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Favorite type of Magic;
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  Divination
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Xion Skye

PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:24 am
Esiris
Xion Skye
The thing about rune divination is more of probability then it is the fates giving you an answer I'm not sure if that's the same for all divination practice.
I'm not sure why that is- could you explain it to me? I mean, why wouldn't someone who is connected to Odin use them to ask him for his insight?

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The runes can help show you which may be the most likely path but if it where to tell you the answer then that takes away from self reliance which is one of our noble virtues.

That doesn't make any sense to me- how can using power from the industrial grid be "ok" but using runes to talk to the gods not be?

If self reliance was so important to the Norse pagans- why did they have blacksmiths who would barter with farmers, who would barter with hunters and stuff?


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And for stone depending on how well they are smoothed out before you either a. buy them or b. carve them can make a large difference that's why sometimes it's better to just follow the carving that's been made.

But what kind of stone? If it's porous enough to absorb blood then how come it doesn't flake or something when you throw them?
The thing about self reliance is that you can do live on your own. It's not about trade. A blacksmith can hunt and grow his own food if needed he is trained in many ways. But at the same time he goes and trades with others because it supports the kindred as a whole. And the with the runes. If a warrior goes forth and uses runes to find out the fate of everything he does has he earned a right to Valhalla? Or is he just a week man with no will of his own. And no not all stones will flake at being tossed. Also blooding is not even a need of runes. In most cases of the old times Runes where not blooded to start with. You are always welcome to Odin's insight and the nature of the Norns but they will not do the work for you. It is up for you to decide what the right path is. they simply will show a path. It may be some insight to indecision or something happens in a way as it closes a path that you may have been confused by.  
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:40 am
Xion Skye
The thing about self reliance is that you can do live on your own. It's not about trade. A blacksmith can hunt and grow his own food if needed he is trained in many ways. But at the same time he goes and trades with others because it supports the kindred as a whole.

This doesn't really seem like it's historically accurate to me- I mean, huntsmen, farmers and blacksmiths traded a lot.

I guess to me self reliance isn't the same as being good at everything, it's about being good at providing for yourself and if that means you have a valuable skill and can sell goods or services, then you're self reliant even if you're not a jack of all trades.

If that skill is divination or readings to gather knowledge to make better choices to help yourself- then you're still self reliant.

And like Sang said- the Nine Noble Virtues aren't part of Norse culture anyway.


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And the with the runes. If a warrior goes forth and uses runes to find out the fate of everything he does has he earned a right to Valhalla?
I thought Valhalla was only for people who died in battle? I'm not too familiar with Norse paganism- but I never saw anything that said warriors were entitled to go to Valhalla- I mean, I thought about half of them went somewhere else anyway because Freya gets some of them.

I'm also curious about what happens if a warrior doesn't die on the battle field. My impression is that most Norse pagans go to Hel's realm anyway, so runes or not- I don't think that has anything to do with where you end up. Is there something in Norse mythology I'm not familiar with? Maybe if you posted a passage about how the legends of the Norse say that using divination will keep you out of Valhalla it would make more sense to me.

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Or is he just a week man with no will of his own.
I wouldn't say that at all- I mean, he has to have the will to take up the runes to begin with. He has to have the will to make his plans and to execute them no matter what the runes said. It kind of sounds like you're saying anyone who uses divination is a worthless human being.

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And no not all stones will flake at being tossed.
Cool! Which stones absorbed the blood? I would really like to know so I can carve with them.

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Also blooding is not even a need of runes. In most cases of the old times Runes where not blooded to start with.
Could you tell me where you learnd that? It is 100% opposite of everything I know about runes which isn't much- but it's so different I'd like to know where you read it.

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You are always welcome to Odin's insight and the nature of the Norns but they will not do the work for you. It is up for you to decide what the right path is. they simply will show a path.
That's what I thought! So I guess in that way divination doesn't actually effect people's will!  

Esiris

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Lance Kibagari

PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:21 pm
Esiris
Could you tell me where you learnd that? It is 100% opposite of everything I know about runes which isn't much- but it's so different I'd like to know where you read it.

