False Machismo and the Lack of Balance in Modern Heathenism

I have read many books over the years on Odinism and on Germanic heathenism in general, both by contemporary heathens and works by scholars who seek to genuinely identify the beliefs and practices of our Germanic and Indo-European forefathers. Many of the books published by contemporary heathens and articles by them on the Internet, especially from North America display a certain false machismo which is more fitting for a gang of Hell's Angels than genuine followers of  our ancestral deities. One sees this especially in works by Wotansvolk with images of Vikings with bulging muscles and Gods with fiercesome (adjective's spelling is intended) demeanours. I do currently have a number of their works on my shelves, purchased many years ago which I have since outgrown and intend to dispose of in the near future to make space for more interesting works.

The point that I am trying to make is that for far too long as English heathens we have allowed our religious beliefs and practices to be determined (like almost everything) by Americans. For those of you who used to follow my previous blogs you will realise by now that I hold 'Americanism' and indeed the United States as a country (established by genocidal puritans) in deep contempt. Practically everything that the average American holds dear I stand against with one exception-the general concept of 'free speech' (I can't think of anything else). The USA is the physical embodiment of militarism, aggression, capitalism and bare-faced hypocrisy. There are of course individual Americans who I hold in high regard. What I am referring to is the country itself, its system of government and its 'god', capitalism. England's gain in getting rid of these religious fanatics was the Red Indians' loss!

This American militaristic, aggressive and capitalist attitude can be found in the writings of some American heathens, even high profile ones. They seem unable to help themselves. They are unable to restrain themselves at any notion of criticism of their society and mores and label their opponents as being 'socialist'. It would seem that a country which seeks to protect its most vulnerable citizens; the sick, the old, the young, the homeless and unemployed is 'socialist'. I find elements of this attitude here in England as well. I note a certain veiled criticism of the 'welfare state' (see paragraph 23 of Odinism, What is it?) in an online archived article of the Odinic Rite. This of course may be quite an old article and their views may have changed but the paragraph troubles me. See Odinism, What is it? As in Christianity, particularly Protestantism, work became a 'virtue' in itself, something which appears to be echoed in Odinism.


The ancient Greeks however had a clearer concept of the 'value' of 'work' and ascribed greater value to leisure time. Perhaps with the increasingly mechanised nature of the work place we will see an increase in leisure time and who knows perhaps the introduction of an unconditional 'universal basic income' for every adult. See Basic Income It is interesting to note that the welfare state is regarded by Americans as an example of the much hated 'socialism' and not surprisingly it has the worst welfare state in the entire developed world. Let me be quite clear about this; an industrial or post-industrial society REQUIRES a welfare state unless you subscribe to the concept that a man is nothing more than a thrall to the 1% of the 1% and should slave his entire life until he drops down dead at 70 from exhaustion?

We are seeing the beginnings of this in the United Kingdom with the government's attacks upon the welfare state and the steadily increasing pension age and its sinister mantra of 'generational fairness' which pits the young against the old. This has always been the tactics of the Tories-they divide and rule.  Before England's Industrial Revolution when it was still largely rural one or two of my ancestors in North Meols, Lancashire acted as 'Overseers of the Poor'. See Overseer of the Poor Rural communities looked after their most vulnerable members as if they were a family. This is the essence of National Socialism except that many who claim to be National Socialists tend to glorify capitalism and are at heart 'right-wingers' not genuine left wing revolutionaries as the NSDAP was in its very early days until it sold out to big business and murdered its brownshirts and at this point embarked upon a disastrous militaristic campaign. Even Miguel Serrano recognises this fact in one of his writings.

The rejection of the welfare state by many Odinists, American or otherwise is an outworking of this false machismo and should remain where it belongs-in the USA. We see also a rejection of the concept of prayer by many Odinists who see it as a form of 'begging' and 'pleading', demeaning of their masculinity! Again we see this attitude in the aforementioned article by the Odinic Rite (paragraph 26), the author of which seems to be oblivious to the many examples in the Icelandic sagas of Norsemen praying to the Gods, such as the Landnamabok and the Saga of Erik the Red. These muscly Norsemen did not consider it demeaning to offer prayers to the Mighty Thor. I also noted a similar line of thought in the article All About Odinism by the Odinist Fellowship who state that Odinists "do not bow or kneel" before the Gods. Again this entirely flies in the face of the historical evidence. It is faulty thinking, not based on the evidence which is available to us. It is NOT demeaning to kneel or bow before the Gods. Our ancestors did so willingly to their lords and those lords did so to their superior lords so how much more worthy of respect are our deities? The whole concept of prayer is dealt with in some detail by Tom Rowsell in his excellent video: Indo-European Prayer and Ritual This is not intended to be an attack upon the Odinic Rite or the Odinist Fellowsip as I highly esteem both organisations. It is the faulty thinking that is at the heart of Odinism that places stubborn human pride-masculine pride at that ahead of true devotion and service to the Gods. I would also like to point out that there is also nothing wrong with the concept of SERVICE or being a SERVANT! To be a servant of our Gods is surely the highest calling.

I see many examples on the Internet of Odinists stating that even when they do engage in prayer they never bend the knee or bow. This may be so but it is NOT traditional! Again these proud Odinists need to actually read the sagas which they esteem so highly. They should start with the sagas which feature the Goddess Thorgerdr Holgabrudr and Her follower Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson, a ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995. The relevant sagas are Jomsvikinga Saga and the Faereyinga Saga.

The only way that we can counter these faulty understandings of certain aspects of Germanic heathenism is through encouraging heathens to spend time in thoroughly studying the source material so that modern day heathenism is grounded on the best available evidence of our traditions, not Hollywood films (made by Americans). As Europeans we need to be more selective in our reading matter especially where American authors are concerned.  By encouraging the involvement of more females we may hopefully gain a more balanced view of our religion for balance is something which is generally lacking in most forms of reconstructed heathenism and paganism.

The Sacred Spears of the Germanic Priest Kings

During the latter half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century a number of sacred spears belonging to the pre-christian Germanic tribes were located in modern day Germany, Sweden and Poland, being the Kovel spear, the Dahmsdorf spear, the Rozwadow spear and the Moos spear.
What these spears have in common is their construction-Iron with silver inlay and their runic inscriptions.

The one from Dahmsdorf has the inscription Ansuz-Jera-Nauthiz-Ansuz-Raitho. The inscription reading from right to left says ranja, ie the "runner". Edred Thorsson in his The Mysteries of the Goths (Runa Raven, 2007) speculates that this has the meaning of "the one which causes [them] to flee". The owner of the spear may have been a Burgundian, originally an East Germanic tribe. It dates from around 250CE and it also contains solar and lunar symbols and was discovered in 1865 during the construction of a train station at Dahmsdorf-Muecheberg. This and the other spears were never used in combat and clearly were of ceremonial purpose. Either these spears belonged to tribal priests or were symbolic totems of regal power belonging to chieftains.

The spear was the original and favoured weapon of the Germanic peoples and every Germanic freeman, every warrior possessed one as a mark of his status. In the case of chieftains and priests these were obviously more elaborate as these spears clearly have a mystical purpose. We are of course reminded of Gungnir, the spear of Wotan/Wodan/Woden/Odin which likewise was according to Sigdrifumal 17 insricribed with 17 runes on its tip. It would of course be tempting to speculate what they are. It is of course possible that this may be a version of the normally 16 runes Younger Futhark.

The Dahmsdorf spear contains both a triskelion and a swastika, both of which are solar symbols. These spears also contain tamgas which are Sarmatian or Scythian tribal symbols and thus show a connection with the steppe dwelling Iranian tribes who lived close to the East Germanic peoples.
The Germanic peoples considered themselves to be the offspring of their Gods and nobles in particular often reckoned their descent from Wodan. Therefore it is natural for a Germanic chieftain or king to possess a sacred spear as a symbol of the Wodan given regal power.

Alternatively the tamga symbol may be interpreted as a  Blitzbündel symbol which is associated with the God Thunor. See my other articles on this symbol: An Esoteric Interpretation of Das Blitzbündel and The Trisula and the Vajra and their Associations with Das Blitzbündel

Later in the post-conversion times and the arising of the Parsifal myth the sacred spear or lance features as the symbolic weapon of the Grail king. We know that the Holy Lance or spear of Longinus which allegedly currently resides in the Hofburg Museum in Wien has been dated to no earlier than the 7th century CE and therefore is not contemporary with the times of the so-called Christ.
No doubt this spear falls into a similar category as the four runic spears referred to in this article. 

