Asgard - Home of the Aesir ( 5th Part )

Asgard 5th part

4th part of "Places in Asgard"

Breidablik

Breidablik ("Broadview") was the hall of Baldur and Nanna, given to them as a wedding gift. After Baldur's death and Nanna's suicide, Frigga sealed its doorways. No unclean thing is permitted to come near it; it exists in a magical state of non-rot in memoriam of her beloved son. While you can gaze on it from a distance, you will not be allowed in. Delling, a Red Alf from eastern Alfheim, guards its doors and turns away all comers.

Landvidi ("Whiteland", also known as "Broadland")

Landvidi is Vidar's hall, where he lives with his giantess mother Grid. (One of the few Jotun who have fully allied with the Aesir and who are allowed to live in Asgard, Grid is one of Odin's sometime lovers, and is also something of a mentor to Thor, whom she considers a beloved stepson. She gave him the magical iron gloves and the belt of strength that he wears, and has lent him her magical iron rod, Gridarvol, on occasion.) Landvidi actually refers to the whole area, which contains greenwoods and many fields with long grasses.

Vidar, the lord of Landvidi, is a grim-faced, dark-haired Aesir who tends to dress in dark red. People come to him in order to ask about vengeance; you can generally tell those visitors by their grim, set faces. Otherwise, most folk leave him be. He is unmarried, and his mother is the Lady of his hall. Grid is large, maternal, and likes to mentor young men; she will freely give advice on any topic from battle to love. If you visit without an agenda directly involving Vidar's aid, go to Grid first and talk to her; she will be much more hospitable.

Glitnir

Glitnir is Forseti's Hall of Justice, shingled in silver, with gold porch-pillars. The axe-bearing son of Baldur and Nanna, Forseti represents justice, good laws, arbitration, and good judgment. Conflicts are brought to his hall to be worked out. Forseti is a top-notch mediator. While he wears his axe on his back as a reminder that Justice has teeth, he is dedicated to finding peaceful ways to work things out that do not require bloodshed. If you have a grievance with a deity that you want publicly heard, it is possible to go to Forseti and ask his aid. Be warned that if he feels it is a lost cause - fair or not - he will tell you. If he feels that your cause is good, he will arrange a mediated session in the Hall of Justice, if the other deity is willing. Be aware that you may have to answer many questions from other deities, and not necessarily ones you expect. Do not lie - no one can lie undetected in Glitnir - and do not refuse to answer anything.

Brimir

Brimir Hall is as yet untenanted. It is on Okolnir Island, which is in the center of the lake in the Fields of Gimle. It seems to be held as an emergency hall in case Ragnarok comes, as the prophecy claims that should the worst happen, Gimle will survive. Ironically, it is owned by the giant Brimir, who won the island in a game of chance with Odin, He built the hall, and periodically shows up to make improvements and alterations. Do not attempt to enter, as the place is magically warded.

Gimle Hall

Situated close to Brimir Hall in the Fields of Gimle, this is another emergency post-Ragnarok hall, with a roof of gold. It is currently untenanted. Don't bother it, or consider squatting there; you will be noticed and removed.

Iduna's Cottage

This hall is not listed in the lore, but I found it while wandering in Asgard. Iduna lives in a thatched cottage in the middle of a beautiful orchard, notable because the trees are all in different phases - some blooming, some budding, some growing fruit. A lovely garden surrounds the cottage, and the whole place is surprisingly peasant-like. Iduna herself is likely to be found working on the grounds, in the garden or the orchard. She is a tall, plain woman with hands that look like they do manual labor. Her husband, Bragi, tends to appear as a short middle-aged man; he is the Skald of Asgard and a beautiful singer, great storyteller, and excellent poet. However, he is usually away at Gladsheim, and is rarely at home.

Iduna prefers to stay in her cottage and orchard; perhaps a history of being abducted has something to do with that. She grows the magic apples that keep the Aesir young and healthy. Do not attempt to beg, buy, steal, or otherwise obtain any of these apples, because she won't let you have any no matter how much she likes you, being under strict orders from Odin not to share them (and they are few and precious anyway, barely enough for the Aesir) and if you steal them off the trees, you'll find that they are just ordinary apples that don't do anything except taste excellent. There's more to their magic than just their growth; they must be given over with Iduna's magic in order for them to work. That's why outsiders kept attempting to kidnap Iduna herself. Otherwise, if you want to sit with her and talk about gardening, she's glad to have visitors.

