Forwarded from Survive the Jive: All-feed
In advance of Yule I shall just remind people that although in the past I pointed out that Odin's epithet JÓLFAÐR "yule father" sounds like Father Christmas, that is in fact just a coincidence. Odin was indeed the principle god of the Yule festival, but he is not related to Santa Claus.
Father Christmas and Santa Claus are two separate figures who got merged together recently. The latter was mainly in West Germanic speaking continental Europe and was based on Saint Nicolas, while the former was in France and the British Isles and is literally a personification of Christmas itself. Neither existed in Scandinavia or Iceland until recently. The Nordic equivalent was a goat and it is perhaps of relevance that early English depictions of Father Christmas depict him riding on a goat so there may be a connection between the Julbok and Father Christmas but maybe not.
The reindeer and North pole stuff is all modern invention from USA so any resemblance to Odin is coincidence.
Also, as a heathen father, I don't consider it pious to tell my children that the fat purveyor of plastic toys is our god. It isn't. I also refrain from referring to the small pointy hatted servants as "elves" since in our religion this term is reserved for honoured ancestral spirits. I prefer to say gnome so as to avoid confusion. The Nordic countries call them nisse but this may derive from a term meaning "ancestor" which raises similar concerns.
Father Christmas and Santa Claus are two separate figures who got merged together recently. The latter was mainly in West Germanic speaking continental Europe and was based on Saint Nicolas, while the former was in France and the British Isles and is literally a personification of Christmas itself. Neither existed in Scandinavia or Iceland until recently. The Nordic equivalent was a goat and it is perhaps of relevance that early English depictions of Father Christmas depict him riding on a goat so there may be a connection between the Julbok and Father Christmas but maybe not.
The reindeer and North pole stuff is all modern invention from USA so any resemblance to Odin is coincidence.
Also, as a heathen father, I don't consider it pious to tell my children that the fat purveyor of plastic toys is our god. It isn't. I also refrain from referring to the small pointy hatted servants as "elves" since in our religion this term is reserved for honoured ancestral spirits. I prefer to say gnome so as to avoid confusion. The Nordic countries call them nisse but this may derive from a term meaning "ancestor" which raises similar concerns.
Forwarded from Survive the Jive: All-feed
Intimidating fashion statement from this man of the Khvalynsk related Ekaterinovka site. These people were like Yamnaya but with higher levels of EHG.
Forwarded from 𝕽enaissance 𝕻erspectives
𝖄uletide and New Year’s Eve divination was and still is a practice in Scandinavia, especially in Finland . Probably because it’s one of the times of the year when the veil is as thinnest between the world of the living and the other side.
Today it’s common to practice molybdomancy, and that’s a complicated word I would assume as good as no one that practices it knows it by that name. But it’s to melt lead or tin and let it drop into water and then you try to interpret what you see in the formations it has created that is the answer to your questions is.
It’s essentially like reading in tea or something of that effect and is seen by most like a funny little tradition or game.
An other more daring method is called Årsgång (Year-Walk).
There are thousands of records that describe the tradition or retell stories about it. The core area of divination seems to be in Småland, in southern Sweden, where the tradition is mentioned in writing as early as the 17th century and then in several writings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Today it’s probably very rare that anyone attempts it.
Usually it was during specific holidays like, during the Christmas nights, at Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day or New Year - sometimes even at Midsummer - that a person who wanted to get a glimpse of the future could perform the ritual. The person who would preform it would secretly isolated themselves in the dark and abstainfrom food and drink for about 24 hours. At midnight the person would go to one or more parish churches, walk around these counterclockwise, often three or seven times (that is, the magic numbers). When that was done, the person became sensitive to the supernatural powers and found out through visions and hearing what would happen in the village in the coming year. Usually by looking into the key hole of to the church door. It differs from other forms of folk divination, as it was glimpses of the future of the entire settlement, not just of an individual or a family, that were of importance. Those who did this could see processions of corpses, and thus got to know who would die in the area, hear cannon shots or see fires which heralded war and accidents, or hear how scythes hit the fields or how they hit stones, which was a signs of good or bad harvest. In the cabins, people could be seen sitting headless if they were condemned to die during the year, but if they sat with crowns on their heads, they were married instead.
