#vættir

[sarenth]

Face Ragnarök Like Óðinn

At times like these I take inspiration from Óðinn at Ragnarök:

Look it in the eye, face it directly, resist it with all you have and do whatever you are able.

Ves þú heil.

[sigyn-foxyposts]

"Ash & Glowing Ambers"

I always felt a little bad for Logi, his wife and daughters, considering quite a few have compared him to Loki. Basically taking away Logi's own unique identity and family! There is so much more interesting stuff to read about Logi and his wife, that doesn't have to be a connection to someone else.

Which is what I've included here, their very own fan fiction and some art to go along with it! If you know me, I just love making content for minor deities or creatures and I thought it was about time they deserved something for themselves. Sorry if it's a little short 🔥

[sarcasticsweetlara]

My favorite Swedish Mythical Creatures

Huldra

Elves

Vættir

Fossegrimen

[languagedeath]

My First Time on the Mystical Island of Po Toi

Written by Dyami Millarson We took the boat to Po Toi island in the morning of Saturday 22 April 2017. It was a spiritual journey that relaxed me. When we arrived near the dock of Po Toi, I could see from the ship there was a sacrificial fire burning on a cliff. It looked like a movie scene. It inspired me with awe. The scene of the sacrificial fire never left me, because it felt like a new…

[sarenth]

Godspousing itself is not hubris. Hubris is "a way of talking or behaving that is too proud.

Because of the reception folks get, a lot of godspouses (as well as those spoused and/or romantically/sexually/otherwise involved with spirits) will not talk about their experiences, or be extremely reluctant to do so.

A human involved with a God or spirit, or several, means that they are in some kind of relationship with that God, Gods, spirit, and/or spirits, and says nothing about the worth, worthiness, holiness, goodness, or other qualities of being of anyone else.

If they were claiming it allows them to speak for the God in every circumstance, or because they are in this relationship that no one else is worthy? Yes, that would be a problem and hubristic. The majority of godspouses are not claiming that, and it speaks rather to the conditions a lot of polytheists, animists, Pagans, and other magically and spiritually-inclined folks are coming from that these are the questions a godspouse brings up.

I may get hate for this but I want to know, how godspousing is not hubris? Where is the thin line?

Like you are telling me you saying you are dating a deity is not hubris? Is a humble thing that is totally normal for a mortal?

Or is it weird coping mechanism and you are claiming that most married deities would choose you while they have a deity spouse??

I mean it does depend whether it is normal or not. But like seriously?? Turning sexualising Lucifer, Loki and, with all respect, who knows who else, into a quirky trend? Please.

[appalachiasferaldaughter]

A few thoughts I would like to share.

I'm sharing this because the spirits and gods have been serving me with this wisdom. I hope it's beneficial for you as well.

There is a misconception floating around that the older a spiritual practice is (or can be found on record), the more valid it is. For those of us in the modern age who are inundated with messages from Witchtok (urgh) or random corners of the internet saying that our practices are invalid because it's not historically accurate... here is some food for thought.

For a lot of faiths and traditions (such as a Nordic tradition), there is not a lot of information to go on. Many traditions have, unfortunately, been lost due to acculturation and assimilation over time. I am grateful for the information we do have and is able to be preserved through countless centuries of scholarly work that continues into today. However, we are forced to fill in the gaps in order to continue on for the sake of tradition, preserving the memory of our ancestors, and just because. You don't need a reason to follow a faith you are called to. That's why it's called faith.

There is a lot of misinformation floating around regarding certain practices that do not line up with the historical record. I believe this is happening because there is a weird grievance to justify our faith and everything that we do by making it look like our ancestors have been doing the same things for centuries. In other words, our faith isn't valid in the eyes of others unless we can prove that it's an ancient, historical practice like the powerhouse religions of Christianity/Judaism/Islam or Vedism.

Well, I think that's stupid.

Faith, like humans, nature, and culture, are meant to evolve. It is meant to grow. It is meant to change with the seasons, with the people, with whatever the fuck is happening in the day and age. Things are not meant to look the same forever and ever. It just isn't feasible. And I am fully confident that old gods and vættir realize this. We can't help the fact that a lot of information has been lost. We are having to adapt, adopt, and craft something new to help us connect, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, my siblings.

