I am what is known as a
Northern Tradition Pagan, or in short, a Heathen. As a heathen, I
practice a variety of different religious and magickal workings which
will be explained below. Before you read any further, understand that
this has nothing to do with the christian religion and was practiced
before Christianity reached Europe. The practices I am about to describe
have ancient origins which date back to before the time of the vikings.
Being pagan means anything other than christian. When someone says they
are pagan, they are not just talking about one specific religion, they
are talking about many, unless they specify which religion they are
talking about. Heathenry or Northern Tradition Paganism can be described
as the religion of the Vikings, but its origins lead further back than
even them. We worship and call to gods and goddesses of three different
types of pantheons. There are many different kinds of heathenry and in
this basic description, we shall discuss the most popular and widely
known.
The Paths
Asatru is one of the most popular types of
heathenry. Asatru deals with the worship to the Aesir gods and
goddesses. These gods and goddesses make their home in one of the nine
worlds of Yggdrasil, the great world tree. Asgard stands at the top of
this great tree and is home to many different deities. Odin, god of
magick, death, poetry, ecstasy, written word, and war. Thor, god of
storms and the common folk. Frigga, wife of Odin and goddess of
motherhood, marriage, wyrd, and the household. There are of course, many
more but these are just but a few that heathens of the Asatru form of
heathenry would worship or call to.
Vanatru is a form of heathenry which centers
around the worship of Vanaheim deities. These deities work with nature,
farming, planting crops, but they are not inherently part of nature, but
they do help it grow in some ways. Freyr, god of fields, forest,
harvest, and sex. Freyr is also lord of Ljossalfheim, which is another
world inhabited by what most would call, elves. Freyja, which is Freyr’s
twin sister is goddess of magick (usually magick specifically known as
seidr), fertility, death, love, and sex. Nerthus, a very old and
powerful earth like goddess, usually associated with the land and sea,
or bog like areas. Again, these are just some of the many deities within
Vanatru.
Rokkatru is a form of heathenry that many shy away
from. The term Rokk as some people say, means dark or shadow. Rokkatru
is a practice of heathenry that deals with worshiping the Rokk deities.
Usually these deities are not seen as deities, but I personally believe
them to be deities in their own right. The Rokk gods and goddesses also
have another widely known term. That term is the Jotunar. Usually the
Jotunar might be classified as beings from Jotunheim, the world of the
giants or etins. However, there are many different kinds of etins, like,
Fire etins, frost etins, sky etins, earth etins, sea etins, and so on.
Some of them come from different worlds such as Muspelheim or even
Niflheim. The gods and goddesses of this particular branch of heathenry
are sometimes feared and shunned. Here I will give you a list on what
some of the most popular Jotunar are. Skadhi, goddess of winter and
hunting, usually living in mountains or snow terrain. Loki, god of
mischief and chaos. Angrboda, one of Loki’s wives, hag (the term hag
means wise woman or healer, but she is also other things too) of Iron
Wood in Jotunheim. Thrym, high king of Jotunheim and seems to be a god
of frost and snow. These gods and goddesses are ancient beings, said to
have been around since before all the nine worlds were created. They are
part of nature, they are nature’s purest form. Unlike Elementals, the
Jotunar are more aware of themselves. They can transform themselves into
ranging storms and strong winds which devastate the world. Most Jotunar
are skilled in shapeshifting, so much so that they consider it a
cultural art-form. They can change their form just like we change our
clothes.
The Beliefs
Now that I’ve
explained the three different types of heathenry, let’s talk about a few
other things that heathens may also follow.
⦁ Wyrd
Wyrd in Heathenry is actually a complex system of many different
things. Wyrd can encompass personal choices to that of circumstance,
situation, or even deity influence. Wyrd also encompasses your personal
strand of luck. Now luck in general is very complex. There are many
different kinds of luck, luck ranging from situations or issues passed
down from the family line, or luck that is part of an individual. Luck
can also be passed down from lifetime to lifetime. All of this
incorporates to a whole mess of webs and connections which make our wyrd
what it is.
