Category: Legacy
I’ve been doing this for a long time, which means some of my content is, well…a bit old. That doesn’t make it useless, though, so I’ve made a special place for it here in this delightful category.
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Notes on Saga in Norse Mythology
Anonymous asked: Hello, dear Fjorn. You are so delightful. Are you familiar with the goddess Sága? She’s a favorite of mine, but there’s never enough solid info on her. 🤔 How does one become Odin’s favorite drinking buddy? I am likely as familiar with her as you are, since there are but few sources and references…
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A Brief Introduction to Runes
This part of the Hall contains basic information regarding five runic alphabets, which are named based on their time, place, and first six runes (futhark, futhorc, futhork, etc.). It is important to keep in mind that runes were generally meant to be written based on their sound, not just their letter equivalent. If you encounter…
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Drinking in the Medieval North
Please gather around, friends, for another anonymous wanderer has sent a request to this hall! I hate to admit that it was long ago now, but a raven once came to me bearing this message: “i’d be curious to hear from a possibly more academic side how you see drinking/alcohol playing into heathenism? i’ve heard…
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Notes on Old English Literature
Anonymous asked: Did Anglo-Saxon speaking peoples have anything similar to Nordic sagas? They most certainly did, although I know much less about their literature than I should. Based on what time has allowed us to recover, it seems that the Norse (but especially the Icelanders) produced more saga-type writing than their neighbors did in England. But,…
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Gift-Giving in the Medieval North
Gather around, friends; the fire is still warm and lively! One night, a fair bit ago now, a raven flew into my hall bearing an interesting question from an anonymous wanderer. It has particular relevance to this gift-giving season (Jól (Yule/Christmas) for some), which is quickly approaching us. Allow me to share the question with…
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Old Norse 1.1
Please gather around and join me by the hearth if you wish to learn more about the Old Tongue! The theme of our current festivities shall be “Njáll hét maðr…”, which will be concerned with how great heroes are introduced in the sagas! During our next few gatherings, we will learn more about this theme,…
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No Runestones in Iceland?
genericlifeform-blog asked: I’m fairly new to the Vikings (it all started with an icelandic geology obsession) and found a short but interesting article about runestones. Shortly after I tried to find out more about runestones placed in iceland and had to learn to my disappointment that there are none. Now to my question which is I…
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Old Norse Preface
Preface Introducing the Language “The term ‘Old Norse’ has been used in various ways. For some it is a broad concept covering the language of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as Iceland and the other Scandinavian colonies, throughout the Viking Age (c. 750–1050) and the early and high Middle Ages (c. 1050–1350). At the…
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Snorri Sturluson: Keeping the Old Alive with the New
ruimtetijd asked: Hello, vinur minn! (I’m learning haha!) I have a question I’ve been thinking about since I’ve started reading the Poetic Edda, and delving into the stories. To what extent do you think Snorri’s Christian background influenced his writings? Obviously, there are many parallels, and many of these parallels occur in many, many religions…
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Sources on the Christianization of the Medieval North
gospel-of-yggdrasil-deactivated asked: Greetings, I am searching for sources exploring the slow process of Christianization of the north lands and the resulting unique brand of Christianity; can you recommend any resources? Thanks-in-advance I deeply apologize for the length of time that I have made you wait for this response. May your patience be thanked and rewarded. I…
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The Old Gods and the New: Sitting on the Spiritual Fence
Anonymous asked: Hi Fjorn! I saw your response the other day to the anon over at asatrucommunity who asked about the intersection between Christian and Norse gods, and how some of this intermingled. It sounds fascinating because I always assumed the two were diametrically opposed. Could you give me any historical examples or reference points…
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Old Norse Words for Warriors
ajax-odinson asked: Hey Fjorn! I love your work here. I’m curious about the Old Norse word for “warrior.” It seems there might be some debate between words like “drengr” and “rekkr” and others. Going along with this, what about the word for “army” or “war-band?” I have found “herlidh” and “hirdh” but I am unsure. Thank…