The idea that every little thing you do for the sake of your faith, practice, or tradition has to be traced back to a historical record is, in my opinion, a trap crafted by the dominant cultures and religions to keep us in enclosed in boxes that we are not meant to settle in.

Now, with all that said, I do believe there are some very important keys from the historical record that should be upheld or, at least, be cross-referenced at some point for the sake of following a tradition that is set in stone. But, considering a lot of us are children of immigration and are no longer in the countries of our ancestors, there are some things that are impossible to follow. That's why we should be open to adapting, adopting, and evolving from where we are to craft new traditions. This was entirely normal and valid back in the day, so why can't it be now?

Remember the past, honor the past, but don't be afraid to take the information we do have and craft it into a faith or practice that suits you and/or your family. After all, someday we will be ancestors, and the practices you do today may be honored by your descendants decades or even centuries into the future. Isn't that neat? Or, if the bloodline ends with you, records of your practice may resonate with someone who is searching for pieces of their truth.

Allow the ancestors, vættir, nature, old gods, and most importantly, yourself to guide you. Everything else is just a means to an end.

TL;DR you are allowed to create something new from historical sources to express your faith. It's perfectly valid despite protests from ignorant people who have nothing better to do than start fights on the internet.

[akaessi]

Since you have an education with Scandinavian folklore, I'd be curious to hear if you have any book reccomendations on Scandinavian Folklore? It's a topic I adore but I find that sources are a bit of a struggle to dig up.

I can read English, Norwegian, Danish (and tentatively with a lot of struggling and swearing) Swedish, so don't worry too much about the dreaded language barrier too much. :>

Hello hello! Thanks for asking! Pardon the late response as well, I wanted to compile a decent list as best as possible! Apologies in advance that I couldn't find easy links for most of them.

Introductory Books:

Vaesen (2013, originally in Swedish) by Johan Egerkrams (I have an English translation by Susan Beard). A beautifully drawn catalog of common Scandinavian folklore creatures. The downside of this book is the lack of direct source quotations and/or super in-depth folkloric analysis. Still a lovely easy read to familiarize yourself with some creatures!

Scandinavian Mythology: An Annotated Bibliography (1988, English) by John Lindow. Simple guide to Scandinavian mythological terms. If I'm remembering correctly, it focuses more on Norse mythological creatures (such as gods and giants) but also features explainers for folk belief figures.

Scandinavia Folk Belief and Legend (1988, English) by Reimund Kvideland and Henning K Sehmsdorf. A very detailed (and chunky!) book that focuses on folkloric beliefs and "old wives' tales" within Scandinavia. It has a lot of citations and references to folklore catalogs, which can then be used for further reading! Also, nicely organized to focus on generalized motifs.

Grimm's Fairy Tales (original German Title: Kinder- und Hausmärchen) by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1812, German but with widely available translations.) While not exactly specifically Scandinavian Folklore, the Grimm brothers and their folklore collections did great work within the field of Germanic folkloric studies and comparative religious/folklore studies. (And if you're a linguist too, we love love love Jacob Grimm) Anyways, there are a million versions of these tales, some very watered down but if you're looking for a chance to read them here's a link (in English and German). The site is a bit clunky and doesn't have ALL the tales. But a good portion of them are available to read. It's good to familiarize yourself with these in general because of the motif commonalities in folklore studies.

More In-Depth Books:

Old Norse Mythology-Comparative Perspectives (2017, English) with Pernille Hermann, Stephen A. Mitchell, and Jens Peter Schjødt, eds., with Amber J. Rose. 2017.  An anthology of scholarly articles focusing on discourse within the field of Scandinavian (Norse) religion and folklore studies. Lots of different authors and scholars, some with incredibly specific article focuses but others with more broad analysis and literature reviews. If you need a link, Harvard University seems to have one and it should work if I link it here.

The Norns in Old Norse Mythology (2013, English) by Karen Bek Pedersen. This book hyper-focuses on the Norns within the larger context of Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. I highly recommend this book for people who are confused by the various female supernatural figures and their various names and titles. Though it has a specific focus, it is still helpful for overall studies on dísir, nornir, vættir, etc.

Folklore in Old Norse: Old Norse in Folklore (2013, English) edited by Karen Bek Pedersen and Daniel Sävborg. A relatively short book that focuses on literary and medieval textual criticisms about current scholarly trends within the field. Very helpful for understanding scholarly trends as well as bodies of thought in the field of Scandinavian studies--which is always useful for students and newbie researchers!

Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages (2011, English) by Stephen Mitchell. This book can be helpful in its discussion about the ambiguities between folklore, religion, magic, and witchcraft within the Scandinavian context. It references a lot of primary sources as well as historical sources commenting on said primary sources. It focuses mainly on the transition between Norse paganism to Christianity in Scandinavia but still, I think this book serves as a helpful introduction to understanding how folkloric practices change throughout time for various reasons.

Additional Miscellany Sources:

Motif-Index of Folk-Literature....(6 vols. revised and expanded from 1952-1958, English) by Stith Thompson. This is the compendium for folklore studies and is one of many folklore motif catalogs. Very helpful for understanding folklore in a broader comparative context. Unfortunately, it's very hard to find copies of the volumes, at least for me, but there is a digital link here.

Old Norse Folklore: Traditional, Innovation, and Performance in Medieval Scandinavia (English, 2023 pending release) (edited?) by Stephen Mitchell. This book isn't out yet so I can't comment too much on its content! But in the field, we are waiting to read it! According to the synopsis, it is an anthological book that will feature essays (mainly theoretical) that focus on the transition of mythological and folkloric material in the medium of orality. Hopefully, this book will serve as a good guide to understanding how to connect orality theory (in broader Scandinavian lit. studies) to folkloric motif studies (in Scandinavian folklore studies).

Some Scholars I Recommend:

Pernille Hermann, PhD. Focuses a lot on memory studies and literacy in Medieval Scandinavia. Writes in English and Danish.

Karen Bek Pedersen, PhD. Focuses on in-depth discussions of fate motifs in Norse sagas and mythological texts. Also frequently focuses on female folkloric figures in Scandinavian religion. I believe she writes English and Danish.

Daniel Sävborg, PhD. Focuses on comparative literature studies and somewhat psychological looks into Norse literature and motifs. Writes in English and in Swedish.

Stephen Mitchell, PhD. Focuses on various genres of Norse/Nordic literature with interests in magic, mythology, and legends. Writes in English, I don't know if any other languages.

Thanks for the ask! Hopefully this is helpful! 🖤

Most of the books are in English, since these are the texts my classes focused on specifically and my program is taught in English. It might take me a bit longer to find (throughout my laptop files) the non-English ones we read! As always, research carefully! There are a lot of people with no academic background writing in this subject and getting popularized. And there is also a danger of people using this subject to promote false and dangerous ideologies. (ahem Nordal).

[bullgirldick]

I often wonder how much unexplained phenomenona, attributed to aliens and ghosts, is actually caused by our invisible neighbors - fae, vættir, djinn, yokai, etc. I sometimes feel like the only person left who believes more in the neighbors than in alien visitors.

[harrowing-dump]

The fallout ... and the end of Act 1.

Chapter 11: The Queen Returns

Excerpt -

This last part of the Hel-Road from the Gjallbru to the Gate seems almost as long as the entire journey from the mountain. It’s hopeless and irrational, but her fear does rise as the Gate grows and looms. A few times she stops, considering Modgud’s counsel to flee. She might go to Jotunheim and find her mother. Time and greater wisdom might guard them better. Can she live with herself, though, if she trades her safety for that of all the vættir she just saved? It’s dangerous to assume Odin will leave them be. And even if that’s not a concern, what about the Entity? She promised to watch over the vættir, tell them Its warnings. If she runs away and abandons the duty that she’s brought on herself, will It find her? Will It let those fiery creatures finish what they began on the mountain?

At last, her reluctant feet bring her to the Gate. She touches it, and the doors open without even a word. They reveal Odin standing on the other side. He sits upon Sleipnir, taller than before, and two wolves flank him. Sleipnir gives a little whinny. A tug on his mane quiets him. The wolves have no kindly attitude at all; their heads thrust forward, and their upper lips twitch, ready to growl. Are they dumb wolves, or are they kin to her? Her mother never spoke of it, but her father told tales of Angrboda giving birth to wolves back when the worlds were freshly new. The wolves’ suspicious glares remind her of the boys Narfi and Vali back in Asgard. Ironies upon ironies. Hel stands tall with the help of her staff. She hides her fatigue as best she can.

