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One of the lessons we're working on at Kvasir Academy is how to sing in Galdralag, the traditional meter used for chanting and invoking the gods. As part of an assignment, I wrote a simple galdr to Þórr. It's basic and can easily be expanded upon, but I wanted to share it to show the kind of material we're learning.
Soon, we’ll have blótgothi's and blótgyðja's trained and ready to perform rituals while singing to the gods in the traditional way—honoring them through voice, meter, and devotion.
We pray to Þórr,
Hear us call upon you now,
Strongest of gods and men, son of Óðinn.
For this shall he be invoked.
He who outwitted Alvíss,
And defeated Hrungnir, dread of the jötnar.
Leikn was lamed, and her laughter stilled.
For this shall he be invoked.
We pray to Þórr,
Bring us peace and prosperity.
Hallow our homes, and ward our hearth.
For this shall he be invoked.
Hail Thor
We want to invite you to subscribe to the Norroena.org website and recieve a free Sedian Handbook PDF!
We’re excited to share some important updates with you:
1. A New Look:
Our website has been completely redesigned for a cleaner, more user-friendly experience. Take a moment to explore the new layout and updated content at Norroena.org.
2. Revised Sedian Tenets:
The Sedian tenets have been refined and expanded to better reflect our Tradition and the values we hold sacred. You can read the newly revised tenets on our site and see how they continue to shape our path.
3. New Merchandise Available:
Support our mission and show your pride in our Tradition with exclusive Norroena Society merchandise. From apparel to printed works, our store offers meaningful items rooted in heritage.
We deeply appreciate your support and interest in our work. This is just the beginning of many updates, articles, and educational resources to come.
Thank you for walking this path with us.
The Norroena Society
Let’s talk calendars. We have as a community developed research and concepts that help us to reconstruct a fully heathen calendar. Some camps choose to follow a lunisolar system, while others focus on the Misseri calendar that is based on the earlier weekly system. Both of these are perfectly valid, and both have been described by scholars as having ancient origins. These calendars are useful in helping us to understand precisely when we are to perform the holy Veizlas or festivals. With them we can calculate the correlation between our months, the celestial bodies, and our sacred events.
But what about the years? Did our ancestors have a way of calculating the years as they passed? Indeed they did, but this method has been overlooked because they have been making comparisons to the Gregorian Calendar and looking for fixed points by which such a calculation can be made. However, not all yearly systems are built upon fixed points. Others are calculated by cycles, and given the polytheist view on cyclical time it would only seem fitting that our ancestors maintained this.
The Chinese calendar is built upon a 60-year cycle, combining the following elements:
• Ten Heavenly Stems (e.g., Jia, Yi, Bing, etc.).
• Twelve Earthly Branches (associated with the Chinese zodiac animals, e.g., Rat, Ox, Tiger).
• Each year is named by pairing a stem and branch (e.g., 2025 is Yisi, the Year of the Snake). The cycle repeats every 60 years.
The ancient Germanic calendar was cyclical as well, based on what is called The Metonic Cycle. The Runic calendar, as exemplified by the Nyköping staff from the 13th century, is a perpetual calendar based on the 19-year Metonic cycle, which correlates lunar and solar cycles. Each year in this cycle is associated with one of 19 “Golden Numbers,” represented by runes or symbols. The first 16 years typically use the runes of the Younger Futhark, while the remaining three years (17–19) are assigned special runes created for the calendar. To determine the rune for the current year, the following equation is utilized:
Golden number= [(year/mod 19+1)]
Where \(\mod\) is the modulo operation (remainder after division).
2025 \div 19 = 106 \text{ remainder } 11 \quad \text{(since } 19 \times 106 = 2014, \text{ and } 2025 - 2014 = 11\text{)}
2025 divided by 19= 106/ remainder 11
Since 19x106 = 2,014 + 11= 2025
Golden Number= 11+1=12.
For Golden Number 12, the corresponding rune is ᛏ (týr). Thus, 2025 corresponds to Golden Number 12 in the Metonic cycle and is the Year of Týr.
