The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

Book: The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire by Stephen Flowers

The so-called Galdrabok,' or "Book of Magic," is the single most important document for understanding the practice of magic in late medieval Iceland. It is especially important in that it give, a unique insight into the various religio-magical elements that went into a synthetic national magical tradition in Iceland all the time of its compilation. No other document of comparable age gives so many details of the preservation of the archaic Germanic gods, cosmology, and magical practices as does this little manuscript. Here we are not dependent on folktales or indirect reports through confessions exacted by the tortures of the Inquistion or other churchly authorities to reconstruct the magicoreligious views of the galdramenn (magicians) of the day; instead, we have direct evidence of actual practices written by the magicians' own hands. In many ways the Galdrabok is to the Icelandic folktales of magic' what the runic inscriptions are to the accounts of magic recorded in the sagas. They provide factual corroboration of what otherwise might have been considered, form of fantasy.

In this volume the reader will find not only an annotated translation of the complete Galdrabok but also a similar treatment of selections from other written sources of Germanic magical practice from all of the Germanic peoples. However, in no region did the old ways and the old Gods and goddesses survive so well as in Iceland. And because we are focusing on these texts for what is uniquely Germanic about them, leaving as secondary what is common to every European tradition, we will concentrate mainly on Icelandic sources in this study. Our two principal areas of interest will be the preservation of the Old Gods and the preservation of the unique forms of Germanic magical practice inherited from the heathen age.

In preparing this work for modern publication, I've made every effort to remain true to the original text of the Gaklrabok. Irregularities in capitalization and spelling are left as in the original as they may have special meaning or significance.

Buy Stephen Flowers's book: The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

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How To Form A Asatru Kindred

If you think that you have all the qualities of leadership and determination that are required of the Gothar, if you are willing to promote Asatru, the worship of the Holy Aesir and Vanir, and the right to self determination of our Folk... then I would encourage you to start that Kindred. The first place that I would look for members would be your own family and extended family. This is how many kindreds are formed today in Vinland. You certainly meet all of the criteria as defined by Webster, and thus have the greatest chance of success. Your family also has friends who may be interested in joining the Kindred.

You are fortunate today that the Asatru Alliance promotes the founding and growth of Kindreds, and that through the pages of our publication, Vor Tru, we reach many of the Folk. Over the past 8 years of the Alliance, we have brought many a reader seeking Kindred association in touch with those founding Kindreds and seeking members. As the Asatru Community grows, and the influence and distribution of Vor Tru increases, more and more people are both deciding to form new Kindreds, and to take the rightful place in the Community.

The most important advice that I could give anyone wishing to form a Kindred, is to choose your members carefully. It takes a tremendous amount of effort on your behalf, and you need people who have a positive attitude.

You will need people whom you can trust and depend on. People with negative attitudes only draw strength and vitality from you. They will sap your spiritual and physical strength, and you will fail in your purpose of forming a group of self-supportive people dedicated to making the Kindred succeed.

You must have members who you feel comfortable around and whom you can trust explicitly at Kindred gatherings and events. If some oddball or loose-canon type comes around, politely show them the door. You and your family, and the women and children of your group, should at all times feel safe and comfortable. If you have to spend all of your time worrying about so-and-so running amok, your Kindred will fail. Follow your instincts the AllFather gave them to you for just such reasons.

At first, it is more important to have a small, loyal, tightly knit group, than a large group with no cohesive purpose or goal. It is much easier to focus on your Kindred development with four or five individuals committed to making the Kindred work, than twenty people with twenty different ideas on what they think the Kindred should be. Once your group has established itself, and has developed a Kindred philosophy and a system of gatherings that works, then open up the Kindred to new membership a little at a time.

Over the years, I have seen one Kindred after the other explode onto the scene with a fast growing membership, lots of plans and boundless energy, only to see them fail. The Kindred leader, for one reason or another, didn't have a cohesive plan that worked. Or the leader was inconsistent with Kindred focus and goals, and kept changing the direction of the Kindred. For instance, he changes the name of the Kindred several times a year, one moment he is Asatru, the next Vanatru... or Odinn is his mentor today, and it is Thorr tomorrow. Indecisiveness, confusion, and just plain stupidity, will lead to failure. It is very important for the Kindred leader to be consistent and open in his plans for the group.

Next, one should always lead by example. As the founder and leader of a Kindred, people will look to you for guidance. Live true always be honest and honorable in your dealings with the Folk. You are a role model, and you must never forget it.

