Values of Rökkatru

In the Norse/Germanic pagan beliefs and in other pagan or spiritual beliefs not based on abrahamic beliefs, there isn't such thing as Good deities and Evil deities, especially in the Norse cosmology, there is just the chaotic forces and the forcer of balance, which is the most simple way to describe nature itself. Like I have said in the previous post about what Rökkatru is, I will write now its values and how important it is to understand the other side of nature, the chaotic side, the side that deals with the things that aren't appealing to us humans and we tend to run away from, but it is important for us to understand that nature isn't just beautiful, it is dangerous, destructive, there is death and rebirth, there is loss and sadness, but all of that is part of what we are, of what nature is, and the better we understand that, the better we can live in harmony. When people speak of the underworld deities and spirits, we tend to connect that to Evil, but in truth, those deities and spirits are just as helpfull and honorable as any other, and they have more to teach us than we imagine, we tend to get away from that, but it is just getting away from the other half of nature, the missing piece in us.

Death isn't to be taken lightly, but we fear it so much that we often try to see into the future, or when we have any kind of difficulty, we try to think what the future will be like in some years from now? or even after we are dead? We can't live with the things we aren't certain about, we can't think of what might happen after so many years, one step at a time, live each day without the thought on the far future, because what might happen in the future isn't the result of what you make right now, it is the result of many steps you take, many paths, many choices, that will come one day at a time, building slowly your future. However, before you act, react or speak, think ahead of that, what it may cause to you and others, and don't take things too personally, because when we react when someone or something, or an event damages us, we often do worse to ourselves, let that tide pass, calm down and act accordingly with the situation. This is how the goddess Hel/Hela might teach us, all that we do might have a negative or a beneficial impact in out lifes and the lifes of those around us, and step by step we make our own paths, and it is the choices we make that will build our future.

Telling the truth is important, even when people are avoiding it out of fear, be it good or bed, always tell it, but truth doesn't always comes from speaking, one must be true to himself, to his convictions and to his beliefs, one must know himself well enough to act accordingly with the truth that lies before him. The truth of things might hurt, or might take you into troubles, but if you follow the path of truth, and never lie to yourself, trust will be placed on you by others and you will act without fear. Loki is such a god, one that many see as an evil one, but in reality, he is a god that acts as he thinks is right, to is own good or the good of others, or some times to the misfortune of others, but never afraid to fail, never afaird to be judged, always true to himself.

Rökkatrú isn't just about the gods or the spirits of the land or each element, but also about other beings who have their role to play, it is about diversity, such as Angrboda the ruler of Ironwood, the place where so many of the giant race comes, in many sizes and forms, even with deformities, we must learn to respect each other, not just by out looks, but because of so many different aspects we have from each other, be that gender, colour of the skin, cultural background, history, the lifestyle, sexual preferences. Unfortunately we pick on the tiniest aspects that show something different in others from ourselves, just to criticized, tell it is wrong, to judge, that we waste a great amount of time damaging others and we don't gain anything from that.

Being true to your love, such as Sigyn is, you also might learn that being faithful to those you love, friends, family, lovers, is also being true to yourself, no matter of what others say about those you love, if they love you back in the same way, that is more important than being accepted by anyother group, if they don't understand you, if they don't understand that you are being true to love, they do not deserve you, because with true love and being true to those who love you back, you gain true friendship for the rest of your life and beyond, and you can always count on them as they expect to count on you. Don't fail them.

Sometimes war is necessary, some times there is the need to fight back, but try to seek more ways to make peace, as such, you will also bring joy.

The underworld gods are connected with death but also with rebirth, the recycling of nature, and you to must recycle, respect nature, such as Nidhogg that gnaws upon the roots of Yggdrasil, it helps recycling the dead bark, helping the tree to rejuvenate. Don't waste your life, always try to do new things, thigns that bring you joy, but also that have a meaning, a purpose, a purpose greater than yourself, something that also might help others.

When time comes for acceptance, it is also time for hospitality, such as the weak beings are welcomes and protected by the Jotnar, or by Hela, Aegir or even Surt into their realms, beings not of their own kind, but still they welcome them for protection, a kind and simple act, you too must do it, and hospitality isn't just the door you open for those in need, those who ask it of you, but it is also opening your heart. The first time you meet someone, be generous, gracious, give them your hand, until the time comes to reveal their trueself, and then you shall decide if they are worthy or worthless of your kindness.