During this walk to and fro the church all sorts of supernatural benevolent beings could try to scare or try to kill the walker. One of them as a ghastly boar with fire and brimstone in its glowing eyes or snout that could carry away the walker or split him in half by running through the person. This boar was called Gloson (The Glowing Sow).
Today it’s common to practice molybdomancy, and that’s a complicated word I would assume as good as no one that practices it knows it by that name. But it’s to melt lead or tin and let it drop into water and then you try to interpret what you see in the formations it has created that is the answer to your questions is.
It’s essentially like reading in tea or something of that effect and is seen by most like a funny little tradition or game.
An other more daring method is called Årsgång (Year-Walk).
There are thousands of records that describe the tradition or retell stories about it. The core area of divination seems to be in Småland, in southern Sweden, where the tradition is mentioned in writing as early as the 17th century and then in several writings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Today it’s probably very rare that anyone attempts it.
Usually it was during specific holidays like, during the Christmas nights, at Christmas Day, St. Stephen's Day or New Year - sometimes even at Midsummer - that a person who wanted to get a glimpse of the future could perform the ritual. The person who would preform it would secretly isolated themselves in the dark and abstainfrom food and drink for about 24 hours. At midnight the person would go to one or more parish churches, walk around these counterclockwise, often three or seven times (that is, the magic numbers). When that was done, the person became sensitive to the supernatural powers and found out through visions and hearing what would happen in the village in the coming year. Usually by looking into the key hole of to the church door. It differs from other forms of folk divination, as it was glimpses of the future of the entire settlement, not just of an individual or a family, that were of importance. Those who did this could see processions of corpses, and thus got to know who would die in the area, hear cannon shots or see fires which heralded war and accidents, or hear how scythes hit the fields or how they hit stones, which was a signs of good or bad harvest. In the cabins, people could be seen sitting headless if they were condemned to die during the year, but if they sat with crowns on their heads, they were married instead.
During this walk to and fro the church all sorts of supernatural benevolent beings could try to scare or try to kill the walker. One of them as a ghastly boar with fire and brimstone in its glowing eyes or snout that could carry away the walker or split him in half by running through the person. This boar was called Gloson (The Glowing Sow).
Forwarded from ᛉ Sagnamaðr Stark ᛉ
“The favor of Heerfather seek we to find, To his followers gold he gladly gives; To Hermoth gave he helm and mail-coat, And to Sigmund he gave a sword as gift.
Triumph to some, and treasure to others,
To many wisdom and skill in words, Fair winds to the sailor, to the singer his art, And a manly heart to many a hero.”
~Hyndluljóð 2-3, Bellows
These stanzas reveal the matters in which Odin’s followers often sought His intercession.
𐃏
“Biðjum Herjaföðr í hugum sitja, hann geldr ok gefr gull verðungu; gaf hann Hermóði hjalm ok brynju, en Sigmundi sverð at þiggja.
Gefr hann sigr sumum, en sumum aura, mælsku mörgum ok mannvit firum; byri gefr hann brögnum, en brag skaldum, gefr hann mannsemi mörgum rekki.”
Triumph to some, and treasure to others,
To many wisdom and skill in words, Fair winds to the sailor, to the singer his art, And a manly heart to many a hero.”
~Hyndluljóð 2-3, Bellows
These stanzas reveal the matters in which Odin’s followers often sought His intercession.
𐃏
“Biðjum Herjaföðr í hugum sitja, hann geldr ok gefr gull verðungu; gaf hann Hermóði hjalm ok brynju, en Sigmundi sverð at þiggja.
Gefr hann sigr sumum, en sumum aura, mælsku mörgum ok mannvit firum; byri gefr hann brögnum, en brag skaldum, gefr hann mannsemi mörgum rekki.”