The Red Beard of the Aryan Thunder God

The Thunder Gods of the Aryan peoples are usually portrayed as sporting long and often red beards. As Jacob Grimm states in his Teutonic Mythology Volume 1:

"The German thundergod was no doubt represented, like Zeus and Jupiter, with a long beard. A Danish rhyme still calls him 'Thor med sit lange skiag' (F. Magnusen's lex. 957). But the ON. sagas everywhere define him more narrowly as red-bearded, of course in allusion to the fiery phenomenon of lightning: when the god is angry, he blows in his red beard, and thunder peals through the clouds. In the Fornm. sog. 2, 182 and 10, 329 he is a tall, handsome, red-bearded youth: Mikill vexti (in growth), ok ungligr, fridr synum (fair to see), ok raudskeggjadr; in 5, 249 madr raudskeggjadr. Men in distress invoked his red beard: Landsmenn toko that rad (adopted the plan) at heita thetta hit rauda skegg, 2, 183. When in wrath he shakes his beard: Reidr var tha, skeg nam at hrista, scor nam at dyja (wroth was he then, beard he took to bristling, hair to tossing), Saem. 70."

Grimm goes on to state:

"This red beard of the thunderer is still remembered in curses, and that among the Frisian folk, without any visible connexion with the Norse ideas: 'diis ruadhiiret donner regiir!' (let red-haired thunder see to that) is to this day an exclamation of the North Frisians. And when the Icelanders call a fox holtathorr, Thorr of the holt, it is probably in allusion to his red fur."

Walter Keating Kelly in his Curiosities of Indo-European Tradition and Folk-lore states:

"Indra's beard was golden; Agni is invoked in the Vedas as the god with the golden beard and golden teeth. Fire and the 'red gold' are associated ideas in all Indo-European languages. Thor's beard was red, and it thundered and lightened when he blew in it. His hair too was red, and that such hair and beards were much admired when he was there to set the fashion, may be inferred not only from general considerations, but more particularly from the extreme aversion which was conceived for them when Christianity came in. Rother-bart, Teufelsart, 'Redbeard, devil-steered,' is a German proverb; and the more to insult the memory of the fallen god, it was fabled that he and the vilest of men, the arch traitor Judas, had hair and beards of the same colour." 

The Thunder Gods of the Balts and Slavs likewise sported red beards. It is for this very reason that beards went out of fashion in the post-conversion period and were (and to a certain extent still are) associated with heathenism. Anti-beard prejudice is still a factor today and most people who are prejudiced against beards do not consciously understand why. It is an unconscious prejudice brought about through centuries of Christian conditioning. As a mark of respect and reverence to Thunor, one of the primary deities who I feel a strong personal attachment to I wear a bead and wear it long. It is not only a statement of our Germanic heathen faith but a rejection of the superficial and anti-traditional mores of the herd. It also has the added psychological factor of invoking a certain degree of fear and respect in one's enemies. Scientific studies will of course tell you that beards are disliked (real beards that is) by women but this is of little consequence as the women of the herd are part of the prostituted and race-less and culture-less masses. They form no part of the nation of Woden. I notice that in recent years other folkish heathens have also started to grow beards and often also grow their hair long in the tradition of our ancestors.

Das Drachenauge (The Dragon's Eye)

This is a very interesting symbol for it is geometric and associated with the Germanic peoples. Some information on this symbol is available in Walther Blachetta's Das Buch der Deutschen Zinnzeichen (1941):

"The Dragon's Eye is the symbol of the well-ordered, triple structure of the world and all beings and stands for - balance. Almost corporeal is this symbol to be perceived and shows then a three-dimensional, equal-sided pyramid, thus a structure of equal height, breadth and depth." (My translation)

Annoyingly Blachetta does not elaborate further in his book about this symbol and whilst Rudolf Koch includes this symbol in his The Book of Signs (1930) he gives no information whatsoever except that it is a symbol once used by the ancient Germanic peoples. Neither author gives any source for the symbol. It has been adopted as a logo for the American political group Identity Evropa (now known as the American Identity Movement) so clearly they must accept its ancient Germanic or European origins. Why Blachetta or Koch call this symbol the Dragon's Eye is anyone's guess! An inverted Dragon's Eye features on the coat of arms of Egg an der Guenz in Bavaria.

Due to the lack of information from scholarly sources on this symbol it is of course open to us to interpret it using our own ideas and best guess work. The symbol incorporates an Algiz or Elhaz rune, dividing the three triangles which together form an equilateral triangle. The Old English form of the rune name is Eolh, meaning elk. This gives the rune an element of 'protective force' (See Futhark. A Handbook of Rune Magic, Edred Thorsson, 1984). It is reasonable then to ascribe to this symbol a magical protective quality.

Regarding the symbol's actual rather than perceived origins I can offer no insight. Any of my readers who are able to add to this information are welcome to post a comment at the bottom of this article.

Huginn and Muninn, Symbols of the First Function

I have recently been dwelling upon the relationship between Woden and His ravens Huginn and Munnin and came across a most interesting passage in Edred Thorsson's Northern Magic. Rune Mysteries and Shamanism. I initially read this book many years ago but only recently have I begun to appreciate its full merits. The primary focus of the book is on the Younger Futhark, a rune row which is very much ignored in mainstream books on runology. Edred follows the Dumezelian tripartite division of the Aesir/Vanir into the First Function (Sovereignity), Second Function (Warfare) and the Third Function (Production/Fertility). He divides the First Function into law, governed by Tyr and magic, governed by Odin. He makes the observation that the raven Huginn (thought) is representative of the rational mind, that which can be observed and is to do with law and sovereignty whilst Muninn ( memory) is representative of inspiration, the intuitive mind and the process of transformation. It is through Muninn that we approach the Collective Unconscious or the Blood Memory.

The synthesis of the two parts is surely the objective of the Woden initiate? An indepth study of our sacred literature and runelore supported by the development of the intuition and psychic abilities should be at the forefront of the initiate's endeavours. Indeed Edred sees the 'path of Odhinn' as a process of self-transformation which involves the combining of the intellect-the rational mind with the intuitive mind. As both Huginn and Muninn work together in collaboration we as initiates who follow Odin's example must bring about a synthesis between the operation of the two hemispheres of our brain. The right hemisphere of the brain governs the imagination, intuition and visualisation whilst the left hemisphere is concerned with logic, linear thinking and facts. Both hemispheres are essential but people tend to be dominated by one side of the brain to the near exclusion of the other. The initiate's task is to make effective use of both hemispheres to the extent that they act in unison as do Odin's two ravens.

Reverence for the Gods Revisited

This article should be read in conjunction with Reverence for the Gods . I would also recommend that my readers watch the extremely interesting and informative video on the subject by Survive the Jive: Indo-European Prayer and Ritual


As I have stated in my earlier article there is a tendency among some Germanic heathens to regard our ancient deities as little more than supernatural 'kinsmen' who are basically of the same essence but just more powerful than we are. I have meditated long and hard on this issue for it is of great importance to those of us who are trying our best to revive the pre-Christian religion of our ancestors and we must get this right!


Before I address this matter of how we approach the Gods we need to consider the issue of prayer. It is only in very recent years that I have started to speak to the Gods in prayer. For many years I viewed prayer as being associated too much with Christianity along with Judaism and Islam. This is a typical attitude amongst many Germanic heathen, especially Odinists. It I also felt by some heathens that to engage in prayer is tantamount to 'grovelling' and goes against their sense of 'manliness'. It is only for the first reason that I did not engage in prayer. I gradually came to the realisation that this was faulty and as I wanted to deepen my relationship with the Gods prayer is something that I had to engage in. So my desire to get closer in my daily walk with the Gods encouraged me once again to take up prayer; something I had not done since abandoning Christianity in the 1990s.


Having taken that first step I had to decide what form my prayers should take. To a major extent this is determined by the deities who you follow and even in the Woden's Folk Religion there is a great deal of difference and variety amongst heathens. The deities that I feel more drawn to are Thunor and Woden. They have many similarities but many differences too. In matters of protection and blessing I invoke the aid of Thunor. Indeed in a vision given to someone many years ago Thunor has revealed Himself to be my protector and guardian. I will not go into this now but save this for a future article. For matters of seeking knowledge, wisdom and understanding I invoke Woden. In the past I have also invoked Freyja during periods of sickness and I have found Her aid both powerful and speedy.


