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[welcometofolkvang]

Illustrations from Our Father's God Saga by John Bauer (1911)

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I love the idea of dead gods. Not in the sense of “hey i killed something supernaturally strong” but in the sense of “i killed it and it’s still a god.” It is still worshipped. prayers are still answered. miracles are performed in its name, even as it lies pierced by a thousand swords and burning with chemical fire. even as it drifts through vacuum, decapitated and bleeding molten rock. in cosmic spite of being shot through each eye and hurled into a plasma reactor, it still radiates the power of the divine in a way that primitive death cannot smother. the nature of godchild is not so simple as to be tied to the mortality, or immortality, of any living being.

[welcometofolkvang]

I can't believe it

But

I miss him

We were never meant to be in love

But in the end

I have no doubt

We both were

Despite the expiration date

He showed me

What it was like

To be treated

Like I deserved

He doesn't even know what he did

But he changed my life

He opened my mind

But did I change his?

I can't know

It's been four years since we've seen each other

Once I was gone

He moved on

As planned

Into the arms of another

Another so jealous we were no longer allowed to talk

Now I'm here

Where we were together

And I am happy

In the arms of another

Another like him

Another I may not have met

If he had not shown me my worth

Treated me right

Shown me the exit

And still

I miss him

[welcometofolkvang]

Reminder

NO ONE CAN TELL ME WHERE THE GIANT PRIMORDIAL NORSE COW WENT

STILL

WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GO?

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Wombo Art AI: Dark Fantasy Norse Gods Edition

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“The Norse Conspiracy Chart”

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Oh hey btw, while “totem animal” and “spirit animal” are native american concepts far more complicated than simply looking at a creature and going “mood.”, there’s a finnish concept of sieluneläin, soul animal, a creature that is alike to you in soul (in the finnish pagan spirituality, one’s soul is actually three things, henki, luonto and itse/sielu, out of which the last one is what is distinctly you, personality and temperament). The term soul animal no longer has ritual or religious meaning, and it can’t really be appropriated. If you see a corgi laying down in a creek just fucking letting water run over her because she can’t bother to move and think “same”, that’s your soul animal, and you’re completely free to use the term unless you’re swedish.

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Super random update but I think I know how to end this. Gonna pick up a pencil and let you know

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The Vikings Berthold Steinhilber

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Norse Gods (And Other Deities) List

Having seen various incorrect, incomplete and inaccurate lists of Norse gods circulating Tumblr, I have decided to write my own and also include common terminology alongside. I will also include other beings who exist within the old lore and modern traditions.

I have opted to include the names in Norwegian, with translations in parenthesise after, along with a brief summary of some of the associations given to some of those gods. Be aware that, as an overview, brevity is necessary here and the individuals should not be oversimplified to basic aspects in your practice!

Æser (Æsir, Male Gods)

Balder (Baldr, Baldur) - Light, purity, rebirth

Brage (Bragi) - Poetry, eloquence, wisdom and music

Delling (Dellingr) - The new day, dawn

Forsete (Forseti) - Justice and reconciliation

Frøy (Freyr) - Vaner, virility, fertility, the sacred religious position of royalty, prosperity, good weather and sunshine

Heimdall (Heimdallr) - The senses, premonition or foreknowledge

Hermod (Hermóðr) - Bravery, spirit, possibly a former mortal hero/king elevated to the Æsir

Hjuke (Hjúki) - Man, lunar activity, lunar phases, moon craters, brother of Bil (the Scandinavian children in the moon)

Hod (Höðr, Hodr) - The blind god, darkness, rebirth, second chances

Høne (Hænir, Hœnir) - Survival, sense/spirit, beauty,

Lodur (Lóðurr) - Blood, warmth, life, 

Loke (Loki) - Change, creativity, ambiguity, impulsiveness

Lyter (Lýtir) - Premonition, foresight, prediction, prophecy

Magne (Magni) - Strength, development, son of Tor

Meile - Son of Odin, brother of Tor

Mime (Mímir) - Wisdom, knowledge, memory, advice

Måne (Máni) - The moon, the night sky

Njord (Njörðr) - Vaner, the sea, harbours, ports, seafaring, wind, fishing, wealth/prosperity, and crop fertility

