#east old norse

[yvanspijk]

Why does water have an -r in English and its West Germanic sister languages (such as German Wasser and Dutch water), while it has an -n in Swedish vatten and its North Germanic sisters (such as Norwegian vatn and Danish vand)? In Proto-Germanic, their common ancestor, some case forms of this word were built on the -r stem, while others used the -n stem. The daughter language families generalised one of these stems. See the infographic for more information.

#historical linguistics #linguistics #language #etymology #english #dutch #german #norwegian #danish #swedish #icelandic #old norse #old dutch #old high german #low saxon #old saxon #west frisian #east frisian #old frisian #old english #yiddish #afrikaans #gothic #proto-germanic #proto-west germanic #lingblr

[languagedeath]

Anglo-Frisian Perspective on the Pronunciation of Old Norse Ǫ

Anglo-Frisian Perspective on the Pronunciation of Old Norse Ǫ

Written by Dyami Millarson Can you imagine the Vikings roaming around in this forest and talking with each other casually in Old Norse and as it so happens, utter a few ordinary Old Norse words that contain the vowel sound ǫ? Old Norse distinguishes the rounded back vowels o and u-umlaut-derived ǫ (i.e., a + u = ǫ, or more properly according to linguistic convention: a + u > ǫ, where > means…

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#East Frisian languages #Frisian language family #North Frisian languages #Old Norse phonology #phonological reconstruction #reconstructed phonology #u-mutation #u-umlaut #West Frisian languages

[astronicht]

I was taking a break to reread something chill and fun, and immediately ran into more meat for the earlier discussion of Tolkien’s depiction evil in the north vs evil in the east. There is no escape! This is a good addition from an Old Norse (rather than my Old English-slanted) perspective! But also JRR I’m begging u to let me live ,

(Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price, p. 37-8)

Edit to addd: I cropped a bit too much; it’s worth noting that Jötunheim (giant-world(s)) lay directly east, with this beyond.

#Astro lotr #I need subtags for the tag at this point 💀 #how far back do I have to scroll to find evil in the east chitchat…….

[punapioni]

Etymological origins of the names of the regions of Finland

Suomi, Häme = Of the same origin together with "Sámi". There is no certainty of their etymology, but a common theory suggests they'd be a loan from the Baltic "žemē", meaning "land". However, modern linguists seem to argue that this is also inaccurate.

Satakunta = From Swedish "hundare", a Viking Age and early Middle Age Scandinavian war and governance system.

Pirkanmaa = Possibly from "birk", a special legal protection given to trading centers (early 1200s).

Uusimaa = Translated from Swedish "Nyland" (New Land).

Kymenlaakso = "Valley of Kymi". Kymi is a river. The word itself means... a big river.

Pohjanmaa = "Northland".

Keski-Suomi = "Central Finland".

Savo = From "Savilahti" (Clay Bay), the old name of the Mikkeli area. The origin of "Savilahti" is still debated, if it was originally savi (clay), savu (smoke), sauvo, or possibly a Sámi word for a backwater (savo, savu).

Karjala = A bit unclear. It comes from the word "karja", and if this word is of Germanic origin, then it could mean (war)band.

Kainuu = Unknown. Theories include Germanic loan "kainu/kaino" (lowlands), "kainus" (knob-headed staff, wedge-shaped object), a Sámi origin (compare gaajnuo, gaajnuoladdje (non-Sámi peasant); kai´nōlatj (Swedish coastal peasant); kainolats, kainahaljo (Swedish or Norwegian peasant)), Old Icelandic "kveinir" (an unspecified Northern Nordic people) or Proto-Norse "gainuz" (gap, jaw) -> "kainu(s)" (dragnet, sleigh).

Lappi = The most controversial of them all, I'd say. "Lapp" name usually refers to Sámi people, although they do not like this term so don't call them that. As for the etymological origin of said word, two theories: 1) a translation of an ancient Sámi tribe name "wuowjoš", from the word "wuowˈje" (wedge, patch) -> "lapp" (patch, small piece of paper). Old Finnish term for Sámi people is "vuojolaiset". 2) Meaning a remote area. The region of "Lappi" in Finland is a combination of two lands: Peräpohjola (Back of the Northland) and the areas of Sápmi (in Finnish "Saamenmaa") which are within the borders of Finland. Former land is Finnish, the latter Sámi.

Ahvenanmaa = "Perch land". Two theories: either it comes from Proto-Norse "Ahvaland" (water land?), or the Finnish form is the original.

In Swedish in the cases where it differs from the Finnish origin:

Österbotten = "East Bottom". As opposed to West Bottom, Västerbotten, on the Swedish side of the Baltic Sea.

Kajanaland = From the historical Russian name for Kainuu, "Kajánij/Kayániy". Meaning unknown, though some say it means a land in which it is difficult to travel. Likely, it is connected to the word "Kainuu".

Tavastland = Apparently from Old Norse "Tafæistaland" (ᛏᛆᚠᛋᛏᛆᛚᚭᚿᛏ). Origin unknown, theories say the "ast" part could somehow be connected to Estonia.

Finland = Hahaha. Unknown. Old sources use the word "finn" and variants to refer to both Sámi and Finns and you never really know what's the intention (think of Finland and Finnmark). Theories say that the origin of the word could be connected to Germanic words such as "finthan" (find), "fendo" (wanderer).

Åland = "River land". Two theories: either it comes from Proto-Norse "Ahvaland" (water land?), or the Finnish from "Ahvenanmaa" (perch land) is the original.

#Finland #Finnish #Swedish #History #Etymology #Langblr

[godzilla-reads]

☀️ East of the Sun and West of the Moon: Old Tales from the North edited by Noel Daniel, illustrated by Kay Nielsen

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A collection of Northern European folktales, taken and adapted from the original 1914 publication with art by one of the golden age illustrators- Kay Nielsen. These stories center around trolls, witches, lindworms, and magic.

This is such a lovely book that encompasses the beauty and fun of Norse/Scandinavian folktales. We’ve got classics like “Three Billy Goats Gruff” and some I hadn’t read before like “The Three Princesses of Blueland”. I liked how in the back of the book there was a note on the usage of some terms referring to Christians so, as a reader, I can understand it better.