The Runic calendar uses the 16 runes of the Younger Futhark for Golden Numbers 1–16, and three additional special runes for Golden Numbers 17–19.
• The Younger Futhark runes, in standard order, are:
1. ᚠ (fé)
2. ᚢ (úr)
3. ᚦ (þurs)
4. ᚬ (óss)
5. ᚱ (reið)
6. ᚴ (kaun)
7. ᚼ (hagl)
8. ᚾ (nauð)
9. ᛁ (íss)
10. ᛅ (ár)
11. ᛋ (sól)
12. ᛏ (týr)
13. ᛒ (bjarkan)
14. ᛘ (maðr)
15. ᛚ (lögr)
16. ᛦ (ýr)
The additional runes are (17-19), and were made specifically for the calendar. These were Árlaug (combining the runes Ár and Lögr), Tvímaðr (Two-men), and Belgþor (Bellows-Þórr?). These special runes were documented by Ole Worm in 1636 in his work Runir seu Danica literatura antiquissima, though their use dates back to at least the 13th century with the Nyköping staff. Later calendars (e.g., 1498 Breviarium Scarense) replaced runes with Latin letters and Arabic numerals for weekdays and Golden Numbers, respectively.
The Nyköping staff, believed to date from the 13th century, is the oldest known Runic calendar and uses this system. It marks days with runes from the Younger Futhark and additional symbols for the Golden Numbers to track the lunar cycle within the 19-year Metonic cycle. Therefore, we can use these staffs to mark the years and reconstruct the Metonic Cycle in our yearly calendars. Not based upon fixed dates, but upon the cycles of nature and the movement of celestial bodies.
The calendar staffs are very late and are believed to contain a mix of heathen and Christian elements.
A core tenant of Pagan Revivalism is family building. Any philosophy or theology that does not put family first (or to hold it off for salvation or nirvana) is a cult
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🦶✨ Help Us Name Our New Boot Model! ✨🦶
We’re crafting something legendary over here at Boarlord Boots and Leather—a new boot model that embodies our rugged craftsmanship and bold Northern European roots.
But we need your help to give it a name worthy of the wild.
Think:
🪓 Old Norse power
🌲 Forest-dwelling grit
🐗 Boar-strong resilience
🛡 Timeless, battle-worn beauty
Drop your name ideas in the comments and help us crown this beast! 👑
If we choose your name, you'll get bragging rights and a little reward from the Boarlord Skósmiður (Boot-Smith) himself. 😉
~ GALDR ~
The practice of Galdr involves the chanting of verses to achieve a certain outcome, based on whether the Gods join you in the singing. The reverberation of the chant is pivotal to the development of a proper Galdr and must be taken into consideration when performing it.
There are three types of Galdr we will present here, to give the full spectrum of the record involving this practice.
First are the Direct Galdr, which are the verses in Galdralag meter that are in the sources and can be connected to a specific working.
Then there is the Chronicled Galdr, which are the chants given in a specific poem that are not in the Galdralag meter, but which are specifically stated to be a chant given. It should be noted that while these verses are not Galdralag, they are still in Ljóðahattr meter, from which Galdralag is formed. In fact, when we learn about the sanctity of Galdralag in Ynglingasaga, it is directly connected to the ljóða:
Allar þessar íþróttir kendi hann með rúnum ok ljóðum, þeim er galdrar heita; fyrir því eru Æsir kallaðir
galdrasmiðir.
“All these feats he taught with rúnar and ljóða, those which are called Galdr, and because of this the Æsir are called Galdr-smiths”.
….(please follow the link below)
https://norroena.org/galdr/
The poems were always meant to be sung, and should continue being sung.
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Last opportunity to get in on this.
Pre- order closes down tomorrow.