Od (Óðr) - Madness, fury, eagerness, excitement

Odin (Óðinn) - Father, war, battle, victory, death, wisdom, runes, magic, poetry, charms

Tor (Þórr, Thor) - Thunder, lightning, storms, rain, strength, protection, hallowing, healing, fertility

Ty (Týr, Tyr) - Law, sacrifice, heroism, glory, war

Ull (Ullr) - Skiing, archery, hunting, weapons, shields, personal combat, oaths

Vidar (Víðarr) - Vengeance, atonement, preparation, survival, silence

Vilje (Vili) - Will, willpower, moderation, the middle, wit, intelligence, touch, sense, motion

Ve (Vé) - Countenance, appearance, facial expression, speech, hearing, sight

Våle (Váli) - Revenge, bravery, daring, marksmanship, survival, rebirth

Åsynjer (Ásynjur, Female Gods)

Bil - Woman, lunar activity, phases of the moon, sister of Hjuke (the Scandinavian children in the moon)

Eir - Help, healing, protection, mercy, grace, calm

Fjorgyn/Jord (Fjörgyn/Jörð) - Earth, the world, nature, greenery

Frigg - Mother, love, fate, prophecy, marriage, birth, midwifery

Frøya (Freyja) - Vaner, fertility, love, passion, sex, sexuality, beauty, fertility, gold, magic, war, death

Fulla - domesticity, cleaning, housekeeping, listening, confidant, secrecy

Gersemi - Precious, beauty, blonde hair

Gjevjon (Gefjun) - Virginity, plowing, female independence 

Gnå (Gná) - Messenger, errands, crossing planes of existence, travel through land, air and water

Hnoss - Treasure, beauty, brunette hair

Idunn (Iðunn) - Youth, vigour, apples, love

Ilm - Fragrance, aroma, smells

Irpa - Guardian goddess, Hålogaland

Lin (Hlín) - Weddings, domestic sphere, flax, onion, fabrics

Lovn (Lofn) - Benevolence, kindness, gentleness, consolation

Nanna - Loyalty, empathy

Njorun - Soil, the land

Rind (Rindr) - Princess/goddess/giantess, mother of Våle from the East

Rån (Rán) - Sea, protection from drowning, fishing

Sigyn - Loyalty, burden, sadness

Siv (Sif) - Fields, wheat, fertility, family, wedlock

Sjavn (Sjöfn) - Love, sex, desire

Snotra - Wisdom, intelligence, cleverness, appropriate conduct

Sol (Sól) - The sun, warmth, daylight

Syn - Refusal, denial, speaking out, legal defence

Såga (Sága) - Seeress, all-seeing, companionship, drinking partner

Torgerd Hølgebrud (Þorgerðr Holgabrúðr) - Guardian goddess, Hålogaland, heathen shrines

Var (Vör) - Honesty, awareness, caution, carefulness

Vår (Vár) - Oaths (and punishing oath breakers), pledges, agreements, betrothal

Jotner (Jötnar, Elemental Giants)

Aurvandil - Star, planet, Orion & Big Dipper constellations

Bauge (Baugi) - Farmer, money, wages

Dag (Dagr) - Day, light, rides Skinfakse

Fornjot (Fornjótr) - Ancient giant, ancestor, original, owner

Frosti (Jökull) - Cold, winter, frost, ice, icicles, glaciers

Fårbaute (Fárbauti) - Hitting, striking, cruelty, danger, violence

Geirrød (Geirröd) - Entrapment, cruelty, aggression, violence

Gyme - Hills, Mounds

Helblinde (Helblindi) - “Hel Blinder”, “All Blind”

Hyme (Hymir) - Brewing, cauldron, thick skull

Kåre (Kári) - Wind, scathe, howl, sails

Loke (Loki) - Change, creativity, ambiguity, impulsiveness

Loge (Logi) - Fire, wildfire, 

Mime (Mímir) - Knowledge, wisdom, memory, counsel, Mimes Brønn (Mímisbrunnr)