My top three stories in this book were “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”, a total classic; “The Three Princess of Whiteland”; and “Prince Lindworm”. These stories, paired with Kay Nielsen’s famous art, were such a great combination of nostalgic storytelling. Obviously, some of the stories in this collection have some problematic themes common in many European fairytales, so I took some of it with a grain of salt.

The reason this book wasn’t Five Stars for me was only because about four of the stories became repetitive at the end and weren’t very engaging. I wish they had chosen some with differing themes and plots.

#godzilla reads #book blog #east of the sun west of the moon #kay nielsen #Norse folktales #book review #reading #booklr #bookworm #bookish

[synintheraven]

✵pairing: sihtric kjartansson x fem!reader

✵summary: the journey to Tamworth/Mercia begins, Sihtric and reader explore the land as he becomes slightly more approachable.

✵tw: mentions of violence/kills, nothing really :p

✵word count: 1,3k

characters info | part one | part two

We left at first light, riding slowly as we followed the river and the sun emerged from the sea. The green, muddy waters of East Anglia glimmered with the weak light of the morning and the wind brushed the reeds growing in our way, promising a bright day.

But we were soon to leave East Anglia and cross into Mercian territory. Where the small islands covered by the changing tide would be replaced by lush hills and large farm lands; for Grantebridge’s territory was vast and covered by orange-coloured trees, with a handful of churches and poorly fortified villages scattered throughout its higher ground.

—Right there, where the hills are greener, that’s Mercia. —He explained, riding by my side as he pointed his finger towards the Monastery’s tower, hiding behind trees in the far distance. —And we’re to cross it to its northern border, to the Ragnarsson’s camp in Tamworth.

I sensed Sihtric’s mood was different that autumnal morning. Seeing as the fresh wind blew on his face and swept the fur cape over his shoulders, making sure to keep pace with my horse as he stayed close to me. —Have you been there before? —I asked.

—We sailed to Mercia when we heard Danes were attacking King Burgred’s fortress, but we didn’t stay long enough to participate in their war. —He explained with a frown, probably remembering that journey.

—Why not? —I said as his eyes searched for mine, puzzled. —You could’ve taken a lot of plunder from a Mercian King.

—It wasn’t our fight. —He took a deep breath then let out a sigh. —We came here to escape Harald’s ambition and Halfdan’s pointless appetite for war, not to terrorize Saxon kings.

—What are you fighting for then, Dane? —I emphasised the word Dane, aware of how unlikely it was for a Dane to follow Norse lords blindly.

Sihtric took a few moments to answer, watching the heron birds resting along the river’s edge and the smoke filling the sky over the nearby villages, his hands holding the reins tightly as the sun reflected on his silver rings. —I’m fighting for Yggr, and for a spot of land where we can make our own lives. —He said with a hint of doubt in his calming voice, thoughtful.

—So, are you really going to follow Yggr as your Jarl forevermore? Or are you to set sail to unclaimed lands and become a Lord yourself?

—I will follow him, —He paused to look at me again, ever proud of his own words. —but should the Nornir decide I am to be a Lord, then so it will be. 

We had reached a crumbling round tower, surrounded by dried trees and yellow grass. Yet it wasn’t the work of Roman giants, its muddy bricks suggesting the damp weather and time had destroyed the structure way before the Romans arrived.

The fog seemed to have lifted from our position, revealing distant cottages and the small church among reeds that sat on Mercian land. It was a reminder that we had quite a long way to go still, but in two days’ time we would reach Tamworth and join the brothers.

Our mission was to gain their trust and discover their plans for Britain, as we hoped to ensure they would leave East Anglia at peace for Yggr’s small clan; though as long as Wessex riches remained clear of Danes, the Great Army would stay away from our camp.

I watched the old stone bridge crossing the river, the ravens circling above the remains of a burnt farm. Complete disaster taking over the land all the way to the west, to Alfred’s Kingdom. Imagining the green hills, ancient roman walls and clean docks, without a single Danish longship navigating its waters.   

And so I let out a sigh, aware that we would be forced to march against Wessex if we were to convince the sons of Ragnar of our shared ambition.

—What’s on your mind, Stavanger? —Sihtric interrupted, suddenly catching my attention as we crossed the river.

—Wessex. —I lied, still hoping to find the man who killed my family, feeling as if a hole carved itself through my chest as we spoke. —I heard its churches are full of gold and silver, yet no Dane has ever made it close enough to prove it.

—He’s the King, —he added with a smirk, looking away for a moment. —and he’s managed to keep our kin out of his land. You can’t do that without silver, and certainly can’t raise an army with nothing but empty words about Gods. —The tone in his voice had turned deeper as he explained, sensing the worry in his words.

—Have you killed many Saxons?

—Some, —he paused, probably feeling the unease in my voice as well. —but only when it was necessary.

It was the way of our people: to kill for food, shelter, livelihood and our families. But the Saxons saw a group of evil creatures killing anything and everything standing before them, ignoring that some of us weren’t after a hard, wooden throne.

Some of us were fleeing a mad king and others, like me, were only seeking the end of an old story, knowing no other feeling than that of resentment and vengeance.

We had reached a thin muddy road, following the way of the hill in between bushes and dried grass.

The land around us was deserted, with no more than a bunch of trees leading towards Theotford and a few foxes wandering around the yellowish hill. At the highest point, half covered by the fog, lay a marvellous stone structure. But, no longer beside the river, the view from higher ground revealed a long abandoned ruin, another one of the Roman’s great work.

Torn walls, broken columns and muddy tiles with curious patterns; a place once full with life, but now was home to old vases, smudged paintings on the walls and sculptures of Goddesses.

Yet despite the weather’s destruction, the place remained of magnificent beauty and calm, so we allowed the horses to rest as we explored the area.

It surprised me to realize no one had turned such a place into their home, seeing as the curved roof, made of bricks and stone, still protected one of the buildings against the weather.

—I’ve been here before. —Sihtric added as his eyes were fixated on one of the marble sculptures, running his fingers over the cold skin of its stone legs. —Yggr wanted to turn this place into our camp, but the river is quite far from here and we didn’t want to leave some of our crew behind to guard the ship.