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Rökkatrú

When the faith of the Norse/Germanic old pagan traditions came after so many years hidden because of Christianity, there was given a new name to this neo-pagan belief based on the old ancestral traditions of the Northern peoples of Europe, the name was Ásatrú. The name comes from the word áss or in plural Aesir, and Trú meaning faith or religion in Old Norse, Faith to the Aesir gods. This is the neo-pagan beliefs in the Norse gods of the Aesir tribe, the gods of sky, war and culture, which includes Odin, Bragi, Frigga, Heimdall and so on. But others were more focused in working with the Norse deities of agriculture, fertility, love and magic, more focused in working with the Norse gods of the Vanir tribe, such as Freyr, Freyja, Njord and son on, so it was decided that those people would be called Vanatrú. Then came a new concept called Rökkatrú, for those who worked with the Norse deities of the underworld, like Loki, Hel/Hela, Surt, Fenrir, Sigyn and so many others. Most who really worship the Norse gods, not just one of its pantheons, don't have the need to call themselves by one of these three names, but this concept of Rökkatrú was created to remind people that the deities of the Norse/Germanic old pagan beliefs aren't just the Aesir and the Vanir, there are other gods, more linked to the ancestors and the spirits of the earth which are as important as any other deity or spirit in their own ways. The concept of a world tree isn't exclusive in the the Norse/Germanic beliefs, it is a worldwide concept in many cultures, it is a spiritual concept in shamanism, when a shaman or a spirit-worker journeys into other worlds, to facilitate the explanation of this idea and also facilitate their own spiritual journeys, there is always three levels, above, middle and below or heaven, earth and underworld, and a shaman has the job to travel between worlds, so the world tree is what connects the spirit to these three levels, in the Norse cosmology it connects to Nine worlds, all equally important, all important to the functioning of Yggdrasil.
Worshiping such deities and spirits of the underworld is some times seeing as something Dark, and such deities are Evil, but this is an idea that came from the Christian concept, which in many ways infiltrated many interpretations of the old European Beliefs, so worshiping or working with the underworld deities and spirits isn't evil, because in a shamanic perspective, death is a natural part of life, and the powers of the gods are often expressed through nature, but nature isn't just the beautiful route of the sun in the sky, nor the rain falling, the wind howling or the passing of seasons and theur beauty, nature is also dangerous, chaotic, destructive, death is also part of nature, and this part of nature is often put aside, especially when it comes to neo-pagan beliefs that have picked up all the wonderful aspects of the old pagan beliefs, the most fantastical, which leaves such beliefs incomplete, because the other part of nature is so incoviniente to us, but if we accept it, we can understand the ways of nature in a better way and learn how to live with it.

Nowadays we are concentrated in Heathenry (reconstructionist Norse/Germanic religion), and people prefer to worship the Aesir gods and the Vanir gods, but the gods aren't divided into good and bad, all of them are worthy to honor, all of them have their "area of expertise", all of them are connected with specific things that we need to understand and also work with, to balance our lifes with the natural world, and have balance within ourselves.

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Why do you call it, Northern Pagan Traditions?

Why do you call it, Northern Pagan Traditions?

Well, i do call it by this name or, northern traditional paganism, as a reference to the old ways and custom of the northern countries of Europe, in Scandinavia, before the Christianization of Europe, not only the religion, but also the spiritual paths of the northern shamanism and the connections with the land spirits and ancestors, spiritual ways and beliefs such as this, that date about 40.000 of history.

Why not call it, wicca?