No extras are being ordered at this time.
https://paulwaggener.gumroad.com/l/rmgtk
Svipdagsmal, The Eddic poems Grougaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál, with facing text translation and commentary (click on the verse numbers to open commentaries) by Eysteinn Björnsson https://web.archive.org/web/20010604093914/http:/www.hi.is/~eybjorn/ugm/svipdag2.html
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#Æfinlogr #Germanic_Law #sedian #heathen
~ Reconstructing Our Law ~
In order to fully reconstruct the law of our religion, we must first determine how that law has worked throughout the millennia, and then explain how we can utilize it today. The primary function of law is to limit human behavior in a way that develops social and spiritual cohesion and thus allows us to express our religion in a way that works within our own community and society at large. In order to do this, we need to immortalize our laws, for we are not speaking from the perspective of a particular nation, but rather we are seeking to create a general theme by which all Germanic/Nordic Polytheists, or Sedians, may live according to the ethos of their ancestors. The primary means by which we do this is through the act of summary, and exclusion of punishments.
While we see throughout the ages that the crimes themselves rarely, if ever, change, the punishments for these actions do, and our modern application may not hold the same standard as what took place centuries ago. That does not mean we wish to “modernize” our ancient laws, but rather we would generalize them for the sake of adaptation to the development of Sedian States. By forming a foundation by which the law can be built, we can add to these structures as befits the society we are trying to influence or even create. New circumstances require new laws. For instance, the Weregild (Man-Payment) was a logical response to the never-ending family feuds that were exacted in the name of blood revenge. The idea was that vengeance for a slain family member should still be sought, but that this should come in the form of payment rather than more bloodshed, which requires more acts of revenge. Our ancestors also did not have access to computers, which are fraught with uniquely horrible crimes such as child pornography, human trafficking, the dark web, and so on. So, we have to look at the law as something that must begin with a firm ancestral foundation, and then be built upon as needs arise.
The cornerstone of our law rests upon an eschatological concept that can be discerned from the lore and must be recognized as having consequences for transgressions. Laws without consequences are just words on paper and mean nothing.
…..(please follow the link below)
https://norroena.org/reconstructing-our-law/
We have previously discussed the concept of the Helga—the hallowing of sacred ground during a blót. This traditional practice is carried out with fire, a primordial element associated with both creation and destruction. Fire is used here to purify the land.
The next step in the blót structure is the Heita and the Biðja—the invocation and the prayer. This is the moment when the god or goddess being honored is called upon, and a prayer is offered in alignment with the specific ritual being performed.
As we invoke the gods, we focus on recalling their past deeds—stories that describe their interactions with humans and how these shaped our world. A useful example of this kind of invocation is found in Hyndluljóð verses 2–4:
Old Norse -
English
2. Biðjum Herjafǫðr –
We pray to Herjafǫðr
í hugum sitja, –
sitting in thought,
hann geldr ok gefr –
he grants and gives
gull verðungu; –
gold to his retinue;
gaf hann Hermóði –
he gave Hermóðr
hjalm ok brynju, –
helm and byrnie,
en Sigmundi –
and Sigmundr
sverð at þiggja. –
a sword to take.
3. Gefr hann sigr sumum, –
He gives victory to some,
en sumum aura, –
he gives wealth to some,
mælsku mǫrgum –
good speech to many
ok mannvit firum; –
and good sense to men;
byri gefr hann brǫgnum, –
he gives fair wind to sailors,
en brag skaldum, –
and poetry to skalds,
gefr hann mannsemi –
he gave manliness
mǫrgum rekki. –
to many warriors.
4. Þórr mun hon blóta, –
To Thor she will blót,
þess mun hon biðja, –
This she will ask,
at hann æ við þik –
that he ever to you
einart láti; –
faithful should let (himself be);
þó er hánum ótítt –
though it is not his custom
við jötuns brúðir. –
with the Jötuns’ brides.
Every blót needs a central focus—something that gives reason and purpose to the offerings being made by those gathered. This purpose is established through the Heita and the Biðja.
The word Biðja is mentioned in several sources, but two of the more notable references come from Hávamál and Fjölsvinnsmál:
Old Norse – English
144. Veistu, hvé biðja skal? –
Do you know how to pray?
