Critical situations and human sacrifices

In a crisis people can look for a scapegoat whose death or destruction might avert misfortune. Famine and plagues were evils sent from the gods, who were angry because of some human activity that displeased them.

Another ritual with gentler overtones which was performed in crisis situations involving strife between families was the fostbraedralag, where two (or sometimes more) men blended their blood and became brothers and equals. As the blood was deemed to carry the hereditary characters of men, the foster brothers shared this bond through the rite, with the reconciliation of the families as the intended outcome (Gisla saga Sursonar ch. 6).