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In her explanation of traditionalism as a characteristic of ritual Catherine Bell gives us a very insightful quote. One that highlights the importance of rituals maintaining a form of traditionalism in order to be seen as authentic and valid.
Traditionalism can be explained as the intentional and reverent adherence to practices that reflect the collective memory and values of a family or community. This continuity gives rituals authority and legitimacy, creating a connection between the present and their sacred origin.
"Most rituals appeal to tradition or custom in some way, and many are concerned to repeat historical precedents very closely. A ritual that evokes no connection with
any tradition is apt to be found anomalous, inauthentic, or unsatisfying by most people. Thus, traditionalism is an important dimension of what we tend to mean and identify as ritual, while activities that are not explicitly called “rituals” may seem ritual-like if they invoke forms of traditionalism."
RITUAL PERSPECTIVES AND DIMENSIONS by Catherine Bell
An Eldskál "fire bowl" burns before an image of a god
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Fatalism is the most prevalent philosophical ideal with Heathenism. Don't believe me? Here are some quotes:
Voluspa 20: "Thence come maidens, much knowing, three from the sea, which stands under the tree; Urd the one is named, Verdandi second, on the wood they scored, Skuld the third. Laws they established, life allotted to the sons of men, and pronounced urlag."
orlög, n. pl. fate, doom, fortunes.
Grimnismal 29-30: "Kormt and Ormt and the two Kerlaugar: these Thor must wade each day, when he goes forth to pronounce dooms (domari) beneath the ash-tree Yggdrasil; for the ash is on fire, the holy waters boil. Glad and Gyllir, Gler and Skeidbrimir, Silfrintop and Sinir, Gisl and Falhofnir, Gulltop and Lettfeti; on these steeds the Aesir ride each day when they go to pronounce dooms at Yggdrasil's Ash."
Skirnismal 13: "There are better choices than whining for him who is prepared to die: for one day my age was decreed, and my whole life determined."
Lokasenna 29: "You are raving, Loki! In recalling your foul misdeeds. The fate of all does Frigg know well, although she says it not."
Lokasenna 21: "You are raving, Loki! And have lost your wits, in calling Gefjon's wrath on you, for, I believe, she knows the fate of men even as well as I."
Alvismal 10 and so on as a refrain: "Tell me Alvis, for I presume you, Dwarf, know the fates of all men-"
Baldr's Dreams 2-3: "His (Baldur's) sleep was most afflicting to that God, his good dreams seemed to be gone. They asked the Jotuns, wise seers of the future, whether this might forebode calamity. The responses said that Ullr's kinsman, dearest of all, was destined to die..."
Fjolsvinnsmal 23: "From it fruit, which shall be borne on fire to expecting women, shall that come out which was held within, so it is with the Manna Mjotudr (Fates of Men)."
Fjolsvinnsmal 48: "I am called Svipdag, Solbjart is my father, thence the winds drove me on the cold ways. No one may deny Urd's decree, however lightly spoken."
Helgakvida Hundingsbana I v. 2-3: "It was night, Norns came, they who did shape the fate of the nobleman, they proclaimed him best among the Budlungs, and most famed among princes. With might they twisted the urlag-threads, that he will settle burghs in Bralund; they arranged the golden thread and fastened it directly beneath the moon's hall."
Helgakvida Hundingsbana I v. 4: "In the east and west they hid the ends, there between the chief should rule; Neri's kinswoman (the Norn) sent one thread northward and bade it hold forever."
Helg. Hund. II 27: "Console yourself, Sigrun! You have been a Hildr to us. Kings cannot conquer fate."
Gripisspa 25: "I shall now openly speak to Sigurd, since the chieftain compels me to do so: you will surely find that I do not lie. A certain day is decreed for your death."
Gripisspa 52: "Now we part, so farewell! No one wins over fate. Now you have done as I asked of you, Gripir, you would have gladly foretold me of a happier end of my life's days, had you been able."