Rathsey's Sound

Also known as the Isle of Counsel, Rathsey's Sound is a small island lying where the Thund Thvitr meets the ocean. Here lives the once-mortal hero Hildolf, who for some reason (probably a bargain with Odin) has his own small hall rather than living with the rest of the Einherjar. He is much loved by Odin's legions, who come to him for wisdom when they are in a bad way. He has appeared as a middle-aged, grey-bearded man with keen eyes, wearing a wolf's pelt on his shoulders. He will take in and counsel any mortal, although he is wholly on the side of Odin and the Aesir, and his counsel will reflect that. He is especially good at talking to wounded warriors whom stress has mentally wrecked, giving them counsel that does not make them feel like weaklings. A good offering for him would be good drink that he can give to other "clients" when they show up.

Urdabrunnr and the Hall of Fate

At the furthest point of Asgard, beyond the forests of Ydalir and the small mountain range, the uppermost root of the World Tree protrudes through the ground. It is far more than an invader, it is the anchor on which the entire world of Asgard is seated. Like a curved, knobbly mountain of wood, it bears enough sprouts and suckers to create a large grove. Steps are carved into its living bark, so that sacred rites can be performed on top of it. If you climb these stairs, you had better be ready to perform one, with no dawdling.

Sheltered in the curve of the great root is Urdabrunnr, the Well of Wyrd. This is a large stone-rimmed spring from which water continually bubbles, feeding the root of the tree. The ground around it is muddy and wet; watch your footing. It is not known if a mortal could survive falling into the Well of Wyrd accidentally. To look into it will show you many things, most of them difficult to understand and easy to misinterpret. Don't drink the water without the permission of the Keepers of that Well, the three Norns.

The Norns are the Fates of the Northern Tradition. They are named Urd (That-Which-Is), Verdandi (That-Which-Is-Becoming), and Skuld (That-Which-Should-Be), and they are mentioned as "the mighty maids from Thursenheim", or Niflheim, home of the frost-thurses. Urd spins the threads of each person's destiny, Verdandi weaves them, and Skuld cuts them short. Sometimes they appear to look identical; sometimes they appear with different ages. Unlike the Moerae, the Greek fates, Urd is the eldest and Skuld sometimes appears as a black-armored maiden who sometimes rides along with the Valkyries. Generally they do not appear as beautiful, however; most spirit-workers report them as plain, almost dowdy thurse-women, focused on their work.

The Norns may or may not appear when you approach the Well; whether they do or not can give you a pretty good idea of whether or not the knowledge of your Wyrd, or that of someone else, is your business to pursue. If they do not appear, even when propitiated - and the Norns are historically difficult to propitiate - and if the Well shows you nothing that is clear and simple, it's best to go and propitiate them further from home. If they do appear, remember that to Them, They are very busy and you are not very important. Indeed, even the Gods are not terribly important in their scheme of things. The Norns owe allegiance to no one, and not even Odin and Hela - arguably the most powerful Gods in the Nine Worlds - can force their hands. Ask clear, concise, and well-thought-through questions; take what answers they give without arguing, and then go home and meditate on them.

In terms of propitiation, the Norns have no use for things. What they want is work. The best sort of straight-out propitiation for them seems to be doing household cleaning. Before you work, offer all the energy of this cleaning to them. As you work, you may feel as if you are also cleaning some other place as well, a place that you can't see; as if your work is being done in two worlds at once. This can be assumed to mean that they are accepting your gift. Another sort of work-offering is needlework of any kind, especially spinning, weaving, or embroidery. However, as this is contributing to the energy of the tapestry, you will have to get their permission before offering them this gift. Do not think that by giving them the energy of each stitch, you are actually changing the tapestry of Wyrd. They wouldn't allow that; you are simply lending them power to tend it themselves. If for some reason you need an immediate offering, blood is a good one. Cut yourself and allow it to flow right into the well.

Beyond the root of the Tree is a small cottage which, ironically, is referred to as the Hall of Fate. Only those who are the direct servants of the Norns are allowed to enter it and see it, so don't try to go in. You wouldn't get past the doorway anyway without getting mysteriously turned around and finding yourself back again at the edge of the pool.

Supported By RavenKaldera