Vanaheim Part IV

The great giant Billing, Gilling's brother and Rind's father.. or better say, Vali's grandfather, also has an Hall in Vanaheim. He might be of Jotun blood, but one of his wifes is a Vanir, so he is one of the Jotnar that helps the ties between Vanaheim and Jotunheim stay strong. His Hall is located in the eastern side by a port where sailing to Jotunheim is possible.

Somewhere just off the coast of Vanaheim, probably between the North-east and the South-east, lies the underwater palace of Aegir the sea god, the palace is so named Aegirheim, the underwater palace. This great underwater palace lies near an Island called Hlesey.

Vanaheim Part III

In this part, I will continue writing about the places of interest in Vanaheim. Starting with Freyja's Hall.

Such as her brother, Freyja also has two Halls. Her most famous Hall is Sessrumnir in Asgard. But her Hall in Vanaheim people will find often four of her eight sisters (Njörd, her father, has other children with other women aside from Nerthus). 
The eldest of her eight sisters is Eir, she is Frigga's handmaiden in Asgard, and she is also a goddess of healing. Her hall in Vanaheim is simply referred to as Freyja's Home. It seems that Freyja's hall in Vanaheim is where the female children of Njörd come together, at least some of them.
Such as I have written in the previous post about Vanaheim, Freyja is also a hostage ,like her brother, for the continued peace between the two tribes of deities, the Aesir and the Vanir. Freyja is also allowed to come home, but only when her father and brother are absent.

I have been writing about Njörd's family leaving behind his own father, Frodi, an etin linked to the night. He lives in Vanaheim in a small wooden Hall surrounded by orchards.

The goddess of vegetation and also linked to the sea, Nehallenia, also has a Hall in Vanaheim near the ocean at the same coast line as Njörd's hall is. 

Something very interesting came across a few spirit-workers, the fact that the Germanic goddess Holda also has a home in Vanaheim, apart from the one she already has and was known to all, but few knew that she also spent some time in Vanaheim. There it lies in the middle of vast fields of beautiful flowers, her cottage.

Vanaheim Part II

Continuing with the theme of the previous post, now it is time to write about the places of interest in Vanaheim, at least those most run in to.
Njord might be the most famous deity ofthe Vanir, as well as his children, Freyr and Freyja of course. After the war between the Aesir and the Vanir came to an end with a draw, the two tribes of deities exchanged members of their own tribes end sent them to the oposite side to ensure that peace was kept. Njord was one of the Vanir who was sent to the Aesir, however, he still visits his homeland and has a home in Vanaheim. Its name is Noatun, a white arched and very tall building that lies on the north-eastern bay of Vanaheim.

Njord is married with Nerthus, even if it was only a ceremonial wedding, but she is the mother of Freyr and Freyja. She is the high priestess of Vanaheim. As their wedding was only for ceremonial purposes, they do not live together. She lives on an island in the exact center of Vanaheim, where her house, sacred grove and temple are.

Freyr, being a Vanir, of course he has a home in Vanaheim, although, he also has many other homes in other places, for he is a very important god and is needed in many places. Strange as it might sound, he does not have a home in Asgard, while there, he stays at his sister's hall, Sessrumnir, the hall of Freyja. Half of the year he goes to Asgard, the other half he returns to Vanaheim, however, while he must spend his time in Asgard due to the after-war peace arrangments, he seldom is there, he passes most of the time in Alfheim in his own house. His hall in Vanaheim lies in the Borri woodland which I have written about in the previous post. There he lives with his wife Gerda, in the hall with the roof made of golden corn and woven straw.

Vanaheim

Vanaheim is the realm of the Vanir deities of the Norse Pantheon. This race of deities and spirits are linked to agriculture, their main focus is the fertility of both the earth and living creatures. Their connection with magic and Seidr is exclusive, it was they who taught the other deities and mortals, how to work with this kind of magic.
Vanaheim lies to the West, below Alfheim and Asgard. It is unknown the origin of the Vanir race, they came before the Aesir, however, they have only established their settlements and lives in Vanaheim after the Aesir already had their home in Asgard.

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 different place, which lead people to believe, they are actually traveling into other worlds, but in truth, they visit realms in that same world, so Vanaheim is no exception. There is a feeling that the world is below Alfheim and Asgard, because the best fields 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 on the other hand, Asgard is up into the mountains on the other side. So now that I have given you my point of view, you can understand this better, lets get back to the subject.

Vanaheim is indeed a perfect realm for agriculture, it has the four seasons perfectly balanced, and the weather is propitious for the growth of whatever someone might plant in order to harvest it later. Suffice to say that Vanaheim has the best weather and climate of all the nine realms.

Vanaheim is a smaller continent compared with the others, a giant island in the middle of the ocean, not linked by land to Alfheim or any other continent. The central area of Vanaheim is filled with hills, meadows and pastureland. There is a lot of woodland, but not vast areas of it, small woodlands "sprinkled" throughout the land. The coastal areas vary, depending on the zone, some are open beaches, others are rocky cliffs, to the north the snowy mountain chain sinks into the ocean and the beaches there are covered in snow.
The main profession in Vanaheim is Fishing and Agriculture in this green continent with the most fertile soils of all the Nine realms. It is from Vanaheim that most agriculture products come from, Vanaheim has a few ports to trade with all the ther realms.

The Vanaheim inhabitants are scattered and organized into small villages, there are no cities, nor a place where all the Vanir deities live all together. However, the gathering of the deities and the representatives of each village (when these aren't Vanir deities) happens from time to time, in different places, to discuss different subjects concerning all. Villages are built around a sacred grove, small houses and halls are usually the type of villages built in these areas, some of them have buildings for respective religious purposes.

