He Came With The Blessing Of The Geats 8

Modern Heathens take great pride in personal independence, refusing to bow before distant authorities or divine masters. This is not surprising, many who follow Heathen practices do so out of personal choice full well knowing their decision will push them to the fringes of modern Western society. The choice to follow any polytheistic practice, in an age when monotheism is the norm, is a small yet fundamental act of rebellion. For whatever reason the initial decision is made those who continue on a path that guarantees social marginalization at best do so because their existential needs are not served by modern, conventional spirituality. This same spirit of defiance sounds out strongly in Heathen lore. The duty to resist oppressive circumstances is a powerful theme in Germanic Lore.To first understand the importance of resistance and rebellion one must first examine the cyclical nature of Germanic cosmology as presented in the Eddas. In the beginning of the sagas there was nothing but fire, ice, and a great void. One day the fire and ice boiled out into the gap, collided, and from the primordial void and chaos a new order emerged centered on Ymir. When Odin and His two brothers, Vili and Ve, struck down Ymir They used his body to create a new order where the Gods and humanity would flourish. Throughout the sagas They do battle with destructive giants and monsters like Fenris and the Midgard Serpent to keep Midgard and the Nine Worlds safe. In the Final Battle of Ragnarok the Gods take the field against their old foes one last time in spite of their pre-ordained doom. From the destruction of Ragnarok, as it was when fire and ice collided and Ymir fell, a new bright world will come from the ashes of the old.In each cycle of destruction and rebirth new, more prosperous worlds are built from the bones of the old ended in chaos and destruction. The new worlds are born because of an upset of the existing status quo. The great yawning void, which had existed for time unknown between the realms of fire and ice, had been the center of the existing order until the great elemental forces poured in and filled it. Ymir and the frost giants had lived in relative prosperity unchallenged until Buri's grandsons Odin, Vili, and Ve struck him down and used the body to create a new world(1). Ragnarok begins with a three year ice age ending with Surtr's immolation of the World Tree. Every great cosmic change is catalyzed by disruption of the existing order. These changes are used as the means to initiate greater, more meaningful transformation.Cosmic change does not come about for its own sake in the lore. While the lore is silent on the Gods' motives for slaying Ymir we can make some inferences from the lore. The primordial world in which the sons of Buri lived is described as extremely bleak. All that existed was Ymir, the cow Audumla who fed the giant, and a lot of salty ice(2). The new order built from Ymir's body is lush, fertile, and full of promise for the Gods, humans, and wights(3). Whatever the motive the end result was replacing the old, stagnant order with a new, more beneficial one for the Gods and the inhabitants of the Nine Worlds.

Beowulf's saga shows the same theme of liberation from oppressive circumstances. Following Grendel's first attack on the hall of Hereot the Ring-Danes did whatever they could to fight back and repel new attacks4. Conditions became quite grim:

"All were endangered; young and oldwere hunted down by that dark death-shadowwho lurked and swooped in the long nightson the misty moors; nobody knowswhere these reavers from hell roam on their errands."(5)In spite of all this they never stopped their war with Grendel, who "ruled in defiance of right"(6).When Beowulf left Geatland he did not come seeking wealth or riches but to volunteer for the battle with Grendel(7). He came with the blessing of the Geats(8) only requesting of Hrothgar that he do it himself with his men(9). The same theme re-asserts itself at the end of the saga when Beowulf, in the twilight of his years, personally seeks out and slays a dangerous dragon menacing his people at the cost of his own life.

The history of the people of the Old North is rich with stories of resistance and defiance of the mighty. The first and best examples come from the days when Rome ruled the world. In the first century AD Hermann of the Cherusci organized a coalition of tribes in defiance of Roman colonization of their lands. At Teutoburg Forest they destroyed the Roman army ending the first and only serious attempt by the Empire to conquer Germania. In the centuries that followed the Germanic tribes refused to let Rome rest fighting a series of bloody wars with the Empire. These were wars fought not by wealthy warrior-aristocrats or professional mercenaries but farmers, artisans, and merchants defending their homes and families. It is doubtful they had any serious hopes of destroying the Empire, a monolithic entity that cast a long shadow over the Rhine and Danube for centuries. What is clear is the fallout of the Empire's presence in the form of forced tribute, slave raids, punitive expeditions, and Rome's proxy wars reached a point where they could not be tolerated. In the face of deprivation, war, and slavery the Germanics consistently chose the risks of resistance over the certainty of submission.

