Vetrnætr – Winter Nights
The first three nights of winter, called Winter Nights or Vetrnætr, are dedicated to Freyr and those connected with him. This is the festival of Vetr that Óðinn tells us to celebrate in Ynglingasaga ch. 8. We have a description of the Vetrnætr feast in several sources, including Gisla Saga ch. 10: Það var þá margra manna siður að […]
Galdr
The practice of Galdr involves the chanting of verses to achieve a certain outcome, based on whether the Gods join you in the singing. The reverberation of the chant is pivotal to the development of a proper Galdr and must be taken into consideration when performing it. There are three types of Galdr we will […]
Fóstbræðalag- Fosterbrotherhood
Within the rite of Fóstbræðralag or Fosterbrotherhood, two families become conjoined by the ceremonial spilling of blood. The idea is that by blending the blood (blóðablanda) the two men involved in the rite become as family within their bloodlines, sanctifying the rite through this sacred act. There is a cutting of turf, called the […]
Nafnfestr– Name Fasting
Nafnfestr is to give something or someone a name was a sacred act, as if this were giving life or new life to the being or object. When a child is born this act is not only performed in conjunction with their hallowing before the Gods, but also in their acceptance into the family and […]
Landnám– Land-Taking:
This ritual is made to establish any form of sacred space, or even the settlement of a home. We have seen that the creation of the stead must revolve around sanctifying the area, then firmly maintaining it as a peace-stead, which shall be the purpose of the rite. Under the Elements section of the Tools, […]
Fóstr– Fostering
Preparation The family makes all agreements and arrangements as to the nature of the fostering. The child is prepared and dressed for the special occasion. The rite begins with the birth-parents entering the dwelling of the Fóstri (“Foster-Father”) or Fóstra (“Foster-Mother”) with the child that is to be fostered. The latter will stand next to […]
Goðorð
The priesthood of our faith Within every religion there exists a group of people dedicated to its practice and furtherance. These are men and women who devote their lives to the study and worship of their notions of divinity. From performing holy rites to advising the laity, it is a mission that some are called […]
Smyrja
This rite is designed to bless and bring life and power to your images of the Gods, called Skurðgoðar. This is a very important element in your practice, for your focus within the rite should be upon these images and the deities they represent.
The idea is not that the inanimate objects are divine themselves, but rather that they are imbued with a portion of deific strength and identity, which allows us to offer to them as if we were facing the Gods themselves.
Blótbað– Blót Bath
The Blótbað (Blót-Bath) is a sacred cleansing before any rite is performed, or it can be a weekly rite in and of itself, since our ancestors called Saturday Laugardagr or “Bath-Day.” The ablution could also be called Njardarlǫg, which means “Njǫrðr’sBath,” and was originally the name of the small Norwegian island of Tysnǫ. The name could also mean “Njǫrðr’s Law,” or “Njǫrðr’s Shrine.” In any case, there is the possibility that this would have involved some form
Æfinrúnar 2
In the earliest age, Óðinn and his brothers, Hœnir and Lóðurr, created the world. Then they created Askr and Embla, the first parents of the Germanic peoples, granting each of them life, a soul, and their senses.
Afterwards, the Gods came together to create the prototype of our religion; they built hǫrgr ok hof, or altars and temples, and they devised a method by which people could worship them and praise them for their divine feats. They created our world,