Tales Of The Old Norse Gods And Heroes Formerly An Independent Asatru
Live With Odin's Wisdom, Freyja' s love, and Thor's protection !
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Jarl Eirik Hakonsson

1/30/2013

 
Picture
The Battle of Svolder
Very few from the Viking Age have had more of an impact on historical events than Eirik ( also Erik or Eric ) Haakonsson, the bastard son of Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson. And yet hardly anyone speaks or writes about him these days which is perplexing to a student of history like myself. It is not as though there are not enough sources that speak of his accomplishments and feats ! He is mentioned in Fagrskinna, Heimskringla, The Saga of the Jomsvikings, Grettis Saga, Knytlinga Saga, and the English Encomium Emmae. I will try to at least peak everyone's interest at least a little with this article about a wonderful warrior, and leader of the Norwegian peoples. 

His mother is known only from the Sagas as a " woman of low birth " , and is not spoken of much in the written record. Jarl Haakon himself did not have any feelings for his illegitimate son, and literally gave him to a friend to raise in their household. In Bandadrapa it reveals this indifference out to be almost dislike when Eirik is told by his father to move his ship, which was berthed next to his, so that his friend Skopti, could tie his ship along side the Jarl's vessel. Eirik obeyed, really what else could he do, but he never forgot this humiliating incident. The very next year he out - sailed Skopti' s ship and  killed him in battle. Young Eirik was only 13 years old at the time. 

Later he sailed to Denmark and met with King Harald Bluetooth, who took a liking to the young man. So much so that King Harald made him a Jarl in Southern Norway. In the year 986 Eirik sided with his father against the Christian Danes, which his father Jarl Haakon of course hated, and commanded, according to the Sagas, as many as 60 ships at the Battle of Hjorungavagr. The Danish fleet was defeated, and against his father's wishes, Eirik released many of the Jomsvikings who fought against them including my favorite Jomsviking warrior Vagn Akason, who I have written about previously.

In around 995 A.C.E. Olaf Tryggvason seized power, and forced many of the Jarls to flee Norway. Eirik took refuge in Sweden where he allied himself with the Swedish King Olaf whose daughter, Gytha, he married. After raiding the lands of the Rus Eirik together with King Olaf of Sweden, and King Swein of Denmark attacked Olaf Tryggvason off of the coast of the Island of Svolder. This battle lead to the death of King Olaf, apparently by suicide, when he jumped overboard with his full armor on to flee capture. Having just written about this I will not go into further detail . 

Next : Jarl Eirik : Ruler of Southern Norway, and the conquest of England.

Glenn Bergen

Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor' s protection ! 

        
Picture
Jarl Eirik saving the Jomsvikings

Old Icelandic Calendar

1/28/2013

 
The Old Icelandic Calendar ( No longer in use ):

Skammdegi ("Short days")

Gormánuður (mid October – mid November, "slaughter month" or "Gór's month")
Ýlir (mid November – mid December, "Yule month")
Mörsugur (mid December – mid January, "fat sucking month")
Þorri (mid January – mid February, "frozen snow month")
Góa (mid February – mid March, "Góa's month", see Nór)
Einmánuður (mid March – mid April, "lone" or "single month")

Náttleysi ("Nightless days")

Harpa (mid April – mid May) Harpa is a female name, probably a forgotten goddess. The first day of Harpa is celebrated as Sumardagurinn fyrsti, the First Day of Summer
Skerpla (mid May – mid June, another forgotten goddess)
Sólmánuður (mid June – mid July, "sun month")
Heyannir (mid July – mid August, "hay business month")
Tvímánuður (mid August – mid September, "two" or "second month")
Haustmánuður (mid September – mid October, "autumn month")


- Glenn Bergen

Go with Odin' s Wid

Poem : Torn

1/27/2013

 
Torn



Torn between religion and the Gods,
I choose the Gods.
Torn between exclusion and inclusion,
I choose to be inclusive.
Torn between compromise or retaining my beliefs,
I choose to stand firm.
Torn between losing my religious identity or being outcast,
I choose to stand alone.

