The Mead Horn and the Awakening of our Gods

The purpose of ritual in Germanic heathenism is to not repeat dead rituals but to create something new in the subjective[internal] and objective[external] worlds. By participating in our wheel of the year rites in the cosmic rhythm of the seasons we are in microcosm reflecting the macrocosm; as above, so below. Vilhelm Gronbech in The Culture of the Teutons Volumes 1 and 2 states: "This is the reason why all words and acts are frought with infinite consequence; the space is filled with creation, and every act gives birth to events to come.[Page 356] By engaging in our rites we are participating in an act of creation. "This reiteration or renovation, as we should call it, is not a repetition of an act primarily and for all time created years or ages ago. The present re-acting is as primary, as original as the very first acting; and the participants are not witnesses to the deed of some hero or god, not reproducers who revive the deed, but simply and literally the original heroes who send fateful deeds into the world, whether it be battles long ago or the creation of Middle-garth. In the recreation of the legend, in the ceremonial act, the earth is prepared for the living of man....."[Page 358] Our regular invocation of the Gods and our imbibing of the mead or ale made sacred by the sign of Thunor`s hammer from the mead horn allows us at that moment to enter into a state of communion with our Gods, in particular Woden, an idea which was hijacked by the christian church. The mead according to our lore imparts wisdom and inspiration to us and reminds us of the sacred mead which has its origins in the blood of Kvasir, a God born from the saliva of both the Aesir and Vanir at the conclusion of the war between these two pantheons. Mead has a particular significance in the mythologies of the Germanic and other Aryan peoples which I do not intend to go into here but reserve for another article. By our remembrance and invocation of the Gods of the Germanic peoples we are participating in their awakening. This process is a two way one for our Gods are awakening Their elect amongst our folk. The sun-born, Woden-born initiates are responding to the call of the Gods which is at the same time a call of the blood. The Gods are stirring in our very DNA and those who wyrd it is to join Woden`s elite warrior band of Einheriar will respond. Woden is quietly preparing His priestly order and they will take their place as the future priest-kings of the reborn and purified Aryo-Germanic Folk.

Wednesday-the Day of Woden

The names of some of our ancient Gods are reflected in the days of the week. Today I would like to focus on Wednesday, a day devoted to our All-Father Woden. His name is to be found in this day in most Germanic languages. The Proto-Germanic term for Wednesday has been reconstructed as *Wodanesdag. Old English: Wodnesdaeg. Middle English: Wednesdei. Old High German: Wodnesdaeg. Old Low German: Wodansdach. Middle Low German: Wodensdach. Old Frisian: Wednesdei/Wensdei/Wemsdei. Middle Dutch: Woensdag. Modern Dutch: Woensdag. Old Norse: Othinsdagr. Modern Danish: Onsdag. Modern Swedish: Onsdag. Modern Norwegian: Onsdag. It is interesting to note the similarity between the pronunciation of Modern English Wednesday and Old Frisian Wensdei and their development from Wodnesdaeg and Wednesdei respectively. Too often we ignore the influence of the Netherlandic/Frisian language and tribes on the formation of Anglo-Saxon England. In Modern German Wednesday is Mittwoch[`mid-week`] and this appears to be out of step with all other Germanic languages apart from the Modern Icelandic Mithvikudagur[`mid-week`]. The cult of Woden was known throughout most of Germany, having spread from the Saxons in the north. `Gardenstone` in his The Mercury-Woden Complex attempts to make a case for denying the existence of the cult south of the Harz mountains. I am not particularly convinced by his arguments although I will keep an open mind. Clearly the replacement of Wodnesdaeg in Germany with Mittwoch] was an attempt by the christian clergy to eradicate all knowledge and memory of the All-Father, more so than our other deities. As Old Icelandic is derived from Old Norse I must assume the same attempt to eradicate All-Father`s memory as there is no reason why Othinsdagr should be substituted for Mithvikudagur except on religious grounds. I understand that certain christian sects such as the quakers substitute Wednesday for `fourth day` so as not speak Woden`s name. This clearly demonstrates the christian mentality and if this should be happening today in 2012 then think how much more this kind of thinking was prevalent over 1000 years ago! So the next time you say Wednesday reflect on our High God Woden!