Learn to cultivate leadership traits in the members of your Kindred. Encourage people to take an active role during Kindred activities and planning. If someone has an idea and the ability to follow through with it, be supportive and helpful. As your Kindred grows, there will be plenty of work to go around.

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The Suppression Of Wyrd

Why is it that references to the Wyrd are so few in number? Why is it that the concept of Wyrd has all but been forgotten for well over one thousand years? In fact, we are very lucky to have an, references left at all.

The answer to this searching question is that Wyrd was deliberately suppressed by the Christ-people. Why? Because the Wyrd, as the Supreme Cosmic Mind or Intelligence, would not fit in with the idea of a Judaic 'God' who professes domination over all 'his' creation. Nor would it fit the idea of his 'son', Jesus, as the Messiah or Saviour of mankind. So the Wyrd, as the actual intelligence behind creation, had to be suppressed.

In written works of the Old English period the thought of Wyrd as woven by three Goddesses was consciously played down by writers and copyists. In 'Beowulf', where the word 'Wyrd' occurs nine times, the poet has imagined 'God' as the Weaver, thus giving a veneer of Christianity to a purely pagan idea. Two centuries later the Christian writers no longer regarded 'God' as being subject to Wyrd, for Wyrd becomes subject to 'God', or regarded as one of his attributes.

"What we call Wyrd is really the work of God about which He is busy every day." - Alfred the Great.

Then followed the virtual suppression of Wyrd altogether, though not quite! For the Wyrd Sisters surfaced again in Chaucer's 'Legend of Good Women' - "The Wyrdys that we clepyn destine", and again around 1450 in 'The Court of Love' - "I eons the three of fatelle dentine that be our Werdes,"

Again the Wyrd Sisters raised their heads in 1605 as the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Most interestingly they are portrayed as battle-maidens. (Though perhaps not surprisingly in view of the name 'Shakespeare' - spear-shaker!)

"First witch: When shall we three meet again?
In thunder, lightning and in rain?
Second witch: When the hurly-burly's done,
When the battle's lost and won."

Here we are reminded of 'Beowulf': "The Lord gave the people of the Waders webs to speed them in battle." It would appear that Shakespeare's source for the Weird Sisters was 'Holinshead's Chronicles', from which clearly the three sisters are associated with the time-continuum of Past, Present, Future: The first of them spoke and said: "All hails Makbeth, thane of Glamis!" (For he had lately entered into that dignities and office by the death of his father Sinell.) The second of them said: "Hails Makbeth, thane of Cawdor!" But the third said: "All hails Makbeth, that hereafter shall be King of Scotland!"

Interestingly, a woodcut from the first edition of the 'Chronicles' shows the sisters by a tree - obviously Yggdrasil! Despite the deliberate and systematic suppression of the Wyrd the concept arose from the Folk-soul at certain times. Of course the Cosmic Mind could never be fully suppressed and only fools would think that they could do so. The truth surfaces in the end! The Wyrd was at the beginning and is eternal, and the Sisters of Wyrd still weave the Web of Wyrd for Gods and Men and all things in the Nine Worlds.

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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.

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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

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God Vidar Shoe

Vidar is tall, strong, and handsome, has a broad-bladed sword, and besides his armor wears a great leather shoe. Vidar's "thick shoe" consists of all the leather waste pieces that Northern cobblers have cut from their own shoes at the toe and heel, collected by the God throughout all time. As it was very important that the shoe should be large and strong enough to resist the Fenris wolf’s sharp teeth at the last day, it became a matter of religious observance among Northern shoe-makers to give away as many odds and ends of leather as possible.

The Norns’ Prophecy

One day, when Vidar had joined his peers in Valhalla, they welcomed him gaily, for they all loved him and placed their reliance upon him, for they knew he would use his great strength in their favor in time of need. But after he had quaffed the golden mead, Allfather bade him accompany him to the Urdar fountain, where the Norns were busy weaving their web. When questioned by Odin concerning his future and Vidar’s destiny, the three sisters answered oracularly each by the following short sentences:

“Early begun.”
“Further spun.”
“One day done.”

To which their mother, Wyrd, the primitive goddess of fate, added: “With joy once more won.”

These mysterious answers would have remained totally unintelligible to the Gods, had she not gone on to explain that time progresses, that all must change, but that even if the father fell in the last battle, his son Vidar would be his avenger, and would live to rule over a regenerated world, after having conquered all his enemies.