After reading Wulf Ingesunnu's recent book, At-Al-Land. Aryan Mysteries of the Northern Seas (2018, Black Front Press) I developed for the very first time a real interest in Yngvi-Freyr, the divine ancestral God of the Anglo-Saxons and Swedes and I intend to develop my relationship with Him also. As I mentioned earlier, how we approach the Gods to a large extent depends upon the nature of the deity and the realms of responsibility of that particular God or Goddess. I usually pray standing up, facing one of my indoor shrines which faces north. However sometimes I pray in other places, even sometimes whilst walking down the street. Whenever possible I try to ascertain the cardinal direction of north but this is not essential. It is a pattern which I have got into. I begin by focusing on the deity, meditating on an aspect of their power and begin to directly address the God, honouring Him or Her by pointing out the positive aspects of their behaviour and personality.


If it is a request that I am making of the God then I make the request known and draw a connection between what I am asking and the ability of the God to fulfil the request. We know from our ancestral law that gifts demand a gift and often I find it useful when making a request to accompany this with a promise to the God in return. However I have also found from my own experience that the Gods will expect us to honour our promises or they in turn will cause a negative effect to occur so we must not be rash with our promises. Prayer of course often involves making requests of a deity but can also involve worship as well. I am glad to see that others (including Survive the Jive) also use incense when engaging in ritual activity or prayer. By offering incense we are making a gift to the God and this is a visual sign that we desire to please them-not through fear of the Gods but through love of the Gods. I am not aware of anyone who embraces the Germanic Gods out of fear but that they are drawn to them: they hear the Call of the Gods but we must still treat them with respect. The use of incense also helps to create a sacred space and to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually. Some may argue that this has all the hallmarks of High Church Christianity but how do we know that incense wasn't used by the priests of the Gods? Are our Gods worthy of less respect than the Christian god?


I mentioned earlier in this article that I usually pray standing up, normally facing north and when I do so I adopt the Elhaz/Algiz rune posture. This in no doubt is due to the influence of Edred Thorsson for he writes on page 51 of Futhark. A Handbook of Rune Magic that the adoption of this runic posture aids "Communication with other worlds, especially Asgardhr and the cosmic wells of Urdhr, Mimir, and Hvergelmir." However as Survive the Jive has pointed out there appears to be evidence that our ancestors bowed the knee when invoking the Gods in prayer. There is evidence to support this theory. We have for instance the remarkable bronze statue of a Suebian warrior kneeling in prayer to the Gods but with arms outstretched. An image of this statue is attached to this article.


In the Faereyinga Saga or as it is also known, The Saga of Thrond of Gate we have an Earl or Jarl Hacon who casts himself down before the feet of an image of a Goddess:

"They set forth along a certain path to the wood, and thence by a little bypath into the wood, till they came where a ride lay before them, and a house standing in it with a stake fence round it. Right fair was that house, and gold and silver was run into the carvings thereof. They went into the house, Hacon and Sigmund, and a few men with them. Therein were a great many gods. There were many glass roof-lights in the house, so that there was no shadow anywhere. There was a woman in the house over against the door, right fairly decked she was. The Earl cast him down at her feet, and there he lay long, and when he rose up he told Sigmund that they should bring her some offering and lay the silver thereof on the stool before her." (chapter 23, translation by F. York Powell)

It is clear from the rest of the chapter that this was not a human woman but the image of a Goddess. This story is repeated in the Saga of Olaf Trggvason and the deity is identified as Thorgerd, the Maid of Helgi. The Goddess and Her relationship with Haakon is also referred to in the Jomsvikinga Saga where Haakon prayed north and knelt down, calling upon his protector Thorgerd Holgabrudr to whom he offered his 7 year old son as a human sacrifice. There is much more to explore regarding this fairly obscure deity and I intend to do this in a future article on this blog. The points which I wish to make was the awe in which the Gods were held and how they were approached. We have a much older example of this from continental Germania from Tacitus:

"The Semnones give themselves out to be the most ancient and renowned branch of the Suevi. Their antiquity is strongly attested by their religion. At a stated period, all the tribes of the same race assemble by their representatives in a grove consecrated by the auguries of their forefathers, and by immemorial associations of terror. Here, having publicly slaughtered a human victim, they celebrate the horrible beginning of their barbarous rite. Reverence also in other ways is paid to the grove. No one enters it except bound with a chain, as an inferior acknowledging the might of the local divinity. If he chance to fall, it is not lawful for him to be lifted up, or to rise to his feet; he must crawl out along the ground. All this superstition implies the belief that from this spot the nation took its origin, that here dwells the supreme and all-ruling deity, to whom all else is subject and obedient. The fortunate lot of the Semnones strengthens this belief; a hundred cantons are in their occupation, and the vastness of their community makes them regard themselves as the head of the Suevic race." (Germania 39, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb) 

There is no notion at all in any of the above excerpts from either Tacitus or the sagas that our ancestors viewed themselves as being 'equal' in some way to the Gods. They did not consider themselves as 'lesser' men by praying to them or approaching them with awe and reverence. I would therefore ask my readers to give due consideration to how our ancestors approached the Gods for they viewed them as real autonomous deities, not just psychic emanations from the 'Collective Unconscious'!

*Image: By Author unknown - Brown, Gerard Baldwin (1910). The arts and crafts of our Teutonic forefathers. London & Edinburgh: T. N. Foulis, plate III. Digitized by the Internet Archive, available from https://archive.org/details/artscraftsofourt00brow. (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Jalo using CommonsHelper.), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4648562

Reverence for the Gods

Whilst listening to an interesting BBC radio programme some time ago on the revival of Asatru in Iceland I was struck by certain comments made by a female practitioner who seems to regards the Gods as being 'equal' to man. This is not the first time that I have encountered this particular perspective and in my opinion it is an inappropriate way to think of our deities.

Many years ago when I was still a Christian I encountered many types of Christians from various denominations and churches and I found that there were two ways in which Christians encountered their god. There was the High Church approach in the Church of England which focussed on ritual and reverence for the Christian god and then at the other end of the spectrum there was the Low Church element which is largely free of ritual and which is also to be found in Non-Conformist denominations. One thing that struck me as rather odd was the practice of some churchgoers, especially the younger ones to actually dress down when going to the 'house of god'; something which I have never understood and at the time considered to be a lack of respect, a lack of awe, a lack of reverence.

One sees this casual approach amongst some heathens today and each time I hear that man is the 'equal to the Gods' I feel rather uneasy about such a statement. If we are the 'equal' of the Gods then why do we worship or honour them? Some would say that the Gods should be viewed in the same way as we view human parents and to a certain extent I understand and in part agree with this sentiment and statement. However the way in which children relate to their parents today in the 'western' world is not a traditional one and is often lacking in respect. Many former Christians, particularly the younger ones take this attitude into heathenism and are quite casual in how they approach the Gods. If we are to expect a great heathen revival then we must examine how we view the Gods that we say that we honour or worship. By the way there is nothing at all wrong with worshipping the Gods. Prayer and worship are not confined to or restricted to the alien Abrahamic religions.


A genuine heathen perspective of the Gods must be rooted in how our ancestors related to them. We may have changed but the Gods have not! One particular clue is to be found in Tacitus' Germania.

"Mercury is the deity whom they chiefly worship, and on certain days they deem it right to sacrifice to him even with human victims. Hercules and Mars they appease with more lawful offerings. (Germania 9, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb) 

So as my readers can see the worship of the Gods was not a casual affair but something which was taken seriously and in great earnest. There was a desire to please the Gods and sacrifice was seen as a way of doing this. I would like to point out that I am not advocating this practice today although it may be something which is taken up again once the decaying 'New World Order' is finally brought to its knees. What else can we learn from the above passage? Well Mercury who the Romans equated with Woden/Wodan/Wotan "is the one they worship most". This is as it should be for He is THE High Lord of the Teutons. Hercules (Thunor/Thunar/Donar) and Mars (Tiw) were also worshipped but in this case with animals rather than humans. One may speculate here how men were offered to Woden but it seems clear to me that this was by hanging and often this was done at a crossroads. Odin was known as Hangatyr and Hangagud, the God of the hanged. Woden would come and commune with the dead and dying. He like Mercury is the great psychopomp, the conveyor of human souls to the afterlife.


Some may balk at the concept of human sacrifice but I think this is more to do with the lingering effects of the Christian religion which created the concept of 'sin' and its bedmate 'guilt'. We see this today with the modern religion of the 'holocaust' and the very profitable industry centred around it. The Germanic tribe which Germania 9 is discussing are the Suebi. This tribe is referred to later on in Germania 39.