The largest woodland is called Barri and lies to the east of Vanaheim, closed to Jotunheim. Filled with trees of golden leaves, that grow higher than anyother tree in those parts. Some say that these trees came from Jotunheim, which isn't strange because as a matter of fact, there aren't anyother trees like these in all of Vanaheim. This is the very woodland where the god Freyr met his bride Gerda.

Heimdal's Birth

Along the coasts of Vanaheim, lives the sea god, ruler of the Norse oceans, Aegir. His wife is Ran, and they both live in their great halls, filled with the ghosts of dead sailors, it is there where they go to rest before they are sent to Helheim or any other part of the Nine realms. Aegir and Ran have nine daughters, beautiful and terrible as the sea, they are so named from the eldest to the youngest, Kolga, Duva, Blodughadda, Bara, Bylgja, Hronn, Hevring, Unn and Himinglava. The nine sisters are very protective and have great love for each one of them.
It is said that the Aesir god Odin once laid with one of the nine sisters and she bore him a child, no one knows with which one the god did this because it was an event against the will of Aegir, and each of the sisters made a pact, never to tell anyone, not even their parents, especially their mother, because they feared their wrath would fall upon them, since the Sea gods have no love for the One-eyed one. As such, the nine sister hid in the darkest depths of the ocean, never to be found by anyone until the baby was born, when such thing happened, they brought the baby to Aegirheim, and told their parents what had happened, but never told which one of them had the baby. Aegir and Ran tried again and again to know the truth, which one of them was the mother of the baby, but none of them turned against each other, and the only truth that came out, was that the baby was the child of Odin and the nine of them, this is why that in some tales it is said that Odin laid with all the nine sisters. Regardless of  the truth, Ran had no love for this child and as such, the child would not be raised under their Halls, and as the nine sisters had no love for this child either, they agreed with Ran and the child was set on a boat towards the Island of Vanaheim in the hopes that some kind fold there would adopt the child.
Odin had been waiting to see the child, and to see what would happen next, and from Valaskjalf he saw that the child was going towards the coasts of Vanaheim, as soon as he could, he intercepted the child and brought her to Frigga's Halls at Fensalir. Frigga was used to deal with his husband's children from other affairs, and so she took care of the child and named him Heimdal. Frigga wanted to raise the child as her own, but Odin had in mind other plans for his newborn son, he wanted one of his children to come do Midgard and love the Humanfolk, and Odin decided that Heimdal would live two lives, one as a mortal and one as a god. Heimdal was placed on the boat again and sent to Midgard, where a poor fisherman found him and took the child with him. In Midgard he was named Rig, and he grew as fast as a mortal child does. Rig grew happy, but he always felt that there should be more than just that life in the farm of by the fishing boat, and he had a great fear in him, an inexplicable fear for the sea. His mothers watched him from afar, from the ocean, every time he walked on the beach, but the fear of the ocean held him back, and by his mothers he never knew his true origins.
When Rig was old enough, he left the farm and wandered off to many places in Midgard, he had many women and gave many children to those women, this was part of Odin's plan, to spread his blood with the mortals and thus enrich their bloodlines.
After many adventures and battles, Rig was made King, and Odin who was always watching him, was very proud of his son. When Rig came to old age and was lying on his deathbed, he closed his eyes for the last time as a mortal man, and all that stood beside him, weeping, felt into amazement when a great cloud of birds took him a flew off with his body. Rig was taken to Asgard, where he was restored to his immortal self, and he too was in amazement, to wake up in his bed, young and in the land of the gods, and he too shared  him them the same high title and it was given to him the job of gatekeeper of Asgard. Frigga told him about his true name, Heimdall, and took him as a son and he called her mother. In time the real tale of his birth was told to him, and in anger, he holds an hatred agaisnt all the Jotun folk, for coming from one of those wombs, but not knowing which one and being abandoned to the mercy of the waves, and to this day he avoids the ocean, but he keeps a great love for the mortal folk and he is very protective to them, but his heart is hardened because of all the things he knows about his birth and his life, and every time the day of his birthday comes, a great storm is formed on the oceans near Vanaheim, created by their Grandfathers and his nine mothers, to honor him.

Note: If you have any questions for me or if you want to see my artistic works, check out my Facebook page and make a Like if you can by following this link --> http://www.facebook.com/ArithHarger

Freyja the Goddess of Love and Fertility

The goddess Freyja is one of the few Norse Deities i haven't talked about much, which is a major flaw from my part because she is a very importante goddess, and she is more than just what people are used to hear about her, the goddess of Love, Beauty and Fertility.
Freyja is the current female ruler of the Vanir tribe of gods and all of Vanaheim, along with her brother Freyr, the lord of both Vanaheim and Alfheim. It is true that Freyja was once married with her own brother Freyr, the union of the two deities of fertility, together they ruled not only over the land and its fertility which is a major need to the Vanir gods for they are bound to the very earth and work hard in agriculture, but also with the fertility of all living creatures. After the war ended with the Aesir agaisnt the Vanir, Freyja, Freyr and their father Njörd, were fostered to the Aesir as hostages in Exchange for Honir and Mimir that went to the Vanir side, an agreement of peace between the two tribes, after this a new law was established by the Aesir gods, that the marriage between siblings would come to an end, and so to Freyja and Freyr new marriages were arranged. She was married with the god Odr to whom she bore two daughters, Hnoss and Gersemi.

