Poor King Aella of Northumbria.

It would seem that he was the recipient of a norseman's blood eagle. The King was pinned to the ground on his face and two deep wounds cut to the left and right of his spine. The ribs were broken and pealed back, away from the spine. His lungs were then pulled out and draped upon the ribs. To add a little more torment, salt was rubbed into the wounds.

This was in the year 860, as recorded in the Anglo-Saxon chronicle.

Its mentioned in several of the sagas as well, once to celebrate a victory. This means it probably was a rather common event, not daily of course, but something the Norseman did regularly.

This rune stone here is attributed all over the net to a blood eagle, the third panel from the top. Scholars are not in agreement on that. The figure bent over the chair/stool seems a child and may just be a sacrifice.