Mokkurkalve - Clay, life, innocence, childishness

Norve (Narfi) - Narrow, oppressive, closed in, difficult birth

Rungne (Hrungnir) - Strength, brawling, fighting, whetstone

Snø (Snær) - Snow

Surt (Surtr) - Fire, heat, burning, blackness

Suttung (Suttungr) - Mead of poetry, orphaned, eagle

Tjaste (Þjazi, Thiazi) - Abduction of Idunn

Torre (Þorri, Thorri) - Black ice, frost, cold, winter

Trym (Þrymr, Thrymr) - Uproar, King of Jotner, 

Vale (Vali) - Unlucky, wolf, murdered his brother Norve

Vavtrudne (Vafþrúðnir) - Riddles, weaver of tales

Utgards-Loke (Útgarða-Loki) - The outer places, magic, illusion, beyond society, an alternate plane

Yme (Ymir) - The big bang, primordial, birth, the ancestor of all, elemental

Æge (Ægir) - Sea, ocean, sea creatures, protector of sailors

Gygrer (Gýgr, Elemental Giantess)

Angerboda (Angrboða) - Grief bringer, sorrow, Iron Wood

Aurboda ( Aurboða) - Gravel, mountains

Bestla - Mother to Odin, Vilje and Ve.

Driva (Drífa) - Snowfall

Fonn - Snowdrift

Gerd (Gerðr) - Beauty, light, fertility, earth

Grid (Gríðr) - Greed, vehemence, violence, impetuosity

Hel - Death, Helheim (the underworld), Náströnd (“Corpse Shore”)

Hyrrokkin - Fire smoked, smoke, strength, wolves, serpents

Jernsaksa (Járnsaxa) - Iron knife, mother to Magne

Lauvøy (Laufey) - Needle, slender, weak

Menglød (Menglöð) - Lives in a castle guarded by Fjölsviðr

Mjoll (Mjöll) - Powdered snow

Natt (Nótt) - Night, darkness, nightfall, counting time, rides Rimfakse

Skade (Skaði) - Damage, archery, hunting, skiing, winter, mountains

Vetter (Vættir, Beings) & Other

Alver (Elves) - Light/Dark/Black, personification of nature

Andvare (Andvari) - Dwarf, “careful one”, waterfall, fish, wealth, magic ring called Andvaranaut

Ask og Embla - The first humans, ancestors of humanity

Diser (Dísir) - Female protective deities/spirits, fate

Dverger (Dvergar) - Dwarfs, metallurgy, wisdom, smithing, mining, crafting

Einherjer (Einherjar) - Honoured dead, fallen in battle, sent to Folkvang or Valhalla

Fenrisulven (Fenrisúlfr) - Death, destruction, rage, the end of times, fen-dweller

Fjolne (Fjölnir) - Swedish king, Vaner, son of Frøy and Gerd

Gullveig/Heid (Heiðr) - Volva, seid, enigmatic, “Lust For Gold” or “Golden Drink”

Kvase (Kvasir) - Wisdom, knowledge, skaldship, poetry, mead, blood, juice

Midgardsormen (Jörmungandr, Midgard Serpent) - Sea serpent, poison, self-reflexivity, cyclicality

Norner (Norns) - Weavers of fate, Wyrd, destiny, birth, death

Sigurd Fåvnesbane - Stag, hero, wisdom, prophecy, speak to birds

Starkad (Starkaðr) - Jotun, hero, great warrior, many arms cut off by Tor

Troll - Isolated natural landmarks, strength, slow, dim witted, 

Valkyrjer (Valkyries) - Choosers of the slain, Odin’s maids, spirits, ferocity, death, ravens, wolves

Vanlande (Vanlandi) - Hero, Swedish king, Vaner, “Man from the land of the Vaner”, 

Vedfinn (Viðfinnr) - Father of Hjuke and Bil

Vetter (Vættir) - landvette, skogsvette, husvette, vannvette, sjøvette, havvette, hulder, nøkken, draugen, nisse, troll, huldrefolk, deildegasten, dradokke, trollkatt, basilisk, krake, utburd, lyktemenn, varulv, marmæl, lindorm

Volund (Völundr) - Blacksmith, magical powers, sword maker, hero, alvedrotten (Chieftan of elves)

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Viking dresses by Savelyeva Ekaterina

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Numbers in the Norse mythology

Just as in any religion or belief, numbers play a significant role in the Norse mythology. People are superstitious when it comes to numbers – everyone knows such things as lucky numbers or numbers that bring bad luck. Why it is for example the number 13 that is supposed to bring bad luck, is a question that just very few people would be able to answer. I too, wonder, why it is especially the number nine in the Norse mythology, that plays such a significant part in sagas and rituals. It reappears throughout the whole creation, existence and destruction of the NINE worlds and has been important in pre-Christian practices and rituals in certain parts of Scandinavia. If anyone knows the origin of the significance of this number, please let me know; I am very curious about this! Anyhow, here is an overview over certain numbers that play a role in the Norse mythology and what they mean or where they appear plus the spelling of each number in old Norse.