Torn between remaining silent or speaking out,
I choose to respond.
Torn between making hard choices or settling for easy fixes,
I choose to do what is right.
Torn between what the Gods want and what I have to offer,
I choose to give my all.
My life has been torn between so many things,
But it is I alone who makes the choices !

Glenn Bergen, Copyright, 2013.

Thorrablot : The Feast Of Thor

1/25/2013

 
Picture
The Feast of Thor, Feast of Thunar, or Thorrablot, is one of my favorite ritual / celebrations ! The Feast of Thor is always held in January at a time when the severity of the winter weather is usually at its worst. We call upon Thor to use his mighty hammer Mjolnir to protect us from the might ( effects ) of the Frost Giants. We ask the great hammer wielder to ward off Kari and his son Frosti ( Jokull ), and allow us to escape the wrath of the elements that they sometimes like to throw at Midgard . 

In the Scandinavian countries, including Iceland, there is a long history of celebrating this winter festival, which grew in popularity during the late 1800' s in Iceland. In modern Iceland the Thorrablot takes place on the Friday that falls in between the dates of January 19th to the 25th. That of course makes it fall on the 25th this year. Some Christians refuse to join in this wonderful celebration because toasts of honor are made to the old Gods. But for most it is a matter of tradition more than a religious ceremony, and they see no harm in participating in the event. In most of the Scandinavian countries there is still a " fondness " for the Old Gods, even if they do not directly honor the Gods of their ancestors.

For breakfast the morning of the ritual / feast, I adhere to what is mentioned in the book " Our Troth " , in the rites and practices section, where it says to eat a breakfast of oats and pickled herring to honor great Thor. For the feast that I hold after the ritual, however, I like to go all out, and have a wide variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, breads, and cheeses. To me each of these foods represents the foods of our ancestors, would have killed, harvested, or made for themselves. Of course in winters gone by some of these foods would have been preserved to protect the food from the harsh months that came after the harvest. My apologies go out to the people of Iceland, but I cannot, and will not, put out some of the dishes they serve for this ritual !

Though I do not like to tell anyone how to hold a ritual, or what to say I will mention the folowing : I ask Thor to protect us from the awful might of the Frost Giants, and ask him to give us the strength to "weather" the winter months. I also ask the great Huntress Skadhi to show us her secrets of becoming one with the winter season. For no God or Goddess in our pantheon is better adapted, or more comfortable, in the cold and desolation of winter than great Skadhi. I ask Sunna to brighten our days, and our hearts, with her radiant warming sunshine. This is also one of the few rituals when I directly address the Jotuns as well, and ask them to be merciful on us during these cold and dreary days of winter. Finally I ask the Vanir, our great fertility Gods and Goddesses to "allow" this harsh season to be brief, and to let the ground thaw early to let life begin anew.

An Independent Asatru is now on Facebook !

Glenn Bergen

Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyjas love, and Thor's protection !                

An Observation

1/21/2013

 
This is part of the Thingvellir in Iceland. It is the ancient meeting place of the Icelandic people, and it is where they came to hear grievances and to make laws, a place to compromise. It is also directly on a fault line that tears it apart about an inch each year. I can' t help but see this place of ancient laws being torn apart as a good example of our current situation her in the United States . Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between have forgotten, or ignore, the most basic principal of our democracy, and that is compromise. Every time the rift between our people here in this country, over a variety of topics and issues, becomes wider, it drives a wedge between the sanity of compromise and what our forefathers intended for our great nation. Every year, just like the Iceland's Thingvellir fault, we are pulled further apart.