“There sits Odin’s
Son on the horse’s back;
He will avenge his father.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

At Wyrd’s words the leaves of the world tree began to flutter as if agitated by a breeze, the eagle on its topmost bough flapped its wings, and the serpent Nidhug for a moment suspended its work of destruction at the roots of the tree. Grid, joining the father and son, rejoiced with Odin when she heard that their son was destined to survive the older Gods and to rule over the new heaven and earth.

“There dwell Vidar and Vale
In the gods’ holy seats,
When the fire of Surt is slaked.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

Vidar, however, said not a word, but slowly wended his way back to his palace Landvidi, in the heart of the primeval forest, where, sitting down upon his throne, he pondered long about eternity, futurity, and infinity. If he fathomed their secrets he never revealed them, for the ancients averred that he was “as silent as the grave” — a silence which indicated that no man knows what awaits him in the life to come.

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Odin Owns Ye All

(actual song and album title by Einherjer)

I sit by the fires gleam all by myself
Four empty chairs & one’ve been kept warm
I drink to my kinsmen who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin who’ll drink here no more

Odin owns ye all

I sing to them songs I wish their best on their way
I’m sure a valkyrie found them in the battle that day
I drink to my kinsmen who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

To arms To arms - The kinsmen said
They’ve chosen to meet us in battle today
Fight Fight - The kinsmen said
If we show true Norse courage they’ll soon run away
Wrong Wrong - The kinsmen thought
You cowards are fourty men may you rot in Hel
Rise Rise - The valkyries said
Odin decided this day you would die

I drink to my kinsmen
Who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin
Who’ll drink here no more
I drink to my kinsmen
Who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin
Who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

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Asatru Poem The Temple Of Thor

Three months ago,
The invaders came,
And destroyed The Temple of Thor.

I had spent most of my adult life,
Honoring the Mighty Thunderer,
And helping the Folk,
When they came to pray and make sacrifice.

Now all that stands upon that sacred Hill,
Is a small wooden building that they call a church.

All around the land,
Folk are being forced ,
To kneel before their strange God,
They tell us that,
His name is Christ.

I do not understand these strangers,
They worship a Dead man,
It is said that he is God over the whole earth.

The Folk are confused and fearful,
They do not know what to do.

Those that have refused to worship in there church,
Have been tortured and killed,
I have seen whole families cut down for defending the Old Ways.

They say Our Gods are false,
That they are Demons,
That their God is the only True God.

They have destroyed many of Our Sacred Places,
And built church's on the sites,
So many of Our ways,
They take and add to their's,
So that it will make the Folk more comfortable in worshipping their God Christ.

But what they seem not to know is that,
If you intend to remove a tree,
You must also gather the seeds that fall to the ground,
Otherwise they may sprout again.

Now with hope in my heart,
I look to future generations of the Folk,
That the seeds of the Old Ways will sprout again.

Slowly the Old Gods will awaken,
And grow in strength,
As the Folk find,
And gather the seeds of Old.

And then maybe one day,
The Temple of Thor,
Will be once again,
Be rebuilt upon this Sacred Hill.

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As The Asatru Kindred Grows

Sooner or later, there will be the need for the kindred leader to share the responsibility and workload of managing the Kindred with others. Early on one finds that the many tasks necessary to produce a successful Kindred gathering are just too much for one person to handle. You should not be shy about asking for help from the members of the Kindred. In fact, many are looking for ways that they can help all you need do is ask. I know some kindreds who are very fortunate to have members quite willing to act as chairmen of the various committees necessary for successful Kindred management and functions.

Another important step for the Kindred as it grows, is to decide to incorporate in their state as a non-profit church, and eventually apply to the IRS for 501 (c) non-profit status. This will require for the membership of the Kindred to elect three officers to serve on the Board of Directors of the corporation. The requirements for incorporation vary from one state to the next, but basically the steps are: elect a president, vice-president, and secretary/treasurer and draw up a Constitution for the church/Kindred, and a set of By Laws. Other states may require credentials from the "National Church" granting so-and-so Kindred official recognition. This of course can be handled by the office of the Secretary/Treasurer of the Asatru Alliance. A simple request to the Secretary is all that is necessary to grant credentials.

Some states require that the Constitution, By Laws, and Articles of Incorporation be published in the legal ad section of a newspaper. Of course this takes money. When the Arizona Kindred incorporated ten years ago in Arizona, it cost us about $650.00 for all the fees, which included publishing our incorporation papers in the local newspaper three times. Then there are the incorporation fees themselves, which can run anywhere from $75.00 to $150.00 for non-profits, and some may have to seek legal help as well. So, it is obvious that this will take a major commitment from the Kindred, but those Kindred leaders out there who recognize the great importance of legitimizing Asatru know that it is worth the effort.