As it is often heard, she is indeed the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Love and beauty are often linked, for love is the primary force, the greatest feeling in which we can see beauty in the things, or people, or animals we love, she often shows people the worth of love and how it is crucial to achieve it, and she encourages people to also love themselves the way they are, but not just sticking to that, because some people don't like the way they are and start giving up and with time they will not love themselves, they will just get used to what they are and forget about the rest, and being used to something or someone, isn't love, love is about caring, taking care, is about the deepest feeling for someone but without forgeting ourselves, and loving ourselves isn't getting used to the way we look, is about taking care of ourselves, doing exercise, eating healthy, and it isn't agaisnt nature to put a bit of color in you, beautiful clothing, makeup, jewelry, to enhance your beauty, that is something that we human being do for at least 36.000 years.

Freyja is often called to help with fertility problems, and she does when it comes to us human beings, but she is more turned to the fertility and fecundity of animals and the land especially. However she helps with the fertility of us humans that are in need and ask her that, she is closely connected with all female aspects, be that human or animal.

Freyja is also associated with magic and the old spirituality of the Norse people, Seiðr, we can see this association because she owns a cloak made of falcon feathers which allows the wearer to fly in the form of a falcon, this shows her connection with shape-shifting magic, the kind of power a shaman uses while in trance, animal forms to better adapt to whatever environment, landscape or weather when travelling in the spiritual world. She also has a connection with Horses, she has a title which is "Mare of the Vanir" connecting her to the horses but also emphasizing her role as a fertility goddess.

This goddess is also associated with war and death, such as Odin whose Valkyries/Valkyrjas choose the slain from a battle and carrie them to Valhalla, Freyja keeps half of the slain in her own Halls called Sessrumnir in Folkvangr.

Neo-Pagans nowadays who follow the Norse culture and beliefs like to call themselves Asatru while not knowing the full meaning of the word, Asa comes from the norse word áss which is the word for god and aesir for plural, but the word is associated with the Aesir gods only and Trú means faith or religion in the old Norse, so basically this is the worship of the Aesir gods, not including the Vanir or the deities of the underworld and other beings, and often these Neo-Pagans talk about Seiðr, the magic, spiritual and shamanic arts of the Norse people, but Seiðr is an exclusive art that comes from the Vanir gods and Freyja is the goddess more connected to that and she is the one who teaches that to people and to the other gods, so when people want to practice Seiðr, they are forced to worshiped Freyja and the other Vanir gods, of course that people can only worship those and call themselves Vanatrú, but in my point of view and personal experiences with the Norse deities and spirits, and with shamanic practices, all deities are equally importante, there isn't the existance of a good god or and evil god, all of them have their own skills, area of expertise, flaws, good aspects, and so on, with very human emotions and behaviours, there isn't perfection, there is the importance of being balanced between all things and express ourselves through our honorable acts.

Note: The artwork to illustrate this post is a drawing of Freyja made by me. If you have any questions for me or if you want to see my artistic works, check out my Facebook page and make a Like if you can by following this link --> http://www.facebook.com/ArithHarger

Working with the gods: Skadi

Well, now that the spring finally came, i had to talk about Skadi, the Norse goddess of Winter, as in a farewell to her powers, while she can take some rest. I will not hide that my favorite season is Autumn, when the world is changing in flaming colours, the preparation for winter, another season i love so much and my spirit is comfortable with.

Skadi is the Norse goddess of hunt, winter and archers, the queen of ice and frost, fair and cold as the chill winter winds. The wolves howl calling upon her while the snow falls from her mantle which brings arsh blizzards and storms.

One interesting thing, is that people don't know much about giants, or the Jotun folk, but one of the most famous giants of all time is Skadi, the frost-giantess, not only for her greatness and her powers, but beause she gained her place among the Aesir gods. She is the goddess of winter, and she is often seen as a huntress, with bow and arrow in a sled pulled by while wolves in the cold regions. She is the figure which gave inspiration to so many writters while speaking of the Winter Queen of the Frost maiden.
Skadi is the daughter of Thjassi the son of Olvalde, the one who captured Idunn and he was killed during the event of her rescue. The story of Thjassi is an unusual one for a Jotnar, apparently he was married with one from the Aesir, but he didn't came to Asgard to live with her, she went with him, living in his fortress in Jotunheim, but she died of cold and being the husband of an Aesir, he cold go to Asgard, claming his position, but he hasn't done it, however, his daughter, Skadi, claimed that estate for her own even not having any connection with the dead Aesir wife of her father, and she also did that when her father was killed. She marched to the gates of Asgard fully armed, ready to take her vengeance for her father's murder, she demanded a reward, her father's inheritance and a husband. She wanted Baldur to be her husband, but some say that Odin blindfolded her and made her choose an husband from all the unmarried males in Asgard, by feeling their feet, others say that all of them hid behind a curtain with only their feet showing, and she had to choose by looking at them. Whatever was the way to choose an husband, she chose the one with the finest feet believing he might be the beautiful god Baldur, but it was Njord, the Vanir sea king. They married, but after some time together, they came to the conclusion that they were not made ​​for each other. Skadi's dwellings made Njord uncomfortable, in her homeland Thrymheim in Jotunheim and in place she got in Asgard, were both in the mountains, these where the places she preferred to live in and Njord couldn't stay so far away from his own dwellings, he couldn't stand the cold, the snow nor could he sleep with the holwings of the wolves, on the other hand, Skadi wasn't comfortable where Njord dwells, his home in Asgard, Noatun, by the sea and also in Vanaheim on the other side of the ocean, she was always complaining about the noises of the sea-birds and the sound of the waves. The two separated after a time but Skadi got her place in the council of Asgard, the first Jotun to do so.
It seems that shortly after this, she had an ill-fated affair with Loki. Some sources claim that Odin sent Loki to her in order to cement her bonds with Asgard; others merely suggest that the opportunistic Loki saw a chance to take advantage of the depressed Skadi. Apparently she had fallen into sadness, and Loki decided to cheer her up by making a spectacle of himself. He tied his testicles to a goat, and let the goat pull him around screaming and staggering, much to the amusement of the onlookers. At some point the rope snapped, and he fell headlong into Skadi's lap, and she laughed, finally. This rite is echoed in legends of sacrificial rites to the cold, implacable death goddess, where a man is castrated and flung bleeding into her lap, with the idea that only blood, not semen, can fertilize a death goddess. It may be that Loki was deliberately mimicking this rite as a way of offering himself to Skadi. At any rate, she seems to have taken him more seriously than he took her, for they had an affair that did not last, and it filled her with a rage against him so bitter that when he was caught and bound after Baldur's death, Skadi placed a poisonous serpent over his head, to drip venom onto him until he was released. One senses not only the wrath of a woman scorned, but that of a priestess/goddess who was cheated.

