“Midvinterblot” Carl Larsson 1915

Something something Sigrblót

"Óðinn changes fire, sea and wind with words alone"

From Heimskringla, Ynglinga saga 7:

Óðinn skipti hömum; lá þá búkrinn sem sofinn eða dauðr, en hann var þá fugl eða dýr, fiskr eða ormr, ok fór á einni svipstund á fjarlæg lönd, at sínum erendum eða annarra manna. Þat kunni hann enn at gera með orðum einum, at slökkva eld ok kyrra sjá, ok snúa vindum hverja leið er hann vildi. 

Translation by Samuel Laing, 1844:

Odin could transform his shape; his body would lie as if dead, or asleep, but then he would be in shape of a fish, or worm, or bird, or beast, and be off in a twinkling to distant lands, upon his own or other people's business. With words alone he could quench fire, still the ocean in tempest, and turn the wind to any quarter he pleased.

By Monsen and Smith, 1932:

Odin often changed himself; at those times his body lay as though he were asleep or dead, and he then became a bird or a beast, a fish or a dragon, and went in an instant to far-off lands on his own or other men's errands.   He could do this also: with sacrificial words he slaked fire, stilled the sea or turned winds in what way he would.

By (Alison Finlay and) Anthony Faulkes in 2011:

Óðinn changed shapes. Then his body lay as if it was asleep or dead, while he was a bird or an animal, a fish or a snake, and travelled in an instant to distant lands on his own or other people’s business. He also knew how to put out fire or calm the sea or turn the winds in any direction he wished with words alone.

Translation explained in detail by Dr Jackson Crawford:

And as an addition, here is a little more about the Ynglinga saga in general:

More about seiðr:

The Evermore Grimoire: Norse Mythology

Gullveig (meaning ‘power of gold’) a female figure in Norse mythology associated with the legendary conflict between the Æsir and Vanir. In the poem Völuspá, she came to the hall of Odin where she was speared by the Æsir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn. Upon her third rebirth, she began practicing seiðr (a form of of magic telling and shaping the future) and took the name Heiðr (meaning ‘bright’). Some believed that Gullveig could have been one of Freyja's (goddess of love) incarnations as she wept tears of gold and owned the golden necklace Brísingamen, one of the most precious pieces of jewellery in Old Norse literature. It was she who, according to the Ynglinga Saga, first brought seidr to the Æsir, and who first taught it to Odin (king of Asgard). Thus, the connections between Freyja and Gullveig’s defining characteristics (magic and material wealth) are quite clear, making interrelation of the two quite probable.

artwork by IrenHorrors

You know how in a previous post I talked briefly about how Mat is subversion of masculinity? Yeah that but now I’m also going to talk about how all of that and the contradicting nature of his character can all be traced back to him being Odin. Bare with me lmao.

So let’s start with the fact that Odin as a god covers a LOT of domains, and a lot of them contradict eachother. He’s a god of war and death but he’s also a god of healing and poetry. He’s a god of wisdom and knowledge but also frenzy and bloodlust. A god of royalty favored by princes and also a good of thieves and tricksters. The Allfather indeed! Odin is a god but very importantly he’s Mortal, he’s a god of wisdom because he seeks it out, he is a surprising Human god, with complex and often selfish motivations. Which is very perfect for a character like Mat. But this post isn’t just going to be me pointing out every single thing about Odin that parallels Mat because we’d be here all day and even though I can because everytime a mythological reference appears in those books and twirl my hair and kick my feet I will refrain lol

The main focus of this post is talk about one really interesting facet of Odin’s domains and myths. And that is his connection to magic, specifically the distinctly feminine magic tradition of Seihdr(and that in of itself is a whole thing that’s makes me scream and blather in reference to wheel of time). Odin stands out as a male practitioner of Seihdr, which is traditionally considered a ‘feminine’ craft. Seidhr is a type of magic related to telling and shaping the future(so no shock Odin as the ever curious god of knowledge practiced it) but according to Snorri in the Ynglinga saga the practice of Seidhr leaves the practitioner weak and helpless thus male practitioners were considered ‘ergi’ a designation for men in Norse society who were unmanly and feminine. Odin was no exception being called ‘ergi’ by Loki in Lokasenna.

This is really interesting when we view Mat’s characterization through this lens. Specifically he’s described in relation to other more traditionally masculine characters and his relationship to the one power specifically Saidar. Long before I did any research involving Seidhr and Odin I had noted to myself that Mat would’ve had an easier time channeling Saidar vs Saidine. I’ve always felt that Mat was better at embracing and submitting to power and change than he ever was at forcing it, which of course is mostly because of his adaptability and flexibility which make him such a great general in the first place. There’s a reason Mat never got a handle of the flame and the void despite both Rand and Lan trying to teach him in books 1 and 2. Mat also acts the most like the women in the series in comparison to say Rand or Perrin. jokingly I’ve mentioned how in Shadow Rising a big plot point in Rand and Elayne’s relationship is a miscommunication because Elayne was upset Rand didn’t ask her to stay when she left for Tanchico, and Mat practically has the same exact fight with Rand over Rand not asking HIM to stay when he said he was going to leave before the battle at Cairihan. I also want to point out that in the Wheel of Time, daggers and throwing knives are mainly used by women(see, Min, Faile, Berelain, Tuon) with Mat and Thom being the only men we see using throwing knives(something something the idea that subterfuge and caution are feminine traits) while swords and axes are mainly used by men or women specifically breaking gender convention such as Cha Faile and Elayne’s Queen’s Guard. interestingly spears(Mat’s other weapon of choice) is an androgynous weapon used by both men and women(this is solely because the entire Aiel culture uses spears and will fight with them), bows are also a relatively androgynous weapon in the context of WoT used pretty universally. There’s also something to be said about how the entire subplot with Tylin puts Mat in the role of the ‘pursued’ or as Mat himself puts it ‘the woman’ where Tylin takes the commanding and dominant role in their dynamic. There’s a whole different essay to be written about Mat’s romantic relationships and the vast power dynamic disparity in them and how the relationships with Tylin and Melindra primed him for the way his dynamic with Tuon works but once again that’s a different essay.