“Hail, All-Father.”

“Hail, Lokisdottir. You have been busy, but not as the Queen of Hel, as I tasked you to be.”

“I had a request from my subjects to aid the living.” 

“What business are the living to you?” 

“They are my business when they concern the dead.”

“The living will deal with the living. Your province is the dead, Hel, and it shall remain that way.”

“What is your will, All-Father? If you have a punishment in mind, please get on with it.”

Odin sits without moving, as cold and unreadable as the very ice his mount stands on. An apology for her veiled insolence rushes up Hel’s throat, but she swallows it. When he speaks, the even tone is a knife held to her jugular.

“You have plenty of new souls to tend to already. I brought them in; they're waiting at your hall. But, if you are so keen to have these vaettir for yourself, too, I shall make sure they remain your subjects.” 

He raises his hand. Suddenly, a veil of invisibility drops, and all the vættir are there in the clutches of valkyries, Odin’s warrior handmaidens. Their swords and axes touch throats or hover above bowed heads. The biggest and strongest vættir—giants, dragons, werewolves, and unicorns—are pinned beneath several women. They will bring down their weapons on the trapped vaettir as soon as Odin gives the word.

“No!” Hel yells. “No, leave them! Please!”

Odin’s good eye lowers the lid quizzically. “What did you hope to accomplish by saving them?”

“So that they might live!”

“To what end?”

“It is my wish! Because you have made it my responsibility to care for others!” 

“And for this, you defy my will by abandoning your post.” 

“If I meant to abandon it, I would never have returned! All-Father, don’t harm them. Don’t make me your enemy. I will do anything you ask if you spare them! That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“Are you so devoted to them?”

“I … I wish for the worlds to remain in balance. If the vættir are destroyed, humans will rule all of Midgard unopposed.” 

Odin pets Sleipnir’s mane. He’s intrigued, not yet certain of the conversation’s outcome. Hel’s heart thunders.

[sarenth]

Gar

I am Gungnir I am the spear I am the thrower I am the harpoon I am the javelin I am the bayonet I am the target I am the chosen I am the sacrifice I am the mistletoe dart I am the end of kings I am the doom of warriors I am the killer of game I am the arc over battles I am the fury of berserkir I am the rage of úlfhéðnar I am the wrath of jǫfurr I am the deadliness of combat I…

[sigyn-foxyposts]

Headcanon/Theory: If Loki is Askeladen then..was Sigyn the princess?

So I felt like researching was very fun and not talked about enough folklore surrounding Loki. Like we all know how he has his own little traditions: being the tooth fairy and the vættir living under or in the fireplace. 

Some like to think that this very well know tale of a boy named Askeladen "The ashland" is actually Loki, or based on him anyways! 

After all the ashland does start out as being regarded as an incapable underachiever, but eventually proves himself by overcoming some prodigious deed, succeeding where all others have failed.

Too add further comparison, in the stories Askeladden is characterised as the runt of the family, being:

"the youngest, smallest, and weakest", yet "clever, bold, patient"

He had two brothers, who he often proved wrong whenever they teased him and when they failed in a task, their father would be surprised, since he thought his brothers would succeed. No, in fact it was askeladen.

He is also said to love the fireplace, poking around the ash all day watching over the fires while his mother nags him in doing something with his life, hence the nickname his family gave him! 

In the story: "The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body" or "The Boy Who Had an Eating Match with a Troll". He ends up tricking a giant/troll into.. taking his own life in an eating contest. How Loki is that? 

Now onto the princess part! The whole reason i am writing this. In the story titled: "The Princess who always had to have the Last Word" (Which I love so much!! Sounds like a girlboss) 

First published in 1843, this fairytale tells of a princess who is "so headstrong and obstinate", that her father the king promises her hand in marriage and half of the kingdom to the whoever who can silence her tongue. 

By the way, they're indicating that she has a silver tongue and a loud-mouth to anyone that she meets. 

By and by, the royal estate becomes so run down by people, that the king decides that if they fail, they will have their ears swayed with an iron.

(I dont really know what this could mean, but im guessing they became a slave or its a way of burning a mark into them?? feel free to share what we know about that one.)

Nonetheless, three brothers set off to try their luck with the princess. 

The youngest, called the Ashlad, picks up several items along the way, consequently being ridiculed by his two older brothers.