Anglo-Saxon God Names in English Place-Names

The evidence for the worship of our Anglo-Saxon Gods is to be found all over the English countryside and in English towns, villages and hamlets. Woden, Thunor, Tiw and Frige are to be found as elements in place-names and managed to survive the christianisation of our people. They exist today as a constant reminder of our natural Gods just as we are reminded about them in the days of the week. Woden features in more place names than any other God and indeed this should not surprise us as He is the All-Father, our most high God. Below are examples of such place names, many of them gleaned from the pages of A Dictionary of English Place-Names by A.D. Mills. I have only included examples which are known to be reliable. Woden[also known as Grim] Wednesbury, Wednesfield, Wednesham, Wanborough, Wansdyke, Woden`s Barrow, Woden Hill, Woden`s Way, Woden`s Den Woodway, Wornshill, Woodnesborough, Grimsdyke, Grimes Graves, Grimsbury, Grimley, Grimspound, Grimscote, Grimsthorpe, Grinstead. Thunor Thundersley, Thursley. Tiw Tysoe, Tuesley, Dewsbury. Frige Frobury, Froyle, Fretherne, Fride. In addition to God names some place-names indicate heathen sites of worship without specifying a particular God`s name. Hearg[Harrow], Wig and Weoh[Wye] are Anglo-Saxon terms for `heathen shrine or temple`. Harrow Harrow, Harrow Weald, Harrowden, Great and Little Harrowden. Wye Wye, Weedon, Weedon Bec, Weedon Lois, Weeford, Wysall and Wyfordby. There are many place names preceded by Freo, Frea and Ing but I am not yet convinced that these are necessarily references to place names named after Anglo-Saxon Gods. I will need to conduct further research. However I would be very surprised if these Gods were not also honoured in our place-names. I have specifically focused on Anglo-Saxon not Scandinavian examples and therefore have not searched for Scandinavian examples although I am surprised how few there are in comparison to Anglo-Saxon ones.

A Search For an Anglo-Saxon Alternative to the Term `Priest`

I have over recent years pondered on the terminology that we should be using for the function of `priest` within our heathen rites. `Priest` is a universally understood term but I am a little troubled over the christian connotations and wish to explore alternative and more Germanic terms. `Preost` is a term used by the Anglo-Saxons[See A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary by J.R. Clark Hall]. However from my studies of the term it appears to originate with the christian priesthood via presbyter. This in my opinion would make it unsuitable for us to use. Our research is limited by the scant amount of original Anglo-Saxon literature, especially during the pre-conversion period as pre-christian Germanic society was largely a pre-literate one. Literacy was reserved for the rune masters and priests. Therefore we must also resort to exploring the terms used by other Germanic peoples. Before we do this we need to consider if there are any other Anglo-Saxon alternatives to preost. Aeweweard could be a suitable term but its pronunciation may be too difficult for some to to accept in everyday useage. Also strictly speaking the term is defined as `law-guardian`[Rudolf Simek, Northern Mythology]. The astute observer will note the second part of this word-weard, a term which we already use for hearth and gemoot warders. If we recall the Icelandic example the priest was also a temporal chieftain although the situation was different among the non-Scandinavian Germanic peoples where the two offices were separate. Heargweard is a more interesting and in my opinion relevant term for the hearg was the sanctuary or temple and thus a heargweard was the guardian of the temple. In Iceland the priests were called gothar, the singular being gothi, the female gythja. The Gothic equivalent gudja corresponds closely to the Old Norse gudija. A temple priest in Icelandic would be a hofgothi. Clearly gothi`s specific meaning is `god man`. Hofgothi is very similar to the Anglo-Saxon heargweard with similar connotations. On balance I am in favour of the use of the term heargweard as Anglo-Saxons and Saxons this is more likely to be term which our ancestors used and differentiates us from Odinism and Asatru. We do not need to be dependent on their terminology nor do we need to use terms that are christian in origin or connotation. I have decided to post this article on all three of my blogs as I wish this to have as wide a circulation as possible to encourage reflection and debate.

