#pippis pagan particulars

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I cannot recommend Heimskringla.no enough

Every original Norse text is digitalised and uploaded. All translations that are creative commons are there. More modern folktales and oral stores are there. Several research papers, analyses, commentary and opinion pieces have been added. And they offer very cheap physical prints of many things that are out of print.

They now have 7600 texts!

Of course most texts are old Norse, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finn. But you can find English papers and translations too.

If you want to learn one Scandinavian language I recommend Norwegian. Then you can read Danish and understand Swedish.

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Norse mythology and history can be hard to get sources for. There is not much and a lot of it have been turned, twisted and changed to tell the stories someone wanted to tell.

If anyone who can read Danish (or one of those languages where you understand Danish) and is on FB, want a source that helps seperate the difference between historical data and modern less factual interpretation, I recommend Historian Anders Lundt Hansen

https://m.facebook.com/AndersLundtHansen/

He have a great balance of complimenting and recommending good sources and presentations, and pointing out when interpretations are unfounded, too fantastical, misinterpreted or made up.

I do not mind modern interpretations and creation of new stories. That is natural in an oral tradition and non-liturgical tradition.

But like many others I mind when actual history and data get muddied with modern romanticism or interpretations with an agenda. Get inspired from history and old texts, but don't change facts!

Professor Lundt Hansen is a good source for seperating the historic and the modern. And he has plenty suggestions on how you can use language to make the difference.

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"Easter is an old pagan holiday"

Eh? Maybe some places?

In Scandinavia, where we tend to keep our old pagan traditions close and alive, (among other they never made us drop Yule), we don't have Easter.

We call it Påske/Påsk. Which comes from Latin "Paschae" which I believe have a Hebrew background.

There's not really any old holy day or pagan tradition that they could use in April, were Easter usually fall. Because late March and April are kind of waiting time.

In April you still risk freezing nights and snow and hail. But also warm days and sprouting plants.

It's hard to tell when to start plowing and seeding, but it will not be untill late April.

Because it's so hard to tell, the Spring celebration is First of May/ May Night/ Valburgis Night. There's a lot of old traditions around First of May. Some of them could lead to pregnancy.

But Easter? No. The Christians brought that one.

However as a Dane I celebrate Easterfood, because we make Easter beer and eat Easter eggs, lamb and pickled herring. If there is a food/drink tradition connected to some holy day, Danes will attend.

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Christians are so weird. Even those who take the other side like satanists (those who are not just atheists trying to make a point), think that their faith affect other people.

I am religious and spiritual, and for some reason it makes them believe that their Christian gods, demigods and ideals can affect me? Um no? My fylgja and the deals I have with my gods, are much more important to me than whatever they think.

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I don't understand monotheism

I see my gods as several different workers who have several different tools in their toolbox

Having just one god to do everything, is like having one guy with a swiss army knife

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Rituals

Generally I'll tell people, that the Norse faiths, Asatru and such, are a neo-heathen practice where most rituals and interpretations are very modern. We have no clue about what they actually did 1000 years ago, when calling on the gods.

But there's a few things we know, and I can also give some recommendations on what to do, if you are at loss for inspiration.

OK. What do we know?

We know Yule was important. And there are a few descriptions of the Yule feast.

Pig was eaten and people could make Yule Oaths (New Year Resolutions) on the pig roast.

It was called Drinking Yule, so cheers and alcohol was shared aplenty.

The new year started, meaning that the hired staff would get payment, gifts and made agreements for the next year. Later in history it was still important to gift the House Spirits, so they would stay on the farm another year.

Naming ceremony. Rather simple. The mother present the child to the head of the household. If the child is accepted, the name will be declared and it's a part of the family. If the head of one household won't accept the child, another can do it, and it will be of their family.

Weddings where important for the rich people. Not as much for poorer people, for them moving together and living together for a while, was the same as getting married. For the upper class it was mainly a secular commitment, and divorce was definitely possible, but blessings where of course welcome. What we know:

The wedding oath was made in the name of Vår/Vár. Her purpose is to keep an eye on these oaths.

Thors Hammer, not Thor himself, was used to bless the union.

It was often called Drinking Wedding cheers and alcohol was shared as a part of the wedding.

Death. Not much is known other than what Ibn Fadlan described. But we still call it Drinking Grave-Beer. And considering how we drink wedding and drink yule, it might be as old as the other rites.