—I’m sure you men would’ve enjoyed all these naked women painted on the walls, though many would’ve been easily distracted by them also. —I teased with a smile, making it obvious that I was talking about him too.

—I prefer women of flesh over these stone ladies. —He explained awkwardly, unable to hide his smile while he looked at me. —Yggr couldn’t keep his hands off one of the tall angels near the entrance, said he regretted it wasn’t a real woman. —he raised an eyebrow as he beckoned towards the tall arch, which I guessed was the entrance of the Roman ruin.

—Angels? —I asked intrigued, though in truth I was trying not to let out a laugh, his curved lips giving away that our Jarl probably wasn’t the only one touching the poor statue.

—They have wings like birds and the Christians think they’re holy creatures, apparently. —He explained dismissively.

—So you and Yggr desecrated their divine creature, then.

—No, I didn’t! —He chuckled with a fake frown, taking distance from the statue before us. —I accidentally broke one of its fingers, but Yggr did the inappropriate touching.

—I hope you remain very appropriate with me, then. —I teased jokingly, watching as his broad smile turned into a smirk and his face turned red.

Bonus facts (again)

Grantebridge/scire: modern Cambridge, both Sihtric and reader have to ride through most of the shire to cross into Oxenefordscire (modern Oxford) and later into Ledecestrescire (modern Leicester), where Tamworth is.

#sihtric x you #sihtric kjartansson x reader #sihtric x reader #sihtric fic #sihtric kjartansson x you #my writing #road to valhalla #rtv #tlk fanfic #the last kingdom fic

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

So I’m interested in the thing you taught about Anglo-Saxons pushing the celts out of land- do you know how far north they pushed?

I’m Scots, and I have an interest in our history, but to be honest almost all of my knowledge of it comes from post-1000, with the exception of a few local myths about Viking raiders being scared off by a mother wolf.

So I’d love to ask what you know- and I’ll just say that, because you talk about the welsh language a lot, I would be interested in what you think of the work to revive Gaelic as a primary language of this country- my Nans all for it, but most other people think it’s not working the way it has in wales because Gaelic was never spoken across the country Welsh was- my mums family is from old Norse speaking ancestry/cities and the local area was more likely to speak French than Gaelic (my dads English with a clan surname so some Highland Clearance stuff definitely happened and also for about 50 years round about bonnie prince Charlie that name was banned/got you shot so some *shit* presumably happened)

In terms of how far they pushed, this is the map of the Heptarchy, i.e. their furthest extent:

So a bit of the Scottish south east. You see Strathclyde on there? That was the Brythonic part! This is why Glasgow is a Welsh name in origin. Cousins!

In terms of Gàidhlig revival (I'm not correcting you with the spelling, I just have friends who speak it and that's their preference lol), it's certainly a lot more complicated than it is in Wales, for numerous reasons. One is admittedly that Scotland has always been inherently multicultural - even before the Anglo-Saxons, the north was Pictish, the west was Goidelic (Dal Riada spanned west Scotland and modern northern Ireland), the south was Brythonic, and the islands have long been a spirited mix of Norse and Other. Each of those spoke their own language. Then came the Heptarchy, which birthed Scots, and then the Vikings in earnest... By contrast, Wales just spoke Welsh. Different dialects, sure, and infusions from elsewhere, but country-wide, we just had the one thing.

And then there's the sheer weight of numbers. The current percentage of the population that speaks Gàidhlig is, to my knowledge, less than two percent, which is an incredibly challenging position to be in. By contrast, the lowest Welsh ever slid to was seventeen percent, back in the Eighties, and today it's about thirty. That's much easier to pull off.

I should clarify here, of course, that I am not about to speak on behalf of Scottish people. Whether Gàidhlig is representative, whether it SHOULD be revived, those are ultimately debates for Scots to have, I'm nobody. But since you asked directly I can share my very Welsh-influenced perspective.

Firstly, any country-wide bilingualism is unilaterally a good thing. Without exception. Every country in the world should be aiming for it with *something*, regardless of what it is. There is no harm from raising a bilingual child. It's literally good for the brain.

Secondly, any language at all is a beautiful, unique thing that acts as a memory crystal for the culture and philosophy attached to it. If you lose one, you lose something important that can't be replaced. Here's an example! Translating between Korean and English pronouns is often a challenge, because Korean doesn't have the gender markers that English needs, but English doesn't have the age/social status markers that Korean needs. That tells you something fascinating about both of those cultures, and the philosophy and worldview they hold. Gàidhlig is not yet dead. There is time to save it. It is unique; it's a repository for so much of an older Scottish culture that otherwise might be lost. Why not save it?

Thirdly, why place the pressure on it to be a language spoken by all of Scotland? Does it need to be? Because there wasn't a pan-Scottish language, not until English, and that one was spread through imperialism. You won't find an alternative that was spoken by everyone. Does that mean you shouldn't bother with any of them? Well; see point one. But also...

If the issue is a lack of 'identity' - this was not spoken in my area, so I don't identify with it - it was still nonetheless a Scottish language. It's still unique and endemic to the country you now identify with. It's therefore still yours. And what's preventing someone learning something appropriately local as well? Fuck it, if you're from the south, learn Welsh. Pictish was lost - it can't be saved anymore. But it looks like it was Brythonic, so again, there's always Welsh as the closest analogue. But Gàidhlig is still Scottish, unique to the country, whereas Welsh is more pan-British.

So yeah, those are my very rambly thoughts that I have not actually pondered deeply at all. I shall now bow out of that particular conversation and leave it to the Scots

#asks #history nerdery #linguistics

[grumpyhedgehogs]

can't get a post-ragnarok semi-crack fic idea outta my head like--

The serious bit: Atreus leaves to fulfill/make his destiny, find the giants and explore new worlds...but he keeps coming back for visits, of course! And every time he does, there's something changed. Kratos, Freya and Mimir have beaten the berserkers and cleaned up the remains of Asgard. they've beaten Gna. Kratos is as calm as ever, but his father has a new sense of purpose Atreus can't quite reconcile or put his finger on.