The Semnones give themselves out to be the most ancient and renowned branch of the Suevi. Their antiquity is strongly attested by their religion. At a stated period, all the tribes of the same race assemble by their representatives in a grove consecrated by the auguries of their forefathers, and by immemorial associations of terror. Here, having publicly slaughtered a human victim, they celebrate the horrible beginning of their barbarous rite. Reverence also in other ways is paid to the grove. No one enters it except bound with a chain, as an inferior acknowledging the might of the local divinity. If he chance to fall, it is not lawful for him to be lifted up, or to rise to his feet; he must crawl out along the ground. All this superstition implies the belief that from this spot the nation took its origin, that here dwells the supreme and all-ruling deity, to whom all else is subject and obedient. The fortunate lot of the Semnones strengthens this belief; a hundred cantons are in their occupation, and the vastness of their community makes them regard themselves as the head of the Suevic race. (Church and Brodribb)

The above passage is quite illuminating. Once again we encounter the reference to human sacrifice but notice here the emotions that are engendered by the Semnones: "terror" and "reverence". The Gods are not to be approached lightly and certainly not as 'equals' for they embody great elemental forces, particularly Woden and Thunor and thus this in itself must demand a certain respect.


There is a great deal of speculation as to who the main deity of the Semnones alluded to in Germania is:

"Reverence also in other ways is paid to the grove. No one enters it except bound with a chain, as an inferior acknowledging the might of the local divinity. If he chance to fall, it is not lawful for him to be lifted up, or to rise to his feet; he must crawl out along the ground. All this superstition implies the belief that from this spot the nation took its origin, that here dwells the supreme and all-ruling deity, to whom all else is subject and obedient." (Church and Brodribb) 

"Bound with a chain" or as some translation translate it a "shackle" or "cord". That sounds to me like the noose of the hanged, the torc worn by the Woden initiates! "Reverence......paid to the  grove". This is the right frame of mind in which we must approach the Gods. Indeed unlike the woman speaking in the BBC documentary our ancestors did not believe themselves to be 'equal' to the Gods: quite the contrary! "as an inferior acknowledging the might of the local divinity." We may be children of All Father; we may even trace our lineage back to Him but we are not Gods. The most that we can aim to become is a God-Man but we are still separate from the Gods and owe our existence to them along with all that we have and are. The adjectives that are relevant in the above passage are "inferior, subject, obedient". These are not popular words in 21st century England which is plagued by the concepts of equality and torments itself over racial equality, gender equality and rights for homosexuals. Our ancestors did not focus on 'rights' but duty, honour and loyalty without which a folk cannot exist.


My readers will note something else very important that Tacitus writes in Germania 39:

"At a stated period, all the tribes of the same race assemble by their representatives in a grove consecrated by the auguries of their forefathers, and by immemorial associations of terror." (Church and Brodribb)

Our religion was NEVER universalist. It was always a religion of Blut und Boden or blood and soil and the universalists would do well to ponder that historical fact! One may ask what is the difference in this attitude and that of the Abrahamic religions which focus on submission to their god? The difference is not so much in attitude but how we come to the Gods to begin with. All forms of Germanic heathenism stress that we do not seek to 'convert' others and certainly never by force unlike the desert religions. THIS is the key difference but I see no reason why we should accord less honour to the deities of our folk and race than the monotheists grant to their alien and universalist god. The Gods should not be viewed just as archetypes but as very real spiritual entities by which we are bound by our very existence. As a folk we cannot survive without them for they are our life source but they too need us for we are reminded of the expression "every race has its soul and every soul its race".

The Concept of Scripture Within a Germanic Heathen Context

We often hear the phrase 'religion(s) of the book' and this is always applied to the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The 'book' referred to are the collective scriptures of the aforesaid religions. The Christian Bible incorporates the Hebrew Bible, referred to by Christians as the Old Testament and adds to this the four canonical gospels, the various epistles (letters) and the rather strange Book of Revelation. What is not common knowledge amongst non-Christians and even amongst many Christians is that there is a collection of other scriptural books known collectively as the Apocrypha. The original King James Bible which is also known as the Authorised Version contained the Apocrypha and this was sandwiched between the Old and New Testaments. The same can be said for the Geneva Bible which was published in its entirety in 1560, 51 years before the King James Bible. However this was not the first English Bible for that dubious honour belongs to the Great Bible, authorised by Henry VIII in 1539. Prior to this only parts of the Bible had been translated into English, namely the Tyndale New Testament (1525) and the Pentateuch (1530) which are the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

The Apocrypha consists of the following books:

1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Rest of Esther
Wisdom
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susannah
The Idol Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

It is quite rare to find the Apocrypha in later revisions of the English Bible (and there have been many in recent years) and you will struggle to find a King James Bible with one but not impossible and some of the books make for very interesting reading when approached from the perspective of comparative mythology, especially Bel and the Dragon! Whilst the Apocrypha is recognised as deuterocanonical which gives them a secondary status below that of the Old and New Testaments by both the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches it is virtually ignored by those Protestant Churches which broke away from the Church of England.

What is interesting is that the quite well known Book of Enoch is excluded from the Apocrypha and did not form part of the canon of scriptures of either Judaism or most Christian Churches apart from the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Churches and yet part of the book is referred to in the Epistle of Jude, a book which Martin Luther did not accept as scripture along with the Epistles of James and Hebrews and the Book of Revelation. However his followers ignored him on this point! The Book of Enoch contains much that may be useful for us to study as Armanen or esoteric heathens along with the Epistle of James and the Book of Revelation. Many other initiates have come to the same conclusion including the late David Lane. The biblical books here and there do contain obvious plagiarisms from Indo-European writings, spiritual systems and mythologies which do not fit into a Semitic mindset. In addition to the Apocrypha and the Book of Enoch we have the relatively recent discoveries of gnostic gospels:

Gospel of Thomas
Gospel of Marcion
Gospel of Basilides
Gospel of Truth
Gospel of the Four Heavenly Realms
Gospel of Mary
Gospel of Judas
Greek Gospel of the Egyptians
Gospel of Philip
Pseudo-Gospel of the Twelve
Gospel of Perfection
Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians

There are also many other non-gnostic gospels that did not make it into the canon of biblical scripture but it is abundantly clear that the concept of what is 'scripture' amongst these so-called 'religions of the book' is a moot point and many of these writings are very far removed from traditional Christianity and reveal a gnostic and pagan influence.

As Germanic heathens we too have our own 'scriptures' although there is a general collective tendency to avoid use of this term but I believe that this feeling is more to do with our rejection of the Christian religion than any well thought through analysis. We have of course the Eddas which are divided into two collections of writings; the Poetic Edda also known as the Elder Edda, written down in the 13th century and ascribed to Saemundr the Learned although this is rejected by modern scholars. Apart from anything Saemundr lived from 1056-1133 and the Edda or Codex Regius (which forms part of this Edda) dates back to the 13th century. This Edda is older and distinguished from the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241) by being poetic in form. It is believed that Snorri either quoted from the Elder Edda or from a common and now lost source. The Elder Edda contains the mythological poems found in the Codex Regius but also additional material such as other mythological poems, e.g. the Rigsthula and also heroic lays such as those based upon Helgi and the Niflung Cycle. Sometimes one may find parts of the Elder Edda published in two volumes; one volume of mythological poetry and one of heroic poetry.

Both Eddas should be studied by heathens and it is advisable to study more than one translation of each Edda. It is even better if one were to study the Eddas in the original Old Norse language. To this end I have recently embarked upon a study of Old Norse as well as Modern Icelandic on which it is based. It is clear to me that from my analysis of various translations of the Eddas that there is at times a clear guesswork involved by the translator and for this reason I prefer to make my own best guess!

We are left with the important question of how do we view the Eddas? Do we view them simply as a  useful collection of old writings from which we may gain important information about our Gods or do we ascribe a certain sanctity to them? I have mentioned before in earlier articles on other blogs that there is a certain blasé attitude amongst some heathens today in terms of how they approach the Gods, as if they somehow have less power or deserve less respect that that of the Judeo-Christian god and I believe that this attitude may be explained in two ways. Heathens associate the Judeo-Christian god with a monotheistic, all powerful and universal god. However monotheism does not have its origins in Judaism but in Indo-European religions such as Hinduism and Zoroastrianism and Akhenaten's Great Hymn to the Aten (See A Son of God: The Life and Philosophy of Akhnaton, King of Egypt and Joy of the Sun: The Beautiful Life of Akhnaton, King of Egypt, Told To Young People, both by Savitri Devi). Secondly there is in these modern times a tendency to reject all authority whether this be the authority of the Gods or of man. Consequently the Eddas are seen to lack the authority of the Judeo-Christian scriptures. This may be attributed to a general trend towards the atomisation of individuals who divorce themselves from the notions of community and society. This idea is echoed in the words of the late Margaret Thatcher: "And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families." Whist individualism in itself is not a negative thing it has to be balanced towards our duties towards clan, tribe and race.

