Seiðr Craft - Chapter 3: Þolinmæði - Patience & Discipline
In seiðr, nothing is gained through haste. The old paths move at the pace of roots and rivers, not lightning. Þolinmæði (patience) is not quiet suffering, but sacred endurance: the willingness to keep returning to the work even when the gods are silent and the visions do not come.
Through Odin’s nine nights upon Yggdrasil, through Freyja’s long teaching of seiðr, the lore shows that power is not seized - it is cultivated through rhythm, repetition, and the slow shaping of the soul.
This lesson calls the practitioner to honour stillness, to embrace the silence between moments, and to learn that true mastery is not in commanding the unseen, but in remaining — steadfast as the tree, calm as the deep earth below it.
Seiðr craft - Chapter 2: Virðing - Respect
Seiðr Craft – Chapter 2: Virðing (Respect) explores the heart of Norse magic through the ancient principle of virðing — the deep respect that binds all things in the web of being. Before the chants, before the visions, comes honour: to gods, to land, to ancestors, and to oneself.
Through stories from the sagas, lessons of reverence, and modern practices, this chapter reveals how seiðr is more than ritual — it is relationship. It teaches that power without respect becomes chaos, and that every act of magic begins with humility. When we honour what sustains us, our craft grows clear, steady, and alive.
This is a guide to walking the path of the völva with integrity, rooted in frith, woven into wyrd.
Thor: The Thunderer, Defender of Worlds
Thor, the mighty thunderer, is one of the most iconic gods in Norse mythology. Wielding his hammer Mjölnir and riding across the storm-tossed sky in a chariot drawn by goats, Thor embodies raw strength, protection, and defiance in the face of chaos. Beloved by farmers and feared by giants, he is the defender of both gods and humans, a force of thunder who blesses, hallows, and protects. This post explores Thor’s role as warrior, hall-companion, giant-slayer, and doomed hero, whose story still thunders across time.
How to: Build Your Own Altar
Building a Norse altar is not about wealth or decoration — it’s about meaning, respect, and connection. In the old days, an altar could be as simple as a stone in a grove, a hearth fire, or a wooden post carved in honor of the gods. Today, you can create your own sacred stead using what you already have: a table, a candle, a drinking horn, or symbols of the gods, ancestors, and land-spirits. This guide will walk you step by step through the process of choosing a place, gathering materials, consecrating the space, and keeping it alive with offerings and care. Your altar becomes the living heart of your practice — a bridge between worlds where gifts and blessings are exchanged.
What is Norse Paganism?
Norse and Germanic paganism is more than ancient myth — it is a living worldview built on deep values of honor, kinship, reciprocity, and respect for nature. Rooted in the traditions of pre-Christian Northern Europe, it teaches us how to live with balance, how to honor our ancestors, and how to find the sacred in both everyday life and the turning of the seasons. From the World Tree Yggdrasil to the runes and seasonal festivals like Yule and Midsummer, this path offers timeless wisdom for personal growth and meaningful living.
Freyja – Lady of Love, War, and Magic
Freyja, the radiant Lady of the Vanir, is one of the most powerful and captivating goddesses in Norse mythology. Known as the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sorcery, war, and death, she embodies the full spectrum of human existence — sensual yet fierce, nurturing yet destructive. With her falcon-cloak, her cat-drawn chariot, and the fabled Brísingamen necklace, Freyja shaped the lives of gods and mortals alike. She chose half of the slain for her hall in Fólkvangr, taught Odin the mysteries of seiðr, and remains one of the most revered deities of the old ways.
Heimdall, the Watchman of the Gods
Heimdall, the shining guardian of Asgard, is one of the most fascinating figures in Norse mythology. Born of nine mothers at the edge of the world, he became the divine watchman, gifted with unmatched sight and hearing. From fathering the classes of humanity in Rígsþula to blowing the Gjallarhorn at Ragnarök, Heimdall stands as a symbol of vigilance, loyalty, and sacrifice. His final battle with Loki captures the eternal struggle between order and chaos, reminding us of the timeless need for guardians who keep the balance between light and shadow.
A Message from Bragi, Keeper of Words and Poetry - 24/09/25
Bragi, the Norse god of poetry and song, reminds us that words carry more power than any blade. His message speaks of the tongue as a weapon and a gift, capable of raising hearts, forging peace, or igniting courage. Every word shapes destiny, healing or harming, building or breaking. In Norse tradition, Bragi embodies the eternal truth that sagas are written not only by deeds but by voices bold enough to speak. His call is timeless: be fearless with your words, and make them worthy of memory.
What is The Hávamál?