(Hávamál)
40.Bjargrúnar skaltu kunna, – Bjargrúnar shall you know,
ef þú bjarga vilt –
if you will help,
ok leysa kind frá konum: – and loose the child from the woman;
á lófum þær skal rista –
on the palms shall you rist;
ok of liðu spenna –
and clasped round her joints
ok biðja þá disir duga –
and pray to the Dísir for aid.
(Fjölsvinnsmál)
Using these passages we can then reconstruct this aspect of a rite, meant to invoke the gods and offer prayers in a traditional manner, one that brings purpose and meaning to our rituals.
What Do We Know About Midsummer?
In Ólaf Tryggvason’s Saga, we are told of a great blót (sacrifice) that takes place at Midsummer. However, the text does not explain the purpose of the ritual or provide a specific name for the blót itself:
> “I wish only to be in a good understanding with you as of old; and I will come to where you hold your greatest Blót, and see your customs, and thereafter we shall consider which to hold by." And in this all agreed; and as the king spoke mildly and friendly with the bondes, their answer was appeased, and their conference with the king went off peacefully. At the close of it a Miðsumars Blót was fixed to take place in Maeren, and all chiefs and great bondes to attend it as was the custom.”
– Ólaf Tryggvason’s Saga, ch. 72
This Miðsumars Blót was to occur in the middle of summer, which—according to the Old Norse calendar—would have fallen in mid-to-late July, not on the solstice (June 21). The modern connection between Midsummer and the solstice arises from Christian influence, particularly the Feast of St. John the Baptist, celebrated on June 24. Just as King Haakon the Good moved Yule from January to align with the Christian calendar in December, Midsummer was similarly shifted to coincide with the solstice.
Traditionally, Midsummer is also believed to be the period during which the Althing, Iceland’s great legal assembly, was held. This is supported by the medieval law code Grágás:
> “A fifth weekday (Thursday) shall be the first summer day. From there one shall count three months with thirty nights next to four nights until Midsummer. But from Midsummer on, there shall be three months with thirty nights until winter. A Saturday shall be the first day of winter. But ten weeks of summer shall be over when the people gather for the Althing.”
– Grágás, Konungsbók I.19; translation by J. Klapper (2018), based on Heusler (1937)
According to this system, summer began in mid-to-late April, and Midsummer occurred 94 days later. Therefore, the Althing—held ten weeks into summer—would have taken place in to July, in alignment with Misseri Midsummer, not the solstice date.
As winter (Vetrnætr - winter nights) starts in October, it then follows that Midwinter (Yule) takes place in January, Sumarmal (Summers meal) takes in April, and Midsummer in July, each with 3 months in between to complete a 12 month cycle.
We often hear talk of success, but how is success truly measured?
Successful movements share a few core characteristics. At their heart, every movement needs careful planning, a clear purpose, and a roadmap to bring that purpose to life. A movement becomes successful when it defines and achieves specific goals within a reasonable timeframe. These goals typically include:
Clearly defined objectives and the ability to achieve them efficiently - Success begins with a vision that is turned into action. With a vision, a clear roadmap, and the necessary means to carry it out, any movement can thrive.
Enduring impact and long-lasting change - True legitimacy comes from a movement’s ability to reshape society in a lasting way.
Growth and active participation - A movement thrives when people join in and contribute, creating a sense of shared purpose.
Recognition and acceptance, both socially and officially - Gaining legitimacy in the eyes of both the people and the government strengthens a movement’s influence.
A deep cultural and psychological shift - Real change happens when a movement transforms the way people see the world and what they value most.
By focusing on these aspects, any movement can build a lasting foundation that not only achieves its goals but also inspires future generations.
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest - Furor Teutonicus" by Paja Jovanović (1889)
A very generous supporter has donated about 250 square feet of oak hardwood flooring to the Hof. This will look great.
This will jump start our progress on getting "in" the hof and setting up "finished" spaces for immediate use while we work on restoring more areas.
With this donation we will get one room very near completion in a few days, but there are 3 more rooms that we want to finish the same way.
