Greetings
Welcome to the eighth issue of Thunder, a journal dedicated to the thunder gods of Northern Europe. Produced by Thorshof in England and Thunderway Hall in America.
As a break from the norm, this issue is dedicated to Loki, the trickster god from Northern Mythology, who is often the companion of Thor in the myths.
Please note Thunder is getting steadily larger, a result of increased support and subscriptions. The layout will be re-evaluated for the winter issue and from issue 9 onwards the UK subscription will be increased to 75 pence a copy. If you have an existing subscription received before 21st September 1998 you will not need to pay the new price until your subscription would have run out at the original cover price. The condensed style will be maintained to ensure that subscribers continue to get one of the best value Asatru journals in the world.
Thunder and its back issues are available on the internet, search for 'Thorshof', you can't miss it!
The Eighth of the 'Gods of England' series - Loki Thorskegga has started a series of paintings depicting the gods worshipped by the Anglo-Saxon and Norse settlers in England. Most of the other paintings are now on the Thorshof website, and Loki will be added soon.
Loki the unrepentant cross dresser and shape-changer is shown as both male and female, with Odin's horse Sleipnir, the child of his most famous female role. Around him are the treasures he procured for the gods, Sif's hair, Thor's hammer, Odin's spear and ring, Freyr's ship and boar. He wears the falcon cloak that he uses to travel between the worlds. The mistletoe was used by Loki to kill the god Balder.
In the top corners Loki's son Fenris chases the sun across the sky.
Because there is no evidence that Loki was worshipped as a god in the Dark Age period, academic scholars would say that therefore no one worshipped Loki, but this conclusion is somewhat naïve. In a culture where the religion was totally without doctrine and beliefs ranged between respect for ancestors, rock spirits and the gods themselves, with infinite variety, how can we dismiss the inevitable worship of this well known and immortal figure from the myths.
Of one thing we can be certain, followers of Loki were either discrete or very unusual. I can be fairly certain that in all the surviving sagas there is no mention of anyone claiming a connection with him. However there are only a relatively small number of heathens mentioned in the Eddas and sagas with their patron deities, suggesting that only a small sample of the old religion is represented.
The myths that involve Loki are as follows:
The Building of Asgard's Wall (Snorri's Edda)
The gods offer Freyja, the sun and the moon to a giant if he can build a wall around Asgard in three months, convinced that he cannot succeed. The giant is assisted by a magic horse and makes very good progress. The gods panic and blame Loki for the bargain. Loki changes into a mare and entices the giants stallion away so that the giant misses the deadline. Loki then gives birth to Odin's eight legged horse Sleipnir.
The Treasures of the Gods. (Snorri's Edda)
Loki cuts off Sif's hair for a joke and Thor threatens to kill him. Loki goes to the dwarves and asks them to make replacement hair. The dwarves obliged and also make Freyr's ship and Odin's Spear. Loki is so impressed by their work that he makes a bet with some other dwarves that they cannot better the three gifts. The other dwarves make Mjolnir (Thor's hammer), Freyr's boar and Odin's ring Draupnir. The gods adjudicate and decide that Mjolnir is the best of the treasures. Loki escapes paying his debt with cunning.
The Three Monsters (Snorri's Edda)
Loki has a giantess lover called Angrboda. She gives birth to Fenris the sky wolf, Hela the goddess of the underworld and Jormundgand the world serpent.
Otter's Ransom (Poetic Edda)
Loki unwittingly kills the son of Hreidmar who had taken the form of an otter. Hreidmar threatens to kill Loki and his two travelling companions Odin and Hoenir, unless they can fill and cover the otter's skin with gold. Hreidmar sends Loki to steal gold from Andvari the dwarf, who grudgingly hands over his hoard included a cursed ring.
The Theft of the Apples (Snorri's Edda)
Loki is abducted by the giant Thiassi and promises to bring Idunn and her casket of golden apples in return for his freedom. Loki does the deed and is soon blamed for Idunn's disappearance. Loki takes the falcons form and flies of to Thiassi's hall, turns Idunn into a nut and flies back with her. Thiassi gives chase in the form of an eagle. At the walls of Asgard the gods destroy Thiassi with fire.
Skadi's Marriage (Snorri's Edda)
After Thiassi's death his daughter Skadi demanded reparation from Asgard. As part of her payment she insisted that the gods make her laugh. They were unsuccessful until Loki tied his testicles to a goat.
The Theft of Brisingamen (Sorla Thattr)
When Freyja buys her necklace from the dwarves for four nights of passion, Loki spies on her and reports everything he sees to Odin. Odin is furious and sends Loki to steal the necklace, and demands penance from Freyja for her infidelity.
Battle with Heimdal (Snorri's Edda)
Loki fights Heimdal in the form of a seal and then as a bear, this may be connected to the theft of Brisingamen?
Utgardaloki (Snorri's Edda)
Loki accompanies Thor to the hall of Utgardaloki, where he takes part in the various contests and like Thor is tricked by magic. Loki's contest is to eat faster than wildfire, he failed because he didn't eat the trough as well as the food as his opponent did.
Gerriod (Snorri's Edda)
Loki is captured by the giant Gerriod and promises to bring Thor to the giant's hall unarmed in return for his freedom. Loki tells Thor that Gerriod's hall is a wonderful place for a visit, and Thor unwittingly sets off to face Gerriod's ambush.
Loki and the Giant (Scandinavian Folklore)
The gods try to save a farmer's son from a giant by hiding him with magical spells. After several unsuccesful attempts the farmer invokes Loki. The giant sees through Loki's spell as well, but Loki grabs the child and runs through a low beamed building. The giant runs after him and knocks himself out on a beam. The farmer praises Loki and declares him the best of the gods.
The Theft of Mjolnir (Poetic Edda)
Mjolnir is stolen and Thor sends Loki to find it. Loki reports that a giant called Thrym has hidden it and will only return it if he is given Freyja as a bride. Thor is forced to disguise himself as Freyja to recover the hammer and Loki accompanies him as a handmaid.