Hunters and Archers can pray to her to gain, maintain or improve the skills in that matter. A person might also call upon her to find his way back home when lost in the wilds, to survive the cold weather and the arsh trials of winter. Having been married with Njord, both of them help in terms of divorce, keeping things at peace and revolving it the best way possible without many problems, annoyances, discussions or disputes. Skadi also helps women when they pass through difficult times, keeping a sane mind without losing their nerves.

Freyr - God of Fertility, Love and Agriculture

Who is Freyr?

Freyr is the Norse/Germanic god of agriculture, land, fertility, marriage, and love, also known as Ing or Ingvi.

In the Norse/Germanic cosmology, Frey is a member of the second pantheon of Northern Gods, the Vanir Gods of Vanaheim, who are all concerned with agriculture and food-gathering of some sort. He is the son of Nerthus the Vanir Earth Mother, and Njord the god of sailors and fishermen. His twin sister is Freya, the goddess of fertility and love. His beloved wife is Gerda.

He is the keeper of every plant and animal who is killed that we might live. He is a god of frith - peace and order - as opposed to being a god of war and conflict. He is a Light-Bringer, a Joy-Bringer, a Frith-Bringer, a Gift-Giver, the Harvest King. He asks that we think about the food that we eat, how it was raised and treated, and whether it died in a clean manner. He asks that we think about how we treat those we love. 

What are his gifts?

His gifts are many. He gives fertility of body and fertility of land. He blesses the farmer and his crops and livestock. He bestows sexual desire and potency. He bestows love in all forms, regardless of what combination of people and genders may be involved.  He also blesses committed marriage - especially relationships that are frowned upon by the greater social order. He gives the light within that stands against the darkness of sorrow. As the God who gave up his sword for love, he helps foster peace in social affairs. He helps those who must sacrifice for others find joy and contentment in their giving. 

How can you honor frey? What actions must be taken?

Directly participate in raising the food that nourishes you and your family. If you don't have the means to garden, or keep a few chickens, then perhaps you could do some work for someone who does in exchange for some of the food.

Learn, and teach others, how to cook wholesome foods from ingredients you can afford.  

Bake bread, or brew beer, and share it with your family.

Make a commitment to consistently buy a basic food item, organic and sustainably raised. 

Buy heirloom seeds or trees or livestock for a local family farm or for yourself.

Note: The artwork to illustrate this post is a painting of Freyr made by me. If you need more information or if you want to check my works, take a look at my Facebook page and make a like at --> www.facebook.com/ArithHarger

Vanaheim Part V (5)

Billing's Hall:


The giant Billing is the "Master of the Vanirs". He is Gilling's brother, Rind's father and Vali's grandfather. Although he is a giant, he has strong ties with the Vanir - one of his wives is a Vana - and he is in charge of handling the trade between Vanaheim and Jotunheim. He is mediator and bargainer, working towards the best deal for both sides, and both sides respect him for his fairness and neutrality. His hall is located at a large port on the Jotunheim-facing coast of Vanaheim; it is as much warehouse as living space. Although he is well-disposed towards human travelers, he is very busy and has little time for their questions.


Aegirheim:

Just off the coast of Vanaheim lies Aegirheim, the underwater palace of Aegir, the sea god (occasionally known as Hler). While Aegir and his folk travel the seawater in every land, and are familiar with the beaches that wash everywhere from Midgard to Asgard to Muspellheim to Helheim, their main base is in Vanaheim and they do tend to ally themselves with the Vanir. Aegir's father is Mistblindi, or "mist-blind". His brother, Logi, is a sworn man of Utgard-Loki.
Aegir was often shown as a vigorous man with a spear in his hand - one ancient term for the sea, garsecg, actually meant spear-man - with a long, flowing beard that he loves to decorate with shells and beads. His wife Ran, whose name means Robber, is the Thief of Ships. She is not nearly as nice as Aegir is, and is harder to please. She is tiny for an etin-woman, small and delicate with pale, blue-tinged skin, long fingers, strange sea-colored inhuman eyes, and black hair so long that it trails on the floor behind her. Her eyes are cold and flick from side to side like green-glass blades. She enjoys human guests largely for their entertainment value, so make sure that you are properly entertaining.
Aegir and Ran's daughters, the Nine Undines, take much more after their mother's temperament. In their natural forms, they range from startlingly ugly to strikingly lovely but inhuman-looking, although they can all take on illusory beautiful-human-woman forms if they choose. In the water they will always be tailed mermaids; in Aegirheim they switch to legs. They are a close-knit and rather bloodthirsty lot, as can be deduced by their names: Blodughadda (Blood-hair), Bara (Big Wave), Bylgja (Breaking Wave), Duva (Hidden), Hevring (Heaving), Himinglava (Sky Shining Through), Hronn (Sucking Wave), Kolga (Cool One), and Unn (Billow).
Sea-giants have several forms. They can look like pale humans, usually with long flowing hair nearly the full length of their bodies. They can take on the forms of fishes, dolphins, whales and other sea creatures, sometimes even floating clumps of seaweed. They can take on a form that looks like a transparent humanoid water-shape. They can also take on the classic half-fish mermaid/merman form that has so entranced sailors through the ages.