Once this is accomplished, and when your Kindred is serious about obtaining money and property, then it is time to file with the IRS for your non-profit status. You will find when you first go down to your local bank and want to open a checking account for the Kindred, that the bank will require you to supply them with what they call an EIN number. This is an Employer's Identification Number. It is the equivalent of a Social Security number, except for an organization. This of course allows the IRS to keep complete tabs on all people and organizations that use banking services. It is very important for the IRS to keep their super computers busy compiling data bases on everyone and everything.

Now, there is a gray area in the way that the IRS looks at non-profit churches. If your Kindred is only taking in and paying out a couple of thousand dollars a year, they do not pay much attention to you and leave you completely alone. It is when you reach the level where you are taking in over $5,000 per year that you must look for the 501 (C) status. Of course your Kindred may cruise along forever and not take in very much money, but what if you decided to acquire property, build a Hof or activity center? What if someone passes over the Bifrost Bridge and leaves the Kindred a nice sum in their Will? Or maybe a rich philanthropist comes along and likes what you are doing and donates $100,000 to the Kindred, then what are you going to do? Well, if you are not incorporated and have not received your EIN number, you can not accept the donation without having to pay taxes on it. And the person making the donation can't use it as a tax deduction. So, chances are, that they may go elsewhere to relieve themselves of their money or property. If your Kindred has completed the first two steps of incorporation and obtaining an EIN number, you could probably accept a large donation, but would be required by the IRS to immediately request for 501 (c) recognition.

So what is required of the Kindred to obtain 501 (c) status? First of all, the IRS requires for you to pay them $500 for the filing fee. You then have to meet their criteria of just what a church is. You also have to provide them with some type of Financial Report of just what kind of money the Kindred holds, where it came from, and where it went, so they can again see if it fits their criteria as a church. It's really not as hard to do all of this as it may sound. Other Kindreds have already completed all three steps, and they would be glad to advise anyone who is seeking information on how to proceed.

I must stress at this time, that the structure of the Asatru Alliance is nothing more than a confederation of independent Kindreds. The Alliance is not an organization. We do not have a Board of Directors, a membership list, or do we charge dues. So the Alliance itself is not incorporated. The true strength of the Alliance lies in the number of Kindreds that it has who have accomplished the three steps of legitimacy outlined above. Of course we stress this point in our By Laws where we urge Kindreds to incorporate.(Editorial note since the writing of this article the Asatru Alliance has become a 501(c) 3 corporation).

Asatru is poised on the threshold of tremendous growth. The infrastructure for the future must be in place first. I urge all Kindreds to proceed with the three steps as soon as they are able.

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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.

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Germanic People Runes

Runes were known to Germanic peoples of the far North long before the Viking age began. The very beginnings of the use of the Runes are unknown, but the Vikings believed that the God Odin got them by hanging on the tree Yggdrasil. The name of this alphabet - Futhark, came to being by just taking the first letters of the first six Runes. Thousands of Runic inscriptions were uncovered on territories where the Vikings once roamed, sometimes even far from the borders of their lands. The inscriptions were most often engraved in stone, but there are examples of Runes engraved in metal, wood, bones and horns. Their use was varied: some were used just as road marks, while others would contain more serious texts. It's those inscriptions that hold invaluable informations for us about the life of the Nordic peoples. Most of them were made to honour the dead, however all these inscriptions also contain some other interesting information – founding of administrative centres, land ownership, oversea voyages, family relations, individual wealth, a person's status or even the beauty of a woman. Naturally, not all the Rune stones have survived to date. A lot of them were destroyed by Christian priests who thought these stones brought back memories of the pagan past. Others were destroyed by ignorants who didn't realize their worth and mostly used them as building material. Unfortunately, these cultural Heritage artefacts are destroyed even today, by various vandals; nevertheless, this happens a lot less than before.

There are three types of Futhark: Elder, Anglo-Saxon and the Younger Futhark. The Elder Futhark was used up to the 5th century A.D.; it consisted of 24 Runes divided into three groups called aettir(“families”). Anglo-Saxon Futhark was created in Britain during the 5th century A.D. by Anglo-Saxon peoples (Saxons, Angles); it was used until the 11th century. The Younger (Scandinavian) Futhark was used sporadically in Scandinavia, most of all Denmark and Sweden up to the 17th century. This alphabet was most often found engraved on jewellery, stones, weapons, wood, but very little on the discovered manuscripts. Here, we will explore the Elder Futhark, the oldest Runic alphabet used in parts of Europe populated by Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia; this is also the the Futhark we consider to be the most functional.

