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acrystalwitch · 9 months

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(***NO N*zis or TERFs allowed to interact with this post or my blog*** This is a post for Norse pagans or polytheists looking to work with Odin. This is all based on my own experiences working with the all father and nothing here is to be taken as a hard fact. If your practice differs from my own that is totally fine. There will be a lot of UPG and SPG)

An incomplete summary of Odin in Norse mythology.

Odin, god of war and wisdom is a key figure in the Norse myths and is involved in a lot of the stories. He is the head of the Norse gods and is called the All father, because it’s by him that all of humans were created. He is married to Frigg and together they had Baldur and Hodr. Odin also has other sons, Thor, Vali, and Vidar.

He has two ravens Huginn and Muninn, and two wolves Geri and Freki.

He only has one eye, he sacrificed his other eye by throwing it into Mimir’s well in exchange for knowledge that could better help him prevent Ragnarok.

Another famous story of his is when he hung upside down from the tree of life for nine days and nine nights to get knowledge of other worlds and to be able to know everything about the runes.

The type of magic he practices (Seiðr) was a feminine type of magic that wasn’t always looked highly on when men would participate in it. Yet our Allfather was very practiced in it.

My experience working with him: One thing to know about working with Odin going in, he will be very honest and blunt. My other deities have a habit of being softer on my feelings than I’ve heard other devotees say they’ve been with them, I’m assuming because I’m very sensitive. But Odin..? He does not care. He will stop giving advice if I tell him I don’t want to hear it. But, if I ask for advice…oh boy, am I gonna get his full opinion. He is very much a father in the way he goes about things, he cares but he wants his followers to push themselves as much as they can, learning as much as you can and always growing, never staying sedentary for too long.

I have a notebook dedicated to him that I’ve been using to work on learning the runes and that seems to be the best offering to give him in my practice right now. He never misses a chance to remind me I need to get back to learning the runes too.

I always wondered why it mattered so much to him that I learn them. Eventually he told me that it was because they really would be useful in spells, and wards and making bind runes out of them is something I’m learning to do now.

He is not the easiest deity to work with, he may even push your buttons on purpose to get you to think harder on things. I’ve noticed he’s even been rude before just to see if I’d stand up for myself and set boundaries and then he’ll explain himself after. Lots of tests trials and teachings. But man, is it worth it for the immense amount of knowledge and mentorship that he can bring. All in all, I’m glad he came to me later in my practice as I might’ve been scared off from deity work if he was the first. But, I love him to pieces and hope to work with him for a long time.

Offerings and associations of Odin

(Odin does not eat food so I’ve seen many people say not to give him food offerings, I disagree! Give him things that he can feed to Geri and Freki. He is known to still fill his plate and just give them bits over meals. So don’t hesitate to gift him any food offerings you would to any other Norse god)

-colors: gray, dark blue, black

- tree Imagery, Yggdrasil in particular

- raven Imagery, black feathers

- wolf Imagery

- clear quartz

- onyx

- blue goldstone

- amethyst

- carnelian

- the hermit tarot card

- the hanged man tarot card

- the four of cups tarot card

- the king of swords tarot card

- mead, wine, alcohol

- poetry (he writes poems!)

- mugwort scent/incense

- Ansuz rune ᚨ

- learn about the runes

- learn his myths

- learn useful and practical knowledge

- read books

- ask him for advice

There are many more ways to learn about him and get close to him. A great one is reading the Hávamál. If you meditate or do tarot or rune casting those are also great ways to contact him and get closer to him.

Signs he might be reaching out; seeing ravens more than usual or in non native areas, very windy days, rain, seeing his name often, feeling drawn to his mythology, seeing his tarot cards pop up often, you already work with one of his sons (I think he sent Thor to me first to soften my idea of the Norse gods and be a warm intro into their pantheon.)

He is a great god to work with, lots of work though. Odin is not for the weak minded, but he’s been so worth getting to know.

#norse paganism #heathenry #odin #norse deities #deity witchcraft #deity worship #deity work #Norse #norse mythology #Norse gods #paganism #Odin deity guide

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reignsan · 1 year

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Is there a reason why Hodr and Susanoo got chosen as AE Muramasa's components?

The purpose that the Foreign God summoned Muramasa for was to kill Atlas and ruin Kirch's plans, so he got merged with divinity-killers to give him an advantage over a Titan.

Hodr's death was the beginning of Ragnarok, and Susanoo killed Orochi.

#fate grand order #senji muramasa

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kepesktribe · 1 year

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For Baldr:

♌: three things my muse is enthusiastic about

And for Sybil:

♓: my muse’s biggest secret

EW spoilers! At least I think it counts as such. Minor really? And I'll try to slip around what I can. Thanks for the asks @elveny ~MK

This boy? Enthusiastic? He hasn't had much to be enthusiastic about. I guess what can count is

Food. Any mention of food will have him visibly showing less grumpy. He'll be the first to the table if he can.

The prospect that he will be able to help his brother, Hodr. Having a voidsent for a brother isn't exactly easy. Baldr has never lost hope that his brother can be returned, strengthened by the fact that even as a giant bat like voidsent, Hodr has protected him all these years. Little steps.

As a sniper before his home world got turned upside down, Baldr has always been keen on sharpening his skills. So, if you can earn his trust and respect, he is enthusiastic about giving a tip here and there or chatting about different techniques. Anything on survival is sure fire way to get him to listen intently to you as well and offer his own thoughts.

Sybil's biggest secret? He has a few I think. The biggest is probably that his soul isn't new or an Ancient, but belonging to a familiar jointly made by two Ancients together for a specific purpose. He wasn't sundered per say, but he was reborn and his memories of that time did slowly return with each rejoining. Hence his nightmares of the End times (though he didn't know them as such at first). Just fires and darkness and dread.

#baldr alfgeir #sybil kepesk #ooc reply #ffxiv #endwalker spoilers #ew spoilers #ffxiv spoilers

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sunshinewrit-ing · 3 years

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Norse Mythology

ig: @sunshine.writing

As with every culture, there are many different interpretations and I tried my best to use the most popular ones. There are also many different versions and spellings for the names of the gods and goddesses, but I used the anglicized and most popular spellings.

Aesir and Vanir

The Norse gods are divided into two families, the Aesir family, and the Vanir family. The Aesir family is the larger of the two and is mostly connected with war and government and includes the gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Baldr, Hodr, Heimdall, and Tyr. The Vanir family includes the fertility gods and goddesses such as Njord, Feyr, and Freyja. Both families reside in Asgard but don’t see eye-to-eye as shown through the Aesir-Vanir war.

Besides the Aesir and Vanir, there are also female deities known as Disir, Alfar (elves), Jotnar (giants), and Dvergar (dwarves).

Aesir Gods and Goddesses

Odin - Odin was the King of the Aesir clan and known as “the father of all gods.” He’s depicted as a one-eyed, bearded old man wearing a hat and a cloak. He was said to have slain the first being known as Ymir before carving up his body to help create the Earth. He was one of the most powerful and revered of the gods and associated with wisdom, knowledge, healing, death, and war. He also ruled over Valhalla.

Thor - Son of Odin, he was regarded as the strongest of all the Norse deities because he was tasked with safeguarding Asgard. He was the most popular of all the gods and worshipped by most Vikings. He was the god of thunder and lightning and wielded the Mjolnir. He rode a chariot drawn by two massive goats called Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir.

Loki - Loki was considered a “blood brother” of Odin. He was known as the trickster god and was equipped with the ability to shapeshift into different forms. He was the chief engineer behind the death of Balder.