To get to Aegirheim, the best route is via Hlesey Island, off the coast of Vanaheim. Here you can rent a boat from the locals (or bring your own), go down to the shore and make the proper offerings, and ask to be escorted to Aegir's halls. If the offering is accepted, one of his servants (or daughters, if he thinks that you rate that kind of treatment) will come up out of the water for you. They will sail the boat for you - go ahead and let them! - and it will slowly sink under the waves. This is the frightening part for us air-breathers, but don't worry - ask long as you are close to them, you will be able to breathe fine. It's part of their magic. If you are rude, of course, they will throw you off the boat (or, later, out of the palace) and you will quickly drown as soon as you are out of range.
Aegir's doorward is an etin named Eldir. Like Fjalar, his favorite form is that of a giant rooster. He is fussy and difficult, and prone to turning rude people away. If he answers the door in rooster form, be careful not to laugh; he would not be above pecking or scratching you badly and then throwing you out into the ocean. Eldir is a bit self-important; humor him and make sure he knows you understand what an honor it is to feast at Aegir's table.
During the feast, Aegir will pass around the Rimkalk, or crystal goblet used for toasts. This is your cue to tell him how honored you are to be there, and to praise his hospitality. If you have a song or poem to donate, go ahead, but keep it short. The great feasts are cooked in a magic kettle a mile deep called Seaboiler. It was originally owned by the giant Hymir, but it was borrowed by Thor, never returned, and won in a game by Aegir, who uses it in his enormous feeds.
One thing that you may find notable when dining with Aegir is the number of human beings at the table who are actually dead. There will usually be a number of ghosts at the table, enjoying his hospitality, although these days there are far fewer than there used to be in the times of the great ships. These are people who were drowned at sea and whose souls were snatched by Ran, who holds the power to steal souls out of drowning bodies. She keeps them around Aegirheim, rather like pets, until they cease to be entertaining and then are summarily sent off to Helheim. The most entertaining ghosts, or the ones that Aegir finds the most engaging, have been there for hundreds of years feasting and singing and dancing.


Offerings:

Shiny coins and jewelry. Please make sure that the metal is actually real precious metal; they can tell the difference and will be as insulted by pot metal as any duergar. Sailors used to be given coins with which to pay off the sea-giants if they were "captured". Alcohol with gold dust in it is also much loved, especially if it is homebrew, which Aegir appreciates. In ancient times, sailors used to give human sacrifices to the sea-giants, throwing them overboard, and they still remember this wistfully. It meant a lot to them not just because of bloodthirstiness, but because the souls of those who drowned went not to Helheim or Asgard, but to their own halls, where they would feast and be entertained forever.

Supported by RavenKaldera

Vanaheim Part IV (4)

