An Exercise in Expanding Our Knowledge of the Gods
A better understanding of the lore makes for better practice surrounding it. Inspired by Owen's post last Wednesday, I invite all of our readers to participate in getting to better know the Gods and Goddesses that we worship in their respective branches. Each month, select a deity that you wish to know more about. Consume and digest whatever source material there may be, or that you can find, as well as direct your prayers and meditation towards them. At the end of the month, begin anew with another deity. Discussion and collaboration is highly encouraged! Any thoughts, revelations and so on is welcome in our chats/discussion groups.
- Cormac Cás, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
A better understanding of the lore makes for better practice surrounding it. Inspired by Owen's post last Wednesday, I invite all of our readers to participate in getting to better know the Gods and Goddesses that we worship in their respective branches. Each month, select a deity that you wish to know more about. Consume and digest whatever source material there may be, or that you can find, as well as direct your prayers and meditation towards them. At the end of the month, begin anew with another deity. Discussion and collaboration is highly encouraged! Any thoughts, revelations and so on is welcome in our chats/discussion groups.
- Cormac Cás, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
Forwarded from Æhtemen
Hymn to Woden by William Lisle Bowles (24 September 1762 – 7 April 1850).
God of the battle, hear our prayer!
By the lifted falchion's glare;
By the uncouth fane sublime,
Marked with many a Runic rhyme;
By the 'weird sisters' dread,
That, posting through the battle red,
Choose the slain, and with them go
To Valhalla's halls below,
Where the phantom-chiefs prolong
Their echoing feast, a giant throng,
And their dreadful beverage drain
From the skulls of warriors slain:
God of the battle, hear our prayer;
And may we thy banquet share!
Save us, god, from slow disease;
From pains that the brave spirit freeze;
From the burning fever's rage;
From wailings of unhonoured age,
Drawing painful his last breath;
Give us in the battle death!
Let us lift our glittering shield,
And perish, perish in the field!
Now o'er Cumri's hills of snow
To death, or victory, we go;
Hark! the chiefs their cars prepare;
See! they bind their yellow hair;
Frenzy flashes from their eye,
They fly--our foes before them fly!
Woden, in thy empire drear,
Thou the groans of death dost hear,
And welcome to thy dusky hall
Those that for their country fall!
Hail, all hail the godlike train,
That with thee the goblet drain;
Or with many a huge compeer,
Lift, as erst, the shadowy spear!
Whilst Hela's inmost caverns dread
Echo to their giant tread,
And ten thousand thousand shields
Flash lightning o'er the glimmering fields!
Hark! the battle-shouts begin--
Louder sounds the glorious din:
Louder than the ice's roar,
Bursting on the thawing shore;
Or crashing pines that strew the plain,
When the whirlwinds hurl the main!
Riding through the death-field red,
And singling fast the destined dead,
See the fatal sisters fly!
Now my throbbing breast beats high--
Now I urge my panting steed,
Where the foemen thickest bleed.
Soon exulting I shall go,
Woden, to thy halls below;
Or o'er the victims, as they die,
Chaunt the song of Victory!
God of the battle, hear our prayer!
By the lifted falchion's glare;
By the uncouth fane sublime,
Marked with many a Runic rhyme;
By the 'weird sisters' dread,
That, posting through the battle red,
Choose the slain, and with them go
To Valhalla's halls below,
Where the phantom-chiefs prolong
Their echoing feast, a giant throng,
And their dreadful beverage drain
From the skulls of warriors slain:
God of the battle, hear our prayer;
And may we thy banquet share!
Save us, god, from slow disease;
From pains that the brave spirit freeze;
From the burning fever's rage;
From wailings of unhonoured age,
Drawing painful his last breath;
Give us in the battle death!
Let us lift our glittering shield,
And perish, perish in the field!
Now o'er Cumri's hills of snow
To death, or victory, we go;
Hark! the chiefs their cars prepare;
See! they bind their yellow hair;
Frenzy flashes from their eye,
They fly--our foes before them fly!