Kratos has begun to be renowned in the Norse world. the true all-father, the man who lead the united forces of ragnarok to defeat the scheming odin. the god who spared when he could have smote. the god who looks after sons and daughters and wives and husbands, who stays the hand that would harm the wounded for the sake of harming them. people begin to build alters to the god of war, who knows mercy as well as he knows violence. they leave offerings. they pray in his name. they look for his guidance before they look for his wrath.

Atreus is so, so proud of his father. Kratos tells him there are ways to live on after death, even--or especially--for a god. To make memories and impart lessons that those who outlive you look back on fondly is to be immortal in the one way that truly matters.

the funny bit: Atreus also realizes that his father is a god-magnet. no matter how far he travels, word of the ghost of Sparta precedes him. now, though, there's talk of the new god of war in the Norse lands, who is making a big splash. the remains of Greece have been rebuilding and, hearing the tales of this new god, have surprisingly set out to treat with the norsemen who follow a god so strangely familiar to their own. even gods from lands to the far east and west know of Kratos. now, though, there is a mix of old fear and new awe when Atreus reveals their relation to other gods. they...kinda want to meet this god.

cue Atreus leaving different lands to visit home only to find more and more gods taking tea with Freya in his father's newly grown garden, speaking with Mimir about philosophy in his father's warm, fire lit kitchen, watching on the sidelines as Kratos wields his ax to...just chop firewood. these gods are invading their home, taking up space and his father's precious time! they vie for his attention like lovesick puppies, trying to gain the wisdom--and perhaps...favor?--of Kratos. This, of course, is unacceptable. Nobody but Atreus seems to think so, though...

TLDR: Kratos is a god-magnet post-ragnarok, visiting gods are smitten, and Atreus must protect his father's honor!

#god of war #gow #god of war ragnarok #gow ragnarok #gow atreus #gow kratos #gow freya #gow mimir #dad of boy #dad of war #can you tell I have ragnarok brain rot #bc I most certainly do #kratos #atreus #freya #mimir #odin #Kratos is a beefcake #and catnip for gods #Atreus Does Not Like This Fact #my writing #ficlet #fic idea #I love little atreus being protective of his beefy father its so sweet

[fornasedensgudar]

Hello! I have a questions but i'm not sure if there's even an answer: do you know whether there is a norse or continental germanic god/goddess that is associated with wind??

Oh Im so glad you asked because I love wind gods and spirits and I got two that I feel like almost no one outside of Scandinavia seemes to know about.

One is norse but not really germanic. The other, is not even norse just swedish af lol.

First I like to tell you about Kåre.

I bet most of you have never heard of him, but I also bet you heard of Ran, or Logi och Ägir.

As some may know, Ran is married to Ägir, a sea jötun. And I bet you know Logi, the jötun who is wild fire personified.

What does this have to do with Ägir? Well Ägir is listed as the brother of Logi and Ägir. Whos father Fornjot, is know in one saga to be the King of the swedish island of Gotland. (Perhaps a hint to an old cult or god of the island.)

These three sons of Fornjot personified the elements or the three most brutal aspects of nature, the wild deep seas, the every hungry wild fires and the ever harsh and cold northen wind. (With a father who rule over an island in the baltic sea that makes rather sense)

The name Kåre is also a swedish word describing a special form of wind or storm.

Kåre is also mentiond in Flatöboken and in one story in Fundinn Nóergr Kåre is the father of Frosti of the frost. But in Hversu the son is named Jökull wish means ice feald. This Jökull is in folklore (mostly in norway) said to be the father of old man winter.

So a lot of maybes here and things that hint he was more well known from Gotland to iceland and norway back in the day but a lot been lost.

But we do know he was a winter and wind jötun and one of the three elemental brothers.

My local group do offerings to him during winter and autum rituals but I know some pepole up north do as well. But overall hes rather forgotten compared to his brothers.

Here is a drawing of him by me:

THEN we get to the fun local part.

Ysätters-Kajsa!

Now who the heck is this and whats her deal?

Well Im from a Village called Asker, In Närke.

And back in the day, the farmers spoke about a troll by some, a Huldra by others and by some a spirit/creature who did not fitt any of the molds. Manny famous writers also wrote about her. Most famous of them all is Selma Lagerlöf.

Ysätters-Kajsas name came from the old Moss/lake in Ysätters thats said to be her home or birthplace, but she ruled the weather (but mainly wind) all over Närke but mostly Asker and the sorounding flat plains and fealds.

Ysätterskällan was likely an old offering place to what once was an old goddess or for spirits witch hints to her older roots before she was said to be an evil troll or forest spirit.

The Kajsa in her name is explained in a intervju with an old farmer from Asker in the start of the 1900s dokumentet in the book "Asker, Sant å sånt"

"that was just wat they named them trolls and giants back in the day"

That might seeme weird but tbh in the 1700s there are stories how pepole would toss coins to Kajsa of the sea while fishing.

Or in the 1800s when some in the Mountains and forest called forest and Mountain spirits for Kajsa as well.

It almost seemed as a form of a so called "noa-name" or maybe as the old man said: "it was just what them trolls was named back in the day."

(Im sure there is someone smarter here who can explain this weird Kajsa thing)

But ok, her wind aspect then?

Well first of all, its windy in East Närke.

Like the start of this old poem said

"Den ljuva Närke slätten, där enbart stormen består."

"The lovely Närke plains, where only the storm remains."

Also in manny stories she is said to controll wind and to travel by air.

In one story its said Ysätters-Kajsa looking down on Närke and was like "man this place is pretty, pepole have it good here, we cant have it like that."

And pretty much just made sure its always a bit windy and would play trick on the humans, making them get lost in forest, stealing laundry that hanged out to dry and in general just make the pepole of Närke just a little less comfy in their home.

But she is also a protector or the land!

In one myth, back in the day when a wild fire almost brought an end to the village of Asked she came to save the pepole, because even if she liked to play tricks on them she also deeply loved the pepole and needed them just as much as she they needed her.

So its said when the fire got to the center of the village, a woman was seen dancing up on the church towers roof and as she did storm clouds started to form and with wind and rain the fires was put out and the Village was saved.

