Hail!
This is the last heathen holiday for this month and it's the day before Beltane, or May Day. I got this from the Asatru Alliance, even though I don't support them.
Walburg: this is better known as Walpurgisnacht or May Eve. Walberg is a
goddess of our folk combining some of the traits of Her better-known
peers. Reflect on this day on Freya, Hel, and Frigga as the repository
of the glorious dead, and you will have an idea of Wulburg?s nature. On
this day pour a horn of mead upon the earth in memory of our heroes.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Saturday, April 29, 2017
American Gods Coming to TV
Hail!
Tomorrow will be the first episode of American Gods. Based on the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman it's about a convict name Shadow Moon that is recruited by con man Mr. Wednesday to recruit older gods to battle newer ones. I read this book a couple of years after I arrived in MA and I really loved how he brought the gods to the modern world. Much better than Rick Riordan does. Even though I can't watch the show, I'm going to have to wait for it to come out on DVD/Blu Ray, I know that it will be good.
Tomorrow will be the first episode of American Gods. Based on the book of the same name by Neil Gaiman it's about a convict name Shadow Moon that is recruited by con man Mr. Wednesday to recruit older gods to battle newer ones. I read this book a couple of years after I arrived in MA and I really loved how he brought the gods to the modern world. Much better than Rick Riordan does. Even though I can't watch the show, I'm going to have to wait for it to come out on DVD/Blu Ray, I know that it will be good.
Monday, April 24, 2017
My Package from Canada Arrived
Hail!
Today my package from Canada arrived. A fellow Asatruer, that's new to her own path, had an extra set of Norse gods and goddess. She asked me if I wanted them and I told her that I did. So she sent them and they arrived today. Here's a photo of them. Personally I also would like some help to figure out which gods and goddess that I can't identify are. Here's the photo and I hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy having them.
Today my package from Canada arrived. A fellow Asatruer, that's new to her own path, had an extra set of Norse gods and goddess. She asked me if I wanted them and I told her that I did. So she sent them and they arrived today. Here's a photo of them. Personally I also would like some help to figure out which gods and goddess that I can't identify are. Here's the photo and I hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy having them.
God Post: Frigga
It's been a while since I did one of these and so I decided to start with Frigga. I got this from Mythology.net.
Who is Frigga?
Frigg wears many hats in Norse mythology. She is often described as “foremost among the goddesses,” and was the wife of Odin. She was the Queen of the Aesir and the goddess of the sky. She was also known as the goddess of fertility, household, motherhood, love, marriage, and domestic arts. Some of these domains were also overseen by another Norse goddess named Freyja. In Norse mythology, Frigg’s primary roles were familial roles, mostly surrounding her husband and children.
Origins
Many scholars believe that Frigg may have originated in a common Germanic goddess. While there is no firm evidence to prove the hypothesis, there are many similarities, such as mythological features and their names, as well as locations associated with both of them. Whether Frigg has a link to other types of mythology or not, she played a very important role in Norse mythology.
Legends and Stories
The mythic representations of Frigg focus on her family life. While she was greatly blessed, she also faced terrible heartache, which would eventually serve as her legacy.
The Loss of a Son
The myth surrounding Frigg and her role as a mother is by far the most famous. She gave birth to a son named Balder, who was the light of her life. The entire world seemed to rejoice when he was born and she was dedicated to helping her son grow. She was also incredibly protective. This instinct became stronger when Balder had a dream that predicted his own death.
Frigg went around to every living thing in the entire world and demanded that her son would not be harmed. She was unable to demand protection from the mistletoe, which seemed insignificant at the time.
With time, the gods made up a game involving Balder. They would throw anything they could find at him and watch the objects bounce off him, never causing a bruise or simple scratch. Balder was never hurt, no matter the size or weight of the item.
This pastime continued until the day that Loki gave a dart made from mistletoe to Hoor, Balder’s twin brother, who also happened to be blind. Loki told Hoor that he would help him play the game with Balder. With Loki’s assistance, Hoor threw the dart at his brother. Instead of it bouncing off of him like every other living thing on earth, it pierced his heart and killed him instantly.
When Frigg heard of her son’s passing, she fell to the ground in despair. After the initial shock, she went to work trying to alter Balder’s fate. She sent Hermodr to the Underworld where there was an attempt to ransom Balder’s soul. The Queen of the Underworld, Hel, agreed to release Frigg’s son, but only if all living things would weep for him.