In terms of beliefs, culture, ethics, history, religion, teachings etc. there is a big difference between being a wicca or a wiccan practitioner with being a person that follows and practices the northern ways. Wiccans tend to belief in many gods of different pantheons, a mixture of Norse gods, with Celtic ones, Egyptian gods, Greek etc., there is also a tendency to leave things in a shallow way, a limitation of festivities and celebrations, and people dont dig further into the matter of the soul, there isn't questioning, most of the time it seems that wiccans, are former christians who are tired of christianity and are looking for different religions and beliefs, and go looking for the ancient ones that seem more reliable, and have no connection to any of the Abrahamic religions. As a matter of fact, many wiccans use the image of christ and his mother, as the figure of the god and of the goddess, there is also that tendency to worship a goddess as the mother nature or the moon goddess, and a god, Cernunnos, the celtic god of the forests, animals, beasts and mystery. These is also a connection to the Indian word "Karma" and the following of that belief, that fate exists and everything in out lifes will happen according to an astral plan, and the wrong you do to others, it will come back to you twice as much. So in terms of being a practitioner or a follower of the northern ways, things dont get too superficial, there is also a lot of gods and it is also a pagan belief yes, but there isn't that tendency to mixture other gods, there is an exposure of faith to these gods and only to them, to stay true to the beliefs, convictions and virtues. In the Traditional Nordic paganism, people do not seek a better place elsewhere, in an other world in the afterlife, because this world is beautiful and life is a blessing, each one of us has a purpose, and victory must be attained. Fate is a subject, much different than the other religions, the tree Nornes build the fate of each, and it will intertwine with the fate of others and with the happanings of the world, in a great web that connect us all to this world, the afterlife and to the gods, spirits and ancestors, so we must take care of each other, and take care of all living things, but fate isn't fixed, the only thing that can be certain, are some aspects of life that must happen, like the birth of a child or the death of someone in a certain time, or one person meeting another, or certain problems and obstacles that must appear in our life, in order to make us stronger, constant tests, that will decide if we are capable of living in this world and learning something, so fate isn't a book where everything is written, in the northern pagan beliefs, free will is given to us all, and it is always up to us to decide how we will live this life, and how we will face all the problems, all of us must fight, and our hearts and minds will make us a good person or not. 

We can speak to the gods, and they will help us, giving the best gifts of all, which are, advice, love, wisdom and strength, strength of mind, body and spirit, they will not intervene in our lifes, because all of us have free will, if they did help us, more than they already do, they would take away the credit of each one, and the capabilities and skills that we have.

In the Northern Pagan Traditions, people don't just pray to the gods or to the spirits of the land, but also to the ancestors, seeking protection and wistom, because they too have lived in this world once, and they know more than us and also what is beyond the veils that separate this world from the other, and they are older and wisest, because one they we will also be the ancestors of someone, and we have to make our descendants proud of what we have became.

Life can't be always a good thing, there must be hard times also, sorrow and grief, because by that way, we can enjoy life and appreciate it, giving value to it.

The gods of the Northern pantheons are divided into tree groups, the Aesir, the Vanir and the Underworld gods, and each god has a purpose and his/her wisdom is needed in many life stages. The Aesir are more concerned with the strength of mind and body, with the power to achieve victory, to be strong enough to protect ourselves, those we love, and protect all who don't have the capacity to protect themselves. The Vanir, are more into the fertility of the soils and of all living creatures, and their teachings show us how to respect nature and as we take from it, we also must give, because a gift always calls for a gift, and we must not forget love, because he who doesn't know love, shall never find peace. The Underworld gods as they are called most of the time, are the gods more concerned with the matter of the soul and how we can enrich it while living. After death, the soul continues to exist, and we continue to learn and to grow as an individual, as a being, and we continue to learn. There isn's such thing as Hell or Heaven or a bad god and a good god, there are a very big group of teachers and friends that will accompany you through life, and they will give you friendship, advise, love and wisdom, if you ask for it and if you prove you are worth having these gifts. Those who follow the Aesir gods are often called Asatru, and those who follow the Vanir, are called Vanatru, and the underworld gods, the Rökkatru.

So why not just saying, Ásatrú, instead of Northern Pagan Traditions?

That is because, what i write in here and my beliefs, go further into just worshiping a group of gods, and there are people who are just Ásatrú, or Odinists/Wotanists or Heathens or those who follow the neopagan religions linked to these gods, for exemple "Theodism", "Germanic Reconstructionism" etc. each group of these is linked to the Northern Pagan Traditions and old beliefs of Scandinavia and Germanic countries, and as i speak of it all and also about northern shamanism, i prefer to "pack" it all into the lable of Northern Pagan Traditions or Northern Spiritual Ways.


