Wyrd & 9 Worlds
Normannii
Thiud &
Reik
ONE
In the beginning there was nothing but a yawning chasm,
Ginnunagap
[ON-gaping expanse] and its extremes, Muspellheim [ON-Fire-home] and
Nifelheim [ON-Ice-home].The ice and fire interacted, and together begat all
life. First came Ymir [PIE-Twin], the father of all the etins. He was formed
from the melting ice, as was Audhumbla, the Great Cow. Ymir was suckled by her
milk, and she in turn licked the brine ice. Her licking engendered the first
God, Buri.
Ymir,
being innately androgynous, from under his arm gave birth to a pair of rime-thurses,
and at his feet fathered a fire giant. From these all manner of Giants
sprang. The God Buri, had a son named Bor, who married a giantess named Bestla.
They parented Odin, and his two brothers. They slew Ymir, and all the Giants,
save Bergelmir, were drowned in the outpouring of Ymir's blood. The Gods then
crafted the Nine Worlds from his body, giving order and structure to the
universe.
This
universe is centered on the World Tree Yggdrasil [ON-Terrible Steed],
this ash tree ties all the Nine Worlds together. It transcends creation, and
apparently existed in the nothingness of Ginnungagap and will exist after
Ragnarok. The Cosmic Axis, framework of the Omniverse.65
It is also called the Irminsul [OE-World Pole], and symbol of Saxnote [OE-Tyr].
This is the Singularity from which all else is but a part. It is the center
pole, at who's extremes lie the essence of existence. These two extremes are the
mystic cosmic elements, Fire and Ice. The first polarity; light and dark,
Divine Fire and Water (Ice in its most basic form). From the interaction of
these poles springs forth existence. Prior to their interaction the Omniverse
was in a state of unrealized potential; awaiting the inertia to begin the
process of unfolding. Woden [OG-Inspiration], as seen within his
triplicity (Wode, Wille, Weh) sets in motion the worlds, fashioning them by
will, and filling them with shape. First by external, transcendent force, then
by immanent, internal strength.
About The
Tree of Life revolve the Nine Worlds; in three rings of being, the inner worlds,
the outer worlds, and the material worlds. One may only attempt to view these
worlds; for their real natures do not allow "cartography" as such to work.
Three possible vantages can be taken; Horizontal, Vertical and Circular. In his
book, Teutonic Magick, Gundarsson notes these patterns and displays them
as such:
However,
in the Circular set I am forced to diverge from his model, and construct my own;
akin somewhat to Thor Sheil's, as stated in the Road to Bifrost ; these
better illustrate my points on polarity and elemental construction of the
universe. My proposed ring model :
Asgard,
Vanaheim, and Jotunheim are the realms of higher consciousness and action, and
thus the inner realms. Vanaheim presents the positive natural processes of life,
rebirth, renewal, regeneration. Jountheim, the dark and chaotic forces in
nature; destruction, entropy, and struggle. Asgard is the center, the
unification and perfection of these extremes. Muspelheim, Hellheim, and
Nifelheim represent the chthonic, primeval realms and thus the outer realms.
Muspellheim is the Divine Fire of Creation, expansive, brilliant, and burning
up. Nifelheim is the dark, deep, cold waters, contracting, and drowning down.
Hellheim is the central focus of these actions, reverting to basics, preventing
escape, causing all motion to stop. About Midgard, direct interaction between
Svartalfheim and Ljossalfheim, are regular, and thus compose the Middle or
material realms. Ljossalfheim represents the brighter aspects of human
achievement, and the positive uses of human nature. Svartalfheim tethers the
nature of man to his base drives, and animalistic instincts, through things
absolutely necessary to the accomplishment of "survival". Midgard is the
synthesis of higher and lower drives, the very plane of action and of being.
Above the Midgard is Nature in action, the Innangard [ON-Inner Realm], and below
we find same that Nature coming to rest, the Utgard [ON-Outer realm]. Despite
these divisions, the Tree itself is indivisible, each and every trunk and root
is an essential part to its life. This singular presence is so great that it
even transcends creation.