Mat’s relationship with the one power is also really interesting, because for a non-channeler he’s pretty heavily linked with magic. He’s effected by the magic inherent in the world despite for all intensive purposes being perfectly normal to start with. The Aelfinn and the Eelfin, the fact that he’s hunted by the Gholam who was created solely to assassinate channelers. Both of his sisters being born with the spark and him marrying a woman who was trained as a sul’dam(and in a prophetic vision said woman literally collaring him after we had just been introduced to the concept of a’dams). His medallion that negates channeling, the cursed dagger and him getting the first powerwrought weapon of the series in his Ashandarei. Mat’s practically rolling in magic nonsense despite wanting nothing to do with it. Not all of this was created by the one power, but he’s still very associated with it whether he wants to be or not. It’s also probably safe to say that between his sisters and being Ta’veren it’s likely he could probably learn to channel if he wanted to, of course he never would want to learn and as I established earlier I think he’d have a hard time channeling Saidine in the first place. Trying to wrestle a force of nature using brute force isn’t exactly his forte.

There’s also another essay about Mat and Elayne’s dynamic and how I think Elayne is a Freya parallel, and how that relates to Odin and Freya being the two patron gods of Seidhr- but I digress.

Hi there! I was wondering, would you know where I could find anything on like, social taboos involving marriage? I wanted to know if there's anything in the sagas or maybe in archaeology/anthropology that touches on forbidden unions. I know the goddess Lofn is cited as one who grants permission to such people to be together, but I wanted to know if we have anything on what these forbidden unions could look like? Off the top of my head, I imagine feuding families to be a good start, but I can't find much else on the subject. Thank you!

Marriages in Old Norse society were arranged by families (usually between the prospective husband and the father or other male relative of the prospective bride), and more for political and economic reasons than for personal ones. Some people were married specifically because their families were feuding, to bring the feud to an end (often the people involved wanted out but failure to retaliate could have consequences; uniting the families could end the feud in a way that saved face. In Old English a woman who is married into an enemy family for this reason is called freoðu-webbe, 'frith weaver'). Frands Herschend went as far as proposing to see women in Iron Age Scandinavia generally as hostages (in the sense that Freyr and Njörðr are hostages in Ynglinga saga). If the sagas are relatively accurate there does seem to have been an understanding that the family should be arranging things such that the woman is happy with the result, but they weren't legally obligated to.

In this kind of situation, a marriage that's forbidden would be basically any that either side of the family, especially the woman's closest male relatives, opposes. The reasons were probably diverse and personal, and not generally based on widespread taboos. Most of it probably had to do with money and social hierarchy.

Feuding certainly played a role here, or rather we should say relations based in reciprocity, whether positive or negative, did. As I said, marriages were sometimes arranged specifically to bring hostile families into a single family and end the conflict, but if one side thought they had the upper hand and stood to gain by continuing the hostilities then they would surely not permit such a marriage. Marriages might also be arranged out of obligation to more powerful people.

In fact, it might be possible to frame any actual social or legal prohibitions on marriage that did exist as protections for the woman from being married off to someone she didn't want, rather than restrictions on her freedom, because she hardly had any. We can surely consider divorce in a similar way, which was permitted in certain circumstances.

The main restriction that we do have evidence for is marrying someone who is too close a relation. There were probably situations where the financially or politically advantageous thing to do is to get two close cousins married to each other and it may have actually happened, but it's illegal in the laws we have a record of. This may have been less regulated in heathen times.

Of course, there could have been culturally-assumed restrictions that weren't formally prohibited in the law. There's speculation that, while a Nordic man marrying a non-Norse woman was not uncommon, happening the other way around was not generally permitted. This is supposedly reflected in the mythology, where the male gods marry jötunn women but the goddesses do not marry jötunn men. However, there is archaeological evidence from the Vendel period that contradicts this (the book I'm getting this from is over 20 years old, so by now there could be contradictory evidence from the Viking age too, but I'm not sure), so if there was ever such an ethnic taboo it must have either not been universal, or developed later. I'll also remind that there is a contradiction in the mythology as well; Gefjun isn't described as marrying a jötunn but she does have kids with one, which scholars do typically count as a violation of an ethnic taboo, sometimes as grounds to reject the myth itself as "impossible" (Lindow's description).

A lot of this may have varied by class. We mostly know about the land-owning class. It's hard to say whether poorer people would have even less freedom over whom they married because of their dependence on land-owners, or if they had more freedom because there was less social and financial stake in it. It seems likely that their marriages weren't as regulated, but their ability to actually move from place to place was the major limiting factor.

I'm not aware of any sources for it, but I have no trouble believing that illegal or otherwise unsanctioned marriage happened. The thing that kept people in line was inheritance. So if people were in a position where they could turn down their inheritance (whether because they had another source of resources or because their families were so poor their inheritance was negligible anyway), and could have a place to live, they could probably just do what they wanted.

So I think for the most part, if we were to picture Lofn's intercession as historical events, we might picture the site of those intercessions as kind of distant from the actual marriage, like opening opportunities to get by while forgoing one's inheritance, or unexpected changes elsewhere in the social network. Or a simpler example would be a woman successfully convincing her father, brother, or other male representative to let her do what she wanted.

This is a little out of step with Snorri's etymological explanation of Lofn's name as related to 'permission' but as I explained here I think the actual etymological meaning of her name was 'hope'.

Of course a lot of heathens read Lofn's description in the Edda as affirming of marriages that deviate from gender and sexual norms, which the text does in fact leave room for but probably isn't what Snorri had in mind. There's a lot of room for speculation about how this may have been relevant in pre-Christian times but it would be difficult to move it beyond speculation.