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Lokiblót - 1st April

Lokiblót
As the name indicates, at the 1st of April, its not just the April Fools' Day, but also the day that in the Northern Tradition Paganism, it is celebrated the Lokiblót to honour the God Loki.

This was not a celebration held in the ancient times, it is a new one that came with the NeoPaganism. In My opinion, i do celebrate the ancient traditions and celebrations, and i dont give too much heed to the new ones, but this is a good day to show you the importance that all Gods have.

There is no such thing as Evil Gods and Good Gods, and most of the time, people tend to see Loki as the Evil one, like the Devil or Satan in the Christian myths, but this is not true, all Gods are important, all of them have their powers and purpose.

Loki is the god of mischief, of fire, and a very cunning god, and we all need to be cunning in this world, in order to survive the mischief of others, we have to workout our minds or we will be "eaten" by the society. Loki is also a shapeshifter and also we have to be like that many times in our lifetime, not like Loki of course, we do not have those powers, but shapeshifting in a diferent way, to shape our personality and tastes sometimes, in order to fit into some work, that we realy need, or to be happy in places we hate to be but we must, for exemple, working in an other country, we must do that, but the native people in it are of our dislike, or the weather isn't that great, but we have to change in order to survive that and be happy with it.

I have talked about Loki in my blog for many times, you can see it in the labels such as "About Shamanism" , " Gods and Mythology" and even "Northern Pagan Traditions". A curious thing is that the post that was read the most in my blog, was the post that talks about Rökkatru, as you may well know, it is for those who work with the deities such as Hella and Loki etc. So people are realy interested in that.

As i have talked about Loki so many times, i leave you here a brief text so that you may know how to work with him:

Loki the Trickster is  hard to handle and to work with for a spirit-worker. First of all, he may do things to the person who is working with him that the spirit-worker doesn't expect or like. (This is where it is important to have a spirit-worker with a patron deity to set limits and look out for their best interests.) Second, he may not stick to the agreed-upon rules regarding the event. Third, he tends to want to stir things up - for example, none of the other Gods would hit sexually on anyone who wasn't already open to the idea, but Loki might go hit on a straight guy while in a male body just to stir things up. People present at a Loki spiritual-work should all be well aware of the situation and ready to roll with the punches, or things can go very wrong.
Loki will work with men, women, and third gender people happily, although he prefers to have sex in a body with a working natural phallus. He will eat fast food, junk food, candy, booze (especially spicy food and booze with cinnamon or red pepper in it) and likes to have a table full of weird toys that he can play with, the weirder the better. He has been known to bless whisky and tell people to add it to their bath water or pour it over themselves in the tub, which is at least kinder than the Afro-Caribbean trickster spirits who will spit rum on people.
Any page assigned to Loki has to have a wacky sense of humor, not be easily upset or offended, and willing to give him their full attention and be a sort of "chew toy", as one spirit-worker referred to the job. Make sure that they know that it's not their job to prevent him from doing ill-advised things, except as a matter of self-protection. Getting in Loki's way is the dangerous job of the priest/ess, who should be another spirit-worker with a good enough relationship with Loki to be able to make noise, or perhaps one of Hela's who can call in his daughter to ride herd on him (something that actually works sometimes).
In general, though, it's not about confrontation as much as redirection and distraction. Loki has a short attention span and this can be exploited, although don't think he doesn't know what you're doing. Nobody ever gets one over on Flame-Hair. If he goes along with it, it's because he feels generous or thinks that it's worth it to him, perhaps for the new toy, or the entertainment value of watching people jump to distract him with new toys.

Rökkatru Ethics and Values

Note:  The photo was taken by me, that is why it is so blurred.

The Rökkatru.  honor and love and work with the Gods of the third pantheon of the Norse/Germanic religions, the Gods of underworld and shadow. Like many similar deities in other Pagan cosmologies - Hades, Hecate, Kali, Ereshkigal - they do not see these Gods as evil, because they feel that the concept of Good vs. Evil has no place in the norse cosmology. Instead, they see them as being a source of deep and difficult wisdom. Some may wonder what sort of ethical code would be held by those of us who worship such dark and ambivalent Gods.

Hela's Rule: Vision. Death takes the long view of all things, and so we strive to value far-seeing over temporary difficulties. Ask yourself: Will this matter in a year? Five years? Ten? After I am dead? Think ahead before you react, before you speak. Learn not to take things personally; people often react from their damage, and everything blows over in time.