Wyrd is essentially what some would call fate or
destiny, but it usually determined by the actions of the individual or
the actions of those before the individual. Wyrd intersects with all
things, each person or living thing has a strand of wyrd. The wyrd we
have is called orlog, it is our personal life path which we usually
direct ourselves. While our wyrd touches others wyrd, it is ours and
ours alone. Our wyrd may also affect others wyrd to a certain extent. We
all have our own thread, and that thread depending on the circumstances
or influences of ones life may or may not have knots or tangles in it.
Either way, these strands of our wyrd feed into the greater cosmic
tapestry.
The tapestry of all wyrd can only be fully seen by
deities, usually by the Norns. The Norns are giantesses which weave and
sew our strands into the tapestry. While we have some control, they can
also direct it too. Sometimes our wyrd is affected by deities other than
the Norns as well. A god or goddess that you work with can essentially
alter part of your wyrd, changing your luck from good to bad or bad to
good. Generally, wyrd is a complex system of actions and reactions which
play out as a course of cause and effect, but there are also some
random things in there probably affected by something that either we did
or something that a deity did.
Wyrd can be read by
individuals who have honed their skills in seidr and have worked with
gods or goddesses associated with wyrd, such as Frigga. Wyrd is flexible
and can create many different types of symbolism associated with a
certain problem. We as humans cannot read the full spectrum of wyrd
because it is to complex for our mortal minds to understand. However, we
can get pieces of the greater picture involved in our lives and thus
tell others how to untie their own knots or at least point them in that
direction. For those of us who can tap into the weave of wyrd, we can
only see a portion, we can look and feel, but never change anything, for
it is outside of our power to do so. All we can do is guide an
individual.
⦁ The Nine Noble Virtues
Not
all heathens follow this, but there are many of us who do, I am one of
them. The Nine Noble Virtues were a modern establishment on what our
people attempt to stand for and uphold, and these ways are believed to
also be the practice of our ancestors as well. They are a set of
guidelines, (not rules) that allow us to live an honorable life. They
are as follows.
Loyalty (Frith, Family, Friends)
Be
true to your family and your kin. They come before all else; the whole
comes before the individual. Work to provide for, protect, encourage,
and support them.
Self-reliance (Responsibility)
Always
be in a position to provide for yourself, so that you’re not a burden
to others. Accept help graciously when it is offered, but do not
constantly depend on others. Ask no one to do something for you that you
could do yourself. In addition, take responsibility for your own
happiness and fulfillment. Do not blame others for your situation until
you have looked at yourself.
Industriousness
Contribute.
To your family, to your tribe, to your country. Find where help is
needed and offer it. Do as much as you can. Don’t waste time being
unproductive. Build relationships, craft things, study, teach others.
Truth (Honesty, Wisdom)
Keep
your word. Don’t tell lies, except to an enemy who lies to you. Keep
your integrity. Be honest to yourself. Learn how to see through lies. Be
wary of others’ facades and false words.
Hospitality (Generosity)
Do
not hesitate to welcome the weary into your home. When you have guests,
provide them with your best food, drink, and warm clothes. If there is
no extra room, give them your own. In return, when you are a guest, be a
gracious one, offer help, and do not overstay your welcome.
Honor
Keep
your word when you’ve given it (and know when to give it). Mend things,
situations, and relationships that you’ve damaged. Admit when something
is your fault.
Courage (Bravery, Boldness)
Do what is right in the face of opposition or derision. Protect yourself and your kin from harm. Challenge yourself.
Steadfastness (Strength, Endurance)
Perseverance. Once you’ve committed to something, see it through, even if the way is hard.
Self-Discipline (Moderation, Control)
Constantly
work to better yourself. Keep control of yourself; be mindful of your
own actions. Set goals and challenge yourself to meet them. Do not allow
yourself to fall into vice, or give up control of yourself to others.
