anders sandberg - asatru the nordic subtradition of the verbena cd9 id1061308219 size156

8/16/2019 Anders Sandberg - Asatru the Nordic Subtradition of the Verbena Cd9 Id1061308219 Size156

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Asatru - The Nordic subtradition of the

Verbena

By Anders Sandberg

The Speech of the High One:

I know I hung on that windswept tree,

Swung there for nine long nights,Wounded with my own blade,

Bloodied for Odinn,

Myself and offering to myself, Bound to the tree

That no man knows

Wither the roots of it run.

None gae me bread,

None gae me drink,

!own to deepest depths I peered "ntil I spied the #unes.

With a roaring $ry I sei%ed them up,

Then di%%y and fainting, I fell.

Well&being I won

'nd wisdom too. I grew and took (oy in my growth)

*rom a word to a word

I was led to a word, *rom a deed to another deed.

From the Poetic Edda

History of the AsatruThe Verbena have always been regional, and differ much from area to area. InScandinavia, the Verbena have been the protectors of the old religion and the old ways

against the tide of hristianity and the Technocracy. !ctually, the Verbena was behind the

"ld Faith of !satru which ruled before hristianity. !satru means the #belief in the

!esir#, the old pagan gods.


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$uring the pre%hristian times they were the priests and counselled the leaders about the

will of the gods. Their magic& was devoted to practical things li&e helping the crops,

fishing and hunting, protecting the people from wild animals and worse, controlling theweather and protecting the universe from the forces which sought to bring about

'agnaro&, the destruction of the world.

$uring this time magic& was more common than today, and most people &new a few

minor magics. These were often of a simple protective nature and used to protect againstspirits, the faeries, the dead, in(uries, accidents and bad luc&. These magics consisted

often in inscribing a special rune )The runic alphabet was regarded as magical, and to be

able to inscribe runes was regarded as a &ind of magic*, or singing the galders, songssung in a high%pitched voice. These rotes were passed down through generations, or given

to people by the priests or sibyls. !ll in all, minor magic seems to have been +uite

common, a bit li&e how most people today &now a few tric&s with technology.

ear -/ !$ a mon& named !nsgar arrived in Sweden. 0e was sent out by emperor

1udwig to convert the Vi&ings of Sweden to hristianity )perhaps to lessen their raidsand ma&e them easier to trade with*. The attempt failed, but soon other missionaries

arrived. The elestial horus were probably among them, and a struggle ensued betweenthe pagans and the horisters. The struggle continued for several centuries, but

hristianity slowly became the religion of the &ings and leaders and later the rest of the

inhabitants. 2oth groups adapted to each other, and it seems as the !satru wentunderground and continued its activities with support from the people, while the

horisters left them and their beliefs more or less alone as long as they weren3t visible.

Then came the Technocracy, which defeated the elestial horus. !satru remained

hidden.

Asatru Today

Today the !satru has survived in remote corners of Scandinavia. $uring its long

persecution by the hurch and Technocracy its members have become adept at hiding,

often in plain sight. 4uch of the old faith has survived as old superstition and localcustoms, and the secret priests have carefully protected the faithful. 4ost of the believers

live in rural or wilderness areas far from civilisation. They live in small settlements in the

forests of Sweden, in small fishing villages in 5orway or in the remote corners of Iceland)their current stronghold*. Some of them emigrated to !merica during the 6-77s and built

their own small communities there, far from civilisation. They often &eep to themselves,

and avoid outsiders. The belief often goes in the family, tying the tradition together with

bands of blood.

8hile their enemies control the political world and society at large, the believers in

!satru wor& on the local scale, with practical methods. They promote their own and

similar beliefs, often spreading the old superstitions to undermine the new faith. Theyhave succeeded very well with spreading respect and affinity to nature among the masses

in Scandinavia. They infiltrate agricultural organisations and influence their wor&, often

using them as tools to stri&e at the pro(ects of the city%dwellers. They promote a healthy


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9enophobia to protect their old customs from the influence foreigners and city%dwellers.

In fact, many of them are supporting local low%level nationalism and racism to encourage

the sleepers to become more tied to their roots and to mistrust anything else.