Egils Saga features Egil smearing a set of runes that he's carved with his own blood. Here's what MacLeod and Mees say on blooding:
Runic Amulets and Magic Objects - pg 235
The most celebrated description of runic sorcery in Egil’s Saga, however, one
which similarly inspires Egil to spontaneously break into verse, occurs with his
discovery of poison in a drink intended for him, by carving runes reddened with
his own blood on a drinking horn. The saga recounts how Egil cut his hand with
his knife, carved runes on the proffered horn, which he smeared with his blood,
and then spoke a verse that caused the horn to shatter:
I carve runes on the horn, redden the words with blood.
I choose words for the ear-roots’ trees (i.e. horns)
of the mad animal.
I drink ale as I want, brought by smiling servants.
Let us see what it does, the ale that Bard consecrated.
The motif of colouring runes with one’s own blood recurs in other early examples
of Norse literature, and the Eddic poem the Second Lay of Gudrun even mentions
a horn with ‘reddened’ runes which cause the eponymous heroine to forget her
grief. Some runic inscriptions also refer to ‘red’ or ‘reddened’ runes, though red
was a favoured colour for painting inscriptions in classical times, presumably
because it made painted letters stand out so well. On the other hand, the motif of
messages inscribed in blood is a staple of magical practices everywhere, not least
Scandinavia where later spells occasionally describe sigils that were required to
be written in human blood. In fact our word bless, Old English ble#dsjan, origi-
nally meant ‘to cause to bleed’ or ‘to bloody’ as does blóta, the Old Norse word
for ‘to sacrifice’. Whether blood was used in runic magic outside the minds of the
writers of the sagas, however, remains questionable.
 
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:40 pm
Lance Kibagari

Egils Saga features Egil smearing a set of runes that he's carved with his own blood. Here's what MacLeod and Mees say on blooding:

Thanks Lance!  

Esiris

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Xion Skye

PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:52 pm
Esiris
Xion Skye
The thing about self reliance is that you can do live on your own. It's not about trade. A blacksmith can hunt and grow his own food if needed he is trained in many ways. But at the same time he goes and trades with others because it supports the kindred as a whole.
That's what I thought! So I guess in that way divination doesn't actually effect people's will!
I'm sorry if I'm not being clear I don't normally get to explain this stuff. Now It's not the a person was good at everything but they did have the knowledge of how to do it. All children where required to learn a bit of every skill and trade they could. Then they would be picked or choose a "job" I can't remember which that they would do within the village/kindred. As an add on because I of the way I feel about it the use of divination is mostly opinion. I personally don't think I should have to ask for what to do around every corner I believe that would make a person week. Again just my opinion  
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 10:21 pm
Xion Skye
Now It's not the a person was good at everything but they did have the knowledge of how to do it. All children where required to learn a bit of every skill and trade they could.
But that doesn't mean they did them all though does it? I mean- why go out hunting if you're horrible at it when trading with someone for elk meat for something you're good at would be a better use of your time? I mean- when my family hunts or fishes, they come back empty handed more than not. We'd starve! cat_xp

Was there anything in the Eddas or anything in archaeological digs or something that show what you're saying is real?

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I personally don't think I should have to ask for what to do around every corner
I don't know anyone who does any kind of serious reading who does that- so that doesn't make sense to me as a reason. cat_neutral

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I believe that would make a person week. Again just my opinion

cat_sweatdrop Sorry- I tried to ignore it, but it is driving me nuts: the word you're thinking of is "weak", week means seven days- weak is the opposite of strong.

I'm having a hard time with your opinion because the reasoning all seems off- there isn't any historic evidence for what you're saying, and lots of my questions haven't been answered and at least one thing you said has had a quote from the Edda that shows it wasn't done in that case.

I am still curious about this stone, what kind of stone is it?
You said blooding the runes isn't important- where did this idea come from?
You said that depending on other people was bad in Norse culture- where did that idea come from?
You mentioned the Nine Noble Virtures- but I don't think they come from the Eddas or anything, so if they're new- how do they fit with traditions that honor the Norse gods and what would the gods say about them?
Where does this idea about weakness come from? If being reliant on other people is bad, then how can you own things like computers and cars and stuff that are all made by other people?  

Esiris

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Lance Kibagari

PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:33 pm
Esiris
You said blooding the runes isn't important- where did this idea come from?

There's no definitive evidence that runes were actually blooded, but there's plenty of reason to believe that runes were reddened so they might be read better. Of course, that doesn't discount that blooding runes didn't do something, as it's present in the literature, but as MacLeod and Mees pointed out it doesn't necessarily mean there's anything proving the writers of the sagas blooded runes as part of their culture.

