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Post by heathenhammer on May 10, 2006 19:35:38 GMT -5
Since the list is pretty long, this thread may take a while to grow.
I will preface by telling that the gods of the Heathens are tribal; they are actually a pantheon made from a number of different families or tribes of beings who's elders are not related. Although it may be popular to assume each has a single or a few specific attributes or things over which they reign, they are complex and complete individuals who carry the same personality complexity that any person would. They tell jokes, they complain, they get mad when they are fooled, hunger and suffer, carry out elaborate plots, they insult each other and form treaties in turn.
They reflect heathen culture in that despite animosities they come together, taking oaths of peace [or at least, cessation of killing each other]. The Aesir and Vanir are closest, because in the beginning, they waged war on each other [over Freya; info to come] and [depending whom you read], either were evenly matched or the Vanir were victors. As the Heathens did, hostages were exchanged in order to insure the keeping of the peace oaths they took. IN our lore, it's a good bet that when you see and Aesir and Vanir mixed couple [or even if one is an Ettin/giant], one of the spouses was originally a war hostage married into the opposing tribe for treaty reasons. Because the first war ever was among these two tribes and so much time has passed, the associations became that of love rather than duty and the Aesir and Vanir now act as one unified Tribe.
Think of the Aesir as related to Man and his labors. Most of the attributes or areas of influence [but not all! complex, remember?] deal with Man and his labors and concerns. Whereas the Vanir are more like gods of Nature. They oversee raw elements and activities of the natural word. Also mentioned are the Ettins, the Giants. The Giants are the oldest race; the first god ever living was a giant. They are the raw force of chaos. There are also MANY spirits, but I think they deserve a thread of their own so I won't talk about them here. It is also worth mentioning that animals, both sacred and mundane, inhabit the Norse pantheon and the afterlife; this little detail gives me some personal happiness, being a pet owner and animal lover.
The gods and ettins interact within and concern themselves with the Nine Worlds. Heathens count nine as the number of worlds or planes of existence [for my D&D homies], each having its own concerns and settings and inhabitants. The worlds are interconnected by Yggdrasil, the World Tree, a huge living thing that acts as a bridge among all. Its roots and branches touch all places, rising from a well at its base where it is watered by the Norns, and gnawed by a dragon, Nidhogg. the worlds depend from it, some like fruit from the topmost branches, some as stones among its thicker roots, some along the trunk. It's description will also get its own thread, eventually.
Our world is Middle Earth, the middle Garth, lieing in the center.
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Post by heathenhammer on May 10, 2006 21:21:41 GMT -5
On to the Gods! [er, and Goddesses]
In some places I will put the phrase "[depends]" because I am using multiple sources and some are often at odds with each other. Heathen lore has survived a long time, and also had many many authors. Also remember that as indigenous gods seen by different peoples, some took precedence in some places while in others were relegated to secondary roles. In other words, not every tribe put Odin in as King of all gods.
Odin The Allfather, God of Kings and King of Gods [depending], Odin is the chieftan of the Aesir. the most complex perhaps because of his popularity, or maybe vice versa? He is a god of a hundred+ names, each echoing different aspects; in the lore he often chooses or offers these names himself. His accomplishments for the gods and man are many and legendary.
He is perhaps the oldest god in the Norse timeline still worshipped, as tales place him as perhaps the 3rd or 4th generation of living gods after the emergance of the universe from the primordial void, Gunnungagap. At that time he had two brothers, but these may have been other aspects of himself instead of individuals [depends]. He and his brothers slew Ymir, the first giant god, to create the matter from which the physical world was made.
He also is responsible for gathering the runes, the Nordic mystical alphabet, after a self-inflicted hanging and stabbing. In this shamanic experience, he cut himself with his own spear and then hung himself [either by the neck or cross-like, depends] from Yggdrasil itself - note: Yggdrasil means "Ygg's steed", a play on words as Ygg is one of Odin's many names. As I said elsewhere his learning and release of seidr would seem to make him effeminate in the eyes of the typical viking male but it really shows his willingness to undergo anything to get done what he must or to gain an essential prize. He surrended an eye into Ymir's well so he might gain mystical discance vision and is always seen as one-eyed [not cyclopian, but missing an eyeball]. he is responsible for many many other aspects of the very basis for Heathen religious structure, because as the ultimate plotmaster, his longest running plot is his constant honing of Heathens to be chosen to join him at Ragnaroc to defend against the giants.
The caveat [and there always is, with the Old Man] is that when he deems you are chosen... you die. You go to the White Halls at your best.