Their relations to environmental organisations are a bit ambivalent. "n one hand they

support them, since the protection of nature is one of their own most important tenets, buton the other hand they regard the environmentalists as do%gooders from the city who

doesn3t &now anything about the real problems and only care about cute seals or flowers,not the uglier aspects of nature. In fact, many of the believers wor& against the

environmentalists, see&ing to protect their land and way of living against environmental

laws or restoration programs which they regard as yet another way for the masters to tryto wipe them out.

'ecently some 5ew !gers have begun to worship the old gods and form different groups

more or less based on !satru. The real mages view this with scorn, and generally disli&e

them. The 5ew !gers have (ust borrowed much of the names and myths, and then turned

them into yet another fu::y and nice mythology. The real !satru believers scornfullyremar& that most of them don3t even sacrifice blood on the blots. 0owever, some of the

real believers have begun using these groups as places to recruit people and a way to gaina foothold into the cities. Since most of the 5ew !gers are so easily manipulated, they

provide +uite useful pawns. The same is true about neo%na:is, which the believers subvert

by their magic& and their grasp of ancient myth. They can be used in a similar manner,and are a very good method of harassing their enemies or diverting the attention of media

and government from their own activities.

The Faith

!satru revolves about the worship of the old gods, the !esir. They represent the forceswhich have formed the universe, and still uphold it. 2y worshipping them the believers

help upholding the universe against chaos and destruction, and may also gain help from

them. ;nli&e modern monotheistic religions, does not demand that the believers should

serve the gods. Instead the gods will help those who as& them for help in e9change forfollowing their ideals and respecting them. This doesn3t have to be much, a salutation or a

small sacrifice of some food and drin& is often enough to ma&e the gods friendly. !nyone

can perform the small acts of devotion to get the help of the gods.

0owever, the mages are more advanced than this. They are the priests of the cult, and

arrange the larger celebrations, the 2lot. 2lot are by tradition held at the Sabbaths,

especially at the four e+uino9es. The blot are mostly held in remote places, where theworshippers can meet without suspicion. In Sweden the cult%places are often glens withone or more oa&s around it, on Iceland old stone%circles are used. The blot generally

involve the ritual sacrifice of animals whose blood are used to ensure fertility, harmony

and the old ways. The priests collect the blood in the hlautbowl, consecrate it to the godsand sprin&le it using evergreen twigs at the trees, on the idols of the gods and on the

participants. !fterwards the blot turn into a feast where the meat from the sacrifices is

eaten.

ftp://io.com/pub/usr/mimir/asatru/blot_ritualftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrificeftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrificeftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrificeftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrificeftp://io.com/pub/usr/mimir/asatru/blot_ritualftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrificeftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Sundry/animal_sacrifice


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The tree is a sacred symbol to the, symbolising the 8orld Tree ggdrasil. ggdrasil is a

great ash, which grows through the worlds of the dead )0el*, the living )4idgard* and the

gods )!sgard* and upholds creation. It must be protected from the forces which see& to&ill it, because if it dies the world will be destroyed. That3s why the priests carefully water

it with the blood of the blot, and see& to heal any damage to it they are able to heal.

The gods are not representations of abstract forces, but powerful beings which happen to

be good at different things. They are not the ultimate lords of the universe, merely thecreators of it and the currently most powerful beings. They might be powerful, but they

have a human side and can become angry, drun&, fall in love or otherwise behave li&e

normal humans, (ust on a higher level. The most important gods are<

Odin is the oldest and most powerful god. Together with his brothers Vile and Ve he

&illed the giant mir and shaped the universe out of the dead body. 0e is the god of

wisdom, magic&, war, death and leadership, riding on his eightlegged horse Sleipnir to

oversee battles together with the val&yrias. If he throws his spear =ugner over somebody,

that person will die in the fight. "din has two ravens, 0ugin and 4unin, who spy oneverything that happens and whisper it into his ears. 0e is also one%eyed, since he gave

his right eye in deposit in the 8ell of 8isdom.

The sacred animals of "din is the horse and raven, and he is also the god of the hangedones )because he voluntarily hanged himself on ggdrasil as a sacrifice to himself to gain

the secret &nowledge of the runes*. !t blots in his honour in the autumn the priests hang

horses and people in the trees as sacrifices. They are left hanging so the ravens can gorgethemselves on the carcasses.

The god of thunder, Thor, is rather well &nown. The red bearded god races across the

heaven in his chariot drawn by goats, throwing his hammer 4(olnir at the trolls andgiants, protecting man&ind and gods from the forces of evil. 0e is the god of strength,fighting provess and the forces of nature, especially lightening, but also farming and

marriage. The sign of his hammer scare away the trolls and elves, and give protection

from lightening.