Ysätters-Kajsa drawing by me:

This is also why my group call to her and giver her offerings for protection. Shes our local trickster and protector spirit of the wind.

But being a very Asker and Närke spirit. This is one I have to say I would think would be very weird and not really ok if like, pagans in america for some reason started to make offeings to. Because this is not just any big ol god or goddess. This is a local myth and spirit and part of my childhood and culture. I added a lot here from books just to get the facts right but I also just str8 up heared stories about her as a kid. She is just the protector of Asker and the bringer of wind in Närke.

Like if you dont live here, dont.

Go with Kåre then instead whos more wind in general.

But I had to share this about her becouse I just love her and wind spirits and gods in general.

Also, this is a good reminder to check what you have local, you might have myths and stories about old spirits and gods of the land you grow up and live in.

As I often say. The best way to do polytheism and anmism is to know and work with your local land and the spiritits and gods within said land. Because thats the best tools you got right here, right now. The land it self.

#norse mythology #polytheism #heathen #pagan polytheism #norse polytheism #pagan #paganism #fornsed #heathen art #gods #spirits #witch #animism #nordic animism #asker #närke #Ysätters-Kajsa #Ysätterskajsa #Örebro #Odensbacken #polytheist #questions #wind #wind god #north wind #wind goddess #wind spirits #wind spirit

[thecalendarwomen]

Viking historian Nancy Marie Brown’s new book, The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women, explores what life might have been like for the warrior woman of Bj 581. Using more evidence from the recent tests conducted on the remains, Brown traces her journey from Norway to the British Isles to Kiev then, finally, to Birka. Brown imagines the unnamed warrior meeting other prominent Viking women, such as Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, or Queen Olga, ruler of the Rus Vikings in Kiev. She also explores the Viking sagas and contemporary sources with a new lens.

Atlas Obscura spoke with Brown about her new book, valkyries, and the assumptions that underlie the history we think we know.

How did you initially get interested in Vikings—and female Vikings in particular?

When I went to college, I actually wanted to study fantasy writing and, you know, learn to write like Tolkien. I learned very quickly that that was not appropriate for an English major in the 1970s, so I decided to study what Tolkien studied, and he was a professor at Oxford University, teaching Old English and Old Norse. So I started reading all of the Icelandic sagas that I could find in translation. And when I ran out of the English versions, I learned Old Norse so that I could read the rest of them.

One of the things I liked about [the sagas] the most was that they had really interesting women characters. There’s a queen in Norway who appears in about 11 sagas, Queen Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. She led armies. She devised war strategy. And then I was looking at the valkyries and the shieldmaids and thinking, you know, these are really interesting people that have always been considered to be mythological.

So when I learned in 2017 that one of the most famous Viking warrior burials turned out to be the burial of a woman, that just absolutely dazzled my imagination.

Is this the first confirmed grave of a female warrior that we have?

This is the one that has the best proof. There are one or two others that have since been DNA tested and proven to be female. But in each of these cases, it’s hard to say if the person in the grave, whether male or female, actually was a warrior, or if the object that we are interpreting as a weapon was used for hunting or for some other purpose.

What do we know about the life of the Viking warrior woman in Bj 581?

In 2017, by testing her bones and her teeth, [scholars] could say she was between 30 and 40 years old when she died. They could also tell that she ate well all of her life. So she came from a rich family or maybe even a royal one. She was also quite tall, about 5’7”. By the minerals in her inner teeth, [scholars can determine] she may have come from southern Sweden or Norway, and also that she went west maybe as far as the British Isles before her molars finished forming. She didn’t arrive in Birka until she was 16.

We also have her weapons and a little bit of clothing that were found in the grave. And these link her to what is known as the Vikings’ East Way, which was the trade route from Sweden to the Silk Road.

We can link, through the artifacts and through the bones, that she could have traveled from as far west as Dublin to as far east as at least Kiev in the 30 to 40 years of her life.

How do we know that there were Viking warrior women?

They are mentioned many, many, many times in the literature. In most cases, they have been dismissed as mythological because, of course, we know warriors were men. But we don’t know that. That is an assumption that is based on traditional Victorian ideas that because women are mothers, they’re nurturing, they’re peacemakers, and they don’t fight.

That’s not historically true. Women have always fought. And they appear in most cultures until the 1800s, when Viking studies and archaeology pretty much started. So we sort of have this problem of bias in our earliest textbooks.

There’s this assumption that the warrior men of myth must have been based on real people, but it’s not the same for the mythical warrior women. Why is that?

It’s just an assumption based on what people think women are like. Most of the material we have from the Middle Ages was written by men, and most of the material we have until the 1950s was written by men, and women are slowly making their way into the field of Viking scholarship. But many of them are still working under the assumptions that they were taught.

I noticed when I went back and reread some of the sagas in Icelandic that there wasn’t this clear distinction between the warrior women being mythological and the warrior men being human. When you actually look at the old Norse text, there’s a lot of words that have been translated as “men” that actually mean “people,” but it’s always been translated as “men” because it’s a warrior situation.

Is it possible for historians to remove all of those biases?

No, I don’t think it is. I think we all are looking through our own lenses. But we have to revisit those sources every generation to see past biases. So when you have layer after layer after layer of removing biases, you may get closer to the truth.

What most surprised you in the course of researching your book?

One of the controversies right now in Viking studies is should we really be talking about men and women at all? Maybe there were all kinds of different genders. We don’t know if there were more than two genders in the Viking age. Maybe it was a spectrum.

If you look at this one group of sagas called the Sagas of Ancient Times that are often overlooked because they have all these fabulous creatures in them, like dragons and warrior women. It’s really interesting [because] these girls grow up wanting to be warriors. They’re constantly disobeying and trying to run off and join Viking bands. But when they do run off and join the Viking band, or, in another case, become the king of a town, they insist on being called by a male name and use male pronouns.

So it was very shocking to me to go back and read it in the original and say, “Wow, all this richness was lost in the translation.”

#Nancy Marie Brown #vikings #history #women in history #archaeology #women warriors #warfare #warrior women #norse history #atlas obscura

[springsteens]

BABA YAGA

🧙🏻‍♀️ In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga (from Polish), is a supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a mortar, wields a pestle, and dwells deep in the forest in a hut usually described as standing on chicken legs. Baba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter or seek her out and may play a maternal role; she has associations with forest wildlife. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as either a donor or a villain, or may be altogether ambiguous.

