Vanaheim
Vanaheim (or "Vana-home") is the world of the Vanir, a race of deities and spirits whose main focus is agriculture. This world lies on the western side of the World Tree, just below Alfheim and Asgard in the spiral path. No one is really sure where the Vanir came from, or how they created Vanaheim without the Aesir noticing, and they aren't telling. However, they first come to the attention of the Aesir after they have already established their world and their land.
As i have told you before, in my point of view, these worlds are in fact one huge world, and a shaman in his/her journey doesnt actualy go on foot, he appears in a place and travels, and then in an other journey in trance or an out of the body expirience, he will appear in a completely diferent place, which lead people to belive, they are actualy traveling into other worlds, but in truth, they visit realms in that world, so Vanaheim is no exception, there is a feeling taht the world is below Alfheim and Asgard, because the good ground for agriculture, are plain fields, in woodlands etc. below the mountains, and because the way to Alfheim is up, it gives that feeling that Alfheim is a vast world above Vanaheim and in other hand, Asgard is up into the mountains in the other side. So now that i have given my point of view so you can understand this better, lets get back to the subject.
Time and Seasons:
Vanaheim has four perfect seasons. By this I mean that Vanaheim is blessed with generally postcard-perfect weather, regardless of what time of year it happens to be. Indeed, Vanaheim has the best weather and climate of any of the Nine Worlds. Its "year" is significantly longer than ours, however; it may be difficult to line up the season here with the season there. Vanaheim turns closest to our world at the halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, the day that was referred to by some of our ancestors as Lammas.
Geography:
Vanaheim is a large island, large enough that it could be called a small continent. Rolling hills decorate the central area, and the rest is meadow and pastureland, with small patches of woodland. The shoreline varies between open beaches and rock cliffs. Fishing is a popular industry, as the Vanir are closely allied to Aegir the sea god. The island is lush and green, with the most fertile soil in the Nine Worlds. Practically any seed will grow, stuck into the ground. As such, Vanaheim is the food basket of the Nine Worlds, exporting and trading agricultural products with all the others.
There seem to be no cities in Vanaheim, nor even a capital or main hall where the important Vanir all live. The people of Vanaheim are organized into small villages, none of them much more important than any other. Government is done by moots, where village representatives travel to meet and discuss and decide law. The moots are large gatherings that take several days, and are often timed with seasonal religious rituals, as if to get as much as possible out of a single gathering. The location of the moots rotates around the island.
Villages usually center around a sacred grove, with cottages, small halls, and fields outlying around it. There are small temples in a few areas, but most worship is done outside in the groves. These groves are distinguished by carefully planted circles of sacred trees, stone altars, and the occasional stang. Actually, you won't find stangs anywhere else in Vanaheim except for the sacred groves, which are holy ground and usually watched by a guardian priest or priestess. That means that when you enter this world, you will come in under surveillance, into a space that is considered sacred and must be treated with respect. Although the priest-guardians are generally not armed, they usually have guards around who are. As soon as you enter Vanaheim, respectfully declare yourself and tell them your business there. There may be food offerings left around the grove; don't eat them.
The largest stretch of woods in Vanaheim is the Barri Woods, a magical wood of gold-leaved trees on the eastern shore, nearest to Jotunheim. The trees grow taller there than anywhere else in this wood, and it is said by the locals that they are actually of Jotunheim stock, gifted or traded by the etins just across the water and world-barrier. This is the place where Frey met with his etin-bride Gerda and wooed her, and the Barri Woods are said to be particularly good for sexual rites and love magic.
As i have told you before, in my point of view, these worlds are in fact one huge world, and a shaman in his/her journey doesnt actualy go on foot, he appears in a place and travels, and then in an other journey in trance or an out of the body expirience, he will appear in a completely diferent place, which lead people to belive, they are actualy traveling into other worlds, but in truth, they visit realms in that world, so Vanaheim is no exception, there is a feeling taht the world is below Alfheim and Asgard, because the good ground for agriculture, are plain fields, in woodlands etc. below the mountains, and because the way to Alfheim is up, it gives that feeling that Alfheim is a vast world above Vanaheim and in other hand, Asgard is up into the mountains in the other side. So now that i have given my point of view so you can understand this better, lets get back to the subject.
Time and Seasons:
Vanaheim has four perfect seasons. By this I mean that Vanaheim is blessed with generally postcard-perfect weather, regardless of what time of year it happens to be. Indeed, Vanaheim has the best weather and climate of any of the Nine Worlds. Its "year" is significantly longer than ours, however; it may be difficult to line up the season here with the season there. Vanaheim turns closest to our world at the halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, the day that was referred to by some of our ancestors as Lammas.
Geography:
Vanaheim is a large island, large enough that it could be called a small continent. Rolling hills decorate the central area, and the rest is meadow and pastureland, with small patches of woodland. The shoreline varies between open beaches and rock cliffs. Fishing is a popular industry, as the Vanir are closely allied to Aegir the sea god. The island is lush and green, with the most fertile soil in the Nine Worlds. Practically any seed will grow, stuck into the ground. As such, Vanaheim is the food basket of the Nine Worlds, exporting and trading agricultural products with all the others.
There seem to be no cities in Vanaheim, nor even a capital or main hall where the important Vanir all live. The people of Vanaheim are organized into small villages, none of them much more important than any other. Government is done by moots, where village representatives travel to meet and discuss and decide law. The moots are large gatherings that take several days, and are often timed with seasonal religious rituals, as if to get as much as possible out of a single gathering. The location of the moots rotates around the island.
Villages usually center around a sacred grove, with cottages, small halls, and fields outlying around it. There are small temples in a few areas, but most worship is done outside in the groves. These groves are distinguished by carefully planted circles of sacred trees, stone altars, and the occasional stang. Actually, you won't find stangs anywhere else in Vanaheim except for the sacred groves, which are holy ground and usually watched by a guardian priest or priestess. That means that when you enter this world, you will come in under surveillance, into a space that is considered sacred and must be treated with respect. Although the priest-guardians are generally not armed, they usually have guards around who are. As soon as you enter Vanaheim, respectfully declare yourself and tell them your business there. There may be food offerings left around the grove; don't eat them.
The largest stretch of woods in Vanaheim is the Barri Woods, a magical wood of gold-leaved trees on the eastern shore, nearest to Jotunheim. The trees grow taller there than anywhere else in this wood, and it is said by the locals that they are actually of Jotunheim stock, gifted or traded by the etins just across the water and world-barrier. This is the place where Frey met with his etin-bride Gerda and wooed her, and the Barri Woods are said to be particularly good for sexual rites and love magic.
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