“As for gods, Mercury (Odin) is the one they worship most, and on certain days they think it right to propitiate him even with human victims….they judge it not in accord with the greatness of the gods to confine them with walls or to liken them in appearance to any human countenance. They consecrate woods and groves.” Tacitus, Germania, 9.1-2.

“” ( Read more... )

I disagree with what so many (Neo) Heathens think and teach; namely,  that we are our deeds. We are our deeds but we are so much more. In my opinion, our relationships say as much about us, if not more, than our deeds.

Just as our family members and friends say a lot about who we are so do our goddesses and gods. In my experience those of us who ( Read more... )

21. Galdr and Seidr are two different forms of magic. Galdor is the magic of the Aesir. Seidr is the magic of the Vanir.

There is a variation of this misconception that replaces Galdr with Rune magic. Both versions of the misconception associate Galdr and/or Rune magic with the Aesir and those who are true to them and Seidr with the Vanir and those ( Read more... )

19. Odr is Odin.

20. Freyja and Odin were married.

These misconceptions seem to be most common among those who have a relationship with both Odin and Freyja. I cannot help but wonder if some connected with both Odin and Freyja did so under the influence of Raymond Buckland’s Book of Saxon Witchcraft or some other poorly researched work. But I also ( Read more... )

17. The Vanir and Aesir are complementary to each other.

This misconception assumes that the Vanir and Aesir are incomplete without each other. While I think that it could be argued that the Aesir are essentially incomplete in and of themselves I do not think that it could be rightly said that the Vanir are likewise incomplete. The Aesir, especially ( Read more... )

9.       The Aesir treated their Vanir hostages well.

Like the other misconceptions held by so many (Neo) Heathens and scholars, there is ample evidence in the surviving mythology of the Aesir to the contrary. There is plenty of evidence that the Vanir treated the Aesir well. Treating the Aesir well is consistent with the Vanir’s values of peace, ( Read more... )

4. The violence against Freyja as Gullveig was an initiation like Odin’s.

The first poem of the Poetic Edda, the Voluspa, declares that the first war, the primary war, began when the Aesir “Gullveig gashed with their spears”. After being gashed with spears, she was burned to death three times…and yet she lives. It is reasonable to conclude, as many ( Read more... )

3. Freyja as Gullveig deserved the violence done against her by the Aesir.

“A sorceress, she [Gullveig/Freyja] sows corruption [among the Aesir], particularly among women.” (Dumezil, p. 8)

“Gullveig’s name translates as “gold-intoxication,” and it is believed that Her presence among the Aesir so disrupted the structure and the order of their society ( Read more... )

In his Ynglinga Saga, Snorri reports that after Njordr, Freyr and Kvasir became hostages of the Aesir and Freyja joined them Odin placed Njordr and Freyr as priests of the sacrifices. Odin also placed Freyja as the priestess of the sacrifices. What Snorri reports begs many questions five of which are-

1.       What sacrifices?

2.       Where were the ( Read more... )

Many who are true to Odin and the Aesir like to separate seidr and the runes. They assert that seidr and the runes are two separate, very different forms of magic. Seidr they assign to Freyja and the Vanir. The runes they assign to Odin and the Aesir. Their general tone is that rune work is superior to seidr.

As part of their distinction they go ( Read more... )