🧙🏻‍♀️ Andreas Johns identifies Baba Yaga as "one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore", and observes that she is "enigmatic" and often exhibits "striking ambiguity". Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as "a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image".

🧙🏻‍♀️ Variations of the name Baba Yaga are found in many East Slavic languages. The first element is a babble word which gives the word бабушка (babushka or 'grandmother') in modern Russian, and babcia ('grandmother') in Polish. In Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and Romanian baba means 'grandmother' or 'old woman'. In contemporary Polish and Russian, baba is the pejorative synonym for 'woman', especially one that is old, dirty or foolish.

🧙🏻‍♀️ Yaga is more etymologically problematic and there is no clear consensus among scholars about its meaning. In the 19th century, Alexander Afanasyev proposed the derivation of Proto-Slavic *ož and Sanskrit ahi ('serpent'). This etymology has been explored by 20th century scholars. Related terms appear in Serbo-Croatian jeza ('horror', 'shudder', 'chill'), Slovene jeza ('anger'), Old Czech jězě ('witch', 'legendary evil female being'), modern Czech jezinka ('wicked wood nymph', 'dryad'), and Polish jędza ('witch', 'evil woman', 'fury'). The term appears in Old Church Slavonic as jęza/jędza ('disease'). In other Indo-European languages the element iaga has been linked to Lithuanian engti ('to abuse (continuously)', 'to belittle', 'to exploit'), Old English inca ('doubt', 'worry", 'pain'), and Old Norse ekki ('pain', 'worry').

#Baba Yaga #Baba Jaga #slavic culture #slavic #pagan #slavic folklore #poland #russia #serbia #croatia #bosnia #macedonia #bulgaria #romania #slovakia #czech republic #lithuania #slavic mythology #posted by me #🔮

[coolancientstuff]

Drømde mik en drøm i nat is the oldest known secular song in the Nordic countries, written around 1300. It is written in Old East Norse and is included in Codex Runicus, a transcript of Scanian Law where it forms a final note. Like the law itself, it is written entirely in medieval runes, and the tune is written on two simple staves in an early form of musical notation.

The text of the song is

ᛑᚱᚯᛘᛑᛂ:ᛘᛁᚴ:ᚽᚿ:ᛑᚱᚯᛘ:ᛁ:ᚿᛆᛐ:ᚢᛘᛋᛁᛚᚴᛁ:ᚮᚴ:ᛅᚱᛚᛁᚴ:ᛕᛅᛛ:

Drømde mik en drøm i nat umsilki ok ærlik pæl

"I dreamt a dream last night of silk and fine fur"

There are several interpretations of the text, as the meaning of the words silki and ærlik pæl is obscure.

[languagedeath]

What Are the Branches of Old Norse?

What Are the Branches of Old Norse?

Written by Dyami Millarson Old Norse or Old Scandinavian is classified as North Germanic, which is distinct from West Germanic and East Germanic. Gothic belongs to East Germanic. East Germanic went extinct with Gothic in the past and East Germanic is being revived Gothic in the present. West Germanic includes English and Scottish, the Frisian languages, Luxembourgish, Dutch, German, and Swiss…

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#dialects are unequal #Fårö Gutnish #Fårögotländska #Frisian languages #Gotlandic #Gutnish #Insular Gutnish #languages are equal #Lau Gutnish #Laugotländska #Mainland Gutnish #Modern North Germanic languages #North Germanic #Old East Norse #Old Gutnish #Old Nordic #Old Norse #Old North Germanic #Old Scandinavian #Old West Norse

[astronicht]

re: Mordor's location

I'm confused! I can understand being annoyed that Mordor is in the east (for me, it's because any new birth/new beginnings symbolism fails. BUT on the other hand, it works great with tolkien's biblical stuff - from study.com, "'East of Eden' is an allusion to the Biblical Book of Genesis. After Cain murders his brother Abel, he is exiled to the land of Nod, 'east of Eden' (Genesis 4:16)". I LOVE Tolkien's biblical symbolism, and smeagol murdering his brother is a direct cain/abel reference, so having the evil be to the east really works for me.

So I guess I'm just wondering if a) the symbolism thing is what irritates you about Mordor's location (or if there's something else I'm missing), and b) how does the evil being in the north resolve this?

Hey cool question!

Caveat that I’m literally just liveblogging my first ever read of LOTR, so while I read Hobbit as a kid and I know the movies and a good portion of the medieval prose and poetry Tolkien is drawing on very well, the only LOTR text I can reference is… from the Shire to Weathertop. Additionally, my perspective is as a medievalist, but I wasn't raised Christian and can’t speak to Tolkien’s personal faith, just to how he might use (and does use) historical Christianity (and a bunch of non-Christian narratives) in his work. At least like. Up to Weathertop.

Short answer a) not exactly! b) Because I expected evil to be in the north, and it checked that box. So-- your particular interest in Christian symbolism is immediately relevant here, because about 700 years before the King James Bible, in the medieval literature (and medieval Christianity) among which Tolkien has settled his own Middle-Earth, people had very very strong feelings about the cardinal directions, and North was heavily associated with Lucifer — this being stated explicitly in an Old English retelling of Genesis called The Old English Hexameron. Here, Lucifer's fall starts like this:

"with a presumptuous pride (moodiness) he said that he would make his throne above the stars of God, over the height of the clouds, in the north part, and be like unto God." (p. 17; not my translation but my guy Henry Wilkins Norman nailed it)

mid dyrstigre modignysse cwæð ðæt he wolde wyrcan his cynesetl bufan Godes tunglum ofer ðæra wolcna heannysse on ðam norð dæle and beon Gode gelic. (p. 16)

In non-Christian stories (though written down centuries later by Christians), the Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda describes Hel as “down and to the North” (sorry, just a link wiki here). So, same idea, and beyond these texts, North is generally associated with hell, death, or evil in early medieval literature, much more clearly than East usually is (even factoring in Old English and Old Norse stories about Cain, Attila the Hun, and the more exciting fauna of the Indian subcontinent, all of which formed the early medieval idea of East). Thus, finding out that an original Big Bad, of whom Sauron was “but a servant,” had once made his throne in the north made me go “OH! He didn’t forget after all!” in utter frustrated delight. My confusion wasn't exactly with evil in the east; it was the lack of evil in the north.