Woden, in thy empire drear,
Thou the groans of death dost hear,
And welcome to thy dusky hall
Those that for their country fall!
Hail, all hail the godlike train,
That with thee the goblet drain;
Or with many a huge compeer,
Lift, as erst, the shadowy spear!
Whilst Hela's inmost caverns dread
Echo to their giant tread,
And ten thousand thousand shields
Flash lightning o'er the glimmering fields!
Hark! the battle-shouts begin--
Louder sounds the glorious din:
Louder than the ice's roar,
Bursting on the thawing shore;
Or crashing pines that strew the plain,
When the whirlwinds hurl the main!
Riding through the death-field red,
And singling fast the destined dead,
See the fatal sisters fly!
Now my throbbing breast beats high--
Now I urge my panting steed,
Where the foemen thickest bleed.
Soon exulting I shall go,
Woden, to thy halls below;
Or o'er the victims, as they die,
Chaunt the song of Victory!
The Stages of Life in Greco-Roman Thought: An Extract from 'Life Cycle' by Tim Parkin
How we perceive the stages of life directly affects how we view others and ourselves. This work highlights how some European schools of thought viewed the stages of a person's life, with a focus on the Greco-Roman view.
The attached infographic contrasts the various views highlighted in the source.
- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
How we perceive the stages of life directly affects how we view others and ourselves. This work highlights how some European schools of thought viewed the stages of a person's life, with a focus on the Greco-Roman view.
The attached infographic contrasts the various views highlighted in the source.
- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
The Oseberg Bucket Buddha
The "Bucket Buddha" was found in a complex burial mound containing a fully built ship with two sets of human remains belonging to women, most likely of high social status, along with the remains of many animals. The figure above bears a strong resemblence to Iconography of the Buddha, it is sitting in a meditative posture very similar to Lotus Position, which the Buddha is typically shown to be in and is adorned in swastikas. The artifact is thought to come from Ireland or England based on the art style, but the question of Buddhist influence still remains.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
The "Bucket Buddha" was found in a complex burial mound containing a fully built ship with two sets of human remains belonging to women, most likely of high social status, along with the remains of many animals. The figure above bears a strong resemblence to Iconography of the Buddha, it is sitting in a meditative posture very similar to Lotus Position, which the Buddha is typically shown to be in and is adorned in swastikas. The artifact is thought to come from Ireland or England based on the art style, but the question of Buddhist influence still remains.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
The Helgö Buddha
An example of direct Buddhist contact is this depiction of the Buddha that was found in an Archaeological dig of a Viking Age trading post in Helgö, Sweden. Its origin is speculated to be from somewhere Eurasia, more detailed guesses say it came from the Kashmir region, it has been dated to the 6th century. It could provide evidence for the theories positing that the Oseberg Bucket "Buddha" found in a Viking burial on a bucket handle is actually inspired by Buddhist iconography, though it is thought to have come from Ireland or England. The Helgö statue is still held in the Swedish History Museum and where these photos were taken.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
An example of direct Buddhist contact is this depiction of the Buddha that was found in an Archaeological dig of a Viking Age trading post in Helgö, Sweden. Its origin is speculated to be from somewhere Eurasia, more detailed guesses say it came from the Kashmir region, it has been dated to the 6th century. It could provide evidence for the theories positing that the Oseberg Bucket "Buddha" found in a Viking burial on a bucket handle is actually inspired by Buddhist iconography, though it is thought to have come from Ireland or England. The Helgö statue is still held in the Swedish History Museum and where these photos were taken.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
Spring
In proto-West Germanic, the spring season was referred to as *langatin, which essentially translates to “long day”, and refers to the lengthening of days. In old English this eventually became Lencten, which is the source of the modern English Lent. In German the cognate word is Lenz.
As a result, it is completely heathen to refer to this time of year as Lent.