TWO
All
action causes an equal and opposite reaction. So sayeth Newton. Therefore, in
order for there to be any motion, there must be polarities. The second mystery
to understand lies in the principle of duality. Male and Female, Hot and Cold,
Left and Right. The universe is dependent upon internal and innate polarities
that propel action into manifestation.66
The Divine principle of Sky-Father, Earth Mother is the ultimate expression of a
union producing tangible results; life. Fire opposes Water, Birth opposes
Death, Light opposes Dark, and Good opposes Evil. Each of these extremes is
balanced in a sense, yet propelled into action by, its opposite. If mankind
lived in an absolute state of either, there would be no existence, for there
would be no synthesis, no state of balance, no means of definition.
THREE
The
universe is governed by Wyrd [OE-Fate], the transcendent relationship
between one's action, the actions' of others, and the process of Universal
cohesion that these actions share. This is not the calculated predestination of
other religions, but an ever shifting, and all pervasive arrow that outlines
patterns. It is very truly the "Web of Life", for each element affects and is
affected by the other strands in the web. The personal circlet, your own
Orlog [ON-Destiny] takes its shape from your heritage (via your ancestral
Clan) and melds it onto the life you make by your own actions, and changes as
these processes interact with others on the overall Web of Wyrd, the Universal
pattern of existence.
The
Norns are the personification of the triplicity in the Norse Concept of
Time, which has a three function base: Urd [ON-That Which has Become-
Past], Verdhandi [ON-That Which is Becoming- Present], and Skuld
[ON- That Which Should Become- Future]. Your own personal Norns (actually
Family Disir, or Personal Fetch) act in concert with these Greater Norns, who
weave the tapestry of the Omniverse.67
Your path of life follows a basic plan, the nuances shaped by your actions and
circumstances. This life pattern in turn bears on the overall Web, and thus
impacts other people. Your family line has set down certain characteristic
gifts (skill, intelligence, strength, beauty, u.s.w.) that help or hinder you in
your journey. The key to living life is to work with what you have, and by thus
integrating your whole self, achieve beyond (the sum of the parts is greater
than the whole...). The mystery of three; the sum of the parts (past actions,
and present action, shaped by that past) becomes greater than the whole (in that
which should become). Wyrd may be seen as the imposition of connective order,
and thus the ability of energy (consciousness) to achieve form (existence)
through relation (interaction).
At the
very fabric of the universe are four basic elements. Not elements in the sense
of the Periodic Table, though the nature of the atom can shed some light on the
mystic elements. The "Cardinal Elements" are more the basic principles of
existing forces. They act in an equilateral Cross, or as in the Compass, each
element a Quarter in the universe's directions.
68
The
first Cardinal Element is Earth, this represents the forming and
stabilizing aspect of Nature. It is the essence of form, and the resistance to
change. It is the gift of Weh, the consistency of shape. It is seen in the
measure of time, law, property, weight, measure, the Dragon, and Darkness. It
is a female principle, lying in the West.
The next
is Water, it attracts and constricts, drawing down, inward. While it has
form, that form is alterable to suit the path it travels along. It is an
element of motion, and is symbolic of the unconscious mind. In its coldest form
it is Elemental Ice, related to the solidness of Earth, but without Earth's
enduring qualities. It is emotion, relationships, the Ocean, the Moon, and a
feminine quality, lying in the North.
Air
is constant motion, unstable, and alterable, without definite
form. It relates to intelligence and the ability to travel and communicate. It
is the gift of Will, consciousness and thought. Logic, science, bartering,
travel, all represent it. The Sky father, the Eagle, and the male principle are
represented here, its direction, East.
The last
element is Fire, expansive, bright and shaping. It is the forming nature
of life, the fire that burns in the soul, the will to live, the spark of the
divine within. It is the gift of Woden. It is creativity, heat, passion,
aggression, expansion, the Sun, and the male principle, it lies in the South.
Nine are
the worlds about the Tree of Life, the perfection of the order of the universe's
principle of three. The Nine Worlds represent every cornerstone in the
creation, sustenance, and death, of the individual on a macrocosmic scale. As
above, So below...
The first
World is Asgard [ON-God Home], home of the Gods of trancendancy. The bright
aspect of existence and higher consciousness is represented on this plane,
perfect balance of force and reason. The Second is Vanaheim [OE-Home of
Provision], the Gods of Fertility, and natural production. These are the forces
of life, growth, and sustenance. The Third is Jountheim or Etinheim [OE-Consuming
Home]. Here we find the forces of entropy,
destruction, and consumption. The balance in Asgard reflects the production
and consumption of life-force in the Energy of the polarities of
Jountheim and Vanheim.