As the story unfolds however, it appears that it is not necessarily the things in question which prove to be helpful in the end. 

Mind you the whole time, when his brothers ask "what could you possibly need that for?"

He responds "Oh, I have things to do, and this will do,"

The Ashlads' approach to the road ahead of him reminds us to be attentive and mindful of events and coincidence on our way. Although he is initially mocked in the beginning, it turns out that doing things differently is perhaps not such a bad idea after all.

After his older brothers go in first they're ridiculed by the princess. 

"Good day," he said.

"Good day to you too," she answered and turned in her seat.

"It sure is warm in here," he said.

"It's warmer in the coals," answered the princess; the branding iron was lying there, ready to be used. 

When he saw that, he couldn't say a word, and he failed. It didn't go better with the second brother.

"Good day," he said.

"Good day to you too," she said and turned in her seat.

"It's very warm in here," he said.

"It's warmer in the coals," she answered. 

Then the cat got his tongue as well, and the iron was pulled out again.

Then it was the Ashlad's turn.

"Good day," he said.

"Good day to you too," she said and turned in her seat.

"It's nice and warm in here," he said.

"It's warmer in the coals," she answered; she did not care to be nicer to him than she was with the others.

"Then maybe I can fry my magpie there?" he asked, pulling out his first find. 

"I'm afraid she'll burst," said the king's daughter.

"Not to worry, I'll put this birch ring around it," said the boy.

"It's too wide," she said.

"I'll use this wedge," said the boy.

"The fat will drip out of her," said the princess.

"I'll hold this underneath," answered the boy, showing his broken pottery.

"Your words are all crooked," said the princess.

"No, I'm not crooked, but this is crooked," answered the boy, pulling out one of the ram's horns.

"Now, I've never seen anything like it!" yelled the princess.

"Here's one like it," said the boy, and pulled out the other horn.

"You're trying to wear me out, aren't you?" she said.

"No, but this is worn out," answered the boy, pulling out the sole.

The princess didn't know what to say.

"Now you're mine," said the Ashlad, and he got her and half the country into the bargain.

Now don't we all also theorise that Sigyn might be related to Freya or at least have been raised by Njord, one you'd consider wealthy and a "king" of the vanir? 

Just a thought! Might make a fan fiction of this in the future. 🤭

[izakvoros]

Izak had purposely stayed at the maze for the entire festival. He had no doubt that Matthew would have wondered out this way. If not to protect his clothes, he would have done it to protect his neck. After Izak's brutal attack, he wouldn't be surprised if Matthew wore a collar to keep prying fangs at bay, but the thought of it had him sour.

He didn't want to be anywhere near the throngs of people. He didn't want to smell Matthew nor want to smell him on anyone, and the thought of Matthew seeking out Judas shot fire through his veins. If he was being truthful to himself, he knew that if mingled with the masses and a head dipped toward one of the demon's veins, the blood that splattered the floor wouldn't have been from an accidentally spilled glass. No, no. He had to be poised and effortless, emotions kept, and yet...

The maze had been quiet the longer the night went on. Maybe it was words that fluttered that Izak was at its entrance or maybe everyone was too drunk or euphoric to bother with taking the chance. He settled himself on the back of his heels and silently smoked a cigarette, staring up into the windows at the light and jovial noises. He hoped his bunnies were doing alright.

He perked up when a familiar sensation tugged at him, and a taut frown pulled on his lips. He could ignore it. He should ignore it, but with a regretful sigh, he flicked his cigarette away and followed the feeling. He found Matthew hiding, and he replaced his frown with a wry smirk. "Had enough fangs piercing you tonight, vættir?"

festivities | izak & matthew

for: @izakvoros location: behind the castle near the garden maze

They had been avoiding each other ever since their explosive night a few weeks ago. Matthew had been figuratively and metaphorically nursing his wounds, having taken to hiding in his penthouse for almost two weeks before finally emerging again and pretending like nothing happened. And to say that Matthew had been avoiding Izak the night of the Wine Festival celebrations would have been an understatement. Matthew was nervous. But interactions with others over the course of the night were telling him that something needed to change.

The fallen deity had initially made it a point to stay out of the vampire's sight for as much as possible. It was not an easy feat given a vampire's innate ability to track anything they wanted, but certain well-placed spells made it mostly possible and he was able to disappear whenever Izak got too close.