Freya's Hall

Freya also has two halls; the famous Sessrumnir in Asgard and her home hall in Vanaheim. This hall is tended for most of the year by four of her eight sisters. Three others of her sisters - Bjart (Shining), Blid (Mild) and Frid (Pretty), are handmaidens of Mengloth in Jotunheim. Eir, the eldest of her eight sisters, is Frigga's handmaiden in Asgard and a goddess of healing. Her hall in Vanaheim is simply referred to as Freya's Home, even though she is not there most of the time.
Like her brother, she is a hostage for the continued peace between the Aesir and the Vanir, and she is allowed to come home only when her father and brother are absent. She travels from world to world in a chariot pulled by large golden cats; in some traditions there are four of them and in others two, named Beegold and Treegold, symbolizing honey and amber, her favorite substances. She can also fly through the air in dove form, or wearing a cloak of falcon feathers which can change her into that bird as well.
Much has been said about Freya, the Goddess of Love and Fertility, Lady of the Vanir. She is one of the most popular deities in the northern tradition, and with good reason. She is also an extremely versatile woman. Her sacred activities fall into four categories - she wears four "hats", as it were. First, she is a love goddess; this is her best-known attribute, and the one that marks her appearance. Like her brother Frey, she is tall, blond, and gorgeous. She can go back and forth from coolly poised to emotionally volatile, although her temperament mostly lends itself to being sunny. In her love-goddess persona, she grants the boon of love to some of those who apply to her...but not all; no love goddess ever gave anyone everything that they wanted.
When she appears in her aspect as Love Goddess, she wears Brisingamen, the most beautiful necklace in the Nine Worlds, made by four duergar smith-brothers. She traded four nights of her favors for it, thus proving that her charms really were worth the greatest piece of jewelry, and was serenely immune to the catty remarks of the Aesir about her whoring. Indeed, she has an aspect as Sacred Prostitute, wherein she teaches people to value themselves and their favors rather than desperately selling themselves cheaply to whoever comes by and looks interested. Freya's lesson as Goddess of Love is that of self-esteem, and that the Universe will give you what are willing to settle for.
In her aspect as mistress of seidhr, the mystical art of the oracle, she appears in her mysterious-woman aspect, usually dressed in some form of traditional clothing. She teaches the arts of seid-magic to those she deems worthy, although she does have a preference for women and non-gender-conforming men.
In her warrior aspect, she has the same job as a Valkyrie, except that the Valkyries choose the brave dead for Valhalla. Sometime shortly after arriving as a hostage in Asgard, Freya cut a deal with Odin whereby she would teach him her wisdom in return for the first pick of the noble slain, of which she could take up to a third. Inevitably, she chooses the best of the crop, including all the women warriors (except those sworn personally to Odin or one of his liege-vassal deities). She can be seen alongside of the Valkyries during battle, for those with the eyes to see, in her white armor. But this side of her is never expressed in Vanaheim, only Asgard.
The side of her which is most tied to Vanaheim - and for which she always comes home in the early spring - is that of goddess of fertility. Like Frey, her touch makes the crops flourish, but her special time is that of the early seedling, coaxing it into the full-blown plant. When she is home for her ritual duties, she wears a gown covered in flowers and grains, the magical embroidery of which changes as the plants grow.
There are various stories about Freya's various husbands, all of whom seem to be dead of various disasters. Although she has taken many husbands and lovers, it seems that none of them were able to hold her for long, much less make her monogamous. She wept tears for all of them, which became droplets of amber before they hit the ground. By one of her late husbands, Od, she had two daughters, Hnoss and Gersimi. Each of them have their own halls in Vanaheim, within sight of her own. Unlike her, they mostly take after their father and are round and brown and merry and bouncing. Gersimi means "jewelry" and she is a patron of jewelry-makers, as it is one of her arts, and she often supplies her beautiful mother with strings of beads.
Offerings to Freya include honey, flowers, fine drink, sweet breads and cakes, fruits, and anything lovely. She is partial to elaborate handiwork that someone slaved over. Jewelry, of course, is always welcome, as are natural perfumes.


Frodi's Hall

Frodi is a very old Vanir gold whose name means "Fruitful One". According to the lore of the Vanir, he is the father of Njord by Nott, the sky-etin of the night. He is a grey-haired, bearded, wrinkled old man who lives in a small wooden hall surrounded by orchards and berry-brambles. While elderly and private, he will welcome you if you come willing to sing or tell tales, and lend him a strong back to help with the fruit-picking. As an offering, plant berry-bushes or small fruit trees and shrubs.


Nehallenia's Hall

Nehallenia, whose name also means "Fruitful One", is a goddess of vegetation and the sea. While it is unclear as to what pantheon she was originally from, she does have a hall in Vanaheim. It is by the ocean, facing Asgard as Njord's hall is, and just down the coast from his place. It is made of woven branches, made to be in the shape of a cornucopia, which is her symbol. She is a goddess of good fishing and plenty, and her specialty is those things which flourish within half a mile of the coast in either direction - shellfish, seaweed, beach plums, and produce that loves the salt air. She is especially fond of rosemary as an offering.


Holda's Hall

Holda is a Germanic goddess, and her actual home is in some strange underworld place that isn't Helheim, but people accidentally fall down a well in order to get to it. However, I am told that she does have a hall in Vanaheim, where she is practically the center of the flax-weaving industry. Vanaheim is famed for its linen, whereas the spinners in Asgard under Frigga's eye generally spin wool. Holda's cottage sits in the middle of many fields of waving blue and white flax flowers, with an extensive culinary herb garden spread about it.
Holda is a goddess of the household arts; many folk who have worked with her report that she loves a clean, neat house, and will make those who call on her suddenly feel the urge to go on a mad cleaning spree, scrubbing floors and dusting shelves even if they have never done such things before. Cleaning is a good way to welcome her, anyway; it shows that you value what she's about. As one can imagine, her home in Vanaheim is spotless, but still warm and homey. Her food never burns, her milk never sours, her fruits and vegetables never spoil, and her hands are never idle; while she talks to you she is likely to be spinning or weaving or doing some other sort of small craft.
She has a small flock of handmaidens to whom she teaches the homely arts; unlike other deities, she does not have a permanent staff, but rather rotates young girls who then go off to run their own households when they have learned enough. The exception is a handmaiden called Harn, who
is an expert in flax-dressing (the long and ungainly process of turning flax into linen thread) and she aids those who wish to learn this art.
For an offering to Holda, clean your house! If your home is already in order - including all the nooks and crannies such as the inside of refrigerators and the backs of attics - go to the home of someone who has difficulty keeping their place clean and commit an act of cleanliness there. It is especially good to help out disabled people, the elderly, or mothers with small children who are overrun and overwhelmed. Don't worry about actually bringing anything to Holda. She'll know what you've done. If you didn't think to do any cleaning before you visit, ask to help out with something. She'll put you to work.