Frey and his sister Freya, are the gods of fertility, growth and love. 2oth are e9tensivelyworshipped to ensure the harvests, good weather, health and virility. 2oth are described

as blond and fair, and Frey is often depicted as a sitting figure with a drin&ing horn and

large phallus. The sacred animal of Frey is the boar and of Freya the cat. They are themost often invo&ed gods at the blot, and while "din and Thor are generally mentioned

first, Frey and Freya are the ones that most worshippers really love. The 2lot of Spring is

celebrated in honour of Frey, so that he will bless the crops and livestoc& and ma&e theweather good during Spring and Summer. 0orses and boars are sacrificed in his honour,

and usually the worshippers select a young, blond man who will represent Frey during

the celebrations. The god is then carried around with great adoration, and he blesses thefields and worshippers. The 2lot of 4idsummer is celebrated to Freya, so that she will

ma&e the men virile and the women fertile. The participants sing bawdy songs and

engage in ritual se9.


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Balder is the god of light and peace. 0e is said to be the most beautiful and shining of the

!esir, and both wise, elo+uent and helpful, although a bit impractical. 0is sacred plant is

the mistletoe, because he was &illed by an mistletoe arrow fired by his blind brother0>der )who was fooled to fire by the treacherous 1o&i*. It is to his honour the 2lot of

4idwinter is celebrated, so that the light will return to the world.

There are many other gods revered by the worshippers. 0eimdallr is the perceptive

sentinel of the gods, standing watch at the rainbow for any intruders into !sgard. S&adi isthe wild goddess of hunting, roaming the mountains in the winter with her bow and her

wolves. 0er husband 5(ord is the god of the sea, fishing and travel. 1o&i is the god of

fire, deceit, wits and theft who causes and solve problems. Idun is the goddess of healthand longevity, and her husband 2rage is the god of poetry. Frigg, the wife of "din, is the

goddess of home and motherhood. Tyr is the god of war and bravery. 0el is the dar&

goddess of death. !nd so on, there are many lesser deities revered in special situations.

Philosophy

#"nce upon a time there was only the great void of =inungagap. 8hen the ice from

5ifelheim )the world of ice and mist* and the fire from 4uspelheim )the world of fire and

heat* met in the void, they created the immense giant mir. The three brothers "din, Vileand Ve, the grandsons of 2ure, &illed him, and formed the world out of his body. 0is

blood became the seas, his bones became the mountains, his flesh became the earth and

his s&ull became the s&y.

0owever, 2ergelmer, one of the sons of mir, survived the cataclysm of his fathers death.0e swore revenge against the gods, and his descendants, the giants, still see& the undoing

of the gods and to destroy the world. They are helped by the giants from 4uspelheim and

5ifelheim, the traitorous 1o&i and his three children 0el, the Fenris wolf and the 4idgardserpent. "ne day 'agnaro& will come, when the world and most of the gods will die.

2efore it there will be the great Fimbulda%winter, three winters in a row without any

summer between. 8ar and violence will spread across the world, and the three roosters

will signal the final day to the gods, the giants and the dead. !ll bonds brea&, the deadinvade the world, the gods and giants &ill each other in battle, the sun dar&ens and the

8orld Tree ggdrasil catches fire and falls, ta&ing the world with it. 2ut from the

wrec&age a new world will emerge, with clear waters and lush vegetation. The fields will bear crops without any planting and 2alder will rule with peace and light.

That is why we must protect the world as long as it stands. 8e must fight the forces that

see& to bring it down, be they supernatural or mundane. 8e must &eep ggdrasil healthyand strong, heal its wounds and fight its enemies. 8e must &eep the giants and the dar&forces at bay. 8e must protect the old traditions of the blot and the runes, so that the

people will not forget the gods entirely and the gods will not forget us. 8e must

strengthen the people so they will fight bravely against the forces of death anddestruction, or the giants will surely win.#


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Organisation

The believers congregate around sacred sites and are led by their priests. These priests are

generally e+ual, although the oldest and most respected of them lead the others. $ifferentgroups have little contact, but sometimes priests contact neighbouring groups to discuss

mutual problems.

eetings

4ainly at the e+uino9es, especially 4idwinter, Spring and 4idsummer. !lso someceremonies at the other Sabbaths and at special occasions )often (ust to celebrate and

than& the gods for success, or to as& them for help*. 2eside the blot, many worshippers

hold small #prayer meetings# where the participants toast the gods, sing the ancient songsand sacrifice some food.

