thatwaywardwolf

[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.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Just a reminder because this seems to be frequently mistaken that there was never a goddess named "Nerthus" by the people who actually worshiped her, that's the name as it was adapted into Latin and set into the nominative case. Her name was *Nerþuz/Nerþuʀ, and in Old Norse this name is Njǫrðr.

[thatwaywardwolf]

Hati from Norse mythology devouring the moon. Painted with coffee and watercolors.

Prints available here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/clerical-error/devour-the-moon/

[thatwaywardwolf]

[thatwaywardwolf]

Hail Thor

Hail to the far traveled son of Jord Hail to the Father of Magnus, Modi, and Thrud Hail to the ale-taster of the nine worlds Bless and walk with us this day