The Death of Balder (Eddas)
Balder has foreseen his death and Frigg asks all of nature not to harm him. The gods make a sport of throwing weapons at Balder. Loki in the guise of an old woman questions Frigg and learns that the mistletoe has been missed. Loki makes a mistletoe spear and gives it to Hod who kills balder. Later disguised as a giantess
Aegir's Feast (Poetic Edda)
Loki is sent away from the feast for killing one of the servants. He returns and insults all the gods and goddesses until Thor returns and drives him off.
Loki's Capture (Snorri's Edda)
Following Loki's various crimes the gods hunt him down. Loki hides in a river disguised as a trout. The gods manage to capture him with some difficulty and tie him up with the sinews of his children, under a poisonous snake dropping venom. Loki's wife Sigyn stays by his side and holds up a cup to catch the poison.
Ragnarok (Eddas)
At the end of the world all the enemies of the gods will be released from their chains. Loki will helps command the gods enemies. He is destined to kill and be killed by Heimdal.
................................
It is obvious from this impressive list that Loki had a very important role in Norse mythology, he was given a leading role in most of the myths and his family was listed in detail. He was believed to live among the gods and was clearly considered immortal. However he is frequently excluded from lists of the gods and their attributes, his hall in not mentioned among the halls of Asgard, and he is not given a horse with all the other gods.
The obvious reason for this discrepancy is the continuous references to Loki's treachery and eventual betrayal. By the thirteenth century when the myths were recorded Loki was shown as a sinister figure, always unreliable and ever plotting the downfall of the gods. How authentic this is compared to tenth century heathen belief is difficult to prove.
Bound figures are not uncommon in Norse artwork and an example from the Gosforth Cross in England seems to show Loki attended by his wife. This element of the myth and the fragment recording the battle with Heimdal are probably quite old.
The Ragnarok myth as it known today cannot be older than about 1000, with its obvious Christian influence, the rise of the nameless god and the Armageddon style. Loki's role as the sworn enemy of the gods probably developed from the Christian devil, and in earlier myths he was a mostly benevolent trickster.
Absurdly in the stories of the theft of Mjolnir and the Brisingamen, which are generally considered to be later than the Ragnarok myth, Loki comes across as the loyal servant of Thor and Odin. The myth of Mjolnir's disappearance is especially interesting as how the hammer was stolen is never explained. But Loki as the immortal thief of Asgard is a perfect candidate for the crime. Either the story is old and incomplete or the means of the theft were never contemplated by its late author who was far more interested in the theme of Thor cross dressing. As the story is a very successful comedy the later is more likely.
Loki's character is a goldmine of possiblities for the storyteller. Again and again he causes problems and then puts them right. In his strange existence, living among the gods but not officially one of them, he can perform any perversity to achieve his end. Thus in no less than three myths he happily cross-dresses, often without obvious need, while when Odin or Thor resort to such tactics it is after every other option has failed (Saxo's tale of Rind) or with great reluctance (Thrym). To the Norseman dressing in woman's clothes was the ultimate disgrace and was sufficient grounds for divorce, while homosexuality was a standard blood feud starting insult (it has even been suggested that the strange remark about a ring in the Lay of Harbard is one such taunt). Loki is totally unconcerned about his reputation, and even takes the female part in sexual intercourse in the myth of Asgard's wall, and commits public masochism to entertain Skadi. In our enlightened age it is hard to imagine how shocking Loki's exploits would have appeared to the prudish northmen. It must be added that Loki is not the only Norse deity that did not follow tenth century codes of conduct and several myths, especially those of the Vanir, show signs of recent change to reflect the ethics of the time.
From my own experience in storytelling I think Loki's charater developed because he so enlivens the myths which would otherwise be dull. Take Thor for example, with one throw of his hammer every known enemy of the gods gets killed instantly. To make the myths even remotely interesting he has to be given a handicap so that the listener wonders if there is a chance of his failure. Loki provides this handicap by removing the hammer in the tale of Geirrod and possibly also in the story of Thrym. In Loki's absence Thor has to be hampered by other means, by Hymir or Utgardaloki (a giant who has even adopted the trickster's name). In this way even Loki's treachery shows the power of the gods, for in fathering Fenris and Jormundangr he provides the means by which two gods prove their worth, and even the weapon with which the serpent is fought.
Introduction: These notes will form the basis of a longer work looking at the way developments and theories of 20th Century psychology and our God/desses are linked. While several of the progenitors of modern psychiatry/psychology (e.g. Freud, Jung, Adler, Rogers et al) have used classical myth and religious symbolism to explain the workings of the Human mind from an intellectual and objective viewpoint centring around the notion that there is a well of inherent, almost instinctual, spiritual language and motivation for Humanity my own experience has suggested that much of this is the divine within each of us, the way the Old Ones manifest daily in the prime material realm.
One reason for starting with Loki is that although many write and talk about him and his personality few experience him. This seems to be true of many followers of the Heathen path, we are well-read and synthesise the information and arguments into coherent beliefs but the written information is at best incomplete and at worst misleading leaving us to fill the gaps with assumption and hypothesis. We must go to those who know, those who live within that which is becoming - our Gods and Goddesses I am taking the opportunity presented by Thorskegga in the form of the Loki "special" issue of Thunder to air one aspect of my work.
While many talk of the Archetypes proposed by C. G. Jung and have a working knowledge of the theories behind them few seem to study the implications and definitions beyond the label, therefore "Tricksters" are quick-witted meddlers with fun in mind or dangerous faerie-like spirits who may be cruel or caring according to their whim. My own work within the field of counselling and therapy has introduced me to a far wider range of characteristics and criteria and I have applied this to the actions and personality of Loki as he is rendered in literature
This work is leading me toward the conclusion that the relationship between Loki, Odin, Thor and Balder is much closer than that of God-bane, blood-brother, travelling companion and murderer respectively.
