Freyr and Summer. Some days, I get the feeling that the god of summer isn’t always kind, even though the dealings I’ve had with Freyr have always been positive. I’m going to be talking about the danger of this time of year and how I see it from a Heathen perspective…
I’m staring at two half-finished blog posts and hating them. I think it’s because even though I tend to write stuff that causes people to think about some heavy things, today I need a little levity. And I think I’m not the only one that needs it in the Heathen community.
Taking Everything Too SeriouslyI swear to the gods, people take everything way too seriously most of the time. Hel, our ancestors
didn’t always take everything seriously. The stories about Loki and Thor are prime examples. Thor loses his hammer; Heimdall devises a plot for a cross-dressing Thor (after Loki found out Thrym the king of the Jotun wanted Freyja as his wife) to so he can get his hammer back. The story is fairly short, but I can imagine a bunch of drunk Northmen telling the embellished story and laughing. Then, there is the story of Loki’s and Thor’s journey to Jotunheim. Oh yes, and the building of Asgard’s wall and Loki’s philandering with a stallion…
Our ancestors understood that levity was important, and not even the gods were beyond having amusing stories told about them.
My point is that our ancestors had plenty to worry about. They had invaders and wars. They had famines and poor harvests. They had diseases that wiped out whole villages that today we’ve cured or at least made less deadly. They didn’t have smartphones, iPads, and Pokemon Go. Yes, yes, we have plenty of terrible things happening in this world, but sometimes its important just to laugh and shake our heads over the crazy stuff. I swear if more people just relaxed and didn’t throw down every two minutes, I think we’d be a lot better off.
We know (from science, of course) that getting angry all the time isn’t healthy. According to Scientific American, people are getting angrier all the time and less civil due to the Internet. It’s because you’re dealing with a perfect storm of perceived anonymity, the ability to have a monologue, the inability to gauge people’s emotions and reactions, and the ability to be an armchair advocate without really doing anything toward a cause. What’s more, the media outlets actually foster this behavior by leaving up the worst comments, thus allowing people to think this is acceptable behavior.
People are Angrier Because of IssuesA fairly recent piece written in the BBC talks about how Americans are even more angry than before due to a number of issues. We’re bombarded with bad news all the time and becoming more polarized. I remember back when 9-11 happened. I spent a long time being depressed because I was seeing news constantly about the terrorist attacks. Eventually, I had to turn the TV off. So it has been with the Internet.
At some point, we have to decide if we’re going to stay angry all the time, or whether it’s time to lighten up. Obviously, there are times for seriousness, but we should take a clue from the gods and see humor even in the most dire situations (such as losing Mjolnir).
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| From Doctor Who. Damn, I saw horns. |
Some days I get a wild hair and start looking for way cool things. It just so happened that I came across this site that had the song, Blue Monday, played on obsolete 1930s instruments. Now, even though Blue Monday is technically from my era (oh gods, did I admit how old I actually am?), I never was fond of the original, but I do like this version. Anyway, the site is a listing of tons of free stuff, including free courses. Now, in my copious amounts of spare time, I actually have more shit to do. Yay me!
One of the things they do have is an Old Norse course. Ooooh, I can hear your mouths watering on the link to the class on Old Norse. They also have Icelandic, but you’re going to have to look for that. Unfortunately I don’t see anything for Elfdalian, which makes me sad.
Of course I have to take Old Norse class. This to me is a hat trick for dead languages because I was crazy enough to take Latin in high school and college, and Anglo-Saxon in college. Working with languages, whether Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Japanese, Italian, or computer languages is really enjoyable. So, Old Norse makes sense. Here is the link for it again. You’re welcome.
If you want to really be a literary snob, learning dead languages are the way to go. Yeah, they’re cool. If you want to become a writer, I highly recommend learning Latin, Anglo Saxon, and probably Ancient Greek to understand English better. Old Norse is just my way of learning something that works with our gods, and of course, reading Eddas.
I will possibly be talking about the classes I’m taking for fun as well as my thoughts about heathenism in future posts. Oh, and the occasional snide scientific comments.
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| I know “disapproval” is misspelled. I didn’t make the meme, I just use it. |
Well, I just saw The Girl Who Died which was Season 9, Episode 5 of Doctor Who and all I could think about were those damn horns on those helmets. No, no, no! The Norse didn’t wear horns on their helmets. This silly idea came about in the 1800s when Wagner’s Ring Cycle came into play (Get it? Get it?) and the costumer designer put horns on the Viking helmets. And the image stuck. Rather silly, really. If you’ve ever sparred with swords (yes, I have) you’d know that helmets are damn heavy. And if you want to have your head whacked silly, try putting horns on helmets. While they might catch the enemy’s sword, chances are they’re more of a nice hand hold for your enemy so that they can toss you in the dirt and use a misericorde to put you out of their misery for wearing such a stupid thing. (Yes, I’m very punny today!)