For modern divinatory purposes, I imagine blooding the runes might not do any harm, but if one is simply writing an inscription or charm on an object, it might not even be necessary. Of course, that's if the archaeological evidence is to be believed, as to my knowledge no objects have been found with traces of blood in the grooves - not that we'd necessarily be able to even detect it after so long.

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You said that depending on other people was bad in Norse culture- where did that idea come from?

Self-sufficiency may have been a valued trait; we know our ancestors had a tendency toward being individualistic to some degree.

As for depending on other people being bad, the Havamal presents a certain morality that focused on things such as individualism as well as generosity and hospitality. There was also a fair bit of "If you're stupid, shut the ******** up", but that doesn't support my arguments whatsoever.

Havamal, Bellows trans.

35. Forth shall one go, | nor stay as a guest
In a single spot forever;
Love becomes loathing | if long one sits
By the hearth in another's home.

36. Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
A pair of goats | and a patched-up roof
Are better far than begging.

37. Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
His heart is bleeding | who needs must beg
When food he fain would have.


Looking at these particular verses, Oðinn is telling Loddfafnir that one should not stay a guest for too long, lest he become unloved. Similarly, he says that you're better off at home, where you rule, even if you have little, than you would be if you are begging. Begging leads to suffering, whereas one could be tilling the fields and working.

Let's look at something else:

Havamal, Bellows trans.

126. I rede thee, Loddfafnir! | and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
A shoemaker be, | or a maker of shafts,
For only thy single self;
If the shoe is ill made, | or the shaft prove false,
Then evil of thee men think.


Here, the Old Man tells Loddfafnir that he'll be far better off making boots and shafts (those of spear and arrow) for himself; if he were to make them for another, and the shafts broke or the shoe was faulty, he would get a bad reputation.

In this way, he's also telling Loddfafnir that if he only makes spears and shafts for himself, he can avoid possibly faulty craftsmanship and potentially live; or, if the shaft is faulty, he has only himself to blame.

There is a lot more in the Havamal, and it's quite a wonderful read if one has the time to digest each verse.
The Havamal

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You mentioned the Nine Noble Virtures- but I don't think they come from the Eddas or anything, so if they're new- how do they fit with traditions that honor the Norse gods and what would the gods say about them?

I wouldn't necessarily say they come directly from the Eddas, but they were distilled mostly from the Havamal and Sidrifumal. What the Virtues are largely depends on who you are speaking to, though it's easy enough to say that they fall short of a codified morality, mostly because there are often far better lessons to take from the Eddas.

The Odinic Rite's variant (Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Self-Reliance, Industriousness, Perseverance) can be seen to contradict the actions of the gods in many ways. The Allfather in particular is well-known to either speak a half-truth or leave it out entirely if he sees fit to do so. Freyja's name was slandered by Loki when he said she basically sleeps with anything, and the well-known story of how she may have acquired Brisingamen points to this as well, so there goes Fidelity.

Industriousness as well is a point where the gods may set a bad example: in many cases we see them working smart instead of hard. The walls of Asgard were not built by the gods, and they also wormed their way out of the deal with the giant who was building it when they realized he might finish it in time to be paid.

There may be other examples, but those are the ones that stand out at this time. If one wishes to adhere to the NNV, one may, but I personally believe they are hogwash and fall short.

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Where does this idea about weakness come from? If being reliant on other people is bad, then how can you own things like computers and cars and stuff that are all made by other people?


Being reliant on others isn't equivalent to doing trade with them in this context; in the case of trade, both parties are entering into a (hopefully mutually beneficial) agreement where goods and services exchange hands. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and our ancestors proved this point in particular by sailing off and trading with the Arabs and other peoples.


I realize I am answering questions not necessarily intended for me, but I felt they should be given the proper time and consideration. I left a few things out that I felt unqualified to answer.  
PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:00 am
Lance Kibagari

There's no definitive evidence that runes were actually blooded, but there's plenty of reason to believe that runes were reddened so they might be read better. Of course, that doesn't discount that blooding runes didn't do something, as it's present in the literature, but as MacLeod and Mees pointed out it doesn't necessarily mean there's anything proving the writers of the sagas blooded runes as part of their culture.
Are there any specific cases where the runes weren't reded or blooded in the lore?