Frigg set out right away, asking every living thing in the world if they would weep for her lost son. They all agreed until Frigg approached the last living thing on the planet, a giantess with the name Thokk. She refused Frigg’s request to weep and said, “Living or dead, I loved not the churl’s son. Let Hel hold to that she hath!” Many interpreters of Norse mythology believe that this giantess was actually Loki in disguise. Either way, this cursed Balder to the Underworld forever.
Frigg's Switch
While Frigg was believed to have been an honorable wife, she did take hold of an opportunity to outsmart her husband and end a conflict between outsiders. Odin was known for being incredibly strong-willed but in this myth, Frigg found a way past this. A conflict had broken out between two Germanic tribes, known as the Vandals and the Winnilers. Odin favored the Vandals, while Frigg supported the Winnilers.
One evening, Frigg and Odin got into an argument of their own over the tribes. They each gave reasons supporting why their tribe of choice was right and why the other was wrong. Finally, Odin swore that whichever tribe he saw first thing in the morning, he would grant victory to. He did this knowing that the Vandals would be visible through the window on his side of the bed.
While Odin was sleeping, Frigg told the women of the Winniler tribe to reposition their hair so that it would appear as long beards. She also turned the bed so that her husband was facing in the opposite direction. When he woke, he was taken aback by what he saw. He asked Frigg who the “long-beards” were. He had been outsmarted but kept his promise and granted victory to the Winniler tribe and even eventually admitted that Frigg’s choice was correct.
Family
Frigg was married to Odin and they had a family together. Because of his untimely death, Balder is the first child many associate with the goddess.
Odin
Odin was one of the most popular gods in Norse mythology. He was often associated with royalty, death, healing, battles, poetry, sorcery and knowledge. He carried a spear named Gungnir and was often accompanied by animal companions, including two wolves named Geri and Freki, and two ravens named Muninn and Huginn.
Balder
Balder was a god with a central role in Norse mythology. He was the god of love, peace, forgiveness and justice. He was the second son of Frigg and Odin and had a twin brother named Hoor, who ultimately caused his demise.
Appearance
Frigg is mostly depicted as a beautiful and strong spirited woman. In many pictures, she is shown with her husband Odin, paying tribute to her strong role as a wife in Norse mythology. She is often pictured against soft and beautiful backgrounds, which seem to symbolize her calming nature.
Symbology
Frigg represents family. She is known as a source of nurturing, patient and devoted love. Even in situations where fate is already set, such as in her son’s untimely death, Frigg still did everything that she could to alter fate. Frigg’s main symbols include the full moon, the sky, the spinning wheel and spindle, mistletoe and silver, many of which are shown in artistic representations of the goddess.
I hope that you enjoy this entry.
Who is Frigga?
Frigg wears many hats in Norse mythology. She is often described as “foremost among the goddesses,” and was the wife of Odin. She was the Queen of the Aesir and the goddess of the sky. She was also known as the goddess of fertility, household, motherhood, love, marriage, and domestic arts. Some of these domains were also overseen by another Norse goddess named Freyja. In Norse mythology, Frigg’s primary roles were familial roles, mostly surrounding her husband and children.
Origins
Many scholars believe that Frigg may have originated in a common Germanic goddess. While there is no firm evidence to prove the hypothesis, there are many similarities, such as mythological features and their names, as well as locations associated with both of them. Whether Frigg has a link to other types of mythology or not, she played a very important role in Norse mythology.
Legends and Stories
The mythic representations of Frigg focus on her family life. While she was greatly blessed, she also faced terrible heartache, which would eventually serve as her legacy.
The Loss of a Son
The myth surrounding Frigg and her role as a mother is by far the most famous. She gave birth to a son named Balder, who was the light of her life. The entire world seemed to rejoice when he was born and she was dedicated to helping her son grow. She was also incredibly protective. This instinct became stronger when Balder had a dream that predicted his own death.
Frigg went around to every living thing in the entire world and demanded that her son would not be harmed. She was unable to demand protection from the mistletoe, which seemed insignificant at the time.
With time, the gods made up a game involving Balder. They would throw anything they could find at him and watch the objects bounce off him, never causing a bruise or simple scratch. Balder was never hurt, no matter the size or weight of the item.
This pastime continued until the day that Loki gave a dart made from mistletoe to Hoor, Balder’s twin brother, who also happened to be blind. Loki told Hoor that he would help him play the game with Balder. With Loki’s assistance, Hoor threw the dart at his brother. Instead of it bouncing off of him like every other living thing on earth, it pierced his heart and killed him instantly.
When Frigg heard of her son’s passing, she fell to the ground in despair. After the initial shock, she went to work trying to alter Balder’s fate. She sent Hermodr to the Underworld where there was an attempt to ransom Balder’s soul. The Queen of the Underworld, Hel, agreed to release Frigg’s son, but only if all living things would weep for him.