To look
at the universal concepts properly, we skip from the Third world to the
Seventh. The Seventh is Helheim [OE- Under World], home of death, and the
results of entropy. This is the realm of potential, unrealized or spent. It is
a place of gestation and rest. The Eighth World is Nifelheim [ON- Ice World],
home of stagnation, immobility, contraction and cold. It is momentum inward,
stasis. The Ninth World is Muspellheim [ON-Fire World], land of outward motion,
heat, and brightness. It is momentum outward, expansion. The Realm of Hel is
the middle ground between the Poles of Fire and Ice, a place representing the
potential of these extremes, unrealized before birth, and potential expended in
death; the Matter of the Universe.
Now that
the above and below concepts are explained, we return to the middle ring. The
Fourth World
is Midgard [OE-Middle World], where intelligence manifests in the Form of
the Universe, the Fifth World of Ljossalfheim [ON-Bright Elf Home] contrasts
with the Sixth World, Svartalfheim [ON-Dark Elf Home] in that they are poles of
the result of the interaction between Energy and Matter. In Midgard, Form
proceeds from the Energy of above, and the Matter of below. One must have
positive and negative to Form in order to have definition of that form.
The Soul
Perhaps
the most difficult concept to understand is that of the Soul and its relation to
the Body. In the Germanic tradition the concept of kinship is closely tied to
the soul/body complex. Kinship plays a large part in describing "who" a person
is. Because of the nature of this relationship, neither aspect is elevated, and
neither aspect is "demonized". The whole self is glorious, and necessary.
But the
Northern man's soul is the composite of many factors; he is the heir to his
family's genetics, and is thus gifted with attributes of those who have gone
before, but he is also an heir to the Gods, and is given their divine
inspirations, and he is a part of the World Tree, and therefore serves some
greater role in the shaping of Wyrd from within it.
This
interconnection to, almost an entanglement in, Wyrd is fundamental to the
understanding of the Norse Soul Complex. The fusion of Lyke [ON- Body]
and Hyde [ON- Spirit] brings together these many layers and attributes.
As man is a reflection of Yggdrasil, the ordering of his being resembles the
various aspects of the Tree. Some of these aspects are shared with one's other
living kin, some are passed along to future kin, some are destroyed, and yet
others pass on to the higher realms in death.
At the
top of the Tree are the Gifts related to Wod, the inspiration that
compels us to action. They are Might and
Main.
Might is the essence of physical strength, endurance and constitution. It is
the attribute which finds expression in the Lyke's physical prowess.
Main
is the vitality of spiritual strength, inner will, and magickal ability. It is
expressed in the inner glow of one's Hyde.
The Trunk
of the Tree is it's material existence, united and bound by the Athem [OE-Divine
Spark of Life]. They are the vessels of expression, the Lyke and the Hyde. The
Lyke is a physical vessel of being, it is the means of physical manifestation
and the sum of the material attributes of a man. The Hyde is the spiritual
vessel, it connects and coordinates the spiritual essences of being, and acts as
their means to action in the physical world.
The inner
layer of the Tree reflects the cognitive aspects of man. A persons Mod
[ON-Nature] is the deepest expression of the self, and the uniting element of
the mind. It is the very nature of a being's life-will. It is ambition,
emotion, and connects to the Wod to motivate. The Hugh is the
personal consciousness, and also embodies the rational mind and objective reason
of a man. Although it may describe the total consciousness, it is contrasted to
highlight its domain. The Myne is the unconscious mind and the well of
memory, connected directly to the collective unconscious and thus, ancestral
memories as well. It is the seat of intuition and deep wisdom.
At the
roots of the personal Tree, are the detached elements of existence. While they
are attached to a person during his life, they are not his own belonging to his
Clan line, to which they return their when they are released by his death (just
as he is a part of a greater existence) The Hamingja is the luck and
proclivity towards success (or failure). The Fetch is the guardian
animus, symbol of the inner self's mentor. The Aldr is the path along
the Web of Wyrd laid out for one's personal existence, within the context of
it's relation to the entire scheme of Wyrd. It binds the three roots together
and gives course to the greater being, the whole Self.
Death,
alternately described as sailing (active) and being devoured (passive) is a
complicated transition. The soul complex separates from the body, and begins to
break down. This occurs over nine months, immediately following death.
(Remember it is nine days after birth that the soul fuses with the body.) When
break down has occurred, there are many places that consciousness can go. Each
deity appears to have Halls prepared for followers after death, as does Hel.