The Teutonic Priesthood

Due to a comment made by Julius Caesar in his De Bello Gallico[The Gallic War]that the ancient Germans had "no druids" has been misinterpreted over the years by scholars who have then used this as a premise to argue that there was no such thing as a Teutonic priesthood which we know to be absolutely absurd. "The customs of the Germans are very different from those of the Gauls. They have no druids to preside over religious matters, nor do they concern themselves with sacrifices".[Sixth Book, paragraph 21] Of course we know from the slightly later writings of Tacitus, notably in his Germania that the Germans not only had priests but these priests offered public sacrifices. I very much doubt that in the space of less than 150 years that their customs changed so radically. The Teutons certainly did not have `druids` for this is specific to the Celtic peoples but we know from the Roman historian Tacitus that they did have priests and a pantheon of Gods. Even this is brought into doubt by Caesar: "The only things which they count as gods are things they can see and which clearly benefit them, for example, the Sun, Vulcan, and the Moon. They have not even heard rumours of any others."[Sixth Book, paragraph 21]. `Vulcan` is taken to mean the element or deity of fire. Whilst it is clear that the Teutons did honour these three things as representative of Gods it is inconceiveable that by the time of Tacitus in the following century that they suddenly had a developed pantheon of Gods and Goddesses and not one at the time of Caesar. Tacitus either did not know the correct Teutonic names of our Gods and Godesses or chose to give them Latin names as he wrote for a Roman readership. "As for gods, Mercury is the one they worship most, and on certain days they think it right to propitiate him even with human victims. Hercules and Mars they appease with lawful animals. Part of the Suebi sacrifice also to Isis; I have not ascertained the source from which this foreign rite originates, but the fact remains that the image itself, fashioned in the form of a light ship, proves that the cult is imported. In other matters, they judge it not in accord with the greatness of the gods to confine them with walls or to liken them in appearance to any human countenance. They consecrate woods and groves, and the mystery that they see only in their awe they call by the names of gods." "[Tacitus` Germania 9.1 and 9.2] It is assumed by scholars that Mercury, Hercules and Mars are names that Tacitus gave to represent our Woden, Thunor and Tiw. Isis may very well be the Goddess Nehalennia[a Dutch deity] or Nerthus. I also speculate that this could in fact be the very mysterious and obscure Goddess, Isa. "Then come the Reudigni, the Aviones, the Anglii, the Varini, the Eudoses, the Suarines, and the Nuitones, defended by rivers or woods. There is nothing noteworthy about them individually, except that collectively they worship Nerthus, or Mother Earth, and believe that she takes part in human affairs and rides among the peoples." [Germania 40.2] Tacitus also refers to the deities Tuisto and Mannus[Germania 2.2]. Thus it is clear that the Teutons did in fact have a developed pantheon of Gods who they ascribed proper names and personalities to. We also know this to be the case from later writings by christian priests and from the Icelandic sagas and there is every reason to believe that there was a continuous and unbroken tradition over the centuries which knew only a geographic variation with local cults of deities. Germania 9 makes it clear that the Teutons did offer both animal and human sacrifices. Furthermore if sacrifices were offered to the Gods then it reasonable to assume that there was a recognised priesthood to carry out this function. In Germania 40.3 Tacitus refers to such a priesthood: "On an island in the Ocean is a holy grove, and in it a consecrated wagon covered with hangings; to one priest alone is it permitted so much as to touch it. He perceives when the goddess is present in her innermost recess, and with great reverence escorts her as she is drawn along by heifers." It is clear from Tacitus description and carefully chosen words that Nerthus, the Goddess he is referring to had more than one priest-"to one priest alone...." and thus this constitutes a priestly order. Adam of Bremen referred to the great temple at Uppsala and its priesthood: "Assigned to all their gods they have priests to present the sacrifices of the people." Bede of course refers to the Anglo-Saxon priest Coifu in his History of the English Church and People. The Teutonic priesthood unlike the Celtic druidic orders was not a national priesthood but one which was restricted to the tribe and thus there will be differences between them, especially as certain deities were only recognised by specific tribes, such as Nerthus and Nehalennia. The Teutonic priests had charge of the sacred groves[the precursors of the later temples], the administration of justice, public sacrifices, the casting of lots, interpretation of omens and the safeguarding of the law. In the far north the function of priest and chieftain or king was most likely combined into a single office. A typical example is that of the Icelandic gothi. No doubt they carried this tradition with them from their native Norway. We have no reason to suppose that there were no priestesses.The female equivalent of the gothi, the gythia is attested to in the Icelandic sagas. The temple was more than likely a development from the sacred grove. "It has been observed that among the Indo-Europeans the most ancient temples that were dedicated to the gods were sacred groves. In his survey of European folklore, Jacob Grimm observed that among the ancient Germans the oldest temples were groves. This was the case in all the lands where the Indo-Europeans held sway as the grove was the original place where the sacred was revered."[The Druids, G. Alexander] The temple at Uppsala was surrounded by a grove. Tacitus in Germania 39 refers to the sacred grove of the Suebi and in Germania the sacred grove of Nerthus. In smaller organisational units such as the clan or or family the head of the clan or the family performed the duties associated with the priest. "In the smaller organisations of society then, priestly duties seem to have been performed by the temporal chief. It is only the great organisation, the tribe or state, which possesses a class with exclusively priestly functions."[The Ancient Teutonic Priesthood, H. Munro Chadwick] A Teutonic priesthood is in the process of being formed today. If any readers wish to explore this further see the relevant links section on this blog!