Frigg set out right away, asking every living thing in the world if they would weep for her lost son. They all agreed until Frigg approached the last living thing on the planet, a giantess with the name Thokk. She refused Frigg’s request to weep and said, “Living or dead, I loved not the churl’s son. Let Hel hold to that she hath!” Many interpreters of Norse mythology believe that this giantess was actually Loki in disguise. Either way, this cursed Balder to the Underworld forever.
Frigg's Switch
While Frigg was believed to have been an honorable wife, she did take hold of an opportunity to outsmart her husband and end a conflict between outsiders. Odin was known for being incredibly strong-willed but in this myth, Frigg found a way past this. A conflict had broken out between two Germanic tribes, known as the Vandals and the Winnilers. Odin favored the Vandals, while Frigg supported the Winnilers.
One evening, Frigg and Odin got into an argument of their own over the tribes. They each gave reasons supporting why their tribe of choice was right and why the other was wrong. Finally, Odin swore that whichever tribe he saw first thing in the morning, he would grant victory to. He did this knowing that the Vandals would be visible through the window on his side of the bed.
While Odin was sleeping, Frigg told the women of the Winniler tribe to reposition their hair so that it would appear as long beards. She also turned the bed so that her husband was facing in the opposite direction. When he woke, he was taken aback by what he saw. He asked Frigg who the “long-beards” were. He had been outsmarted but kept his promise and granted victory to the Winniler tribe and even eventually admitted that Frigg’s choice was correct.
Family
Frigg was married to Odin and they had a family together. Because of his untimely death, Balder is the first child many associate with the goddess.
Odin
Odin was one of the most popular gods in Norse mythology. He was often associated with royalty, death, healing, battles, poetry, sorcery and knowledge. He carried a spear named Gungnir and was often accompanied by animal companions, including two wolves named Geri and Freki, and two ravens named Muninn and Huginn.
Balder
Balder was a god with a central role in Norse mythology. He was the god of love, peace, forgiveness and justice. He was the second son of Frigg and Odin and had a twin brother named Hoor, who ultimately caused his demise.
Appearance
Frigg is mostly depicted as a beautiful and strong spirited woman. In many pictures, she is shown with her husband Odin, paying tribute to her strong role as a wife in Norse mythology. She is often pictured against soft and beautiful backgrounds, which seem to symbolize her calming nature.
Symbology
Frigg represents family. She is known as a source of nurturing, patient and devoted love. Even in situations where fate is already set, such as in her son’s untimely death, Frigg still did everything that she could to alter fate. Frigg’s main symbols include the full moon, the sky, the spinning wheel and spindle, mistletoe and silver, many of which are shown in artistic representations of the goddess.
I hope that you enjoy this entry.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
The Department of Defense Adds More Religions to Their List
Hail!
Great news coming from the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense has increase the number of religions to well over 200, including allowing Jewish solders to use the name of the branch of Judaism that they follow instead of just Judaism. And while this might make certain 'militant' groups upset it means a great deal to those that have been working to get accepted, like Astaru and heathens. Several more denomination of Christianity were included and this means that the government can get a good number of those that follow these faiths and provide them with what they need.
It means that solders can request time off, go to festivals, and have their books. A true win for religious freedom and something the founders would of been very happy about. Hail to the old gods and hail to religion freedom.
Great news coming from the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense has increase the number of religions to well over 200, including allowing Jewish solders to use the name of the branch of Judaism that they follow instead of just Judaism. And while this might make certain 'militant' groups upset it means a great deal to those that have been working to get accepted, like Astaru and heathens. Several more denomination of Christianity were included and this means that the government can get a good number of those that follow these faiths and provide them with what they need.
It means that solders can request time off, go to festivals, and have their books. A true win for religious freedom and something the founders would of been very happy about. Hail to the old gods and hail to religion freedom.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Heathen Holiday: Yggdrasil Day
Hail!
Here's another Heathen holiday and today is also Earth Day. So today is Earth Day and it's also Yggdrasil Day. The holiday consists of planting trees and taking care of them. So this holiday is perfect Earth day one. Yggdrasil is the world tree, the tree that holds up the nine worlds. It also holds up Midgard. I do hope that you have a good one and be well.
Here's another Heathen holiday and today is also Earth Day. So today is Earth Day and it's also Yggdrasil Day. The holiday consists of planting trees and taking care of them. So this holiday is perfect Earth day one. Yggdrasil is the world tree, the tree that holds up the nine worlds. It also holds up Midgard. I do hope that you have a good one and be well.
