B0031RSBSM EBOK

in bowls. One feature of Æsir worship was that they used blood to paint idols.”
    Knutas let out a long breath.
    “It all fits,” he said. “The modus operandi, the emptying of the blood, all of it.”
    There was just one more question he needed to ask. So far no mention of the horse’s heads had reached the public, so Knutas told Malte Moberg about the two heads stuck on poles that had been left at the homes of Mellgren and Ambjörnsson.
    There was silence on the phone. It lasted so long that Knutas wondered if they’d been cut off. Then Moberg was back, and his voice had taken on a new tone.
    “What you’re describing is called a
nidstång
—a horse’s head is stuck on a pole, often made of hazel-wood, and positioned outside someone’s house as a threat. It has to do with a tremendously powerful magic rite , a curse that is leveled at someone. To place a
nidstång
constitutes a serious threat against an individual.”
    “The excavation leader Staffan Mellgren was murdered a couple of days ago, after he found the
nidstång
at his house.”
    “And the other man who received a
nidstång
?”
    “It’s not entirely clear where he is right now,” said Knutas cryptically.
    “Really? If I were you, I’d try to get hold of him as soon as possible. In addition, I’d advise you to find out quickly who among the victims’ circle of acquaintances is interested in Æsir worship.”

 
    As soon as he was through talking to Malte Moberg, Knutas called Susanna Mellgren to find out if her husband had ever shown any interest in the Æsir cult. The answer was negative. She’d never heard about anything like that. She admitted that he’d often been gone in the evenings and even on weekends without her finding out what he was doing; she’d taken it for granted that he was meeting with other women.
    Knutas received the same answer to his question about Æsir worship from Ambjörnsson’s girlfriend. According to her, Ambjörnsson was an atheist.
    Knutas summoned the investigative team and reported on his phone conversation with the Stockholm historian who specialized in religion.
    “Who the hell would have thought that this had anything to do with religion?” said Kihlgård. “Although who would worship the Æsir gods in this day and age? That seems really odd.”
    “Surely it’s not any odder than believing in Jesus or Muhammad or anything else,” objected Jacobsson. “I think it’s rather cool to believe in the Æsir gods. I like the thought that there are multiple gods, and that the female deities seem to be just as important as the male ones.”
    “Now is not the time to be discussing our opinions on various types of religion. We need to talk about this hot new lead that we’ve got. Hopefully it will help us solve this case,” said Knutas impatiently. “The perp is most likely here on the island, and I’d be surprised if he’s acting alone. He probably has at least one accomplice.”
    “Since he seems to have experience in butchering animals or at least in handling their bodies, we’ve checked out all employees of the Gotland butcher shops. Unfortunately we didn’t turn up anything especially interesting,” Jacobsson interjected. “Or from the veterinarians or their assistants, either.”
    Knutas looked discouraged. “Well, at least we know that the modus operandi of these murders was derived from something called the threefold death, and that it was part of ancient Nordic tradition. Who might conceivably have an interest in something like that?”
    “Someone who’s interested in the Æsir religion and ancient Nordic mythology. The type who’s a member of a group dedicated to such things,” Kihlgård suggested.
    “Do we have anything like that here on Gotland? Does anyone know?” Knutas tossed out the questions. They all shook their heads.
    “I suppose this is something different from the medievalists ?” Jacobsson queried. “There are lots of people who are busy putting together the medieval festival for next week, but they wouldn’t be interested in the Æsir religion, would they?”
    “The Middle Ages came after the Viking Age, at the same time that the North became Christian. I think that was around 1100,” said Knutas. “Still, it’s possible that the two could be linked. We need to start by looking at the groups that are focused on the Æsir religion. After that somebody should also talk to the people involved with the medieval festival. Surely they have some kind of