!nitiation

The initiates are mostly chosen among the faithful. "ne common way to awa&en the

initiate is to ceremonially hang them in a sacred oa&, and let them hang there. Thedelirious initiate will undergo the same visions that "din saw when he hung himself, and

will thus become awa&ened, or the initiate will die and become a sacrifice to "din.

"hantry

!satru has no true chantries. There have been no real chantries in Sweden since the

burning of the temple of ;ppsala around year 6677, and probably no others in the rest ofScandinavia. Instead the believers often form small isolated communities, where they can

practice their religion in peace. The acolytes most often come from these communities.

Acolytes

Farmers, survivalists, neo%na:is, fishermen and hunters.

Sphere

1ife. The priests especially devoted to "din generally learn about 4ind and Prime, whilethe priests of Thor learn Forces and 4atter. Female priests tend to concentrate on the preparation of potions, mead and the singing of galders, while male priests learn the art of

the runes. The v>lvas are the only mages who deal mainly in Spirit and Time )see below*.

Foci

Blood: #ife$ Pri%e

ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Customs/make_mead.gzftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Customs/make_mead.gz


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This is the most important focus. The blood of the sacrifices is especially powerful, and

the sacrifices from the blot is the best. 0uman blood is naturally powerful, and the blood

of voluntarily sacrificed believer have ama:ing power. The bloodline is important, androyal blood is of course the most powerful )in the old days the priests used to sacrifice the

&ing to stave off famine if it loo&ed really bad*. In using the blood, it is important for the

mage to give at least some to the gods to show respect, otherwise they might becomeangered. 0owever, in 1ife magic& other bodily fluids can be used, especially in magic&

regarding to the giver.

Bo&l: 'ntropy$ Spirit

This is &nown as a hlautbowl, where the blood or drin& is first poured and consecrated by

the priest. It is often a wooden or silver bowl with intricate ornaments. 0lautbowls areoften inherited through generations in families of believers, and regarded as sacred.

Herbs: atter

This wor&s as normal for Verbena, but substances from the animal or mineral &ingdomsare sometimes used. Some specially important substances are oa& leaves, mistletoe, salt,

yeast, earth, iron, sna&e venom, ice and poisonous mushrooms.

Ha%%er: "orrespondence$ Forces$ Ti%e

This is the hammer of Thor, 4(ollnir. 4ost often it is a small stylised hammer worn

around the nec&. urrently this is rather popular fashion in Scandinavia, so it is easy tohide. In earlier times the mages sometime used crosses to hide their true faith.

"irclet: ind

This circlet imitates to the 2rosingamene, the silver nec&lace worn by Freya. !ccordingto one myth, she has to let 1o&i wear it half of the year after he stole it and tric&ed her

into his debt. $uring this time nature vanes and dar&ness reign, but in the spring she will

wear it again and become happy, thus ensuring spring and summer. It thus represent both

the allurement of Freya and the cunning of 1o&i, a fitting symbol for 4ind.

"oncepts

'ecluse, local politician, eccentric, sect leader

(uote

#8hat are you doing to protect the 8orld Tree, ggdrasil? $on3t you see how the dragon 5idh>gg gnaws at its roots, how the frost giants of 5ifelheim and the fire giants of

4uspelheim (ust await the right moment to bring about 'agnar>&? ou might thin& that

are (ust old myths, but we &now they are real, far too real...#

ftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Stories/brosin_mythftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Stories/brosin_mythftp://ftp.lysator.liu.se/pub/religion/neopagan/Asatru/Stories/brosin_myth


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Stereotypes

A)ashic Brothers

#They might be good warriors, but spending all day thin&ing is not good for anyman.#

They la$k fo$us, and $elebrate body oer mind. They will neer learn anything. "elestial "horus

#Their god of light and caring is a worse tyrant than any mortal &ing@ They

mercilessly crush anything in their path (ust to ma&e sure nobody dare to disagree

with them@ They burnt our temples, bribed the leaders and defaced the runes@They deserve all misfortunes they have suffered, and more.#

+agans whose blood rites were (ustly stopped.

