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was celebrated in honour of THOR, or the fun, in order to obtain a propitious year, and fruitful feafons. Sacrifices, feafting, dances, nocturnal affemblies, and all the de-. monftrations of a moft diffolute joy, were then authorized by the general ufage: Thefe anfwered to the Saturnalia of the Romans, and were in a great meaſure re- newed afterwards among the people, on oc- cafion of the feaft of Chriftmas. The fe- cond feftival was inftituted in honour of the earth or of the goddefs GOYA or FRIGGA, to requeft of her pleafures, fruit- fulneſs, and victory: And it was fixed at the first quarter of the fecond moon of the year. The third, which feems to have been the moft confiderable in ancient times, was inftituted in honour of ODIN; it was celebrated at the beginning of the fpring, in order to welcome in that pleafant feafon, and efpecially to obtain of the god of battles happy fuccefs in their projected expeditions. There were alfo fome feafts in honour of the other gods, and they were often mul- tiplied on occafion of particular events.
In the earlieft ages the offerings were fimple, and fuch as fhepherds and ruftics could prefent. They loaded the altars of the gods with the firft fruits of their crops, and the choiceft products of the earth: After- wards they facrificed animals. They offered