- Glenn Bergen


Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !
Picture

Poem : Skadhi' s Companion

1/20/2013

 
Skadhi ' s Companion



As Sunna disappears behind a towering mountain,
Several wolves peek out from their winter den.
They growl at the stars, and howl at the moon,
The wolves sense Her coming ! She will arrive soon !

The pups are playing, rolling in the newly fallen snow,
Oblivious to the nervousness the adults now show.
With ears held straight, they listen for the sound,
Of skis making tracks, and poles striking ground.

Out of the darkness, a shadow in the night,
Her outline made distinct only by Mani' s light.
She stands strong and proud, mighty Goddess of skis,
Her hair blowing like wheat in the gentle mountain breeze.

Slowly they approach Her, heads held low,
Trying not to let their true feelings show.
Skadhi looks at them as though She will scold,
Her blank stare is as intense as it is cold.

One of the pups rubs gently up against Her leg,
Looks up at Her with sad little eyes that beg.
Skadhi smiles as She lifts the little wolf up,
" I will call you Swift - Runner my furry little pup !"

Over the years Swift - Runner grew strong and fierce,
His howling would travel far and wide the air to pierce.
He traveled with Skadhi, Her closest companion and friend,
A proud four - legged warrior who would always defend !

- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, 2013.      

The Battle Of Svolder : Part 2

1/17/2013

 
Surprisingly four of the ships that took part in the Battle of Svolder are actually mentioned by name in the historical records. Of Olaf' s eleven ships we hear of the Long Serpent , the Short Serpent, and the Crane. The records only mention one of the ships that fought with the allies against Olaf, and that was Jarl Eirik's ship the Iron Ram. This is probably due to the fact that it was his ship that was used to board King Olaf' s ship the Long Serpent. This ship was unique, at least from my readings, in that it had an iron ram on the upper part of the prow in both the front and the rear to puncture opposing vessels below the water line.


The battle begins unexpectedly because King Olaf did not expect his wife' s brother' s fleet would attack so he sailed peacefully past the Danish fleet. The Danes allowed most of the Norwegian ships to pass because they were looking for Olaf' s Long Serpent in particular to attack. Jarl Eirik actually tells the Swedes and Danes not to attack because he is familiar with the ship that King Olaf sails on. 


When King Olaf realized that his brother - in - laws fleet meant to attack him Olaf Tryggvason turned his fleet around and decided to meet his new enemy in battle instead of running away. King Olaf has little respect for the Danes, who he refers to as " Forest Goats ", and has even less respect for the Pagan Swedes who he calls " Horse Eaters. " Olaf does, according to Heimskringla, feel a little apprehensive when he sees the ships of Jarl Hakon' s son Eirik because, " They are Norwegians like us ". He was of course fully aware that Eirik would fight hard to avenge his father' s death.


Olaf next did what all Vikings of the time did during sea battles. He tied his ships together, with his ship in the center as a command post. The Long Serpent was both longer and taller than all the other ships and was therefore a great platform with which to direct the flow of the battle. From his defensive position it made it hard for the Danes and their allies to bring their superior numbers to bear. The saga tells us that the Danes and the Swedes attacked from the front, but were pushed back with heavy losses.


Heimskringla gives most of the credit to Eirik and his Norwegians who it is said attacked from the rear and cleared Olaf' s ships one by one. The Danish account of the battle by Saxo Grammaticus tells us that King Olaf jumped overboard in full battle gear as Eirik and his men began to fight their way onto King Olaf' s ship. Instead of risking capture he states that KIng Olaf committed suicide instead of risking capture. The Norwegian / Icelandic accounts tell that nothing was known of his death and that he was seen still fighting before his disappearance. One mythical account even has Olaf surviving by swimming ashore where he is rescued by a Wendish ship.


It is my opinion that he either committed suicide by jumping overboard or was knocked overboard in the fighting. I do not in any way shape or form accept that he was able to swim ashore in full battle gear. If he had survived he would have reorganized his men and tried to reestablish his control over Norway, which after his death was split up by the victors. It remained that way until that most hated of Christians King ( later Saint ) Olaf Haraldsson reunited, after the Battle of Nesjar, Norway into a single Christian Nation. King Olaf Haraldsson would meet his end at the Battle of Stiklestad. 