"ult of 'cstasy

They celebrate the (oy of living li&e we do, but without any respect.Wild, powerful and s$ary. Those people are dangerous, and more than a little

insane. ou would probably be a bit insane too if your faith had been prose$uted

for a thousand years, I guess. *rea%spea)ers

1i&e us they respect nature, but they don3t control it. They believe that Erda will

help them and give them orders, unli&e us, who &nows that we must fend forourselves. The gods help those who help themselves.

They are arrogant and foolish, and yet important. They are one of the last links

beside us to the old days, and we must a$$ept that.

'uthanatos 5oble in their own way, but easily misled. They see& out those fylgia has reached

them, and do what needs to be done. 8e have done the same ourselves through

generations without having to build elaborate theories about it.

They hae understood that death is (ust a beginning, and most of them don-t fearit. While their $eremonies and myths may be good or bad, their mindset is ery

balan$ed. Many of them hae the fatalism of true warriors.

Order of Her%es

Typical city dwellers. They spend all their time in their houses loo&ing in boo&s,

instead of loo&ing at the reality that surrounds them.

They hae some primitie understanding of the importan$e of the balan$e of the for$es of nature, but are trapped in primitie beliefs and their religion. They must

learn that the world around them is (ust a small $og in the great wheel.

Sons of 'ther ;seless gadgeteers. They could learn much from the dwarves.

#unning around sprinkling blood and drinking mead No thanks/ Virtual Adepts

8hat3s the point? They have lost contact completely with the ground and are

living in their nice castles of air. 8hat will they do when the storm comes?

e$h/ 0ike all those nature&freaks, $ompletely nuts.

Technocracy


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They are our enemies, and must be crushed in the long run before they bring

about 'agnaro& in their own way. 0owever, while they control the cities we are

ta&ing over what really matters, the countryside. ' small residue of the old religion. Some folkloristi$ interest, nothing more.

arauders

The followers of 1o&i. 1i&e their master they will one day show their trueallegiance and turn to the forces of destruction completely.

Stuffy and pretentious, but they want to return to the old age like I do. Too bad

they won-t help.

Nephandi

These are the servants of the giants. They see& to help their masters to undermine

the 8orld Tree, wea&en the people and betray the gods. These are our true

enemies, and on the day of 'agnaro& we will destroy them.Silly, inbred peasant&mages who think they know eerything. They are dying, and

slowly $orrupting themseles without een our help.

The +ndead

8e have &nown for a long time of the e9istence of undead beings, ghosts, wraiths,vampires, wights and whatever. These beings should be sent bac& to 0el where

they belong to protect the living from their evil. !angerous, ery dangerous/ These mages might not know mu$h about our so$iety

or our true nature, but they make it up with their $unning, their sheer

stubbornness, their willpower and their magi$k. They are not afraid of death, and

they know many se$rets of the Blood and of the Spirits whi$h they use against us.

The ,ere&oles

The children of Fenris are our enemies. These grandchildren of 1o&i attac& our

villages, &ill the livestoc& and destroy our sacred places. They must be hunteddown and destroyed for the preservation of the Tree@

These Wyrm&spawned breeders are a blight upon the land and must be $leansed

away/ They deal with dark for$es and prote$t the humans against our righteouswrath/ By Thor, we will not rest until eery one of these a$$used mages are left

dead/

The fey These beings are too diverse to be (udged. Some, li&e the dwarves, can be our

grudging allies while the trolls and giants are our enemies. 2ut every one of them

is an individual, and most of them are capricious. 2e careful in dealing with them,

and remember that they flee the iron of 4(ollnir. *unny figures... hae dan$ed in their sa$red spots a rather long time now. We

would really like to play more with them, but they hae so mu$h $old iron around

them all the time...

.otes

Heritage of the Blood /Ti%e 0 #ife 12

In ancient time, the god 0eimdallr travelled the land, and sired the thralls, the bards, the

farmers and the (arls )the leaders*. The trace of the god is still upon the people, and a


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priest &nowledgeable in the ways of the blood can still see it. 2y feeling the force in the

blood, the mage can follow the lineage bac& through time to its source, and see which

group someone really belongs to. This is also used to trace the lineages, and find thosespecial bloodlines which contain the life of the people.