When heathens embrace the ancient Gods of their ancestors they do so with an attitude of conscious rejection of the Christian god and all aspects of the Christian religion. This is understandable and to an extent necessary. However we need to consider that the Christian religion underwent fundamental changes when it encountered our ancestors and certain accommodations were made to embrace heathens apart from the use of force, violence and law. This whole subject is analysed very thoroughly in a remarkable book which I read many tears ago by Dr James C. Russell-The Germanization of Medieval Christianity: A Sociohistorical Approach to Religious Transformation, 1994. This work has been referred to by Edred Thorsson in his writings and I recommend this book to all my readers. The process of the Christianisation of the Germanic peoples was (contrary to the perception of many heathens) a two way process and ironically we can discover remnants of our pre-Christian beliefs in some of the rituals and practices of the mediaeval Christian Church if we know where to look! Another work which may be useful in this regard is Christianity: The Origins of a Pagan Religion by Professor Philippe Walther, 2006. On the issue of the Christ figure we have the much older work, Aryan Sun-Myths: Origin of Religion by Sarah E. Titcomb with an Introduction by Charles Morris, 1899. The more recent Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled by Acharya S, 2004 is also in my opinion required reading on the subject.

Much of what is written in the Eddas is composed in the third person about the Gods and heroes but some elements of the Eddas, most notably the Havamal and elements of Gylfaginning are in the first person and spoken by All-Father Odin Himself. The Havamal (Sayings of the High One) contains wisdom that has been learned by the God, in part through His many wanderings in Midgarth and thus this part of the Elder Edda deserves special study by the Wodenist/Odinist.

Within Hinduism there are many scriptures or sacred writings and the oldest are to be found in the Rig Veda which I have often quoted from in my blogs. The Hindu approaches these scriptures with reverence and rightly so for they are the oldest Indo-European writings and the oldest religious text in use! I leave you with this one thought to consider as heathens: do not the words of Odin deserve our reverence or is this attitude to be reserved only for the Christian 'god'?

The Tripartite Division of Indo-European Priestly and Magical Orders

Most magical orders which have their origins amongst the Indo-European peoples operate a tripartite system of 'degrees' which are levels of initiation which a candidate undergoes to demonstrate their advancement in the lore of the order and their understanding of increasingly complex concepts. Amongst the Germanic and Celtic peoples knowledge and lore were transmitted orally for two reasons; firstly those societies were largely non-literate by the modern understanding of the term and secondly the transmission of lore from one person to another-a master to an apprentice was to ensure that the said lore was restricted to only those who were deemed 'worthy'.

Stephen Edred Flowers comments on this system of 'education' in his Freemasonry and the Germanic Tradition (Lodestar, 2015), pointing out the tripartite division not only of local masonic lodges but amongst the Indo-Europeans generally. He remarks that "They jealously guarded the secrets of the various crafts-". The best way to do this of course is through a degree system. It should be remembered that despite the many conspiracy theories regarding masonry it does have its roots in the mediaeval European trade guilds. There were two main types of guilds-merchant guilds and craft guilds. The guilds were introduced into England from continental Europe following the Norman Conquest but guilds may in fact be traced back to ancient Rome, known as collegium. That is not to infer that there was any continuity between the Roman and the mediaeval guilds, only that the concept survived the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Interestingly guilds feature in one of Wagner's music dramas, Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg, the guild of Meistersinger (Mastersingers). Guilds consisted of only masters. A journeyman wishing to join a guild must produce a 'masterpiece' of his work and pay the necessary fee for joining the gild. Only a master craftsman was allowed to employ other workers but many masters chose to remain as employees or become sole traders. A journeyman was a fully qualified practitioner of his craft after having completed his apprenticeship to a master. An apprentice lived with his master and was bound to him for a number of years whilst he learned his craft, receiving lodging, food and clothing as payment. After completing his training and producing a work of quality the master would recognise him as a journeyman, granting him documents as evidence of this. He also had to pay a fee to his master for the privilege of being his apprentice. A journeyman was paid daily for his work-from the French  journee until he became a master. Of course the most obvious understanding of the term is that the craftsman would literally journey around. They would move from town to town to gain experience. Halfway through his journeyman years could a journeyman apply to a guild to become an apprentice master.

Dr Flowers informs us that in ancient times the guilds were dedicated to a specific God or Goddess who was regarded as the patron of the guild. With Christianisation these divine patrons were replaced with Christian saints. Indeed he argues that the practise of the craft itself became a form of worship. (page 26) Many of the rituals of the mediaeval craft guilds became incorporated within freemasonry and sadly many Jewish and Christian elements were interwoven with the heathen. One particularly interesting observation that he makes is that the gavel of freemasonry has its origins in the hammer of Thor and the gavel is of course used within American courts of law. We are told that in early Germanic times judges opened their courts with three distinct hammer blows. Again we have the Indo-European tripartite symbolism. Whilst English, Scottish and Welsh judges do not use gavels there is one exception. In the Inner London Crown Court a gavel is struck to alert parties to a case that the judge is entering court. However this is used by a Clerk of the Court and never used by the judge during proceedings. Why this is done only in this court I do not know. My understanding is that a gavel is used in the United Nations but its most ubiquitous use is by auctioneers.


Guilds ensured that crafts were carried out to a certain standard and often they had a great deal of political influence. To a certain extent one can see how trade unions developed from this concept. Karl Marx in his Communist Manifesto was greatly critical of the guild system because of its hierarchical structure. Whilst I am not an advocate or a supporter of freemasonry it must be recognised that its structure is most certainly Indo-European in nature as its emphasis on the transmission of lore from master to apprentice.

Another term for a journeyman is 'fellow'. Dr Flowers points out that this term is derived from the Old Norse felagi. One can see how the tripartite system of apprentice, fellow and master may be seen the orders of chivalry: page, squire and knight. (See Flowers) A page began his training to become a knight at around 7 years of age, learning how to look after himself, ride a horse and learning to fight. From about 14 years of age the page would become a squire and be sent to live with a knight, being his shield and armour bearer and learning in earnest the mediaeval martial arts. If after having proved himself in battle then the squire would be dubbed as a knight. Eventually the grade of squire would become a position in its own right-the Lord of the Manor. Incidentally the German term for a page or a squire is Knappe and is also used for a journeyman which demonstrates how engrained the tripartite system is in the Indo-European world. Knecht is an alternative term to Knappe but it can also mean 'slave' or 'thrall'.

The Indo-European tripartite system may be found amongst the Celtic druids. According to Diodorus Siculus and Strabo the druids appeared to be subdivided into three classes:- druids, vates and bards. The vates or ovates were associated with soothsaying whilst the bards were the poets. Modern magical orders such as the Rune Gild use the apprentice, fellow and master degrees along with drighten as their highest degree. The English Wodenist order, Woden's Folk in the past also used an apprentice, fellow and master grading system along with their highest grade, Einheriar which would roughly correspond with the level of drighten in the Rune Gild.

Guido von List (1848-1919) believed that the ancient priesthood of the Teutons, the Armanenschaft consisted of three degrees of apprentice, fellow and master (See The Occult Roots of Nazism. Secret Aryan Cults And Their Influence on Nazi Ideology, 1985, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke). Each degree had its own passwords and handgrips, a practice carried over into freemasonry. Apparently a novice would spend seven years in study of the Eddas and basic theosophy before being elevated to being a brother (fellow) and then like the journeyman of the mediaeval guilds he would travel to various Armanist centres in order to gain a varied experience in working as a priest, governor and teacher. After seven years in this grade he would be elevated to the grade of master. This learning process and division of responsibilities reminds me a great deal of what we know of the druids who were a professional caste of priests, leaders and teachers.

Some Observations about Bilskirnir, Folkvang, Valhalla and the Germanic Caste System

The Grimnismal of the Poetic Edda makes reference to the 540 doors of Valhalla, something which is widely know amongst heathens:

"Five hundred doors, and forty eke, I think, are in Valhall. Eight hundred Einheriar will at once from each door go when they issue with the wolf to fight." (Grimnismal 23, translation by Benjamin Thorpe)

What appears to be less known or commented on is that just one verse later it is noted that Thor's hall Bilskirnir has 540 floors:

"Five hundred floors, and forty eke, I think, has Bilskirnir with its windings. Of all the roofed houses that I know, is my son's the greatest." (Grimnismal 24) 

Why this important verse (Grimnismal 24) is ignored I do not know but it is worthy of exploration for it cannot be a coincidence that whilst Odin's hall has 540 doors his son Thor's has 540 floors. What could be the significance of this?