It was on one such occasion when they were nearing the end of the party that Matthew decided to do something different and he sent a telepathic nudge Izak's way. Something that let Izak know who was knocking and where to look before he slunk back into the shadows.

[human-antithesis]

Blóð-Þorsteinn eystri

Blóð-Þorsteinn eystri, sonr Helga, nafn sem mælt er með reiði þessa daga. Víðlinda gelti skolaði á land í héraði oss, þar sem mikla grimma hafið faðmar áss hauðr ok gefr oss líf með dauða dýrsins. Úti á jǫtna vegi lá hann dauðr svo tókum kjǫt hans ok gáfum rest aftr til brims vegar. En er það spurðist út gripu menn að austan gæsina, drápu þrælana á heimleið ok stálu kjǫtinu. Réttlæti hefr aldrei verið í hávegum haft í hǫlða grund oss ísheims ok elris garms. Hliðskjálfar grams bǫl var ávallt nærri þegar gróða var að fá. Hǫgna élviðr sem bjuggu bakvið ríki risa í austri, suðri ok norðri héldu ávallt hlustamunni ok brátungli lokuðu er slíkar fréttir bárust í þeirra glamma ferða trǫð friðar ok heilsu. En munum berjast. Ekkert svar er gefið utan Hugins drekka fyrir dolgbrands dǫkk! Engin þǫgn mun finnast fyrr en fǫlsk galdra fles ok orða ǫ́r eru skorin af hatri sárteins míns. Heimdalar hǫfuð heitir sverð! Eitr mun falla ok reipi festa skógar skæðasǫgn á ný. Blóðs valr, kvánar kyn ok hreggskornir þurfa að læra að Njǫrðr er þeim æðri. Hinir hræðilegu Ǫlvaldi, Iði ok Gangr ganga niðr úr heimilum sínum, hvíslandi rúnir til Gungnis vǫ́fuðr ok fæða bara af sér hernað ok geðveiki. Faðir reyndi alltaf að finna leiðir til að sára sigðr héldust í slíðrum sínum. En hann dó, Jǫtnar ok Ægis dætr tóku hann svo Njarðar niðjar breyttu ǫrlǫgum sínum undir minni hendi. Svo færðum ró ok aldrlok yfir líf þjófanna. Megi Níðhǫggr neyta þeirra sárgeimi ok vættir þeirra eyðast í kǫldum andardrætti Nára nipt! Dísir þínar hurfu í þǫgn. Þér, Þorsteinn Helgason, var gefið svar. Stundum þarf að ná réttlæti með hnefa landi, þó vitrir menn þykist vita að gott líf án óréttlætis sé hverjum frjálsum manni gefið.

{ENGLISH - Blóð-Þorsteinn of the East]

Blóð-Þorsteinn of the East, son of Helgi, a name that is uttered with anger in these days. A whale was washed ashore in our district, where the great cruel sea embraces the human world and gives them life by this animal's death. Out on the skirts he lay dead and we took his meat. Gave the rest back to the open sea. But when it became known, accomplices of the east took their chance, slew slaves on their way home and stole that meat from us. Justice has never been praised highly in this our world of fire and ice. Óðinn's doom was always at hand when a benefit seemed so near. Neighbours, families that live behind the giant kingdom at east, south and north. They always kept their ears and eyes shut when such news reached their world of peace and good health. But we shall struggle and fight. No answer is given but blood for blood! No silence shall rise until false tongues are cut by my blade's hate. Poison shall drop and ropes shall fasten the father of the snake again. Animals of the Battlefield need to learn that Njǫrðr is superior to them. The dreaded Giants come down from their homesteads, only whispering runes to a hanging god and only give birth to warfare and madness. Father always tried to find ways to let blades stay in their scabbard. But he died, giants and Rán took him so that Njǫrðr's descendants changed their destiny under my rule. So we brought death and calmness to the thieve's lives. May their flesh be consumed by Nidhǫggr and their spirits perish by the cold breath of Hel! Your Dísir went away in silence. To you, Þorsteinn Helgason, was given an answer. Sometimes, justice has to be gained by hand, even if wise men believe to know how a fair life without injustice is given to every free men.