Unfortunately quite a lot of this is already pretty speculative, because of how much later our sources concerning marriage are than the time when Lofn may have actually been recognized. Frankly, the same applies to our sources for Lofn, and the time when she may have been recognized. If I'm right about the etymology of her name then I think it's at least a partial vindication of Snorri but that does not necessarily mean that his description of her is entirely reliable.

04: Draugadróttinn

I know a twelfth: if I see up in a tree a noosed corpse, I can so cut and colour the runes that the man will walk and talk with me.

Hávamál 157, translated by Neil Price

... “and sometimes he (Odin) awakened the dead from the earth or sat himself under hanged men. Because of this he was called draugadróttinn (‘lord of ghosts’) or hangadróttinn (‘lord of the hanged’).”

Snorri Sturluson, Ynglinga Saga, translated by Alison Finlay and Anthony Faulkes.

"It is worth emphasising that these are ordinary human dead, not the powerful volur whom the god also consults in poems such as Voluspá and Baldrs draumar. Óðinn is not all-knowing in himself, but he is prepared to run terrible risks to seek out knowledge from those who possess it. From his interrogation of the hanged, and the dead sorceresses, it is clear that death gave access to a secret lore that the god himself could only reach at second-hand. This is important because it suggests a new aspect of Viking-Age belief, namely that human beings could potentially explore places closed to even the most powerful of divinities."

The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia by Neil Price.

“He had two ravens, to whom He had taught the speech of man; and they flew far and wide through the land, and brought Him the news. In all such things He was pre-eminently wise.”

- Ynglinga saga 7

A fantasy read-list: A-2

Fantasy read-list

Part A: Ancient fantasy

2) Mythological fantasy (other mythologies)

Beyond the Greco-Roman mythology, which remained the main source and main influence over European literature for millenia, two other main groups of myths had a huge influence over the later “fantasy” genres.

# On one side, the mythology of Northern Europe (Nordic/Scandinavian, Germanic, but also other ones such as Finnish). When it comes to Norse mythology, two works are the first names that pop-up: the Eddas. Compilations of old legends and mythical poems, they form the main sources of Norse myths. The oldest of the two is the Poetic Edda, or Elder Edda, an ancient compilation of Norse myths and legends in verse. The second Edda is the Prose Edda, so called because it was written in prose by the Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson (alternate names being Snorri’s Edda or the Younger Edda). Sorri Sturluson also wrote numerous other works of great importance, such as Heimskringla (a historical saga depicting the dynasties of Norse kings, starting with tales intermingled with Norse mythology, before growing increasingly “historically-accurate”) or the Ynglinga saga - some also attributed to him the Egil’s Saga.

Other “tales of the North” include, of course, Beowulf, one of the oldest English poems of history, and the most famous version of the old Germanic legend of the hero Beowulf ; the Germanic Völsunga saga and Nibelungenlied ; as well as the Kalevala - which is a bit late, I’ll admit, it was compiled in the 19th century, so it is from a very different time than the other works listed here, but it is the most complete and influential attempt at recreating the old Finnish mythology. 

# On the other side, the Celtic mythologies. The two most famous are, of course, the Welsh and the Irish mythologies (the third main branch of Celtic religion, the Gaul mythology, was not recorded in texts). 

For Welsh mythology, there is one work to go: the Mabinogion. It is one of the most complete collections of Welsh folktales and legends, and the earliest surviving Welsh prose stories - though a late record feeling the influence of Christianization over the late. It is also one of the earliest appearances of the figure of King Arthur, making it part of the “Matter of Britain”, we’ll talk about later.

For Irish mythology, we have much, MUCH more texts, but hopefully they were already sorted in “series” forming the various “cycles” of Irish mythologies. In order we have: The Mythological Cycle, or Cycle of the Gods. The Book of Invasions, the Battle of Moytura, the Children of Lir and the Wooing of Etain. The Ulster Cycle, mostly told through the epic The Cattle-Raid of Cooley. The Fianna Cycle, or Fenian Cycle, whose most important work would be Tales of the Elders of Ireland. And finally the Kings’ Cycle, with the famous trilogy of The Madness of Suibhne, The Feast of Dun na nGed, and The Battle of Mag Rath. 

Another famous Irish tale not part of these old mythological cycles, but still defining the early/medieval Irish literature is The Voyage of Bran. 

# While the trio of Greco-Roman, Nordic (Norse/Germanic) and Celtic mythologies were the most influential over the “fantasy literature” as a we know it today, other mythologies should be talked about - due to them either having temporary influences over the history of “supernatural literature” (such as through specific “fashions”), having smaller influences over fantasy works, or being used today to renew the fantasy genre.

The Vedas form the oldest religious texts of Hinduism, and the oldest texts of Sanskrit literature. They are the four sacred books of the early Hinduist religion: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda. What is very interesting is that the Vedas are tied to what is called the “Vedic Hinduism”, an ancient, old form of Hinduism, which was centered around a pantheon of deities not too dissimilar to the pantheons of the Greeks, Norse or Celts - the Vedas reflect the form of Hinduist religion and mythology that was still close to its “Indo-European” mythology roots, a “cousin religion” to those of European Antiquity. Afterward, there was a big change in Hinduism, leading to the rise of a new form of the religion (usually called Puranic if my memory serves me well), this time focused on the famous trinity of deities we know today: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

The classic epics and supernatural novels of China have been a source of inspiration for more Asian-influenced fantasy genres. Heavily influenced and shaped by the various mythologies and religions co-existing in China, they include: the Epic of Darkness, the Investiture of the Gods, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, or What the Master does not Speak of - as well as the most famous of them all, THE great epic of China, Journey to the West. If you want less fictionized, more ancient sources, of course the “Five Classics” of Confucianism should be talked about: Classic of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Book of Changes, as well as Spring and Autumn Annals (though the Classic of Poetry and Book of Documents would be the more interesting one, as they contain more mythological texts and subtones - the Book of Changes is about a divination system, the Book of Rites about religious rites and courtly customs, and the Annals is a historical record). And, of course, let’s not forget to mention the “Four Great Folktales” of China: the Legend of the White Snake, the Butterfly Lovers, the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, as well as Lady Meng Jiang.