(this reply is really long, but my main point ends here, for anyone looking to bail out)

Actually, Genesis retellings in Old English are absolutely fascinating; I’m not wedded to Christian-only symbolism, but if it’s what you enjoy a lot, I very much suggest looking into the Hexameron and Genesis A, both great examples and very well known to Tolkien.

Personally I suspect I'll end up reading the symbolism of Mordor in the east as a more complex and varied thing than solely a reference to Cain's banishment. But to be really clear, in saying that I'm definitely not saying that Cain and Nod aren't valid interpretations (especially when they work for you so well!). Just my guess and my perspective. Old evil in the north and Mordor in the east is really interesting! So was the story of how Hobbits etc wandered out of the east to colonize the Shire, in another early medieval echo. And with Aragorn's throwaway "In those days the Great Enemy, of whom Sauron of Mordor was but a servant, dwelt in Angband in the North" I got an extra point on the map, from which the story immediately unspooled into an even wider and richer thing. Which is so neat, I love everyone in this bar, etc.

Just a quick further note on Smeagol, because I happen to have just gone past this bit and it's fresh! As far as I know at uhhh this very early point in LOTR (maybe it's changed later), Deagol was not his brother but simply his friend: “He had a friend called Deagol, of a similar sort, sharper-eyed but not so quick and strong” (though if you like the Cain and Abel imagery, this doesn't change that much tbh! I can see how it hits that note regardless). They are under the same matriarch (perhaps implying family ties) who eventually throws Smeagol out years after Deagol's murder; I liked that bit, bc I have no idea where Tolkien's pulling proto-hobbit matriarchs from yet, and Smeagol later lied and said the matriarch had given him the One Ring, implying that she was a ring-giver like an Old English/Norse thane or king. Smeagol and Deagol (and Frodo) are also wrapped up in lots of different tropes and symbols; Cain and Abel, yes, but also Beowulf and Grendel, and probably some other stuff I'll notice in like 10 years and yell at the ghost of Tolkien about. I think these stories work so well because they’re layers upon layers. It’s stories all the way down, you know!

Much like this reply, which is endless, so sorry about that.

#IMMENSELY LONG ASK REPLY IM SORRY IM SORRY #ask replies #astro lotr #with further apologies for being pedantic but also not doing my own translations

[sophieinwonderland]

I might get a lot of hate for this, but instead of endos stealing the word "Tulpa" from other cultures for their own systems what if they just called them an "imaginitive?" Not that we agree with their term of tulpamancy but why would you take someone else's culture and twist it? Just call it something else. You imagine it up until it's "real", call it an "imaginitive."

I mean, what you're describing is no different from how language naturally tends to evolve. How it's always evolved. The word Hurricane was adapted from a Native American term that referred to storm gods of the storm. The modern American zombie depicted in zombie movies has little resemblance to the creatures in Haitian folklore.

Our planets are named after Roman gods. Our days of the week are named after Norse gods.

The reasons for these evolutions in language often have long and complex stories. And the tulpa is no different.

To your confusion, "endos" didn't "steal" a word here.

In the early 1900s, French Buddhist convert Alexandra David-Neel was an explorer who went to Tibet. She learned of the religion and culture of the Tibetan people and brought it back to the West, with the aid of people like Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup who served as translator, helping to exchange complex ideas from one culture to another.

It should be noted that the tulpa that arrived in the West back then is very different from the modern variation of the sprul-pa practice used in Tibetan Buddhism (to the extent that practice exists). It's honestly unclear why these differences exist. One theory is that it was influenced of Kazi Dawa Samdup's own interest in the esoteric, and that this led to translations leaning into this. Another blames David-Neel alone for the misinterpretation. But yet another possibility is that the presentation of the tulpa was actually accurate to that particular temple's practice and the specific practice was just lost to time and war. 🤷‍♀️

I mention the last point because, after China's invasion of tibet, many of their old books and religious works were intentionally destroyed by their conquerors.

We actually have no way of knowing if ADN's tulpa was wrong, or if she was just recording one single sect of a vast religion, and one that saw all documentation of their variation of the practice destroyed.

Regardless, the tulpa took on a life of its own in Western pop culture, making appearances in shows like X-Files and Supernatural. This pre-tulpamancy Western tulpa also made its way back to the East, with instructions for tulpa creation appearing in Japan in 2007.

What we call tulpamancy started in 2009 on 4Chan. I believe it was about three years later, in 2012, when tulpa.info and r/tulpas were created.

The reason terms like "imaginitive" weren't used (besides that term sounding way too much like like "imaginative") was because this early tulpamancy community was completely divorced from the plural and endogenic community. They drew on the concept of the tulpa in pop culture, and based their practices on that. Much as the Daemians base their practice on the Phillip Pullman books.

During this time, a ton of guides and resources were written for this new practice of tulpamancy. And much of it with little interaction with other plural communities.

And tulpamancy communities are still fairly insular. While tulpa systems are endogenic, the tulpamancy community isn't as closely tied to the endogenic community as other groups. Which is why no amount of trying to get tulpamancers to change our language on this website is ever going to be effective. And change at this point in time would risk both dividing the community, and potentially even derailing academic research into tulpa systems.

#pro endo #pro endogenic #syscourse #tulpamancy #multiplicity #tulpacourse #systems #sysblr

[synintheraven]

✵pairing: sihtric kjartansson x fem!reader

✵summary/small introduction: Sihtric and you finally reach Tamworth, but you don't find quite what you were looking for there.

✵tw: mentions of violence

✵word count: 1,1k

characters info | part four

We were near. I could see the rising ground, the patched grass covering the hills to the west and the corn fields bordering the city walls to the east.

Leicester looked like no more than a bunch of broken bricks from there, the trees around it seeming small as a pile of dry leaves. The sun was sinking into the horizon, the colours of the sky going from a light orange to a dark blue, bordering the Saxon town.