The Hávamál, “Sayings of the High One,” is one of the most remarkable works of Norse mythology. Preserved in the Poetic Edda, it is a collection of wisdom, myth, and magic attributed to Odin, the god of knowledge and poetry. At once a handbook of everyday conduct and a meditation on the pursuit of wisdom, the Hávamál bridges Viking Age society with the spiritual world of the North. Rooted in oral tradition and saved by the medieval Codex Regius manuscript, it remains a timeless voice of Norse belief.
Midgard: The Middle Realm of Norse Mythology
Midgard, the “middle realm” of Norse mythology, is the world of humankind — created from the body of the giant Ymir and encircled by the serpent Jormungandr. Positioned at the heart of Yggdrasil, the great World Tree, Midgard stands as both sanctuary and battlefield where gods, giants, and mortals meet. From the first humans, Ask and Embla, to Midgard’s fiery destruction at Ragnarok, its story reveals the Norse vision of life, death, and renewal.
The Sagas and Historical Texts of Norse Tradition
The sagas and historical texts of medieval Scandinavia preserve a vivid picture of Viking Age and medieval life. From family feuds in Iceland to the reigns of Norwegian kings, from saints’ lives to chronicles like Íslendingabók and Gesta Danorum, these works reveal how Norse people remembered their past. Blending history, legend, and literature, they stand as some of the most important sources for understanding the culture, values, and identity of medieval Iceland and beyond.
Poetic Edda in order
The Poetic Edda is one of the most important sources for Norse mythology and heroic legend. Preserved mainly in the Codex Regius, this 13th-century manuscript contains a carefully ordered sequence of mythological and heroic poems. The mythological lays include Vǫluspá, Hávamál, and Þrymskviða, while the heroic lays tell the tragic stories of Helgi, Sigurd, Brynhildr, Guðrún, and Atli. Alongside these core texts, a small group of additional Eddic poems survive in other manuscripts, such as Baldrs draumar, Rígsþula, Hyndluljóð, and Svipdagsmál. Together, these poems preserve the voices of the Viking Age, offering insights into fate, wisdom, heroism, and the myths that shaped the Norse world.
The Additional Eddic Poems (NOT codex regius)
The Poetic Edda is usually associated with the Codex Regius, the 13th-century manuscript that preserves the core of Old Norse mythology. Yet a handful of other Eddic poems survive in different manuscripts, offering a broader view of Viking Age myth and legend. Known as the Additional Eddic Poems or the Eddic Appendix, they include Baldrs draumar, Rígsþula, Hyndluljóð, and Svipdagsmál. These haunting and powerful verses reveal Odin’s search for prophecy, Heimdall’s shaping of society, Freyja’s genealogical quests, and the magical trials of the hero Svipdagr. Together they enrich our understanding of the Norse imagination beyond the Codex.
The Prose Edda: Preserving the Myths and Poetry of Medieval Iceland
The Prose Edda is far more than just a medieval curiosity — it is a cultural bridge. Snorri Sturluson’s compilation preserves voices that might otherwise have been silenced by the tides of Christianity and political change. It is simultaneously a mythological encyclopedia, a poetic handbook, and a cultural time capsule of 13th-century Iceland.
The Evolution of Norse Paganism
Before the Viking Age shaped what we now call Norse Paganism, there were countless generations of belief systems that came before it—stretching back through the Proto-Germanic tribes and even further to the Proto-Indo-European peoples of the ancient steppe. These were not isolated traditions but part of a long evolution, where gods were known by different names, rituals were carried out in forests and stone circles, and myths were passed orally for millennia before ever being written down.
This journey through time is not simple; it often raises more questions than answers. Why do we find the Elder Futhark runes in our practice when the Vikings used the Younger Futhark? Why do Indo-European, Proto-Germanic, and Norse myths seem so entangled, as if overlapping across centuries?
The deeper truth is that the gods have always been with us. Their names may shift, their stories may adapt, and the cultures that honoured them may rise and fall—but the essence of the divine has never disappeared. What matters most is not rigid historical accuracy, but the living connection we foster with our gods and ancestors today.
The Poetic Edda: The Ancient Voice of Norse Myth and Legend Introduction
The Poetic Edda is one of the most vital sources for Norse mythology and heroic legend. Preserved chiefly in the Codex Regius, this medieval manuscript contains powerful poems that recount the creation of the world, the wisdom of Odin, the humour of Thor, and the tragic cycles of human heroes. Unlike the Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda carries the raw voice of an oral tradition—stark, direct, and timeless. Its verses reveal a worldview shaped by fate, courage, and renewal, ensuring its place as a cornerstone of world literature and a living echo of the Viking Age.