⦁
Each person is different within this religion. Not every Heathen
practices the same way or even worships the same deities. Some of us are
also looked downed upon. Some heathens are very restrictive, not
allowing people of color into their religion or practices, while others
like myself, are very open to anyone practicing. We are a diverse group
of people and not all of our practices are the same, let alone done in
groups. There isn’t a lot of organized religion here, but some of the
Asatru folk are pretty organized when it comes to performing Blots,
which are actually a form of group meeting in which we might honor the
gods.
All heathens have their own practices and ways of doing things.
Some of us have taboos, things we do on a daily basis and things we
aren’t supposed to do at all. These things are usually along the lines
of what is most logical, or to what we feel our gods or goddesses are
telling us to do. We believe the gods and goddesses of the Norse
Pantheons are individual, who can think and feel all on their own, so
their interactions with us are not limited. We tend to see them as
valuable partners and friends, but still hold a high respect for them no
matter what we do. We believe the gods can treat others differently and
have their own way with dealing with each person, even if it is the
same god or goddess that another is working with.
Many of us
like to incorporate practices of Norse Mythology, or more commonly known
as the lore, into our practices. The lore is a translation of older
icelandic texts written by an 1170 scholar named Snorri Sturluson. He
was the author of the Prose Edda or Younger Edda, which consists of
Gylfaginning (“the fooling of Gylfi”), a narrative of Norse mythology,
the Skáldskaparmál, a book of poetic language, and the Háttatal, a list
of verse forms. He was also the author of the Heimskringla, a history of
the Norwegian kings that begins with legendary material in Ynglinga
saga and moves through to early medieval Scandinavian history.
⦁ The Cosmology of Yggdrasil
The Creation
In the beginning, there were two
worlds. Muspelheim, the world of fire, and Niflheim, the world of ice.
The two worlds swirled around in the endless abyss called Ginnungagap
and into it poured the sparks and smoke and layers of the rime-ice and
glacial rivers. As heat and cold met in Ginnungagap, crashing together,
they created Ymir, first of the godlike giants. Ymir could produce
asexually, and when he sweated, more giants were born.
As the
frost continued to melt, a cow, Adhumbla, emerged from it. She nourished
Ymir with her milk and she was also nourished by the salt-licks in the
ice. Her licks slowly uncovered Buri, the first of the Aesir tribe of
gods. Buri had a son named Bor, who married Bestla, the daughter of the
giant Bolthorn. The Half-god, half-giant children of Bor and Bestla were
Odin and his two brothers, Vili and Ve. The three brothers slew Ymir
and set to constructing the worlds from his corpse. The brothers
fashioned the oceans from his blood, the soil from his skin, and
muscles, the plants from his hair, clouds from his brains, and the sky
from his skull. The brothers then set four dwarves to the four cardinal
directions, and held Ymir’s skull aloft above the earth.
After
creating the nine worlds, they eventually formed the first man and
woman, Ask and Embla, from two tree trunks of the shore, and built a
fence around their dwelling place and set the sparks of Muspelheim into
the sky.
Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil is a great cosmic
tree bearing the nine worlds in its boughs. I believe this tree exists
outside of our own universe and is actually part of another universe
which intersects with our own, just as many others do.
The Nine Worlds
1. Asgard Home of the Aesir gods
2. Vanaheim Home of the Vanir gods
3. Ljossalfheim Home to the Ljossalfar (Light elves)
4. Midgard Home of the humans
5. Jotunheim Home of the giants/etins
6. Svartalfheim/Nidavellir
Home of the Dokkalfar (Dark elves) and the Duergar (Dwarves. The
Dokkalfar live in the upper part of the world where the Duergar live
mostly underground in Nidavellir, which is a series of tunnels holding
cities and homes for the Dwarves.
7. Niflheim A world of frost and ice, home to many Frost Etins and some dwarves.
8. Muspelheim World of fire and volcanoes, home to Surt and his Fire Etin’s.
9. Helheim
World of the dead, ruled by Hela the death goddess who is said to be
half living and half dead. All who die of natural causes, murder, and
disease go there.