As Carolyne Larrington correctly points out in her notes to her translation of the Poetic Edda the reference to hundred could be that of a Germanic 'long hundred' of 120. Scholarly opinion is divided on the issue of whether a standard or a long hundred is intended here. Rudolf Simek likewise points out this uncertainty in his Dictionary of Northern Mythology. So Valhalla and Bilskirnir have either 540 or 640 doors and floors depending on which interpretation of a hundred one uses. Furthermore the 540 floors of Bilskirnir may be interpreted as 540 rooms! I should also add that the '800' warriors thus becomes 960 and the arithmetic changes startlingly:

540 x 800 = 432,000
640 x 960 = 614, 400


Likewise compared to the better known Valhalla, Bilskirnir is virtually unknown amongst non-heathens and probably is little better known within the heathen community! The interpretation of Bilskirnir according to Simek is "the one striking lightning with rays of light". John Lindow is uncertain about the meaning of the name but his interpretation is "suddenly illuminated [by lightning] or everlasting." (Handbook of Norse Mythology) Andy Orchard's interpretation is "lightning-crack" (Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend). From my rudimentary knowledge of Old Norse an interpretation could just as easily be 'shining crack'. Bilskirnir simply represents the lightning strike and of course this is a fitting name for Thor's hall.

Bilskirnir is mentioned three times in the Prose Edda; once in Gylfaginning and twice in Skaldskaparmal. Bilskirnir is situated in either Thrudvang (Gylfaginning 20, Skaldskaparmal 17 and Ynglinga Saga 5) or Thrudheim (Grimnismal). Simek interprets Thrudvang  to mean 'power-field' and Thrudheim as 'power-home'-essentially the same place. Lindow gives a slightly different translation of Thrudvang and Thrudheim-'strength-field(s) ' and 'strength-world'. Thrudvang/Thrudheim is of course located in Asgard.

So we now come to the question, who resides in Bilskirnir apart from Thor and his immediate family? One possibility is that this is the abode of thralls who have faithfully served Thor. My reason for saying this is the following passage:

"Odin has all the jarls that in conflict fall; but Thor the race of thralls." (The Lay of Harbard, Poetic Edda, Thorpe)

There is a dispute amongst scholars as to whether Harbard was in fact either Odin or Loki in disguise but the predominant theory is that it is Odin. It does beg the question that if the jarls go to Odin and the thralls to Thor then where do the caste of carls go? As discussed before in previous articles on other blogs the jarls and carls had far more in common with each other racially and status wise than the caste of thralls who are depicted as being an alien element in Norse society. It should be noted that unlike the jarls and carls the thralls being slaves were not freemen and were not allowed to own weapons so the likelihood of any of them ever dying in battle is a slim one at the very least. With this fact in mind one may theorise that Valhalla was the abode not only of the jarl but of the karl providing they showed their bravery and loyalty to Odin. The thrall would not have this opportunity but may if they were of good conduct dwell with Thor in Bilskirnir. That is ONE theory and I am not suggesting that this is correct.

The second theory is that there is indeed a connection between the 540 doors of Valhalla and the 540 floors or rooms of Bilskirnir. Whilst the feasting and battle play are carried out in the precincts of Valhalla could it be that Bilskirnir represents the actual sleeping quarters of the warriors of Valhalla? I am only suggesting this because of the numerical equivalency and for no other reason.

It should be remembered that only half of the battle slain are claimed by Odin; half are chosen by Freyja and go to Folkvang:

"Folkvang is the ninth, there Freyja directs the sittings in the hall. She half the fallen chooses each day, but Odin th' other half." (Grimnismal, Thorpe)  

This effectively doubles the number of warriors that the Gods will have at their disposal at Ragnarok. The 432,000 now becomes 864,000-something which is never commented upon by the exponents of the esoteric theories regarding the number 432,000 in Indo-European lore. I have discussed these theories before and do not wish to bog down this article in repeating them but I may revisit this in a future article. Furthermore if we apply the theory of the long hundred to the calculations then we have the following result:

432,000 x 2 = 864,000 (Einheriar of Valhalla and Folkvang)
614,400 x 2 = 1,228, 800 (Einheriar of Valhalla and Folkvang)


This would be a far bigger army in which to fight Ragnarok! The etymology of Folkvang according to Simek is 'field of the people' or 'field of the army'. The actual hall of the Goddess in Folkvang is Sessrumnir-'seat-roomer' (Simek). The life of the Einheriar in Folkvang is largely ignored by other commentators but I intend to discuss this in depth in the near future.

Germanic Rebirth, Not New Age Reincarnation

In today's New Age movement there is a lot of nonsense spoken and written about reincarnation. The modern doctrine of reincarnation is the watered down Kali Yuga distortion of the Aryan and Germanic concept of the Eternal Return. Whilst it is true that the Germanic peoples and the original Aryans believed in the concept of Rebirth that is not the same thing as New Age reincarnation which seeks to democratise an ancient and valid belief.

The pre-Christian Teutonic peoples believed in Rebirth and their concept of the 'soul' was a complex one. As Dr Stephen Edred Flowers makes clear in his remarkably informative books Sigurd: Rebirth and the Rites of Transformation  (Runa Raven 2011, Lodestar 2015) and Runelore (Samuel Weiser, 1987) our ancestors believed that body-soul complex consisted of many parts: the lik (the body itself), Hugr (the mind), Hamr (shape-substance), Odhr (faculty of ecstasy), Ond (vital breath), Minni (memory), Sal (the soul), Fylgja (the Fetch-following spirit of the opposite gender) and Hamingja (luck).

I do not intend to go into any detail about the individual parts of the Germanic body-soul complex but the reader will notice that I have referred to 9 parts. This is significant and is related to the 9 worlds of Norse cosmology. Interestingly Anglo-Saxon cosmology knows of 7 rather than 9 worlds. Again this is not something I am going to elaborate on right now but these 7 worlds are divided between 3 realms. Occultists relate the 9 and 7 worlds to a 9 or 7 chakra or wheel system.

Returning to the issue of rebirth it is clear that if the body-soul complex is divided into 9 parts, on their dissolution after death they will not all go or return to the same place and may not even survive at all. Germanic mythology curiously knows of many dwelling places of the dead and this subject is elaborated on in detail in Hilda Roderick Ellis's The Road to Hel (1943, republished by Cambridge University Press in 2013). Hilda Ellis (Davidson) examines the evidence for the Germanic afterlife from archaeology and literature and finds from their burial customs that in addition to Valhalla and Folkfang the dead also resided in burial mounds, the halls of the sea Goddess Ran and the underworld of Hel. The dead as draugr (a form of vampire or zombie) also visited the living. Encountering the dead could have either beneficial or malignant results. This is why it is imperative that when undergoing any esoteric work the magician carry out the necessary protective rite which for us in the Northern Tradition is the Hammer Rite.

Dr Flowers makes it clear in his works that the different aspects of the body-soul complex depart on death to different regions. The Hamingja for instance continues by being transferred to the new born of the family, clan, tribe or race. It does not die and the naming of a child after a recently departed ancestor helps to assure the transference of the Hamingja from one generation to another. Families often used the same prefix in given names. He gives an example from the Sigurd book in the early genealogy of the Cheruscans: Segimer, Segestes, Segithank, Segimund etc. The luck of the individual was really the luck of the family, clan, tribe or race.

In terms of individual consciousness, for the greater mass of mankind death produces forgetfulness and loss of memory of previous lives in the Eternal Return, for the personality, that which makes them individual gradually fades away and dies. As Viktor Rydberg states in Teutonic Mythology Volume 1:

"In Saxo we find an idea related to the antique Lethe myth, according to which the liquids and plants which belong to the lower world produce forgetfulness of the past. Therefore, Thorkil (Thorkillus) warns his companions not to eat or drink any of that which Gudmund offers them. In the Gudrun song (ii, 21, 22), and elsewhere, we meet with the same idea." (Chapter 49)

         "Five hundred doors and forty more methinks are in Valhalla. Eight hundred heroes through
          each door shall issue forth against the wolf to combat."(Gylfaginning, Prose Edda, translation             by I.A. Blackwell and Rasmus B. Anderson, 1906)




540 x 800 = 432,0000. I believe this is certainly a symbolic figure for reasons I have stated in earlier articles for this figure is the number of years in the Hindu Kali Yuga but it could represent an actual known number of Woden Initiates. Certainly the idea of there being a large but limited host chosen by All-Father Woden is clear from our sacred writings.