Gripisspa 53: "You shall find comfort in this leader of hosts! This fortune is alloted to the hero's life: no man shall be considered on earth or under the sun's abode, more renowned than you."
Reginsmal 2: "I am called Andvari, my father is Oinn, I have fared in many floods; in ancient times I was doomed by Norns to wade in the water."
Reginsmal 14. "I will nurture the bold-hearted prince, now Yngvi's kinsman has come to us; he will be the most powerful king under the sun, his urlag-thread is spun to spread over all lands."
Fafnismal 11: "The fate of the Norns you will find before the headland, you weak-minded fool, you shall drown in the water if you row against the wind, all danger is near to death."
Fafnismal 44: "There may you see the helmed maiden, who rode forth from the fight on Vingskornir (a horse); the victory-bringer shall not break her sleep, you Skjoldungr, so the Norns have set."
Sigurd and Brynhild Fragment II 19: "And you are destined to be my wife with my father's consent. I have ridden through the vafrflames at your requisition."
Spirituality vs. Tradition
One common theme we have seen with people wanting to make things up in their practice is the idea that their personal experience trumps ancestral faith. How it has “worked” for them means they are successful and therefore their way is the correct way.
What they are describing is the idea that their spirituality comes before the tradition. In actuality, it is the other way around. After all, if personal experience with the Gods came before ancestral teachings, and the former were to dictate the latter, is there anything at all that is not arbitrary and capricious? Would the religion not then be subject to the whims and fancies of whoever claimed some “personal experience?”
The tradition guides the spirituality, always. This means learning the ancestral ways, understanding the sources, and developing practice from it. It is our fundamental purpose in rebuilding this religion that it is actually a religion, and not just the desires of modern practitioners made into whatever they want. The argument that their faith is built on feelings is probably the worst theological argument ever made.
Religion must be built on truth, and our truth lie in the Primal Endowment, which was given to us through Heimdallr’s Æfinrùnar, the most ancient teachings to our earliest ancestors. It is our holy duty to restore that endowment, for it is the theological basis for everything we do.
Spirituality is your way of experiencing the tradition, it is using the lore and the rites to connect to the Gods and feel their presence in your life. The feeling comes in connecting to your ancestors and the orthopraxy left behind. It is our legacy, and in so doing we develop that divine relationship.
We do not believe that this represents a chain of symbols that merely reflect an idea of fertility, but rather specifically denotes a sacred substance that our ancestors saw as being a part of the very world they lived in.
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https://norsewearapparel.com/products/stag-t-shirt
Updated link
I was able to get 2 Sherpa blankets made with this design. This is one of them unfolded.
Sherpa blanket size: 50″×60″
Artwork: Odin and his brothers create Askr and Embla.
Price $50.00 plus shipping
I would like to add to this point. Many times people believe that The Norroena Society is seeking to fulfil only an academic standard. While scholarly research is the basis of our work, the end result should always be to build a relationship with the gods. The tradition is what we are seeking to restore. With the tradition must come proper research. It cannot be rejected or excused away. But spirituality is how we develop our own connection to the divine.
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A theory is only as good as the evidence which supports it.
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Join us for our Year's End Stream where we will go over this past year, have interesting discussions and so much more as we look toward the Solstice!
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Go to our Germanic faith page if you need to contact us and leave a comment.
/channel/GermanicFaith
In the first episode of The Northern Hearth, Mike and McKenna discuss life in Alaska, homesteading, and subsistence from the land in a Heathen context and worldview.
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🌲 The Beauty of Revival 🌲
This video is a breathtaking testament to the power of dedication, creativity, and reverence for our roots. Every detail, from the aesthetic choices to the passionate delivery of the folk song, reflects an energy that goes far beyond mere performance. It is a celebration of our ancestral spirit—a tribute to the traditions and beliefs that once guided our forebears in harmony with the natural world.
The effort poured into this piece—its costumes, setting, and music—shows a love for our shared heritage. The song itself carries a message of resilience and pride, standing as a beacon for those who feel the call of their folk faiths. It’s a beautiful reminder that our revival cannot be stopped.