The catalyst for this was my reading on Analytic Psychology and specifically the Archetypes, one particular piece went into far more depth than most and contained the following:
"He (the Trickster) is the third, youngest and foolhardy brother in the fairy stories, who rushes in where angels fear to tread, and by doing so he wins the hand of a princess and her kingdom". (Parr. E, "Jung's Analytical Psychology", CSCT 1996)
The idea that Loki is not simply the blood-brother of Odin (which would make him proxy-uncle of Thor and Balder) but blood-son has struck me as particularly potent. The practice of uncles (related or otherwise) rearing the sons of others is a global practice and has been identified as existing in Northern European cultures.
My proposal had initially been that Odin actually fathered Loki in one of his many relationships when travelling away from Asgard but this did not fit with the Voluspa which states:
"breath gave Odin, spirit gave Haenir,
vital spark gave Lodur (Loki) , and fresh complexions"
That Odin is the actual father of Loki feels unlikely as they can be seen in Voluspa working side-by-side and their relationship would surely be more readily identifiable. As an aside this shows the Lokian/Jester spirit very well, he is there at the beginning creating that which he will help destroy, his cyclic, catalytic character is well rendered in Voluspa.
Although the charge of fitting the facts to the theory may be laid at my door I would ask you to consider the dynamics of what I am suggesting, visualise a 3 Dimensional pyramid, it has four points, each point is connected to the other three and is equidistant. Now see the points as Odin, Thor, Balder and Loki and consider the potential interrelationships between them, see each God inextricably linked by their personal and collective orlog and think how they, as a family, reacted to each other.
I would welcome any, constructive, comments others may have upon this (via the Editor) and hope to publish a fuller article which will include other psychological theories especially the effect of the place within the family (i.e. First, Second, Last born) on life outcomes and roles. Anyone wishing a painless, entertaining and cheap introduction to the work of Jung I suggest 'Jung for Beginners', M. Hyde & M. McGuinness, Icon Books, ISBN 1 874166 05 6.
I sit with my son as he sleeps, it is Yule 1997 and the boundaries between the worlds are thin, I glance at the clock, 8:36PM, and rub my eyes in the gloom.
Instantly I am standing at the opening of a cave, I can feel the cold, damp air, smell the chthonic scents, I look within my eyes drawn to a sickly light coming from the roof. I must move to the entrance to see more and brush past ferns and water drips on me, I shudder, the silence is like deafness. The scene before me shows a small, egg-like space only just big enough to hold the awesome figure screaming noiselessly as the light pours down on his bound form.
Matt black he is absorbing the sickly light and reflecting none, it pours into him and torments him, his hugely muscled body is straining against the hidden bonds which pull his limbs back and behind the rock that anchors his agony.
My eyes snap open and my breath comes in a gasp, I look wildly at the clock, 30 seconds have passed, my son sleeps on as I relax and close my eyes again.
Immediately I am back and steel myself to look closer, I see the poison pulsing through his veins, dayglow yellow and red through the matt black skin of his God-form, his head is thrown back, sinews bursting as he howls his anguish, I am filled with compassion for this agony he suffers, his head comes forward and for the first time I see his eyes burning with red poison fire, "Unbind me" he says in a voice too calm for the obvious physical pain he is in, I take a step back and...
It is 8:37PM and my son sleeps soundly.
What do you get if you cross a god of electrical energy with a very unreliable god of trickery? Must be a computer!
Welcome, one and all to the first of my columns on getting in touch with the On-Line world of email and the Internet.
Who is e-Dragon?
To quote a recent survey questionnaire, I am Thorskegga's 'Significant Other', known as Dragon to my friends.
Some of you will already know me and have seen first hand that I am a draco-technophile usually to be found with some gadget or other clasped in my talons, configuring and adjusting it (OK - fiddling for its own sake). Even when at work I can take notes in a meeting whilst playing Nang King in the background and composing emails. Indeed this page is written on my desktop computer and tidied up in spare time at work on my palm top PC before being emailed to Thorskegga for inclusion in Thunder.
I work in the communications industry, heading a team working on the development of communication systems for a major electronics multinational, which means I have a good grip on the technology, even if my grip on reality gets tenuous after a beer or two.
Over the past few months I have been asked to help Thorskegga and a number of her friends enter cyberspace and so came up with the idea to offer my assistance to all her readers and see what response I get.
What can I do?
I can offer advice and/or practical assistance on PCs, email and Internet both browsing and creating web sites. If you have a question just ask - I will be honest if I don't know the answer and usually I find out quickly.
So if you feel the urge to email, the need to surf the web or just find the smelling checker on your wormprocesor a bind, hopefully I can help you use the tools of our age to keep in touch with your friends and put over your message in an effective and concise way.
Additionally I have experience with creating presentations and speeches and will gladly share my presentation ideas to help those of you who feel daunted by the thought of such things.
You can contact me via the usual Thunder addresses, or if your cyber-surfboard is waxed and ready to go via email on draco@nildram.co.uk. I don't have a web site up yet as I just changed service providers and will be re-vamping my old site before opening it again. For those with an interest I use Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 and 4 and Outlook Express since they were provided by service provider and do most of what I need reliably.
Where do we start?
Let us begin with a simplified look at the Internet.
The Internet is a world-wide network of linked computer systems which can be looked at by people with suitably set up computers and accounts with companies who provide access to the network called Internet Service Providers (ISPs). As a user you would use a modem and computer to call the local access number for your ISP and connect, paying the cost of the telephone call on top of subscription fee.
The computers used by us as subscribers are most commonly IBM compatible PCs with software applications, which talk the same language as these linked computer systems and send/receive data to them.
Microsoft produces a selection of Internet software, and for the purposes of this article I will assume Outlook & Internet Explorer are the programs being used (because these are the ones I am most familiar with).
The World Wide Web
The most used service on the Internet is the World Wide Web (WWW) which is the pretty pages most often seen on TV when the Internet is discussed. These pages are viewed with a piece of software called a 'browser' of which Internet Explorer from Microsoft is an example. The pages themselves are just like word processor documents with instructions in them to tell the browser how to display them. 'Net-heads' like me call this looking at these pages 'surfing the net'.