This goes under: sometimes you can’t make this shit up. I want to share an experience I had with an old friend who isn’t much of a friend any longer. (Long story that, in and of itself.)
This friend was a geek and really cool until got married and became “Born Again” because of his wife. His mom, for whatever reason, became Wiccan. I don’t know all the background behind this. At one point, his mom was remarrying and she invited her son and his wife to her wedding.
Now, can you see the mess this is leading up to?
I’m not Wiccan, but I understand that Wiccan can encompass the goddess and god, and a number of other deities. I don’t know what was said as an invocation, but the daughter-in-law thought she heard the name of a demon mentioned. (Look, I have no fucking idea — I heard this from the son.) So the son and daughter-in-law turned with their backs toward the mom on her wedding day. No, they didn’t just leave. No, they didn’t try to understand what was going on.
Classic. Christian. Arrogance. And. Intolerance.
Sometimes karma is a bitch. What warped god came up with slamming those two together? I’m thinking Loki — it has all his earmarks on this. It is funny in a warped sense, and it is tragic at the same time. Loki tries hard, but even he loves mischief. So, I really should do a blot to him just for the bizarre humor of it all.
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So, what in the hel is this post about? Nothing really. Sometimes I just write about shit that’s on my mind. I also wanted to share with you a cool site I thought you’d like. I also had a chance for a Doctor Who reference.
I’m not a Lokean. So, when I talk about Loki, I’m probably talking bullshit. Loki, to me, is the chaos god, pure and simple. He and his children bring disorder from order. He’s also the god of fire. If you look at his parents, Laufey (Leaves) and Farbauti (Evil Striker), he’s fire from a Jotun who causes wildfires. So, we’re looking at an untamed, natural force. Also chaos.
Where I’m Coming From on This Tyr is my main god. He brings order. He sacrificed his right hand to contain the ultimate destructive chaos: Fenrir. Even though Fenrir slays Odin in Ragnarok, Garm, slays Tyr. (For those who need UPG warning, here it is) Garm is really just another form of Fenrir. Technically Chaos will overcome Law, which is why I believe Garm=Fenrir. Tyr, incidentally, concurs.
I have heard Loki occasionally. He’s sort of a pest when he wants to be. Other times, I get the feeling he’s been a misunderstood trickster. I can see his appeal. I love the stories about Thor and Loki traveling to Jotunheim. Loki is very fun in these stories. In fact, until he tricks Hodur to kill Baldur, he’s just a trickster with some very attractive but dangerous aspects.
Of course, Tom Hiddleston of the Marvel Thor movies, probably adds to the allure as a bad boy and creates some Lokeans. That being said, I don’t see Loki as the Marvel Loki. Maybe that’s because I recognize him when he shows up to pester me no matter what form he takes? He is not a god I particularly want to antagonize, but he isn’t one I turn to for help as a rule. If I have problems with Loki getting wild, I can turn to Tyr and Thor for help. Beyond that, I really don’t have much interaction with him, except when Tyr sent him to me. (Long story, that).
Many of those in Asatru tend to think Loki is evil and an enemy. In fact, many heathens argue that Loki isn’t a god at all since he came from giant blood. But that really doesn’t make much sense. If it did, then we’d have to discount Thor, Skadi, and Tyr as gods because of their frost giant blood. I don’t think of Loki as evil and I actually do consider him a god, but he’s not my god, either. I see Loki as a necessity for the universe to work, but he can be dangerous without controls. I look at Loki as the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. If you don’t recall it from high school or college physics class, it states that energy states go toward the lowest point of energy. Basically things progress toward entropy. As a teacher once said in physics class: “Things fall apart and break, homes get messy, and students fall asleep.”
Those who dedicate themselves to Loki (who aren’t the Marvel fan girls/boys who are just worshiping an actor) need to have an understanding of what exactly they’re pledging themselves to. Loki isn’t evil, but he isn’t good either. He simply is. Misunderstood? Perhaps. Troublesome? Often. I look at Loki as a god who probably takes the name Murphy occasionally. At the same time, he can bring about tremendous good as well. It’s unexpected, but that’s his nature.
I’m friends with people who are Lokeans. Even though most Lokeans seem to be nice folk, Lokeans are sort of the peeps whom many in Asatru wish would just go away. To be honest with you, I think many of them are a lot more interesting and fun than many who follow Odin. I certainly like them better than the Odinists who pervert Heathenry into Neo-Nazism. Most of Loki’s fans are neat, creative people. Some of them claim to be Loki’s wives. As puzzling as it might be, who am I to say what that trickster is up to? Not my circus; not my monkeys. Do I believe in these things? Eh, not so much. But this is my belief and I really haven’t explored the subject. So, if you’re a Loki wife and you’re pissed, don’t be. I’m willing to at least consider it happens, but I don’t know to whom or why.