I get the impression that it was really consistant in the lore- but maybe if it's absence is really obvious in a part it would help show that it wasn't cultural.

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For modern divinatory purposes, I imagine blooding the runes might not do any harm, but if one is simply writing an inscription or charm on an object, it might not even be necessary. Of course, that's if the archaeological evidence is to be believed, as to my knowledge no objects have been found with traces of blood in the grooves - not that we'd necessarily be able to even detect it after so long.

I was thinking that might help- but since it's blood which degrades in decades, I don't really have any hope for centuries. cat_sweatdrop

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Self-sufficiency may have been a valued trait; we know our ancestors had a tendency toward being individualistic to some degree.

As for depending on other people being bad, the Havamal presents a certain morality that focused on things such as individualism as well as generosity and hospitality. There was also a fair bit of "If you're stupid, shut the ******** up", but that doesn't support my arguments whatsoever.

Havamal, Bellows trans.

35. Forth shall one go, | nor stay as a guest
In a single spot forever;
Love becomes loathing | if long one sits
By the hearth in another's home.

36. Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
A pair of goats | and a patched-up roof
Are better far than begging.

37. Better a house, | though a hut it be,
A man is master at home;
His heart is bleeding | who needs must beg
When food he fain would have.


Looking at these particular verses, Oðinn is telling Loddfafnir that one should not stay a guest for too long, lest he become unloved. Similarly, he says that you're better off at home, where you rule, even if you have little, than you would be if you are begging. Begging leads to suffering, whereas one could be tilling the fields and working.

Let's look at something else:

Havamal, Bellows trans.

126. I rede thee, Loddfafnir! | and hear thou my rede,-
Profit thou hast if thou hearest,
Great thy gain if thou learnest:
A shoemaker be, | or a maker of shafts,
For only thy single self;
If the shoe is ill made, | or the shaft prove false,
Then evil of thee men think.


Here, the Old Man tells Loddfafnir that he'll be far better off making boots and shafts (those of spear and arrow) for himself; if he were to make them for another, and the shafts broke or the shoe was faulty, he would get a bad reputation.

In this way, he's also telling Loddfafnir that if he only makes spears and shafts for himself, he can avoid possibly faulty craftsmanship and potentially live; or, if the shaft is faulty, he has only himself to blame.


I don't think any of that is really the same as "self reliance" in the sense that you can't or shouldn't work with others- it seems more like saying "don't be a burden, and don't do shoddy workmanship"- which to me is really different than what the posts have been about.

The posts were talking about how relying on others is a weaknss- but we all rely on other people, because think of how many goods and services we take advantage of these days.

If you don't know something- you go to an expert. If that's making a tool or something, ok. If you need help with your taxes go to a CPA- if you're making a huge decision that doesn't fit your skills, why not use divination? Especially if you know how to read yourself- if you're reading for yourself over important things, how is that a weakness?


Thanks for the link!

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I wouldn't necessarily say they come directly from the Eddas, but they were distilled mostly from the Havamal and Sidrifumal. What the Virtues are largely depends on who you are speaking to, though it's easy enough to say that they fall short of a codified morality, mostly because there are often far better lessons to take from the Eddas.

The Odinic Rite's variant (Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Self-Reliance, Industriousness, Perseverance) can be seen to contradict the actions of the gods in many ways. The Allfather in particular is well-known to either speak a half-truth or leave it out entirely if he sees fit to do so. Freyja's name was slandered by Loki when he said she basically sleeps with anything, and the well-known story of how she may have acquired Brisingamen points to this as well, so there goes Fidelity.

Industriousness as well is a point where the gods may set a bad example: in many cases we see them working smart instead of hard. The walls of Asgard were not built by the gods, and they also wormed their way out of the deal with the giant who was building it when they realized he might finish it in time to be paid.

There may be other examples, but those are the ones that stand out at this time. If one wishes to adhere to the NNV, one may, but I personally believe they are hogwash and fall short.

That was kind of my impression- my roomie is a Norse pagan and stuff so I'm no expert, but some of it just doesn't add up.

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Being reliant on others isn't equivalent to doing trade with them in this context; in the case of trade, both parties are entering into a (hopefully mutually beneficial) agreement where goods and services exchange hands. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and our ancestors proved this point in particular by sailing off and trading with the Arabs and other peoples.

