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CHAPTER VII.
Of the exterior worship and religious ceremonies of the northern nations.
IN laying open the principal doctrines of the ancient Danes, I have already had frequent occasion to remark their conformity with those of the other ‘Gothic and’ Celtic nations of Europe. The same conformity is observable in the worship which they paid the Deity; and one may presume that it would appear still greater if it were easy to pursue with exactness, the history of that religion through its several stages of purity and alteration. Thus, for instance, it is easy to comprehend why the ancient Danes made use of temples; although, on the other hand, it is very certain, that the use of them was proscribed by the primitive religion, which taught that it was offensive to the gods to pretend to inclose them within the circuit of walls; and that men thereby checked and restrained their action,