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Shamanism And The Image Of The Teutonic Deity Odin

Book: Shamanism And The Image Of The Teutonic Deity Odin by Asbjorn Jon

The Seidre were shamanic folk who travelled from community to community speaking with the Other-world on behalf of the townspeople they visited. They would question the recently-deceased loved ones and ask favors of the gods through the town's dead kinfolk. It was believed that they were also able to obtain special favors for individuals from their passed-on relatives. Such favors might be something like a priestess who may ask that her grandmother endow her with the family's power in her physical body in this lifetime, rather than waiting for it to be bestowed on her. Many of the Germanic and Slavic peoples believed the power was passed from family member to famlily member on the death of the preceding generation's head witch- but it sometimes skipped a generation or two, and the newly-deprived head honcho of the family's witchery would likely feel inclined to ask why. The Seidre could ask this question for them.

Also, as a group, the community might be inclined to ask for a particularly good harvest, protection from flooding in the spring, a light snow-fall during winter, or an easy freeze instead of a harsh and windy winter. In the event of some mystery, such as who committed a murder that had no suspect, they might also be able find this out by asking the deceased or a representative of one of the gods or Goddesses "who-dunnit".

The Seidre were also known as Bien-Sheidre. "Bien" is a French word meaning "excellent or beneficient"- now where does that fit in?? Was it a late-comer in the naming game? Or does it even matter here? So many questions. Most may not even be relevant, but I would not consider myself to have done very thorough research if I did not ask them all.

I believe the term to be a late addition from upper regions of France, since it is likely that by the time the Teutonic tradition was thoroughly rooted in Germanic cultures, they would have probably made contact and begun trading with French peoples from that region- indeed had probably done so for a thousand years or more. There is evidence of sea-travel up and down the coast of Prehistoric Europe- the routes from Italy to Gaul and the Rhineland areas (what would later be parts of Germany, via The Danube and Rhine Rivers) were travelled regularly in small boats. Even the occassional trip to Britain and Ireland was not unknown. It would certainly make sense to have a Seidre bless your trip, and then carry them across the water as extra protection!

Download Asbjorn Jon's eBook: Shamanism And The Image Of The Teutonic Deity Odin

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Asatru As A Life Embracing Religion

One characteristic of many other religions is the fact that they see life on Earth as messy and something to get away from. Christians reject their Earthly life as base and full of evil and temptation to be avoided; buddhist seek to get off the wheel of life once and for all. The key activity in most of these religions is the rejection of enjoyment in life while preparing ones soul for the afterlife. Often, one sacrifices in this life for ensuring a better afterlife. In this way, they are life rejecting.

Asatru is not life-rejecting; it does not say that our life is base. Rather we embrace life, its triumphs, trials and conflicts and see that a person who meets all of these things in high spirits is truly worthy and deserves reverence. We don’t think that weakness is better than strength. We do believe that success and victory in life are worthy things to strive for. We are not born into a life of sin which we must overcome; rather, we are descendents of gods who can achieve great things with our lives if we but set our mind and will to do so. In this way, Asatru is life embracing.

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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.

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Did Vikings Live In The Christian Age

Toward the end of the Viking Age, from about 1000 to 1066, the Christian Church became more of an influence on the Vikings and they became less warlike. Even Leif Ericson, the first European to set foot on the North American Continent, was an emissary of the church, converting his mother (his father staunchly remained a pagan) and others around him in Greenland.

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Gods And Goddesses Real But Different

To say that the Gods and Goddesses are real is not to tell us much. The next question is...what are they like?
Aside from the odd personal encounter and rare representations as statues or on old tapestries, the only descriptions we have of the Holy Powers are in the myths. When we look at the stories, we find Thor pictured as a muscular fellow with a red beard and flashing blue eyes. Odin is a tall, older man with a gray beard and one eye, and he sometimes travels in the company of his two wolves and ravens. Freyr - well, he's a fertility God, with the appropriate physical attributes.

Are we to take these vivid, dramatic images literally? That depends on how you want to think of the Gods and the myths in which they appear. Here are two possibilities:

We can think of myth as metaphor. In this scheme, the myths are symbolic ways of transmitting spiritual truths. They have multiple layers of meaning. On the most obvious and superficial level, they are entertaining tales that often make a moral point or illustrate virtues like the love of wisdom, sacrifice, and bravery.