In English, we also refer to the season as Spring, which likely comes from the idea that plants begin to spring forth from the Earth. Life comes back, animals “spring” forth from their dens and long winter slumbers. This time of year is under the domain of the Dawn Goddess, known as Eōstre to the English, Ostara to the Germans, Ausrinė to the Balts, and Uṣás to the Vedic Aryans many millennia ago, among other names.
She is a goddess of fertility, rebirth, and a herald of the Sun. If you haven’t already, say a prayer and pour a libation to this Goddess.
-Hariwulfaz, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
In proto-West Germanic, the spring season was referred to as *langatin, which essentially translates to “long day”, and refers to the lengthening of days. In old English this eventually became Lencten, which is the source of the modern English Lent. In German the cognate word is Lenz.
As a result, it is completely heathen to refer to this time of year as Lent.
In English, we also refer to the season as Spring, which likely comes from the idea that plants begin to spring forth from the Earth. Life comes back, animals “spring” forth from their dens and long winter slumbers. This time of year is under the domain of the Dawn Goddess, known as Eōstre to the English, Ostara to the Germans, Ausrinė to the Balts, and Uṣás to the Vedic Aryans many millennia ago, among other names.
She is a goddess of fertility, rebirth, and a herald of the Sun. If you haven’t already, say a prayer and pour a libation to this Goddess.
-Hariwulfaz, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
Dawn, now brought forth by the shining goddess,
Daughter of the sky, who we adore,
We stand up here, atop the moor again,
Gazing at the Sun, who you guide each day,
When the rosy fingers of Dawn take shape,
We know the wheel has turned, Easter is here,
Earth is now no longer in winter’s grasp,
She has returned, Easter has now returned,
We see Her in the bright flame of the hearth,
We hear Her inside the crackling bonfire,
We think of Her when the bluebells flower,
We smell Her in the refreshing morning dew,
Hail to Easter! The glistening Goddess,
Hail to Easter! The exalted Goddess,
Hail to Easter! On her sacred full moon,
Hail to Easter! We say at every Dawn.
An original poem of mine that I recited at dawn this morning during a ritual with my group.
Photo taken by a member of our group after the ritual.
- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
Daughter of the sky, who we adore,
We stand up here, atop the moor again,
Gazing at the Sun, who you guide each day,
When the rosy fingers of Dawn take shape,
We know the wheel has turned, Easter is here,
Earth is now no longer in winter’s grasp,
She has returned, Easter has now returned,
We see Her in the bright flame of the hearth,
We hear Her inside the crackling bonfire,
We think of Her when the bluebells flower,
We smell Her in the refreshing morning dew,
Hail to Easter! The glistening Goddess,
Hail to Easter! The exalted Goddess,
Hail to Easter! On her sacred full moon,
Hail to Easter! We say at every Dawn.
An original poem of mine that I recited at dawn this morning during a ritual with my group.
Photo taken by a member of our group after the ritual.
- Owen, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
Forwarded from Celta Lusitani Celtiberi Folk
Ritualistic saunas for warrior initiation.
The sauna entrance decorated with a triskele is from Briteiros, Portugal. The other is from the Castro of Ulaca in the southwestern Castillian province of Ávila, once inhabited with Pre-Celtic speakers of Vetones culture. These steam saunas may have been utilized for the formation of warrior bands.
A young man enters the ofrice, imitating a serpent from the underworld as he crawls. Inside, the steam, he drinks Caelia (Celtic wheat beer) or hydromiel (union with the goddess from intoxication). Or he breathes vaporized herbs. His state of conscious is altered when he comes back out, transformed by visions and vinculated into a bird or wolf. Rendering them prepared to join the band of warriors.
In the Pátera de Petorito, a libations bowl from Iberian culture in south Spain, we can see this same process where a human head comes out of a wolf after transcending from a nest of serpents.
The sauna entrance decorated with a triskele is from Briteiros, Portugal. The other is from the Castro of Ulaca in the southwestern Castillian province of Ávila, once inhabited with Pre-Celtic speakers of Vetones culture. These steam saunas may have been utilized for the formation of warrior bands.