Our budget is only short $500 per room on those, as we didn't anticipate wanting to do oak floors this wasn't scheduled.
So, the plan we came up with is to do a June, July and August drive of just $500 each to close our budget gap.
We will be offering handmade Statues on Futhark.org in June as well as shilling for donations. Once we hit the numbers, we will STFU about the grifting for a bit, bang out room 2, then move on to the next.
Soon we can begin inviting people to Blót!
Please help us out if you can:
https://www.irminfolk.com/donate/
Join us for an interview with the founder of Alaskan Bardcrafts!
/channel/Pagan_Revivalism?livestream
#Calendar #Sedian #heathen
~ Let’s talk calendar ~
Let’s talk calendars. We have as a community developed research and concepts that help us to reconstruct a fully heathen calendar. Some camps choose to follow a lunisolar system, while others focus on the Misseri calendar that is based on the earlier weekly system. Both of these are perfectly valid, and both have been described by scholars as having ancient origins. These calendars are useful in helping us to understand precisely when we are to perform the holy Veizlas or festivals. With them we can calculate the correlation between our months, the celestial bodies, and our sacred events.
But what about the years? Did our ancestors have a way of calculating the years as they passed? Indeed they did, but this method has been overlooked because they have been making comparisons to the Gregorian Calendar and looking for fixed points by which such a calculation can be made. However, not all yearly systems are built upon fixed points. Others are calculated by cycles, and given the polytheist view on cyclical time it would only seem fitting that our ancestors maintained this.
…….( please follow the link below )
https://norroena.org/lets-talk-calendars/
For instance, several markers are made for Jól and Disting, which predate Christianity in Northern Europe, and runes are obviously adapted from our ancestral faith. So, while we take the origins of this with a grain of salt, we can adapt it to our tradition, as it is the best information we have available in rebuilding our yearly markings.
We plan on publishing this calendar in the year to come.
Danish referendum poster featuring Heimdallr from 1920 concerning the future of north Schleswig. Source: The Royal Library, Copenhagen
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The Merseburg Charms: The Famous Germanic Magic Spells
Discovered in 1841 by Georg Waitz, the Merseburg Charms offer us a rare glimpse into the magical practices of early Germanic heathens. Though found within a Latin theological manuscript housed in the cathedral chapter of Merseburg in Fulda, Germany, the charms themselves are written in Old High German, preserving an older oral tradition that predates Christian influence.
Dating to the 9th or 10th century, these two charms reflect a fascinating blend of Christian scribal culture and pre-Christian Germanic belief. They are composed in alliterative verse, a poetic structure common to ancient Germanic languages, and provide valuable insight into how magic was perceived and practiced among the heathens.
The first charm, known as the Lösesegen (“Release Blessing”), speaks of divine female beings (Idisi) freeing a warrior from his bonds, likely in preparation for battle. The second charm, the Wurmbann (“Worm Ban” or “Horse Healing Charm”), recounts a mythic scene where the gods—Wodan, Frija, Balder, and others—heal an injured horse by chanting a magical formula.
The preservation of texts like these provides compelling evidence of how the Germanic peoples understood magic, its divine associations, and its practical use in everyday life.
For a deeper exploration, we recommend watching the video linked below, where Dr. Scott Shell and researcher William Reaves provide expert analysis and translation of these remarkable charms.
https://youtu.be/2mCHrl8XFl4?si=kK83Ive2_UOPQwWE
"Wodan Heals Balder's Horse" (1905) by Emil Doepler
The Norse used to the term Læknir, 'Leech,' for physicians and healers. As a heathen herbalist woman I take pride in my cultural faith and heritage. Although I have a degree in Herbal Medicine that has dove into other cultures such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda (Hindu/Indian) herbalism, I much prefer to avoid cultural appropriations by sticking to the Scandinavian/Nordic aspects of plant Medicine. Within my Master’s degree i dove into a well known poem or charm, known as The Nine Herbs Charm...join me on this adventure of discovery both culturally and medicinally.