# As for Japanese mythology, there are three main sources of information that form the main corpus of legends and stories of Japan. The Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters), a chronicle in which numerous myths, legends and folktales are collected, and which is considered the oldest literary work of Japan ; the Nihon Shoki, which is one of the oldest chronicles of the history of Japan, and thus a mostly historical document, but which begins with the Japanese creation myths and several Japanese legends found or modified from the Kojiki ; and finally the Fudoki, which are a series of reports of the 8th century that collected the various oral traditions and local legends of each of the Japanese provinces.

# The Mesopotamian mythologies are another group not to be ignored, as they form the oldest piece of literature of history! The legends of Sumer, Akkadia and Babylon can be summed up in a handful of epics and sacred texts - the first of all epics!. You have the three “rival” creation myths: the Atra-Hasis epic for the Akkadians, the Eridu Genesis for the Sumerians and the Enuma Elish story for the Babylonians. And to these three creation myths you should had the two hero-epics of Mesopotamian literature: on one side the story of Adapa and the South Wind, on the other the one and only, most famous of all tales, the Epic of Gilgamesh. 

# And of course, this read-list must include... The Bible. Beyond the numerous mythologies of Antiquity with their polytheistic pantheons and complex set of legends, there is one book that is at the root of the European imagination and has influenced so deeply European culture it is intertwined with it... The Bible. European literary works are imbued with Judeo-Christianity, and as such fantasy works are also deeply reflective of Judeo-Christian themes, legends, motifs and characters. So you have on one side the Ancient Testament, the part of the Bible that the Christians have in common with the Jews (though in Judaism the Ancient Testament is called the “Torah”) - the most famous and influential parts of the Ancient Testament/Torah being the first two books, Genesis (the creation myth) and Exodus (the legend of Moses). And on the other side you have the exclusively Christian part of the Bible, the New Testament - with its two most influential parts being the Gospels (the four canonical records of the life of Jesus, the Christ) and The Book of Revelation (the one people tend to know by its flashier name... The Apocalypse). 

Germanic Magick, Ritual, & Shamanism

Looking at some of the sacred rites and mysticism of the pre-Christian past.

Ritual work is arguably one of the most fascinating aspects of paganism to those seeking to connect with the divine and engage with the native faith of their ancestors. Performing rituals can greatly improve your quality of life and enhance your worship of the divine. Our Germanic ancestors performed an array of religious rites, including ritual burial and sacrificial ceremonies. Many of these rituals were even performed for magickal purposes. This article will explore what type of magick our ancestors believed in, the mystical practices they engaged with, and how we may achieve any of our own metaphysical goals by participating in the ways of our ancestors.

Possibly the most intriguing and discussed form of magick practiced by the Germanic peoples (notably the Norse) is that of seidr, which is used to tell and change the future. Seidr is mostly associated with Freyja, who according to Snorri in the Ynglinga Saga, taught the magick to the Aesir. This type of magick is often associated with women, and seeresses are frequently mentioned in Old Norse sources. The Saga of Erik the Red describes a volva (seeress) named Thorbjorg in Greenland. She possessed a seidstafr and wore a bag that contained talismans “needful to her in her wisdom.” A similar staff was discovered buried alongside a woman in Fyrkat, Denmark. Furthermore, Cassius Dio mentions a seeress named Ganna who belonged to the Semnoni tribe in Book 56, dating back to the 3rd century. In Bidford, England, the remains of a woman were discovered in 1971. Along with the skeleton were several grave goods, including small pendents which were thought to be some type of magickal tool. Scholars claim that the woman was likely a magick practitioner, pre-Christian priestess, or healer. Moreover, Woden receives a vision from a seeress in Voluspa. Matter of fact, Woden is associated with seidr, though it was frowned upon for men to partake in such magick because it was viewed as “unmanly.”

The Germanic heathens believed in another form of magick known as galdr. Galdralag is a type of poetic meter used for magickal intent. It is a form of ljothatal and is featured in portions of the Havamal. In Grogaldr, Groa is summoned from the grave to aid her son Svipdagr. She casts nine incantations in order to protect him on his journey. The Eggja runestone found in Sogn, Norway, dating back to approximately the 7th century, is thought to be galdralag intended to provide protection for the deceased. Magickal poetry is found all across Northwestern Europe. It is extremely prevalent in the medical manuscripts of the Anglo-Saxons such as the Lacnunga. The Lacnunga features the Nine Herbs Charm in which Woden uses nine different plants. In Germany, two charms known as the Merseburg Charms were recorded during the 10th century. The first Merseburg Charm describes how Valkyries freed imprisoned warriors with the words “leap forth from the fetters, escape from the foes.” The second Merseburg Charm tells the tale of Woden healing his son Baldr’s injured horse by speaking the magickal words “bone to bone, limb to limb, like they were glued.” Healing charms are commonly found on gold bracteates, such as the one found in Denmark with the laukar inscription. Laukar is derived from the Proto-Germanic word for “leek,” a plant often used for medicinal purposes. The Anglo-Saxons used charms to heal ailments, but galdr magick specifically is also mentioned briefly in Beowulf. A grimoire known simply as the Galdrabok was compiled sometime during the 17th century. It features several spells and staves, as well as instructions on how to invoke both Christian and pre-Christian spirits.

In his work Germania, Tacitus claims that the Germanic tribes used casting lots for the purpose of divination. He states that they would take a twig from a nut-bearing tree and cut it into small pieces, marking each piece with a symbol. The pieces would then be thrown onto a white sheet while a priest or leader of the family prayed to the gods and chose three pieces at random. Many believe that these symbols described by Tacitus were runes, though scholars argue that they were likely other representative drawings. According to Tacitus, the Germanic peoples also interpreted the behaviors of animals such as birds and horses. Horses have especially been linked to the divine (though that is a topic for a whole other article.) Futhermore, he states that our heathen ancestors predicted the outcome of battle by taking a prisoner from an opposing tribe and forcing them to fight a member of their own tribe. Whoever wins suggests the results of war. Divination is often associated with seidr.