Forwarded from Æhtemen
In 1597 a Scottish man by the name of Andrew Man was tried and later hanged (in 1598) for being a witch. He was charged with receiving magical powers from the 'Quene of Elphame'. Elphame, sometimes recorded as Elphen was derived from Elp (like Alp) meaning Elf and hame from the OE ham meaning village or home, so Elphame had a similar meaning as Álfheimr. Andrew Man was not the only person tried as a witch in contact with the Queen of Elphame. Another Scottish witch, Bessie Dunlop was burnt at the stake in 1576 for having a witches ‘familiar spirit’ from Elphame whilst Alison Pearson was executed in 1588 after she confessed to having visions of a fairy court also termed Elphame and conversing with their Queen.
Wassail season soon! This is a lovely film of a Devon wassail except a woman who tries to kill the magic by praying not to spirits but to YEAST!
https://youtu.be/e-Lksq6xZSs?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/e-Lksq6xZSs?feature=shared
YouTube
Here's To Thee: Halstow Wassail
Made by filmmaker Bevis Bowden, this film records the second Halstow Wassail that took place on 15 January 2022 at Gray's Farm. The wassail was part of critically-acclaimed artist Simon Pope's project, 'Here's to Thee', which explores the ecology and cultures…
Forwarded from Survive the Jive: All-feed
Today I shall wassail the orchard trees with my family. This photo is of my son wassailing last January. See this film to learn all about the pagan tradition
Forwarded from Dan Davis Author
NEW VIDEO NOW LIVE!
On the bronze age steppe, over 4,000 years ago, the people of the prehistoric Catacomb culture built a huge, mysterious structure atop a high ridge above a river, flowing south toward the Black Sea.
Archeologists have called this structure a temple, or a sanctuary but what was this place?
What rituals might it have been used for and what god might they have worshipped here? What can it tell us about the Catacomb culture and their religious beliefs and cultural practices? And are there any other sites like this?
I hope you enjoy my new video. As always, your shares are massively appreciated. Cheers!
On the bronze age steppe, over 4,000 years ago, the people of the prehistoric Catacomb culture built a huge, mysterious structure atop a high ridge above a river, flowing south toward the Black Sea.
Archeologists have called this structure a temple, or a sanctuary but what was this place?
What rituals might it have been used for and what god might they have worshipped here? What can it tell us about the Catacomb culture and their religious beliefs and cultural practices? And are there any other sites like this?
I hope you enjoy my new video. As always, your shares are massively appreciated. Cheers!
YouTube
The Mysterious Temple Mound of Prehistoric Ukraine
On the bronze age steppe, over 4,000 years ago, the people of the prehistoric Catacomb culture built a huge, mysterious structure atop a high ridge above a river, flowing south toward the Black Sea. Archeologists have called this structure a temple, or a…
Survive the Jive: All-feed
Favourite STJ documentary of 2023
It is time for the 2024 best STJ documentary poll. These were last year's results. I don't include all my videos, only the proper edited documentary films (not talking head stuff)
Favourite STJ documentary of 2024
Anonymous Poll
58%
Milk drinking Celts (Hill forts)
17%
Hyperborean Odyssey 1
5%
Hyperborean Odyssey 2
7%
Hyperborean Odyssey 3
14%
Roman Istanbul
The biggest videos of the year have been the talking head youtube format ones about blue eyes, trump, and English identity. The most well researched talking head video this year was also the least popular - "Odin explained"
There is a rule for YouTube, the more effort you put into a video in terms of research and filming, the less popular it will be!
There is a rule for YouTube, the more effort you put into a video in terms of research and filming, the less popular it will be!
YouTube
Odin Explained: Runes and Magic
Buy the Great Rebellion on Steam now at https://store.steampowered.com/app/2732820/The_Great_Rebellion
Returning to the topic of the highest god, Odin. First I address why the Romans weren't entirely wrong when they compared him to Mercury/Hermes. Then I…
Returning to the topic of the highest god, Odin. First I address why the Romans weren't entirely wrong when they compared him to Mercury/Hermes. Then I…
BTW the full playlist of Hyperborean Odyssey is here
YouTube
HYPERBOREAN ODYSSEY
I worked on a cruise ship for half a month travelling to ancient archaeological sites across the North sea from Norway to Shetland, Orkney and Skye.