The same defiance of oppression stands strong from the Empire's fall to the final Christianization of Scandinavia. Germanic tribes, facing conversion by force and coercion, refused to give up the old ways. With the exception of Iceland's conversion in 1000 AD every attempt to impose the Cross on the people was met with dogged, bloody resistance. From the Saxons' defiance of Charlemagne's invasion to Svolder when a coalition of Danes, Swedes, and Norse brought down the Christian tyrant Olaf Tryggvason and Stiklestad when an army of free common folk ambushed and slew the Christian king Olaf II the folk never gave up without a fight. When "conquered" they rebelled fiercely and often.

The message of resistance and rebellion is a powerful theme in the lore of the Northern world. When faced with oppressive conditions heroes, Gods, and ancestors alike pushed back, refusing to submit in the face of near-certain defeat. Many times when they made this fateful choice it was not with the certainty of victory behind them but as a challenge of impossible odds. Whether it is the Gods at Ragnarok, Beowulf facing the dragon, or the Cherusci at Teutoberg they chose defiance over submission and surrender.Also published at Ryan's Desk

1. Gylfaginning V, trans. by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur2. Gylfaginning VI3. Gylfaginning VIII-IX4. Beowulf 170-178, trans. by Seamus Heaney5. Beowulf 159-1636. Beowulf 1447. Beowful 194-2018. Beowulf 415-4189. Beowulf 431-432

Pertho Rune

Pertho is one of the most mysterious Runes of the Elder Futhark. Before all it represents passing into the unknown or even initiation, but the term “initiation” can just as well be connected to Eihwaz as the Rune of death. This Rune can represent the female womb and the fertility cauldron of the mother Goddess. Its shape reminds one of a chalice, which is another association to the womb of the Goddess. The Rune itself signifies mystery, a mysterious event that changes one's life and leads him into a new state of consciousness or a new way of being. Because of this Pertho besides the womb represents a gate or a passage of every kind, but most often the one that leads into the unknown. By passing Eihwaz we have reached an unknown ground, a field we're facing to the first time, which can be caused by a change that has come to being in Eihwaz. But, Pertho can act independent from us and our facing ourselves, so the unexpected change can ensue, enacted by unknown forces. In which ever way you fall under the influence of this Rune, it will always signify a new beginning and a new life.

Divination:

Positive meaning: destiny, fertility, new beginning.

Negative meaning: unpleasant surprise, discovering an unpleasant secret, dangers in experimenting with the occult.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Israel Regardie - The Art Of True Healing
Aleister Crowley - The Drug Panic
Robert Anton Wilson - Prometheus Rising
Lyall Watson - Supernature

Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism

Book: Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism by Edred Thorsson

This in-depth primer of the magic of the Northern Way introduces the major concepts and
practices of Gothic or Germanic magic. From Pennsylvania Dutch hex-magic to Scandinavian
runes, Northern Magic explores the folk traditions, ancient lore, Germanic Mysteries, magic,
and wisdom of this ancient Germanic culture.

Another of Thorsson's masterpieces! I strongly recommend this book to all pagans who follow the Northern Way. I don't quite understand the bad reviews about Edred Thorsson being a satanist, he is quite far from it!

This is an excellent book for beginners of Asatru, due to the book wide variations of Norse paganism. This book covers many subjects and customs such as: The Troth, Runes, Hex-signs, Seith Magic, and much more. This book, however, is not in depth in these subjects, but a great introduction to them. If you are looking for information on Runes of the Elder Futhark, I wouldn't count on this book, however Thorsson introduces the Younger Futhark and covers them pretty well (one page on each rune, front and back!) I also recommend this book for the advanced, because it introduces new customs as well. Be sure to check out other books by Thorsson.

This is a really good reference for the very busy professional person who needs a clear presentation of ideas in a very short space. It would function as an excellent primer to Runelore and/or Futhark.

This book gives a really good quick overview of the Northern Way as it exists in its present remanifestation. In Chapter III, Dr. Thorsson explains the similarities and differences between the Troth, Rune-Galdor (operative rune magick), and Seith (norse shamanism) in a clear and concise manner.

Chapters IV and V explain Teutonic Cosmology and Theology in a quick, clear, and concise manner.

Dr. Thorsson does make a run at describing the Teutonic "soul" concept, but this is not as satisfying as the foregoing-described concise summaries.

Dr. Thorsson focuses on the younger runes and some home-grown Pennsylvania Dutch magick in this book, which might be interesting to some.

In my opinion, this book is most valuable for the quick summaries, and illustrations accompanying same, discussed above.