Bre& Veno% /#ife 0 Pri%e 0 'ntropy 12

8hile the Vi&ings regarded poison as foul, some of the modern mages use it in the

defence of their homes and traditions. 2y boiling together a foul mi9ture of blood, salt,

yeast, earth, iron, ice and some drops of sna&e venom under invocations of the powers ofdeath, they create a potent and untraceable poison. The poison can be applied in food or

drin&, placed on weapons or even on surfaces. The poison will see& out the wea&est point

of the victim and ma&e him very sic& or &ill him.

A The poison wor&s as an infection or other disease, completely coincidental. Typicaleffects can be heart attac&s, allergic reactions or food poisoning. It will find the wea&est

point in the body of the victim using an effect li&e $im 4a& and then stri&e. It does threetimes the number of successes damage levels. B

agic ead /atter 0 Pri%e 0 ind 02

2y adding special herbs and some blood to mead and then brewing it together, the

priestess can create a mead which will infuse the drin&er with the emotions of the herchoice. This is used to create the mead drun& during the blot, or a subtle way of

influencing people.

ead of blood /#ife 3 Pri%e 02

This rote may have started as a &ind of travesty of the atholic 4ass. 2y pouring mead

into the bowl and adding a few drops of blood, the priest can turn it into blood. 0owever,it doesn3t have to loo& li&e blood or taste li&e it, the priest can ma&e it appear to be

normal mead. !fterwards, the mead can be used instead of blood as a foci, be imbibed as

a source of strength or even used as sustenance for vampires )although practically no

modern &indred &now about this. "nly the oldest Scandinavian 4ethuselahs have tastedsuch mead*.

4alders

=alders are magic&al songs sung in a peculiar high pitched voice, with simple and practical effects. These were the most common type of personal magic& during the old

days, and were completely coincidental. 0owever, as reality became more rigid, they

became harder to sing with effect, and today only the priests can use them. They havesome peculiar advantages and disadvantagesC on one hand they do not re+uire any foci

e9cept the song itself. 0owever, the only galders which wor& today are those which have

been sung since the old days, and it is impossible to create new galders with power. Itseems as if they have become loc&ed into static reality and cannot change anymore.


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5aturally, the mages have spent much time preserving and researching the old songs, but

unfortunately only a few are &nown. 0ere are some typical e9amples<

'ttergalder /atter 12 This galder was used by the legendary Egil S&allagrimson whenhe suspected that his drin& was poisoned. 0e sung it to the mug, and it shattered, showing

that the contents were poisoned.

Frostegalder /#ife 12 This galder protects from cold and free:ing. The mage sings the

galder to his flesh and limbs, ma&ing them liven up and get warm again.

.unegalder /Pri%e 12 This galder ma&es the runes in the vicinity of the singer to shinewith their light, ma&ing them easy to read. 2y the intensity of the light the mage can se

how powerfully they were inscribed.

4astegalder /Spirit 02 This galder protects from ghosts and other deni:ens of the night.

2y singing it the mage can scare away most of the lesser unbeings.

Bragdegalder /ind 02 This is a rousing galder which inspires fren:y and bravery

among those who hear it.

4il5egalder /ind 02 This galder evo&es loving feelings from a person of the opposite

se9.

#6segalder /atter 32 This is a galder which helps mages who have been imprisoned.The mage sings the galder to the bonds, which will release him.

.unes /Pri%e 32

The art of carving runes is one of the best &ept secret of !satru. Even "din had to paydearly for the secret. "nce anybody who &new how could carve the magical runes, but

today they re+uire +uite powerful magic& to create. The physical shape of a rune is no

problem, but creating the secret pattern inside which gives it power is hard today after the

activities of the hurch and the Technocracy. Each rune has to be consecrated with a dropof blood by the carver while he whispers its secret name and concentrates, and the

inscription must be charged by tass. 0owever, when finished, the te9t of runes will wor&

as a &ind of talisman, retaining its powers as long as it is charged. If they are recharged or placed on a place where they can recharge from the environment they will last nearly

forever. )li&e on the runestones, which are often placed on ley%lines or nodes. 4any retain

their power even today*

Vigrunor /'ntropy 1 ind 0 Pri%e 32

These are runes which are inscribed on a weapon under invocations to Tyr, and will givethe wielder success in battle. 0e will be able to see the wea&nesses of his enemies,

become brave and fearsome to his foes.


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A The Entropy effect will ma&e the user notice the wea&nesses of his foe, while the two

4ind effects will ma&e him brave and fearless while his foes will become nervous. B

Br7nningsrunor /'ntropy 0 Pri%e 32

These runes protect ships at sea from accidents and wrec&age. They are inscribed on the bow and on the helm.