A young man enters the ofrice, imitating a serpent from the underworld as he crawls. Inside, the steam, he drinks Caelia (Celtic wheat beer) or hydromiel (union with the goddess from intoxication). Or he breathes vaporized herbs. His state of conscious is altered when he comes back out, transformed by visions and vinculated into a bird or wolf. Rendering them prepared to join the band of warriors.
In the Pátera de Petorito, a libations bowl from Iberian culture in south Spain, we can see this same process where a human head comes out of a wolf after transcending from a nest of serpents.
Forwarded from COLE WOLFSSON (COLE WOLFSSON)
Lokstene Shrine of Dievturi (Latvian: Lokstenes dievturu svētnīca) the pagan island in Latvia for the Dievturi religion. It has been around since 2017.
Midir, The Mead-King
While reading through Mark Williams’ book Ireland’s Immortals today I came upon this footnote on the name of the Irish god Midir, confirming my original claim that he is the Irish Dionysus, the mead or “soma” god:
“the name [Midir] looks like it should be connected with the verb for ‘judging’ (midithir). But it may be a borrowing from British and have originally meant ‘Mead-King’, for which see the comments of J. Uhlich, ‘Einige britannische Lehnnamen im Irischen: Brénainn (Brenden), Cathaír/Catháer und Midir’, ZCP 49/50 (1997), 893–5.” - Ireland’s Immortals, p. 84, footnote 44
While reading through Mark Williams’ book Ireland’s Immortals today I came upon this footnote on the name of the Irish god Midir, confirming my original claim that he is the Irish Dionysus, the mead or “soma” god:
“the name [Midir] looks like it should be connected with the verb for ‘judging’ (midithir). But it may be a borrowing from British and have originally meant ‘Mead-King’, for which see the comments of J. Uhlich, ‘Einige britannische Lehnnamen im Irischen: Brénainn (Brenden), Cathaír/Catháer und Midir’, ZCP 49/50 (1997), 893–5.” - Ireland’s Immortals, p. 84, footnote 44
Note also, in relation to Midir, the existence of the Gaulish theonym Toutatis Medurinis (Meduris, Medru, etc.), possibly from *medu-renos, glossed as “flood of drunkenness or mead,” though Garrett Olmstead translates it as “Who Renders Judgment” (compare the aforementioned midithir). This could also mark a double meaning. One ancient Gaulish inscription (CIL XIII 6017, Brumath, Alsace) bearing the name Medru includes a relief of a figure wearing a bull’s head, while a bull form is prominent in the myths of the Vedic Soma and his Greek parallel, Dionysus.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned word midithir, meaning “judging,” itself derives ultimately from a proposed Proto-Indo-European root, *med-, meaning “to measure.” That is, this word itself comes from a perfect synonym of the root of the the Sanskrit word for “moon,” Proto-Indo-European *méh₁n̥ss, which is probably from *meh₁-, likewise meaning “to measure” (PIE *med- vs. PIE *meh₁-). The PIE moon was considered "the measurer," likely for the way it measures out the days of the month. The "soma" god, likewise, is the god of the lunar waters -- a moon god.
As I have shown, this Midir is then the same as the Welsh Lord of Annwn, Arawn, the Greek Dionysus, the legendary Grail King, and most surprisingly for many, the Norse NJORD.
Read more about Midir and his Lunar Cycle on my blog or in my book, Taliesin’s Map (pinned above).
Hail Midir, the Mead King.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned word midithir, meaning “judging,” itself derives ultimately from a proposed Proto-Indo-European root, *med-, meaning “to measure.” That is, this word itself comes from a perfect synonym of the root of the the Sanskrit word for “moon,” Proto-Indo-European *méh₁n̥ss, which is probably from *meh₁-, likewise meaning “to measure” (PIE *med- vs. PIE *meh₁-). The PIE moon was considered "the measurer," likely for the way it measures out the days of the month. The "soma" god, likewise, is the god of the lunar waters -- a moon god.