Glenn Bergen


Go with Odin's wisdom, Freyja's love, and Thor's protection !               

Poem : In YOUR Presence ( Praise the Gods )

1/16/2013

 
Weebly lost my article on Part 2 of The Battle of Svolder so I will have to reprint it tomorrow. For now I offer you a poem ! 

In YOUR Presence ( Praise the Gods )

I am Gungnir,
I am Mjollnir,
I am power untold.
Praise the Gods !

I am streaking lightning,
I am the powerful storm,
I am elemental fury.
Praise the Gods !

I am Surt's fiery sword,
I am Jormungand' s poison,
I am life and death.
Praise the Gods !

I am wisdom and knowledge,
I am magic and the unknown,
I am the future and the past.
Praise the Gods !

I am humble and proud, 
I am everything, and nothing,
I am forever Asatru !
Praise the Gods !

- Glenn Bergen, Copyright, 2013

The Battle Of Svolder : Part 1

1/14/2013

 
Picture
The battle of Svolder rages from ship to ship.
In the late summer, or the early fall of 999 or 1000 A.C.E., depending on the source , ( I will not argue the exact date here ) , a great sea battle was fought between the Norwegians led by Olaf Tryggvason and Einar Tambarskjelve, and the Danes and Swedes led by Jarlo Eirik Hakonarson, Olaf the Swede, and the Danish King Svein Forkbeard. This epic sea battle took place in the Baltic Sea in Oresund. In what was a lopsided sea battle, King Olaf Tryggvason reportedly only had eleven warships compared to the combined total of up to seventy ships for the Danish allies. Legend has it that the last Norwegian vessel to fall was King Olaf's Ormen Lange, The Long Serpent, which when Jarl Eirik Hakonarson  and his men boarded the Norwegian king's flagship, Olaf  jumped into the sea in full battle gear drowning himself. 


The underlying cause of this conflict was Olaf Tryggvason' s refusal to recognize the authority of Denmark over Norway, which deprived King Svein Forkbeard of Denmark his fair share of Norway. A natural ally of the king of Denmark of course was Jarl Eirik Hakonarson who was the son of Jarl Hakon who was killed by King Olaf. Jarl Eirik, of course, wanted his father' s lands back, and wanted the old age rite of revenge against his father' s killer.   


As with all histories the victors wrote the stories that have come down to us. Adam of Bremen, in the late, 1000's , (app. 1080), wrote a history of the battle based on what King Svein of Denmark related to him. Subsequent versions of the battle can be found written by Saxo Grammaticus in his epic work on the Danes Gesta Danorum, which was written in about 1200 A.C.E. These two rendition of the battle tend to leave out the role of the Norwegians under Jarl Eirik and give all the credit to the Danes. On the other hand in Snorri Sturluson' s Heimskringla Jarl Eirik's role is played up and he is the one who attacks the Long Serpent and forces King Olaf to jump overboard. History is all about perspective and national pride my friend.


An odd side story to this battle is that Olaf Tryggvason was married to Thyri the sister of Svein Forkbeard. According to several accounts Thyri begged her husband to attack Svein Forkbeard  and his Danes because her brother had refused to give her the dowry that he had promised her. On the other side of the coin Svein Forkbeard' s wife Sigrid, known to many as Sigrid the Haughty, hated Olaf Tryggvason because he struck her for refusing his proposal of marriage. She then convinced her husband King Svein to make war upon the Norwegian king. King Svein then made the alliance with King Olaf of Sweden and Jarl Eirik of Norway. 