It felt like when he called using divination a weakness- because it was getting something form someone else, it was kind of like trade in that way.


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I realize I am answering questions not necessarily intended for me, but I felt they should be given the proper time and consideration. I left a few things out that I felt unqualified to answer.

Thank you for all your help!  

Esiris

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Lance Kibagari

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:00 am
Esiris
Are there any specific cases where the runes weren't reded or blooded in the lore?

I get the impression that it was really consistant in the lore- but maybe if it's absence is really obvious in a part it would help show that it wasn't cultural.


By cultural I had meant an actual practice and not just a literary device. There's enough blood strewn about the practices of our ancestors whereby there's a good chance they also may have blooded runes for reasons other than being able to read them. As for places where the runes weren't redded or blooded in the literature, nothing stands out at the moment. I'm sure they exist, though.

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I was thinking that might help- but since it's blood which degrades in decades, I don't really have any hope for centuries. cat_sweatdrop

Some of those objects have been remarkably preserved, and there was even a staff (of wood, I believe) that had runic inscriptions all over it, but I don't believe they found any blood staining the wood.

There was also this:

Runic Amulets and Magic Objects, pg 133
They also appear among ‘fart runes’ in the Galdrabók in a spell calling for an inscription in blood and the recitation: ‘I carve for you eight a-runes, nine n-runes, thirteen þ-runes’ (Otte ausse Naudir Nije þossa ðretten) which will ‘torment your stomach with terrible farting’. 9

and this:

Same source, pg 107

The Saga of the Ynglings recounts that a failed Swedish king, Olaf Tree-cutter, was even sacrificed to the gods because:

"there came hard times and famine,which [the people] ascribed to their king,as the Swedes always used to judge their kings by whether their harvests were good or not. King Olaf was sparing in his sacrifices and this upset the Swedes as they believed that this was the reason for the hard times. The Swedes therefore gathered troops together, marched against King Olaf, surrounded his house and burnt him in it, giving him to Odin as a sacrifice for good crops."

Similarly the Saga also recounts that during the reign of another early Swedish king called Domaldi:

"there was great famine and distress in his day, so the Swedes made great offerings of sacrifice at Uppsala. The first autumn they sacrificed oxen, but the succeeding season things did not improve. The following autumn they sacrificed men, but the next year was even worse. The third autumn, when the offering of sacrifices was due to begin, a great multitude of Swedes came to Uppsala and their leaders...agreed that the times of scarcity were the fault of their king Domaldi, and they resolved to offer him up for good seasons, and to assault and kill him, and redden the place with his blood. And so they did."


While this does mention sacrifices, it's the blood I'm interested in. The (hilarious) farting spell *does* call for an inscription in blood, though I'm unsure if that means runes or otherwise. It seems that blood was seen as sacrificial in many cases.

If one were to blood a set of runes or a bindrune, looking at how blood was seen historically, it might tie in to Oðinn's sacrifice, or be one's own sacrifice for the privilege of using such things. Perhaps not magical or binding in its own right, but significant nonetheless.It's quite an interesting thing to consider, and I'll have to devote more time to it, as I'd never thought of the significance of blood before.
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I don't think any of that is really the same as "self reliance" in the sense that you can't or shouldn't work with others- it seems more like saying "don't be a burden, and don't do shoddy workmanship"- which to me is really different than what the posts have been about.

If we take the definition of self-reliance as put forth by Merriam-Webster:
Merriam-Webster
reliance on one's own efforts and abilities

then the idea of self-reliance as might be put forth by those verses is a little clearer. Relying on one's own efforts and abilities was seen as a good thing. Complete self-reliance, that of relying ONLY on one's own judgment and abilities, is perhaps a bit of a stretch in any society.

"Don't be a burden, and don't do shoddy workmanship" is far too general for the concepts being put forth, which is why the NNV fail. Remember that the Elder Edda is poetry, and even when translated to English may be full of imagery and terms entirely foreign to us. Not to mention the statements must also be put into the context of their culture, not ours.

Verse 35 is much like Benjamin Franklin's maxim: "fish and guests stink in three days." One must remember the themes of hospitality arcing through the lore; even the gods would stop by someone's house or hall and have a meal with them and be given a place to sleep. That having been said, it was important to be a good guest.