Folkvang and Valhalla being the two most famous God-Halls. Those for whom death
is a "sailing on" appear to enjoy the bliss of union with their patron deity.
79 This common theme is
the source of the elaborate ship burial of Royals. The Sutton Hoo and Osberg
finds represent the shared elements of Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian burial
customs. The nobility, as descendants of Odin, are expected to be fully in
control of their place in Wyrd, and thus able to sail on. These ship burials
reflect the level of significance placed on this metaphor. Longships were a
valuable commodity, not to be wasted. Clearly this burial rite was viewed as
important enough to decommission such a vessel.
The
Devoured, a reference to the Wolf, are those who meet fate on a less than
upright level. 80 For
criminals, oath breakers, and others, Hel's Nastrond Hall is the abode of gloom
and punishment. But the other Halls in Hell are not so terrible. In fact, for
many it is simply a place of waiting to become again. Baldur and Nanna,
according to the Eddas, are well treated in Helheim, and they want for nothing;
except the freedom to return to Asgard.
Wights and Others
Additionally, Alfs, Disir, Valkyrie, Land Vaettir, and other Wights inhabit the
"spiritual" and material Worlds. They make up the "mythology" left us in Fairy
Tales and legend, yet are a vibrant and living part of reconstruction, and
understanding the Universe.
The Alfs,
are ancestral spirits, akin to ghosts. They are generally beneficial to
mankind, especially to their clan. They usually reside in their burial mounds,
funerary barrows, or some nearby natural landmarks. Frey presides over them as
a God of Inhumation, and is called the Lord of the Alfs. The Light Alfs are
released spirits, free willed, and essentially human in nature. Usually they
take on (or are born from) male traits, and are thus the forefathers one "gives
honor" to.
The
Svart-Alfs are not "free", in the that they are not transcendent beings, and
were never human. They only exist as "dwarves", and do not have a soul complex
that allows them to exist after death. A dead dwarf brakes down into his
elemental nature, and is wholly destroyed. It is said that the Alfather must
make a new one to replace each departed one. While alive their sole mission is
to create, for woe or weal. They forge the weapons and adornments of the Gods.
In the beginning, the Edda states Odin created them from Maggots, and that they
hold up the four corners of creation (Midgard). This reinforces their elemental
nature, and makes them beings of Order, yet it is order without consequence of
good or evil.
Like the
Alfs, the Disir and Idise were ancestral spirits, but feminine in nature. They
were attuned to the roles of Wyrd and were concerned with family orlog. The
Disir often mediated on behalf of their living kin to the Norns, and some folk
actually confused them with the Norns, calling them personal Nornir. They
understand and respond to the patterns of Wyrd, and can help write around some
of the Web's twists, but they always seek to maintain the harmony of Wyrd. A
special group of Disir serve Freya carrying half the fallen heroes to Folkvang,
another group, called Valkyrie serve Odin in the same manner, carrying them off
to Valhalla where they become the Einherjar, the chosen warriors. Here they
manifest the greatest function of a guardian, to ward the spirit through the
passage into death.
The Land
Vaettir were the sum total of the life force of an area. They embodied the
strength or weakness of a tribe of people. The Vikings erected the Dragon heads
on the bow of a longship to frighten enemy Land Vaettir, in turn they removed
them when approaching home ports so as no to offend their friendly ones. The
spiritual health of a politically united people gained consciousness in a Vaett,
though certain areas had indigenous Vaetts that existed without a populace.
These wights also inhabited ponds, rivers, streams, and other natural
"topographies" They are related to the Huldufolk [Hidden People], who are
cunning and deceptive, but possess powerful magicks. They tend to be evil, but
many befriend men anyway.
Another
group of Northern denizens were the Woeful Wights, the Utangards (the Out
dwellers). There are many such wights, some spiritual some physical, and some
beyond the two. They haunted the hills and forests, stalked travelers on the
roads, and preyed upon the good folk in dark times. These creatures usually fit
into one of three categories: Shape Shifters (polymorphic), Undead (reanimated),
and Trolls (paranormal). However, due to the ill nature, and power of the
darkness recognized by the Northern Tradition, it can be posited that these
generalities may not always apply.