-Amanda (aka Saxa)
https://www.boarlordllc.com/s/stories/mysteries-of-the-nine-herbs-charman-herbalists-point-of-view-3
Found this online:
The Jelling “Great Stone” (c. 965) has been laser-scanned to 0.1 mm accuracy. Digital epigrapher Martin Grønnesby counted 183 serpent scales on the left coil and 182 on the right, matching solar year halves. Midpoint scale sits exactly beneath the runic word jul (Yule), aligning with winter solstice. Copper pigment traces highlight every 30th scale, likely month markers.
Bluetooth’s inscription boasts: “Harald made Denmark Christian.” But the calendar snake quietly taught converts the church feast cycle—Easter falls 94 scales after Yule, pinpointed by an oversized boss. This fusion of pagan zoomorphics and Christian chronology eased conversion, turning a propaganda stone into a community planner.
No medieval document mentions the feature; its rediscovery via 3-D imagery shows Viking artisans embedding astronomical knowledge in public art. Visitors today snap selfies with the serpent, unaware they’re beside a granite smartwatch that has kept perfect solar time for 1,060 years. #jellingrunestone
https://norroena.org/our-ancestral-endowment/
This article establishes a clear definition of what is also called the ancestral principle: the conviction that an ancestral religion must be rooted in the customs, laws, and beliefs of the ancient forebears. It rejects the intrusion of modern ideologies and cults of personality, affirming that legitimacy in tradition can only come from those who lived it, not from those who seek to reinvent it in modern times.
In Investigations into Germanic Mythology Vol I, chs. 96-113, Rydberg demonstrates that the poems Groagaldr and Fjölsvinnsmál preserve the beginning and end of the tale of Freyja's husband Odr (Svipdag), who is fated to rescue her from giant captivity (as alluded to in Voluspa st. 25) and marry her, after securing a sword in the lowerworld, forged by his uncle Ivaldi's son Thjassi (aka Volund), and bringing it to Asgard as a brideprice for the goddess. The edition of Svipdagsmal above, critically analyzes Rydberg's investigation in the commentaries to the verses.
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A Special Message from The Frithstead
June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month
We Heathens are not immune to the effects this modern world has on us. We need to take an honest look at where we are as men and as a folk. The world throws a lot at us - News of yet another foreign war, work struggles, family issues, and then there are the grim statistics that can make it seem like we’re alone, but the pattern reminds us that there’s a greater law at work.
Our faith teaches us that we’re not just random souls in a constant sea of random chaos and trouble. The Pattern is real. It’s the structure the preexisting everything. It predates the Gods, yet is what the gods worked with in the beginning to create everything that is good: order and life. When the gods gifted us with the soul components that make us who and what we are and out of this, when we’re bestowed with these gifts in the womb, we are gifted with a strength to keep going, no matter what’s ahead. We just have to take what’s already ours and use it.
A lot of us are hurting, yet most of us keep our mouths shut and push the pain inside. Too many of our brothers struggle with loneliness, worry, anxiety, anger, or feeling hopeless. Family bonds are weaker, jobs are harder to find, and men’s spaces for friendship and learning have all but vanished in the “real life” world in which we live. While it’s true, the internet can connect us with good chat groups or places of education, bonding, and encouragement, such The Frithstead, The Norroena Society, or a handful of other solid groups, but at the end of the day, online is not always in line with our day-to-day real life needs. We get that, I get that. But there’s always hope. Even though we still make up a big part of our country, for now at least, we are the ones that are more likely than anyone to suffer in silence, but you are not alone, and you never were.
The Sedish path is clear: a man’s worth isn’t just in what he can lift or how hard he can work, but in the devotion he brings to his kin, kith, his work, and his word. Our law and tradition remind us that faith isn’t a feeling, but what we do. We show devotion by keeping the home together, making sure our kin are cared for, performing our rituals, and passing on our strength and wisdom to the next in line. This is following the Pattern and what keeps us alive with purpose.