For everything else, there's not many details. We know food and drinks was shared with the gods. We know that people might sacrifice animals for the gods, though it seems like they'd often eat the meat afterwards. We know that sacrifice where left on altars or by nature formations. We know that they did had sacred places, but they would also call on the gods when and where it was needed.

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So. What do we do today?

It's really up to the individual or the group. We are neo heathen. It's not a continuous faith, we are reconnecting, reinterpreting and reinventing our faith and rituals. We must choose our own traditions and rites. Something that fits modern culture and people.

Do I have some suggestions? Yes:

Simple ritual:

Declare the ground sacred by calling on 4 gods of your own choosing, or the 4 dwarves in the corners of the world.

Use a horn or wooden bowl to share drinks with the gods. Most will use mead, but any other ting is fine too. I've used everything from wine to elderberry cordial. (But remember one myth states that Loki will drink too, whenever Odin drinks beer. So if you use beer and contact Odin, you might get a visit from Loki.)

Call on the regin (powers) you want to invoke by name. Thank them and tell them what you want their help with. Share your drink with the gods by drinking from the horn/bowl and pouring something on the ground. (Have a bowl to pour into if you do it inside.)

If sacrificing, place the sacrifice on the ground, in nearby water og on fire, depending where you are and what you've provided. A sacrifice should mean something to you. If you don'g have chickens, sacrificing a chicken isn't important. Use something with meaning. Like if you knit, burn/bury something you've made. A sacrifice can also be food.

Thank the local entities by sharing a drink with them. We are their guests.

De-sacrosanct the place. You shouldn't leave sacred places all over the place.

If in a group, share a meal or just tea and cookies. The meal afterwards is also important.

You can make hundreds of variations over this. And remember to have fun and feel good. Rituals are joyous, not bleak.

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Lofn and Sjofn

Lesser known gods and what they stand for Part 1 of ?

A while ago an acquaintance told me that they had just heard about Ullr and thought that was a rather unknown god - but I'd say that Ullr is definitely not the least known or user of the gods. Plenty people who hunt and hike, knows of Ullr. To me he was definitely not the power I consider least known.

So I started pondering. Which gods are least used? Who do we never hear about? And could any of these actually be useful?

So now I'll be going through a few of the gods and entities that only a few people use. What we know about them, and maybe some suggestions of what we can use them for today.

First installment: Let's talk about Lofn and Sjofn.

What we know:

Both are listed as Asynja in the Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson. (Snorri mainly wrote it all down to remind people what the kennings in poetry meant. Snorri was Christian and we always need to remember he had this bias.)

Snorri mentions Lofn and Sjofn as Asynja. As kennings he tells us they are used to signify women and womanhood.They are often called servants of Frigg and don't seem to have their own house or landmark. So maybe we can assume they live in Fensalir, Friggs home. Fensalir means the Fen Hall, or Bog Hall. Frigg lives in the fertile wetland. Their powers are both about the connection between people, regarding love, lust and romance. (Which is why I usually talk about them together.)

Lofn: Means connection, comfort or lovingness. Her gift is to help lovers find together, even when there are circumstances going against them. She help with marriages. That is the comfort she brings. Sjofn: Means relationship, love or lust. Her ability is to turn people's minds towards love/lust and one another. She affects both men and women in this regard. (Interestingly in Danish and German the word Sjofel/Schofel means smutty/lewd or dirty. However it's a Jiddish loanword that has nothing to do with the Asynja Sjofn.)

Some researchers suggest that Lofn and Sjofn are aspects of Frigg. But I think it's safe to regard them as individual gods.

Modern suggestions:

Remember, my modern suggestion are modern and my personal interpretations. Not to be confused with history and original myths.

It seems like Sjofn and Lofn are both about love and relationships, and maybe marriage. But isn’t Freya the goddess of love? And isn’t Vår/Vár is the one who looks over the marriage oaths? So why should we even use more goddesses of love and marriage, when we already use Freya and Vår?

Well. Maybe because there are so many types of love.

As a culture, we have become better at recognising all the types of love. It might actually be a good idea to have goddesses for the different types of love. We could combine Lofn and Sjofn with LGBT+ terminology, where we now recognise that there’s a difference between who you want to hold hands with and who you want to have sex with. I can easily see Lofn and Sjofn as the embodiment of respectively romantic attraction and sexual attraction.

Lofn watches over the romantic part of people's relationships. She helps the youngsters that are madly in love and turn the fates around so two lovers may get each other in the end.