The format of these documents is called HyperText Mark-up Language (HTML) and can be quickly learned by anyone who can use a word processor. We will return to this in future articles (if you, the reader want them) when I look at creating your own Internet sites.
NB: When looking at a web page consider who created it when examining the information it contains - there is no central control for the content of these pages and their creators have a virtually free hand as to the content and arguments presented on them.
Next comes email, a low cost way to send messages to other connected people. The software used here is called an 'email client' of which Outlook Express from Microsoft (again) is an example.
This type of software allows the creation of messages which it stores in an electronic out-tray, like the letter rack many of us have by the door for outgoing letters (mostly bills in my case). It sends them when you connect to the Internet, as well as picking up any that have been sent to you and placing them in the in-tray. You can then disconnect from the Internet and read/reply to them without running up a phone bill, then call in again to send your replies.
Other services are available but they are not needed at this early stage so I will not cover them unless the need arises.
What do you need? & What Does It Cost?
To get on to the Internet ('connected' or 'on-line') you will require some specific types of equipment. You will need a computer, a modem and communications software. If you have a PC running Windows95 you have the computer and 2/3rds of the software already. If you have a modem as well you're nearly there.
Additionally you will require an account/contract with a company who will provide a connection point to the Internet you can connect to. If, like me, you are lucky this may be via a company network. Indeed if you connect this way the company computer staff will probably set it all up as well. The downer is that they may restrict the parts of the WWW you can see and may check up on email content.
The more common (and less restrictive) option is to open and fund your own individual account with a specialist Internet Service Provider or ISP. The costs vary. The choice will depend, primarily upon the amount of time you wish to spend 'on-line' and whether you want the ISP to package the information for you or go roaming your own way. I recommend a magazine called 'Internet Magazine', sold at most newsagents, as a good way to see the range of ISPs and their costings.
For the novices amongst you who would like to duplicate the methods, which work for me, I will explain my set up below:
· An account with Nildram Ltd, which costs £17.63 per quarter for 10 hours time connected per calendar month and 5Mb (=5 floppy disks) of space for my own WWW pages.
· PC, Windows95 and the software provided by Nildram, a version of Outlook and Internet Explorer, which automatically installs from the CD-ROM they sent when I joined.
I used to subscribe to Demon Internet, another ISP, which cost £11.75 + calls per month for unlimited time connected. Since I tend to log on to collect and send mail during the week and for longer 'surfing' sessions at weekends only I was only on line for 3-5 hours a month and Nildram's costs at half of Demon's worked out cheaper for me. The ISP number can be one of your Friends and Family numbers if you are with BT saving 10% more.
Anyone who wishes to join Nildram contact me as they have a free month for new members introduced via current subscribers (and yes they give the introducing member a free month too), which will give you your first 4 months for £17.63 saving even more money!
There are some 100 ISPs in the UK each with their own pricing and levels of service. I recommend those wanting to go on line to think about the main use they are going to be making of the Internet and chose an ISP scheme which best matches their needs. I am, of course, happy to advise any of you who ask. So, those of you with questions related to the above, please feel free to contact me.
Dragon
A couple of months ago I was asked to contribute to Talking Stick ( a London Moot) when they had their 'April Fool's' night. There were a couple of people who came on and spoke before me, One guy on Set, another on Mercury and a woman speaking on a deity whose name escapes me now. Something seemed to be lacking though, there seemed to be no power behind any of them. Maybe that is just the nature of the deities involved, I am not sure. Anyway it came to my turn, about five minutes earlier I had invoked Loki and was working my way up into a form of seith-trance. This was not intended at all but happened. When I was introduced I leapt up on stage with much gusto, wielding my Loki staff and yelling, 'Let the f****** mayhem commence'. This pleased the 'Loki Posse' in the audience and I proceeded to talk about how Loki is much misunderstood and probably innocent. In this short piece, I shall attempt to put over the same argument.
I believe that first and foremost Loki made the myths interesting. Otherwise all that would be happening would be so-called macho gods running around bashing each other and having drinking and eating contests. This is all well and good but after the 20th etin has been bashed and the 40th horn of mead has been downed, things start to get rather tedious!!!!!(rather contentious!!) Anyway, my point is that Loki puts a little life into the proceedings (and sometimes a little death!)
If it wasn't for Loki, Thor would have not received his hammer, he almost certainly wouldn't have retrieved it (and I don't care if Thor can outwit a dwarf cerebrally, he isn't the brightest of folk). Odin would not have Gungir, or Draupnir and so on and so forth, you all know the stories. People tend to forget these things when demonising him like some Christian devil. I think that Loki has the ability to make things better than before he destroyed them!
The main problem (perceived or otherwise) that people have with Loki is that he is somehow responsible for the downfall of the gods (and goddesses). This maybe, but in order to fully understand the situation we have to look at the myths. When Gullveig taught the gods about greed, in other words, that gold was not just a plaything, this was the start of the fall of the gods. Balder, the so-called god of light (who I believe to be a Christianisation, added later) had fate-full dreams which worried him and the gods. This brought Frigg into action, making everything in the nine worlds promise not to harm him apart from mistletoe, which she considered to be of little consequence. What the myths don't say though is the journey to Jotunheim by Balder to learn how to overthrow the gods. This information has been presented to me during ritual workings with Loki, so is highly subjective. Anyway, because Loki was mistrusted by the gods, they wouldn't have believed him if he had relayed this information. If you notice, in the myths, Loki never lies he just doesn't tell the truth.