To all who were involved in creating this, you have our deepest respect. Your work inspires others to embrace their cultural identities, to reconnect with their roots, and to honor the old ways in a world that often forgets them.
Let this serve as a rallying cry to European folk faith communities worldwide. Take up the mantel! Create art, music, and traditions that reflect the beauty and strength of our faiths. Every act of revival, no matter how small, brings us closer to the rebirth of our cultural and spiritual heritage.
Together, we are part of something greater—a movement that honors the past while building a future rooted in tradition.
Hail the gods, hail the ancestors, and hail the revival! 🌿⚔️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Igx4C6WbCrM
ODIN'S WIFE:
The First Definitive Study of Odin's Wife, Frigg.
For more than a millennium, the people of Northern Europe venerated an Earth goddess, which evidence attests is the oldest known Germanic deity. Called by a number of names, when the accounts are compared, common traits emerge. During Yule, she rides among her people in a wagon inspecting homes, rewarding the industrious and punishing the lazy. With her husband, she leads the fearsome Wild Hunt, riding through the winter skies, cleansing the air of evil. Most often identified as Odin's wife, the ancients called her "Mother Earth", "Queen of Heaven", and the "Mother of the Gods", roles firmly rooted in her Indo-European pedigree. Only now can the full scope of her reign be revealed.
Presenting an in-depth study of Mother Earth in Germanic mythology and folklore from prehistoric times to the present day, with an emphasis on the primary sources of our mythic knowledge.
Odin's Wife: Mother Earth in Germanic Mythology by William P. Reaves (2018). https://www.amazon.com/Odins-Wife-Mother-Germanic-Mythology/dp/0578430843/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2B86AAWFPFX6Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kwlvIcZP8xqXyVmXOuLrQ1ovQouKvH_WgWI-GOhLXhp-3IPZxQQV2rsDttYAWvwuO6uYXTqYnRWFrd9b0ANBB__DiMCl9IInttBohNWczjo_FPYZTuNyb0LWEF0yXiJyPLMwWHUOtSayjiayqQ9099sRQzBMslRPIWlyruqLybSxJOjeCtOXANLKCPujr4DStI34kB9hTzuj7blYZrNrzrPLrZ7VJzB-S1O45HxbrjI.GskjAk4tnishpyFOgeATHV_XxjT-5TDk_pNqKnvo7e8&dib_tag=se&keywords=odin%27s+wife&qid=1732763985&sprefix=odin%27s+wife%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1
We have stated here on this channel that our sacred legends were, before put to parchment, songs. And these songs would be preformed in gatherings, rituals and even in halls for feasting. The rhyme and rhythm to help in memorization, and to protect these legends from tampering or revision.
These moiraiensemble1548">ladies made a song with passages from the Germanic Voluspa. Part of revival is to hear how your forefathers and foremothers did. Tapping into your blood memory where reason alone cannot reach. A deep primal feeling and profound spirituality flows within your veins.
Gods love you
Who are the Gods of Germania?
On January 25th at 12pm eastern standard time, I will be interviewing the accomplished scholar & author William P. Reaves on who are the Gods of Germania? Mr. Reaves will cover all the Gods and Goddesses, using the research & method of Viktor Rydberg. After the show, Mr. Reaves will take some questions from the audience in a Q&A
This is a show you won't want to miss, only here on Pagan Revivalism channel. And I want to give a great thank you to Mr. Reaves for sharing his insights towards the revival of Germanic Faith & Ways!
Gods love you
Sigurdarkvida Fafnisbana IV: "Of the words I have uttered I now repent; he is Gudrun's consort, and I am Gunnar's. The hateful norns have decreed long suffering for us."
Oddrunargratr 17: "He asked that I be adorned in red-gold, and be given to Grimhild's son in the south. He said no more excellent maiden could be reborn in the world, if fate did not will it otherwise."