[nordic-witch-siri]

🕯️ Happy St Lucia’s Day! 🕯

Yuletide in many folk traditions is a huge time for different kinds of magic, and that is very very true of Nordic folk customs. And as seems appropriate for the year I’m having, this year I’m thinking about Catholic syncretism of Lussi Longnight.

This is the night when the month of Jul begins.

Lussi is a spirit who rules over this night. Her name translates to “Light,” and she is known as a mother or queen of the vettir (spirit) and Huldrefolk. She would ride around the countryside with her horse of Yule Riders and look in to homes to check that everything is ready for Yule. This was also the night when the animals would get together and pass judgment on how their humans have kept them - a vestige of animist, reciprocal relationships. It is important to celebrate Lussi Longnight to preserve your health and have a good winter.

In the Catholic tradition, a young girl dressed in a white dress, red sash, and a crown with four candles. She still parades through the streets, and Lucia’s name still means “light.” She has the power to bring back the Sun. Lucy is the patron saint of the blind.

Together, these two form a powerful image for this day of celebration: we pray to them to bring back the light and to ease the hardship of winter.

📸 credits:

Slide 1: me! Slide 2: Wikipedia Slide 3: Swedish artist Adèle Söderberg Slide 4: Swedish artist Gerda Tirén #stlucia #santalucia #lussilongnight #lussi #landspirits #spiritcontact #folkcatholicism #traditionalwitchcraft #trolldom #trollkona #häxan #trollkunning #vættir #yule #yuletide #pagan

[thoughts-of-a-heathen]

"The fire was also how vättarna (the vættir) took their revenge on the people of the farm when they didn't respect the serenity of småfolket (the wights). The punishments were often tit for tat. If you cut firewood from the tree, the farm would burn. If someone cut down all the vårdträd on the farm except three, all cattle except three would die as punishment. In some cases, the protection of the vårdträd was so strong that people didn't even use it for tethering cows or horses."

- Per Österman, Svenska jätteträd och deras mytologiska historia

[sarenth]

I have a YouTube channel where I explore Heathenry and related topics, and I'm willing to do videos on questions you have if I haven't done them or you need clarification:

I also co-host Around Grandfather Fire, a podcast where we explore animism, polytheism, and occultism:

You don't need a big altar. If having a small altar is too much to deal with in your family, I would recommend a small tin (like am Altoids tin) you could put representations, a small picture or set of pictures of the Gods, and small offerings. Some folks use their Tumblr, or website to make devotional spaces. Some folks have done it in Minecraft or Animal Crossing. Nothing wrong with that at all!

Something that is important, I think, at this early stage, is to consider what you will and will not accept from your Gods. If Odin is being too demanding, aggressive, etc there is no reason not to tell Him so, and to ask Him to lighten up or let you be.

Re interpretation of signs, etc, there's a lot to say about discernment, especially if you are working on being post-Christian. I write about it a lot on my WordPress, rather than reproducing one of my blog posts here.

You can find my blog here:

https://sarenth.wordpress.com/

If having a set of Runes, cards, etc produces too much flak in your home it is totally acceptable to use a Rune or tarot app, or as low tech and cheap as scraps of paper, coin flips, or yes/no/indicator stone drops.

When it comes to offerings, altars, or just being a Heathen, Pagan, witch, etc, you have to start where you are. Big altars are not a goal any more than small. Sometimes they come about due to need, obligation, desire, or that's just what feels good and right, whether that is us the person or the Ginnreginn (Holy/Mighty Powers, that is the Gods, Ancestors, and vættir). It's okay to be uncomfortable, to not know things, to not have the most/best/biggest/aesthetic.

Your prayers and offerings, made in a good heart and way are just that. They are good, and they are yours, your gift to the Ginnreginn, what space is available to you to give to Them, and what time and prayers you can make for Them.

I feel like a fucking poser

Please can some norse pagans come forward and give me tips on how to build relationships and do offerings and just. Help me not fucking be a poser please. I dont know if im doing this right because i see so many people make altars and give big offerings and. I just cant do any of that because my family is all russian orthodox and very pushy about christ

I tried talking to Odin for two days in a row and He made me cry both times. The second day was more violent than the first

I tried talking to Hel and i guess She listened and let me know through flame flickers that She was listening and that She accepted me

But i dont know if i was just seeing and understanding things wrong and just doing it all wrong

I need help. Please