There had to be a way of getting rid of Balder because Loki was sure of non-co-operation from the gods. So of course he led blind Hodur to the mistletoe and the killing of Balder leads to Ragnarok. On a deeper level we can see the link between this story and the natural events occuring around the summer solstice, with Hodur representing the dark part of the year and Balder the light part. This particular part of the story I believe is not a part of the Christianisation of the myths because of its association with natural phenomena, something the church regarded as pagan and would have tried to play down. So, I believe that Loki was actually doing the gods a favour in indirectly killing Balder. Out with the old and in with the new. A shining new world is formed, but still the gods live on in their original pure form. How can this possibly be pure evil!? I feel that the only people who don't recognise Loki, or who are scared of Loki are those who are scared of making changes in their lives. He only gets rid of what is not needed.
I would like to finish with a ritual to honour Loki.
You will need
· 1 wooden spoon (I wonder why)
· A glass of whisky or gin
· A medium size cardboard box, painted with pretty patterns or alternatively covered in sigils of things you wish to change in your life.
· Something you would like to have in your life, a symbol or sigil of which to place in the box.
· A kazzoo
· Your favourite comedy film, or something which makes you laugh hysterically.
1: Take your wooden spoon and with it cut a circle of dark light around you in an anti-clockwise direction.
2: Offer the whisky or gin to Loki and as you do this, pour it over your head.
3: Take the kazzoo and on it play something suitably Wagnerian, 'Ride of the Valkyries' maybe.
4: As you do this visualize Loki coming into your magickal space, you WILL know when he arrives.
5: Now pick up your film or photo or whatever you have chosen as your laughter device, offer it to Loki and watch it or look at it until you are in complete hysterics.
6: When laughter gnosis happens, smash the box until you get to the 'present' inside.
7: When you have got to this point hold the present aloft and scream 'Hail Loki, bringer of gifts, Hail Flame-head bringer of fire'.
8: Now close the circle, going the opposite direction (clockwise), now, if you like, pour yourself another glass of your whisky or whatever and rejoice in the splendour of our flame headed friend.
9. The rite is ended. I would advise you make a note of your dreams for the next nine nights as they will probably be prophetic. I wish you well, those who choose to walk the path of Loki. It is a brave one and it is like walking through a hall of mirrors, but most rewarding!!
Hail to Loki!
Trickster to gods and men,
bringer of creative chaos,
preserver of the nine worlds.
I offer drink to you;
remembering Woden's oath,
I pour out my sacrifice
into the sacred fire.
We drink together as friends
and will depart as friends from this
and all future blots.
Hail Loki!
Surfing for Norse Mythology on the Internet is a dangerous occupation, as you soon discover how desperate computer programmers are for names for their software. Looking for Loki stuff I found plenty of 'here is a lovely dovely photo of our cat/dog/budgie 'Loki'' - weird! Not to mention role playing stuff and Marvel comics, hmmmmm.
However there are at least two good sites:
The Loki Cult Page
http://www.hermetic.com/loki/index.html
Serious Asatru site dedicated to Loki with several articles. Recommended for Loki fans.
And if you want something more academic:
Lulea University Sweden
http://www.luth.se/luth/present/sweden/history/gods/johannes/index
There is a very lengthy article on this site covering Loki's role in the myths, subdivided into various chapters including gems like Loki as the Companion of Thorr.
When the world was young and the halls of the gods newly built, the women of Bilkskirnir were preparing for the spring feast. The great kitchen seethed with activity and Sif the golden haired oversaw the work of her maids and servants. Suddenly her concentration was broken, a weary falcon fluttered through an unshuttered window open to the warm spring air. The bird struggled to remain airborne but faltered and tumbled down. Sif held out her apron and gently caught the bird, then held it up in her hands and studied it carefully. 'Loki!' Sif cried both in surprise and command, breaking the spell and releasing the trickster from the falcon's form. Loki was exhausted and so thin he could not have eaten for weeks. Sif gently lifted him in her arms, shocked by his scant weight and carried him to his bed. Sigyn wept at the sight of her beloved and the two goddesses patiently tended Loki, and he slowly recovered. By the night of the spring feast Loki was well enough to attend the celebrations but was quiet and withdrawn, with no sign of his usual cheerfulness.
Thor was greatly dismayed by Loki's alarming change in character and drew him aside. 'What is wrong my friend? You return to us half dead but say not a word about where you have been, or why your life was imperilled. At least tell me.'
Loki looked up to meet the thunderer's eyes 'I have betrayed you,' he said miserably 'to save my own wretched life. And now your whole household will be deemed oathbreakers. I should have died!'
'What have you done?' Thor asked gently, though with obvious concern.
'I took the falcon's form and flew to the giants' land.' Loki replied 'All about the great halls I swooped and spied, noticed by none. Last I came to Geirrod's hall and with rising confidence I flew among the very rafters and heard and saw all that transpired below. But Geirrod is as wise as he is ugly and mean, he knew the interloper was no common hawk and sent his men to catch me. And a great game it was, swooping out of the giants' reach and the very last moment and watching them tumble to the hard floor in their attempts to grasp me.' The memory lifted Loki's spirits briefly but his grin faded quickly. 'But I was not fast enough, a clammy giant's hand snatched me down, and I was at Geirrod's mercy. Geirrod demanded my name, but it was plain that such an admittance would be my death, so I kept silent. He had me locked in a cage and had me watched day and night. No food or water was brought to me and slowly my hunger gave way to madness. Geirrod plagued me with his questions and eventually after months of thirst, sick of the pain, I told him who I was, and begged to be released. He agreed but for a price. I had to persuade you to travel to his hall, without your hammer, gloves or belt of power. This in my desperation I swore on your honour and mine.' Loki fell silent and turned away.
'Is that all?' Thor asked.
'Yes.' Replied Loki, baffled by Thor's lack of concern at his betrayal. 'Don't you understand, if you don't go, or if you go armed, Geirrod and his race will deem you a coward and an oathbreaker. And if you go unarmed, Geirrod will have you killed.'
Thor laughed 'Do you have so little faith in me? Could I not defeat Geirrod with my own strength? We will travel to this knaves hall and fulfil your oath, let all giants rue the day that Geirrod invited us.'