Oddrunargratr 34: "You sit and listen, while I recount to you many and evil fates, my own and theirs. Each one lives as best he may."
Atlamal in Groenlenzku 46: "I sought by symbols to prevent your leaving home, no one may resist fate, and yet you must come here. She asked wisely: can they not be appeased? No one consented, all answered no."
Hamdismal 10: "Weep for your brothers, and your dear sons, your nearest kin, drawn to the strife: you shall also have to weep for us both, Gudrun, who sit here on our steeds, fated to die far away."
Hamdismal 31: "We have fought well, we stand on slaughtered Goths, and those fallen by the sword, like eagles on a branch. We have gained great glory, though we shall die now or tomorrow. No one lives til eve against the Norns' decree."
Gunnars Slag 1: "Of old it happened that Gunnar, Gjuki's son, was doomed to die, in Grabak's halls."
Gunnars Slag 11: "The Norns have appointed a lifetime for us, Gjuki's sons, at Odin's will; no one may provide against fate, nor, bereft of luck, trust in his valor."
- Mark Puryear
The tenets are now available in posters and stickers.
Poster 18x24 | The Norroena Society https://the-norroena-society.myspreadshop.com/sedian+tenets
Many new agers of the brosatru crowd have a hard time accepting that Germanic heathens did in fact kneel before their gods. This is attested many times from histories, to the Eddas, and sagas. All polytheistic religions had forms of prostration, all people found it acceptable to do so before their gods.
This Grevensvaenge figurine is dated from 800-500 bce. Depicting a kneeling figure. The second image of a of a Roman bronze statue of a Germanic man with a Suebian knot, also kneeling.
"Another observance shows their reverence for this grove. No one may enter it unless he is bound with a cord, by which he acknowledges his own inferiority and the power of the deity. Should he chance to fall, he may not raise himself or get up again, but must roll out over the ground. The grove is the centre of their whole religion. It is regarded as the cradle of the race and the dwelling-place of the supreme god to whom all things are subject and obedient. The Semnones gain prestige from their prosperity."
-Tacitus' Germania
"The moment their boats reach this dock every one of them disembarks, carrying bread, meat, onions, milk and alcohol (nabīdh), and goes to a tall piece of wood set up <in the ground>. This piece of wood has a face like the face of a man and is surrounded bv small figurines behind which are long [10] pieces of wood set up in the ground. <When> he reaches the large figure, he prostrates himself before it and says, "Lord, I have come from a distant land, bringing so many slave-girls <priced at> such and such per head and so many sables <priced at> such and such per pelt." He continues until he has mentioned all of the merchandise he has brought with him, then says, "And I have brought this offering," leaving what he has brought with him in front of the piece of wood, saying, "I wish you to provide me with a merchant who has many dīnārs and dirhams and who will buy from me whatever I want <to sell> without haggling over the price I fix." Then he departs. If he has difficulty in selling <his goods> and he has to remain too many days, he returns with a second and third offering. If his wishes prove to be impossible he brings an offering to every single one of those figurines and seeks its intercession, saying, "These are the wives, daughters and sons of our Lord." He goes up to each figurine in turn and questions it, begging its [11] intercession and grovelling before it. Sometimes business is good and he makes a quick sell, at which point he will say, "My Lord has satisfied my request, so I am required to recompense him." He procures a number of sheep or cows and slaughters them, donating a portion of the meat to charity and taking the rest and casting it before the large piece of wood and the small ones around it. He ties the heads of the cows or the sheep to that piece of wood set up in the ground. At night, the dogs come and eat it all, but the man who has done all this will say, "My Lord is pleased with me and has eaten my offering."
-The Rusila of Ibn Fadlan
"There was one thing in him which the King disliked, and one only: he would never bow down to heathen Gods, and he set his mind firmly against all sacrifice."
