Tag: History
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Genderfluid in Norse Mythology
Anonymous asked: hi! I’m a follower of the asatro and I identify as genderqueer. I wondered if you know anything about a third gender/transgender/intersex in old norse/asatro/norse paganism or the like? I’m desperately trying to find something I can relate to and thought I’d ask you. thanks! There are several examples in Norse mythology in which…
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Notes on the Ylfings
justanotherelf-deactivated20200 asked: Hi Fjörn, the other day I was reading the annotated elder edda I have, and I came up to a note that said that Ylfings are asome kind of a “wolf clan”. I thought that wolves were seeing as (sort of) evil in the scandinavian tradition. The thing is that in my family’s coat…
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Notes on the Norns
Anonymous asked: Could you share some information about the norns and the threads of fate? I normally leave my fate in the hands of the Gods and I’m now curious about the sisters. There are three norns who dwell beneath the world tree, Yggdrasil, and they are the most famous: Urðr (Fate), Verðandi (Being), and Skuld (Necessity).(1) There are others, however, and they…
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Children, Adulthood, and the Social Functions of Arm-Rings in the Viking Age
Anonymous asked: Hello Fjorn! I have watched the tv show; Vikings, and wondered if you could tell us more about the vikings’ rite of passage into adulthood. There don’t seem to be much information available regarding this, and I’m curious of for example if they did give their children armrings like Bjorn and the other…
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Vikings in Wales
AS WALES FOUGHT to defend themselves against Anglo-Saxon incursions from the East, a threat existing since the fall of the Roman Empire, the Vikings raided their coasts from the West. Although the Vikings infiltrated Wales between the ninth and eleventh centuries, they were never as great of a threat to Welsh sovereignty as the Anglo-Saxons were.…
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Gluttony in Norse Mythology
Anonymous asked: I’ve been wondering lately if there is much discussion in norse myth/lore along the theme of “gluttony” or discussion of cultural views regarding what we may now view as gluttony (particularly related to food)? You seem like the person to ask such a broad question – you have such thorough knowledge it seems.…
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How to Become a Skald
Anonymous asked: what does it take to be a skald? what special things do i need to do? Much thanks I must say that I am no skald. Although I have chosen to bear the title, I have not actually earned it. I hope to be able to eventually say otherwise, though. Yet, it really does…
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Honor and Feud in Medieval Iceland: A Question about Njal’s Saga
Anonymous asked: In Njal’s Saga, on page 154 of the Robert Cook translation, Njal says it would be unjust if his sons were killed now. Why is there antipathy between them and Thrain, and why should they be killed for it? (sorry if this sounds like a stupid question) The tension between Thrain Sigfusson and the…
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Saint Patrick
“My name is Patrick… I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many. My father was Calpornius. He was a deacon; his father was Potitus, a priest, who lived at Bannavem Taburniae. His home was near there, and that is where I was…
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Notes on Ægishjálmur
lostkizzy replied to your post “Hail Fjorn I seek some sort of phrase that I can scribe onto either…” Wouldn’t this be a good (if not the exact) purpose for Ægishjálmur, though? It is true that Ægishjálmur (The ‘Helm of Awe’) would be appropriate here, but I do not generally recommend things that I know very little about. Besides,…
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Old Norse Poetry for Confidence
Anonymous asked: Everyday presents a challenge for me. My biggest problem with these challenges is facing them with confidence. I have unreal anxiety levels, and I blew a chance to become greater at my job because i froze in front of the audience that would designate me competent enough to be an inspector. I know i…
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Vikings in Scotland: the Power of Orkney
In the previous lesson, we briefly explored the history of Scotland leading up to Viking involvement, which included a small introduction to the Picts and the Dál Riata, the Irishmen who settled parts of Scotland as early as 500 CE. Now we will enter into the realm of Viking involvement, with particular emphasis on the relatively…