Sjofn is the sexual attractions. The feelings you get when you see someone and just want to climb them.

With this interpretation, I think they would be interesting to work with if you are a part of the Queer community. What are your romantic attractions? Talk to Lofn. What is your sexual attractions? Talk to Sjofn.

They are both known for kindness and comfort and being all about love. I'm sure they will look kindly on you, no matter what your attractions (or lack thereof) are. And if you are questioning and confused, they are the ones who guide people towards partners and love, so they could help you find your way.

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Vidar Lesser known gods and what they stand for Part 2 of ?

Vidar, son of the Jotun woman Grid, and Odin. (I’ll write something about Grid later. She’s also pretty interesting.) Most who hear of Vidar, learn that he defeat Fenrirswolf at Ragnarok. He steps into the lower jaw of the giant wolf, grabs the upper jaw and tears the wolf’s jaws and skull apart. But that’s not what I find most interesting. There are more interesting attributes to his name.

What we know:

He’s half Jotun half Asir.

He’s called the Silent.

He’s very strong.

He walks with a limb and has a shoe with a thick sole.

His mother is a Jotun.

His home is Vidi (Vidar’s Land), which is described as a type of woodland with small trees and thicket, mixed with open wild grassland.

In Lokasenna, he gives up his seat to Loki.

He kills Fenrir and he’s one of those who can survive a Ragnarok.

We also know he had(has?) a shrine called Vidarhof in Norway near the city Vang. (Which is also close to Jotunheimen National Park, and a place with some decent Stave churches and rune stones.) And that all the leather cut off from leatherwork was given to Vidar for his shoes.

Modern suggestions:

There’s a few things about Vidar that I find more interesting than his role at Ragnaroks. 1. We have yet another disabled god. 2. His land and plenty of his motifs could be interpreted as him being a herder. 3. Might be coded as non-neurotypical?

Vidar the disabled:

OK… I haven’t been able to get a definite answer whether Vidar walks with a limp and has an extra thick sole because his legs are uneven. Or if he walks with a limp because of his thick sole. But I choose to believe it’s the first. Vidar was born with or developed uneven legs, he tries to compensate by adding a thicker sole to his shoe. And I’ve seen a few other interpretations that also suggest this.

I like that we have disabled gods. It’s not unknown in other mythologies, but I really like that contrary to what many white supremacists claim, the Norse people didn’t find disabled people horrible and useless.

Another example of acceptance of disability, is Havamal stanza 71:

Haltr ríðr hrossi,

hjörð rekr handar vanr,

daufr vegr ok dugir,

blindr er betri

en brenndr séi,

nýtr manngi nás.

The translation is something like:

The limb can ride a horse, the herder can be without a hand, the deaf can be brave in battle. Being blind is better than to be burned (on the funeral fire). Corpses are never useful.

No, the Norse people living 1000 years ago weren't as peaceful and kind as we are today. They had a hard life and focused on family and clan. They sometimes did leave disabled or malformed newborns out after birth, and they might set newborns out if they couldn’t afford them.

But they had as much love and compassion towards their family, as most have today.

And generally they found living people more useful than dead people, and knew that everyone could be of use somehow. Therefore both disabled gods and disabled people were respected.

Vidar the Herder

His home, his clothes and his behaviour, are a lot like the herder stereotype. Vidars Land, Vidi, looks a lot like the type of nature where people would send their herds grassing between spring and fall. High grass, small trees, brambles and thickets. All in all lots of stuff that’s inedible for humans, but feeds your goats and sheep. The thick shoes and silent demeanor is also often connected to herders. And, of course he fights enormous wolves with his bare hands.

The herders used to be considered solitary but kind people. They would often live alone, or maybe just 2-3 people sharing a hut, far away from villages and farmland. They would follow their animals, wandering all day. They might catch small game and collect whatever plants around them. They were often considered to be recluses that didn’t speak much.

(Somehow modern hikers remind me a little of this stereotype. Wandering all day, surviving in the wild. Often alone or in a very small group.)

Non neurotypical?

Though no place states that he can’t speak, there are also no tales where he actually talks. Maybe his silence is a form of mutism?

Together with this and his motif as a reclusive, storic herder, we could easily read him as neurodivergent. I also know that many with ADHD and autism find the description of the herder profession attraktive.