The very next morning the two gods set off on the path to Midgard, Thor without his hammer and Loki much cheered but aware of the risk the thunderer was taking. They waded the gentle streams and strode the green meadows above the Norn's well, and journeyed on into the land of men. As night fell Thor led his companion to a rambling farmstead and knocked on the door. The woman who opened it smiled with delight and hugged him 'Welcome my son, how good of you to visit me.' Jord was a good hostess and the table was quickly laid with bread meat and ale, Loki fell upon the food with relish.
Jord listened as Thor explained the strange reason for their journey. 'Gerriod?' She said 'You have a strong and devious foe there! He has three powerful daughters the equal of any giant warrior. You may be in grave danger if you travel to his hall unarmed, it is fortunate that you came to me.' Jord opened a chest and rummaged among its contents. 'Here are a pair of iron gloves that should serve you well, and this belt will help you increase your strength.' As she spoke she fastened the belt around Thor's waist and he started to object. 'But Loki's oath…'. 'Hush child' said Jord, 'the belt belongs to me and is not forbidden you. You can take my staff as well, you will need a weapon, and this is as stout as any other.' She reached into dark alcove of the hall and drew out a carved staff of ash wood, strengthened with rings of iron. Thor took the staff and was surprised by its weight, despite it's fine carving he sensed that her words were true, the staff would be difficult to break.
With the morning's dawn the two gods travelled on to the boundaries of the giants' land. On the very border their way was blocked by a fast flowing river. Undaunted Thor strode out into the river using Jord's staff to steady himself, while Loki hung onto the thunderer's belt. When they were half way across the river began to flow faster and higher, and Loki was tugged away with the force of the water. Thor thrust Jord's staff down into the river bed and looked upstream to see what was causing the flood. A massive giantess stood across the river, with her greasy skirts lifted high and pouring her filth into the river, she laughed loud at the tiny god below her. The enraged god bellowed 'That is one spring the world can do without!', he ducked down under the torrent and grabbed a boulder, with a mighty throw he struck the foul woman on the forehead. Geirrod's daughter screamed as she lost her balance and crashed into the river. With her fall the river rose higher still and Thor was swept away until he grabbed onto a rowan tree and staggered to the bank and into the giant's land.
The hall of Geirrod lay before him, and the damp and weary thunderer entered the first outbuilding he came to and collapsed into a chair. Suddenly the chair started to rise and looking down he saw Geirrod's three terrible daughters struggling to crush him against the roof. Thor slammed Jord's staff against the roof beams and suddenly saw with the eyes of the Norn's, the pattern of fate was spread all about him like a cobweb, it's interwoven strands shimmered within reach, and in that moment he understood all that he saw. With a shout of effort and triumph Thor pushed harder on the staff and the giantesses screamed as their backs were broken.
With renewed confidence the thunderer strode into Geirrods great hall. The towering giant greeted Thor warmly and offered him a contest of skill before dinner. Thor agreed and Geirrod snatched a red hot bar of iron from the hearth fire with a pair of tongs. The giant hurled the flaming bar at the thunderer. Thor leapt aside and caught the bar in the iron gloves Jord had given him. He raised the bar to return the murderous weapon to its master but Geirrod had hidden behind one of the iron high seat pillars in terror. Thor called on all his strength, Jord's girdle of power and all, and hurled the bar through the air. The iron pillar exploded as if hit by a thousand thunderbolts and the flaming bar pinned Gerriod's dead body firmly to the wall.
Thor left the giant's hall and crossed the river, this time with little difficulty, and was delighted to find Loki waiting on the far bank, where the unhappy trickster had been stranded, half drowned and shaken. The two friends made quick work of the road to Jord's hall, spurred on by hunger. Jord welcomed them with great delight and spread steaming dishes and great cups of ale before them. While Loki happily picked at the leftovers Thor told of his adventure and handed the iron gloves, belt and staff back to his mother. 'Your warning was wise mother,' the thunderer said 'I doubt I would have returned without your gifts'.
'I told you' Loki commented, still chewing 'he was confident he could kill you'.
Jord laughed, 'Shame on you child, to think a giant could slay you. You are the mightiest power alive even if I must prove it to you with trickery.' Jord picked up her belt and ran its length through her fingers, 'There is no magic in this Thor, I told you it would 'help' you increase your strength and so it did, you thought you had more power because of my girdle, so you found it in yourself.'
'How long have you known this mother?' Thor asked. 'It was your inheritance, my son.' Jord replied 'The powers of the earth are not to be underestimated, and all this I have passed to you. But such power is best found after wisdom and not before.'
Early the next morning the two gods made their farewells and Jord hugged them both fondly. She gave Thor her staff and asked told him to take it as her gift to the Norns on his journey back to Asgard. After a peaceful journey through the wonders of spring in Midgard they came to the Norn's hall by Urd's sacred well. Thor's daughters came running to greet the travellers and behind them came the daughters of gods and elves. 'I bring you a gift from Jord' said Thor holding out the carved staff of ash wood. The Norns took the staff and plunged it into the earth beside the well. They poured the sacred water over it and sang holy songs. The staff sprouted branches of ash leaves and grew and grew until it touched the very vault of the heavens.
'Hail the world ash!' cried Thrud 'Born in Midgard, tested in the giant's land, and brought to Urd's well by almighty Thunder'
Loki was staggered by the appearance of the huge tree, its trunk alone was wider than a kings hall. 'You have been carrying that around for three days?'
'I thought it was heavy.' Thor replied with a grin.
Thrud embraced her father and Loki saying 'As a mark of your adventures the eagle of the heavens and the squirrel of mischief will inhabit its branches until the world's end.'
Most of this tale comes from the story of Gerriod, which is recorded three times in Scandinavian literature, twice in Snorri's Edda once in prose and once in poetry, and once in Saxo Grammaticus. Snorri's two versions differ greatly.
The main change that has been made from the original is Thor's female helper should be Grid and not the Earth Goddess. Several members of Thorshof see a link between the two women so it made sense to try out the alteration. The staff's shamanic powers and its link to the world tree are also additions but are not as far fetched as you might think. Scholars have suggested that Thor's use of the staff to kill the giantesses is an explanation of the separation of the heavens and the earth, a little fanciful but a good excuse for my interpretation.