Verse 36 is saying "Having your own house (where one is master) and livestock, meager though they may be, is better than begging." An easier way of putting this would be looking at the crappy car one owns and saying, "hey, it's better than hitch-hiking".

Verse 37 starts off the same as 36, saying "even having a little is better than nothing" and follows it up by stating "having to beg when you would happily have food is painful and shameful". It was far better and healthier to have pride in what little one has, as the alternative was not an attractive concept.

Verse 126 does lend itself to the notion of "don't produce shoddy craftsmanship", but it also speaks of relying on one's own ability to produce shafts and boots (and likely other materials), as someone else's craftsmanship could be shoddy, and one might not know that until the shaft snaps in your hand in battle - and then you're screwed.

If you're going to produce crappy shafts, of course it's better to use them oneself and not trade them away. One's reputation in Norse culture very much followed one beyond the grave:

Havamal, Bellows trans.

77. Cattle die, | and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
But a noble name | will never die,
If good renown one gets.

78. Cattle die, | and kinsmen die,
And so one dies one's self;
One thing now | that never dies,
The fame of a dead man's deeds.

Note that fame is not always a good thing. Related to the idea of one's deeds following one beyond the grave is also the concept of hamingja, which is basically personal and familial luck. As far as I understand, it's not a constant thing, and can be contributed to or taken from. Obviously one wouldn't want to squander their family's hamingja by producing crappy shafts that people died from.

Deoridhe mentioned hamingja in the Lokeans and Asatru thread. I don't remember which page, though. She may have mentioned something about the deeds of our ancestors affecting us through hamingja. I am honestly unsure.

So we see from the Havamal the idea that, yes, self-reliance was important and a thing of pride. It has nothing to do with NOT interacting with or accepting assistance from others in any way, shape or form as the Havamal also mentions bringing gifts to one's friends. While absolute self-sufficiency would likely have been a wonderful thought to many of our ancestors, it was impractical and they likely knew that.

While I speak of the Havamal a lot, that also doesn't necessarily mean that's exactly how they lived. After all, it was advice from One-Eye on how a man should live.

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The posts were talking about how relying on others is a weaknss- but we all rely on other people, because think of how many goods and services we take advantage of these days.

If you don't know something- you go to an expert. If that's making a tool or something, ok. If you need help with your taxes go to a CPA- if you're making a huge decision that doesn't fit your skills, why not use divination? Especially if you know how to read yourself- if you're reading for yourself over important things, how is that a weakness?


Arguing that relying on others for certain skills that one doesn't have is weakness doesn't really hold up. One-Eye himself went off to consult seeresses when he didn't have the information himself. However, he also gave up an eye so that he, himself, might have wisdom. So there's something to say for doing it oneself as well.

I will say that I come from a Swedish-American culture, and a lot the concepts I was raised with echoes things I've read in the Havamal, self-reliance included. Obviously even today it's impractical to do everything oneself, but in my culture it's extremely important that one puts as little reliance on others as possible. I'm not saying that my culture can be tracked back to our Old Norse ancestors and that it fits perfectly, but there are parallels in some areas, adjusted for modern life.

Still, sometimes one isn't an expert, and thus it's practical to go to one. Saying that going to an expert is weakness would be like calling Oðinn weak because he consults a seeress. That's not something I'm willing to do.

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That was kind of my impression- my roomie is a Norse pagan and stuff so I'm no expert, but some of it just doesn't add up.


It doesn't even add up for us Heathens, so don't feel bad about not being an expert. It's hard to generalize old concepts and fit them to modern life, especially in one word. 3nodding

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It felt like when he called using divination a weakness- because it was getting something form someone else, it was kind of like trade in that way.

Not everyone was well-versed in the runes or seiðr, and people would ask questions of the seiðkona in matters big and small - from harvest to love.
There's nothing weak about it, but it's also not something to be abused or relied on entirely. As with anything.

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Thank you for all your help!

You're welcome. I'm glad to help in whatever capacity I can.  
PostPosted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:31 pm
I'm a witch. I practice ceremonial witchcraft at times and I practice fire based magic through petitions being burned.. I also use a lot of "air" magic as I consider air to be the element of thought and a lot of my spells are done through thought and hand gestures alone.  

Loona Wynd

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