As I have shown, this Midir is then the same as the Welsh Lord of Annwn, Arawn, the Greek Dionysus, the legendary Grail King, and most surprisingly for many, the Norse NJORD.
Read more about Midir and his Lunar Cycle on my blog or in my book, Taliesin’s Map (pinned above).
Hail Midir, the Mead King.
Heptarchy
By Eadweard of Angelþeod
Seven lords in crowned helms,
Seven kings of seven realms.
Bone and horn and steel and rime,
Locked in court for all of time.
Great oaken doors bound up in frost,
The locks are frozen, keys are lost.
They groan and roar, the ice unsealed,
An ancient scene therein revealed.
The hall was long and broad and tall,
And glowed with mirth before the fall
But now stood empty, dead, a shell,
As still as stone, as cold as Hell.
Icebound sword in icebound grip,
Icebound axe at icebound hip.
Golden hall and silver Earls,
Brought low by ambitious Churls.
A riven folk, Othala lost,
But honour was the greatest cost.
The fire gone from heart and hearth,
As cold as outside frosty earth.
In frozen North, the hall doth lie,
A curse befell, the land did die.
The curse undone again shall be,
By will and wits and ancientry.
The lost shall once again be found.
Upon this sacred hallowed ground
This oath we swear, this oath we hold
By ancient Gods and laws of old.
Deadkings rest upon their thrones,
All they've lost, that once they owned,
Long lost noble Lords of men,
Till fate shall deem they rise again.
By Eadweard of Angelþeod
Seven lords in crowned helms,
Seven kings of seven realms.
Bone and horn and steel and rime,
Locked in court for all of time.
Great oaken doors bound up in frost,
The locks are frozen, keys are lost.
They groan and roar, the ice unsealed,
An ancient scene therein revealed.
The hall was long and broad and tall,
And glowed with mirth before the fall
But now stood empty, dead, a shell,
As still as stone, as cold as Hell.
Icebound sword in icebound grip,
Icebound axe at icebound hip.
Golden hall and silver Earls,
Brought low by ambitious Churls.
A riven folk, Othala lost,
But honour was the greatest cost.
The fire gone from heart and hearth,
As cold as outside frosty earth.
In frozen North, the hall doth lie,
A curse befell, the land did die.
The curse undone again shall be,
By will and wits and ancientry.
The lost shall once again be found.
Upon this sacred hallowed ground
This oath we swear, this oath we hold
By ancient Gods and laws of old.
Deadkings rest upon their thrones,
All they've lost, that once they owned,
Long lost noble Lords of men,
Till fate shall deem they rise again.
A Masterpiece of Greco-Buddhist Art
The Bimaran Casket is a gold relic found by the archaeologist Charles Masson in the late 1800s, along with many other Buddhist relics and coins of the Indo-Scythian King Azes I. It features many artistic motifs also found in Greek art and was found in Gandhara, Pakistan, where Greco-Buddhism flourished and where we find the most Greek inspired Buddhist artwork. This includes some of the earliest anthropomorphic depictions of the Buddha or Prince Siddharta. In this representation we see Brahma on the left and Sakra (another name for Indra) flanking the Buddha, which is a common design found in early Buddhist art.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult
The Bimaran Casket is a gold relic found by the archaeologist Charles Masson in the late 1800s, along with many other Buddhist relics and coins of the Indo-Scythian King Azes I. It features many artistic motifs also found in Greek art and was found in Gandhara, Pakistan, where Greco-Buddhism flourished and where we find the most Greek inspired Buddhist artwork. This includes some of the earliest anthropomorphic depictions of the Buddha or Prince Siddharta. In this representation we see Brahma on the left and Sakra (another name for Indra) flanking the Buddha, which is a common design found in early Buddhist art.
- Kalin, The Sun Riders
@solarcult