Another Thor post here, mostly because it’s still storming, but also because there is plenty to say about Thor.
Thor rides a chariot pulled along by two goats: Tanngnost (tooth-gnasher) & Tanngrisnir (tooth-grinder). According to many legends, the rumble of the chariot as it moved was heard to the people on earth as thunder.
His two goats had another use as well. They could provide an endless supply of meat, as once killed, Thor could simply wave Mjollnir over their skin and bring them back to life…..but only if the bones remained intact.
Today is Thursday and it’s storming where I live, so it would be fitting that my first real post is about the common-favorite, Thor. Now, this god is pretty well known thanks to the comic books and movies, but how many people actually know Thor from the lore?
Thor is the son of Odin and Fjorgyn (a feminine manifestation of the Earth). He is an enemy of giants and a champion of Asgard. He is most known for his signature weapon, the hammer Mjollnir, and his adventures with Loki (who is not his brother, by the way).
He has a great appetite, and a great thirst for mead.
Don’t want to carry on too much in one post, but expect to see a lot of posts about Thor in the future.
Hello and welcome to Mimir’s Head, my blog dedicated to the lore and practices of Germanic Paganism. I mostly intend for this to be an educational tool. Many people know about Odin, Thor, and Loki. But a lot fewer know about Aegir, Bragi, and Ullr, etc. My goal is to post something the adverage person might see and learn a little bit from. I also want to post content that creates discussion among my eventual followers, so that we can all talk about the things that interest us.
Also, and finally, this blog will post things about real history not from the lore from time to time (that is to say occasionally I will post content related to pre-Christian Northern European history and not mythology). I will do this because I am a huge history lover. However, do not think this is a LARP blog. If you subscribe to the idea that Germanic Paganism is all about dressing up in chain maille and killing monks, then I am afraid you may find my blog lacking in that respect.
Anyway, my blog has set sail, and I look forward to meeting many on my journey!
Get to know the lesser-known norse Gods & Goddesses,
a quick rundown!
Just a heads up before we start, some of these are extremely obscure and MOST of these have showed no evidence of ever having been worshipped in Scandinavia. Still, I think it’s interesting to learn about them so that their stories, however hazy they may be, might not be forgotten.
Bragi, the Learned. Wise and prolific in his art, he is the bard who plays his tunes in Óðinn’s hall. He shows extreme skill with words: his name even signifies “poet”. As a symbol of this, he was said to have runes carved on his tongue. He is associated with art,song, but most of all poetry.
Eir, the Healer. Either a Goddess— handmaiden of Frigg, or a Valkyrie, she is said to sit on the healing mountain Lyfjaberg. For this, she is called upon when one desires for their wounds to be tended, whether they be physical or invisible. She is the patron of physiciansandhealers, overseeing matters of medicine.
Kvasir, the Wisest. Created by the Æsir and the Vanir at the term of their war, Kvasir was the symbol of their newfound peace. To him, people could ask any question which haunted their minds and he would reply with advice so wise it satisfied all. Some would travel for miles to seek his counsel, before he was slain by two dwarves who sought to collect his holy blood for themselves. He is loosely associated with wisdom,spiritual teachingsandpeace.
Ullr, the Hunter. Just like Skaði, Ullr is tightly connected to winter and skying. His most prominent feature is his unparalleled talent for hunting and archery, thanks to which he is now called upon for good luck in hunts. According to some theories, he was said to watch over vows and grant safety in the snow.
Ægir, the Benevolent. Giant husband of Rán, he dwells with her in a great underwater hall. He often appears as a host for divine parties, welcoming the Gods to feast in his palace. While his wife embodies the dangers of the sea, he represents its better aspects: the gains of seafaring,generous winds and the power of waves.
Delling, the Shining One. Personnification of the dawn, he is attested as husband of the Goddess Nótt, Lady Night. The pair have a son of splendant beauty, Dagr, the day. The phrase “Delling’s doors” is used on many instances in skaldic writings to describe sunrise.
*This list is a work in progress and I will be creating more in my future free time!* Feel free to message me requests, just know I won’t necessarily get to them immediately. Updated: 03/29/2020
Reblogging this today for folks under quarantine as devotional ideas. Stay well!
valhalla is not “the norse pagan heaven” hel is not “the norse pagan hell” and the edda is not “the norse pagan bible” <3
In fact, in Saxo Grammaticus’ account of the norse pagan afterlife (History of the Danes Book I), Helheim was described as a place of green and ever-lasting life. Correct me if I’m wrong but it would be, in this case, closer to what the judeo-christian heaven would look like according to many of their sources.
Helheim from all I’ve read was a very nice afterlife, and the biggest issue with it is that the name is close to the Christian Hell. Tbh most of the issues with Norse mythology / paganism / heathenry stem from trying to find/force parallels with Christian mythology.
Alfablot, the Nordic counterpart to Samhain, or as some of you may know it as Halloween, is a very sacred time of remembrance of our deceased ancestors. We gather around our close family, and exchange stories of great men and women within our family tree, who we honor that night with drink and warm food. We must keep them in our thoughts, for they overcame great struggles to bring us to life. This is their night.
Hail to our deceased brothers, To our past sisters To the mothers of our mother And fathers of our father Though you may be gone We feel your presence And honor your life You will never be forgotten Hail
Soon there will be proof that our doctors have been giving death to all life, that so-called soldiers have been destroying the earth and instead of protecting her, and that the intellectual caged-birds have been devouring worms laced with truth and feeding the world shit instead.
