thatwaywardwolf

[thatwaywardwolf]

Obnoxiously loooooooooooooooooooong photo to show off the updated thumbnails on me YouTubes

[thatwaywardwolf]

I made a bindrune for Deny, Defend, Depose that's easy to draw quickly on things like insurance paperwork. 🫀

For more info: Deny, Defend, Depose runic charm reference

[thatwaywardwolf]

Tomorrow is the day. It's here and the reports have been coming in that mass deportations are starting in Chicago this week.

I don't know how others are holding up, but I'm slowly losing my faith in the Gods. None of this should be happening and yet, here we are. We keep fighting and pushing, and we have nothing to show for it as fascism is decending globally.

No one is on our side. No one is coming. All of the work we've done with our blood, sweat, and tears have amounted to fucking nothing. I don't courage or motivation to fight for another tomorrow with or without my mjolnir. I want to see blue skies for David Lynch, but there's just a sea of nothingness as fascists win and we suffer.

I don't plan on coming back to Tumblr for a long time, if again. There's no point in building or rebuilding a community when nothing matters anymore. People voted for my existence to be fundamentally and systematically erased, so who cares what happens now. This isn't a call for a wellness check on me. This is just my send off.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Hi there, I wondered if you could tell me anything else about the Herðslustafir? The only real information I can find about it is in your excellent translation of the Huld manuscript, which contains the description "Strengthening symbols. Carry these symbols on your left chest, in order to strengthen up the mind." Do you know any more information about it? Does it appear in any other sources? Is the = symbol between the two part of it? Love the blog, by the way.

Herðslustafir / uppherða stafir

Here is an alternate version from an unknown author, dated a few years after the Huld manuscript version:

“These staves should be borne on the chest to strengthen the mind.”

The keywords Herðslustafir, herða upp and herðu all initially translate to the hardening of iron metal. Herða also is translated as “to cheer”, “to comfort” and “to hearten” although, these all imply action towards another person.

Hugann refers to the “mind, with the notion of thought”. Yet, it can also refer to a person’s “mood, heart, temper, feeling, affection” thus making it not entirely certain what the intended effect is.

This open interpretation allows the user to apply it broadly for uses ranging from steeling one’s resolve to lifting their mood.

As can be seen with this version, it does not include the “=“ in the middle, so in Huld it can be assumed it was added to show the two staves work side by side but is otherwise not part of the whole. The only other difference is a small vertical line, the purpose of which to me is unknown. All the rest of the design links strongly to the “three multiple”, heavily used in many Icelandic staves to enhance effectiveness. The text is pretty much the same although it omits the more specific “left chest”. 

I should add here that this version is supported in another manuscript dated 1868, scribed by the son of the man who created the Huld manuscript. That version differs from the above only by the placement of the small vertical on the upper horizontal line. Its text is identical to the Huld.

For those unaware of my Huld manuscript translation, you can find it on the Source page I’ve linked below.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Hey guys, BeitElbaraka is a Lebanese nonprofit that is currently working to provide basic necessities to the displaced people from southern Lebanon like food and mattresses. You can help by donating through their website (select South Lebanon Aid) and please spread the word. Israel had displaced well over 100,000 people in recent months and this number is only going to increase now.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Storehouse from Rofshus, Telemark (now at the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo)

When I visited this museum I was struck by the care and craftsmanship that had gone into making everyday, working buildings beautiful. This was a particularly lovely example.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Devotional/Prayer Poll

[thatwaywardwolf]

TRUMP CONVICTED!

[thatwaywardwolf]

a little a Ragnarök, as a treat ☀️🐺

[thatwaywardwolf]

Ok hi I have a question for any Norse pagans!! I’m primarily Norwegian ethnically and have felt a pull to take a closer look at Norse paganism after following Hellenic paganism for almost 7 years now, but I have no clue what resources are good or where to start. I truly don’t know much at all so beginner level resources would be really really appreciated. I know the community can unfortunately have huge bigotry issues so I figured asking instead of assuming and finding out I got wrong knowledge or biased knowledge might be best!! Thank you so much and may your days be bright!!

[thatwaywardwolf]

[[Image description: a banner with the Palestinian flag with overlaid text that reads "Heathens for Palestine."]]

Some Things We in the United States Can Do:

Contact your elected officials and demand the immediate halt of financial/military support to Israel, and a permanent ceasefire. Identify and contact your governor, congress members, senators, and the White House.

Donate to organizations like the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund, World Central Kitchen, and others.

Amplify Palestinian voices. Reblog/retweet/share their content.

Attend rallies and protests if you are able to do so.

DO NOT LET THE MOMENTUM FADE.

Some Things We as Heathens Can Do:

Continuously challenge, and refuse to tolerate, Islamophobia anywhere but especially within heathen spaces.