There are many other rituals and magickal practices that have not been extensively recorded. Shamanism is essentially contacting otherworldly spirits or traveling to other incorporeal realms, typically with the goal of achieving some sort of spiritual ecstasy or divine wisdom. Odin is derived from the Proto-Germanic word Wodanaz, meaning “rage”, and the prefix “Od” has similar meanings of “divine fury, frenzy.” For this reason, as well as tales within the Eddas and Ynglinga Saga, Woden is associated with shamanism. Utiseta is a ritual that involves an individual (usually a shaman) sitting out in the wilderness and communing with nature, usually with the aims of connecting to the land spirits, ancestors, or obtain sacred knowledge. It is Shamanistic in nature and linked to seidr. Many are probably aware of Totemism, where warriors would receive the strength from a totem animal. The Ulfhednar were warriors who literally adopted the behavior and strength of a wolf during battle and even dawned wolf hides. Another example of Totemism is different animals being of particular importance to different tribes. Again, we see the veneration of horses among the Anglo-Saxons. The Germanic pagans worshipped the gods through an array of ceremonies and celebrations. Ritual precessions involving a wagon have been recorded and it is likely that they were associated with fertility. A wagon precession dedicated to the goddess Nerthus is described in Germania. The ceremony concludes with the purification of the wagon and drowning of slaves. The Oseberg Tapestry illustrates something similar, and this type of ritual precession has also been attributed to Freyr.

Literary attestations and archaeological evidence indicate that one’s fate and physical wellness were of great importance to the Germanic heathens. Our ancestors lived in times of uncertainty; the rituals they performed and the gods that they worshipped reflected what they viewed to be crucial aspects of their society and that would ensure prosperity to their tribe. Unlike Christianity, the Germanic peoples did not worship the same god. Different gods were venerated and centered depending on what circumstances our ancestors faced. Therefore, we should think deeply about what we hope to achieve through ritual and worship. It might not be possible to completely reconstruct the sacred rites of the pre-Christian past, but we can use what we know as guidelines. Utiseta is a practice that I view as extremely valuable to any pagan, no matter the goal. The modern age has greatly disconnected us from nature, the core of paganism. Sitting out in nature, taking the time to familiarize yourself with your environment and developing a relationship with it strengthens your bond with your ancestors as well as the gods. You will also be acquainted with the land spirits. Paganism is much more than leaving offerings to the gods; it’s about worshipping the world around you, leaving offerings to the spirits that surround you. Paganism forces you to confront your environment. You don’t need to go purchase runes, you can simply pay attention to the behavior of wildlife. You don’t need to purchase anything, that is not what paganism is about. Moreover, think carefully about what goes into a ritual. Nothing is meaningless and everything is connected. There is a reason for the worship of Nerthus mostly taking place at a lake. Fertility deities are often linked to bodies of water, because water may be seen as amniotic fluid or menstrual blood. Everything is symbolic, all that goes into a ritual directly impacts your life. Our ancestors did everything for a reason. So, although we may not be able to perform some of the more elaborate rites of pre-Christian times, we can apply the knowledge, mindfulness, and fluidity to our own practice. Study the world around you, embrace change, and remember that there is meaning in everything.

Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Fornjotr - The Primordial Jotunn Well here we are on another ThorsDay with another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic, sometimes Celtic) mythological characters.  This week it’s Fornjotr / Fornjot / Fornjót / Fornjótr of the Jotnar (Jötunn / Jotun / Jotunn / Jetten / Eoten / Giant, mentioned in a list in the þulur, and in the Ynglinga Eddas and Sagas.

His name has been translated several ways. Generally to mean “primordial”, "ancient", or "original" from the Old Norse 'forn' for old, and 'Jotr' for giant. and Though other suggestions have been made such as 'first destroyer' from 'njótr' or 'original screamer' from 'þjótr'.

Thought to be the ancient ancestor of many giants, as well as the kings of Norway. Father of three sons, Hler (sea), Logi (fire), Kari (wind). And the grandfather of Kari's children Jokul (glacier), Frosti (frost). Great Grandfather of Snaer (snow) through Jokul. And Great Great Grandfather to Snaer's children, Porri (winter month), Fonn (snow drift), Driffa (snow flurry), Mjoll (powder snow). And many others that are assumed or unnamed.

He is used as a synonym for fire and wind. He's about as elemental a giant as it gets. with a bit of everything thrown in.

"Il (Óðinn) disait tout en rime, comme on parle maintenant de ce qui est appelé l'Art de la Poésie. Lui et ses prêtres de temple étaient appelés des forgerons de vers… Óðinn pouvait faire en sorte qu'en bataille, ses ennemis soient aveuglés, sourds ou remplis de terreur… mais ses propres hommes allaient sans armure et étaient frénétiques comme des chiens ou des loups, mordant leurs boucliers, étant forts comme des ours ou des bœufs… cela s'appelle devenir berserk ("porte-bouclier"). Óðinn changeait souvent de forme, puis son corps restait comme mort ou endormi, tandis qu'il était lui-même un oiseau ou un animal quadrupède, un poisson ou un serpent, et pouvait voyager en un instant vers des contrées lointaines, au service de lui-même ou des autres. Il pouvait aussi faire d'autres choses, seulement avec des mots il pouvait éteindre un feu, calmer l'océan et tourner le vent dans la direction qu'il voulait… Óðinn avait avec lui la tête de Mimir ("Mémoire"), qui lui racontait les nouvelles d'autres mondes au-delà ; parfois, il réveillait les morts du sol ou s'asseyait sous un homme pendu, c'est pourquoi on l'appelle le Draugardróttin ("Seigneur des Morts"). Il avait deux corbeaux, qu'il avait appris à parler, ils volaient largement à travers les terres et lui racontaient de nombreuses nouvelles. De tout cela, il devint très sage. Toutes ces arts, il les enseigna en runes et dans une sorte de chants appelés galðr ("chants ensorcelants"), c'est pourquoi les Æsir sont appelés des forgerons de galðr. Óðinn connaissait cet art qui porte avec lui le pouvoir le plus fort, et il le pratiquait lui-même, c'est le seiðr, et à travers lui, il pouvait connaître le destin des gens, et des choses qui sont encore à venir, il pouvait donner aux gens la mort ou le malheur ou la mauvaise santé, il pouvait voler l'esprit et le pouvoir des gens et le donner à d'autres. Mais cette sorcellerie apporte tellement de déshonneur à ceux qui la pratiquent que les hommes ne peuvent la pratiquer sans honte, et c'est pourquoi ils ont enseigné cet art aux prêtresses."