Odin has a full plate. He gave the runes, poetry, and seidr to Man, as well as being the one who decides whether you gain victory, or death, in battle. Interestingly enough he only gets half the battle-slain; he has an agreement with Freya, who gets the other half. He encourages wisdom and cleverness, and uses both against his enemies. He is the lord of complex schemes. He is both beneficial and treacherous to his favorites, because as I said, he's always watching to see if you're ready to join him... in Asgard. He can see the actions fates of men and himself and strives to make sure all things fall out as planned. He has many children sired upon goddesses and mortals alike. Heathens believe he is the blood father of our entire race, and like the xtians there have been royal lines who claim direct lineage to him [including the current Royal family in England, interestingly].
Odin often moves disguised among men to see how they are behaving, and often directly interacts with them [usually those of importance though, less often the common man], usually to test their virtue and pose riddles or tests to try and trip them up, and deals with them accordingly. The sagas are rife with his home visits and what occurs because of them. He is the basis for the Santa Claus myth, although he is near unrecognizable these days.
He has an impressive stable of pets who aid him in his duty as lord and protector of men and worlds. His familiars' names often reflect virtues of which they are representative. Hugin and Munin - his ravens, used as spies to gather news Geri and Freki - his wolves, who among other things eat all the food offered him, because he lives only on wine Sleipnir - his 8-legged steed, able to outrace all others and travel among the worlds
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Post by Senbecc on May 11, 2006 14:41:24 GMT -5
This is an interesting article...Thanks!
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Post by heathenhammer on May 11, 2006 19:57:49 GMT -5
Cool! And thank you.
Njord
There is quite a bit of conjecture surrounding Njord. I place him second because he is the Vanir's equivalent of Odin, in that he is supposely their tribal chief. When the Aesir and Vanir made peace Njord came to the Aesir as hostage, and will not return to the Vanir properly until Ragnaroc. Still, he lives in the hall Noatun, a seaside hold where he lords over the sea itself, and accepts requests for safe passage and bountiful fishing from men. As a sailor-fisherman type he is depicted as barefoot, and the bare foot is seen as his symbol. He is also so wealthy that he gives boons of wealth to those who ask. He is also [depends] an overseer of sacrifices and the seasons and growth of plants [being a Vanir], and a builder of ships.
Njord is not very active in the sagas, which is perhaps why his nature is so uncertain. There is evidence to suggest he had a female counterpart in the goddess Nerthus; or, that Nerthus is his female manifestation; or, that 'he' was originally 'she' and somehow the gender was reversed in the telling. However, there are traces everywhere that Frey and Freya are his children. His wife is Skadi, a giantess who chose him when all she could see of all the Aesir was their feet [hence that moniker and symbol], but again, Skadi may have been the male and Njord the female [depends, very sketchy]. Also unsure is whether he also had a non-giantess mate who may have been his twin sister named Ingun [best evidence: Frey is called Ingunar-Frey, Ingun's son]. In Lokesanna Loki says Njord fathered his kids on his own sister, and this is seen again in Ygling saga. An historic account of Nerthus' priest carrying the goddess in procession in a wagon from an island temple is seen in tacitus but I read that the sage may have confused whom it was represented because the god[dess] may have been dressed in a gown. Nerthus may have been Njord's sister, or the historian made a blunder; we don't know.
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Post by Senbecc on May 12, 2006 14:46:56 GMT -5
"Gods of the north". Does this mean there are gods and goddesses for each of the four directions in Asatru?
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Post by heathenhammer on May 12, 2006 20:26:04 GMT -5
Oh! Um, nope, it's just the general colloquialism [ooh, sp?]; Gods of Northern Europe.
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Post by Senbecc on May 12, 2006 21:07:54 GMT -5
Oh! Um, nope, it's just the general colloquialism [ooh, sp?]; Gods of Northern Europe. Ohhhh, OK I get it now. A fine summery your making for them!