Vidar is definitely autistic coded in the Danish comic book “Valhalla: Gennem Ild og Vand” by Henning Kure and Peter Madsen (Valhalla 12 - Through Fire and Water, 2001). And the writer Henning Kure is a very decent autodidact researcher of Norse mythology. Though he doesn’t have a diploma, he’s respected among people who have.

Using Vidar

All in all, I think he can be used better as a god for the differently abled, than a god of vengeance.

While Vidar has his difficulties and differences, he still seems very capable. His disabilities are what makes him powerful! His limp and uneven shoes defeat Fenrir. His silence is what makes him a good herder and kind person. His thoughts might be different, he fits so very well with his land and his work.

I know we could also talk about using Hódr and Tyr as a disabled gods. But I think Vidar is the better one for being yourself, embracing your differences and taking care of yourself.

Use Vidar when you need to turn your obstacles into your greatest gift.

When you need to remind yourself that you should be respected because of who you are, not despite of it.

If you need inspiration in how to handle whatever difficulties you were born with or have acquired.

When you need to fight a wolf with your bare hands, even though you have a limp and dislike eye contact and talking.

Vidar is there for you. And if you need to sit and rest, he will happily stand and give you his place.

Part 1

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Don't be a dick

Newbie: How do you become a Norse heathen?

Me: Eh? You just decide you’re a Norse heathen and then you are.

Newbie:But how do I convert?

Me: You just decide. There’s need to do something special.

Newbie: But don’t I have to swear to follow a creed and some virtues?

Me: Huh? Where did you read that? There’s no descriptions of any ritual, creed or virtues anywhere.

Newbie: But which rules should I follow?

Me: Just normal rules. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Don’t be a dick.

Newbie: But aren’t there sacred rules?

Me: No.

Newbie: But how do I know I’m a good person?

Me: Look. You can read the Havamal to get some inspiration on how to live a good life. But they are not rules, more like advice. Like “Don’t drink too much” or “If you want to keep your friends, you need to hang out with them.” Pretty basic advice, but you choose which to be inspired by.

Newbie: OK. Havamal is important. But which rituals must I perform? How often should I pray?

Me: Pray? We don’t pray.

Newbie: No prayers?

Me: No. You can talk to the gods and local spirits whenever you like. But it’s more like saying hello or asking them how they are doing. Share your food with them.

Newbie: Back to the rituals. What must I do?

Me: There are no scriptures or doctrines. We have little knowledge of what people used to do. But it seems like people followed local customs. You just do what people around you do.

Newbie: But there must be something I have to do! What are the holy days?

Me: Well. Usually we celebrate the year turning and repeating. But it’s more of a modern decision.

Newbie: But what's important? Isn’t there a ritual that I can do?

Me: We generally like Yule. When you live in a place where the winter is 8 months and the day is less than 7 hours around winter solstice, having a party halfway becomes crucial.

Me: But still. Up to you.

Newbie: OK. And then what do I have to sacrifice? A pig?

Me: Are you a pig farmer?

Newbie: No?

Me: Why would it be a sacrifice for you then? If pigs aren’t an important part of your life, it’s no sacrifice to give them up.

Newbie: What then?

Me: I don’t know. You have to find something that is important to you, and then give it up. Like a favourite chocolate bar or a whole ribeye steak, if you like that.

Newbie: It all sounds very complicated. Isn’t there any instructions I can read?

Me: No. Not really. You read the myths, and then figure out what works for you.

Newbie: So no rules?

Me: The rule is that you take responsibility for your actions and follow the laws of society. You call on the powers if and when you need. You can join in on rituals. Get inspired by the old stories and myths on how to live your life. And don’t be a dick.

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They are Jotuns, not Giants

Ranting.

A little tired, bear over with me.

tl:dr

Remember that litteral translations sometimes means the content get lost. And please try to use Jotun instead of Frost giant.

Norse neo-heathenism is different around the world. I think it's because we are raised in different cultures, so our view and interpretations differ.

I'm Scandinavian. This means that I can read several translations in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian and English without problems, thereby getting a broader variation of interpretations. I also means that I have access to more texts about the Old Norse, because it's a common interest and I will often find news articles about new findings all around me, and Norse myths are a part of the school curriculum.

I also means that I grew up with the names and meanings of the gods as a integrated part of my culture and language. I live in the Town of Odin. I've climbed Frey's Hill several times. Tyr's Lake is a city I pass through by train. I live 500 metres from an old Viking ring fortress.

