Ljossalfheim 2nd Part

Continuing with Ljossalfheim, I will write in this 2nd part the places of great importance within this realm. I shall start with the Hall of Freyr.

Freyr is the Vanir deity of fertility, of both the earth and living creatures, the god of love, magic, light. He is the brother of Freyja and he is also the Lord of Ljossalfheim / Alfheim. Freyr may not be the ruler of Ljossalfheim, the different elven races may have others to rule over them, but it is Freyr that speaks for them in the council of the gods in Asgard.

Like I have written in the previous post, everything changes in this realm, but Freyr's Hall is always in the same place, in fact the place itself doesn't change much. His hall is great and it is the only hall of a deity that people might come in even if Freyr isn't there. Visitors may enjoy the cosy atmosphere of Freyr's hall, be fed and rest, as long as no one breaks any rule of hospitality.

The realm of the elves may be wonderful and of such beauty that is seldom seen in any other realm, but it's lands have a bloody history. The elven folk fought against each other at some time, which ended up with two groups being split. One of the groups was forced to abandon Ljossalfheim and went south to live in the realm of the Duergar (Dwarves), there elves are so known as the Dark Alfar or Dokkalfar that live in Svartalfheim.

Ljossalfheim

Another world/realm of the Norse cosmology is Ljossalfheim, or most commonly known as Alfheim. It is located next to Asgard to the West and Southwest. This continent is known to be one of the faery realms. There have been reports from the people who do spiritual work in the many European religions, that this realm also contains other realms of the faery folk. However, it is not clear where the boundaries of each realm withing this continent are, nor is it possible to see the difference between the geography of one with another, perhaps they are all conected, but still, there are many differences between the faery folk and elven folk of the different realms. But lets keep with the realm of the Norse cosmology and its elven folk.

It seems that this realm is the one easier to travel to, if you have read and know about the Celtic tales for example, it is filled with stories about this realm, how people enter it and dwell there for a time, but when they return, unfortunately their visit to this realm has disastrous results and everything back home changes.

There aren't reports that tell us specifically how time flows in this realm, the seasons and the weather itself. It seems that in Ljossalfheim, all of these natural factors randomly change. This is a world/realm filled with magic, and everything goes acording to what the inhabitants want. So uncertain is the weather and the seasons, that in some places it might be summer and in others winter. It seems that each area of this realm has its own season, a different cycle.

It is easy for one to be lost in here, the very earth is constantly changing, not major changes, but enough to get lost and everything around seems a different place. These are the reports of the people who can travel there, it isn't something that is done often, so that is why everything seems different everytime some one returns to this realm.

There are many villages in Ljossalfheim and thousands of houses for its inhabitants. It isn't clear how the elven folk got there, because we do know that they are not native to this land unlike many other races I have spoken about here. From whatever land they came, the Aesir gave them Ljossalfheim to be their new homeland.

Ljossalfheim 2nd Part

Frey's Hall:

The Vanir god Freyr is called the Lord of Alfheim; it is said that the patronship of Alfheim was given to him as a tooth-gift. For the most part, this is a ceremonial function, but it is Frey who speaks for them in the Aesir's council, and they need him on their side. That is not the only reason that he is treated with a great deal of respect; the Alfar revere his affinity for fertility magic and plants, although they are uncomfortable with his yearly sacrifice and death. His wife Gerda is not so well liked, being an etin-bride, and was almost cursed by the Alfar in the beginning of their marriage.

Frey's hall in Alfheim is the only place that you can absolutely count on to be in the same area every time, and to look the same; that's because Frey insists on it. Even when Frey is not at home, you can get a good meal out of his household servants, who have orders to be polite to any visitor, and to feed them and put them up for three days without judging them...so long as they do not break any rules of hospitality. It is a great Norse-style hall, thatched with many different kinds of grain. In fact, a good offering is a bunch of different grains still on their stalks and in good condition, to be added to his roof.

The Rebels: Memories of Blood

Somewhere along the line, some of the Alfar started an internecine war, which ended in a great split between the two warring factions. The smaller group was forced out en masse, and they emigrated to the world of the Duergar, who negotiated a territorial bargain with them. These are the Dark Alfar of Svartalfheim, and their information is found in the Svartalfheim/Nidavellir chapter. The Ljossalfar prefer not to speak either of the war or of the existence of the Dokkalfar, so it is wise to avoid the subject when visiting.