Frigg - Frigg was the wife of Odin and the queen of the Aesir gods. She was the only one allowed to sit next to her husband and always stuck by her partner even though he had many extramarital affairs. She was worshipped as the goddess of the sky and associated with wisdom, marriage, family, and fertility. She was blessed with the power of divination but never revealed her visions to anyone.

Baldur - Son of Odin and half-brother to Thor, Baldur was the god of light and purity. He was described as fair, kind, and handsome, whose beauty was unparalleled. He was the epitome of all things wise and good and often praised for his mercifulness. Also thought to be immortal, he had been prophesied to die and was slain by an arrow made out of mistletoe, his death orchestrated by Loki.

Heimdall - Heimdall is the son of Odin and no less than nine mothers, and is the watchman of the god. He dwelt at the entry to Asgard where he guarded Bifrost.

Tyr - Tyr is the god of War and the Lawgiver of the gods. The bravest of the gods, he makes the binding of Fenrir possible by sacrificing his right hand. He’s the son of Odin and the son of the giant Hymir.

Idun - Idun is the goddess of spring or rejuvenation and is the wife of Bragi. She was the keeper of the magic apples of immortality which the gods must eat to preserve their youth.

Bragi - Bragi is the skaldic poet of the Aesir and his name means “poet”. He’s the son of Odin and possibly the giantess Gunnlod, and the husband to Idun.

Vili and Ve - Vili and Ve are the two brothers of Odin who helped to slay Ymir to create the remaining seven realms. They’re the sons of Bestla and Borr and were raised in the realm of Nifelheim.

Forseti - He’s the son of Baldr and Nanna, and is the god of justice and reconciliation.

Gefjun - She’s the goddess of agriculture, fertility, abundance, and prosperity. Her name can be translated to “Giver” or “Generous One.”

Sif - Sif is the wife of Thor as well as a giantess and the goddess of grain and fertility. She was one of the Asynjur and mother of Ullr.

Fjorgynn and Fjorgyn - Fjorgyn, also known as Jord, is a giantess and the mother of Thor through an affair with Odin. Her masculine form Fjorgynn is the father of the goddess Frigg, the wife of Odin.

Sol and Mani - Sol and Mani were the beings who drove the sun and the moon in their courses through the sun. They were sister and brother, and both were fair and beautiful. Sol had to travel at great speed, pursued by a wolf named Skoll who would eventually devour her. Mani kidnapped two humans named Bil (waning) and Hjuki (waxing), children of Vidfinn, and forced them to travel with him. Like his sister, he was also being chased by a hound named Hati Hrodvitnisson.

Ullr - Ullr is the god of sports, particularly archery and skiing. He’s the son of Sif and Egill and step-son to Thor.

Hoenir - Hoenir is a warrior god and is the travel companion of Odin and Loki. He was also part of the creation of Ask and Embla. He goes with Mimir to the Vanir as a hostage in order to seal a truce to the Aesir-Vanir War. He’s the god of indecision, avoidance, and mystery.

Vidar - Son of Odin and Gridr, he was known as Vidar the silent, the possessor of the iron shoe, the enemy and slayer of Fenrir, the avenger, and he who inhabits the homestead of his father. He’s a warrior god and an excellent fighter.

Hodr - Hodr is the blind god of winter and warriors. Oftentimes he’s depicted with a bow and arrows, or the spear that Loki used to trick him. He was the son of Frigg and Odin and twin brother of Baldr. Sometimes he’s thought to be a god of darkness.

Vali - Son of Odin and the giantess Rindr, Vali was born for the sole purpose of avenging Baldr. He kills Hodr and binds Loki with the entrails of his son Narfi. He’s the god of vengeance.

Vanir Gods and Goddesses

Freya - Freya was the goddess of fate, love, beauty, gold, war, and fertility. She ruled over the meadow of Folkvangr and owned a torc or necklace known as the Brisingamen as well as a cloak made of falcon feathers. She rode a chariot drawn by two cats and was accompanied by a board called Hildisvini most of the time. She practiced Seidr, which is a form of magic that allowed her the ability to control and manipulate the desires and prosperity of others.

Freyr - Freyr is associated with sacral kingship, virility, peace, prosperity, sunshine and fair weather, and good harvest. He’s the son of Njord and the god of fertility, rain, and sunshine. His twin sister is Freyja.

Freyja - Freyja, twin sister and counterpart of Freyr, was the goddess of love, fertility, battle, and death. Her father was Njord. Pigs were sacred to her, and she rode a boar with golden bristles.

Njord - Njord is the god of seas, wealth, wind, and fishing. He was the father of Freyr and Freyja.

Nerthus - Nerthus is a goddess associated with fertility. She was also associated with peace and prosperity. She was the wife and sister of Njord and the mother of Freyr and Freyja.

Gullveig - Gullveig is a sorceress and seer with great love and lust for gold. She was speared by the Aesir, burnt three times, and yet thrice reborn.

Odr - Odr is the husband of Freyja

Norse Creatures

Dwarves - Also known as dark elves, they’re small creatures that originated as maggots from the corpse of Ymir. They live underground in Svartalfheim (literally means “home of the black elves”) and are said to have crafted the finest weapons and jewelry such as Mjollnir and Gungnir. In certain myths, they’re portrayed as turning to stone if exposed to sunlight.

Draugar - The Draugar are the undead. Some myths describe them as creatures who drink blood, they’re more similar to zombies than vampires. They possess superhuman strength and can increase their size at will, but have a constant stench of decay and appear as a dead body. They often live in their graves to defend the treasure they were buried with but can also enter communities to torment those who wronged them in life. They’re said to be able to enter the dreams of the living to torment them, and would leave behind a gift so the victims knew the encounter was real.

Elves - Elves are separated into two different types; Dokkalfar, or dark elves, and Ljosalfar, light elves. Dark elves are thought to be the same as dwarves and light elves are described as more beautiful than the sun. They’re generally described as having an ambivalent relationship with humans.

Fenrir - Fenrir was the son of Loki and the giantess Angroboda. He was raised by the gods of Asgard to stop him from wreaking havoc across the nine worlds but the gods ended up deciding to chain him up. It’s believed that when Fenrir breaks his chains to get his revenge, it will lead to Ragnarok, the end of the world.

Fossegrimen - Also known as the grim, he’s a water spirit who plays the fiddle mimicking the sounds of the forest, wind, and water. He can be bribed to teach his skill with an offering that he deems sufficient. He’s also known to lure women and children to lakes and streams where they drown.

Huldra - Wardens of the forest and part of a group of Ra that protects various locations. Female Huldra are described as beautiful and seductive, with a long tail of a cow and their back covered in bark. They can disguise themselves as young women to walk in the world of men but their power of illusion is broken if someone sees their tail. They lure young, unmarried men into the forest and keep them as slaves, lovers, or sometimes they’ll suck the life out of them.

Jormungandr - Also known as the Midgard Serpent, Jormungandr is another child of Loki and Angrboda. He is a snake or dragon that lives in the sea surrounding Midgard. He is described as an enemy of Thor and during Ragnarok, the two are fated to slay one another.

Jotnar - Jotnar, meaning “devourers”, are giants with powers that rival the power of the gods. They’re the enemy of the gods and the Jotnar embody chaos. Many of the Asgardian gods are descended from Jotnar such as Odin and Thor.

Kraken - Aquatic monsters that are believed to live off the shores of Norway and Greenland. They’re depicted as gigantic octopi or squids. They mostly ate fish but when it rose to the surface, it was believed to cause large whirlpools which would help it attack ships.

Valkyries - The female helping spirits of Odin, depicted as elegant maidens who ferry the slain to Valhalla. Their name means “choosers of the Slain”, which hints at their more sinister side, the fact that they also choose who lives and dies in battle. They would sometimes use malicious magic to ensure their preferences.