We need to bring back what worked: steady work to make us feel productive, spaces for men to talk and grow for bonding and satisfying the need to be understood, strong marriages to satisfy the need to be needed, fathers at home, to raise and protect the future of our folk, and the simple honor of having the freedom to be a man and celebrated for it. Good friends, honest talk, and daily acts of loyalty are not just nice extras, but a part of what makes our folk thrive. Woden didn’t face the world alone; he had his council, his kin, and his folk by his side.
If you’re having a hard time, remember that your story matters. You’re part of a long line that reaches all the way back to the first ancestors, to the gods themselves. You are let of the pattern and therefore, are an important thread in the web of Wyrd. Reach out to a brother or a friend. Talk with your family. Make time for the small rituals and habits that hold you together. Teach your children what you know. If you have no children, time for your nieces and nephews or other children if you can. The Pattern doesn’t promise us an easy life, but it does give us purpose - and purpose give us hope, which keeps us alive to fight another day. Our future belongs to those who keep faith and keep moving, one step at a time.
Struggles are real, but hope is real too. For your family, for your folk, and for those yet to come, walk this path with courage. You’re not alone. The Pattern lives through you.
We’re here and we support you.
~ Folcweard
There's nothing like going on a Vættir retreat
According to Oxford dictionary, a definition of retreat in this context is described as:
3. a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax.
• a period of seclusion for the purposes of prayer & meditation.
One of the most often overlooked parts of ancestral faith is the connection & communion with the Vættir. We have several, and different kinds for different landscapes. Spending time in the wilds to pray and meditate not only does wonders for yourself, but also to build a better connection with the spirits our forefathers & foremothers held in high regard.
The the Norrœna Society's book 'The Æfinlọgr' the first law our ancient Germanic societies laid down is "to always honor & respect the land-wights."
So as we move into Midsummer season, let us spend some time and attention away from the drama of online, the chaos of the news and to focus on what matters most; by honoring the family & ancestors, folk, fields & land, vættir & Gods!
Gods love you!
#Æfinlogr #Germanic_law #Sedian #heathen
~ Damnation ~
There has been a popular notion within the New Age movement that the concepts of morality and damnation in the afterlife are the inventions of Abrahamic religions and have nothing to do with ancient polytheist systems. When one examines these systems it is easy to discern the truth that most of the religions in the world have some form of concept surrounding punishments of the dead that were immoral or evil in their lives. Let us begin by going over a short list of such beliefs from around the world, to demonstrate the prolific nature of such a concept:
….( please follow the link below )
https://norroena.org/damnation/
Sedianism is the way.
In looking at other polytheist systems, we find that when the records actually exist there are terms that identify the ancient religions in the same way we do. This both provides us with a certain validation that our terminology is correct, and reflects the true theological basis by which these beliefs exist. These are not simply identifiers by which we establish convenient names to grant us a unique identity, they represent the very foundation by which polytheism manifests itself.
Sedianism, from the Norwegian Forn Sed, meaning "ancient customs," is defined by its very relation to the Primal Endowment. It is built upon the principle that we seek to follow the ways of our people and connect to the earliest teachings brought to us by our divine culture-bringer. That would be Heimdallr when he came to us as Rigr. This is our true north, our litmus by which we can delineate the truth and our relationship to the divine.
Both the Greeks and the Romans had the same concept, and used identifiers that further prove the notion that the faith is built upon this Primal Endowment. The Greeks called it "Patria," or "The Ancient Customs," related to the terms "Pater" (Father), "Patriot," and "Patriarchy." It refered to the customs being passed through patrilineal lines, literally coming "From the Fathers." In their stories and inscriptions they have the tale of Prometheus bringing them culture, although the original "fathers" who received these blessings are never identified. In our lore this would be Jarl and Konr receiving the Æfinrúnar and Aldrrúnar from Rigr-Heimdallr. What is also interesting is that there is a Greek phrase κατά τα πάτρια or "kata ta patria," which means "in accordance with the ancient customs.” We have the same phraseology found in the Sagas, "at fornum sið" or "in accordance with forn sið," which is found in Ólafs Saga Helga ch. 107, Ljósvetninga Saga ch. 4, and elsewhere. This is a profound overlap within ancient European polytheist systems that demonstrates how they actually viewed their beliefs.
