) were installed in them. Such a temple stood for five centuries in Sweden (Uppsala). At that time, sacrificial cattle began to be killed near temples. Blood was sprinkled with the collected people, the temple (outside and inside). Fire was made on the floor of the temple, and cauldrons were placed in which sacrificial meat was cooked. The food was blessed.
After the adoption of Christianity, the Scandinavian gods were glorified by the people for a rather long time. So, for example, prisoners were hanged as a gift to Odin, the leaders brought money to the temple for prayers for the repose. In the 10th century, Danish kings minted the hammer of Thor on one side of the coins, and the sword of St. Peter on the other. For many centuries, the Scandinavian gods were mentioned in proverbs and sayings. In the process of collecting herbs, people cast spells, thus giving strength to plants. For a long time the people turned to the gods with a request to avert the disease, prevent a storm or thunder, send rain.
The Christian church in some cases used quite radical measures. Idols and temples were burnt, people were forbidden to conduct ancient rituals, pronounce oaths. Royal laws also helped rid the population of paganism in the church. However, some Scandinavian gods still infiltrated Christianity. So, for example, Thor became Saint James. Other Viking gods became demons. Some holidays have also been preserved. They continued to glorify the goddess of the Earth, the celebration of the winter solstice merged with Christmas.
The Scandinavian gods gained their “immortality” and fame in pagan literature, music, painting, and oral art.
One is the supreme deity. In Scandinavian mythology, he was a symbol of supreme power and wisdom, thus pushing back the god of Thunder Thor. The second was dominant among the Indo-European tribes. Having taken first place, Odin took part of Thor's duties upon himself, mainly becoming the patron saint of warriors. According to Scandinavian myths, the supreme deity possessed knowledge of the fate of the whole world.
Loki had an unusual character. This god was the most popular hero in the Scandinavian epic. His name is mentioned in various folklore genres, including proverbs and proverbs. It should be noted that the image of Loki is quite controversial. He was distinguished by cunning, resourcefulness, sense of humor (often evil). Of all the gods, Loki was the only one who had a connection with almost all the heroes of mythology.
Thor represented a thunderstorm. Unlike other thunder gods, he was not the sovereign head of the pantheon. The attribute of Thor was his hammer. All evil spirits were afraid of this weapon. The second attribute of Thor was his wagon, which was harnessed by goats.
Freyr was the god of sunshine, fertile summer rain. In addition, he patronized the riders and horses, was the savior of prisoners. Freyr's attribute was the sword. Taken out of the scabbard, the weapon brought only victory. However, weapons were not allowed in temples erected in honor of Freyr. Horses and bulls were sacrificed in these temples. Freyr's statues were carved from solid logs. But just like the idols of other creatures, his statues were burned after the advent of Christianity.