The exact location of the battle is also something that I will not argue here. There are three or four different opinions out there of where the battle was actually fought. The most prevalent of these being by an island called Svolder, near the German island of Rugen, or near Oresund. Also the number of ships vary from source to source. The numbers for the Danish / Swedish / Norwegian alliance are from 70 to well over 100. All accounts say that Olaf Tryggvason was greatly outnumbered. The Sagas state that some of this imbalance was caused by Jarl Sigvaldi deserting King Olaf, and joining the Danish fleet. I guess when he saw the odds against him he decided to side with the stronger force. 


End Part 1


Glenn Bergen


Go with Odin' s wisdom, Freyja' s love, and Thor's protection !                

Unverified Personal Gnosis ( UPG )  

1/11/2013

 
Unverified Personal Gnosis is another one of those issues in our religion that no one can seem to agree on. The amount of tolerance for U. P. G. ' s range from total acceptance to absolute rejection. Actually sometimes I wonder what people do believe in our religion . Some do not believe in the Eddas and Sagas because they were written after the Viking Age; some don't believe in modernizing our religious beliefs, but instead want to try and reconstruct the religion based on what we know our ancestors practiced ( which is not much ), and some want to use only the archaeological record to explain our religious beliefs. I actually had an argument with one our folk recently who tries to explain everything in our religion using logic..... pure logic. Anyone who thinks you can explain believing in, speaking to, and honoring Gods who reside in another world or plane of existence with logic is in my opinion being illogical. That is why it is called " Faith " in the Aesir my friends. But I digress.

U. P. G. ' s, however,  are harder to place into the context of our religious beliefs. We cannot throw away established ideas and practices of our ancestor' s faith simply because one, or maybe even a few people, have been given a message or a vision by the Gods and Goddesses. On the other hand we should not totally dismiss U. P. G. ' s without at least hearing about the individuals experience first. We also have to take that information, not at face value, but as it pertains to the overall context of our religion. For instance: The Gods and Goddesses have never shown me a war - like, or violent nature in my contacts with them, but that does not mean that I should change my entire view of the Aesir - Vanir pantheon of Gods just because they do not come to me in the violent way that they are written about in the Eddas. Freyja is a good example for me to speak of because she has shown me only love, and has eased the pain I have carried within me, and opened my heart to others. Although I have never sensed a  violent side to her I do sense that she is immensely powerful and not someone who is to be trifled with. She is easily as powerful as any of her counterparts in the Aesir. I guess what I am trying to point out is that the Gods and Goddesses come to different people in different ways, and one experience cannot be used as a blanket description for each God, and therefore cannot be used to determine the direction of an entire religion.



Having said that...... one thing we should all think long and hard about is this question : " What if the first few of our folk centuries ago either dismissed, or refused to share their religious experience, U. P. G. with others in their community ? " If this had happened our religion, our very faith would not exist my friends. A religion springs forth from the U. P. G. of the folk in the society, and spreads as an acceptable " fact " , usually an experience shared by more than one individual in the community, is then incorporated into the established religion as a TRU experience or factual occurrence . If all U.P.G. are dismissed then a religion cannot evolve and progress, and it becomes stagnant, and unfulfilling. The way that Christianity is slowly losing members because their religion does not speak to the youth of today is a prime example of this. 


I am by no means saying that we should believe every instance of U. P. G. that is place before us, but I do feel that we need to be more tolerant, and at least listen to these individuals experiences with the Gods and Goddesses without criticizing or demeaning them. If enough of our folk have similar experiences, ( especially if they are from different parts of the world and have never had contact with each other ), then maybe that experience or insight into our Gods should be taken seriously and possibly included into our religious beliefs. It bothers me when some in our religion are so enthusiastic and willing to accept what others have written a thousand years ago, but reject anything that is written today. The Gods spoke to our ancestors and they still speak to us today. The question is will we accept what they teach us now ?


Glenn Bergen


Go with Odin' s wisdom, Freyja' s love, and Thor's protection !     

                      
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