Sleipnir - Odin’s mighty eight-legged horse is the child of Loki and Svadilfari. It had eight legs so that it could have one leg in each of the Norse worlds.

Mare - The Mare monster gave people bad dreams at night by sitting on them in their sleep. Often they were witches whose souls took the forms of animals, but normal people, particularly adolescents, were also thought to become Mare when their spirits wandered. It was believed that when the Mare touched a living thing, people, cattle, or trees, it would cause their hair to become entangled.

Trolls - There are large ugly trolls that dwell in forests and mountains, and small gnome-like trolls that live underground in deep caves and caverns. They’re depicted as not very intelligent and malevolent but can show kindness in exchange for a favor.

Norns - The three principal Norns served as the caretakers of the tree of life, but their care only slowed the death of the tree.

Ratatoskr - A squirrel that runs up and down the tree of life delivering the messages of the gods. He enjoys stirring trouble between the wise eagle that sits atop the tree and the hungry dragon that swells in its roots.

The Nine Realms

Yggdrasil - Yggdrasil is the mighty tree whose trunk rises at the geographical center of the Norse spiritual cosmos. It’s believed that the nine worlds are all held in the branches and roots of the tree of Yggdrasil. It’s commonly said to be an ash tree.

Niflheim - The realm of fog and mist. It’s the darkest and coldest region of all the realms. It’s one of the first two realms and is placed in the northern region of Ginnngagap. Hvergelmir is located in Niflheim, which is said to be the source of the elven rivers. As Yggdrasil started to grow, it stretched one of its large roots far into Niflheim to draw water from Hvergelmir.

Muspelheim - The land of fire. Muspelheim was created at the same time as Niflheim but was created far to the south. It’s a burning hot place filled with lava, flames, sparks, and soot. It’s the home of the fire giants, fire demons, and is ruled by Surtr.

Asgard - Home of the Gods. The most commonly known realm, Asgard is located in the middle of the world, high up in the sky. It’s the home of the gods and goddesses and is ruled by the chief of Aesir Odin. Inside the gates of Asgard is Valhalla, the place where half who die in battle will go for the afterlife and the other half go to Folkvangr.

Midgard - Home of the humans. “Middle earth” is located in the middle of the world below Asgard. Midgard and Asgard are connected by Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge. It’s surrounded by a large, impassable ocean that is occupied by the Midgard Serpent. The first two humans were Ash and Embla and were sent to Midgard after being created from tree logs by Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve.

Jotunheim - Home of the giants. Jotunheim consists mostly of rocks, wilderness, and dense forests, and lies in the snowy regions on the outermost shores of the ocean. There is no fertile land in Jotunheim. Jotunheim is separated from Asgard by the river living which never freezes over.

Vanaheim - Home of the Vanir. Nobody knows where exactly the land is located or how it looks.

Alfheim - Home of the light elves. Alfheim is located right next to Asgard in heaven. The god Freyr is the ruler of Alfheim.

Svartalfheim - Home of the dwarves. Svartalfheim means dark fields, and they live under the rocks, in caves, and underground. Hreidmar was the king of Svartalfheim until he was killed.

Helheim - Home of the dishonorable dead. Hel is where the dishonorable dead, thieves, murderers, or those the gods and goddesses feel are not brave enough to go to Valhalla or Folkvangr. Helheim is ruled over by Hel and is a very grim and cold place. Any person who arrives at Helheim will never feel joy or happiness again.

#norse #norse mythology #loki #odin #thor #asgard #midgard #writing tips #writing resources #valhalla #ragnarok

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moravincitomnia · 3 years

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The Death Of Baldur

Try to read this without Loki laughing over your shoulder challenge

Baldur was one of the most beloved of all the gods, he was the son of Odin and the benevolent sorceress and goddess Frigg. Baldur was a generous, joyful and courageous character who gladdened the hearts of all who spent time with him. When therefore he began to have ominous dreams of some grave misfortune befalling him. the fearful gods appointed Odin to discover the meaning. Baldur’s father wasted no time taking Sleipnir and riding to the underworld to consult a dead seeress whom he knew was wise in such matters with a disguise. When Odin arrived he found the halls arrayed in splendour as if some magnificent feast was about to occur. Odin woke the seeress and questioned the festivity, and she responded that the guest of honour was to be none other than Baldur. She recounted how the god would meet his doom stopping when she realised the desperate nature of Odin’s entreaties, who this disguised wanderer truly was.

Odin returned to Asgard in sorrow and told his companions what he had been told. Frigg yearning for any chance of saving her treasured son went to every entity in the cosmos, living or non-living, and obtained oaths not to harm Baldur. Loki however, sensed an opportunity for mischief. In disguise he went to Frigg and asked her, “Did all things swear oaths to spare Baldur from harm?” “Oh, yes,” the goddess replied, “everything except the mistletoe. But the mistletoe is so small and innocent a thing that I felt it superfluous to ask it for an oath. What harm could it do to my son?” Immediately upon hearing this Loki departed, locating the mistletoe and carved a spear out of it and then brought it to where the gods were playing their new favourite game. He approached the blind god Hodr and said, “You must feel quite left out, having to sit back here away from the merriment, not being given a chance to show Baldur the honour of proving his invincibility.” The blind god concurred. “Here,” Said Loki, handing him the shaft of the mistletoe. “I will point your hand in the direction of where Baldur stands, and you will throw this branch at him.” So Hodr threw the mistletoe and it pierced straight through Baldur and he fell down dead on the spot.

The gods found themselves unable to speak as they trembled with fear and anguish. They knew that this event was the first presage of Ragnarok. At last Frigg composed herself enough to ask if there were any among them who were brave, loyal and compassionate enough to journey to the land of the dead and offer Hel a ransom for Baldurs release. Hermod offered to undertake this mission and Odin instructed Sleipnir to take Hermod to the underworld and off he went. The gods arranged a lavish funeral for their fallen friend. They turned Baldur’s ship Hringhorni into a pyre fitting for a great king. When the time came to launch the ship out to sea however the gods found it stuck in sand and unable to force it to budge. After many failed attempts they summoned a certain giantess Hyrrokkin who arrived in Asgard riding a wolf with poisonous snakes for reins. Finally the ship was freed after one almighty push. As Baldurs body was carried onto the ship his wife Nanna was struck with such grief that she died on the spot and was placed beside her husband. The fire was kindled and Thor hallowed the flames by holding his hammer over them, Odin laid upon the pyre his ring Draupnir and Baldur’s horse was led into the flames.

Meanwhile Hermod rode the nine nights through ever darker and deeper valleys on his quest to rescue the part of Baldur that had been sent to Hel. When he came to the river Gjoll, Modgud the giantess who guards the bridge aksed him his name and his purpose adding that it was strange that his footfalls were as thundering as those as an entire army. He answered her and she allowed him to cross over into Hel’s realm. When entering Hermod spotted Hel’s throne and Baldur, pale and downcast sitting in the seat of honour next to her, he spent the night there and pleaded with Hel to release Baldur, that everything in the cosmos felt great sorrow for Baldur and Hel responded, “ If this is so, then let everything in the cosmos weep for him, and I will send him back to you. But if any refuse, he will remain in my presence.” Hermod rode back to Asgard, told everyone what Hel said and indeed everything and everyone did weep for Baldur except for one giantess, Tokk who was Loki in disguise and coldly told the messengers who conveyed the message throughout the realms, “Let Hel hold what she has!”

And so Baldur was condemned to remain in Hel’s realm with her.