Now, whether you think that the whole Rokkatru sect is crazy for embracing Fenrir and Loki, think about why they might. I suspect it’s along the lines of what seems unfair in the writings we have. I, too, have problems with the binding of Fenrir because the wolf didn’t do anything. But maybe it’s more of a symbol how chaos must be kept in check or we lose the universe. After all, without physics, we’d be dealing with–well, something that looks remarkably like Ragnarok. So, the wolf had to be bound, but at a cost. Hence we talk about Tyr losing his right hand. What does that symbolize? Obviously a loss of power to control chaos to keep this universe from shaking apart.
I honestly don’t care if you follow Rokkatru. We may be opposites in some ways because of your beliefs, but that doesn’t make you my enemy in this lifetime. Your words, actions, and deeds make me decide whether you’re my friend or foe. You aren’t someone I have a quarrel with unless you do something that violates my ethics. That being said, I do have some advice: be aware whose side you’ll be on whenever Ragnarok comes. In that case, you and I may be on opposite sides. I don’t have a problem with this because no matter how many lives we all have, we’re pretty much bound by the Wyrd. Just don’t cross me in this lifetime and I’m sure we’ll be okay.
My last blog was about trying to do too many things all the time. When I looked at it while it was still scheduled (I write these things ahead of time and set the date for publication), I realized that Loki led me off on a tangent again. This becomes infuriating after a while, but understandable. The trickster god is constantly looking for ways to throw my life into chaos — some good, some bad. And sometimes he’ll do it in a heartbeat when I’m trying to write a blog post.
So, rather than tear out my assorted ramblings and get rid of them, I looked them over and found them worthy for another post. The god of mischief still gets his say, but like Tyr trying to hold back Fenrir, I’ve at least put some bindings on it.
In my mind’s eye, I can see a grinning Loki. For those who are Tom Hiddleston fans, forget it. He doesn’t look like the actor. (At least not to me.) But despite his mirth, Loki isn’t the troublemaker here — it’s me. I’ve been writing about more than I can possibly, sanely accomplish and the god of chaos is amused. He still has a job to remind me about self care, but it’s far more fun to watch me crash and burn because I don’t listen to him.
But why in the names of the gods would Loki bother with someone who follows Tyr?
I suspect it’s because despite Tyr and Loki being opposites, they still rely strongly on each other. If we take their existence as simply raw forces of the universe, nothing could have existed had it not been for either. Tyr imposes laws on things; Loki is entropy. Without the order and the disorder, we would have a very stagnant universe indeed.
So, what does Loki have to do with me? With self care? Why would he give a shit, I mean, really?
I’ve read others talk about whether the gods of one land are the gods of another land, or if there are other gods. Some people actually believe that the Asatru gods only exist in the Scandinavian countries. Wow, they’re saying Thor can only exist as thunder and lightning in Norse countries, and some other god is in charge of it in America. I look at it and say, “Hmm” because there is undoubtedly electric storms on other worlds outside of our own. And certainly Thor is there as well.
Here’s my take on whether the gods exist one place or another. They have to exist everywhere in this universe or things wouldn’t be how they are. Think about if they were actually right about being local gods. That suggests that Tyr with his laws, (which incidentally include the laws of physics) takes a holiday outside of Scandinavian countries. That would suggest that there could be other laws of physics in England, China, or America.
But there isn’t. Thankfully. Otherwise we’d have one set of rules when it came to physics than another set of rules. I believe that the gods are pervasive in their element in this universe. When you see a lightning strike in Texas, it’s the realm of Thor, just as it is in Norway. The Laws of Gravity don’t change themselves anywhere on this planet, or in this Universe, as far as we know, with the possible exception of black holes. (If they do, then I would agree that maybe there might be another god to deal with, but mathematical laws are Tyr’s domain.) So, that makes Tyr pervasive in our lives. It also makes Loki pervasive in our lives as well. When Loki chatters in my brain, I know it’s because he’s always here with me, just as Tyr is.
So, what had started as a rant about the holidays and me doing too much ended up as a deep discussion how the Aesir and Vanir are part of the Universe. Thanks, Loki. Thanks.
The gods are pervasive through our lives. Whether we’re dealing with Universal Laws, or simple governing of biological drives and behaviors, to growing the crops, to wild animals and the hunt. In many cases, the gods are here every moment of our lives, but they are bound by rules that they set in place. For example, Tyr is a very powerful god, but he is held in check by his own laws, by the Wyrd, and by chaos. I don’t know if he is in other universes within the Multiverse, but seeing as I probably won’t get there, it has little meaning to me. He might actually provide rules in other universes, but whether they are the same as our universe is inconsequential.