⦁ Offerings
Offerings
are given to the gods as a pledge or as a payment. Many heathens offer
food, drinks, trinkets, and other things to give some kind of homage to
our gods as a thanks for being in our lives.
In the eyes of the
gods, offerings are needed to prove ones worth in worship and spirit
work. It shows that you are willing to sacrifice something in your life
to obtain either knowledge or their respect. Usually it is to show your
loyalty to them in some way, to be glad they are within your life and to
not take what you have for granted.
An offering may consist
of food, drink, statues, candles or scented candles, a drop of your own
blood. Generally an offering can be an entire altar dedicated to a
specific deity or several deities. When an offering is made, it is
placed on a special place, usually set aside, like an altar. All of this
is for the gods, for the services they provide and for just being in
our lives.
In some of our Blots, we have animal sacrifice.
Unlike what most people think of animal sacrifice, it is not cruel or
done for reasons of malice and suffering. When we sacrifice something,
it is to not only pledge and worship, but to have our own meat and drink
as well. What we eat, the gods also eat. Usually the leftover meat that
isn’t eaten is thrown in the fire pit and is believed to be transported
to our deities. However, animal sacrifice is also a practice which very
few do today, as most of us are not farmers or own a plot of land, and
so we are incapable of performing such rituals, myself included.
However, even if an animal sacrifice is performed, there is great
respect for that animal and are treated with care. The animals meant for
sacrifice are often cared for gently and appropriately, taken to the
doctor for diseases, and kept in a housing facility neatly kept up by
the owner. When the time comes for the sacrifice, the animal is quickly
put down and is not forced to endure any kind of excess pain. If the
animal suffers to much pain or is dealt with in a disgusting manner or
kept in a inhospitable environment and given to the gods, it is
considered an unacceptable offering. You don’t give a gift to someone
when the gift is in bad condition, and that is what animal sacrifice is
all about, paying homage to the gods and offering them food to eat at
our table as a gift of hospitality. However, other alternatives have
been made in place of this practice. Since many of us are not farmers,
we usually buy a steak or alcohol or some other beverage or food we
think they might like from the store and offer it to the gods instead.
Usually the sacrifice or offering is given to nature or burnt up in
flames.
Magickal Practices
⦁ Seidr
Seidr usually involves some form of trance which is used to communicate
with specific wights (wights are spirits of some kind, usually
associated with nature, but they are different from alfar, which are
known as elves but also different from the Jotunar) or deities. Seidr is
one of the two known Norse forms of sorcery. Seidr can mean that you
are one who enters trance or it can also mean you are a spirit worker or
even a spiritwalker. Usually when you enter a trance to speak with a
deity, there is no room for ego, it must be removed to allow a form of
message to come across to you. Since Seidr involves trance, it makes it
more possible for someone to fair forth, or to hamfarir (shapeshifting
or astral projection). Seidr acts as a springboard to achieve hamfarir.
There are several ways to perform Seidr. One way is to sit, use various
tools to provide an environment which will induce trance. These tools
might be things like: incense, candles, statues of deities, offerings,
songs, and chants. Another way is to have a group of people, possibly
with those tools and those people chant or sing in unison and provide a
“battery” for you to slip into trance, which may also involve a god or a
goddess horsing you. (Horsing is a term used to describe deity
possession, it has many forms.) Another form might be to fast and wait
out in nature or even in your own home, wrapped up completely naked. The
purpose of fasting is to allow your body to enter a survival mode which
will eventually, within a period of four to five days without food and
small amounts of water to bring you to a state of mind that allows you
to tap into your most primal instincts and allow for wights or deities
to come to you to speak messages to you in one way or another.