It is the task of the incarnated hero, the Vira to REMEMBER who he or she is, to AWAKEN and thus awakened, to ACT. On remembering who he or she is the Vira KNOWS what his or her life's work is and devotes himself or herself to it which in essence is the winning of personal immortality, a God-like existence and to break free from the necessity, the Not of Eternal Recurrence, which is the lot of the beast-man. In returning to the celestial realm of Asgard the Vira has a face.

Odin Appearing in Human Form to the Volsungs

Can the Gods appear in human form as apparent biological entities? We know from the Icelandic sagas, especially the Volsunga Saga that this was certainly believed in pre-Christian times. Over the years I have occasionally encountered people who have had this experience and I have also read of modern day encounters. One example of this is the claim by author Alice Borchardt, the sister of Anne Rice, that she encountered Odin on a streetcar when she was young. (See A Conversation with Alice Borchardt in her book Silver Wolf, 1999)  These encounters with deities tend to involve focus on Odin/Woden. This should not surprise us as Odin was perceived by our ancestors as the 'Wanderer'. He is portrayed in this way in Wagner's Siegfried where He becomes Der Wanderer. Other Gods have appeared to humans in the Sagas but the vast majority of such episodes involve Odin.

If we believe that the Gods are independent and powerful beings (as did our ancestors) then there is no reason why we should limit them to being 'archetypes' (a modern Jungian interpretation of deities) or psychic forces. Like Edred Thorsson I believe that there are many ways of interpreting the Gods and it is illogical to assume that only one interpretation is the correct one. I happen to accept all of the interpretations.

As previously mentioned, the Volsunga Saga is replete with encounters between Odin and the clan which He sired, the Volsungs. What I intend to do in this article is highlight each encounter between Odin and men as outlined in the saga, in chronological order.

The human ancestor of the clan was Sigi but it was his father Odin who was the divine progenitor. Sigi is also mentioned in the Nafnathulur, the last section of the Skaldskaparmal of the Poetic Edda. He is listed amongst Odin's sons. With Odin's help he became king of Hunland. Snorri also mentions Sigi in the Prologue of the Poetic Edda and he is referred to as the rule of Frakland which is the land of the Franks. However the term Hunland or Hunaland may be considered to include the territories of the Franks.

"Thus it is well seen that Sigi has slain the thrall and murdered him; so he is given forth to be a wolf in holy places, and may no more abide in the land with his father; therewith Odin bare him fellowship from the land, so long a way, that right long it was, and made no stay till he brought him to certain war-ships. So Sigi falls to lying out a-warring with the strength that his father gave him." (translation by Eirkr Magnusson and William Morris, 1907)

Although the information about Sigi is sparse in the saga it is clear that he enjoyed the presence of Odin throughout the early years of his life. Not only did Odin sire him but raised him as a son, protected him and helped him to make a name for himself.

Sigi's son was Rerir and he succeeded Sigi as king and became more powerful than his father. However it is not until the latter part of his life that Odin actively intervenes in his life.

"Much wealth won in war gat Rerir to himself, and wedded a wife withal, such as he deemed meet for him, and long they lived together, but had no child to take the heritage after them; and ill-content they both were with that, and prayed the Gods with heart and soul that they might get them a child. And so it is said that Odin hears their prayer, and Freyja no less hearkens wherewith they prayed unto her; so she, never lacking for all good counsel, call to her her casket-bearing, the daughter of Hrirnir the giant, and sets an apple in her hand, and bids her bring it to the king." (Magnusson, Morris)

After eating the apple Rerir's wife becomes pregnant and bears to Rerir his son, Volsung but the pregnancy lasted 6 years and he was born after the death of his father. Apart from this there does not appear to be any recorded incidence of Odin physically manifesting Himself to Rerir as He did to Rerir's father, Sigi. It should be noted that in Jesse L. Byock's translation that it is Frigg who provides the apple. I have not yet read the saga in Old Norse but I suspect that the Goddess is not actually named but referred to as 'Odin's wife' and thus assumed to be either Freyja or Frigg.

Volsung became king of Hunland after his father, Rerir. Interestingly Volsung had a great hall bult and in the centre stood a huge tree which stretched out through the roof.

"...a certain man came into the hall unknown of aspect to all men; and suchlike array he had, that over him was a spotted cloak, and he was bare-foot, and had linen-breeches knit tight even unto the bone, and he had a sword in his hand as he went up to the Branstock, and a slouched hat upon his head; huge he was, and seeming ancient, and one-eyed. So he drew his sword and smote it into the tree-trunk so that it sank in up to the hilt; and all held back from greeting the man. Then he took up the word, and said 

'Whoso draweth this sword from this stock, shall have the same as a gift from me, and shall find in good sooth that never bare he better sword than is this.' 

"Therewith out went the old man from the hall, and none knew who he was or whither he went." (Magnusson, Morris)

The old man although not named is clearly Odin. Of course it is Sigmund, one of the 11 children and 10 sons of Volsung who has the strength to draw the sword from the Barnstock. Sigmund likewise becomes a great king, enjoying the favour of Odin. However it is not until the end of his life that Odin makes his next appearance.

"But now whenas the battle had 'dured a while, there came a man into the fight clad in a blue cloak, and with a slouched hat on his head, one-eyed he was, and bare a bill in his hand." (Magnusson, Morris)

A 'bill' is an antiquated term for a spear. Odin came against Sigmund and Sigmund struck Odin's spear with his sword causing it to break into two pieces. This event caused the battle to turn against Sigmund and he was defeated and killed. Sigmund's wife Hjordis gives birth to Sigurd after his father's death. This follows the pattern set by Volsung who likewise was born after the death of his father Rerir.

Sigurd is without a doubt the greatest of the Volsungs and probably the greatest of all the Germanic legendary heroes. Indeed one could define him as an archetype.

"So the next day went Sigurd went to the wood, and met on the way an old man, long bearded, that he knew not, who asked him whither away." (Magnusson, Morris)

Towards the end of the passage it is revealed that the old man was Odin and He assisted Sigurd in choosing a horse, Grani who was descended from Odin's steed Sleipnir.

Sigurd set off on a voyage to kill King Lyngvi and after a few days there was a great storm at sea and encountered an old man on a craggy headland.

"Then they asked of him his name, and he sang:

           'Hnikar I hight, when gladdened Huginn, and went to battle, bright son of Volsung; now may

           ye call the carl on the cliff top, Feng or Fjolnir: Fain would I with you.'

           They made for land therewith, and took that man aboard. Then the storm abated, and on they

           fared till they came aland in the realm of  Hunding's sons, and then Fjolnir vanished away."

          (Magnusson, Morris)

 

 

 

Are the Gods Merely Archetypes?

The question of the nature of the Gods is something which has given me much food for thought over recent years. Following a  conversation from last year with someone who was brand new to heathenism I wish to set forth my thoughts regarding this issue so that people who read this may understand the position which I take on this issue.

I believe that our Gods may be understood on a number of different levels. I accept the theory that they may be viewed as archetypes in a Jungian sense. Many modern heathens and I stress the word modern, are influenced greatly by Jung's work on archetypes, especially his essay Wotan (1936). Whilst I believe that Jung's contribution to the subject is useful and has a great deal of merit I do not accept that this is all that the Gods are. Jung in his essay described the Gods as sleeping or dormant archetypes which he pictured as "river-beds which dry up when the water deserts them". However because the water has flowed so long, for many centuries it has created deep channels. These channels still exist despite the centuries of Christianisation. However he predicted that "sooner or later the water will return to its old bed."

Of course the Germanic peoples were heathen for much longer than they were held under the grip of Christianity which by comparison is just (an unfortunate) blip in time. The people are thus able still to find their ancient deities with not too much trouble for in a sense they are part of our very nature and the fabric of our being. Jung believed that given the right circumstances they could manifest themselves within the collective life of a people. In his assessment of the phenomenon of the rise of National Socialism in Germany I believe that his analysis in this regard is correct. However it is sheer folly on our part to believe that this all that the Gods are. Jung was a scientist and the founder of Analytical Psychology but he was not a follower of the Ancient Ones. We should thus not feel ourselves to be constrained by his interpretation as it is the interpretation of a scientist but I feel that many heathens have been.