Since 1972, Edred Thorsson has been dedicated to the esoteric and esoteric study of the Indo-European, Celtic and Teutonic traditions. He studied Old Irish, Middle Welsh and Indo-European religion and culture at major universities in Germany and in the United States.

Buy Edred Thorsson's book: Northern Magic Rune Mysteries And Shamanism

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Alfred Thompson - Magic And Mystery A Popular History
Tupman Tracy Ward - Theatre Magick Aleister Crowley And Rites Of Eleusis
Max Heindel - The Rosicrucian Mysteries

Asatru As A Folk Religion

There are many traditions and practices that have been passed down through the generations and have survived attempts to eliminate them. Almost all of mainstream American festivals and holidays have their origins in pre-Christian Europe. Such things as Easter Eggs, Yule Trees and their decorations, celebration behaviors, adornment symbolism and other practices represent cultural patterns passed down through the generations from before Christianity dominated Europe. Marriage ceremonies, maritime practices, time-keeping practices and calendars all represent a continued cultural outlook, which has been passed between the generations.

Whereas these practices have been downplayed in the non-Asatruar sectors of American society, Asatruar have embraced them for what they are: surviving folk religion and cultural practices and beliefs. As a folk religion, Asatru adherents see themselves as promoting these surviving traditional values, cultural ideas and practices into the present day and into the future.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Anonymous - Asatru And The Paranormal
Anonymous - Introduction To The Old Religion Lesson 7a
Anonymous - Introduction To The Old Religion Lesson 8
Robert Ellwood - The Encyclopedia Of World Religions

Does Asatru Have A Holy Book Like The Bible

No. There are written sources which are useful to us because they contain much of our sacred lore in the form of myths and examples of right conduct, but we do not accept them as infallible or inspired documents. Any religion which does this is deceiving its members about the purity and precision of the written word. The various competing factions of Middle Eastern religions are proof of this. Their conflicting interpretations can not all be correct!

There are two real sources of holy truth, and neither expresses itself to us in words. One is the universe around us, which is a manifestation of the underlying divine essence. The other is the universe within us, passed down from our ancestors as instinct, emotion, innate predispositions, and perhaps even racial memory. By combining these sources of internal and external wisdom with the literature left us by our ancestors, we arrive at religious truths. This living spiritual guidance is better than any dusty, dogmatic "holy book", whose writings are often so ambiguous that even clerical scholars disagree and whose interpretations change with the politics of the times.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Sirona Knight - The Cyber Spellbook Magick In The Virtual World
Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak - The Arctic Home In The Vedas
Reformed Druids - Anthology 03 Books Of The Liturgy
Lady Galadriel - The New Book Of The Law
Friedrich Max Muller - The Sacred Books Of The East

Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual

Book: Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual by Anthony Arndt

Blotar (the plural form of blot) strengthen the bonds between humans and the gods, our holy kin. With blotar we honor the gods in a social atmosphere and invite them to share in our celebrations and give them gifts in return for divine favor.

The blot bowl and plates laid out for the gods and Ancestors are taken outside and given to the gods and land wights. This is often done by depositing the offerings at the base of a tree, where animals can devour it on the behalf of the gods and wights, or by casting them into a sacred fire, thanking the gods and spirits.

Download Anthony Arndt's eBook: Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Anonymous - Witchcraft A Guide To Magic
Vovim Baghie - The Grand Satanic Ritual
The Troth - Doctor Beowulf Guide To Runes
Anthony Arndt - Blotar A Brief Guide To Asatru Ritual

God Tyr

Tyr is one of the more important Gods because of his strong interest in law, order, and justice. He is renowned for his personal sacrifice to safeguard Asgard from the Fenris wolf. It is told that the wolf broke its original bonds so the Gods schemed to use another extra strong chain. The wolf wouldn’t let the Gods bind him unless one of them put their hand in the wolf’s mouth as assurance that there was no trick. Tyr, knowing the price he would pay, offered his hand, thus allowing the Gods to bind the Fenris wolf. In anger, the wolf took Tyr’s hand.

Who then was Tyr? In Old English he was Tiw or Tig, in German Ziu, in primitive Germanic Tiwaz. What little we know about the tribe(s) who spoke the Indo-European mother tongue(s) about 2,500 BCE suggests that they worshipped a chief god, the Sky Father, called Dieus (implying straightforwardly 'god') or Dieus-p'ter (meaning 'god(the)-father'), and an Earth Mother, putatively called Dieu-mater ('goddess-mother'). She gave her name to Da Mater or Demeter in Greek, which is cognate with Diu-no or Juno in Latin. Her name did not survive in Germanic, but of course the archetype of the goddess-mother did.