Seidr is a very exhausting practice. It is in no way meant for those who
want a safe trip. There can be real danger in Seidr, such as blackouts;
not remembering what you have done or where you have been, incapable of
controlling your own actions due to fury, or even physical marks left
on you by some spiritual vision or even spiritual travel. It is not
meant to go yippy skippy along the way down spiritual road to meet your
favorite gods and goddesses with no regard of purpose and safety, not to
mention that it could lead you into trouble if you’re not welcome in a
specific area. Even with animal spirits, you can receive some very
negative responses, such as getting attacked through a vision of sorts
by a fox and when you come out of it you realize you have a physical
rash where you were bitten. (The last statement actually happened to
me.)
Usually this kind of practice is meant for those who feel
lead to help others, usually along the lines of traveling worlds or
speaking to deities about specific information involving someone else
that you’re helping. In many ways it is like a shamanic type of
practice, but it is very different and is in no way the exact same.
Seidr is powerful and usually combined with some form of galdr magick.
(Galdr is a form of Norse sorcery which is used by words to create some
form of outcome.) It should in no way be used for fun, the things you do
in Seidr can be very real and also very dangerous depending on the
circumstances. While it is dangerous, it is a very useful practice when
you wish to communicate with deities.
A person who uses some
form of Seidr is usually called a Seidkona if a woman or a Seidmadr if a
man. Women were more common in the original use of Seidr and men were
usually downed upon and deemed unmanly, because Seidr is a type of
sorcery which makes you vulnerable. To practice Seidr you must remove
yourself, and at the same time you might leave your body and fair forth
to elsewhere while your body remains immobile. Even if you aren’t
fairing forth, the trance allows you to stretch your consciousness
outward so you may see other things happening or different visions of
sorts without actually leaving your body. You may also receive some form
of divine message from these visions or even receive some kind of
dialog implanted within you by a specific deity. This dialog may be
thoughts of your own or like thoughts of your own with a different
“voice” playing in your head. You never hear anything physically, but
you usually do mentally if they decide to speak to you.
I
would just like to note that these statements are true in my own
personal experience and is no way meant to represent all personal
experiences with others who practice Seidr. Seidr is a form of sorcery
which I personally practice so that I may yet be closer to my gods and
goddesses. I may also use whatever I get from “them” to help others
along my journey.
⦁ Rune Casting
Rune casting is a type of magick associated with runes, usually of the
Elder Futhark but also sometimes of the Anglo Saxon Futhorc. Runes are
widely known as a powerful divinitory tool that allows us to access the
tapestry of wyrd. They can be thrown upon a piece of cloth to perform a
reading. Usually whatever runes are face up or next to one another or
even on top of one another are seen as part of the reading. The runes
have individual meanings and energies, I will not discuss them here
because there is far to much information which is seemingly endless.
Runes are also powerful talismans of many different kinds. Some offer
protection and others offer curses or even healing. Generally, the rune
one wishes to use is either drawn somewhere or said by its name. Runes
have power all on their own, the symbol alone is enough to make changes
with our combined intentions. Runes were often used to help in pregnancy
and protection of otherworldly forces, such as wights or alfs.
The runes at one time were also a language, a set of alphabetical
letters different from the english language. The runes today are now
used mostly as a form of divination, which is mentioned above. Many
heathens still use the runes as the ancestors did. Many of us carve our
own sets of runes while others buy them from various stores. There are
also various other Norse related staves (sigils or symbols) that are a
combination of either runes, usually known as bind-runes or something
else entirely.
The Conclusion
From
the differences in paths to magickal practices, each Heathen or Northern
Tradition Pagan, is inherently different in our practices. While this
is an overview of a basic practice that could be in someone’s practice,
it is in no way to represent all forms of Heathenry, every Heathen, or
every Northern Tradition Pagan.
The practices here are based on my own personal beliefs, combined
with various other explanations and beliefs that I felt was appropriate
to explain our religion to an outsider. We are in no way, devil
worshipers, insane, or craving for attention. The things we do are
usually in the intention of getting closer to our gods and expressing
our faith in various ways. These are just some of the beliefs and ways
of a heathen, which again may not reflect to all of us.