Monday, April 17, 2017
What I'm Hoping to Accomplish This Year
Hail!
Since now that I'm going through another year to hit the two year mark (some heathens only last three years before moving on) I decided to sit goals on what I'm hoping to accomplish this year. The first thing is to get books. During my first year I had very little of that and so I had to work with what I did have. The first book that I'm getting is actually from Neil Gaiman. It's called 'Norse Mythology.' Another thing that I'm hoping to accomplish is to not go insane this year.
We're on the verge of moving and we need to focus on that. I want to move to a area that will be safe for my mother and that I don't hear gunshots every few days or something. I want to be more active in my religion and I want to be more out there in the pagan community. So that's the goals that I have for this year. On the subject of books, I'm hoping to buy eight.
Since now that I'm going through another year to hit the two year mark (some heathens only last three years before moving on) I decided to sit goals on what I'm hoping to accomplish this year. The first thing is to get books. During my first year I had very little of that and so I had to work with what I did have. The first book that I'm getting is actually from Neil Gaiman. It's called 'Norse Mythology.' Another thing that I'm hoping to accomplish is to not go insane this year.
We're on the verge of moving and we need to focus on that. I want to move to a area that will be safe for my mother and that I don't hear gunshots every few days or something. I want to be more active in my religion and I want to be more out there in the pagan community. So that's the goals that I have for this year. On the subject of books, I'm hoping to buy eight.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Blog of an Independent Asatruer Up Five Months
Hail!
Today marks five months that this blog has been up. Thanks, everyone, for reading my posts and liking them. Once again I couldn't do this blog without anyone out there.
Today marks five months that this blog has been up. Thanks, everyone, for reading my posts and liking them. Once again I couldn't do this blog without anyone out there.
I'm Back and I'm Done with Facebook
Hail!
Two days ago my net was turned back on, even though the speeds leave a ton to be desired. However, I can blog and that's all that matters. I'm going to come back with the god posts and I will include some Norse Wiccan posts as I view Norse Wicca as part of the Norse Pagan world. As long as you honor, or work with, the gods then your alright in my book.
Another thing that I want to talk about is being done with Facebook. I'm getting sick and tired of Facebook. I went back on yesterday and I found myself locked out. That means that I can't log in and connect with my fellow Heathens. So it looks as though I'm no longer on Facebook and I don't miss it. Facebook, from what my brother tells me, is selling information. I don't want to be apart of that anymore.
I hope that my followers understand.
Two days ago my net was turned back on, even though the speeds leave a ton to be desired. However, I can blog and that's all that matters. I'm going to come back with the god posts and I will include some Norse Wiccan posts as I view Norse Wicca as part of the Norse Pagan world. As long as you honor, or work with, the gods then your alright in my book.
Another thing that I want to talk about is being done with Facebook. I'm getting sick and tired of Facebook. I went back on yesterday and I found myself locked out. That means that I can't log in and connect with my fellow Heathens. So it looks as though I'm no longer on Facebook and I don't miss it. Facebook, from what my brother tells me, is selling information. I don't want to be apart of that anymore.
I hope that my followers understand.
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Heathen Holiday: Sigrblot
Hail!
Time for another Heathen holiday and this one is Sigrblot. Here's some information about this holiday. Got this from Wikipedia.
Sigrblót is one of the "three greatest blessings of the year" mentioned in the Ynglinga saga, celebrated "for victory". Ostara in Wiccan tradition is set at vernal equinox; the historical Sigrblót marks the beginning of summer and the campaign season. The historical lunar month of Eostre may coincide with the Paschal Full Moon.
Have a good one.
Time for another Heathen holiday and this one is Sigrblot. Here's some information about this holiday. Got this from Wikipedia.
Sigrblót is one of the "three greatest blessings of the year" mentioned in the Ynglinga saga, celebrated "for victory". Ostara in Wiccan tradition is set at vernal equinox; the historical Sigrblót marks the beginning of summer and the campaign season. The historical lunar month of Eostre may coincide with the Paschal Full Moon.
Have a good one.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Day of Remembrance for Jarl Hakon of Norway
Hail!
Today we remember Jarl Hakon of Norway, a man that ruled independently and had Christianity forced upon him. However, he was sly and forced the clergymen to return to shore upon his ability to leave. He was a fierce follower of the old Norse Gods and we raise our glasses to him.
Today we remember Jarl Hakon of Norway, a man that ruled independently and had Christianity forced upon him. However, he was sly and forced the clergymen to return to shore upon his ability to leave. He was a fierce follower of the old Norse Gods and we raise our glasses to him.
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