On the strong bonds resulting by Sharing Food and Drink
When King Magnus, perhaps a little by surprise, sought to bind Swein Estridson to subjection as his vassal, he did not only offer him a cloak, but added thereto a bowl of mead. Swein did not put on the cloak, and probably did not taste the mead either; he feared the latter no less than
THE CLIMAX OF THE FIMBUL – WINTER . THE MIGRATION OF TRIBES FROM THE NORTH . SKJÖLD BORGAR AND HALFDAN
Excerpts from” Our Fathers’ Godsaga”, by Viktor Rydberg , translated by William P Reeves After Baldur’s death, there was no power in Asgard that could check the whirlwinds, blizzards, and hailstorms sent by Völund from Jötunheim. The distinctions between summer and winter disappeared altogether, and it seemed as if winter would reign every month of the year. The land closest
Inheritance
….In modern times, inheritance is a question first and foremost of preventing the property from being left without an owner; the general endeavor concentrates upon the providing of a clear and legally defined way for the money to take, along which it can roll according to the law of gravity from man to man, until
OH MY GODDESS! FRIGG AS ALL-MOTHER.
That the gods form a family is self-evident in their leadership. Odin is the All-Father, as well as their ruler. The gods together are esteemed “Frigg’s progeny” (Friggjar niðja) in a skaldic kenning by Egill Skalla-grímsson in Sonatorrek 2. As previously demonstrated, numerous poetic references designate the Earth as Odin’s wife and Thor’s mother, and
Worshipping the Gods
To understand the true nature of the worship of our Gods and Goddesses, we must first understand the anatomy of the human brain. Neuroscience has determined that our brain has two sides—a left side that deals with logic and reasoning, and a right side that deals with creativity and imagination. The left side is very
JULA-GALT, THE YULE BOAR
“THE BOAR’S HEAD IN HAND BEAR I” . In a group of petroglyphs from Litsleby in West Sweden, one image depicts a man driving a plow pulled by two horned draught animals. In one hand he holds a budding branch or a small tree and in the other an undefined object which may be a
The Elements of Man
“From the ancient North comes the spiritual legacy of our folk , passed on from the very words of our highest God , whom we call Odin . His blood flows through our veins , for he is our creator , our earliest ancestor who gave us life with his divine wisdom . He and
GONE TO THE DOGS: A CAUTIONARY YULETIDE TALE CONCERNING THE WILD HUNTMAN’S WIFE AND HER HOUNDS
Besides Woden, tradition also speaks of a woman riding at the head of the Furious Host. Holda, like Odin, can ride the wind clothed in terror. Like him, she belongs to the Wild Hunt. Sometimes she is portrayed as his wife, Frau Gode (Gauden, Wode, Woden), that is “Mrs. Odin.” According to one such legend
Yuletide Customs
“They set the table for the Queen of Heaven,—whom the common people call Frau Holda” Like the White Lady, Frau Perchta and Berchta, Frau Holle was also connected with prophecy, although on a more domestic level. Near Hörselberg in Thuringia, maidens would place new fiber on their distaffs on Christmas Eve before Frau Holle began
The Vanir
As the Aesir are the defenders and protectors of the World Order, the Vanir are primarily concerned with its maintenance and function. Because of this, we often view them as nature divinities, and as such they can be closely correlated to the natural sciences. Frey owns the Grotti-Mill that regulates the ebb and flow of