Even the scholars are baffled by Tyr. They trivialise our religion by suggesting he is a god 'who has come down in the world'. Brian Branston, in 'The Lost Gods of England', says that Tiwaz, which is Tyr's name in early Germanic, 'sank in the social scale and was no longer regarded by the North West European tribes in the later years as Sky Father but had dwindled to a lesser god, a god of war and soldiers'.

Tyr is said to be the bravest. A person who exceeds all others is thus called Ty-brave. He is also a very wise god, and so the highly intelligent are called Ty-wise. He is identical to Teiwaz, described by Tacitus in his study of the Germani. As such it seems he was the original sky-father, and ruler of the pantheon, and god of war before Odin took over these attributes. He is a god of social order, and of justice. He would be prayed to for skill in combat, for it was an art he was most skilled in. He would also be prayed to for victory in legal matters, though this is usually a matter of praying for strictly interpreted justice. He is not a god of peace and is said to be one who is not known to settle quarrels amongst men. He is a god of honor, sticking strictly to the word given. There is more on Tyr in the section on runes, under the Tyr rune. Tyr's men and Odin's men are famous for not seeing things eye-to-eye.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Songs For Italy
Anonymous - Magic And Wyrd
Aleister Crowley - World Tragedy
Aleister Crowley - Duty

Germanic And Celtic Religious Lore And Practices

I referred to virtually identical warrior paradises in the scene which opened this article, but the overlap between Celtic and Germanic lore goes far beyond this.

Bogs throughout Northern Europe received sacrifices from Celt and German alike. Weapons and armor captured in battle, food and beakers, miscellaneous items - all were deposited in lakes and marshes in the same way, to the point that we can't even tell which finds are German and which are Celtic.

When the Druids sacrificed to the Gods, the blood from an animal was sprinkled with a sprig of greenery on the assembled people, so the divine energy inherent in blood could be directly transferred to them. In historical Asatru, our forebears did exactly the same thing in the course of a sacrifice or blot.. (Today, modern practitioners of both religions use mead or other fermented fluid in this role.)

Across the length and breadth of our European homeland, our ancestors honored the Gods in the open air, because we thought it inappropriate to shut them up into limiting, lessening structures like the Christian churches. Similarly, in the earliest days, our representations of the Gods and goddesses were simple indeed - often carved from pieces of wood to which Nature had already given the basic shape, awaiting only a few refinements from human hands.

These customs accurately describe Celts as well as Germans.

Tribesmen of both groups used intoxicating drink in religious ritual. Often this was mead, but it could be ale as well. And, while we're considering altered states of consciousness, let's remember the fit or frenzy of the Odin-gripped warriors, the berserkers. In old Ireland, essentially the same warrior's madness bore the name of "{\i ferg} ".

Readers of the Norse stories will remember how Sigurd the Volsung killed the dragon Fafnir and roasted its heart. When he burned his finger, he stuck it in his mouth and found that he could understand the speech of birds. The Irish hero Fergus gained the same gift when he singed his finger while cooking a salmon over a fire.



MAP OF THE UNIVERSE...

When we look at the cosmology of the Teutons and that of the Celts, we can't help but see the likeness. Both have the giant tree, the center of the cosmos and indeed the framework in which all the worlds are found: to Asafolk, it's Yggdrasil; the Celts call it Bile .

The other key component of the universe in ancient Germania was the Well of Wyrd, containing the deeds that make up the past. Drinking from its waters gives wisdom, and Odin gave up one of his eyes for the privilege. As it turns out, the Celts have an almost identical well; hazel nuts fall into it where they are eaten by the Salmon of Wisdom.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Frater Fp - Sigils In Theory And Practice
Anonymous - Wicca Beliefs And Practices
Aleister Crowley - Magick In Theory And Practice

Asatru Poem Svadi The Giant

There once was a giant,
Who lived on a Mountain called Blesanerg,
In the North,
His name was Svadi,
He was a son of the Thunder God Thor.

At one time there was a man named Val,
Val was the son of Agnar and Hildigunn,
He had a sword called Horn-Hilt,
It was heavily inlaid with gold,
And it never missed it's mark.

It happened that Val had heard some rumors,
That Svadi the Giant had more gold than could be counted in marks,
Val decided to take a journey to Blesanerg Mountain,
In search of the Giant's gold.

Val traveled until he came to Blesanerg,
He climbed up on to the mountain,
He searched until he found the Giant's Mighty Hall,
Hiding and watching,
Val studied the activities of the Giant.