Supported by RavenKaldera

Vanaheim Part III (3)

Njord's Hall

Njord's Vanaheim home is, of course, on the eastern seashore, facing Alfheim and Asgard. (His Asgard home is directly opposite it on Asgard's westerly beaches, calculated to have the straightest possible shot over the ocean between the two.) Noatun, or "Shipyards", is a tall, white, arched building on the rocky outcrop of the largest northern bay. A small fleet of ships have their home in the bay, as Njord keeps all of the Vanir fleet under his protection, even when he is absent. The waters around Vanaheim never freeze, even in the winter, and fishing is always good.
Njord is currently single and solitary, but like the archetypal sailor he has had many wives and lovers. He is technically married to Nerthus - by whom he has sired Frey and Freya - but it is strictly a ceremonial marriage, to be reconsummated once a year for ritual purposes. He was briefly married to Skadi as a favor to Odin, but they did not get along and quickly divorced. He has sired eight more daughters by various Vanir women.
Njord himself has been described as a lean, vigorous, bearded man in early middle age, with hands calloused from ship-ropes and face somewhat windburned. One spirit-worker who honors him referred to him as "every inch the perfect sea-captain", and reported that a salt breeze seemed to move about him wherever he was. Anyone who is interested in ships and sailing will automatically find an ally to talk to in him.


Nerthus's Hall

Njord's ceremonial wife, Nerthus, is the high priestess/earth mother of Vanaheim. Njord is her husband in name, but they do not live together; their marriage is strictly a ritual affair for the magical mating of earth and sea, in order to bring fertility to the land. Their two sacred children are the twins Frey and Freya, who embody the fertility of Vanaheim and bring that fertility everywhere they go.
Nerthus is very old and very private, and surrounded by taboos. She is large and voluptuous, with a Venus-of-Willendorf figure, and eyes like deep swamp pools. Her skin is brown as the earth, and her long brown hair trails on the ground for many feet behind her. She is in charge of all human sacrifice in Vanaheim, and people willingly give their lives before her knife. She lives on an island in the exact center of Vanaheim - an island within an island - which is only big enough for her sacred grove, her temple, and her house. During certain times of the year, she will process through the various Vanaheim villages, bringing peace and fertility, and then return to her island. She is accompanied on her way back by a tithe of servants whose job is to bathe her in the waters of her lake, serve her every whim for a week, and then be drowned as sacrifices. Only seek her out if you are willing to pay a high price for her wisdom, and if you cannot get it elsewhere.


Frey's Hall

Frey is a god with many homes, as his conflicting loyalties keep him always on the move. When serving his time in Asgard, he stays with his sister Freya in her hall Sessrumnir, and keeps it while she is home in Vanaheim. However, his beloved etin-bride Gerda will not come to Asgard with him, so he is alone during his sojourns there. He also has a hall in Alfheim (elaborated on more clearly in the Alfheim chapter), given to him by the Aesir, and he spends part of his Asgard-time there. While Gerda will come to live with him sometimes in Alfheim, she really does not like it there either. When he comes home to Vanaheim, the two of them live together in his Vanaheim hall in the Borri Woods, the place of their courtship. While we do not at this time know the name of this hall, or even if it has one beyond "Frey's Place", visitors have reported that it seems to be made entirely of golden corn dollies of woven straw.
Frey himself is a very accessible and friendly deity. He is tall and blond and beautiful, and laughs a good deal. While he is quite welcoming to all who seek him, the hard part is catching up to him as he moves from stead to stead during the year. He has divine rulership over such things as fertility, growth, abundance, peace, and contentment. He is a god of love and sex and sensuality, but unlike his sister who values these things in and of themselves, Frey works with committed lovers who wish to build a home together, especially if they intend to own land. He is just fine with nonheterosexual unions (and worshippers), and his priests were often effeminate and cross-dressed. He is a god of marriage, but unlike Frigga who blesses socially sanctioned marriages, Frey blesses those which make people shake their heads and say "They'll never make it - they're too different," or "they're too strange". His own wedding with the giantess Gerda was not the most well-received of unions, and he is sympathetic to the lovers who flout convention and struggle across cultural differences.
As a god of peace, Frey dislikes violence in his hallowed places, not to mention his home. Starting a fight there is unforgivable, as is discourtesy towards other guests. While he seems like a jovial type, you would be surprised how fast you will be hustled out by his servants if you make him unhappy.
If you can get him to show you his ship Skidbladnir, it's worth seeing. It's a tiny model ship that can blow up into a full-size creation at a word. It was a gift from Aegir, commissioned of duergar-make. He is proud of it, and loves to show it off, and to take short trips in it, although he has little of his father's skill with ships.
Gerda, his etin-bride wife, is utterly unlike Frey. Where he is good-humored and expressive, she is reserved and cool; one might even say downright cold to those she does not know. She is tall and large-boned, like most etin-women, with pale skin and long dark hair that is usually neatly braided behind her. She tends to wear loose, concealing dresses, and she spends a great deal of time in her gardens.
At each of the households where she lives with Frey - in Vanaheim and in Alfheim - she has built a beautiful garden with high walls around it, heavily warded. When you are in her gardens, there is a stillness and a safe quality to the place that makes you feel as if everything except that small place has ceased to exist. If Gerda invites you to come walk in the garden with her, it is not because she wants your conversation and chatter. It is because she wants you to spend time with her quietly appreciating the beauty and the peace of it. She may speak of her favorite garden, which is in Jotunheim at the home of her parents, planted on the limbs of a huge tree a hundred feet in the air, in the canopy of a great forest where mists float among the branches. Bring her offerings of seeds, preferably flower or herb seeds for her garden. Plant a garden in her name, in some out of the way place, perhaps with walls around it.
At first glance, Gerda seems almost plain, and one wonders how this woman won the desperate love of gorgeous blond Frey. Then, when she warms up a little, her dark eyes flash and you realize that under her cold manner lies hot-blooded Jotun passion, and for that moment she is both frightening and shockingly desirable, as if a dull-looking tabby cat growled and for a moment became a sleek black leopard. Then it vanishes as quickly as it came, and she is back to her self-enclosed coolness. Remember that although she is Frey's wife, she does not take on the task of running his households, as they are apart for at least half the year. Those chores she leaves to Beyla, including the work of hospitality. She seems to consider herself a guest in her husband's home, except for her garden spaces; it's a strange way to run a relationship, but it seems to work for them, and there is no questioning the depth of their love and affection for each other.
Frey's personal assistant and man-at-arms is Skirnir, given to him by the Aesir as a token of respect for his rank. Skirnir is lean, sharp, and quick, with a penetrating wit and wry speech. He is clever, resourceful, coldly practical, and willing to twist arms and lean on people in order to fulfill his orders, though he never evinces this behavior in Frey's presence. He takes his vocation as Frey's manservant and bodyguard very seriously, and will not hear any untoward words about his master. Frey gifted him with his horse, Blodighofi, as a reward for aiding his courtship with Gerda. Skirnir wisely realized that this was a gift given in impulse that Frey would later regret, and discreetly returned the horse after a week, saying that it was too fierce for him. He is still allowed to use Blodighofi for errands and missions, however,
Frey's two Vanir servants are Beyla and Byggvir, a married couple who follow him from stead to stead. Beyla milks the herd animals and tends to the bees at each farm, and Byggvir tends to the various crops, makes beer, and takes care of the magical World-Mill, one of Frey's treasures. The World-Mill, when turned, will keep pouring out a steady stream of grain. The type of grain varies from day to day, and Byggvir is always trying to get it to make new sorts. Byggvir is quite approachable, and will gladly show off the mill that is his favorite hobby. Beyla is more reticent, but can be wooed into talking by offering to help her with her tasks. (Knowing how to milk dairy animals is especially useful.) Other members of the traveling household include Blodighofi ("Blood-hoof"), Frey's great red horse who is unafraid of fire, and Gullinbursti ("Golden-bristle") and Slidrugtanni, the great tame boars that pull his chariot.
Offerings to Frey include good beer (preferably homemade or craft beers), fine breads, good cheeses, and other well-made beautiful gourmet food.
Supported by RavenKaldera