#norse mythology #norse pantheon #norse paganism #norse pagan witch #norse myth #norse myths

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homestuckexamination · 3 years

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Speaking of Marvus, I think he arranged the hit on Boldir, probably by Polypa. We know Polypa uses poisoned knives, and the Norse god Baldur was slain with a poison dart by his brother Hodr who was tricked by Loki. Who's more of a trickster? Where this gets weird is both their meta knowledge. Was he actually trying to kill her or did he know MSPAR would save her in the true timeline? Did SHE know, and was she in on his plan? For what purposes?

Hard to tell but I don't quite THINK it was any of the characters we know? It's entirely possible the hit was arranged by Doc Scratch himself as he was basically just making a test run of the Timeline and arranging things to go in a certain way. If it had been anyone we know I feel as though there'd have been hints/references to it, and Alternia is not exactly short on Trolls willing to kill for cash.

#HSE #Friendsim #Boldir #Scratch #Polypa #Marvus #Fanon

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allherdaydreams · 3 years

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Valley of Kings — Prologue

Sigyn | And So It Begins

Universe: Vikings Pairing(s): None yet (there will be several later on, mainly Ivar x fem!OC) Word Count: 1,195 Warnings: Bad writing and mentions of the death of Angrboda Author’s Note: my first vikings fic!!! ahhh!! I really hope y’all like it, i know it’s not much and it’s not great but I hope to have the next chapter out by the end of the week and hopefully I’ll get my other fic started by then too. lemme know if y’all wanna be on a taglist and i’ll add you :)

The stories of the Gods were part of the way of life for my family. Ever since I can remember — and, likely, before that — my mother and father spent countless hours recounting the tales of the Old Ways. I spent a large part of my childhood cradled in my mother’s lap, surrounded by my brother, sister, and our friend, Ivar, as we would listen to my father’s animated retellings. He told us of Odin and Thor, Freyr and Freya, the creation of the Nine Realms and the soon-to-be Ragnarok, when the Gods would die and the Realms would end. Ragnarok was his favorite story to tell us.

When my father was away on raids in the summers, my mother would take over the storytelling — she especially loved to tell us of Freya and her cats, who drew the Goddess’s chariot. Of all the Gods, I loved Freya the most, and it was because of this love that I begged for years to be allowed a cat. On our eighth birthday, my brother and I were gifted kittens — twins, just like us. My brother named his Tyr, for the bravest of the Gods; I called mine Muninn, for Odin’s raven of memory. I often pretended that, when he got back from his hunting trips, the little black kitten brought me knowledge of the goings-on in the lives of our neighbors and that, occasionally, he spied on Ivar’s older brothers. I believed he also brought me news of my sister, Angrboda, who had died a few years before. I always pictured her in Valhalla. Though she was not much older than me when she passed (she was the same age as Ivar’s brother, Sigurd), she has always been fully grown in my mind’s eye.

In my dreams, Angrboda looks like my father; tall, thin, agile, and strong. She has the same prowling walk as him and my brother, the same eyes and the same hair — but her smile is my mother’s. When I was little, I decided she was a Valkyrie, one that Odin himself had assigned to watch over her younger siblings. I held onto that idea for the rest of my life, even if it wasn’t how the legends described the Valkyries.

After her death, in the later years of my childhood, the story we always begged to hear was the life and death of Baldur — the story of Loki’s punishment, and of me and my brother’s namesakes, Vali and Sigyn. Sigyn, wife of Loki, who displayed the ultimate act of love and loyalty as she shielded Loki from the snake’s venom during his punishment. Vali, whose birth was for one purpose; to avenge his brother Baldur’s death, by killing Hodr and binding Loki.

My father was an odd man with an odd sense of humor. I could never be sure why he had named his children how he did, but I often wondered if it was coincidence or fate.

“And so begins the Saga of Sigyn Flokisdottir and Vali the Reaper,” My father had once remarked, out of the blue, not so long after my sister had passed. My brother had been given the title “the Reaper'' just after he was born because Ivar’s mother, Queen Aslaug, had foreseen him to be a great warrior with an even greater fate. He would avenge not one death, but many. His name would be remembered for centuries to come, all throughout the world.

I don’t have many memories of my life during that time when we were very young, around the time my sister left us, but I have since been told of how my father was given Loki’s punishment for killing a Christian. My mother, always gentle and steadfastly loyal, had readily taken on the role of Sigyn.

What we never heard in the story of Baldur’s Death was that Loki’s eldest daughter would die while he was chained in the cave. But we did often hear afterwards, from my father, that “All things come to pass as the Gods will them.” Though my mother would always nod silently at this phrase, Vali and I knew she never truly recovered from losing our sister.

Every day, my father prayed aloud and talked to the Gods. He made sure to include his children in his conversations, both by mentioning us and encouraging us to join in. We spent many formative spring days speaking to the Gods, learning how to pray and practice our religion and the ways of our people. My brother and I loved this season, when everything was new and our father did not yet have to go overseas to raid. As we became older, spring became Vali’s time with him as he helped our father design and bring to life his great longships. And while Vali learned the art of boatbuilding, I learned how to help my mother around our secluded land.

We lived on the edge of Kattegat, with our house overlooking the water, the trees behind our home sheltering it from the bustling noise of the city. Ivar, the youngest prince of Kattegat, was my only close friend besides my brother. He pretended he didn’t like other people, who excluded and underestimated him because he was a cripple. It was easier for him that way: to pretend he hated them instead of acknowledging that he wished for their love. Similarly, I didn’t have other friends either, though I tried to make them, because I was odd to the other children. Ivar found me odd, too (“You are always in your head and never really here!”), but I cherished his company despite his blunt words and often mean temper. All through our childhood, we stayed by each other’s side; listening to my father’s stories and prayers; watching my brother and father build boats; keeping me company as I did the “women’s work”; following all of our brothers around the streets of Kattegat and the forests outside it as they grew up just before we did.

As we got older, things began to change. I was still odd (I had only begun to grasp what it was to be ‘here,’ present in the world outside of my mind), but people began to pay more attention to me. Ivar was still an outcast, but he had become handsome and strong, refusing to fall behind his brothers in any way. My brother had become his own man, skilled and clever and confident. He remained good friends with Ivar’s older brothers, and though Ivar & I continuously tried to keep up, we were usually able to make peace with it just being us. And it was, usually, just us.

Slowly but surely, Ivar and I crawled our way out of our childhood. As it was with everything, we did it together, following the footsteps of our many brothers.

As it had been told once to us: “And so begins The Saga of Sigyn Flokisdottir & Vali the Reaper,” — and, as it had been told many times to us: “Sigyn, destined for steadfast loyalty and acts of love; Vali, born to avenge the deaths of many, to kill and bind and be remembered.”

#vikings fanfic #vikings #ivar the boneless #ivar the boneless x oc #floki the boat builder #valley of kings saga

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mperosx · 3 years

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Love and Other Mysteries || Hodr&Eros

Continued from here with @mpxhodr

--* The cupid thinks on the question a little bit before he answers and when he does it sounds a little flippant but he’s serious. “Both? Both. They are somewhat hand in hand.” He holds out his arm better and moves his wing as well so that he can be fitted for his new suit better. His two colored eyes drift to the other god and watch him work for a moment before he speaks again. “Believing in love is essentially believe in me because it is my purpose. Some people are born to help others, some are born to be cruel or made that way and they are good at it, others.. Well, we’re created to give and give and give. I was made to calm the Chaos at the start of days, but in turn, I am the Chaos too. If belief in me, belief in love, dies then I go back to what I am at my core--- Chaos itself.” Eros had never truly been the son of a goddess as some legends said, his story had been so much older and the ones that found that version of the dawning of his time had been right to fear Love. They knew that it was laced with something scary that could spin from delicate and sweet to destructive and dangerous if left unchecked. Those angelic eyes look at Hodr again as he works, something soft and sweet still there in abundance but they carry knowledge beyond measure, the danger always present. “People choose to judge Love as too much work because instinctively they know that it takes work to keep it going. It takes care and understanding of another being and the dexterity to know when to back down in a fight and when to stand up in one too. Love gets the bad reputation of Lust and they are not the same-- Lust is primal and just a part of a base need. If it’s nurtured, it can grow to Love. If it’s squandered it can become Obession, then Rage, then true Agony. Love is dangerous only because we want it so badly that we damage it along the way by trying to shape it ourselves-- we have no jurisdiction. And even Chaos will succumb to it if Love grows the right way.”