Loki's Rule: Self-Knowledge. No matter what you say to others, be it truth or lie, never lie to yourself. Know yourself excruciatingly well, even the ugly parts, and always be honest with yourself first. When you speak the truth aloud, remember that the greatest honor is in speaking the truth that no one wants to hear, and that everyone has been avoiding out of fear.

Angrboda's Rule: Diversity. The Giant-Race comes in a myriad of forms, and all shapes, sizes, and natures are valued among them. Being close to Nature, they understand that diversity is survival and strength, while homogeneity is inevitable weakness. Thus, we accept and value diversity in human beings, be that in race, ability, gender, cultural background, lifestyle, sexual preferences, appearance, and all the many ways that we can be wonderfully different.

Jormundgand's Rule: Liminality. As the Snake is neither male nor female, both of Midgard and not of Midgard, so we see that the honorable and the sacred is most often found in that which crosses boundaries, bridges opposites, moves between worlds. We value that which is Both, and Neither, as one of the Great Mysteries.

Sigyn's Rule: Loyalty. Stand by those who love you, and whom you love, no matter what others say of them, no matter if they are driven out. The loyalty of true friends, family, and lovers is more important than the acceptance of any group, and any group that would force you to forswear them is not worthy.

Gerda's Rule: Frithmaking. While sometimes war is necessary, there is always far more honor in making a just peace than waging a just war.

Jord's Rule: Earthwisdom. Revere the Earth and Nature; seek to live lightly on the land. Honor the spirits of the Earth, the stones, the trees, and all Nature.

Nidhogg's Rule: Recycling. There is no such place as Away, so be careful what you throw there. Recycle, give away, don't waste, find a place for it somewhere else. This includes people as well as things.

Aegir's Rule: Hospitality. Open your doors even to those not of your people, not of your tribe. Open your doors to them even when they are annoying, or disrespectful, if there is the chance of an alliance, of changing their ways with frithmaking. Be gracious in the face of others' greed and boorishness. You have the right to set boundaries, but be generous the first time at least, no matter who they are, until they truly prove themselves worthless.

Surt's Rule: Intensity. Whatever you do, let it be with passion and fervor. Do not live a dull, repressed life.

Fenris's Rule: Shadow. Learn to love and find sacred all the parts of yourself, even the darknesses. Honor them by making a safe place for them, where they can neither be harmed nor harm others.

Mordgud's Rule: Self-Control. The Giant-Race are a people of strong passions, and so often are their followers. That is why it is all the more important that we strive always to keep our gates guarded and our walls firm -- not to keep out, but to keep in. Keep control of your emotions, that they might not spill over and burn others, or yourself.

The Norns' Rule: Dedication. Walk your path as you understand it, and as the Gods tell you to, and let no mortal opinion get in the way of your Wyrd.

Supported by RavenKaldera

What is Rökkatru?

Note: The Drawing was made By me and it was an illustration already for the story of the birth of Loki here in my blog, but it serves well for this post as well!

First, there was Asatru, which meant, technically, “True to the Aesir”, or the Norse/Germanic Gods of sky and war and culture. They included Odin, Frigga, Heimdall, Baldur, Iduna, Bragi, and many others. Eventually, those whose religious practice concentrated on the Vanir – the second, more agricultural pantheon of Gods including Frey, Freya, Njord, and Nerthus – decided that they would be called Vanatru. Some time after that, Abby Helasdottir of New Zealand coined the term Rökkatru, for those whose primary focus  was the third pantheon of underworld Gods. These include Hela, Loki, Angrboda, Sigyn, Fenris, Jormundgand, Narvi and Vali, Surt, Mordgud, and Mengloth, among others.

The concept of a World Tree is not limited to northern Europe. Many cultures around the world have world trees, and it is usually the job of the shaman or spirit-worker in that culture to travel from world to world. There are always at least three levels: heaven, earth, and underworld. Each are valued equally and have their own blessings and dangers. There are always spirits of sky, spirits of earth, spirits of the beloved ancestors and those who guard them. Norse cosmology grew from a preliterate culture that followed this pattern, and we follow the same idea. Three pantheons, all valuable, all necessary to the functioning of Yggdrasil.