Below this level, things get trickier. Some mythologists (not themselves followers of our ancestral religion) will say they are allegories describing natural phenomena such as lightning, or the warming of the land with the departure of winter, or the cycle by which vegetation grows, dies in the winter, and comes to life again in the spring.

Psychologists, particularly those who are students of Dr. Carl Jung, interpret the myths as depictions of psychic realities rather than external ones. In this model, the ancient stories tell us important things about the personal and collective unconscious. The heroic quest and the growth and maturation of the individual are typical themes. The Gods and goddesses are thought of as psychic forces in the person and in society, but are not considered objectively real.

We can admit the value of these viewpoints in a technical or analytical sense, while not conceding they represent the whole truth. Many Asatruar consider the myths to be true - not in the literal sense but in the sense of tales which tell spiritual truths, "those things which never happened, but always are." The tales of Gods become allegories, some of which can be deciphered by reason. Others cannot be interpreted in terms of logic, because they speak a deeper, non-linear "meta-language," the secret code of the unconscious. In this case, the myths communicate with us subtly, without words, influencing our mind and spirit.

For Asatruar who think of the myths as metaphor, the Gods and Goddesses are real, but the anthropomorphic images of them presented in the old lore are strictly symbolic. Thor is not really a gigantic, muscular, man-like figure with a red beard, any more than Jehovah is a human-shaped entity in a white gown sitting on a golden throne, surrounded by clouds. The description of Thor we find in the stories gives us a way to relate to the very real force in the cosmos that we call Thor, but it is not him.

The Gods and Goddesses are not limited by the constraints of flesh and blood. So while it is convenient for us to picture Freya as a beautiful woman wearing a shining necklace, or Heimdal as having golden teeth, these are allegorical. The Gods and Goddesses themselves are mighty spiritual powers, existing within us and without us, capable of manifesting to humans in any form they wish.

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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.

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Asatru As A Warrior Religion

Asatru also has strong warrior ethics embodied in it. Nearly all of the Gods and goddesses have battle proficiencies of one sort or another. Ancient warriors called upon these war Gods and Goddesses to bless them in their battles.

Odin, sitting on Hlidskialf, proficient with the spear, magic and deception, represented intelligence warfare. Thor and his mighty Mjolnir represented fierce hand-to-hand combat. Many of the Goddesses also exhibited martial virtues. Frigga also shared Hlidskialf with Odin and was proficient in magic and deception. Freya garnered half of the fallen warriors to take back to her hall. The Valkyries, women warriors serving Odin, were known as fierce fighters as well. Without doubt, Asatru embodies a strong warrior ethic.

Perhaps most obvious of Asatru’s warrior spirit is embodied in one of its most recognized and used symbols: the hammer. The hammer represents Thor’s Mjollnir with which he smites the foes of the Aesir and Vanir. This symbol is almost universally recognized as Asatru’s symbol and shows that Asatru sees conflict as a key theme of the universe and being prepared for it and dealing with it are central obligations.

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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.

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Important For Every Gothi

It is important for every Gothi to have a library, for study and reference, but also to share with others who seek knowledge of their precious heritage. This, of course, like all of the other requirements of the job, is a life's work. Begin with the Elder Edda, study The Havamal daily, but also learn the ancient myths of our Gods and Goddesses. Learn the myths and unlock the keys to the Nine Worlds. Study the Runes and obtain a set of them, or better yet, make your own. Learn the Runes, and use them. Read the wealth of information about our heroes in the Sagas, and obtain and read every possible book about the history, culture, customs, and lore of our ancestors. Of course study the Viking Age, but don't forget that the history of our people began with Ask and Embla, and continues on today. Where are you going to find time to do all of this reading? Why don't you start by selling your television and using the proceeds to buy books? And please, list your library in your Will so that when you die your precious book hoard doesn't wind up in the Goodwill box! You must acquire all of the knowledge that you can, because the Folk with come to you with their questions. Be prepared to answer them.

It is also important for the aspiring Gothi or Gythia to obtain the ritual tools necessary for your work. I know that it will take many years to obtain or build them, but you must do it all the same. Since the beginning of our people's spiritual awareness, the most precious possession of our holy men and women was the ritual bowl. Pronounced Bowli in Old Norse. It is symbolized in the shape of the Perthro Rune. It contains the power of our Gods, the luck and fortune of the tribe, the receptacle of our will and aspirations, and the holy offerings that we make to our Gods. It is the primal possession of the Shaman and the priest. It is sacred.

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