Free Disciples of The Æsir

04/17/2022

Happy Easter and Ostara, everyone!

The original explanation of the connection of Easter eggs and bunnies goes back to when the Scandinavian and Danish Vikings (practicing a version of old Germanic paganism) settled on Saxon (Christian) lands. The two cultures merged, and brought along pagan rituals and beliefs that still exist in society today.

It appears from a very ancient, but little known tradition, that the rabbit, or rather the hare; sacred to Ostara (the goddess of springtime and fertility), was originally a bird.

The goddess finding her winged messenger was not fitted to endure all climates, transformed it into a brisk, quick-footed little quadruped with long ears, a warm furry coat, and no tail to speak of.
Thenceforward the hare, the emblem of fertility, was known as the friend and messenger of the spring goddess; and in memory of it’s former existence as a bird, the hare once a year, during the Spring Equinox, lays the gaily colored eggs that are the symbol of the awakening of earth and the renewal of life.

12/26/2021

Merry Christmas, and Happy Yule! For those who do not know, Yule is the framework for the Christian Christmas. It is the celebration of the Winter Solstice. This pagan holiday has deep roots in our culture. Everything from Santa Claus, to the exchange of gifts is pagan in origin. So, this Christmas, remember your roots.

12/06/2021

December 5th — (Krampusnacht; “Krampus Night”)

Krampus, in northern European popular legend, is a half-goat and half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime. Nowadays, he is seen as the devilish companion of Santa Claus. Krampus is believed to have originated in Germany, and his name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw.”

Krampus is part of pagan rituals for the Winter Solstice, known as "Yule." According to legend, he is the son of Hel, the Norse goddess of the underworld, making him the grandson of Loki. With the spread of Christianity, Krampus became associated with Christmas—despite efforts by the Catholic church to ban him. The creature is said to arrive on the evening of December 5th (Krampusnacht; “Krampus Night”). Krampus beats those who are naughty with branches and sticks. In some cases, he is said to eat them or take them to hell. The following day, St. Nicholas (originally recognized as the Norse god “Odin", aka “Woden") rewards nice children by leaving them presents.

11/10/2021

Gungnir is the name of Odin’s mighty spear.

As you’d expect for the weapon of a god, Gungnir is no ordinary spear. It was forged by legendary dwarves, the most skilled smiths in all of the realms. The spear was originally created, as a gift by Loki to Odin, as a peace offering for cutting Sif’s hair.

Gungnir is said to have runes carved on its point, which presumably increase its aim and lethality through magic.

Gungnir, the finest spear in the cosmos, symbolizes the magical and military might of the ruler of the Aesir gods.

11/04/2021

Helheim, which literally means “House of Hel” in Old Norse, is one of the nine worlds within the universe of Norse mythology. It is the underworld realm of the dead, where those who do not find themselves in Valhalla (Odin’s Hall) or Folkvang (Freya’s Hall) are destined to spend eternity. This would be due to how they die. If someone dies of old age, sickness, or in a dishonorable way, then they are going to Helheim.

Helheim is depicted as having a dark and dreary hall, called Elvidner (misery). That is where the goddess of death (Hel) eats from a dish called “hunger”, with a knife called “famine”, suggesting that no amount of eating can fill the empty stomachs of the dead.

However, the dead are destined to leave Helheim one day. According to the prophecy of Ragnarök, the Norse end of the world, Loki will lead an army of the dead to fight against the Asgardian gods. They will exit from Helheim on a ship made from the fingernails and toenails of the dead, with Hel at the bow of the ship alongside her father.

10/31/2021

In light of Halloween, today we will talk about Hel —goddess of death, the underworld, and the ruler of Helheim.

Hel is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboda. She is well known for her stunning appearance. Half of her face is beautiful and white as porcelain. The other half of her face is gaunt and decaying.

She is a very powerful goddess, as she is the only one who can bring someone back to life and return them to Midgard or Asgard. However, she has very little incentive to do so, since each soul in Helheim adds to her ranks for Ragnarök. This becomes especially relevant in the story of the death of Baldur.

Hel is generally presented as being rather greedy, harsh, and cruel, or at least indifferent to the concerns of both the living and the dead.

10/28/2021

Erik the Red, one of the most famous Vikings in history.

Erik was a warrior with a temper and a habit of taking the law into his own hands. It got him banished from 2 different Viking settlements.

Exile in those days was seen as somewhat of a light death sentence, since the wilderness was incredibly harsh in Iceland. Except that Erik was an avid explorer, and therefore capitalized on his banishments by simply finding new land —ultimately founding Greenland.

After his final banishment from Iceland had lapsed, he returned to recruit others to join him in Greenland. He deliberately named it Greenland to make the Arctic wasteland sound more enticing to the other Northmen. 400 Icelanders joined him, and just over half of them completed the harrowing journey.

On October 28th, we remember the Viking who was too extreme for other Vikings, yet managed to overcome all of the odds and founded an entire country that still exists today.

10/27/2021

Freya, the Queen of the Valkyries, is the goddess of love and fertility in Norse paganism. She is also associated with s*x, lust, stunning beauty, sorcery, gold, war, and death.

Freya is possibly the most important goddess. She is on par with Odin, except that she is originally of the Vanir (an old branch of gods well known for their magic, that reside in the realm of Vanaheim). Her transition to the Aesir, and residing in Asgard, was an arrangement of a truce upon the end of the war between the Aesir and Vanir.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not Odin, but Freya who has the first pick among all of the warriors who die in battle. She chooses half of the fallen for her great hall Sessrúmnir, on the field of Fólkvangr, the rest will go to Valhalla. Freya’s hall is considered just as much of an honor as Valhalla. She was known for picking the bravest and most handsome warriors for her hall.

10/22/2021

Mjölnir, the mighty hammer of Thor has been made famous by the new Marvel movies. However, it’s appearance, attributes, and origin are not entirely accurate.

The origin story of Mjölnir is a famous one, but it is quite complex without a deeper understanding of the characters involved.

It was forged by the dwarves, Brokkr and Sindri, with exquisite craftsmanship. It’s only flaw is it’s handle, which is only long enough to be wielded with one hand. Mjölnir was also charged with spells that ensured that it would never miss its mark, and that it would always return back to its wielder. The hammer was presented to Thor in his capacity as defender of Asgard.

The Hammer of Thor, for all its destructive power and primary role as a weapon of war, is also a tool of rejuvenation and regeneration, and the catalyst for the rebirth of the world after Ragnarok.

10/21/2021

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vikings-landed-north-america-470-years-before-christopher-columbus-research/

A solar storm and chopped wood proved that Vikings were present in Newfoundland, Canada in 1021 AD.

10/20/2021

Huginn and Munin - Odin’s raven spies.

On this Woden’s Day, let’s talk about his famous ravens. First, let’s begin with an explanation of what their names mean:
Hugin is translated as “thoughts,” while Munin roughly translates as “memory” or “mind.”

Every day, the ravens fly over Midgard (where humans live) in search for any piece of information that may be useful to Odin. They look and listen throughout the realm of men for the most exciting things to bring back to the All-Father.

Odin is known for being intuitive, cunning, and incredibly wise. However, he knows that he cannot rule such a vast kingdom without help. That help comes from many sources, but his ravens are his eyes and ears in Midgard.

10/19/2021

If you already know the origin of Tuesday, leave a comment below. For those of you who don’t know, the English word “Tuesday” comes from “Tyr’s-day.”

Tyr is the Norse god of War and Justice. He also acts as the Lawgiver of the Aesir gods.

Tyr is often revered as the bravest of the gods, since he made it possible to bind Fenrir (the giant wolf offspring of Loki) by sacrificing his right hand.

There are many parallels in other mythologies along with archaeological discoveries relating to a one-handed god, which suggests that Tyr is very old and was known in Northern Europe somewhere between one and two thousand years before Sturluson included it in his Prose Edda.

These parallels in ancient pagan religions across vast regions of the world, are part of what continues to establish a modern faith in the pagan gods. How is it possible that so many different cultures know of “the one-handed god?” Is it pure coincidence? Or perhaps is there something more going on here that we do not understand?