-Olaf Tryggvasson's Saga ch. 57
"And when he got to the assembly, then some of the farmers had arrived. Then they saw a great multitude of farmers coming to the assembly and carrying between them a huge image of a person, adorned with gold and silver. And when the farmers that were at the assembly saw that, then they all leapt up and bowed down to this monstrosity. After that it was placed in the middle of the assembly field." -Olafs Saga Hins Helga ch. 113
" The same thing is said about the decoration of Þorgerður Hölgabrúður: They then went to the temple and the earl all fell to the ground in front of her statue. There he lay for a long time. wanted to get hold of her, but it seemed to Sigmund that she had bent the spear, and the earl took a great deal of silver." -Færeyingasaga ch. 108
The Aurr and Blót
We have made quite an interesting discovery revolving around what could be a sacred ceremonial practice. In looking at our lore there seems to be a substance that our ancestors held to be extremely sacred, so much that many entities in the lore are named after it. This is the Aurr, which means “clay,” “mud,” “gravel,” or “loam.” It is a primordial substance that has its origin in our creation myth, and develops from the rime (hrimr) that poured into Ginnungagap. The interesting thing is that the names themselves seem to play out the story, as I will demonstrate.
After the rime creates the first world, Audhumla licks the primal ice of creation, which is so saturated with fertile power a God grew out of the ice just by her licking. This rime then fills her with this creative force and she thus becomes the AURochs (Aurr-Ox). After this, Ymir drinks from her milk and he becomes so filled with the creative force that he sweats beings from his body. The three brothers Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur then kill Ymir and from his flesh make the soil of the land. This was the first soil and was saturated with Audhumla’s milk, thus making it fertile. Ymir is then called AURgelmir (Aurr-roarer). The land in the Underworld first created and fertilized using his flesh is called AURvangr or AURvangaland (Fields of the Aurr, or Land of the Fields of Aurr).
Hoenir, as a God of fertility who helps in the delivery of children through the Manna Mjotudr (Yggdrasil’s Fruits), rules over this land and is thus called AURkonung (Aurr-King).
Then, we see the Norns pour a substance upon Yggdrasil which is called Hvita Aurr or “White Aurr.” We are told in the Prose Edda that “these Norns who dwell by the Well of Urdr take water of the well every day, and with it that clay (Aurr) which lies about the well, and sprinkle it over the Ash, to the end that its limbs shall not wither nor rot; for that water is so holy that all things which come there into the well become as white as the film which lies within the egg-shell.” (Gylfaginning 16) This is then related to Völuspá 19, which states: “An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name,
With white Aurr (Hvíta Aurr) | is the great tree wet; Thence come the dews | that fall in the dales,
Green by Urth's well | does it ever grow.“ This tells us that the substance, especially when mixed with Urd’s mead, is incredibly sacred and important. Once the tree becomes doused with the liquid, it’s change of color makes it radiant, and by the above example, possibly explaining it as invisible. Because of this it is called AURglasir (Aurr-Resplendent). In Volundarkvida Sinmara is called Eir Aurglasir, the Eir (Healer) of the tree. This either makes her identical to Urd or gives her a duty that is the same.
Now, if this substance of Aurr originated as Audhumla’s milk and the Hrimr within it, it justifies milk
as a sacred element within the rite. We know that there are Indo-European elements that are shared here, as well as the notion of the sacred cow.
One of the more difficult names to
understand in this is that of AURboda, whose name means “Aurr-offerer.” She is identical to Gullveig, but this name may refer to her when she lived among the Goddesses and brought fertility, as we see her do in Volsungasaga ch. 2. Here she is called “The Daughter of Hrimnir,” whom we know is Gullveig-Heid-Aurboda. What we see here is that the chaotic element of the rime (hrimr) stays alive through her and her father (Hrimnir). When the Gods burn her and Loki eats her heart it is called ursvöl or “primeval cold.” This element is what would allow her to regenerate and may be the same element the Gods use with Saehrimnir the regenerating boar whose name means “Sea-Rime.” Hvergelmir, the Underworld well also has the name Svalkaldur Sær, which means “Cool-Cold Sea.” The sval- being identical to the -svöl in ursvöl and the Sær being the same as in Sæhrimnir.