#;mpxhodr #{para;} Love and Other Mysteries #{{ love is wild #{{ I love Hodr too much to miss a chance to respond so I hope you don't mind I kept this going!

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sevenswcrds · 4 years

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@gulldrengur decided to come for Muninn’s throat ig ___________

If he could only show her how those words hurt him, he placed a hand on her shoulder and let the weight of his emotions be partially noticed, he’s wounded by her claim. If she truly had nothing to lose then why it feels like she’s breaking like all are lies and she has more to lose than to gain.“You are my dearest sister, you have me and Hodr and my wife and my son. Never” his tone a bit more serious, graver, deeper. Like the sun in mid-noon, or a rumble of thunder when it storms “Never again say that you have nothing to lose, or that you are alone. I would defy the Norns if it meant to keep you safe.”

The sudden weight of touch makes her flinch, and Muninn shifts those storm-grey eyes to him, rapid. There’s the same thunder in his voice, as he speaks and for once- For once her hackles don’t rise, as she is told what to or not to do. For once she doesn’t react with aggression or derision, with slighted pride or a snarl, watching him as a bird watches something that it is curious of.

Something that is isn’t certain of.

It aches in her throat, in her eyes- and there’s the phantom sensation of blood from her nose- she passes her fingers against the skin, almost as though to wipe it away. “I think we both know I am more alone than I am a part of anything, a part of anything, a part of anything. And I did that to myself for a purpose,” she says, after a moment- gentler now, than the venomous words of before. To escape the rot of her own head- to ensure she didn’t deteriorate to the point of nothingness.

“You always were so full of grandiose feelings, weren’t you?” It’s- an apology. As close as she comes, at the moment, and she continues to watch him, lips pressed tightly together.

“I... Would do the same for you.” Has done, will do- again, and again, and again. It’s the purpose. It’s the meaning- why she exists, why she compiles power as she does. Why she stays away.

Protect him- protect them.

#gulldrengur #[ muninn verse: main v2 ] i rearrange the world with clear eyes #(( hi i'm here to inspire agony #))

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aboutnorsemythology · 5 years

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“Höðr and Baldr” And two sides of the same story.

There are two widely divergent versions of this story.

Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson

The most familiar of the two comes from the Prose Edda of the medieval Icelandic Snorri Sturluson. As Snorri says, the god Baldr, who here is presented as a charming, loved and innocent sufferer, had dreams that predicted his imminent death.

His mother, Frigg, turned around and got oaths from around the world that they would not harm her son. The only thing he omitted was the mistletoe, since he thought it was too small and harmless to have a real consequence in this matter. When the clever cheater Loki discovered this neglect, he made a spear of mistletoe.

While all the gods had fun throwing all the projectiles available to Baldr and laughing while things bounced on their uninjured companion, Loki approached Hodr, here portrayed as blind and quite gullible, with the spear of mistletoe. He convinced Hodr to throw the spear to Baldr to contribute to the game and honor the strength of his brother. (Hodr and Baldr were children of Odin.) With Loki guiding his hand, Hodr threw the spear towards Baldr. The weapon went through him and, to the surprise and horror of everyone present, he fell dead on the spot.

Later, Hodr was killed by the avenger of Baldr, Vali, who seems to have been conceived specifically for this purpose and whose origin is also controversial (I'll talk about this in another post)

“Gesta Danorum”"The Danish history" by the medieval Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus.

Here, Hodr is far from the passive pawn that Snorri makes him see. Hodr de Saxo (latinized as "Hotherus") is a character whose personality and actions best match his name, means "warrior".

Hodr and Baldr were two great war leaders who organized their armies against each other because of a dispute over the hand of the beautiful maid Nanna. Baldr was nourishing himself with a special spiritual food that gives him invincibility, and Hodr knew he could not beat Baldr by normal means. Then Hodr undertook a long and dangerous journey to the underworld.

There, he obtained a weapon that had been charged with magical powers that would allow him to overcome the magical force induced by Baldr. (It is likely that at this point Loki was able to inform Hodr about how to kill Baldr, because he was angry about Odin's actions, but this does not make him Baldr's killer) Soon after, Hodr wounded Baldr in combat, and Baldr died of his wounds a few days later. However, Hodr was killed by the avenger of Baldr, who is called "Bous".

These two stories are similar enough that they should point to the same basic story. However, they also differ in several definitive aspects, one of which is the character of Hodr.

In the first, Loki is the evil one who has the express intention of murdering a poor defenseless child (Bladr was not such a child and if we read in the same Edda when the gods torture and mock Fenrir Wolf, Baldr laughs cruelly for see him). Fenrir suffers) In the second Loki is not mentioned, not because he was not present in the story but because he was not the real murderer of Baldr.

Imagine for a moment that the version of Snorri's story was the only one that survived to this day. This is, in fact, the case of many of the stories told by Snorri. His version of Baldr's death is clearly far from the complete picture, and his story can not be taken literally.

Of course, the same must be said of Saxo's version. Saxo and Snorri had superimposed but divergent objectives, and whatever their own additions to the story, and whatever the motives behind their additions, they might have been drawn from different versions of the story in the first place.

Regardless of the reasons behind the differences between the two narrations, however, it is clear that we have two versions as different in spirit as in the details, and that none of them gives anything like the complete picture.

This example should serve to prevent us from taking the primary sources too literally, as if they were outright stories of how the pagans of northern Europe saw the world, or how they heard stories told by someone who was clearly on one side in this story . They point to the old world view of northern Europe, yes, but that worldview is often visible only in an opaque way and hidden beneath layers of later creations.

The sources are the starting points for our knowledge of the pre-Christian Germanic world, but they are not the final points. A "stick to sources" approach will only lead us astray and allow us to be tricked by Snorri and others, just as Hodr de Snorri was too confident by Loki. To fill in the gaps, to restore much of what has been lost, we need an approach that is both more critical and intuitive at the same time. We must identify the elements that are common to multiple sources, unite them to form a more integral framework.

Here are the two versions, you decide which of them you want to believe.

Sources: https://mitologia.top/dioses-nordicos-y-criaturas/dioses-y-diosas-del-aesir/hodr/

https://www.bookdepository.com/Saxo-Grammaticus-I-History-Danes-I-Books-I-IX-Saxo-Grammaticus/9780859915021

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saxo-Grammaticus

#Loki #eddas #hodr #baldr #nanna #snorry sturlusson #saxo grammaticus #gesta danorum

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3nding · 4 years

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The Death of Baldr

Other than his great courage and honor, he is known primarily for the myth about his death. It started when he had dreams about his death, which caused his mother, Frigg, to extract an oath from every object on Earth not to harm her son Baldr. All agreed that none of their kind would ever hurt or assist in hurting Balder, and afterward the other gods used his seeming invincibility to practice throwing knives and shooting arrows at him.