That is Tyr’s pervasiveness. But it doesn’t mean Tyr hangs out with me all the time. Yes, a good portion of his power is with me, with you, with everything in this world and universe because otherwise the laws of physics wouldn’t work. Little wonder why he is considered a celestial god. You got that much power to enforce physics, which see in stars and galaxies on a large scale.
But Tyr isn’t omnipresent in the sense of the Christian god. Tyr’s “consciousness,” if you want to call it that, isn’t always on me, you, or the guy down the street. His laws are with us, and the control he governs is immense. But the constant watching you isn’t his thing. It isn’t any of the gods’ things. They leave that to Santa Claus. If the gods were always watching us, you’d have to admit, they’d be pretty bored.
Looking back at this post, I realize it’s a lost cause to wrangle this into some sort of order. I should just dump this post and tell Loki to fuck off. But the post has some good points about the differences between the heathen gods and the Christian god. The heathen gods can be characterized as laws of nature and the universe. The Christian god, not so much — according to the Christian beliefs, he is the one and only. Laws are something the Christian god makes, but can break at any time. Can the heathen god break the laws? Yes, but there is a price to pay.
Look at the price Tyr suffered for violating an oath. He lost his right hand; his sword hand. But it was worth it to keep chaos (Fenrir) from running amok and bringing about the end of the universe. When you realize that the difference between our gods and the Jotun are simple intentions toward humans, it all makes infinite sense. (Don’t believe me, look at Skadi, Tyr, and Thor — all which either have Jotun blood or are pure Jotun.)
I honestly hope you could glean something out of this post that is worthwhile. Otherwise, I’ll be back to less rambling things such as Yule in my next post.
One thing I don’t seem to have gotten over very well is my Catholic need to martyr myself. (I can just see Tyr shake his head in exasperation when when I do this) — if the Lord of Swords thinks it’s folly to overextend myself, I suspect it is folly.
But the holidays are a great time to overdo everything, including overextend oneself. But as Loki constantly reminds me (and yes, somehow Loki pops in to remind me to self-care– more on that some other day), there’s no way I can possibly care for anyone else if I don’t care for myself first.
(At least, if you’re going to have psychoses, have useful ones where the gods talk some sense into you to do things that are good for you and those around you.)
My mom used to put on a big shindig every Thanksgiving and Christmas. When my ancient Mother-In-Law moved to our town, I channeled my mom and tried to put together celebratory meals. The reality was far from wonderful. My husband and I hunt and hunting season chews up Thanksgiving handily. While I am grateful to Skadi and Ullr for our meals, hunting takes up a lot of energy. Having Thanksgiving later than the prescribed day helped, but by the end of it, I was channeling my inner bitch. I was exhausted, overworked, and feeling overwhelmed.
Loki reminded me to self-care.
I threw something at him.
To make matters worse, the weather got evilly cold. The Jotun were here to plunge us into temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Skadi granted us more opportunities to hunt. A bunch of my livestock got sick and no matter what I did, they remained sick. So, I finally got a veterinarian out. Blood draws and plenty of medicine.
Then, there was the little matter of butchering the deer we got the week before. Usually I would have it all cut up, but with the amazingly brutal weather, the quarters froze right up. So, I could thaw them out and butcher them at a slightly more leisurely pace.
I still need to take care of the skins, even though they’re salted.
I have writing work and other work to do. My plants in the greenhouse are questionable now. I finally get around to watering them anyway.
Got a bunch of food 
that needs to be preserved still. Managed to get the dehydrator full with squash.
Loki reminds me to self-care.
I whimper.
I have this blog and three others to write. I have assignments to get done. I have to make money somehow…
The problem that we as humans deal with is what society constrains us when it comes to things we must do. Sometimes, we take what we perceive as obligations when in fact, they’re simply man-made constructs. We do things because we were taught to do them, whether or not it makes sense for our lives. As much as I love Tyr, he has enough control over my life with physics, the laws of nature, and the laws of men. Chasing after some perceived societal norm around holidays when it stresses me out isn’t healthy. Hence, Loki steps in and whines about my lack of self care.
That’s why when my husband pointed out that doing a dinner thing wasn’t working for me, I needed to step back and rethink what I was doing. I was trying to follow my mom’s style, which isn’t mine. Holidays, as wonderful as they are, need to be something that aren’t done “just because that’s how we do them.”
Whether celebrating Thanksgiving/Harvest or Yule/Christmas, we as humans must make them joyous occasions and not stressors in our lives. Loki reminds me that being human means being fallible. That means that sometimes we can’t do “all the things, all the time.” Tyr agrees. Which suddenly has reduced the stress in my life.
I still have all the other things to get done, but somehow, the gods make them a little less frenetic. Probably because they don’t judge me on what I accomplish in the minutiae of my daily life. Not like the Christian god purportedly did.
Thanks, and hopefully this rambling post made sense to you. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll listen to your inner Loki and remember self care as well.
