Offerings.

This article will discuss the basics of offerings, giving lists of historical examples and a discussion of historical and modern offerings. 

Typical historical offerings included animal and human sacrifice, plant and drink staples and offerings of monetary value. However, because most people are not agriculturalists and human sacrifice is morally disagreeable (and illegal), we generally recommend other non-blood offerings. Offerings often have sacred and mythological importance, such as the offering of pinecones in Britain. Pinecones were often given to Mithras and Silvanus, cults both present in Britain, as pine trees communicated the immortality and abundance these Gods can give. [1] What is a suitable offering for you depends on your financial and physical circumstances and consideration as to what would be appropriate for the Gods you are giving to. Choose offerings that make sense for you and the Gods.

A list of common offerings:

  • Flour and grains

  • Honey

  • Milk

  • Salt

  • Incense

  • Alcohol (mead, beer, wine etc.)

  • Freshwater

  • Other staple food items

  • Coins and other crafted votive offerings

Historically, the Britons offerings were often made sacred by making impossible their earthly function. [2] For example, weapons were broken, items were burnt, or miniature versions of larger items were produced for offerings, such as miniature spears. [2] Other offerings were ‘mutilated’ when given, such as coins at some sites in Britain. [3] There are relatively small numbers of coins mutilated, and it primarily occurs in Southern Britain, a location with a profound Gaulish influence. [3] However, the purpose of mutilation is to keep the coins as gifts, and coins thrown into deep wells or hot springs achieve the same purpose.

An idea seen in many modern practices is the idea of ‘devotional activities’; these are activities you do in honour of the Gods which strengthen an existing connection, likely made through ritual. Examples of devotional activities include:

  • Writing poems and prayers for the Gods.

  • Looking after the local environment.

  • Cleaning the house for the house spirits.

  • Working out/athletic cultus.

  • Researching and writing.

Devotional activities can be considered offerings but are not by everyone; where you land on the divide is up to you.

Bibliography:

Kiernan, P., 2001. The ritual mutilation of coins on Romano-British sites. British Numismatic Journal, 71, pp.18-33. [3]

Kowalewska, J., 2018. Ritual and the Socio-Religious in the Cultures of the Celts and Germans. Język–Szkoła–Religia, 13(3). [2]

Lodwick, L., 2015, April. Identifying ritual deposition of plant remains: a case study of stone pine cones in Roman Britain. In TRAC 2014: Proceedings of the Twenty-Fourth Annual Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference, Oxford (pp. 54-69). [1]