The Problem of Glamour

 The most difficult thing of all for the pathwalker is that Alfheim is covered in a constant coat of glamour. It's on everything - the trees, the grass, even the clouds sometimes. Every realm is a work of art, quite literally. This means that, unlike the journeyer who only sees the astral, some pathwalkers may have to cope with seeing two or more layers superimposed over the physical realm. The frustration level largely depends on the ability of the pathwalker to see through magical glamour in general. If you don't have this talent, then you're no worse off than in any other world, at least where visual discrimination is concerned.

If you are the sort who can see through glamour if you stare at it, then your best bet is to merely keep running your eyes superficially over the landscape, and you won't get too confused. The key is to remember to respond to the glamour-figure and not the actual one behind it. For example, if a shorter Alf is using glamour to look taller, look at where the glamour-face is, and not the real one a foot lower - as he's probably built in the magic to where a gaze directed at his glamour-face actually looks in his eyes, you'll be staring a foot above his head, and he'll notice that...and be offended that you're looking under his clothing, as it were. If someone puts out a glamour-appendage, take it, and try to stop thinking about the fact that it's not real. It will feel perfectly real, if you do that; if you don't, your fingers may sink through it, and they'll know. Your courtesy depends on your ability to pretend that you can't see through things.

If you are the rare sort who is so immune to glamour that it is merely a vague veil over the reality of what's underneath (and this is really a rare thing; in fact, it's most often a specific modification by certain gods done on their sworn servants), you had best work very hard at pretending otherwise. Keep in mind that a raking glance from someone who has blotted out an Alf's glamour entirely is not only rude, but can temporarily interfere with the glamour magic itself. (There is some truth to the idea that rabidly disbelieving in it can wipe it out, which is worse than rude.) Alfheim will be a constant discipline for you of concentrating on that glamour, and you may get a headache from the multiple floating layers of vision.

However, glamour may also be used to conceal traps or dangers, and being able to see through it can be a lifesaver in the wrong places. It's all right to let the Alfar know that you are capable of seeing through glamour; they won't care that you can as long as you are courteous about it. Skill in changing your perceptions at will is the key to dealing with Alfheim glamour in a safe and constructive way.

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Ljossalfheim

Ljossalfheim, which is sometimes just referred to as Alfheim, is located next to and just south of Asgard. It is one of the "faery realms", the set of realms that span several cosmologies and intrude into many of them. The faery realms themselves are fairly self-contained, although there does seem to be a good bit of travel between them - you can easily get to the realm of the Celtic Sidhe from Alfheim, for example. The exact nature of how the faery realms work, the permeability of their boundaries, and the geography of their cross-world placement has been studied itinerantly by many scholars over the years, largely in vain. It continues to be something of an elven mystery.

Humans have been inspired by the Alfar (and the Sidhe, and the rest of those diverse races, for millennia. We have also been lost many times in their realms, often with disastrous results, or so the stories go. Warning tales abound regarding humans who go to live in the country of the Fair Folk, only to return to find that everyone they knew is dead, or old and grey. Or they themselves have aged beyond their years; it is almost the signature of elven places.

Time and Seasons:

Time flows very differently in Ljossalfheim, more so than in any other of the Nine Worlds. Day length is variable, and changes randomly. When Sunna and Mani pass overhead, they too are drawn into the magical web of the Alfar, if only temporarily, and although they always make it out the other side on time (or a great many folk would be very angry), their normal effects are distorted.

Seasons will vary, also, depending on the area. Unlike other worlds, where there is a distinct "year" that turns (if only subtly, in the case of Muspellheim and Niflheim) similarly for every place in the world, in Alfheim it may be summer in one place, and winter in another. Generally the seasons follow each other, but any one area may be on a different cycle depending on the whim of the House that rules it. They are also not above "freezing" one season for a while in order to enjoy it further, although this takes a good deal of work. Some places do seem to be permanently "frozen" in season.

Geography:

Also variable. Ljossalfheim is more of a manipulated world than any other; the very stuff of the earth is continually being changed around, reworked, glamorized, unglamorized, and generally transformed over time. There are many villages in Alfheim, and many thousands of peasant huts where the poorer faery-folk live. However, the fact that the land and its residences change so often means that it will be much more difficult to magically extract a map from the Big Library. In fact, it may mean that the second time you visit, things are not where they were the first time.

History:

No one knows exactly how the Alfar got into the Nine Worlds. We are quite clear, however, that they are not native, unlike the Duergar. They came into the Nine Worlds from their original home - which may be the same place as the Sidhe, or not - and were given Ljossalfheim by the Aesir. They are on excellent terms with both the Aesir and the Vanir, but don't get on well with the Jotunfolk, whom they consider to be completely irredeemable barbarians.

This is, of course, one of the subjects that the Alfar consider terribly rude to ask about, so don't try it.

To be continued...