This plan was almost perfect except that she had missed one thing that she had thought too insignificant, the weed mistletoe. The trickster God, Loki, took a disguise and asked Frigg if anything could harm Balder. Thinking nothing of it, she told him about the mistletoe. Loki immediately left to gather some of the weed and make a dart out of it. At the same time, several of the gods were playing a game with Balder where they were throwing projectiles at him in an attempt to strike him; however, since all objects had vowed to never harm Balder, he could not be touched by the gods' attempts. Loki gave the dart of mistletoe to Balder's blind twin brother, Hodr, so that he, too, could participate in the game. Not knowing what was in his hand, and having the aid of Loki's aim, he launched the dart into Balder's chest, killing him on the spot. Although somewhat innocent, he was later slain by the new son of Odin and Rindr, Váli, whom had been born, and grew up in one day, for the single purpose of avenging Balder's death.

The other gods lamented his death, and Odin sent Hermóðr to the goddess of death, Hel, to plead for Balder's return to life. She said in reply that she would let him live again if everyone in the world, alive or dead, would weep for him. Loki had now disguised himself as the witch Thokk (in some versions he was a Giantess), and was the only one who would not weep for him, so Balder stayed with Hel.

Now the gods began the funeral for the God of Light and placed his body, wrapped in crimson, upon his ship, the Ringhorn, as a funeral pyre. Alongside him on the pyre was his wife, Nanna, who died of heartache at his passing. Also on his pyre was all of his possessions and his horse. The ship was pushed out to sea by the giantess Hyrrokin.

Loki was punished for his integral role in the death of the most beloved of the gods. He was then hunted down, tied to three rocks, and a serpent was tied above his face, which would continuously drip venom onto his face until Ragnarök.

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dailyawakening · 5 years

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oh please tell me your thoughts on loki! she's actually a rather interesting character and i dont think intsys could do her justice so i would love to hear your ideas!

this response is so late because A) I’ve been trying to figure out what to draw for it and B) I’ve been trying to figure out how to structure the monster novel that by necessity needs to be attached to anything relating to my Loki thoughts.

As a disclaimer, all of this is entirely my own invention based on the original mythology and what we’ve seen of canon; I’m resigned to the fact that there’s no real chance any of this will become part of Heroes, but this is what makes me happy personally, so I’m going to stick to it as an AU if nothing else. So with that out of the way: let’s talk about Loki.

I decided that the easiest way to go through this would be in the major stages of Loki’s life, with each one showcasing a different appearance (Loki’s a shapeshifter, after all). It’s not always easy to put myths in order, but I have a pretty strong personal plot thread that runs through Loki’s myths, so let’s start at the beginning: with Loki’s early experiences as one of the Aesir.

Loki is not technically a god – not in the way that Odin and Thor are, at least. Loki is a child of jotunn, and more than likely is a jotunn as well, rather than one of the Aesir, so under normal circumstances would not have counted among their number; however, Loki and Odin forged a blood pact and swore an oath to treat one another as brothers, and so Loki was adopted into the Aesir fold by bonds of kinship.

Loki is not truly evil, and never has been. Loki is a mischievous spirit, fiery and wild, fond of trickery and games, and those have a tendency to get out of hand sometimes, which leads to big problems. But Loki’s word is also their bond, and when they swear an oath, they keep it. The myth of Idunn shows this very clearly: when Loki is captured by a jotunn, they swear to give him whatever he asks, and he asks for the goddess Idunn, responsible for keeping the Aesir young and strong. When Loki is released, they do exactly as they swore, and lure Idunn into the jotunn’s clutches; however, when the rest of the Aesir realize what’s happened, they force Loki to promise to get Idunn back, which Loki proceeds to do.

This oath keeping is important. It will come up again.

Now, because of the bond they swore, Loki was often called on by Odin to perform various tasks, many of which sent them wandering across the various realms – of course, Loki also succumbed to wanderlust sometimes when left bored too long, and had been known to wander off. On one of these wanderings for whatever purpose, Loki met the jotunn Angrboda and ended up having a rather extended affair with her – enough that three children came of it: the wolf Fenrir, the serpent Jormungandr, and a daughter named Hel who seemed neither living nor dead.

Loki loved those children. They didn’t care a whit that they were seemingly strange: those were Loki’s babies, and Loki doted on them endlessly. Eventually, though, Odin had need of Loki again and summoned them…and rather than leave the babies behind, Loki decided to bring them back to Asgard. Now, the Aesir were significantly less thrilled about these children than Loki, but when Loki asked the Aesir to look after them in their absence (calling on Odin’s pact when he falters), they relented, and Loki left the three children with the gods.

For a while, things were fine. Unfortunately, Fenrir and Jormungandr in particular grew at an alarming rate, and the Aesir came to fear what monsters they would eventually become – so rather than let them become destroyers wreaking havoc on Asgard, Odin chose instead to deal with them while Loki was absent on a mission: Fenrir was bound with the ribbon Gleipnir (only managed because Tyr, the Aesir he trusted most, agreed to place his hand in Fenrir’s mouth to prove it was no trick – and he lost that hand for his deception), Hel was exiled to the realm of the dishonored dead (those who died of sickness and famine rather than gloriously on the battlefield), and Jormungandr was thrown into the swirling chaos of the Tempest before Odin used his might to quell it.

Loki was…less than pleased when they got back. Vascillating wildly between rage and desolation, they took out their suffering through increasingly malicious pranks on the Aesir (the theft of Brisingamen and the shearing of Sif’s hair), which ultimately ended in Loki paying the heaviest price. Eventually, grief took its toll, and Loki gave in to a listless depression; it was their inability to care at all that made them discount Svadilfari’s strength, and they came to pay for that, too – though the price came in the form of a new child, the eight-legged colt Sleipnir that Loki bore as a mare. Unwilling to see another child suffer the same fate as the first three, Loki gave Sleipnir over to Odin in hopes that leaving him in service to the Aesir would protect him from harm…and, at least, Loki would still be able to see the child.

And it’s here that we reach the first turning point: realizing how unstable Loki had become owing to the loss of their children, Odin decided to take drastic action and try to ground them in the present – by arranging Loki’s marriage to Sigyn. No one actually expected the marriage to be more than lip service, with the two leading separate lives within the same house; however, much to everyone’s surprise, Loki and Sigyn readily came to care for one another, and Loki finally began to heal from the loss of their children. They still mourned, yes, and still worried for Sleipnir, but much of their playfulness returned as they found joy with their new wife. Settling with Sigyn and becoming a more committed member of the Aesir led to the first major shift in Loki’s appearance, as well.

Loki and Sigyn had a child together: a son named Narvi who they both loved dearly. Having a child to raise once more helped to ground Loki still further, and they finally settled comfortably into their role and came to be almost friendly with several of the Aesir. When Thor’s hammer was stolen, Loki helped him first to find it (by using Freya’s cloak of feathers to fly to the realm of the jotunn; he promised to return it and made good on his word) and then retrieve it, and even won a new ally into the fold with their antics. Loki and Thor traveled together as allies for a spell, no less, and had a rather harrowing encounter with a jotunn skilled in illusion (during which Loki lost an eating contest with a wildfire and had an unwitting encounter with Jormungandr, something they mourned once the truth was revealed because they had no idea). And beyond that, Loki even came to the aid of mankind alongside the other gods, helping to save a boy from being devoured by giants when even Odin and Thor could not.

Sadly, this period of happiness was not meant to last. In time, Odin’s second son Baldr began to have terrible nightmares about his own death; fearing deeply for her son’s life, his mother Frigg went to every plant, animal, and other object in the world and begged them to swear to do Baldr no harm, to which they all agreed.