The Romans had the same concept in the phrase "mos maiorum," which also means the "custom of the ancestors." In every case there is an ancestral origin. A basis by which the beliefs are built. Susan Guettel Cole in her essay "Professionals, Volunteers, and Amateurs: Serving the Gods kata ta patria," wrote this about the concept, which will begin to help us fully flesh out the idea:
“Ancient administrators had a phrase they used when they wished to emphasize a solemn occasion or the long life and hallowed origin of a ritual. The expression kata ta patria (according to ancestral custom) was a phrase that made any violation not only an offense against the gods, but also an offense against the collective authority of the population past and present. There were many other ways to express this idea, but kata ta patria is a formula that seems to have carried special weight. The expression surfaces first at Athens and throughout the centuries appears more often in Athenian inscriptions than in all other city corpora combined. The phrase kata ta patria appears in public documents where it is important to imply that everything is as it should be, but it can also appear in contexts where legislation has resolved a dispute, changed a process, or established a new procedure. In the law courts this phrase and other similar expressions were used to register anxiety about proper performance of traditional ritual. Such expressions were meant to soothe the reader or listener. As soon as a claim is made that something is being done kata ta patria, however, we can almost be sure that some kind of a change or challenge is already underway.”
Our faith is ancestral. Thus, it must come from the ancestors. Not from cults of personality, not from modernist political movements, not from one's imagination. If you are not following the ways of the ancestors, you are not accepting of this religion for what it is.
The Lawmen (Lǫgmaðr) of ancient Heathenry were not merely those who upheld the law of the people; they were also the final bulwark against the rise of tyrannical kings. It is noteworthy that as European monarchs consolidated power under Christendom, the position of the Lawman was gradually dissolved. Having regional districts led by influential individuals who literally embodied the law posed a direct threat to the establishment of any autocratic regime, so the office itself had to be eliminated.
Before its dissolution, the Lawman (or Lǫgsǫgumaðr, “Law-Speaker”) did not possess judicial or legislative authority. Instead, he served as the guardian and transmitter of the law, a role going back to the era before written codification, which required him to have the entire corpus memorized. This made him a living repository of law and the central figure people consulted regarding suits and criminal charges. In some parts of Scandinavia, the role passed hereditarily; in Iceland, however, it was appointed by the Law-Court (Lǫgrétta) on the first Friday of the Alþing. The candidate could originate from one’s own district or elsewhere but was ultimately selected by the majority vote of all Þing members.
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…(please follow the link below)
https://norroena.org/lawmen/
A six-string lyre made of Alaska Yellow Cedar on Spalted Maple, with a Maple bridge and tailpiece with a walrus ivory anchoring piece.
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The Scandinavians referred to their religion as forn siðr, the old custom, and their conversion to Christianity as a change in customs, siðaskipti. This linguistic insight allows us to see the heathen religion as a set of social conventions, hallowed by age and derived from mythic antecedents. In this context, the rejection of the name Jákob by the Swedish farmers, can be interpreted as a rejection of the new faith. The name of one of the Biblical patriarchs was not acceptable to the pagan people as a name for their king. The same source states that King Ólaf had sent his other son Emund to Wendland where he was brought up by kinfolk on his mother’s side, adding he did not maintain his Christianity for any length of time. In Völundarkviða 2, the name Anund (Önund) is used as a byname of Völund the elf-smith. In verses 16 and 18 of the same poem, Völund is characterized as a “prince of the elves.” In Grimnismál 5, elves are closely associated with Freyr, who is given their realm Alfheim upon cutting his first tooth. That a Swedish king was required to carry a name derived from heathen lore associated with Freyr rather than the name of one of the Hebrew patriarchs demonstrates that heathenism remained a political force in Sweden even after the conversion. The Swedes themselves became pagan once more after the death of King Ólaf, and remained pagan longer than in Iceland, which adopted the new religion peaceably, but reluctantly, in 1000 AD.
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