Thorshof members have also suggested this element of the myth as a shamanic initiation. The three giantesses representing the roots of the world tree. We could find no explanation for the eagle and the squirrel so I have invented one.
Snorri gives two explanations of the Norns, most surviving sources say they are three, alternatively there are dozens of them descended from gods, elves and evil spirits. Barlams Saga tells us that nine of the Norns are daughters of Thor. His only named daughter Thrud is numbered among the Valkyrie and was possibly considered to be one of them.
My name is Thunorwine and I am a heathen. My family and friends worship with me the Holy Ones of my European ancestors. The Holy Ones we worship are Tiw, Woden, Frige, Thunor, Ing Frea, Freo, Hel, the Aelfs, the Ides and other helpful wights. We ask for their protection against unholy wights who might seek to harm us and our world Middangeard. These are the Old English names for the Holy Ones. Other heathens worship the same Holy Ones using the names in their ancestors' languages. We often worship together with heathens called Asatruar who worship the Holy Ones in a Norse form.
Many feel our faith is all made up from myths and therefore not true. This is false. Our Holy Lore is the basis of a world view that still is of value even now at the end of the 20th century. Even when we take to the stars and spread throughout the galaxies, we will still recount our Holy Lore. It is important to know our religion's lore about how things came to be, what the world really is, and what will happen to the world and us.
Our universe had no beginning. It has always been here in some form or another. It will always exist in one form or another. No one made it and no one can destroy it. It only exists and changes over time into something else, but it will never be destroyed forever.
The Holy Ones are the creative forces of nature who formed the worlds and all its many peoples. They struggle against the Eotens (the destructive forces of nature) in order to preserved the worlds. Thunor is our god who keeps the Eotens from taking over our world Middangeard. He is a friend to all humankind.
Our universe is a big tree named Eormensyll and this tree is made up of nine worlds. This tree is also known as the World Tree and it holds up all the worlds in its branches and roots. People were parts of this tree which broke off and floated to the shores of Middangeard. Woden and his brothers gave them life. So we can say we are kin to the trees and are a part of what holds the universe together.
The nine worlds and their inhabitants are: (1) Nifolham: it is a land of ice and our lore does not give it any inhabitants; (2) Esageard: it is where our gods and goddesses live; (3) Eotenham: it is the home of the Eotens who are hostile to humans and are kept at bay by our god Thunor; (4) Aelfham: it is the home of the Aelfs who are our friends; (5) Middangeard: it is where we live; (6) Muspell: it is the home of the fire Eotens who will attack at the end of time and throw fire across the worlds; (7) Hell: it is the place of the worlds dead both human and non-human; (8) Sweartaelfham: it is the home of the sweartaelfs who make magickal objects and are the deities of technology; (9) Wanaham: it the home of the Wena deities who govern fertility and sexuality. They are very close to us.
The human being is made up of many parts; we are very complex beings. In our tradition the body and soul has eleven parts: (1) the lic (our body); (2) the hyde (our smartness); (3) the mynd (our memory); (4) the willa (our will to do what we want); (5) the aethem (breathe of life or life force); (6) the hama (an energy that surrounds our lic); (7) the orlaeg (personal wyrd or karma); (8) the maegen (personal spiritual power); (9) the faecce (our guardian spirit usually an animal); (10) the mod (our self; our personal feeling of unity); and (11) the wod (passion, strong feelings).
Our lives are shaped by our wyrd. The wyrd is the force of our past and current actions that make our future. Wyrd can be affected by our good and bad deeds. Good deeds help build up a better wyrd for us and bad deeds create a debt that we must repay. This usually results to bad things happening to us in this life or a future one.
Our wyrd is not just our own. Our wyrd affects our family and kin. And their wyrd affects each of us. All families have their own group wyrds as do groups of families. Towns, counties, states and nations have their own group wyrds that affect all. All of us are interconnected by many connections of wyrd. So our bad deeds affect all and so do our good deeds. With this knowledge we know what we need to do to make a better world.
Our tradition gives us some guidelines to help us do good and honourable deeds. These were called thews by our ancestors. We honour our ancestors by keeping their thews. Twelve in number are these thews: (1) boldness (not to fear life and to take charge of one's wyrd); (2) steadfastness (this is to accept what life and wyrd throws at us); (3) troth (this is to be loyal to those we have kinship or oath ties); (4) give-fullness (generosity); (5) guestliness (to always treat guests kindly); (6) sooth (to be truthful and honest); (7) wrake (sometimes it is necessary to defend one's self, family, nation and world against others who use force against them): (8) equality (to treat other equally as people); (9) friendship (to make friends with others outside of our families); (10) freedom (to stay free and prevent others from losing theirs'); (11) wisdom (to always learn and to share what you learn with others); and (12) busyship (to work for one's self, family, kin, nation, and world). Oath making and oath keeping are very important aspects of our faith. To make an oath is to promise to do a deed before the Holy Ones and witnesses (usually done at husel or symbel). This oath is subject to "veto" by one's family and friends. They have a right to do so as one's oath can affect them negatively. Thus they have an interest in your oath; your wyrd is not just your own. This also protects us from making a rash oath. Once an oath is made it must be carried out to the best of our abilities. When it is accomplished one then needs to brag of one's deed at the next symbel. This is to fully set the deed into wyrd as well as to inspire others to do good deeds.
We honour our Holy Ones through the reciting of bedes (prayers), sharing food and mead at a husel, and through the act of Holy drinking at a symbel.
Bedes are prayers to the Holy Ones and helpful Wights which are spoken outloud. These can be offered individually or as a part of a larger group's worship.
The Husel is a Holy feast usually held at set times during the year (though many also perform husel after being blessed unexpectedly). At husel we invite the Holy Ones to come and share, food and mead with our families and friends. It is a coming together of family and friends in Holy Communion with the Holy Ones and all good Wights. We invite any who we feel close to regardless of sex, religion, race or sexual orientation. The Holy Ones accept all who keep peace with them.