And this is where things get dicey: Odin, wise and well-traveled already, had knowledge of what would come to pass at Ragnarok and after – and because of that, he knew that Baldr would rise from Hel to claim the world after the rest of the gods and men had fallen, inheriting the new and beautiful world that rose from the fire and flood. With Frigg’s frantic attempts to keep her son alive, that prophecy would be endangered. Odin, of course, is known as a good and honorable god…but looking at the myths more closely, it sometimes seems that he’s only ‘good’ and ‘honorable’ because he has others do his dirty work (it was his order that had Loki lure Svadilfari from his work, thus cheating the builder of his prize, after all) or claims that he acts in everyone’s best interests (as he did when he bound or exiled Loki’s first children).

So in order to preserve his son’s ability to inherit the world, Odin went to Loki and asked him to find a way to take Baldr’s life.

Naturally, Loki balked at that. But Odin cited their blood bond, and insisted that it was necessary. In the end, Loki agreed – on the condition that his family be spared from whatever followed, for there could be no doubt that there would be a heavy price to pay for this. Odin swore it, and Loki left, discovering that Frigg had failed to ask the mistletoe for its oath and using it to create an arrow; and while the other Aesir were having a grand time throwing things at Baldr and watching them bounce off him without doing a thing, Loki tricked Baldr’s twin brother Hodr into firing the arrow – which struck Baldr in the heart, killing him instantly.

It took little enough time for the gods to realize that Loki was behind the crime, and they proceeded to shut him out of everything. Wracked with guilt and emotionally unstable, Loki gradually neared a breaking point, which led to the roasting of the other gods at Aegir’s house (which Loki intruded upon by pointedly reminding Odin of the same blood oath he’d cited to make Loki agree to the plot). Realizing that Loki posed a great danger should the truth come out, Odin took drastic action: when the other Aesir, incensed by Loki’s criticisms and sharp words, hunted them down to be punished for Baldr’s death, Odin turned his youngest son Vali into a wolf and had him attack Loki’s son Narvi, viciously murdering the boy; and to make matters worse, the Aesir then used Narvi’s entrails to bind Loki to a stone beneath the earth, transfiguring them into chains before affixing a snake above Loki’s head to drip poison onto them for eternity.

Only one stayed beside Loki through this: their wife Sigyn, who remained by Loki’s side catching the poison in a bowl (though she had to leave to empty it on occasion, and when she did the searing poison made Loki writhe violently enough to cause earthquakes). And it is because of Sigyn that Loki remained passive for so long: her presence kept Loki calm, kept their thirst for revenge from overwhelming them, for she reasoned that if they did slip those bonds and set Ragnarok in motion, then Loki and all of their children all would die, just as Narvi had. At least now the children had life and could have pleasant dreams – and at least now, Loki had Sigyn.

But at some point in the very recent past, something happened: Sigyn vanished. Loki had slept, and when they woke to the searing pain of the snake’s venom, they found that their wife was nowhere to be seen, and no amount of calling and pleading made her reappear. That, truly, was the last straw for Loki: all their grief and despair turned to fury and hate in that instant, and the fireball they became incinerated both their chains and the snake that had so long tormented them. In the aftermath, only one link of the chains remained intact, and Loki kept it close, fashioning it into the buckle of the belt they wear. And without Sigyn by their side, Loki allowed that desire for vengeance to burn through them, which has led to where things stand today.

The shape Loki now assumes is strategic as much as comfortable, meant to distract enemies and give her more openings in combat. Everything she does is self-serving, up to and including her alliance with Surtr – hence her betrayal when he ceased to be useful. What she seeks: her children. Calling on Veronica to secure Naglfar and raise the Tempest, she sought Jormungandr (and still seeks him, as each foray into the Tempest has left her empty-handed); and now that Surtr’s power has been added to Hel’s army, giving her the ability to break the barrier Askr put in place, Loki seeks her lost daughter. And in the end, she intends to make the treacherous Aesir suffer for the pain and misery they caused her and her family for so long.

#ada answers #banyanas #fire emblem: heroes #fanart #loki #headcanon #this turned out about as long as i expected #i tried not to go into overmuch detail #but some of it was just necessary okay #i have feelings about loki and how things went down #and how so much of norse mythology just feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy #if fenrir and jormungandr and hel had been treated better by the aesir #if odin had been up-front about things #or at least kept his word when he gave it #maybe there wouldn't be a ragnarok at all #hard reset

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deficd · 5 years

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a plotted starter for my bby @vuulpecula

“Dreams, dire dreams, the son of Odinn bore, wandering lost in worlds of woe. Death he met in shades of night, speaking doom and fated tale: “Even gods call and cower before my might! For all strength, in the end, fails.” This was how fate unraveled for Baldr, the most beloved of the gods, he of Light and Sun.”

They two rode slowly through the trees, Ragnar so engrossed in the tales of his land that he hardly recalled the reason they wandered. A task from Dutch, to survey a small township North of Strawberry, and perhaps find the opportunity to make a little bit of a money. Luck had been on the decline lately, and the likelihood that this secluded township housed anything aside from people who were even poorer than them was slim. Instead of troubling himself with wasted time, he’d taken to sharing stories of his gods with Fox, reveling in her fascination with his strange, outlandish tales.

“Sure in purpose, power, pride; the all-mother Frigg hastened over the land to secure oaths from all things, living and not, that they would not harm her son. In her oversight, she did not ask the mistletoe for this oath, thinking it too insignificant to harm the God of Light. Yes, be it beast or thorn or flower, bird, elf, or ghoul, all had sworn to never harm him.”

Silence fell between the two as he paused in his tale, only the sound of birds and the soft trod of hooves. He knew all too well that his stories bordered on madness in these lands. Truthfully, they were regarded just the same across the ocean, in his homeland, as Christianity pored through it like precious gold. Ragnar would rarely admit that the old gods were his as well, if anything he teetered on the precipice of belief and apathy, but he liked to talk. He especially liked that Fox enjoyed his myths, even when she giggled at the eccentricity of them.

“But in the shadows the trickster god Loki schemed. He asked Frigg, “Has everything given you an oath, all living and not?” and she said, “All but the mistletoe, for it is too young to swear a vow.” Then Loki sought it and stole a twining stem. The gods had made a game of throwing axe and sword at Baldr since he could not die. On this day, his brother Hodr, blind and blade-less, had no weapon to test. With Loki’s whispering, he threw the mistletow as an arrow, and it pierced his brother through the heart. Silence swarmed the air like a campfire smoke, and Baldr fell upon the earth; then died the sound of music and so died the light and mirth.”

After a moment, his tale finished for the moment, he looked over at his companion and offered her a toothy grin. “So? More interesting than the Christian book, right?”

#x: the raven (threads.)#v; the raven: I don't know if I'm scared of dying but I'm scared of living too fast too slow #this is the best his english in this verse will be unless i get lazy lmao #after this story: you like yes #religion tw

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moravincitomnia · 3 years

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Ragnarok

Next myth which isn’t in order but it’s one of the popular ones or at least the title is. It’s also a long one.

Ragnarok is the cataclysmic destruction of the cosmos and everything in it even the gods. Someday - whenever the Norns decree it - there shall come a Great Winter unlike any other the world has yet seen. The biting winds will blow snows from all direction and the warmth from the sun will fail plunging the earth into unprecedented cold. This winter will last for the length of three normal winters with no summers in between. Mankind will become so desperate that all laws and morals will fade away. It will be an age of swords and axes; brother will slay brother, father will slay son and son will slay father.