A The runes will protect from all random accidents and give the helmsman a subconscious

ability to find the best course through storms and reefs. Each success will add to his

s&ill. B

#e%runor /#ife 8 Pri%e 32

These runes are the most potent way of healing somebody there are today in !satru. "nce

this type of healing was +uite simple, but it has turned hard. The priest writes the runes on

the bar& of a tree, usually with the blood of the patient. This creates a potent healing forcethat will see& to heal the patient continuously, thus overcoming and hindering even the

most serious diseases as long as the runes are inscribed on the tree. 0owever, the runes

can also be used to curse, causing wounds or sic&ness in the same way as they can heal.2y adding or deleting a rune, the inscription can be turned around, which ma&es it

important to &eep them secret from enemies.

A The runes will see& to heal any wounds and sic&ness of the person they mention. Each

time he is hurt or become sic&, the runes will get a chance to heal him. If they cannot healhim completely, they will at least prevent any worsening of the condition.B

Protection .unes /Varies$ Pri%e 32

These runes are inscribed on the runestones mar&ing and protecting the old nodes and

ley%lines. ;sually they consist of nasty and powerful curses )generally the most powerful

the present priests can invo&e*. If the runes are destroyed, the flow of power through thestone is disrupted or somebody moves it, the curse will activate. This has given the

Technocracy in Sweden a lot of problems in the past when they have wanted to move the

ley%lines. urrently they simply let the stones stand )and actually protects them, to avoidhaving any spurious magic& getting loose* and lead new ley%lines around them.

'dsrunor /Varies$ Pri%e 32

These runes are used to seal oaths, deals and curses. 8hen finished, they force the partsto obey to the te9t. If any part brea&s it, he will suffer the effects described. These are

usually the worst possible curses the priest can do, and it is not uncommon to add curses

beyond the ability of the mage (ust for effect. In the case of pure curses, the victim isforced to obey the caster or suffer the full curse. These te9ts are usually inscribed on

stone or wooden boards, and then often placed in sacred places for safe&eeping. The only


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way to remove a curse is to find the runes and erase them, but some really cunning mages

write them on pine%needles and scatter them in the forest.

Seid /Spirit$ Ti%e2

The magic& of the !satru does not deal much with the world of spirits or advanced formsof divination. That was the realm of seid, a &ind of magic& not done by the normal priests

and mages. It was originally a type of magic& of the 1app shamen of northern

Scandinavia, and it was regarded with suspicion and fear. Today it is more accepted, butstill it remains a slightly separate tradition. 0owever, some elements has been

incorporated into modern and is used by specialised priestesses, &nown as v>lvas. They

are respected, but a bit apart from the priesthood of the !esir. They are recognised bytheir magic&al rods )v>lva means literally female bearer of a rod*, which are their uni+ue

foci for Spirit and Time. Some v>lvas are even said to fly on their rods, or on wolves.

Their lin& to this rod is so strong, that they are said to protect it even after their owndeath.

Seid involves ecstatic trances, where the v>lva can communicate with the spirits and see

the future and past. These are achieved by her sitting on a special settee singing certain

ancient galders )or having acolytes sing them at her*. These galders are reputedly both beautiful and terrifying, but seems to send the v>lva into trance. 5ow she can go out into

the spirit world, summon the dead, see past and future or reveal the hidden secrets.

Talis%ans

!dols /Talis%an 12

Iron or wooden idols of the gods are placed around holy places or in shrines in the homesof believers. Some are enchanted and have special powers. They are often offered small

sacrifices in e9change for wor&ing, and some believers even than& them with blood if

they have done especially well. 4ost popular are idols of Frey, which promote fertility

and virility when &ept in the house and good crops when placed by the fields. Instead of ahumanoid idol a phallus is sometimes used. Idols of Thor protect against lightening,

faeries, ghosts and evil forces )sometimes (ust a stylised hammer is used*. Idols of "din

are rare and regarded as a bit spoo&y, and most are placed as guardians around sacred places )especially where oa&s grow*. They will somehow alert the worshippers that

somebody is coming. Idols of 0eimdallr are used similarly, but are often placed in the

home too. Idols of S&adi gives good hunting and Idols of 5(ord helps sailing and fishing.Idols of Frigg are placed by the beds of children to protect them and &eep them healthy.