One day it happened that Svadi went out of His Hall,
And down the mountain he went,
To do a little fishing in the Valley below.

Val seeing his chance,
Came from his hiding place,
He Ran to the entrance of the Mighty Hall,
Once inside,
Val searched until he found the Giant's gold.

Gathering up all he could take,
Val quickly ran out of the Hall,
Back to his hiding place,
Staying until Svadi returned from his fishing trip,
Upon the Giant's return,
Val made his way down Blesanerg mountain,
And journeyed with his gold back home.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Franz Bardon - Frabato The Magician
Aleister Crowley - The Star And The Garter
Anonymous - Asatru And The Paranormal

Goddess Huldra Or Holle

Huldra or Holle: Another birch goddess. She is patron of household chores and duties, such as spinning. Her realm is sometimes found by going down a well. She is helpful to young women who perform well their cleaning and chores, and punishes those who don't. She also is said to lead the Wild Hunt and during the winter, is said by some to be the consort of Ullr. She is leader of the huldrafolk, a sort of land-wight.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Louise Huebner - Witchcraft For All
George Lyman Kittredge - Notes On Witchcraft Ocr Version
Franceska De Grandis - Goddess Initiation
Anton Josef Kirchweger - The Golden Chain Of Homer

Anthropology Of Religion

Our disgust of effluvia and coinage of taboo terms for body substances is inseparable from voodoo. Steven Pinker explains how words for effluvia possess a dreadful magic power:

"Effluvia have an emotional charge that makes them figure prominently in voodoo, sorcery, and other kinds of sympathetic magic. People in many cultures believe that a person can be harmed by mutilating or casting spells on his feces, saliva, blood, nails, and hair, and that a person can be protected from harm if those substances are cursed, buried, drowned, or otherwise ostentatiously discarded. The potency of these substances is people's minds also leads them to be used in medicines or charms, often in homeopathic or purified doses. The emotion of disgust and the psychology of sympathetic magic are entwined. The psychologists Paul Rozin and April Fallon have shown that modern Westerners respect the laws of voodoo in their own disgust reactions, such as recoiling from an object if it merely looks like a disgusting substance or has been in contact with one in the past. Word magic simply extends this chain of associations by one link, and gives the words for effluvia a dreadful power as well." (The Stuff of Thought, p. 345)

Goddess Idunna

Idunna is an important Goddess among the Aesir and Vanir for she guards the apples which give them eternal life. However, she can also be called upon for blessings in health and harvest. Her husband is Bragi. Idunn tends the youth-giving apples the gods must always eat in order to remain alive and young. (The Norse knew that all things die; men, worlds, and gods alike.) Her dwelling is in Brunnakr, and she is the other Goddess the giants always seek to kidnap.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Morwyn - The Golden Dawn
Franceska De Grandis - Be A Goddess
Franceska De Grandis - Goddess Initiation

God Aegir

Aegir, husband of Ran, is a hearty God of the sea. He is both worshiped and feared by sailors. He and his wife had nine daughters, the maidens who move the waves of the sea. He is also well known for his undersea parties and ale brewing skills.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - World Tragedy
Arjun Vishad Yog - Bhagvad Gita
Hrafnagaldr Odi - Odin Ravens Song
Phillip Williams - Night Magic

La Hermandad De Odin In Spanish

Book: La Hermandad De Odin In Spanish by Mark Mirabello

Este trabajo – escrito durante lo que Herman Hesse llamo "el final de los tiempos modernos, apenas antes del regreso del medioevo" – esta disenado para los estudiantes de las religiones ocultas. El paganismo es una fuerza creciente, y creo que un observador neutro debe registrar y publicar algo del material disponible sobre la Hermandad de Odin, una fraternidad misteriosa que es una de las mas interesantes manifestaciones del politeismo Odinista.

Debido a que mi proposito es mas de preservar que de criticar, simplemente he detallado las creencias de la Hermandad, sin intentar escudrinar en sus "misterios." En momentos las ideas que me transmitian eran extremadamente fuera de lo usual – doctrinas que divinizan al hombre y humanizan a los Dioses; leyendas de paredes magicas que conducen a territorio divino; profecias de guerras con monstruos apocalipticos; indicaciones del hallazgo de un tesoro de monolitos de oro; y mucho mas – pero decidi registrar estas ideas sin comentarlas.Como sea, es mi esperanza, que otros, algun dia, evaluaran el interesante y sorprendente fenomeno que es llamado Odinismo.