Those who identify as Rökkatru do not see “dark” as bad, nor “underworld gods” as evil. We feel that this is a Christian concept that has infiltrated some modern interpretations of Norse cosmology, first through the Christians that wrote down (and tainted) the only sources we have of these myths, and second through the Christian upbringings of many converts to Northern religion. Other Neo-Pagan sects have already been down this road and come out the other side; they have learned that underworld Gods are to be honored and revered for many things. Death is not evil; it is part of life. So is rot and decay, and loss, and the passing of all things. So is chaos, so is randomness, so is the destructive parts of Nature that we humans find inconvenient. All these things are sacred and so are the Rökkr. Just as there are those dedicated to Hecate, or Kali, or Hades, or Ereshkigal, or Coyote, so are there those who are dedicated to Loki and Hela and the others.

Currently, at this time, Heathenry (reconstructionist Norse/Germanic religion) prefers to limit itself to worship of the Aesir and Vanir. Northern Tradition Pagans, however, believe that Gods are not divided into categories of “good” and “bad” Gods. They are all worthy of honor, and we honor all of them. Since there are already many lovely websites with information about Asatru and Vanatru but very little for Rökkatru, and since honoring all three pantheons instead of only two is part of what sets us apart, we have chosen to put up a small place of education about this third truth. Not all Northern Tradition Pagans are Rökkatru – they might just as often be dedicated to or favor Aesir or Vanir Gods – but they will all agree that it is good to see all the Gods honored, and have no issue with the followers of underworld Gods.

Supported by RavenKaldera

Loki

Note: The drawing was made by me, you can see all of my works by clicking on the Portfolio bellow.

This Tale can not be found in any lore, those who wrote the ancient storys of the Gods and their doings, did not work with the Jotnar. This specific story was told to a friend of mine who works with the Jotnar and he told me the story, so i do not have any credit over this, excepct on the art work. The tale was told to me by Raven Kaldera, here it is a link to his website [Link] Enjoy.

The Birth of Loki - Laufey's Son

In the beginning, there were the frost giants of Niflheim and the fire giants of Muspellheim, and when the great flood came, many were washed away. Some found safety on a piece of Ymir's body that congealed into a new world, and they named it Jotunheim - the new home of the giants. Some say that it was formed of Ymir's spine and shoulders, for it formed itself into a land of great and imposing mountains, trees that nearly reached the sky, huge and fierce animals that roamed the dark forests, and lightning storms that split the sky.

The surviving Jotnar found it welcoming, and they married each other and produced many new Jotnar - the mountain-etins, the woods-etins, the sea-etins. Some settled high in the cold northern mountains, or the western mountains by the ocean, or the islands, or the eastern rain forests, or the southern woodlands. And in one place in the south of Jotunheim, they settled in a strange forest. Its trees were shorter and harder than anywhere else in the world, and they bore strange fruit. Magic leaked from the very earth; the place reeked of it, and tainted everything that was born there. The etin-folk named it the Iron Wood, and the recognized it as the sacred heart of Jotunheim, the wellspring of its magic. Werewolves and werecreatures were born there, and beings strange and twisted, but their deformities were considered a sacred thing. For a twisted troll to say that he had the blood of the Iron Wood was to replace scorn with reverence in the eyes of the onlookers. Magic ran strong in the blood of the Iron Wood folk; seers and galdr-folk came forth from that place, to marry and spread their bloodlines through all the etin-folk.

The folk of the Iron Wood divided themselves into nine clans, and each elected a chieftain. There was much fighting as to who would be Chief of Chiefs, however, and many were slain in the battles, and the blood soaked into the earth. Finally the fighting came down to two clan chiefs, both of whom swore that they would defeat the other and win the leadership of the Nine Clans.

One was Farbauti, whose name means Cruel-Striker, and whose clan was Lightning. He was tall and strong and broad as the side of a mountain, and belched fire from his mouth. Fire-giant blood ran strong in his veins. The other was the young chieftess of the Wolf clan, a powerful witch with the lineage of the Volva in her. She was tall and strong and had hair the color of dried blood, and she could see into the future and prophesy. And she saw that she would be Chief of Chiefs, and set out to make that prophesy come true.