Our friends at Norse Wear Apparel gifted me this amazing shirt, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the design and colors. If you’re looking to support talented heathen artists, be sure to check them out!
Stagg Logo T-Shirt
https://norsewearapparel.com/products/stagg-logo-mens-t-shirt
A Yuletide warning for brainy young friends. Always direct your reading and learning towards the ultimate spiritual purpose. It is right for a young man so inclined to immerse himself in philosophy, theology and the world of ideas only if he ultimately manifests those ideas into a coherent way of being. The intellectually gifted can fall victim to a type of vanity that transforms them into wordcels incapable of living out the ideas they have studied. Theories become obstructions to the modes of being they present and the victims use them as masks to obscure their failure.
“All too often people forget that spirituality is essentially a way of life and that its measure does not consist of notions, theories, and ideas that have been stored in one’s head. Spirituality is actually what has been successfully actualized and translated into a sense of superiority which is experienced inside by the soul, and a noble demeanor, which is expressed in the body.” Evola
Hann setti þat í lögum at hefja jólahald þann tíma sem kristnir menn, ok skyldi þá hverr maðr eiga mælis öl, en gjalda fé ella, en halda heilagt meðan jólin ynnist. En áðr var jólahald hafit hökunótt, þat var miðsvetrar nótt, ok haldin þriggja nátta jól.
He (King Hakon) made it law that observance of Jól should begin at the same time as Christian people observed Christmas (December 25), and then everyone was to have a measure of ale, or else pay a fine, and keep holiday as long as the ale lasted. But previously observance of Jól began on midwinter night (end of January) and continued for three nights. –Hákonar Saga Góða ch. 13
Tshirts are in! I'll be packaging up orders tomorrow and dropping them off. If you placed an order be ready for a message tomorrow.
- Kyle
We are planning on jumping in here in about 15 minutes for a little for anyone who wants to listen in
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I just placed my order. I pick them up Friday. I did a limited run for the first batch. If interested just contact me for now.
Size Small-2xl
Charcoal colored.
Shirt is Tultex 502
4.3 oz./yd², 100% combed ring-spun USA premium cotton fine jersey, 30 singles
USA premium cotton/polyester
Reactive-dyed, dischargeable
Pre-washed to minimize shrinkage
Ribbed crewneck collar
Taped neck and shoulders
Side seams
Double-needle sleeves and bottom hem
Tear away label
USMCA Certified
The artwork is Odin and his brothers creating Askr and Embla. And the Yggdrasil from the Överhogdal tapestry is on both sleeves.
In the introduction to Oliver Elton's translation of Saxo's Gesta Danorum, he has the follwing to say about the work of Viktor Rydberg:
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Exploring the Differences Between Cultural and Religious Heathens: A Call for Reflection
https://norroena.org/heathen-communit…n-and-traditions/
Artwork - Frank Dicksee, A Viking Funeral
Once again we see the system unfold, and the system is the religion. We proposed the idea that the purpose of blót is to offer gifts to the Gods in return for their blessings or “Helps.” This is called both Hjalpr and Bjargr in the old tongue, both meaning “Help.”
When so many random things are telling you the same thing, then they aren’t random at all. They are part of a larger system, and we are now further in our understanding of the system.
The Gallehus Horns are long thought to have been sacrificial horns, and if what is said here is true, it delves once again into the notion of praying for Hjalpr to defeat Nauð. There simply is no other explanation. This IS the ancestral purpose, and is part of the grander system or religion.
Discover the symbols of tradition and history with Norroena Society merchandise! From intricate tapestries to bold patches and timeless T-shirts, our collection is crafted to inspire and celebrate our Germanic heritage.
Ready to showcase your pride? Browse the collection today and find the perfect piece to represent your connection to the past.
Shop now and wear your tradition!
https://the-norroena-society.square.site/s/shop
https://norroena.org/norroena-merchandise/