Though most members would not begin their personal Yule celebrations for another few days, on December 18, 2011 Keeper of Seasons Hall met to celebrate the opening of the Yule season and hold its last official holiday observance of the year. As with previous years, we celebrated indoors, and in 2011 Debbie and I hosted the event at our home. Continue reading
Tag Archives: alfar
Approaching Ullr
The handout for our discussion of Ullr, November 2011
Updated May, 2013, with thanks to Niklas of Enkoping, Sweden for suggestions about the Lunda figurines and Ullr’s wife.
Approaching Ullr
Literature:
Grimnismal (Dronke translation): Continue reading
Winternights 2011 Handout
Winternights (Veturnóttum)
Literary quotations (emphasis mine):
Austrfararvisur St. 4-5
Réðk til Hofs at hœfa;/ hurð vas aptr, en ek spurðumk/ (inn settak nef nenninn)/ niðrlútr fyrir útan;/ orð gatk fæst af fyrðum,/ (flǫgð baðk) en þau sǫgðu,/ hnekðumk heiðnir rekkar,/ heilagt (við þau deila).
Gakkat inn, kvað ekkja,/ armi drengr, en lengra;/ hræðumk ek við Óðins/ (erum heiðin vér) reiði;/ rýgr kvazk inni eiga/ óþekk sús mér hnekði/ alfa blót sem ulfi/ ótvín í bœ sínum.
To Hof I struck the path./ The door was shut. Outside/ I had to ask. I bent down,/ Poked my nose in to see./ Not much I learned from that household./ They said, “Today is holy.”/ Heathen bullies threw me out./ To Hell with them, say I!
“No farther can you enter,/ You wretch!” said the woman./ “Here we are heathens/ And I fear the wrath of Odin.”/ She shoved me out like a wolf,/ That arrogant termagant,/ Said she was holding sacrifice/ To elves there in her house. (Page translation, http://vikingraiders.yolasite.com/resources/Austrfaravisur.pdf) Continue reading
Pagan Pride Day 2011 Presentation Handout
One of the handouts available at the talk I gave during this year’s Pagan Pride Day in Albuquerque:
Glossary for The Basics of Asatru
(and other forms of Heathenry and Paganism inspired by pre-Conversion Germanic religion)
Æsir: One of the families of gods. Some of the better-known include Odin, Frigg, and Thor.
Alfar: Elves. Often called alfar to avoid people confusing them with fantasy, Lord of the Rings style elves. Believed by some Heathens to be deceased male ancestors.
Asatru: Literally, “faith in the Æsir,” though it isn’t strictly limited just to worship of the Æsir; all wights allied with the Æsir and humanity may be worshipped. It is the reconstruction and revival of the pre-Conversion religion(s) of the Germanic peoples.
Æ, æ: Ash. In modern Icelandic, pronounced like English “eye.” Continue reading
Winternights 2009 Report
On October 31st, 2009 the membership of Keeper of Seasons Hall met to celebrate Winternights.
We met at a trailhead in the Sandia foothills at about noon, and after exchanging some pleasantries and my slinging the bag full of horns and mead over my shoulder, we departed on our short hike to a rocky outcropping well-known and loved by the Hall. Continue reading
Yule 2008 report
For its last official blót of the year, Keeper of Seasons Hall met on December 21, 2008 to celebrate the opening of the Yule season. Though the Hall normally holds its blóts outdoors, Yule is usually an exception; as in previous years, we met at the home of one of the Hall members. For 2008, I had the honor of acting as host for the Hall. Continue reading
A Short Winternights Rite
Hallowing
Donar, God of the Garðs, Guard this stead for Winternights.
Heimdall, sounder of the Horn, Hold us ever in your sight. Continue reading
Midsummer’s Blot 1998
1. Warding and Gathering
<Blot horn blasts thrice>
We hail you Heimdall, heaven-bright warder –
See us in safety, as sacrifice we hold,
Donar, Goat-driver, god of the Garths,
hallow this place, and hold it in might all-holy. Continue reading