And it came to pass that Farbauti went from the Iron Wood and came to the western mountains, and thence to the ocean, and he wandered in a boat among the many islands off the coast of Jotunheim, some so close to the world's border that one could almost see Vanaheim in the distance. And it was there that he met a beautiful giantess named Laufey, the Lady of the Leafy Isle. She had earth-goddess blood in her, old and ancient as Jord, and she shone like silver in the moonlight, and Farbauti could think of nothing but her from the moment that he saw her.

It is said in the lore that he struck her with a lightning-bolt, and thus was their son born. The truth of the matter is that love and desire for him did indeed strike her like lightning, and the fruit of that love and desire was that she swelled with child. Yet she had not gone but three months before her womb began to burn, as if a brand flamed there, and it caused her great pain. Farbauti feared for her, and wished her to return with him, for there were healers in the Iron Wood who understood the nature of its bloodlines. She agreed to travel with him back to the Iron Wood, although she sorely missed her leafy isle, but she understood that their son must claim his right to the chieftainship, should it come to Farbauti's death. Her husband built for her a cottage out of stone, and guarded it, for he feared that the wolf-chieftess might strike at her.

He was right in this thinking, for the wolf-chieftess heard of Laufey and her swelling belly, and the Sight came on her, and she saw as in a hazy dream that this son of Farbauti's might someday master her. So she called upon her brothers and sisters, and in wolf's hame they set upon the cottage, where Laufey lay within moaning in pain, for her time was almost upon her.

Great was the duel between Farbauti and the wolf-chieftess, and many scars they left upon each other, but in the confusion Laufey slipped from the house and fled as fast as an etin-woman laboring could run. She fled the Iron Wood, but the wolf-giants came after her, sniffing out her trail. She fled from Jotunheim itself, and crossed the world-border into Midgard, yet still they followed her, and the howling froze the blood of the Midgard humans who heard the chase. She fled into the Myrkwood, so fast that the fierce tribes who lived there could not catch her, but the wolves followed. And so it was that she came to where the trees of the Myrkwood were charred and blackened, and saw the burning waste of Muspellheim beyond. And she knew somehow that the burning in her womb had brought her here, to the burning land.

As she stepped foot into Muspellheim, Surt the Black came forth with his men-at-arms, and challenged her. "What seek you here, island woman?" he growled.

"I seek sanctuary, in the name of the father of my child, Farbauti, who is descended from your sons," she gasped out. "For his enemy is hot on my heels, and this child pleads to be born."

"What will you give me, island woman," Surt asked, "if I shelter you from all harm until there is no more harm to come? What will you give for your protection?"

Laufey held out her hands, and showed that she had nothing on her save her shift. "I come empty-handed into your kingdom, my Lord Surt," she said, "and I have nothing to offer. What would you have of me?"

"Empty-handed, perhaps, but full-bellied," Surt said. "Give me the treasure that you carry. Let me be godfather and second father to your child, and I will give you both sanctuary, for as long as you wish."

Laufey hesitated, for she did not wish to betray Farbauti, but the wolves were howling in the distance and her womb burned so that she could no longer stand or walk, and she finally gave in and agreed. Surt bore her to his castle, and the wolves were stymied, and howled many days along the border of Muspellheim, but they did not dare enter, for Surt was too powerful in his own kingdom, and the very land would rise up against them and burn them to death, and so Laufey and her son were saved.

Surt's palace is hewn from black glassy rock, and his hall has many fireplaces around it, big enough to cook an ox and still have room to turn the spit. And it was in the largest of these that Laufey lay down in the coals, and she lifted her skirts and spread her legs, and a burning brand came forth from her body. Surt took tongs of iron and drew the brand forth from her, and as he did so it became an infant boy with hair the color of flame. And so was Laufey's son born.

Laufey sent to her husband, telling him that he had a son, and pleading to return. But Farbauti was still at war, and felt that it was too dangerous for his wife and child, and he bade her bide with Surt until it was safe. But the years passed, and it was still not safe enough in Farbauti's mind, and all Laufey's pleading had no effect on his fear. Laufey burned first with desire for her absent husband, then with resentment, then with anger. Meanwhile, Surt the Black raised her son like his own, and showed him the mysteries of fire, and the fire-blood in his veins.

