Heathen Rituals

Pertaining to the

"Life Circle"

& Death

The Ancient Practice of

Human Self-Sacrifice

& the "Bog People" remains:

Evidence Provided by the Remains of the Sacrificed

Tells Thousands-years-old Stories...

Dozens upon dozens of the remains of Iron Age Heathens ("Bog Bodies" or remains of the "Bog People") have been unearthed over the past 100-years, most all these displaying evidence of a similar ritualistic killing of these people, and placement of their dead bodies within apparent sacred ponds/bogs. The remains have been primarily found in the Northern Countries of Europe (Ireland, Germany, Denmark, among them). Archeology\Science has more recently learned volumes of information from these remains and helped to illustrate similar Ethnicity, and common Cultural and Religious practices of these Heathen peoples. These practices are known contemporarily as "Water Deposition Rituals"; and such rituals were tied to the sacred liminality of still-waters (pools, ponds, lakes, and particularly bogs) that were viewed as sacred, protective, and a location connected to the Heathen Gods. The majority of archaeological finds recovered from these ancient water depositions are weapons (swords, spears/spear-heads) that were ritually damaged (e.g., bent) prior to being deposited; this pertained to each weapon possessing a destructive/deadly purpose and the ritualized sacrifice of such to the sacred water in an effort to safely contain said weapon's death-causing power. This liminal space was also considered an active portal into which deposited offerings could be received by the Gods...

A Listing of "Bog Bodies" found throughout Northern Europe

A Musical Performance from HEILUNG, dramatically (and quite poignantly) reproduces a ceremony that may have transpired thousands of years ago in Northern Europe: the ritual death by strangulation of "Elling Bog Woman" and her subsequent placement into the bog where her preserved remains were discovered in 1938, thousands of years after...

Below, Left: the preserved remains of the "Elling Bog Woman" which are around 2300-years-old; And on the Right: a woman displaying the ornate braid and wearing similar clothing to that of "Elling Woman" when her remains were discovered... "Elling Woman" was found in 1938 in the Bjeldskovdal bog, west of Silkeborg, Denmark...

Elling Bog Woman Further Reading

"Tollund Bog Man" was discovered only about 200-feet from "Elling Woman" in 1950, on the Juteland Peninsula, near Silkeborg, Denmark . "Tollund Man" is now known to have been alive during the "Iron Age" Fourth-Century BCE; His remains are with the Silkeborg Museum of Denmark, where experts have reconstructed the appearance of his living face from his magnificently preserved remains. The intact rope which was used to cause "Tollund Man's" asphyxiation & death, was still around his neck when his remains were found...

Old Croghan Man and Clonycaven Man were found in Ireland: "Old Croghan Man" (left)was discovered in a peat bog at the foot of Croghan Hill, in County Offaly, in June of 2003 (3-months prior to the discovery of "Clonycaven Man"). He was in his early 20's when he died; his head had been removed and his torso had been cut in half (pictured below). His height while living was estimated at 6'6", and he lived somewhere around 200-BCE before dying & being placed in the bog. Details of his hands & fingernails were very well-preserved....

"Clonycaven Man" apparently died by Hanging; he was discovered at Ballivor, County Meath. He was about the same age as Croghan Man (early 20's) when he died sometime between 300-200 BCE... Clonycaven Man had visibly red hair preserved on his head; his face was forensically reconstructed using his skull and remains (above left)...

Old Crohan Man, was early determined to be of "royalty" and/or possibly the local Chieftain of his people, based upon forensic examination of the remains, and the extreme "ritualistic" manner of his death, dismemberment (his torso pictured below) and the area in which his remains were finally lain. It was ancient custom and understanding, that the Chieftain was both physical and metaphysical defender of his people and their well-being, to the extent that if there was a failure of the harvest and famine--it was also a failure of the Chieftain's duty to his people, and if determined to be the best course of action, the Chieftain would forfeit his life as atonement and for favorable future outcomes. This has been one line of speculation as to the identification and cause of Old Croghan Man's demise and dismemberment...

More on OLD CROGHAN MAN and CLONYCAVEN MAN

"Osterby Man" (left) or specifically "Osterby Head" was discovered in a peat bog in 1948, in Osterby, Germany. His head featured well-preserved reddish-blond hair, that featured the somewhat famous Seubic Knott styled braid that what noted in ancient Roman histories to be commonly worn by members of the Germanic Seubian Tribe...

“Uchter Moor Girl”: In 2000, in an ancient marsh near Uchter, Germany, the preserved body of this girl was discovered. Her remains were radiocarbon dated and she lived in the periods between 760-500 BCE.