The temple is going to be the first major temple to the Norse gods since the Viking age, according to NBC.
Around 1,000 years ago, worship of Norse gods in Scandinavia gave way to Christianity. However, the country has seen a spike in popularity in the modern version of Norse paganism
The temple will be circular and will be dug into a hill, 13 feet deep, and will overlook the country’s capital. There will also be a dome on top, where sunlight will be let through.
The temple will be used to host weddings, as well as funerals and coming-of-age rituals. It’ll also be used as routine religious ceremonies.
Neo-pagans in Iceland still celebrate ‘Blot,’ an ancient sacrificial ritual. They celebrate it with reading, music, drinking and eating, but they don’t slaughter animals.
Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a high priest of Asatruarfelagid, which is an association that promotes faith in the Norse gods, said that he believes that nobody believes in a one-eyed man who rides around on a horse.
Hilmarsson said that they see the stories as a manifestation of the forces of human psychology, as well as nature.