And, as the horse galloped towards the edge of the hill, the Fortress of Tamworth revealed itself.

Grey stones emerged from the ground at the top, following the slope and climbing over rocks. A carved ditch circled the fortified town, weeds and bushes covered an evident trap to outside eyes. But, as long as we remained on the stone road, we’d reach Tamworth’s safety.

I had my legs hanging from the side of the horse, with my cloak flying in the wind and my sword clinging on its scabbard. Humming one of my father’s favourite songs as Sihtric listened in silence, almost enjoying the sound.

It was the closest I had ever been to him, feeling the warmth of his body on my chest and the subtle smell of mead coming from the fur over his shoulders.

—Yggr used to sing that when we were kids. —He said when the song had finished and looked over his shoulder, a subtle smirk appearing on his face. —I was told a Norse shipmaster wrote it many winters ago, before you or I even came to this world.

—I heard it was a Dane, an old sailor that went mad after spending his whole life at sea. —I taunted, yet all he gave me in return was a scoff; a reminder that, every time I thought I have gained his trust, he was still reluctant to befriend me.

Was it something I have said? One of my many attempts to provoke some sort of feeling, to find the friendly and silly man Yggr spoke of? He had told me of a happy man, a thoughtful warrior that picked his words, yet never turned down an opportunity to mock others. But Sihtric evidently wasn’t such a man, or at least hid it whenever I was around.

The fortress was closer now, a stone giant towering over us as we neared the open gates. With warriors in mail standing above them, carefully watching our approach. Yet we were allowed into the city without questioning, our looks easily betraying us as Danes as we rode among the Ragnarsson’s army.

It was a busy place; Dane folk filled the place with laughter and chatter, preparing themselves for supper as the night overshadowed the land. Children ran, most men were drinking or training and women worked hard to polish armours. They were preparing for battle, enjoying the last days before it was time to pick up the swords and the shields, then fight for the land.

The small village within the fortress was filled with smoke from the fires and the stench of animal dung, while we rode in search of a place our horse could rest. Watching over the city from behind bushes and rocky boulders, was the thatched roof over the main hall: yet the place was too quiet for a Dane Lord to be wandering around the Fortress' walls, suggesting our search for Ivarr wasn't over.

Though I still felt uneasy: carefully analyzing our surroundings, looking for the slightest sign of trouble. For no one suspected we were not the Ragnarsson's warriors, but it would take only one person to question us to be caught lying. It was just me and Sihtric and a couple hundreds of them, turning us into easy prey for a pack of hungry wolves.

But I couldn't show fear. I had to stay focused, watch every move and word I made. And if we were lucky, we'd find Ivarr.

A full moon filled the night sky, an owl hooted somewhere in the shadows and the tiny flames danced before us. The open doors allowed the cold wind inside the hall, fighting the fire on the hearth to keep the hall warm as we had supper.

A boar stew laid before us, its lack of taste compensated with sweet mead and the words of a drunken warrior, more than willing to share information with us.

—Ivarr was here a few moons ago. —He took another sip of his drink, spitting as he tried to put his thoughts into words. —But he left, because Ubba and Halfdan were fighting like children.

—Left to where? He didn’t tell us anything. —Sihtric interrupted with a lie, grabbing his mug as he pretended to drink, but I could tell not a single drop of mead had touched his lips.

—Of course he wouldn’t! —The man scoffed, giving a hard fist blow on the table. —Ivarr never tells shit to anyone, unless he either likes them or wants to chop off their head. —The last few words were almost unintelligible and I watched as he fought back the need to vomit.

—What about the brothers?

—They are in Repton! —he paused, looking at us with squinted eyes in suspicion. —Are you both new here? —He said. Then, waved a hand in the air, dismissing his suspicions. —The brothers gathered all of us here, fought about land and plans with Guthrum, then left to kill Christians over at Repton.

—With Guthrum? —I asked as Sihtric was standing up, ready to leave with our newly acquired information, but sighed and sat down again.

—Guthrum is a coward and left for East Anglia where he can play the King with his dogs. I never liked him anyway. —he took a last sip of his drink, then complained loudly about his empty cup until a slave brought him more mead.

—And Ivarr? Where could have he gone?

—He must be back with his brothers at Repton by now, —the drunken fool downed his newly served drink, looking more nauseous than before. —they always fight when there’s ale but make peace when the birds start with their little noises.

And just like that, we had a new destination to reach and a glimpse to what the Dane lords were planning. With Guthrum away in East Anglia, it meant the Ragnarssons’ forces would be smaller and their own quarrels would soon divide their army into disorganized little groups. Yet someone needed to lure those Danes into quit the fight or leave to any other territory far from our encampment.

So as the day came to an end, we bought new horses and searched for a place to spend the night, before we rode to Repton.

Fun facts, because why not?

✯Ragnarssons: So you probably noticed at this point that I don't ever refer to them as Lothbroks, the reason is that 1) medieval dane/norse last names usually go as Father's name + son (or dóttir if it's female) and 2) Lothbrok was a nickname that meant Saggy/Dirty Pants, so yeah not something I want to use to refer to his *potential sons.

✯Potential sons??: Well I'm no historian (just uhm google a lot of stuff for research and curiosity) but apparently they probably weren't Ragnar's actual sons, they were more likely just popular warriors among the danes that Ragnar adopted to hold onto their fame to remain interesting (lol) but also because a King needs heirs (and if they're legends, all the better)

✯Ragnar Lothbrok: Last but not least, the Ragnar that died in a pit of snakes potentially never existed as there's no historical or geographical proof in England of pit of snakes ever being a thing to torture or kill people, plus the tale that tells of this was written much later. However, there was a real Ragnar that did raid Paris and even went to Ireland too, but he was probably just merged with the legendary Ragnar at some point :p

#sihtric x you #sihtric x reader #sihtricxyou #sihtricxreader #tlk fanfic #tlk fanfiction #sihtric kjartansson x you #sihtric kjartansson x reader #my writing #rtv #road to valhalla #sihtric fic #sihtric fanfic #sihtric kjartansson fic #sihtric kjartansson fanfiction