Ya que la Hermandad de Odin es una "sociedad secreta," mis fuentes (encontradas mientras yo conducia una investigacion para un doctorado de historia, en la Universidad Escocesa de Glasgow) deben permanecer anonimas, y por ello no puedo documentar mi material con las referencias adecuadas. Siento notar esta omision, es especialmente lamentable porque no puedo garantizar la credibilidad de los individuos que se comunicaron conmigo. Mi fuentes parecen lo suficientemente respetables – no estaban "traficando con fuerzas oscuras" – pero invito a mis lectores que se acerquen a este trabajo con el escepticismo apropiado.

Para los lectores que deseen establecer contacto personal con la hermandad Odinista, no les puedo brindar algun mecanismo. Puedo afirmar, de todas maneras, que algunos miembros de la Hermandad son miembros tambien de ciertos grupos Odinistas que no evitan la publicidad, asi que asociarse a organizaciones Odinistas publicas puede permitir un encuentro con la Hermandad. Considerando el formato de este trabajo, he usado el dialogo, ya que los poemas sagrados de todos los Odinistas (los legendarios poemas Eddicos) usan la conversacion para tratar la informacion religiosa de importancia. Habia un factor negativo – Los dialogos Eddicos siempre terminan con la muerte de uno de los interlocutores - pero decidi ignorar ese riesgo.

Download Mark Mirabello's eBook: La Hermandad De Odin In Spanish

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Aleister Crowley - Every Man And Every Woman Is A Star
Maslama Al Majriti - Picatrix In Spanish
Mark Mirabello - A Irmandade De Odin In Portuguese
Mark Mirabello - La Hermandad De Odin In Spanish

The Anglo Saxon Sagas

Book: The Anglo Saxon Sagas by Daniel Haigh

Daniel Henry Haigh (7 August 1819 — 10 May 1879) was a noted Victorian scholar of Anglo-Saxon history and literature, as well as a runologist and numismatist.

Although Haigh did not have any formal academic training, he dedicated himself to the study of Anglo-Saxon history and literature, and wrote two influential works on Anglo-Saxon history, The Anglo-Saxon Sagas and The Conquest of Britain by the Saxons, both published in 1861. He also wrote several monographs on Anglo-Saxon Numismatics, and a number of studies of Anglo-Saxon runic inscriptions. However, his transcriptions and interpretations of runic monuments have been criticized by Raymond Page as "often erratic, showing an eagerness to find runes where none exist". He also studied Egyptian hieroglyphs and Assyrian Cuneiform inscriptions, contributing several Articles to Zeitschrift fur Agyptische Sprache und Alterthumskunde.

Download Daniel Haigh's eBook: The Anglo Saxon Sagas

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Swain Wodening - Anglo Saxon Witchcraft
Alice Hoffman - The Book Of The Sagas
John Yarker - The Anglo Saxon Chronicle
Daniel Haigh - The Anglo Saxon Sagas

Sacrifices In Ancient Scandinavia

The actual sacrifice consisted in the killing of various animals, usually oxen, horses, sheep, or swine, but on special occasions even human beings were offered to the gods. At the great Upsala festival, according to Adam's account, nine male animals of each kind were offered, as well as men; and a Christian eye-witness reported having seen seventy-two carcases of slaughtered men and beasts (dogs and horses) suspended together from the trees of the sacred grove adjoining the temple. Whether this custom of hanging up the bodies of the offerings was practised elsewhere in Scandinavia is unknown, but the connection between Odin and death by hanging makes it probable that it was more widely known than appears. In Denmark also human victims were offered along with animals; according to Thietmar's chronicle the great gathering in this country took place at Lejre (near Roskilde in Sj?lland) every nine years, in the month of January. The sacrifice here consisted of ninety-nine men and as many horses, dogs, and cocks (the latter being offered in place of hawks). How the victims were selected or obtained is not stated; but it is probable that they were usually captives taken in war, criminals or thralls. In Sweden, indeed, strangers appear to have run some risk of being selected as victims; in 997 the Icelandic poet Hallfred nearly met with this fate. In early times, however, the Swedes were credited with having burned one of their kings in his own house as an offering to Odin, in order to dispel a famine which they believed was due to his slackness in maintaining the sacrifices. One of the early kings was also reported to have offered up nine of his sons in succession to Odin, to obtain long life for himself. In an account of the heathen period in the isle of Gotland, which is given in Guta Saga, it is said that 'they sacrificed their sons and daughters and their cattle. All the land had its highest sacrifices with folk (=human beings), as also had each third (of the country) by itself; but the smaller districts had lesser sacrifices with cattle.'