Ynglinga Saga

The amazing Seo Helrune will be teaching "The Völva and the Witch: Spinning, Seiðr, Knots, Luck, and Elves" on October 7, 2023 at 12:00 PM Eastern! Live online, and also it will be recorded so you can watch it later if you can't make the live event.

Description: Ever read Ynglinga saga 7 and wonder about the seiðr that seems to have existed beyond the high seat? If so, this class is for you!

When modern Heathens and other interested magical practitioners think about seiðr, the image that most commonly comes to mind is that of the völva (seeress) on her high seat as depicted in Eiríks saga rauða/Eric the Red’s Saga. It is this image as interpreted via early 20th century scholarship arguing for seiðr as a form of shamanism and Harner’s “core shamanism” that has largely shaped modern recreations of seiðr.

However, when we look at the following section from chapter seven of the Yngling saga, it’s clear that there was much more to seiðr than the high seat:

“Odin knew and practised that craft which brought most power and which was called seid (witchcraft), and he therefore knew much of man's fate and of the future, likewise how to bring people death, ill-luck or illness, or he took power and wit from them and gave it to others. But in promoting this sorcery, lack of manliness followed so much that men seemed not without shame in dealing in it; the priestesses were therefore taught this craft.”

(trans. taken from here)

Well, would ye know yet more?

In this class, I’m going to take a look at seiðr beyond the high seat. We’ll scrutinize the association with shamanism, consider the connection between spinning and seiðr, leap into the matter of luck, vent about the Vanadís, meet with some mound priestesses, get egregious with ergi, pour over possible survivals of seiðr in Early Modern witchcraft accounts, and ask the question so many have asked before: What is up with the elves?

Along the way, we’ll also talk staffs, gandr spirits, weird magical experiments, and so much more!

Caveat: Please note that this class will include discussion of adult themes. Please do not sign up if you are underage or prefer to avoid such topics.

Live attendance not necessary. All ticketholders receive links to attendee packs/recordings after the event.

Now then! Question regarding Valhalla and Heathenry in general. So, whenever the topic of the afterlife within Heathen context gets brought up, it's usually, in my experiences, narrowed down to warriors go to Valhalla or Folkvang, and everyone else goes to Hel, and they tend to cite that it's what the Eddas say. But I've noticed when I've done light reading that the lore isn't quite as cut and dry with regards to Valhalla. Like in the Lay of Harberd, Odin in disguise states that poets/skalds, as well as nobles and warriors go to his hall, and in Volsunga Saga, Sinflotji dies from poison and is taken by Odin disguised as a ferryman to Valhalla. Sigurd as well (technically) dies in battle, slaying his attacker before dying, but doesn't enter Valhalla. So, my question is basically, why are details like these either ignored or just not brought up when people speak of Valhalla and how to enter it?

I think there are a few concurrent answers operating on different levels.

I think the real reason they don't get brought up is that people don't know about them. In my experience, most heathens do not read the heroic poems or sagas like Völsunga saga. In Snorri and in the mythological poems of the Poetic Edda, Valhöll is described as the place where people go if they were "killed by weapons" (vápndauðir, Grímnismál 8), and "have fallen in battle" (í orrustu hafa fallit, Gylfaginning 38). These are quick references, not detailed descriptions of the rules, and there is nothing surprising about them being limited. So I am not surprised when people have not read sources that don't fit that description.

Also, I think it would be very difficult to create a coherent description of what qualifies a person for Valhöll that includes all of the people who are said to go there in the poems and sagas, and excludes everyone else. In Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, Helgi seems to be killed in the same way that Sigurðr is, yet Helgi does go to Valhöll; furthermore, Helgi apparently comes and goes from Valhöll, and eventually reincarnates, so the whole thing is a very different concept of Valhöll than we get in many other sources. In Ynglinga saga, King Njörðr has himself "marked (for/to/of) Óðinn" before dying of illness, which isn't fully explained, but most people figure it's supposed to be some kind of guarantee of a good afterlife (the assumption is usually that he is inflicted with a wound indistinguishable from a battle-wound so he can go to Valhöll) -- obviously the description of [the human king] Njörðr doing this is not a reliable witness to a historical event but it's not impossible that Snorri worked an actual custom into the narrative even though it conflicts with most other descriptions of Valhöll.

While I think most heathens know by now that myth was different over time and geography, in practice many are still pretty bad at applying that fact to how they think of religious concepts. That is to say, they think there is supposed to be a single coherent concept of Valhöll, so some of those sources must be wrong. But let's be real here: nobody goes to Valhöll and lives to tell about it. These are collective speculations, maybe bolstered by the occasional mystical experience, but mostly projections of life serving a warrior aristocracy, mediated by the needs of whatever narrative it's being used in. I also want to mention that the inclusion of noblemen and poets isn't really a contradiction here: most of the important skálds who we know about were also warriors and served as court poets in the retinues of kings and jarls; and generally warriors were noblemen. One was far more likely to die in battle if they were noble, and if you could manage to get your foot in the door it might have been one of the very few ways to attain nobility if you weren't born into it.