The Shape
shifters were not all evil doers. In fact, some were definitely good. Many
Spae workers (Vanic Magicians) were able to alter their physical form,
frequently becoming cats or birds through utilegija (lying out). Odin's
Berserkers shape changed into bears, and fought with Wod inspiration and ecstasy
in a battle frenzy. But, like Loki (who shape changed into many things), there
is a blurring of animalistic and darker human instincts that seem to emerge in
those that polymorph.
The
Ulfhurgerer, the wolf equivalent to the berserkergang, never had mastery over
himself, and as a result became a menace to his own as well as the enemy.
Herein begins the Werewolf legend. It seems that as time progressed, the man
became lost in the wolf persona, until all that was left was the instinctive
(primal) consciousness. It is likely that they became outlaws, and eventually
slipped out of humanity altogether. This would explain how the werewolf became
such an archetypal image of evil, for it was man in his darkest corner, removed
from his light nature. This is an excellent reason for the werewolf's aversion
to the sun, and the full moon, as the symbol of natural rhythm, became the
catalyst for the transition. These are nonetheless physical beings. They
posses Lyke (albeit altered) and Hyde (although deranged). The reason they may
fear silver is its "pure" nature, "wolfs bane" was likely an original component
of their spellwork, and thus brings them into cognition of their humanity.
The
Undead in the Northern world are unpleasantly nasty, and given to all too
physical a form. The Draugar, are the walking dead. Not all were evil, as with
the shape-shifters, some brought important news to the clan (a death, an
approaching disaster, or even the need for vengeance). But the fear that they
inspired caused the folk at large to shrink from them. Many funerary practices
were aimed at preventing these creatures from arising. The dead was never taken
out a regular threshold, for that gave them invite to return to the house by the
same means. A very important note, conscious evil may not enter a Tru-Stead
(home) unless invited by a member of that household. Often trickery (deception,
illusion, u.s.w.) or manipulation is used by an evil Wight, in an attempt to
gain entry. (Even those Good-Wights often need formal invite to enter a home!)
The funeral door of a house was boarded up after the body was taken out, thus
sealing out the evil. Shoes were often tied together to prevent inhumed corpses
from walking in death, and cremation prevented the physical Draugar (the more
dangerous) from reanimating.
The dead
are often endowed with extraordinary strength, though their Lyke is
degenerating, it is raw Might. But they seem to have only parts of the spirit
left, and seldom have consciousness or life-memories. They have lost their
fetch, and in a sense, connectivity to Wyrd, and they have not the inspiration
of Wod, yet the Athem lives on; they are operating outside of natural law,
defying it. It is just this aberration that makes them so "scary" to the mind
of man. If death is a place of rest, then the Undead disrupt the very nature of
our secure conviction of our passing.
Sometimes
the Draugar remember their deaths, and it drives them into after-life
existence. Sometimes they live on due to enchantments, or because of a
particularly evil earthly life. In any case, they are horrible creatures to
encounter. A few are self made Liches; so powerful a Vitki may endow himself
and retain a degree of consciousness, but sanity turns to an evil cunning,
vicious and malign. They may be put to rest by powerful magick, or the
correction (vengeance) of the problem that makes them walk. They are usually
immune to normal weapons (though silver and iron are known to hurt them), but
have an aversion to things "holy" (not in the Christian sense).
Another
rare Undead is the Vampyre. Not to be confused with the legendary Vlad Dracul,
this entity feeds on the life-force (symbolically blood, semen, and spittle) of
men and (in dire circumstances) higher mammals. They may or may not have "died"
in the traditional sense to achieve this condition, but the Undead ones are
often the more evil and dangerous. Like other Outdwellers, they avoid light and
holy things, magick does seem to be effective. They seem to be hypnotic, and
can appear as beautiful, and seductive (a purely sexual vampirism is possible,
though, it would seem to be a "psychic" form of vampirism... the true vampire
would likely use those techniques as a means to their ends). It is thought
they can shape change as well, and have extraordinary strength. They are
fortunately few and far between. Folklore favors garlic and wooden stakes,
though iron spikes, silver daggers, and decapitation may be terminal to
vampires.
The last
category is the Troll. While we have spoken of them in their relation to
Giants, they are often something more than force. When they develop a
degree of attachment to an natural feature (hill, bridge, waterfall, u.s.w.)
they begin to interact with the natural world in a more tangible and structured
manner. They can appear as large or small monsters, or take
possession of men. They frequently carry off people for mates, and the
children are half trolls, usually evil in bent, but possessors of powerful
magick.
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Last modified:
03/14/04
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