ᛉ Sagnamaðr Stark ᛉ

An interesting passage in the Skáldskaparmál… “Bragi the Old sang this, when he was travelling through a forest late at evening: a troll woman hailed him in verse, asking who passed: “Trolls do call me Storm-sun's (?) bale, Fellow-in-misery of the sibyl, Warder of the circled ring-earth, Wheel-devourer of the heaven. What is the troll but that?” Very reminiscent of Yama in the Bhavachakra. Clearly the “troll-woman” Bragi inn Gamli was talking to was someone important…perhaps Hel herself in disguise.

An interesting passage in the Skáldskaparmál… “Bragi the Old sang this, when he was travelling through a forest late at evening: a troll woman hailed him in verse, asking who passed: “Trolls do call me Storm-sun's (?) bale, Fellow-in-misery of the sibyl, Warder of the circled ring-earth, Wheel-devourer of the heaven. What is the troll but that?"” Very reminiscent of Yama in the Bhavachakra. Clearly the “troll-woman” Bragi inn Gamli was talking to was someone important…perhaps a euhemerized version of Hel herself.

Bald’s Leechbook claims that jet has eight powers; carrying the stone prevents lightning strikes, enemies entering your home and poisoning, and taking the stone in liquid reveals an enemy’s secrets, cures maladies, protects against witchcraft and snake bites, and causes the person to have a “smoother body” (weight loss?). A recipe in Bald’s Leechbook, against an elf or unknown curse, calls for a mixture of wine, myrrh and jet. Pic: Viking Age jewelry from York, including rings made from jet and amber.

Two Anglo Saxon polyhedral beads made of jet, possibly Roman. Jet has been used as jewelry since the Neolithic era, and Whitby, Yorkshire has long been a major source of it. From Rome to Persia, jet was believed to deter evil spirits and witchcraft, and both Pliny the Elder and Bede wrote that it drives away serpents (illness?) when heated.

A Viking Age sword with a surviving carved antler handle from Rösta, Jämtland, Sweden.

The modern English words bless and blessed come from Old English bledsian/blētsian; to consecrate with blood, the root of which blod/blōt. Art: The Uppsala Temple, by Sigrulfr.

Thank you all for 2,500 subscribers! With so many people spreading trash these days, I figured I’d share a few friends’ channels, and channels I recommend, which may be of interest. In no particular order… Hammer and Vajra - Pan-Indo-European religion: https://t.me/hammerandvajra Survive the Jive (obvs): https://t.me/survivethejive Harrowman Ealdham - Germanic paganism and comparative mythology: https://t.me/Ealdham Waldeinsamkeit - Germanic paganism, and Midwest German culture and history: https://t.me/Urglaawe Kolovrat and Trinity - Slavic paganism: https://t.me/kolovratandtrinity Æhtemen - Anglo Saxon paganism: https://t.me/AEHTEMEN Sigmund’s Metaphysical Männerbund - Germanic paganism and outdoors: https://t.me/sigmundsmannerbund Maitridatta - a Buddhist friend: https://t.me/Maitridatta Vajrarastra - another Buddhist friend: https://t.me/vajrarastra Pagan Places - modern and historical pagan sites: https://t.me/pagan_places Will of Gaut - Germanic paganism: https://t.me/willofgaut

An incomplete Viking Age strap end, found in Felsham, Suffolk, 9-10th Century. The design features two Borre-style animals facing each other, forming a face with a slightly obscured right eye; likely Freki, Geri and Odin.

Bledsian Ēostre! ❁ Góðan Sigrblót! ⴲ

St. George with the Swastika by Gustav Adolf Closs, 1937.