I actually do think that the discrepancy between Sinfjötli's afterlife and Sigurðr's can be explained, although you do have to stretch a little. Basically the perception of where a person goes after death has more to do with the reception of their manner of death. Sinfjötli died honorably, looking his opponent in the eye, knowing it was going to kill him, but having no honorable way out accepted death rather than chickening out. Sigurðr was murdered in bed. Yeah, he went down fighting, and nobody would deny that he was an honorable person, but his manner of death was not. In other versions of the story it's even worse, he gets literally stabbed in the back. They're all bad ways to go.

But again, that happens to Helgi too (it seems, anyway -- it looks like he got run through from behind just like Siegfried in the Nibelungenlied), and he goes to Valhöll.

Finally, I think the reason that its pushed so hard sometimes is in reaction to the opposite tendency: the trend of opening up Valhöll to include practically everyone, or at least everyone who "deserves" it. As you know, my own opinion is that this sucks even worse than the "SKÅL WARRIOR BRÖTHREN" view of it. To be clear, they're not really doing anything different from what Vikings did; they're also projecting their personal values onto the cosmos itself so that they can imagine their own judgments being enacted in an impersonal or divinely-guided way, it's just that I think that sucks ass and is counterproductive, because expecting the cosmos to dole out justice at the end of the lifetime is a form of resignation about getting justice in the real world.

The bit about Loki accusing Freyr and Freya of incest comes from Lokasenna, one of the poems in the Poetic Edda:

"Loki spake: 32. "Be silent, Freyja! | thou foulest witch, And steeped full sore in sin; In the arms of thy brother | the bright gods caught thee When Freyja her wind set free."

Njorth spake: 33. "Small ill does it work | though a woman may have A lord or a lover or both; But a wonder it is | that this womanish god Comes hither, though babes he has borne.""

(https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe10.htm)

Lokasenna is a poem in the "senna" genre, essentially an exchange of insults in poetic form, where Loki gets drunk and insults all the other gods, one by one, at a feast before being driven away by Thor. It has indeed been questioned how much of what Loki says in it was accepted as part of this or that mythical tradition, or if all if his accusations are made-up wholesome as part of a satirical poetic exercise. However, it's also been read as an expression of Loki as an ambiguous figure (as a jotun who was welcomed among the gods as Odin's blood-brother and friend but may act either for or against the gods and bringing positive or negative changes to their world depending on the myth) able to weave in and out of the gods' in-group, knowing it intimately but also offering an outsider's perspective on it at the same time, thus being able to bring up and expose uncomfortable and harsh truths, and highlighting what can be read as the hypocrisy of the gods, who are held as shining, dignified authorities in certain contexts but have plenty of flaws and make plenty of mistakes in others.

Also, we know for sure that at least SOME things Loki are true, which does cast some level of doubt *on* the doubt we might cast on the others: he accuses Odin of being unmanly (we know that's true because we know he is associated with a type of magic that's always regarded as "womanly" or "unmanly") and Frigg of having slept with both of Odin's brothers (an idea also reported elsewhere, together with the idea of her generally being an adulterer), mocks Tyr for having had his hand bitten off by Fenrir (that's the most important Tyr myth that survived after the Viking Age) and Freyr for giving up his sword (and the advantage it would have given him during Ragnarok) to gain Gerd as a bride (also an attested myth) then Heimdall for his unlucky position as the eternally-watchful sentinel of the gods (his main role in the myths), and claims to have slept with Sif (not *technically* attested, but fits well with Harbardsljod, another senna-type poem, where Thor is told in no uncertain terms that his wife has a lover that she has fun with while he's away from home, and also with Sif having a son, Ullr, who's on record as a *stepson* to Thor). He even admits to killing Balder (true... at the least in the version of the events the poem references) and foretells his own binding.

Then, there's also the fact that, for as many insults as Loki shoots at the gods, the gods fire just as many back, and the majority of those are also true: he's accused of being unmanly (true in many different ways), of having given birth (just look at the myth of the building of the wall of Asgard and how Odin got his horse Sleipnir), and of being unpleasant and sowing discord (... hard to argue with that, especially in context).

A point that should also be considered is that we do know from at least two pieces of writing that the Vanir gods (unlike the Aesir, who forbid it) practice incestuous relationships and even marriages. Specifically, brother/sister ones.

Again from the Lokasenna:

"Njorth spake: 35. "Great was my gain, | though long was I gone, To the gods as a hostage given; The son did I have | whom no man hates, And foremost of gods is found."

Loki spake: 36. "Give heed now, Njorth, | nor boast too high, No longer I hold it hid; With thy sister hadst thou | so fair a son, Thus hadst thou no worse a hope.""

From the Ynglinga Saga, in the context of an euhemerized account of the gods as kings and heroes of old:

"While Njord was with the Vanaland people he had taken his own sister in marriage, for that was allowed by their law; and their children were Frey and Freya. But among the Asaland people it was forbidden to intermarry with such near relations."

(https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/02ynglga.htm)

Personally, I tend not to give too much credit to people who look at the Norse gods doing weird/uncomfortable/gross/very sexual/kinky things and say "oh, but SURELY that must be a satire! A later invention that could NEVER be referencing some older tradition! A slanderous invention! The Christians putting their grubby little hands all over the myths to make the heathen gods look bad, even in the case of authors we know were just trying to preserve their people's history as they knew it or their traditional poetry and were actually more likely to try and ennoble or at least normalize them!" It's true that Germanic people did hold their gods in high regard and pray and sacrifice to them like any other culture, but that doesn't mean they thought of them as perfect, or were never wary of them, or never told stories about them doing things that they themselves wouldn't do.

There is a chance that Freyr and Freya weren't actually thought of as incestuous, and there is a chance they weren't even born out of an incestuous relationship (not only but chiefly due to wonky timelines/topics not being presented in the order we'd normally expect in a certain section of the Prose Edda ... which was written by Snorri Sturluson, the same guy who wrote the Ynglinga Saga, but make of that what you will), but honestly, I just don't see enough evidence to dismiss the material presented in the Lokasenna. Freya is also known as a very proud and headstrong character as well as overly lustful (like in the Hyndluljod poem, where she's accused of having allowed plenty of men under her skirts, or in the late Sorla thattr story, where she agrees to spend one night with each of the four dwarves working on a necklace for her, or in her association with love poetry, which was actually considered so powerful and dangerous, it was sometimes outlawed) so following her desires without caring for a law that's not even really her own doesn't strike me as particularly weird of her.