Boler) /Talis%an 02

This is an old Vi&ing sword, with a dull and dar& finish which won3t go away regardlessof any attempts of polishing it. 8hen it is drawn from its scabbard it emits a hissing

noise, li&e a sna&e. Its name means #2ringer of painDevil#, which is also one of the titles


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of "din. !ccording to the myth, the sword was forged on the autumn solstice by a priest

of "din, who had turned to the dar& aspect of his god. It was later wielded by the

infamous Ing(ald Two%Tongue, and was reputedly buried with him. 2ut it has reappearedsince then, according to the legend wielded by the 8raith of the cruel Ing(ald. 2esides

being eternally sharp, regardless of how dull it loo&s it has the nasty effect of causing

e9cruciating pain from any wounds. There are also rumours that it actually see&s contactwith living flesh to cause more pain, and will cut through the s&in of anybody touching it

carelessly (ust to cause pain.

A ! 4atter 6 effect &eeps it eternally sharp. ! 1ifeD4ind effect doubles all wound

penalties made by the sword, and bruised is at %6. B

Spa&n of *raupnir /Talis%an 02

"ne of the most pri:ed possessions of "din was the ring $raupnir, which every ninthnight spawned eight similar rings. Some of these rings also had the power of

multiplication, and a few seems to have been accidentally given to humans )or stolen*.These rings loo& li&e a heavy Vi&ing ring of pure gold, artfully ornamented into threedragonsna&es braiding together and biting their tails. If left alone, it will spawn eight

similar rings every ninth night. It was originally made by the dwarves, and no dwarf can

resist any chance of getting the ring, by whatever means.

.od of the V6la /Talis%an 32

Some of the v>lvas enchanted their rods so that they could be used more easily. 2y

holding the rod and going into a trance )or being sleepy, drun& or something li&e that*,the wielder will get visions of the past, present and future. These visions are partially

random, partially controlled by what the user want to see )not only consciously, but alsosubconsciously*, and may be dangerously biased. Some rods are still strongly influenced

by their ma&ers, and will be biased towards their views. The lin& between the rod and theoriginal owner is often so strong, that it is possible to communicate with her soul in the

realm of death )note that most v>lvas have no grasp of modern languages*. 0ow she

reacts to the mage who disturbs her sleep depends much on how she is treated and whathe as&s her. Some v>lvas are happy to help in any way they can, while others tric& and

curse people see&ing help.

A The rod uses a orrespondence Time rote to show distant places and times for the

user, and a Spirit rote to contact the dead v>lva. B

ead of Poetry /Artefact2

The gods created a man called vaser as a part of a peace treaty after a civil war. vaserwas the wisest man who has ever lived, and was able to answer any +uestion. 0e

travelled around the world giving advice and helping people, but one day he was invited

as guest by two dwarves called F(alar and =alar, who &illed him. To the gods theye9plained that vaser had gagged on his own wisdom, since nobody could as& him


15/16

enough. The dwarves brewed the 4ead of Poetry out of his blood, which was able to turn

anyone into a great poet by drin&ing it. !fter many adventures the mead was finally

stolen by "din, who dran& most of it and gave some to his fellow gods and some humans.There may still be some mead left somewhere, and if anybody find it and drin& it they

will gain the gift of poetry.

Further .eading

See especially the 0elsdottir by 2en 2uc&ner. This document describes a strange andgrim being, very &nowledgeable in the old magic& )the sections about the 2lood 4ead,

rune magic& and seidhr are a must read@*.

!satru on the net

) ! small note< The old 5ordic names are not easy to transcribe, and fran&ly I lac& anylinguistic &nowledge in this area. I have used those names who fit my impression of old

Scandinavian best or have appeared in my sources. 5ot to mention the problems with thenational characters )which didn3t e9ist before the 6Gth century*. !nother thing toremember is that the myths are contradictory in many places, and I have made no attempt

to simplify things. *

2ac& to Tradition Page

!nders 4ain Page

'nders Sandberg 1 n23&asa4nada.kth.se

http://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/Mage/hel.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/Magick/trad_page.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/Magick/trad_page.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/mage_traditions.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/mage_traditions.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/main.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/main.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/Mage/hel.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/Magick/trad_page.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/mage_traditions.htmlhttp://hem.bredband.net/arenamontanus/main.html


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