 In fact Jung took a rather scathing view of people who believed that the Gods had an existence independent of the people who honoured and believed in them: "A mind that is still childish thinks of the gods as metaphysical entities existing in their own right, or else regards them as playful or superstitious inventions." This is a typical materialist and almost atheist perspective. Jung, the scientist would seem to know better the nature of our Gods than our ancestors. Jung, like everyone was a product of his time and sought to explain the 'irrational' in rational terms and this simply does not work. Thus whilst I value Jung's contribution it is a grave mistake for us to regard his interpretation as the only valid one. Our ancestors certainly did see the Gods as existing "in their own right" and gave due reverence to them (See Tacitus's Germania). If all the Gods are are archetypes then why give them reverence or even honour? Are we not deceiving ourselves? For if they are only archetypes then all we do is give honour to a part of ourselves. I fail to see why our ancestors would think this way. The Gods as archetypes is a 20th and 21st century rationalisation of the divine and for some strange reason it is only the heathen deities that are rationalised in this way, not the Abrahamic one!

Edred Thorsson discusses the nature of the Gods in chapter 11 of his very interesting A Book of Troth. Edred poses the question: "What are the gods and goddesses?" He goes on to explain that the answer to this question depends upon the individual and their level of understanding and thus "there can be many answers". He points out that the Gods just like humans are "not one-dimensional" and cannot be "pigeonholed." The possibilities that he gives for their existence include:

1. Mental or psychological constructs.
2. True living beings.
3. Forces of nature.

He points out that the Gods may be viewed in many different ways. In my opinion Edred's presentation of the Gods is far more honest than that of Jung's. There is no reason at all why the Gods cannot be viewed in more than one way. They are complex and as Edred has said "are not one-dimensional easily defined, pigeonholed entities". Yet there are some who are dogmatic and will insist that the archetype explanation is the only valid one. To know the Gods takes a lifetime and I have spent most of my life on this sacred quest and I am still searching for answers.

Stephen A. McNallen in his Asatru. A Native European Spirituality appears to take the view that although the Gods "exist on the very margins of our comprehension" they are nevertheless very real and very powerful. Modern man in his conceit believes that he is the pinnacle of all that is, that there can be no higher power. If you are a heathen and only believe the Gods to be manifestations of psychic impulses within the Collective Unconscious then how do you differ from a pure atheist? Is your understanding of the Gods thus superior to that of our ancestors who were not influenced by Christianity or materialist science? If we believe that there are forces and powers, sentient beings that exist in different dimensions or on a higher vibrational frequency then why is it so difficult to accept the concept that we are the product of a divine agency, not 'evolution', a purely materialistic and faulty concept, for modern man as he is today is not the product of 'evolution' but involution!

The Importance of Ritual

Ritual, the practise of sacred rites is an integral part of heathenism. By engaging in ritual we are seeking a form of communion with the Gods. I realise that the term 'communion' appears to have Christian connotations but this term does describe exactly what takes place during a rite. Our Wodenist rites centre upon the blot, a term to be found in both Old Norse and Old English. Please note that there is an accent over the 'o' in blot but I cannot replicate this on my keyboard. The related verb form of the word may be found also in Old High German as bluozan. The reconstructed Proto-Germanic is said to be *blotana. The meaning of these terms is to 'sacrifice, offer, worship'. Of course most modern heathens no longer practise sacrifice whether this be of animals or humans! However our ancestors clearly did. We know this to be the case from the records left by classical commentators and historians. There is a trend amongst some heathens to deny that this was the case, arguing that these are lies intended to discredit the northern peoples. However we have evidence from archaeology that this did in fact happen. In fact we also have linguistic evidence in the Old English Blotmonath (the last two letters should be substituted for the Old English 'thorn' which also resembles the rune of the same name). This was the month of November when livestock were slaughtered and offered in sacrifice to the Gods. Indeed we have this important quote from the Venerable Bede (c. 673-735), writing not long after the Christianisation of many of the Anglo-Saxon tribes:

"Blod-monath is month of immolatons, for it was in this month that the cattle which were to be slaughtered were dedicated to the gods." (Chapter XV, De temporum ratione-The Reckoning of Time)

An anonymous work called Menologium seu Calendarium Poeticum amplifies Bede's statement:

"this month is called Novembris in Latin, and in our language the month of sacrifice, because our forefathers, when they were heathens, always sacrificed in this month, that is, that they took and devoted to their idols the cattle which they wished to offer."

If we no longer engage in animal or human sacrifice then can our blots be said to be truly acts and rites of 'sacrifice'? I believe that they are. With our modern rites we always offer the last vestiges of the mead horn to Mother Earth. When carrying out a rite at home I pour the mead over a large representation of Thor's Hammer which I keep outside. It is also customary for us to pass the mead horn around the folk three times. An invocation is made to a God or Gods, then an ancestor or ancestors (alternatively a notable hero of our folk) and lastly to the land wights. There may of course be variations of this as heathenism is not a dogmatic religion. One should do what feels right but at the same time be guided by historical knowledge.

I prefer to use mead in our rites as this has long historical precedent amongst the Germanic and other Indo-European peoples and the Proto-Indo-Europeans before them. Of course ale can be used or any non-alcoholic drink. What actually matters is not the drink itself but what it symbolises. However by using mead we are keeping true to the traditions of our ancestors.

There are some similarities (more than superficial) between the offering of the mead horn and the sacrament of Holy Communion practised in Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. Supposedly based upon the 'Last Supper' it actually goes much further than this and many Christians outside of the Anglican and Roman communions go so far as to label the sacrament as 'pagan'. I believe that they are correct. There is a great deal of symbolism, practise and iconography within the Anglican and Roman Churches which has no basis at all in the New Testament, e.g. the use of altars, images and the priesthood. An excellent work which explores the relationship between early European Christianity and heathenism is The Germanization of Early Medieval Christianity: A Sociohistorical 
Approach to Religious Transformation (2002, Oxford University Press) by James C. Russell.

My personal belief is that by imbibing the sacred mead, blessed by the gothi by making the sign of the hammer over it we take within our bodies the essence of the Gods. In that moment a closeness is experienced by the imbiber towards his or her God or Gods. It is a sacred moment in time and space. Indeed the carrying out of a blot within the sacred circle creates an event outside of normal time and space. Not only is the participant joined to the Gods in that moment but also with every other partaker of the sacred mead within the circle. Indeed rites following the same wording and occurring at the same time but over a wide geographical spread also link the participants together regardless of the miles in distance between them. They are all joined together in the folk community and with the Gods.

As previously discussed one aspect of ancient ritual which is not present amongst modern day heathens is animal or human sacrifice. Alby Stone in his Ymir's Flesh (1997, Heart of Albion Press) points out that ritual binds a society together. It reminds them of the past and gives people a sense of group identity. This is very much something which is lacking in the fragmented, individualistic and secular society where economics has become 'God'. By making use of ritual we are offering something which people feel that they need on a very instinctual and almost unconscious level. A major focus of Mr Stone's book is sacrifice in a Germanic and Indo-European context, focusing in particular on the cosmic event of the dismemberment of the primaeval being Ymir and from his body parts the creation of order, the earth and the heavens.

When our ancestors carried out sacrifices to the Gods in essence what they were doing was taking part in and repeating a cosmic event-the creation of order out of nothingness. They repeated the creative activity of Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve when they slaughtered Ymir and used various parts of his body to form the earth, the ocean, the clouds, the heavens, the trees and the mountains. They repeated this primaeval sacrifice in a symbolic manner to not only remember this event in a society which was still oral in the transmission of knowledge and lore but also the repetition of the event ensured that life upon earth and the cosmic order would continue.

Although we no longer sacrifice living beings we still participate in ritual and we make a sacrifice of the mead or other beverage. This is both a repetition and also the entering into of a sacred contract between Gods and men. We remember and invoke the Gods in the hope that meaningful life will continue here in midgarth as well as the continuation of order in the cosmos. With reference to my remarks about the use of mead it should be borne in mind that Kvasir was a being, a God in fact who had been formed from the mixing of the saliva of two families of Gods-the Aesir and the Vanir. When Kvasir was murdered by the dwarves Fjalar and Galar his blood was drained and then mixed with honey to form the sacred beverage mead. Kvasir's blood became known as the Mead of Poetry for it grants wisdom and the gift of skaldship. The creation of Kvasir from the saliva of two previously warring families of Gods is symbolic of reconciliation and subsequent bonding. By imbibing mead in a ritual with others one becomes symbolically bound to both them and the Gods and it is in this context that my remarks concerning the comparison with the Christian Holy Communion should be interpreted.