ᛉ Sagnamaðr Stark ᛉ

An interesting annular brooch from Hol, Norway, 5th Century. Similar to examples found in Gotland, possibly depicting Odin with a horned headdress, but with the addition of animals (horses?) around the frame, which could be a reference to the charms invoking Odin to heal horses. ᚨ

Several parallels to the Merseburg Charms are known across Germanic Europe, invoking Odin to heal horses. Jacob Grimm collected an incomplete version from Sweden in 1842, which was followed by a stanza invoking Frigg to heal sheep.
“Oden står på berget 
han spörjer efter sin fole, 
floget har han fått-
spotta i din hand, och i hans mun,
han skall få bot i samma stund.”
“Frygge frågade frå
huru skall man bota
den flåget får-”

An interesting bronze find from Kalundborg, Denmark. The art style is far more akin to Irish art, similar to the figure from the Oseberg Ship; this figure may have been brought back in a raid and modified by a Viking, to depict Odin by removing an eye. ᚬ

It begins
A new cult site to Holle

Jacob Grimm recorded a survival of Woden worship in Blekinge, Sweden and Mecklenburg, wherein farmers would leave a section of rye unharvested for Odin’s horse. They would braid the tops together and sprinkle them with water, take off their hats and bow, and recite thrice;

"Woden, take care of your horse now, with thistle and thorn,
so next year we may have better corn!"
Another version was;
"Woden, Woden, feed your horse now, with thistle and thorn, next year, better corn!"

He noted that it was said during winter nights, he could be heard roaming the fields with his hunting dogs (Freki and Geri?).

This was likely a remnant of offerings on Winterfylleth and/or Álfablót; in the Austrfararvísur, Odin is mentioned during a sacrifice to the Álfar. In rural regions of Scandinavia and Germany, the Old Ways never fully disappeared.

Art by Carl Emil Doepler, 1905. ⴲ

…what’s ironic is the Japanese sometimes used the exact same method to torture missionaries and converts as Olaf Tryggvason used to torture pagans; tying them up below the tide line, so they can watch in horror as the tide creeps closer. Full circle.

It’s so funny when Christians say “follow your ancestors and convert”, and “might makes right and we beat you” etc…I wonder if this logic also applies to Japan, where Japanese Christian converts were converted, often by force, back to Shintō and Buddhism.

Odin’s association with storms is often overlooked. Aside from the Wild Hunt, known as Åsgårdsrei (Asgard Ride) and Odens Jakt (Odin’s Hunt) in Scandinavia, two of his epithets in both Eddas are Þundr (Thunderer) and Viðrir (Stormer), and in the Reginsmál, a storm subsides when Odin boards Sigurd’s ship. ᚬ

The Fuglsang Hoard, found on Bornholm, 5th Century. The small metal container was found to contain several bratcteates, pendants made of Roman coins, two sun cross pendants, and several gold filigree beads. These were likely all worn together on the same necklace. ⴲ

The theory that the Æsir-Vanir war was an allegory for a war between the invading Indo-Europeans and the Early European Farmers/Hunter Gatherers is deeply flawed.
Most importantly, cognates to the Vanir gods are found in other Indo-European religions. The most obvious example is Freyja/Ēostre, cognate to Greek Eos, Baltic Aušrinė, Roman Aurora and Vedic Ushas, the most-mentioned goddess in the Rig Veda.
Myths of wars between gods exist in other Indo-European religions, such as the Titanomachy of Greek paganism, the wars between Devas and Asuras, and the battle between Shiva and Vishnu in the Puranas. It is not at all unique to Germanic paganism.
Painting by Donn P. Crane, 1922.

Establishing the sacred space for the blot by circumambulating the barrow 9 times carrying fire and ringing a bell for Lord Ing.

A rare survival from the Viking Age; a painted fragment of wood from Jelling, Denmark, 10-11th century.

A statue of Wodan by Rudolf Maison, 1900.

The 10-11th Century Anglo Saxon poem De Falsis Deis tells us Woden was worshipped at crossroads and hills (burial mounds?), both liminal spaces, with crossroads later associated with the devil.

“A certain man was also called Mercury in life; he was very crafty,
and, although fully clever in speech, treacherous in deed and in deceit. That one
made the heathens, by their reckoning, also for themselves into a renowned god, and at crossroads
offered him sacrifice often and frequently through the Devil's teaching, and to high
hills they often brought, erringly, praise-offerings. This false god was honorable also
among all heathens in that day, and he is called Odin by another name
in Danish manner.”

“Sum man eac wæs gehaten Mercurius on life, se wæs swyðe facenfull
And, ðeah full snotorwyrde, swicol on dædum and on leasbregdum. Ðone
Macedon þa hæðenan be heora getæle eac heom to mæran gode and æt wega
gelætum him lac offrodon oft and gelome þurh deofles lare and to heagum
beorgum him brohton oft mistlice loflac. Ðes gedwolgod wæs arwuðe eac
betwux eallum hæðenum on þam dagum and he is Oðan gehaten oðrum naman
on Denisce wisan.”
ᚩ

The Hearth of Devon Winterfylleth blot last night was preceded by the auspicious call of ravens. The moon was beautiful. And for the first time we had use of an Ing weoh created by Wessex Woodcraft.