Vanaheim Part II (2)

Inhabitants:

There is no extant myth of where the people of the Vanir came from. They themselves, when asked, have simply said that they settled Vanaheim when a piece of Ymir's body (said to be his pelvis, as it is the most fertile area) became a stable continent in a stable world. They do not trace any descent from Ymir's children, and may have come from outside the Nine Worlds. The first mention of them in myths is when Odin and his brothers run across them, act rudely, and a war is started. They are an agricultural people, practicing fertility rites and the occasional human sacrifice.
Hospitality rules are very important to the Vanir. While they have a good deal of importance everywhere in the Nine Worlds, the Vanir are particularly picky about them. While any of them will likely give you a three-day guest-right stay in their homes, there are rules about being a good guest. First, offer to help with whatever farm labor they require. If you don't know how to do anything, ask for a task that takes little skill and can be learned quickly. If they happily put you to work, you are in. Don't shirk; do your best job. If they politely decline to give you a task, it isn't because they consider you too fine a guest to be put to work, it's that they don't like you that much, and don't want you to be considered like part of the family, if only for a few hours. If they won't allow you to help, they likely don't want you back.
At one point, the Vanir fought a war with the Aesir, and after much loss of life both sides called it a draw. The point of mentioning this war is that people tend to underestimate the Vanir as warriors. They are not as openly warlike as the Aesir - in fact, there is a strict peace set on their world that it would do anyone ill to break - but they are just as skilled at the arts of warfare, and should not be dismissed. Be courteous and polite to these "mere farmers", or they may decide that you have violated their rules of hospitality, which in some parts of Vanaheim is a killing offense.
As part of the treaty terms of the war, the Aesir and Vanir exchanged hostages. Each side agreed to send over some members of great wisdom so that the other could benefit from them. The Aesir sent over Mimir and Hoenir, but they turned out to be unsatisfactory; Hoenir refused to talk about anything, and Mimir did nothing but babble. One senses either resentment at their hostage status, or an implicit order to keep quiet. The Vanir, however, were insulted, and hacked Mimir's head off and sent it back to Odin with Hoenir. Odin resurrected the head and dropped it down a well, where Mimir is doomed to answer questions for eternity or until Odin decides to release him.
On the other hand, the Vanir hostages consisted of Njord, the god of ships and sailing, and his twin children Frey and Freya, the gods of fertility and love. The presence of the latter two seemed to be part of an ongoing deal to provide Asgard with food. Odin was especially eager to get hold of Freya, and not just for her beauty; she was the mistress of the seidhr-magic that he wished to learn. Not only were the Vanir hostages accepted as full voting members of the Aesir, when their people returned the other hostages, scorned or beheaded, no revenge was taken upon the all-too-important Njord, Frey, or Freya. The end result is that Asgard has a strong Vanir voice in its councils, while Vanaheim is fairly free to ignore Asgard, secure that its hostage-gods are quite safe there.
The three of them are allowed to come home and visit Vanaheim, as long as they do it one at a time. Njord can be found in Vanaheim in the spring and high summer, usually on a boat. Frey comes home around Lammas for his yearly role in the all-important fertility-based Ing ritual, and stays until the first snows. Freya presumably comes home some time in the winter and stays to see the spring open onto the land, her favorite time of year.

Vanaheim

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.