The Symbel is a Holy drinking rite. It uses alcoholic drink as the key to unlock the mysteries of our souls and to allow the Holy Ones to inspire us. Oaths and bragging are done during symbel.
While we can honor and share with the Holy Ones at any time, it is traditional to do so at set times during the year. These set times are called the Holy Tides. There are four major Tides: Yule, Ostara, Mid-summer and Hallows. All heathens need to celebrate at least these four Holy Tides. The minor Tides are optional, though many also celebrate: Thunorsblot, Ewemeoluc, Walburgis, Freysblot, Hlaefmaest and Einjerhar Day.
Some of us do more than sharing with the Holy Ones; some investigate deeper mysteries. Runes are one such mystery. They are Woden's gift to humankind. Used rightly they can give us great insight into our wyrd. We should never use them as a form of entertainment for others.
There are even more deep magickal mysteries in our faith known by many but practiced by few. As these mysteries are not essential for all of us to master, we should give our support to those heathen who do dedicate themselves to mastery.
For final thoughts in this summary of heathen faith, we shall speak of our own and the universes' final fate. We believe there is not just one life but many. This has not been our first life here nor will it be our last. Doing honorable deeds, while avoiding dishonorable ones, is the way to Esageard. There one dwell's in the halls of the Holy Ones. Others who live just so-so lives go to Hel's hall. The Goddess Hel prepares halls for both the good and for the evil. Some do evil so wrong that they go to the Great Dragon and have to start at the bottom of evolution again. Over all, after a certain period of time allocated by wyrd, one returns to Middangeard usually in one's family line or to those who they have developed close ties of wyrd over numerous rebirths.
And what of the universes ultimate wyrd? The World Tree may shake, it may suffer. All nine worlds upon it may even pass away, but the World Tree endures forever. Given time she sprouts new fruit, new worlds.
Don't take this as a precedent, Thunder is not a newsletter, but if it interesting what the Nifleheim?
Lina is an A4 size quarterly journal of approximately 28 pages. To show the flavour of some of the articles the last couple of issues have included:
Of being and Knowledge: thoughts about Frigg, Nerthus and Odin; Gardening by the Moon; Heathen Ethics and Abortion; Midsummer Herbal Drink Recipes; In search of the Elusive Ancestor; Vor Goddess of Awareness; Our Faith; The Seven Stages of Parenting.
For background 'Frigg's Web' itself is a frithstead for all Heathen Folk: non-ideological, nonpartisan and apolitical. It's focus is religious and practical for Frigga's Wev was designed as an umbrella organisation to intergrate the efforts of several guilds and halls dedicated to the practical and mystical work the Frigga governs. It is poen to all who honour Frigga's way though there is no necessity that Frigga be any subscriber's closest friend among the gods and goddesses.
The existing halls included Frithweavers (mediation & diplomacy), Household, (domestic skills and lore) Clothcrafters (textile skills), Web of Life (environment concern), Reeves (leadership skills and support), Lifebringers (childrearing), Childrens (education and parent support).
A single sample costs £2 while four issues costs £7.50. Issue dates should be October, January, April and July. Subscriptions should be paid to Pat Deegen and sent to PO Box 16071.
This is a new networking service for heathens who respect equality of gender, race and sexual orientation. Subscribers receive regular lists of events and useful contact information, have the opportunity to attend public meetings and ceremonies, and can request assistance in learning and practising heathen lore. Midgard Web is currently supported by the Hearths of the Hammer London heathen group and Thorshof. For subscription information please e-mail harley_990@hotmail.com or write c/o Thorshof.
Anyone who has visited Thorshof will have met Thorskegga's impressive collection of straw goat figures. Now we have a copy of the up to date Panduro catalogue we can tell you where to get them from. Panduro supply traditional craft materials, including assescories for making Yuletide elf and troll figures.
46cm straw goat £16.90.
29cm straw goat £8.50.
set of 3 11cm goats £1.45
set of 5 7cm goats £1.60
Minimum order £20. £2.95 p&p is charged on all orders under £50.00. £1.50 is handling is charged on all orders. Panduro Hobby, Freepost, Transport Avenue, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 8BR. E-mail pandurohobby@compuserve.com
19th September 1998, 12.00 noon Thorshof, High Wycombe. Practical session - basic woodcarving.
10th October 1998, Thorshof, High Wycombe. Rituals and how to do them.
21st November 1998, Thorshof, High Wycombe. Practical session - making straw figures.
12th December 1998, Thorshof, High Wycombe. Discussion on the meaning of Yule with festive crafts. Mulled wine and roast chestnuts at the Hof hearth.
4th October 1998, Winter Nights Ceremony, London. E-mail einar@btinternet.com for details.
12 December 1998: Yule Ceremony & Hof warming party. Thorshof, High Wycombe. Space is limited so tell Thorskegga early if you want to come.
17th October 1998, Heathen Forum meeting, 12.00 noon, Man in the Moon pub, Chalk Farm, North London.
17th-18th October 1998, Pagan Halloween Festival, London University Student Union.
14th-15th November 1998, Re-enactors Market, Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, Oxford.
These are very good and recommended to anyone interested in folk crafts. The day course costs £33, phone 01458 273111 for booking details
Dates and venues:
12th November - Portsmouth, Hants
14th/15th November - Somerton, Somerset (£45 per day including three course Icelandic lunch)
17th November - Whitstable, Kent
18th November - Hadleigh, Essex
19th November - Pettswood, Kent
20th November - Colchester, Essex
21st November - St Albans, Herts
23rd November - Thames Ditton, Surrey
United Kingdom: Thorskegga Thorn, Thorshof, 106 Oakridge Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2PL. UK subscription is £3 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.
NEXT ISSUE THUNDERGODS OF MANY LANDS, IN NORTHERN EUROPE AND BEYOND.