Offer prayers to Freyja, Odin, Tyr, and Thor for the safety and victory of the Palestinian people.

Create bindrunes, rituals, or prayers that help you balance your anger with self-care. Fight the fight as much as you can, but know when it's time to recharge/regroup.

Hávamál 155: For the eleventh I know, if I have to lead my friends to battle, under their shields I sing, and with power they go safe to the fight, safe from the fight; safe on every side they go.

[thatwaywardwolf]

The more I examine the Norse Myths, the clearer it becomes which tales likely don't actually reflect the worldviews of the Norse people.

Like...there are a few tells. The first and most obvious is the fact a few stories were added/changed in order to make it seem like they are proto-versions of the stories found in Christian mythology (Ragnarok being analogous to Armageddon, Loki being portrayed as the Norse devil, etc).

But there are subtler things as well.

I'm beginning to notice there's a difference between the way stories present information. The function of some stories is to describe how something happened, whereas the function of others is describe what something is.

For example, it is said that Thor throwing down his hammer mjolnir on the heads of giants is what created the mountains and the valleys.

This is an example of a story that describes how something happened.

This stands in comparison to the story of Loki being bound beneath the earth. It's said earthquakes happen is because Loki is writhing from getting snake venom in his eyes.

This is an example of a story that describes what something is (in this case, what an earthquake is).

Now, it's really easy to think of these two stories as being identical, but the "tell" is that first story actually describes an event that can be witnessed: You can watch storms pass through the mountains and strike them with lightning. You cannot, however, see Loki punching and kicking beneath the ground.

Between the two belief systems, Christianity is the one that focuses heavily on describing worldly phenomenon through abstract concepts. We don't actually see this in most of the Norse stories, which are either for entertainment, or are an allegory for a felt experience.

I don't know, I'm just going to keep chipping away at this and see if it gets me anywhere, but I'm fascinated by this perspective so far.

[thatwaywardwolf]

storm over waves of wheat

[thatwaywardwolf]

Well, hey there, everyone. It's been a while.

This is sort of my quarter-yearly post to say I'm still here, just not super active on Tumblr in general these days. Life comes at you fast like that, I suppose.

I'm mostly just going through the motions and trying to get my life together as best as I can since it feels like it's being held together with tape and glue most days. I think I wanted to post this as a segway to say I might make my first offering in a while tomorrow. I haven't been able to do that due to having a rather mischievous cat who has taken a liking to my altar like my old boy did, which wouldn't be a problem if she didn't knock over some fragile pieces and making sure we swept up all the glass was a challenge.

The offering part would just be a way to get back in touch with the gods again, like seeing a friend for coffee. With how cold and rainy it's been, it can also be an additional way to put out some protection for the stray cats in my neighborhood and that they stay safe since one looks pregnant. I don't think I've shared much of my cannabis with Thor or the others before, so maybe that would be a nice addition.

The main thing though is hoping to seek support with all the health stuff going on. I won't delve into all the details, but things have gotten worse over the last few years as far as my chronic pain goes and I'm meeting with a physical therapist next week. I don't think I'll have a bad time, but it's just tough accepting that I need help and I'm more chronically ill than I think. I've been told if I end up needing a cane or mobility aid, it's less of a reason for our local medical assistance transport to deny me, which is nice, but still. Maybe I can add a mjolnir charm to it if it has a wrist strap. Who knows.

All of this update is to say that I'm down pretty bad, but I'm doing my best to manage and take things in stride. If it's not finding peace smoking in the rain, it's the corvid that like to hang around my neighborhood. If it's not that, it's feeling like I'm walking on air thinking about my friends. If it's not that, it's the stray cats who are trusting me more with leaving food and treats out for them.

It's absolutely exhausting some days, like today, but hey, you just have to keep truckin somehow. Anyhow, I hope everyone is staying safe and doing okay. If not, I hope things begin to look up for you soon.

[thatwaywardwolf]

this looks like the opposite of fun to me, to each their own tho

[thatwaywardwolf]

Norse mythology from A to Z:

[H] - Höðr a blind god; misled by Loki, he kills his brother Balder by throwing a shaft of mistletoe.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Norse mythology from A to Z:

[F] - Freyja (Old Norse for ‘Lady’, ‘Woman’, or ‘Mistress’).

The baseline of Freyja’s various functions comes from her role as fertility goddess as per her Vanir descent. Specifically, her other name Horn (Hǫrn, or Härn) probably comes from Old Norse horr, which means flax or linen. This was an important product which began being cultivated early on in Scandinavia and was thought to ward off evil and give fertility to humankind. Flax manufacture was a female affair, and as bridal dresses were made of linen, Freyja became a sort of defender of love and weddings, too. Another one of her names, Gefn, is Old Norse for ‘giver’, bringing to mind a role as a goddess of plenty.