When Laufey's son was thirteen years of age, and was going from child to youth, Farbauti sent to Laufey and told her that it was over, and the wolf-chieftess had won. He had agreed to a truce, for she was more powerful than he, and she had been elected the Hagia, the Wise Woman and Chief of Chiefs of the Nine Clans. In return for giving her the title, he bade her promise not to harm his wife and son. So Laufey made ready to go, but before they left a seer of Muspellheim came forth at Surt's bidding and prophesied for Laufey's son.

The seer looked deep into the red-haired youth's sharp green eyes, and she gasped, and said, "You shall have no home, wanderer, save the road itself, and that road will be hard for you, and yet all places on the road shall be your home. You shall have freedom greater than any other, yet be bound by your own choosing. You shall be dearly loved and terribly hated, and little understood. Your name shall be more well known outside the Nine Worlds than any other name in the Nine Worlds save two, and one shall be your blood brother and the other spring forth from your loins." And with this prophecy, they left for the Iron Wood and came to Farbauti at last.

Farbauti made ready to welcome Laufey back, but she spoke forth in anger, and said, "You would not let me share your danger, but only your safety, and I say that this is not love. For I would have died by your side, yet you ordered me apart. So I will not live here with you, but will go up into the mountains that look down upon your forest, and there I will build a home and live. You may visit me when you will, but I will not live with you." And Farbauti wept for the first time, but there was no moving Laufey, for her feet were planted like the earth.

So Farbauti turned to his son, and said, "Will you go with your mother, then, or will you stay here with me, your father?"

Laufey's son was silent a long while, which was surprising to those who knew his quick tongue, but finally he said, "You are the father of my blood, but you were not there when I needed you as a child. Surt the Black cared for me then, and which is more important: the father who gave me his blood, or the father who gave me his time? I cannot choose, and so I will not. I will live with you, Chief of the Lightning Tribe, until I am a man, but I will be known henceforth only as Laufey's Son." And Farbauti accepted this, although with heavy heart.

Laufey spoke forth, and asked, "Will you bring our son to the council of the Clans, and see him welcomed into the Nine?" But Farbauti would not go forth where the wolf-chieftess held court, and he would not see his son welcomed with her hands, which was not all pride, for he still feared that she would break her word and kill his son. Laufey laughed and said, "Seers have spoken for our son, and they did not see him dying before his time, so I will take courage and go before the wolf-chieftess and demand our son's heritage." And a council was called, and she brought her son before them, and Farbauti watched from the trees lest there be foul play.

When the wolf-chieftess heard, she was sore in her heart, for she remembered the dream wherein it was whispered that Farbauti's son might one day master her, and she did indeed contemplate killing him in spite of her word. And with this in mind, she hid a knife in her skirts, even though the deed seemed evil to her. Yet when Laufey and her son came to the clearing where the Council stood, and she faced the youth across the fire, with his flame-red hair and his sharp green eyes and his three-cornered smile, the vision came on her again, and she saw it more clearly this time.

And she saw that someday, not far off, when Laufey's son came to manhood, he would come to her and would indeed master her, but that mastery would be Love. He would become her consort, and he would be the father of all of her children, and she would love and desire him above all others, and sometimes hate him as well. And she saw also that he would be her greatest joy and her greatest sorrow, and that he would be the eventual cause of her death, and her rebirth. And she saw also what the seer of Muspellheim saw, that he would wander forever, and be loved and hated, and come to both fame and infamy. And she would have wept, but she was too proud; and she would have screamed at the trick that the Norns had played her, but she saw the wyrd that must be, and that it was her orlog to take part in this path. The knife fell from her stiff fingers, to bury itself unseen in the earth.

So Angrboda did the only thing that she could do. She stepped forward, in all her regalia of the Hagia of the Iron Wood, and she welcomed him into the tribe, saying, "Laufey's son, child of the lineage of Farbauti, you are welcome into the Nine Clans of the Iron Wood, the sacred heart of Jotunheim. We are your family, and we will guard you, and succor you, as long as you live among us. May none who hear me ever say otherwise!" And she threw back her head and howled, and there was sorrow in the howling, and all wondered to see it, but they all joined in as well, and with one great howl Loki was swept onto the path that would be his life.