Coifu-Nithing Anglo-Saxon Traitor

Even during the days when I still clung to the desert `god` religion I was always disgusted by the actions of the nithing Coifu, who Bede in his A History of the English Church and People describes as a `Chief Priest`[Chapter 13]. We are not told if he was a priest of Woden but we have no reason to assume he wasn`t. Coifu accepted christianity without any apparent show of resistance although we only have the word of a cleric for this-Bede. Likewise these words attributed to Coifu may very well be the words of Bede which he put into Coifu`s mouth: "I have long realized that there is nothing in our way of worship; for the more deligently I sought after truth in our religion, the less I found." [As an aside that is what I eventually concluded about christianity!] Coifu then went on to suggest to King Edwin that the temple and altars be "desecrated and burned." Coifu also volunteered to be the first to carry out this heinous act. He asked Edwin for "arms and a stallion". Bede tells us that it was hitherto "unlawful for the Chief Priest to carry arms or to ride anything but a mare-and, thus equipped, he set out to destroy the idols. Girded with a sword and with a spear in his hand, he mounted the king`s stallion and rode up to the idols..... "as soon as he reached the temple, he cast into it the spear he carried and thus profaned it." I am not aware of any success or indeed any attempt in carrying out excavations to discover the remnants of the temple but Bede writes that "The site where these idols once stood is still shown, not far east of York, beyond the river Derwent, and is known today as Goodmanham." Goodmanham is an old village situated about 20 miles to the east of York in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the ancient kingdom of Deira in Northumbria. It is said that the old church of All Hallows stands on or near the site of the heathen temple. I would dearly love to see it demolished for a proper archaeological excavation to take place. It would not surprise me if that was the site as we know that it was church policy for heathen temples either to be taken over by the church or be destroyed to be replaced by a christian church building. Most old Anglican[formerly Roman Catholic] churches occupy sacred heathen ground. At least we know that the Anglo-Saxons used temples and idols as part of their worship and had a priesthood. These are things which are often denied by self-appointed `experts` on the subject!

Anglo-Saxon Priest of Woden Amulet Discovered in Norfolk

Taken from the Norfolk Museums & Archaeology website: This Anglo-Saxon pendant dates from about 600AD. It was found by a metal detectorist in a field in Attleborough, Norfolk. The pendant shows a man with a beard, wearing a hat or helmet with two horns which join at the top. Men with horned headgear have nothing to do with the Vikings! Most depictions of horned helmets are in fact early Anglo-Saxon in date. Similar pendants to this one have been found elsewhere in Norfolk and in Hampshire and have horns that end in small bird heads. These may represent the Germanic god Woden, or Odin with his two ravens. This pendant might have a cult or religious importance and could have been worn by a priest. The pendant is just over 4cm high and 2.5cm wide.