Survive the Jive: All-feed

I'm about halfway through Tom's Starting Heathenry course. I initially liked the idea of his effort and expected it to be quality. But, my expectations are exceeded here. His approach of "micro learning" is perfect for folks with busy schedules or short attention spans (me). It cuts up all the basics into a quick digestible format while including all of the most crucial details. And he even touches into some more advanced stuff. It's clean, well structured and has a great pace. He doesn't do any exhaustive over-explaining nor does he blow by anything important. This is an excellent Step 2 for you folks out there that are a little unsure about beginning practice. This is even better for those of you who don't have any established groups near by and want to start your own. I wish this was around 15 years ago. Would've saved me a whole lot of time and misdirection. Good work Tom. Proud of you my man. Check it out at Starting Heathenry

DECLARATION OF TRADITION Months in the making, the Declaration of Tradition is now OPEN for all Germanic Pagans to sign today! Working with various Pagans, the DOT has been devised so as to represent the traditional values we are to adhere to as followers of Germanic Paganism. The Declaration of Tradition serves as a means of unifying sincere followers of Germanic Paganism with a framework we can refer to and use to take collective action. If you are a Germanic Pagan and believe in the traditional values taught to us by our Gods and ancestors, become a signatory today. You can sign as an individual or as an organisation if you have a gathering. Special thank you to WodenWyrd and Þórr Siðr for their valuable assistance in the Declaration's creation, to Dan Capp / The Fyrgen for the website building, and to all individuals and organisations that have become signatories. BECOME A SIGNATORY: declarationoftradition.com

The figure on the left holds something like a sceptre, known to have been used as a sign of royalty among the Germanic people. He also has an unusual quiff hairstyle like the royal Odinic figures found on gold bracteates in Heathen regions which are usually shown with a bird just as this man is. Is he dipping hlaut sticks in a hlaut bowl? It could be Wotan or a Wotanic leader of some sort. The other one is usually identified as Thor because of the hammer/club, however he is seated upon a boar which makes me think of Ingui....

The Patera of the Gods Dated to the late 4th century AD, a treasure hoard featuring an offering bowl (patera) belonging to the Visigoths depicts the most prominent Germanic Gods in a classical Graeco-Roman stylisation. Woden (Odin) is depicted as clean-shaven, wearing a torc around His neck, holding a caduceus, like Mercury, in the shape of a palm leaf, giving it the appearance of a spearhead. The torc features a Runic inscription in the Elder Futhark, which reads: ᚷᚢᛏᚨᚾᛁᛟᚹᛁ ᚺᚨᛁᛚᚨᚷ GUTANIOWI HAILAG https://ro.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patera_(Tezaurul_de_la_Pietroasa)

This patera is fascinating as we can see Germanic gods depicted in classical style. However it is hard to identify them. The one Chad and the wiki call Wotan does not have a caduceus that could identify him with Mercury, only a palm leaf, which is more associated with Apollo and Egyptian gods. The patera itself was used to receive libations so no doubt this is a holy artefact and the figures are clearly gods. I will discuss them in a few more posts. Accompanied in the same Pietroasa treasure hoard were 3 collar/torcs, one of which was broken and had the aforementioned runic inscription. An alternative reading of the runes translates them as "gutan(i)ngwihailag" GUTANI INWIG HAILAG meaning "hallow Inwi (god) of the Goths"

The above claim isinteresting and such trade would explain some shared mythic features such as the dragon slayer, but it is not very plausible that Semites would need salt from North of the Caucasus nor that IE would need bulls from so far away

A new paper by Chams B Bernard discusses the early interaction between Indo-European speakers and Semitic speakers. -He argues that the word "Milh" (Salt) in Arabic ( Aramaic milha, Phoenician mlh) is borrowed from the proto Indo-European word for salt “melhu sehl”, meaning “ground salt”. "Melh" means ground as in “mill, to grind” or Hittite “malla” or Luwian “malhu” meaning break. This suggests that Indo-European speakers sold salt to Semites. -He also suggests that the word "Bull", Latin “Taurus” is borrowed from the Semitic/Arabic (also Syriac, Akkadian & Ugaritic) word “Thawr”. The etymology of "Thawr" in Arabic means “to stir, leap, become excited”, all characteristics of a bull. The Semitic loanword could have reached Indo-Europeans through Anatolia or up to the Steppes. -He suggests that Semites and Indos traded salt and bulls at a very early time, with the Majkop culture in the Caucasus acting as a potential buffer zone.

“Then he takes a certain number of sheep or cows and slaughters them, distributing part of the meat as gifts and carrying the rest to set before the great idol and the little figures that surround it. Then he hangs the heads of the sheep or cows on the wooden stakes which have been driven into the ground. When the night falls, the dogs come and eat all this, and the man who has made the offering says; My Lord is pleased with me and has eaten the gift that I brought him.” ~Ahmad ibn Fadlan’s Risala, Lunde and Stone translation While it’s written from a somewhat condescending anti-pagan standpoint, this account does attest to the widely-held belief that an animal eating your offering was considered auspicious.

I was reading a prayer to Apollo and took inspiration from it to make this prayer to Baldr. I felt it was worth sharing considering it is appropriate for the season. Feel free to use it. :) I hark and bring to mind he who reigns from his holy hall in heaven. Come O' Blessed Lord of the Bright Sun, Boundlessly beloved Baldr, Bliss-Bringing Bestower of Blessings, Bleeding Lord, Layer of Limitless Love, Gleaming God. You who’s brow shines as bright as the sun and brings us boons aplenty; Your solar eyes dispel the darkness. With your return, you radiate rapture from Heaven above. You, O Baldr, who restores hope and happiness to all beings on Midgard. Great is he who honors you, wicked is he who do not. We wish to be in your presence, O Far Wanderer, so that we may be in your wonderful light once more. Bless us this day precious Baldr.

Kind words of endorsement!