1:  (ein)

cosmos, earth

2:  (tveir)

the two biological genders, 

heaven and earth, 

day and night,

 sun and moon

3:  (þrír)

the three layers of the cosmos: Asgard, Midgard, Helheim; 

“Thridi” – the third, a name of Odin; 

the three states of time: past, present, future; 

the three norns; predicting future;

 the three treasures made by the dwarves: Mjölnir, Draupnir, Gullinbursti (the golden boar that belongs to Freyja)

4: (fjórir)

the four directions, four winds, four dwarves at the corners of the world;

 the home and the acre

7: (sjau)

The seven days of the week

9: (níu)

The nine worlds,

 the ritual time span (nine days and nine nights in which Odin hung from the tree); 

the path from Asgard to Hel takes nine days to travel; 

every ninth night, a new ring drops out of Draupnir;

 Njørd is living in the mountains for nine days and at the sea for nine days in turns when he was husband to Skadi; 

a special offering every nine years (one offering per day for nine days), for example in Uppsala;

 Freyr has to wait nine days for the wedding with Gerdur; 

nine mothers give birth to Heimdall;

 Ægir has nine daughters; 

Thor can walk nine steps after his fight with the Midgard snake

12: (tólf)

twelve moons;

 twelve Æsir under the allfather Odin;

 twelve crafty dwarves

13: (þrettán)

Odin and the twelve Æsir

27:  (tuttugu ok sjau)

the number of nights of a month in the moon calendar

Source: “Der Heilige Hain” by Christian Rätsch

[welcometofolkvang]

I bought this cape years ago on Facebook marketplace, for a whopping 20€.

Unfortunately I've never been able to wear it because it was never cold enough in France.

Today it was -3°C here in Reykjavik, and why have clothes if you're not going to wear them? So I went for a stroll down to lake Rauðavatn looking like a chieftains wife and loved it ❤️

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VIKINGS AS EXPLORERS - PART I Vikings were extremely efficient seafarers thanks to their highly advanced ships. Viking ships could move fast, were easy to maneuver and could sail into more shallow waters as well. And yet, why risk your life sailing the dangerous seas to unkown lands? The answer is as simple as unsurprising: honor and wealth. In medieval literature (Kongespeilet, around 1250) an unkown author writes: „It is in the nature of mankind to fare where there is possibility of great danger and the chance to gain praise and prestige.“Pretty early in the Viking Age the northmen did not only attack and raid lands, they also began to winter in England, Ireland and France from around 850. They also occupied  several unsettled lands to claim them for themselves (Shetland, Orkney islands, Faroe islands). Around 870 the first vikings settled down in Iceland.In 986 a norwegian outlaw, Eirik Raude, sailed west with 25 ships and discovers Greenland. There were two main settlements. One of them was last mentioned in literature in 1342, whilst the other one got their last bishop in 1377; since mid 16th century there were no known Scandinavians living on Greenland anymore. Eirik Raude named the land he discovered “green land” to make it sound attractive for other people to sail there, even though the land that lies deep in the Arctic is covered by snow and ice most of the year. Illustration and part of the information from norgeshistorie.no

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Why I'm acting like this

He would come home Breath smelling of beer And other girls Fun girls Pretty girls Exciting girls I sat at home Frumpy boring Predictable He told me He needed More That I Was not enough To satisfy him He needed Adventure And I Needed Security Now he’s gone But I still worry That fun girls Pretty girls Exciting girls Will turn heads Away from me The heads I care about The heads Who tell me They love me I don’t want to fight The fun girls The pretty girls The exciting girls I want To be them And I want To love them But I worry That I can do neither

- Jessica Chambers, 2020

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