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Post by heathenhammer on May 18, 2006 19:56:03 GMT -5
Sorry all, been away or busy of late. TyrI menation Tyr or Tiw next because he is a very important figure in Nordic lore. Though there will perhaps be a single incident by which many of you know him, there is much to suggest that in many tribes Tyr is seen as Odin's superior either in terms of law-making authority or some other aspect. It may be because of all the gods, Tyr's honesty is seen as unquestionable. Almost all things the Norse found to be virtuous hold some root in honesty. He is in many of the sagas lauded as the paragon of nearly every Norse virtue that might come up. He also is the god often as the god of victory [particularly in armed combat, often used to settle disputes], or warriors, of wisdom, shrewdness, a peacemanker but not a treaty-maker [that would be Odin], he is kindly and quick to show it. He also shows humility when bested. He is often associated with rune magic yet unlike Odin, his involvement with them is never seen as unmanly [except perhaps when he is insulted by Loki, but, everyone got a bit of that]. his name is often invoked to make a rune structure 'active'. The lack of unmanliness for Tyr may be due to the fact thta they are not his 'speciality'; he is not directly related to them in any way, he is merely called upon to let them do what they justly must. Tyr, I have read, is considered by some to have been usurped in position by Odin in terms of how men considered the two. This is a topic of HUGE debate among asatru and Germanic scholars [and hotheads and opinion-yellers] During their first encounters the Romans believed that the Germanics, worshipping Tyr, were actually worshipping Mars, and the two names are considered related some how. However, their fields of influence are different. Tyr is, in fact, a sky-god; teh type of god usually associated with leadership among other deities. Gary Stanfield writes of the argument: "Basically, the case goes like this. Týr’s name is etymologically related to *Tiwaz (Proto-Germanic), Zeus, Jovis (Roman), Dyaus (Sanskrit), Deus (Latin), *Djevs (IE) or *Deivos (IE). There must have been a *Ziu in there somewhere in a Germanic language also. Tiwaz was the chief god of the Proto-Germanic peoples. We know this because his name in Old Nose certainly meant "god". In addition, deities in observed languages with names etymologically related to Týr's were all chief deities. Tiwaz was Sky God. This is inferred from other deities’ having been sky gods. Týr was the Allfather of Snorri’s myths. Oðin could not be the Allfather because He was not present at the beginning of time. That must have been someone else. It must have been Týr. " Whatever the case Tyr is seen as the stalwart, honest god who uses his brain coupled with an unswerving honesty. He thinks well under pressure, values people by their deeds and honor, and while he is no gentle soul, he nonetheless is not unkind nor merciless to those he vanquishes. The myth you will likely recognise about him is the Fenris binding tale. When the monster wolf Fenris was known by the Aesir to be prophesied as a huge contributor to Ragnaroc, they schemed to have him bound. They trick the wolf into accepting a rope around him, about which he naturally first scoffs. Fenris is after all one of Loki's children and knows a trap when he sees it. He challenges his potential foes that he will not allow them to place the binding on him unless one of them swears to place their hand in his jaws. Of all the Aesir in on it, only Tyr immediately steps forward and does so; when the wolf finds he has been bound, he snaps the god's hand off. It is an interesting dynamic. Tyr is for certain an Aesir, but, he is also a friend of Fenris'. He decided that the good of all the gods overwhelms his need for honesty to a friend. The gods must surely be protected. Fenris' boast that he would only accept the bounds if one of the Aesir were brave enough to place a hand in his mouth is not expected [by the wolf himself]to be fulfilled; who would agree to such foolish and dangerous terms? Tyr's agreement forces the wolf to accept the rope because the wolf made the boast terms himself. Tyr places his hand in knowing he has betrayed a friend but protected his tribe. And he accepts the risk and the loss stoically and without question. Most telling is that after he is bound, who will approach the ravening wolf to feed and care for him? Only Tyr does so.
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Post by maggiemypet on Jun 5, 2006 9:36:31 GMT -5
We had a class the other day on the Goddesses, with the owners permission, perhaps I'll be able to post it. Or at least summerize it. She really went into detail with the Goddesses, apparantly she took offense to people attributing things to freya that had nothing to do with her...although I couldn't help but to feel that that was directed to me...but anywhoo!
Btw heathen get yer booty back from yer X festival! I miss our emails!
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Post by Senbecc on Jun 7, 2006 7:19:32 GMT -5
We had a class the other day on the Goddesses, with the owners permission, perhaps I'll be able to post it. Or at least summerize it. She really went into detail with the Goddesses, apparantly she took offense to people attributing things to freya that had nothing to do with her...although I couldn't help but to feel that that was directed to me...but anywhoo! Btw heathen get yer booty back from yer X festival! I miss our emails! Why do you think she meant you?
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Post by maggiemypet on Jun 8, 2006 9:29:40 GMT -5
Well, in the sumbel she was referring to, where we made offerings to whichever diety, I was the only one who gave a shout-out to Freya, in fact, I'm the only one who talks about Freya. Then the class. I was like, whoa, smack down. Doesnt' change my mind though, as far as I am concerned it was Freya all along for me.
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Post by Senbecc on Jun 8, 2006 9:45:34 GMT -5
Well, in the sumbel she was referring to, where we made offerings to whichever diety, I was the only one who gave a shout-out to Freya, in fact, I'm the only one who talks about Freya. Then the class. I was like, whoa, smack down. Doesnt' change my mind though, as far as I am concerned it was Freya all along for me. I still don't get it, why would your honoring your patroness be offensive for her? Do you know what it may have been that you attributed to Freya that she took offence to?
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Post by heathenhammer on Jun 12, 2006 21:21:22 GMT -5
Aye, sorry folks, IRL is kicking my butt atm. My apologies for neglecting the site, and yer emails, maggs. I'll be back this week.
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Post by Senbecc on Jun 13, 2006 0:31:03 GMT -5
Aye, sorry folks, IRL is kicking my butt atm. My apologies for neglecting the site, and yer emails, maggs. I'll be back this week. What is IRL?
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Post by maggiemypet on Jun 13, 2006 20:53:58 GMT -5
In real life. He's been afk, but he'll brb, rl ftl atm.
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