And several of the words we find in Norse Mythology, is still living words in my language. The idioms, the kennings, the way we spin words, are the same. This means that when idioms are used in the Norse myths, I know them... and am sometimes exasperated when they are translated directly into English without explanation, giving people a wrong picture of what's happening in the myth. ("Red Glowing" as idiom, means "glaring daggers" or "very intense/emotional" not that anything is red or actually glowing.)

And I absolutely abhor the English use of Giant and Frost Giant, when it comes to the Jotuns. It's such a bad translation that really should be changed in all new books and interpretations.

The Jotuns are not necessarily Giant. Jotun means Great or Exceptionel or Monstrous. Not giant or large. Theis size can be anything. smaller than humans, larger than mountains. They are Jotun all the same.

And why are they using 'Frost Giant' about every Jotun? Only Jotuns from the frost world Niflheim are Frost Jotuns. Those from Muspleheim are Fire Jotuns and those from Utgard are Jotuns. And in the stories we mainly met Jotuns from Utgard. We have no named Jotuns from Niflheim, and from Musplheim we only know their leader Surtr. Loki, Skadi, Gerda, Thjazi, Utgard-Loki, Skrymir, Hymir, Gunlød, Suttung and so on, are from Utgard, and therefore not Frost Jotuns.

And what in the world is Rökkatru? As far as I can see, it was invented in New Zealand. It is certainly not Scandinavian. My Old Norse dictionary tells me that it means something like Twilight-True. Maybe they wanted it to be closer to Rögva-True, (though it should be regin instread of rögva according to gramma rules), which means All-Powers-True. Regin are all the entities, including asir, vanir, local spirits and Jotun. But if you only want to use Jotuns, why not just use Jotuntru?

I also see plenty of these people invent new names. I'm fine with adding new gods to our collection. It's an old tradition to use neat gods you find on the way. But please, please please, remember to mention it's new and not something you can find in old texts. Too many people from outside Scandinavia, try to tell me that this or that modern name is definitely are a integrated part of the Norse mythology. They aren't, and please accept that, or find the reference in original Old Norse. Again, you are free to use new gods, just be aware they are new. (Space Mom is on my altar with a hand giving out bipolar medication).

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The fox and the Norse tricksters 

We have two major trickster characters in Norse Mythology.

One is Loki.

Loki is a trickster. And he's connected to spiders, wasps, fleas and flies. Not to foxes or snakes, his animals are insects. His other name is hot air, which is what tricky peoplelet out. But I think most people know about Loki as a trickster. 

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Who's the other trickster? The fox like in the Brer Fox tales?

In the western world, we often tell stories about Brother Fox as a trickster. And therefore many neo-heathens consider the fox one of our trickster gods.

Sadly the fox is not a trickster in Norse Mythology. Nope. No relation to any tricksters or trickster stories. 

...Actually there are no mention of foxes anywhere. No stories or myths that where written down or passed on by mouth. The fox simply doesn't exist in Norse Mythology. (Though there was foxes living here 1000 years ago.) 

The fox as a trickster was introduced to the Norse, when the travellers brought the Fables of Aesop up north. The Aesop Fables are of Greek origin.

Sorry. No cute fox tales.

...

So who's the second one?

It's Odin.

Odin is also trickery by nature.

He hides his face and have several cover names. He disguise himself as servants or even women, to get to where he want. He tricks and cheats people to get them to do what he want. 

Among his names are the stranger, the waywary, the bale worker, the riddler, the masked one, the deceiver.

Never forget this when you turn to Odin.

Now many will ask:

"Why do we have a king of the gods, that's also a trickster and deceiver?"

Because when you live in a place with 8 months of winter, you learn that being smart and solving your problems with your brain, is just as important as using a weapon. Odin is a trickster because that's the smart way to do things. And luckily he's on our side (mostly.)

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Giant is a faulty translation of Jotun/Jætte.

Jotun can mean giant or large, but not necessarily. It's more like the word “great". Great tells us that it's something more than usual. A great storm is extra powerful. A great day is extra nice. A great ice cream can both be a large ice cream or a better tasting ice cream.

Jotuns have great sizes. Which means that they are a little extra all the time, but they can be both as large as a mountain and as small as an otter. But both as an otter and a mountain, there is something extra poweful about them.

And of course many of them are shape shifters and can have the size they choose.

I think the Norwegian tv series Ragnarok on Netflix portraits the jotuns very well