That's just my opinion, of course! Although, I would argue that, taken at face value and without digging into whatever mythological and literary nuances we might theorize, they ARE canon.

Please forgive the rant, I've always been really into Norse mythology and I actually had a lot of fun doing this little write-up! ^^

[x]

Thank you so much for this! It was wonderful to get a description of the facts from someone who is clearly very knowledgeable on the topic. I think we're all very inclined to agree with your conclusions.

I didn't realize that Loki's accusation against Freya was part of a series of accusations, at least some of which are "confirmed", so to speak. That's very promising indeed.

I only did a tiny bit of research but I did find at least a couple of sources that seemed very biased against Vanir incest, straining to disprove and such. A more open-minded approach might see Frey/Freya considered canon more often.

Implicit Theology and Pagan Reconstructionism

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ANCIENT RELIGIONS POSSESS LOGIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THEM. It is especially evident in Etruria, where religion was abundant—beyond my beloved aiser lies other logic systems in ancient religions too. Epithets are a keen example of this, for it is only logic to call upon Dionysos Eleutheros when seeking emotional catharsis. Him having this epithet suggests that not only does he have power over emotion, it also speaks to his ability for madness. 

The theoi in artistic representations are shown to be physically present in art, telling us that the ancient Greeks believed the theoi can come to rituals and receive offerings. Stone texts do not directly state this, rather it is assumed—it is implicit beliefs and ideas surrounding the gods, therefore making it implicit theology. 

Epithets are also a marker of implicit theology. Dionysus’ epithets are vast and complex, but one example I see is with Eleuthereos (“the Liberator”. As he is the god of madness, he can also avert it—therefore he is Eletutheros, the reliever of anxiety and god of the theatre’s katharsis. We know to invoke his side of him we must call upon him as Eleutheros. In the mind of an ancient Greek, we can invoke more epithets to match this to further invoke that side of Dionysus.

This tells us:

To ensure success in a certain area, you should call upon a deity in a particular function

The theoi appear in different aspects at different times 

Naming them as certain descriptors invokes this side of them. 

The gods respond to these names, making them effective in use 

Furthermore, if we are talking about “negative” aspects of deities or “negative” theoi in general:

By invoking them, we can tell them to keep that negative thing away (such as praying to Limos to essentially stay away as long as possible). 

Jumping into another region, thinking in the mind of an Etruscan helps I to interpret the brontoscopic calendar. This calendar works upon the presence of thunder and what is to come because of that omen. If it were to strike this year on November 12th of 2023, the omen states:

If it thunders, there will be signs revealing great things. Beware lest it pour rain upon the fire of joyful elation.

This message within itself is vague. However, the Etruscan would have naturally looked towards the region of the sky it came from—the 16 divisions of heaven—and understood which of the aiser sent that omen. If Tins were to send thunder, I would look more towards the areas of harmony as he is rather fond of harmony, or of crops as he is also a fertility-thunder god. 

Assumed beliefs are also a key aspect to unraveling the thorny sides of paganism. We are modern people who live in a world with several systematic issues, i.e. as racism and white supremacy. One example I do conjure is within Heathenry and Valhalla. 

Valhalla and by extension “vikings" have been horribly glorified in media. They are used as peaks of masculinity and the “Old Ways”, bearded and muscular men saying vague ramblings about Odin and such. Therefore it is commonly said that only warriors (who are also “coincidentally” purely white blue-eyed and blonde haired and strangely modern in their thought process) are accepted into Odin’s hall when they die. However, this is not the historical reality of Valhalla:

Odin established the same law in his land that had been in force in Asaland. Thus he established by law that all dead men should be burned, and their belongings laid with them upon the pile, and the ashes be cast into the sea or buried in the earth. Thus, said he, every one will come to Valhalla with the riches he had with him upon the pile; and he would also enjoy whatever he himself had buried in the earth. For men of consequence a mound should be raised to their memory, and for all other warriors who had been distinguished for manhood a standing stone; which custom remained long after Odin’s time.

- Ynglinga Saga, Chapter 8

It is also assumed that Valhalla only accepts men due to our ideas of masculinity, but this is also once again not historical whatsoever. We may also note that Freyja, a goddess, has her own hall for the dead—yet her hall is seldom known among popculture compared to Valhalla. Just as implicit theology is unheard and unsaid within us, so is implicit theology—sometimes, being the same creature. To identify this is to understand the dangerous thoughts that continue to threaten the safety of others. 

Implicit theology I believe is a key part of reconstructionism and revivalism. Following this logic can allow us to live within the world as worshippers of the divine. Finding what is implicit and assumed can help us not only contextualise ancient religions, it may also assist in post-reconstructionism. We are not only here to reconstruct, we have to create something living and evolving. As more scholarship comes forward, we can refinish and polish ourselves. The end goal and the reason we do all of this is to create religions that we live within—reconstructionism is piecing a temple together from rubble and trying until one day you take a breath of divinity. 

In truth I will have to do a longer post on this for Etruria, but this is a start.

References 

Crawford, J. (2015). The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes. Hackett Publishing.

DIONYSUS - Greek God of Wine & Festivity. (n.d.). Theoi Greek Mythology. https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html

Larson, J. (2016). Understanding Greek Religion. In Routledge eBooks. Informa. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315647012

Stavrianopoulou. (2016). From the god who listened to the god who replied: Transformations in the concept of epekoos*. Dieux Des Grecs, Dieux Des Romains.

The Religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Heimskringla. trans. Samuel Laing. (1844) The Ynglinga Saga Turfa, J. M. (2012). Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice.