Welcome to the seventh issue of Thunder, a journal dedicated to the thunder gods of Northern Europe. This journal is a joint venture of two organisations from opposite sides of the Atlantic: Thunderway Hall in America, which promotes the revival of the Anglo-Saxon Thunor cult, and Thorshof in homely Buckinghamshire which encourages research into the Teutonic religion as a whole (though with an emphasis on the cults of Thor, Frey and the Teutonic goddesses).
Thank you to everyone who submitted material for the ritual corner, the industrious competition winner is Thorbjorn. We will try and include some ritual notes in each issue.
More dreadful artwork from Thorskegga, this is a black and white version of a painting currently under construction.
What more fitting cover to have in the season of fertility and harvest but the goddess Earth, who appears in the Norse myths as Jord the mother of Thor. Jord seems to be a memory of the ancient middle eastern fertility goddess, the mother of all creation symbolised by corn, snakes, birds, lions and swastikas. There is no evidence that Jord was worshipped in the late Viking Age but her ancient importance and strong connections with the thunder god are frequently shown in Norse poetry.
The poppy as mentioned below (thunder flowers of England) is sacred to both the earth goddess and the thunder god. The rowan is the sacred tree of the Lapp earth goddess Ravdna and is also sacred to Thor. Crosses made of rowan are also mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon field blessing which invokes the fertile union of god and goddess, possibly harking back to the heathen swastika symbol of Thor.
In the Norse myths the serpent Jormungandr encircles the earth with its tail in its mouth, until Thor destroys it during his famous fishing trip.
'The real magic lies in not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes'. Marcel Proust
In our attempts to regain an understanding of our heathen beliefs we have to turn our attention to even the most unobvious sources of information. At first glance, the very landscape around us would not seem the most obvious place to look. Names and the etymology of names within our landscape has always been of vital importance to the waves of tribes which have invaded and settled on our shores. To them the Gods and Goddesses were very much alive within the landscape. To them there was a symbolic relationship between the divine and ritualistic symbolic landscapes.
When considering landscapes and heathenism the most often quoted examples are Wednesfield (Woden's field) and Wednesbury (Stronghold associated with Woden) both in the West Midlands. Other examples are Tyseley in Birmingham and Weeford near Lichfield, both relating to Tiw and Woden respectively.
As any place name researcher will tell you the interpretation of place names is fraught with problems and controversy. (1)
When considering Thunor place names in England the most obvious thing is that the vast majority of names occur in the South, with no examples being given for the Midlands and the North of England (2). In this brief article I intend to simply list some little known examples, which I hope will inspire others to re-look at their local landscape and folklore.
Thors Cave, Peak District
Situated in the Manifold Valley of Derbyshire this awe inspiring cave is situated high up in the valley with a magnificent 30ft high by 23ft wide cathedral like opening. Archaeological excavations have uncovered Samian pottery, iron artefacts, Roman coins, indicating the long use of the caves. No one seems to know how or when the cave acquired its association with Thor. Known heathen interest in the cave dates back to 1926 when the North Staffordshire Bardic Order used the cave for a Gorsedd. Newspapers report a public attendance of approx. 2,000!! (3).
Thor Stones, Oxfordshire
At Taston, a small Oxfordshire hamlet off the B4026 Charbury to Chipping Norton road are the battered remains of a megalithic circle known locally as the Thor Stones (4).
Irby Heath, near Thurstaston, Cheshire
A brief reference is given to a standing stone / glacial erratic said to be a sacrificial alter stone to Thor (5). Hailstone, Turners Hill Rowley Regis, West Midlands Local folklore tells of Thunor, standing astride the Clent Hills near Stourbridge hurling a boulder at Woden on Turners Hill. The boulder became known as the Hailstone. It was blown up in 1879 after local concern about 'demonic' hoofprints which were found to emerge from the stone and wander over the area (6).
These are just a few, minor examples. All too often we are too engrossed in books on 'How to...' (add your own preference - Read Runes, Tarot etc...) to take the time to read the real treasures so readily available in local libraries and archives, after all in our pre- packaged vox-pops, Disneyland culture we want wisdom for £9.99 from the local bookshop. The real pearls of wisdom are out there in the libraries and the landscape.
'All things are known, but most things are forgotten. It takes a special magic to remember them'. Robert Holdstock.
References:
1) Recovering the Lost Religious Place-names of England - Gavein Smith (At the Edge No 3 Sept 1996).
2) The West Midlands in the Early Middle Ages - Margaret Gelling (Leicester University Press 1992).
3) Magic, Myth and Memories, in and around the Peak District - Doug Pickford (Sigma Leisure)
4) From Thor to Rollright -Mike Howard (The Cauldron, Midsummer 1994 No 72)
5) The Folklore of the Welsh Border - Jacqueline Simpson (Batsford 1976)
6) Tales of Terror (Volume 2) - Aristotle Tump (Bugle Publications, no date).
Is it possible to accuse a journal dedicated to Thor of a misogynist approach?
I ask this because whilst otherwise excellent, Thunder does not appear to pay heed to the importance of Sif in relation to the works of Thor. Suggesting that due to the influence of our myths, it is too easy to see the various Gods and Goddesses of our pantheon as free-standing individuals, who do not of necessity either relate to each other, or have any depth of interdependence. An approach which inhibits any genuine understanding of our Gods and Goddesses; and stultifies the development of our faith in all its manifestations and ways.
Why do I think this?
Like many I came to our faith through the attraction of this or that God Form: However I rapidly found that I was not getting very far, and was mired in the almost comic book concept of our faith as it is presented in so many books and by too many people. However my continuing work led me to see that my personal advance was contingent upon accepting, and at this stage it was acceptance rather than understanding: of the underlying principals of balance in all things. In our faith it is the balance between the Fire and Ice, male and female, and of course the Aesir and Vanir: others might talk of Yin and Yang, or opposing polarities. From this acceptance and working and worshipping within its terms, I found the reality of the faith and its influence upon my life and my religious work considerably enhanced. Further I could not avoid seeing the proof of this everywhere I looked: in nature and everything I encountered: balance being an essential, nay vital part.
To this end, my way of religious working was changed to accommodate the balance at all levels: so if calling upon a God form I would link that with the appropriate Goddess form, and so on. Leading me to create a poverty stricken image of our total pantheon as being akin to a mighty mechanical work, with each cog and wheel interdependent upon the others, and working as a whole: a whole where each will influence the rest, albeit whilst performing its own task within that whole. Of course my knowledge is such that I have no claim to understanding the role of each and every facet of that hypothetical mechanism. However I can say that my work has been considerably enhanced by this imagery, and the realisation that our Gods and Goddesses are a part of a whole, rather than being seen as individuals working entirely alone.
However there is every good reason to look to this or that God/Ess in respect of a particular need or occasion, and like many I have a personal guide or patron to who I will look for example, guidance and as a focus for a particular endeavour be it religious or secular. However I'm becoming increasingly aware that the patron is in fact modified by its partner: which brings me back to the concept of Sif in relation to Thor.
Too much popular imagery has Thor walloping around having all sorts of adventures, where with the aid of various magical tools, here I'd better mention his Hammer, he overcomes all, and everything ends happily. However I can see little merit in looking to a God principal manifested as a bar-room brawler writ larger. So there must be rather more to Thor than a propensity for getting in and out of scrapes and slaying his Giant relations?
For me the answer came from looking at the concept of Sif in relation to Thor's life and works. She appears to represent fertility as a wife and mother; and apart from a 'fling' with Loki represents an ideal. Possibly that affair with Loki is a dread warning about some of the things scientists are now toying with in relation to crop and animal fertility and growth, but I digress. Sif balances and locates the raw power of Thor with her fecundity and fertility: maybe her golden hair stolen by Loki represents the golden harvest upon which we depend. So instead of seeing Thor as a crude brawler, he falls into another perspective: that of the protector of Sif's fecundity, and by balancing his powers with her fertility, he enhances the bounty of earth: so his powers are channelled into a positive benefit for Gods and people. For the storms that rage upon mountains, provides water and soil through erosion for the fields, and so it goes on with even the lightening playing its role. Even now we can see an example of the continuing battle between the principal of Thor and the giants with the advance and recession of the glaciers: and its is not necessary to travel far to see the continuing struggle for those who make a living from the fields under the mountains, and in the spring walk their cattle to the high pastures for the lush grazing in the Alpen pastures. Those same high pastures are truly golden with the early flowers, and so is the butter and cream, and the cheeses: might not they too be of her Hair?
This leads to my thinking that without Sif to give purpose to his being, Thor is a negative energy. Yet from the perspective of Sif, that energy is converted to a positive force for the well being of all things here in Midgard: be they Gods of people, animals and plants too: even the shaping of our hills and vales.
A consequence of this, is my seeing the influence of Sif even in those myths where she is not mentioned. That influence enhancing Thor so he is not the crude battler, but a very real positive force and a genuine player in the totality of our pantheon. This in turn modifies and enhances the myths, for instead of being fun yarns, they take on a meaning that is otherwise lost.
So my contention that any consideration of Thor must take into account how he is modified and enhanced by her influence. Therefore it is essential to always link Thor and Sif as a whole, a complete whole within the totality of our pantheon. Hence my accusing Thunder of misogynistic leanings!
To the best of my knowledge only two of the numerous heathen journals in the UK are edited by women and this is one of them, and to receive such a complaint of 'misogyny' from a prominent member of the male run and male dominated Odinic Rite is quite hilarious.
As this is a specialised journal I hope that all readers already appreciate that sky gods are normally (but not always) worshipped alongside an earth goddess and vice versa. There is no evidence that Sif was worshipped, even in Iceland where Thor's cult is well recorded and dominated the other gods. Thor would have honoured alongside Frigg and Freyja, the better known fertility goddesses.
'Thunder' is dedicated to the thunder god, and therefore not the earth goddesses who can act as his consorts. The reason for this separation is that there are several existing journals covering the Norse goddesses, notably Folkvang Horg run by a member of the Odinic Rite which is actively supported by Thorshof and articles covering Sif and Jord have been donated to this journal. I also write extensively for the Vanir journal 'The Wain' which covers Freyja and I have written occasional articles for the American journal 'Lina' which is dedicated to Frigga. 'Thunder' maintains a male angle out of respect for these other worthy journals. All of the above mentioned goddess articles can be found on the Thorshof website.
Thorskegga
Forget banner making! Thorshof members have found a more frustrating and messy occupation, map drawing! The Thorshof Local Lore Project, aims to map the heathen landscape of England in fine detail. This project is not for the fainthearted and (horrors) takes at least three days of precious time. A huge amount of work is required to cover the whole of England but from small acorns....
The main benefits of this self inflicted torture are:
1. To improve your own awareness of your local landscape.
2. To produce a list of sites of special heathen interest.
3. To make local research more accessible.
If you do not live in England you may wish to consider a similar project in your own area (if possible!) And if you are interested this is how you do it:
Stage 1 Defining your area.
The English maps are based on the Doomsday book, in which the entries are given by county and each county is subdivided into smaller areas. In Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire these subdivisions are called 'Hundreds' while in Sussex they are called 'Rapes'. These areas vary in size but are typically five to ten miles across and contain a handful of towns and villages. So stage one of the project is to find your local hundred and work out what area it covers. A good local library will have a translation of relevant section of the Doomsday book.
Stage 2 Producing an outline map
You will need a large map of the area to take notes on. I made a tracing from the Ordnance Survey street atlas for the county which produced a map about five feet across. (Budget note: grease-proof paper from the kitchen works fine!) Copy the main roads, town/village names, rivers, and county boundaries.
Stage 3 Adding relief
Refer to a contoured map of the area mark the position of hills. Be as accurate as you can and try and mark the course of valleys etc.
Stage 4 Research place names
You now need a good place name dictionary. You should be able to find one covering only your county in a good local reference library, this will cover far more settlements than one detailing the whole of England. Mark on the earliest known names for the towns, villages and farms in your area and give the date the early name was recorded. Also note the meaning of the name.
Stage 5 Check Anglo-Saxon land use
Using the Doomsday text again, take notes on the land use for each town and village (not all will be listed) and try and find the location of any lost villages. Arable land will be shown by the number of ploughs the settlement had, fisheries by the number of eels they yielded (yum yum!), pigs by the amount of woodland etc.
Stage 6 Mark sites of archaeological finds
Now check for any archaeological information. You should be able to find recent reports in a good local reference library. Most counties will have some kind of archaeological journal. Try to avoid using very old articles as they can be inaccurate. Don't forget that Iron Age hill forts/burial mounds and Roman settlement sites may have strong connections with the Anglo-Saxon period.
Stage 7 Folklore
Next add any relevant local folklore, holy wells, ghost stories etc.
Stage 8 Roads
Try and mark in the roads that would probably have been used in the period, this is very difficult, an old county map may help you.
Stage 9 Identify missing information
Make a list of information you are missing, old settlements that you cannot find, boundaries you are not sure of etc., so that these details can be checked later.
Stage 10 Heathen site summary
Make a list of sites of special heathen interest, with notes on their current condition.
Stage 11 Tidying up
Redraw the map in a tidy fashion showing all the information clearly. Keep it to scale so that the sites are easily to find. It is hoped that this project will progress slowly but steadily with the help of the Heathen Forum. If you want to help please contact Thorshof and let us know which area you want to cover, no point in duplication!
A thunder flower is a plant that is believed to influence lightning, either to draw it down or ward against it. Here is a summary of English thunder flowers. Please note they would not have all been acknowledged in the same area, this would have made gathering wild flowers extremely dangerous!
Bay
Not a flower as such, this is the kitchen herb which yields the large leaves that you often find flavouring stews. In the New Forest bay was believed to protect against all forms of evil. Planted near the threshold it would guard against witchcraft, fire and lightning.
Bladder Campion
In Kent this flower was known as 'thunderbolt'. The reason for this name is lost but it probably ranked among the other flowers that supposedly bring thunder when they are picked.
Bugle
In German folklore this plant provokes house fires if it is brought indoors. It's English names show that similar beliefs were held here.
Relevant names:
Thunder and Lightning - Gloucestershire
Thundre Clovere - (13th century name)
Gewitterblume - (German) Storm flower
Greater Stitchwort
Another plant which brings thunder when it is picked.
Relevant names:
Thunderbolts - Dorset
Thunder-Flower - Cumberland
Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum)
'Old wryters do call it Iovis barba, Iupiter's Bearde, and holde an Opynion supersticously that in what house so ever it groweth, no Lyghtning or Tempest can take place to doe any harm there.' Bullein 1562
The houseleek is renown for its ability to survive in dry conditions with hardly any soil. It is the nearest traditional English garden plant to a cactus. Its scientific name 'sempervivum' ever living, underlines its hardiness.
The plant's magical qualities stem from its ability to withstand the heat of summer sun and it is considered a potent protection from fire. Houseleek has long been prized as guard against fevers, house fires and lightning and is cultivated on roof tops hence its name.
Here are some of the traditional names of the plant:
Iovis Caulis (Jupiters plant) - Ancient Latin
Hamwyrt (Homestead plant) - Anglo-Saxon
Donnerbart (Thunder beard) - German
Jupiter's Beard (Devon and Somerset)
Thunderplant (Somerset)
Welcome husband though never so late (Dorset) - the plant was often grown on the porch.
Ox-eye Daisy
In Tyrol Germany this plant was placed in hay lofts to protect buildings from lightning. It may have had similar roles in English folklore but unfortunately these have not been recorded. Its thunder names may simply refer to another plant which attracts lightning when it is picked.
Relevant names:
Dunder Daisy - Somerset
Thunder Daisy - Devon and Somerset
Poppy
The poppy was once the most obvious weed found in cornfields and has been long associated with agriculture and the harvest. The Romans held the flower sacred to Ceres. Its association with battlefields has also been noted since antiquity. Picking this flower is said to bring a thunderstorm, but ironically, keeping the picked flowers high in the house protects from lightning.
Fluer di Tonit (Thunder flower) - Liege
Thunderball - Warwickshire
Thunderbolt - West of England
Thundercup - Berwickshire
Thunderflower - Wiltshire & Berwickshire
Ragged Robin
The Ragged Robin was known as the 'Thunder Flower' in Yorkshire. No folklore has been recorded but there must have been a belief that picking the flowers brought on thunderstorms in this area.
White Campion
In English folklore picking this flower causes the death of your mother, while in Luxemberg picking White Campion brings the thunder. The flower's names from Rutland and Cumberland show that very similar beliefs were once held in this country.
Relevant Names: Thunderbolt - Rutland
Thunder Flower - Cumberland
Sources:
The Englishman's Flora, Geffrey Grigson, Helicon 1996 (reprint from 1958)
A Dictionary of Plant Lore, Roy Vickery, Oxford Univ Press, 1995.
This is the first of a series of rituals to be published in Thunder. Thorbjorn's ritual is the winner of the 1998 Thorshof competition and he will not be paying his subscription for a very long time.
Please note that heathen rituals vary enormously between the highly structured ceremonial and the ad-lib informal, Thorbiorn's ritual is a good example of the former type. If you think you can come up with a better ritual, lets have it. Comments on historical practice are also welcome.
Thor's Indian equivalent Indra was sometimes identified with the sun, and Thor-like axe wielding figures in Scandinavian Bronze Age rock art sometimes have sun disc bodies. Therefore I am performing 'Liber Resh' style daily adorations of the sun directed at Thor:
On waking in the morning I get up, face east and put my right index finger to my lips. Then I breath out saying: 'Begone unwelcome wights! Thor's Thrud-hammer beats thee back!' I then assume an Algiz rune posture and say 'Thoralf ward me well!' This invokes the blessing of my Spae-wight/Guardian Angel. Still in this position I say & visualise the following:
Hail unto Thee who art Reidar Tyr in Thy rising,
even unto Thee who art Reidar Tyr in Thy strength,
who travellest over the heavens in Thy wain
at the Uprising of the Sun.
Loki standeth in his splendour at Thy right,
and Thjalfi abideth at Thy left.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night!
Then I face north and perform my hammer rite which is influenced by the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Golden Dawn. First I trace a hammer on my body, touching my brow saying 'Thor!', then my chest saying 'Thrud!', then my right shoulder saying 'Magni!', then my left shoulder saying 'Modi!' I then put my hands together saying 'Hail Kindred of Bilskirnir!' Next I trace a Thor's hammer in the north saying: 'Thrud-hammer of Thor, ward me in the north!' I do the same with equivalent words for the other five directions , including above and below. For the later I trace swastikas of the of the clockwise and anticlockwise kind respectively. I then stretch my arms out from the elbows at the hips saying: 'Before me Loridi, behind me Thrud, on my right hand Magni, on my left hand Modi, for round about me shines the sign of the Thrud-hammer and down through me beams the brilliance of Bilskirnir!'
These rituals are repeated at noon, dusk and just before going to bed; but with the first parts done facing south , west and north respectively. The words for the remaining greetings of the sun are:
Hail unto Thee who art Asabrag in Thy triumphing,
even unto Thee who art Asabrag in Thy glory
who travellest over the Heavens in Thy wain
at the Mid-course of the Sun. Loki standeth in his splendour at thy right
and Thjalfi abideth at Thy left.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Dawn!
Hail unto Thee who art Thor Karl in Thy setting,
even unto Thee who art Thor Karl in Thy joy,
who travellest over the Heavens in Thy wain
at the Down-going of the Sun.
Loki standeth in his splendour at Thy Right,
and Thjalfi abideth at Thy left.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Noon!
Hail unto Thee who art Djuphugadr in Thy delving,
even unto Thee who art Djuphugadr in Thy darkness,
who travellest over the Heavens in Thy Wain
at the Midnight Hour of the Sun.
Loki standeth in his splendour at Thy right,
and Thjalfi abideth at Thy left.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Dusk!
..........
On Thursdays after my dusk rituals I perform a special Blessing of Thor. In this I follow the nine part formular given by Edred Thorsson in 'A Book of Troth':
1. Hallowing by hammer rite.
2. Reading: Prose Edda, Gylfaginning on Thor: -
'Thor is the most outstanding of them; he is known as Asa-Thor or Oku-Thor. He is strongest of all gods and men. His realm is a place called Thrudvang, and his hall is called Bilskirnir. In that hall there are five hundred and forty apartments. It is the biggest building that has ever been built....
Thor has two goats whose names are Tanngniost and Tanngrisner, and a chariot that he drives in, and the goats draw the chariot. From this he is known as Oku-Thor. He also has three special possessions. One of them is the hammer Miollnir, well known to the frost giants and mountain-giants when it is raised aloft, and that is not to be wondered at: it has smashed many a skull for their fathers and kinsmen. He has another possession that is very valuable, a girdle of might , and when he buckles it on his As-strength is doubled. He has a third thing that is a most important possession. This is a pair of iron gloves. He must not be without these when he grips the hammer.'
3. Rede:
I stand here today to honour the tir-fast fame of Father Thor - the best friend of all mankind - with mighty mood and deep souled words!
4: Call:
From Thy many roomed home Bilskirnir within wide Thrudvang, come down to me, All mighty Thunder god and lord of the hof pillars and the Oath-ring of Troth! Thou who doth hallow and ward all the homes of the gods of Asgard and of the men in Midgard by the might of Thy holy Thrud-hammer Mjolnir.
With it you slay Trolls and Wyrms!
With it you work healing and fruitfulness!
With it you fell the cross of the White Christ!
Fare now forth in flashing thunder-wain, O greatest of gods! Thou red-breaded drighten of goats! From Thy high- seat within Thy holy house in Asgard, come down to Earth, Thy mother, and share blessings with Thorbjorn Thy son!
5: Loading:
Pour beer into vessel and lift up saying:
May my deeds of Troth be blended in this beer and melded with this meat. May it give us might in the fight against our foes. Great Asabrag -Thor give Thy might to this gift!
6: Drinking (and eating) Make hammer sign over beer and meat. Consume half.
7. Blessing: Pour beer left into blessing bowl. Then sprinkle self and harrow with twig, saying:
'The blessing of Vingthor upon the world and I!'
8. Giving: Put hand over meat and beer saying:
To All Mother Jord-Sif and her greatest son-lover Thor Redbeard - father of Loridi, ancestor of Skjold, ancestor of my Viking-Scotr / Gall-gael clan - the scions of the People of Thor (Tuatha Tomhair).
9. Leaving:
Facing north in the Algiz posture say: Now the work is wrought may god and man go forth about their ways, strengthened and gladdened through their Troth renewed. So may I stay true to my trust - worthy Father in Heaven, who shall ward me well all the days of my life in this world and the next! Hail Thor! Tip meat and drink on earth.
Thunder is not a newsletter so this will be brief.
The first meeting of the Heathen Forum was held in Birmingham on 23rd May 1998, and a lot of progress was made. Groups represented included the Odinic Rite (Runic), the Ring of Troth, Thorshof, and the Tribe of Mercia. The members will be meeting again in London on 17th October 1998 to iron out the details of setting up the organisation and get some inter group projects started. Membership is available to any sincere heathens who are prepared to respect the opinions of others. For membership info contact Owen McCarthy at 7 Willow Close, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B61 8RG. A full report of the Forum's activities will be given in the heathen newsletter 'Frostfire' which is available from B M Frostfire, London, WC1 3XX and costs £3 a year for six issues.
Meetings held at Thorshof in High Wycombe on various Saturdays and start at 12.00 noon. All welcome but please write to Thorshof before attending for the first time:
25 July 1998 - A Modern Althing: Part two, the argument continues! If weather clement this will be held at the local moot site.
15 August 1998 - Holy Heights and Dark Depths. Picnic and discussion on Church Hill, West Wycombe followed by a trip to the Hell Fire Caves.
19th September 1998 - Wood Carving - practical session.
10th October 1998 - Rituals, how to do them etc.
21st November 1998 - Straw Figures - practical session.
12th December 1998 - Discussion on the meaning of Yule, with mulled wine and roast chestnuts around the hof heath.
Other dates of interest:
17th October 1998 Heathen Forum Meeting in London
17th/18th October 1998 Pagan Halloween - London University Student Union
14th/15th November 1998 - Re-enactors Market, Blackbird Leys
Please note we do not keep back issues as such, but copies of the text of individual issues are available for 50 pence each. Please note that the text of all previous issues are available on the Internet on the Thorshof website. Thunder 1: Thunor - Rainman or God of Thunder? Gautrek's Saga, The Asgardsreien, Blind Man's Buff.
Thunder 2: Thor and the Goddesses, Old Frisian Thuner Biad, The Folk's Noisy Friend, Hill Figures.
Thunder 3: Perun, Latvian Solstice, Tor Trollbane, Perkunas/Perun, The Holy, Thorolf's Holy Mountain.
Thunder 4: Taranis, Thor Folk Belief & Folk Magic, The Holy, Whetstones, Costume Notes, Thorcake.
Thunder 5: Thorist Star Lore, Thorr's Roots, Thunorrad, Ragnarok Debate, The Finnish Thundergod.
Thunder 6: Banner Making, Needlework Design, Music Reviews, Thor in Surrey and Sussex, The Axe of Thor, Origin of Ragnarok, The Comitatus Relationship in Post Conversion England.
In the next issue we intend to concentrate on Loki. We need everybody's half baked theories on this one, is he the devil incarnate? or Thor's loyal travelling companion? or a bit of both?
United Kingdom: Thorskegga Thorn, Thorshof, 106 Oakridge Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2PL. UK Subscription is £2 for four issues. Please make cheques payable to 'Thorskegga Thorn'. Thunder is also available on the WWW at http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~skegga or search for 'Thorshof'. Thorshof can be contacted by e-mail on skegga@nildram.co.uk
United States Jason Hutchinson, PO Box 68, Hopkins, MN 55343, USA. US Subscription is $8.00 for four issues. US Version can be found on http://www.scc.net/~hutch E-mail hutch@scc.net Other countries please write for details.