In Norway and Iceland human sacrifices appear to have been more exceptional, and only resorted to in extreme cases. The usual nature of the victims is clearly indicated by the words assigned to King Olaf Tryggvason in 998, when he found his subjects obstinate in their determination to hold the midsummer blot. He then threatened 'to make it the greatest kind of sacrifice that is inuse, and offer up men; and I will not choose thralls or criminals, but will select the most distinguished men to give to the gods.' At the very crisis of the conflict between paganism and Christianity in Iceland, in the year 1000, the adherents of the old religion resolved to sacrifice two men out of each quarter, and 'called upon the heathen gods not to let Christianity overrun the country.' Then Hjalti and Gizur held a meeting of the Christians, and said that they wold also make an offering of as many men. 'The heathens,' they said, 'sacrifice the worst men, and cast them over rocks or cliffs; but we shall choose the best men, and call it a gift for victory to our Lord Jesus Christ.' Various methods appear to have been in use besides that mentioned here; at Thorsness, in the west of Iceland, tradition long pointed out the 'doom-ring,' in which men had been adjudged for sacrifice, and the stone within it---called Thor's stone---on which they were killed by being broken, ' and the stain of blood is still to be seen on it.' Another source seaks of human victims as having been sunk in a fen close to the temple on Kjalarness, which is supported by Adam of Bremen's statement that near the temple of Upsala was a fountain in which 'a living man' was immersed. A 'sacrificial pit' is also mentioned in Vatnsd?la Saga, where one Thorolf was believed to sacrifice both men and cattle. That in exceptional cases the victim may have been of higher standing than the thrall or criminal is possible enough; as late as 985 Earl Hakon in Norway is credited with having given his young son as an offering to Thorgerd, when he prayed to her for victory over the vikings of Jomsborg. In other cases, such as that of Hallstein, who 'gave his son to Thor' in order that the god might send him pillars for his house, the language is ambiguous, and may imply dedication rather than sacrifice. When the sacrifice consisted of animals which might be used for human food, it was apparently only the blood which was regarded as belonging to the gods. To this was given the name of hlaut, and it has already been stated (p. 41) that special bowls were kept to receive it in. It was then smeared or sprinkled by means of twigs, not only upon the altars and the walls of the temples (both outside and in), but also upon the assembled people. The flesh was then boiled in large pots over the fires which burned in the middle of the temple, and was eaten by the worshippers, after being consecrated by the chief man present. A prominent feature, at least of the more important festivals, was the use of horse-flesh for this purpose---a practice so intimately associated with heathenism that its abandonment was strictly prescribed to those who accepted Christianity. This appears in the strongest light in the case of Hakon the Good, who was finally forced to appease his heathen subjects by eating some pieces of horse-liver. In Iceland, however, it was permitted for a few years after the new faith was publicly adopted.

Books in PDF format to read:

Herbert Stanley Redgrove - Alchemy Ancient And Modern
David Robertson - Magical Medicine In Viking Scandinavia
William Alexander Craigie - Religion Of Ancient Scandinavia

The God Frey Or Fricco

The god here called Fricco was known to the Scandinavians themselves by the name of Frey (Freyr), and that the triad thus specified by Adam were in fact the chief deities worshipped in the later stages of Scandinavian religion is abundantly proved by the native evidence. The identification of Odin with Mars in place of Mercury is also in full accordance with the later beliefs: in other words, Odin has taken the place of Ty as the chief war-god. Whether this was the main reason for the admission of Frey as third member of the supreme triad is uncertain, the earlier position of this god being altogether unknown. Thor, it will be noticed, still retains his place as the counterpart of the Roman Jupiter, and stands between the other two gods, as being the Most Powerful. The precise Relationship, however, between Thor and Odin is not by any means so simple as this statement would suggest, and forms indeed one of the most difficult questions Connected With the subject. This will be most clearly brought out by a detailed account of the relative place assigned to each of them in religious practice on the one hand, and in mythological accounts on the other; and the most correct impression of the facts will probably be obtained by dealing first with Thor.

Books in PDF format to read:

Ona - The Dark Forces
Franz Bardon - The Golden Book Of Wisdom
Medieval Grimoires - The Grimoire Of Honorius
Margaret Alice Murray - The God Of The Witches

The Heroes Of Asgard

Book: The Heroes Of Asgard by Annie Keary

This is a complete telling of the Norse Gods of Asgard from their mythical creation to Ragnarok (The Twilight of the Gods). This is an action pack tale with giants and elves Gods and mortal men.