The wolves Skoll and Hati who have hunted the sun and the moon through the skies since the beginning of time will at last catch their prey and the stars will leave leaving nothing but a black void in the heavens. Yggdrasil, the great tree that holds the cosmos together will tremble and all the trees and mountains around it will fall to the ground. The chain that has been holding Fenrir will snap and he will be set free, Jormungand the mighty serpent who dwells at the bottom of the ocean and encircles the land will rise from the depths spilling the seas over all the earth as he makes a landfall.

These convulsions will shake the ship Naglfar free from its moorings and this ship is no ordinary ship, it’s made of fingernails and toenails of dead men and women and will sail over the flooded earth. Its crew will be the army of giants, the forces of chaos and destruction. And of course whose it’s captain? Loki, of course. Loki would have broken free from his chains which the gods bound him to. Fenrir will run across the earth with his lower jaw on the ground and his upper jaw against the top of the sky, devouring everything in his path. Jormungand will spit his venom all over the world, poisoning land, water the air. The dome of the sky will be split and from that crack shall emerge the fire giants from Muspelheim. Their leader is Surt with a flaming sword brighter than the sun in his hand. As they march across the bifrost to Asgard the bridge will break and fall behind them. An ominous horn blast will ring out which will be Heimdall, the devine sentry blowing the Gjallarhorn to announce the arrival of the moment the gods had feared. Odin will anxiously consult the head of Mimir the wisest of all beings for counsel.

The gods will decide to go to battle, even though they know what the prophecies have foretold concerning the outcome of this clash. They’ll arm themselves and meet their enemies on the battlefield called Vigrid. Odin will fight Fenrir, and by his side will be the einherjar, the host of his chosen human warriors whom he has kept in Valhalla for just this moment. Odin and the champions of men will fight more valiantly than anyone has ever fought before but it will not be enough and Fenrir will swallow Odin and his men. Then one of Odin’s sons Vidar, burning with rage, will try to fight Fenrir and on one of his feet will be the shoe that has been crafted for this very purpose; it has been made from all the scraps of leather that human shoemakers have ever discarded and with it Vidar will hold open Fenrir’s mouth and stab his sword through his throat killing him.

Another wolf, Gram and the god Tyr will kill each other. Heimdall and Loki will do the same and kill one another. The god Freyr and the giant Surt will also be the end of each other. Thor and Jormungand will both finally have the chance to kill each other, Thor will succeed with the blows of his hammer but the serpent will have covered him in so much venom that he will not be able to stand for much longer and he will take nine paces before falling dead. Then the remains of the world will sink into the sea and there will be nothing left but the void. Creation and all that has occurred will simply be undone as if it never happened. Some say it’s the end of the tale and all of the tales for that matter. But others hold that a new world, green and beautiful, will arise out from the waters. Vidar and a few other gods - Vali, Baldur and Hodr and Thor’s sons Modi and Magni will survive the downfall of the old world and live joyously in the new one. A man and a woman called Lif and Lifthrasir will have hidden themselves from the cataclysm in a place called the wood of hoddmimir and will now come out and populate the land. A new sun, the daughter of the previous one will rise in the sky.

#norse mythology #norse pantheon #norse paganism #norse pagan witch #norse myth #norse myths

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mountphoenixrp · 5 years

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We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

Kim Doyoung, who is known by no other name; a 24 year old son of Hodr. He is a student, TA and a taekwondo instructor at Zero to Hero.

FC NAME/GROUP: Kim Dongyoung (Doyoung), NCT CHARACTER NAME: Kim Doyoung AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 24; February 1, 1995 PLACE OF BIRTH: Guri-si, South Korea OCCUPATION: Masters student and TA at Phoenix University (biochemistry), Taekwondo instructor at Zero to Hero HEIGHT: 5’8” WEIGHT: 130 lbs DEFINING FEATURES: Doyoung has extremely poor eyesight, for which he wears strong contact lenses most of the time. When he is at home or studying for a long time, he wears thick black-rimmed glasses instead.

PERSONALITY: Doyoung is the definition of chic. Being a very driven and focused person, constantly either studying or training, most people see him as cold and uptight. Good luck trying to get to know him, because you probably won’t. He is not one for small talk, and he is often caught up in his own thoughts, so people often think he is rude and purposely ignoring them. He is also a ruthless TA and instructor, holding everyone to the same high standards he holds himself to.

HISTORY: When Doyoung was born, they thought he was dead. The newborn baby that the doctor held was cold to the touch, and he would have surely thought it stillborn if not for the fact that it was squirming and crying. No one could explain the baby’s temperature, nor why his condition only seemed to worsen when they put him under heat lamps. He was perfectly healthy, strong, but his body temperature was so low.

So they sent him home with his parents; a young woman and her husband. The baby had been conceived after a one night affair with a strange man, but neither his mother nor his supposed father knew that he was fathered by the other man.

Shortly after bringing Doyoung home, his parents realized that he had extremely poor eyesight, and he was nearly unable to see anything before they got him glasses. Once they did, he proved to be a bright child.

Both his mother and father were taekwondo instructors who had recently taken over ownership of the local martial arts school where they had met. Doyoung began learning taekwondo from the time he could walk, practically growing up at the studio. He took to martial arts like a fish to water, and started competing in tournaments when he was only seven.

The first time his parents noticed there were something special about his was when, during a self defence maneuver, he grabbed his partner’s wrist and ice spread across their arm. From that day on, Doyoung wore gloves whenever he was practicing or competing. Eventually he just started wearing them all the time, worried that he might high five a friend or hug his mom and cover them in ice. And despite the fact that he preferred doing taekwondo barefoot, he began wearing shoes all the time too.

Things continued on normally like that for a while. He went to school, spent most of his spare time practicing taekwondo and most weekends he was fighting in sparring tournaments. By the time he entered high school, he was among the top martial artists in his region, and when he shot up a few inches and filled out during the summer before his 3rd year, he was quickly one of the most sought-after boys in his school, despite being quiet and too busy to have much of a social life.

Girls would ask him out and confess their feelings to him only to receive a questioning look and the cold shoulder. Guys would ask him to hang out to gain the girls’ favour only to be told that he was too busy. His only friends were other people from his martial arts school, and even then, they were not overly friendly.

Doyoung graduated top of his class in high school and was accepted to one of the best universities in the country for biochemistry. For several years he studied, he trained, he competed, he slept, and not much else. He got his undergraduate degree and immediately applied to a graduate program, and by this time he was competing in nationwide taekwondo tournaments.

However, half way through the second year of his graduate studies, he was competing in a national tournament when his foot slipped out of his shoe. As soon as his bare foot touched the mat, a coat of ice spread across the floor.

No one could explain the ice, but Doyoung and his parents knew what had happened. When they got home from the tournament the next day, one of the instructors from their school was waiting on their doorstep. He told Doyoung that there was an island where he could go to learn how to control his powers, he explained that people like them needed to be taught to control their gifts. So, Doyoung packed up his things, put in his request to transfer universities, and left for the mysterious city.

But not before his parents told him that there was someone else he had to take with him… Just his luck.

PANTHEON: Norse CHILD OF: Hodr POWERS: Doyoung’s body temperature is quite a bit lower than most people’s, to the point that the temperature in any room drops when he enters. He can manipulate both ice and snow when water is present (in solid, liquid or gaseous form), but manipulating large quantities of either, even by accident, will drain his energy. His powers are strongest in winter, when ice and snow are readily available and the temperatures are low.

STRENGTHS:

does not feel the cold

his ice powers are useful for both offence and defence

very skilled in Taekwondo

very focused and goal-oriented

WEAKNESSES:

prolonged exposure to hot weather can make him feel weak or even sick

nearly legally blind without contacts or glasses

has poor control over his powers

often pushes himself to the point of exhaustion

#kpop rp #krp #nct #kim dongyoung #nct doyoung #mp; welcome

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