Evidently, when they wrote the Edda (12thC Norse poem collection) (13thC Norse poem collection compiled by Snorri Sturluson, Containing Norse myths, poems, and treatise on poetry) they were not aware of English. However, there is no excuse for the later translations. If you want to know the gods and their story, but have no time to cut though exotic lengthy prose, then this is the book for you. The stories are straight forwarded and have a contemporary feel. Still they are of the time and place they should be and not superimposed on today's century.

The illustrations add a dimension to the stories. Being in a sketch form adds to your imagination and helps explain some concepts.

After the Introduction the chapters are:
Odin
How Thor went to Jotunheim
Frey's Wooing
The Wanderings of Freyja
Inuna's Apples
Baldur's Death
The Binding of Fenrir

Download Annie Keary's eBook: The Heroes Of Asgard

Books in PDF format to read:

Yacki Raizizun - The Secret Of Dreams
Andrea Haugen - The Ancient Fires Of Midgard
Asatru Free Assembly - The Lessons Of Asgard
Annie Keary - The Heroes Of Asgard

Asatru As A Philosophy

Classical philosophy generally recognizes there being several significant ways of organizing what we know about things: an ethic, defining how one should live; a metaphysics, which defines the nature of the universe, its components and their interactions; an epistemology, which describes what counts as genuine knowledge; and a logic, which provides Principles about how to reason about the things we know. Finally, an aesthetic defines rules for preferred forms and perceptions. Modern Asatru includes each of these components.

There are definite ethical aspects of Asatru which describe how we should live as individuals and together. There are many enduring views in Asatru about how we should interact with our gods, goddesses, ancestors, the landvaettir, fellow folk members and outsiders for our own good and for the good of the folk. Embedded in Asatru is a unique Metaphysics describing the nature of the universe, who we are, the nature of things in the universe, and how they are all causally linked. This metaphysics is millennia old and describes a universe very different from that described by other religions. Given, the metaphysics of Asatru’s universe, we also encounter a unique epistemology. This describes how we can know things about the universe and ourselves. A unique logic also exists to describe how we can think about these things. Finally, Asatru has a unique aesthetic descended from a mix of the principles expressed in our historical art forms combined with a mix of modern romanticism and practicality.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Henry Cornelius Agrippa - Three Books Of Occult Philosophy Book Ii
Henry Cornelius Agrippa - Three Books Of Occult Philosophy Book I
Yogi Ramacharaka - Yogi Philosophy

Asatru Poem Footsteps North

Uller's son, I am called,
By the shave pates, Steven,
Overlong they held me,
They hold my Blood kin still.

One of their scholar-priests
Taught more than Church would want,
Of Life beyond this Life,
From Past, to Now, and On.

He spoke of Heart and Mind,
Of Honor, Word and Deed,
He set my Thoughts awing,
To find what Church had hid.

I stayed inside the fold,
A dog becoming Wolf,
There came the day I left,
Alone and without Troth.

My steps ranged far and wide,
Through Dark and Light I trod,
Crossing In and Uten Gards,
I sought for Faith and Truth.

A wizard, then a witch,
Magician and adept,
Agnostic, deist, Zen,
Pantheist, then, myself.

To hills and woods I came,
A bluff above a lea,
A little hut was raised,
By six in friendship built.

With purpose clearly set,
An inner vision shared,
A time of cleansing thought,
In sweat lodge hot and dim.

I closed my eyes and strode
Beyond Midgard that night,
To skin clad hunting lodge,
A guest by fireside.

A huntsman studied me,
I returned gaze for gaze,
His eyes sought mine and held,
He nodded, smile gave.

Again I sat with friends,
In hut now cold and dark,
We went out under sky,
For torch lit blessing rite.

Those friends have gone their way,
As I have traveled mine,
To find the hunter's name,
And earn the smile's Worth.

My footsteps headed North,
My Kinlore to explore,
To follow bowman's path,
To find from whence he came.

My grasp of Kinlore grew,
I came to know Bow God,
His Holy Kin and Kith,
And words of Wisdom fair.

The Yew Lord spoke no words,
I heard Him anyway,
A Worthy Life to Live,
Upon the Middle Earth.

By Honor, Word and Deed,
By Host Frith and by Strength,
By Holy Uller's Ring,
A Man of Troth at last.

Recommended reading (pdf e-books):

James Allen Chisholm - The Eddas The Keys To The Mysteries Of The North
Emilie Kip Baker - Stories From Northern Myths
Anthony Arndt - Asatru The Northern Way