Will of Gaut

The hamarsmark of Þórr as mentioned in Hákonar saga Góða has been a point of debate when it comes to authentic heathen customs, but it is attested among the Lapps as Johan Randulf (1723) records in the Nærøy manuscript:

(…) og alle saa vel giffte som ugiffte Finner der gaae til nadvere et glas øll, men besybderlig et glas brendeviin, om hand det haver og dypper de 3 fingre der udj, hvor med hand i siin pande teigner et kaars, som skal betyde Thors Kryds-hammer, dette giør hand til at forsikke Thor om sin stedsvarende troe tienste (…) (...) and all Finns, both married and unmarried, who go to communion have a glass of beer, but particularly in a glass of Brennivin if they have it, and dip three fingers in the glass, where with their hand on their forehead they draw a cross, which must mean Thor's Cross-hammer, this serves to assure Thor that they are his faithful servants (...)

It is further stated that on Christmas eve, the Lapps make the cross on their doors, or make said sign with a knife in beer or liquor when they drink, or in a pot of butter. Schefferus in Lapponia also states that the idols of Horagalles were marked with crosses on the chest of the idol with the blood of the sacrifices they gave to the god.

An incredible blót to Thunor last night. My customer kindly let us use his weoh before I ship it out

The Hearth of Devon’s Midsummer blot to Thunor was attended by 25 worshippers last night in Somerset. It was an auspicious offering of mead libations, bone fire, a bread idol, and other food including a communal goat stew. The blot was followed by sumble and games late into the night.

Bledsian Sunnstede! Góðan Midsommar! ⴲ …almost looks like a figure in the smoke there.

Árvakr and Alsviðr pulling Sól / Sunna's chariot, across the sky. (image source unknown). Second image is Trundholm sun chariot dated to Nordic Bronze Age in Denmark. Vingthor: 16. Tell me, Alvis! etc. how the sun is called, which men’s sons see in every world. Alvis: 17. Sol among men ‘tis called, but with the gods sunna, the dwarfs call it Dvalinn’s leika, the Jötuns eyglo, the Alfar fagrahvel, the Æsir’s sons alskir. ALVÍSSMÁL 16-17 translated by Benjamin Thorpe

Painting by Jeff Easley.

The Second Merseburg Charm, which recounts Odin healing Baldr’s horse, has multiple later 18-19th Century parallels in Scandinavia, Scotland and Saxony, wherein Jesus or St. Olaf take the place of Odin, which shows this particular healing charm was widely known.  They all follow a very similar formula; always along similar lines of “bone to bone, blood to blood,” etc. and would be recited when applying bandages. Jacob Grimm collected multiple examples from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Shetland Islands. One example from Norway; “Jesus himself rode to the heath, And as he rode, his horse's bone was broken. Jesus dismounted and healed that: Jesus laid marrow to marrow, Bone to bone, flesh to flesh. Jesus thereafter laid a leaf So that these should stay in their place.” Artur Hazelius recorded one from Småland, Sweden, brazenly invoking Odin in the 19th Century. “Odin rides over rock and hill; He rides his horse out of dislocation and into realignment, Out of disorder and into order, bone to bone, joint to joint, As it was best, when it was whole.” Book 4, hymn 12 of the Atharvaveda contains a very similar healing charm for a broken bone; “Thou art the healer, making whole, the healer of the broken bone: Make thou this whole, Arundhatī! Whatever bone of thine within thy body hath been wrenched or cracked, May Dhātar set it properly and join together limb by limb. With marrow be the marrow joined, thy limb united with the limb. Let what hath fallen of thy flesh, and the bone also grow again. Let marrow close with marrow, let skin grow united with the skin. Let blood and bone grow strong in thee, flesh grow together with the flesh. Join thou together hair with hair, join thou together skin with skin. Let blood and bone grow strong in thee. Unite the broken part, O Plant. Arise, advance, speed forth; the car (chariot?) hath goodly fellies, naves, and wheels! Stand up erect upon thy feet. If he be torn and shattered, having fallen into a pit, or a cast stone have struck him, Let the skilled leech join limb with limb, as 'twere the portions of a car.” ~Griffith translation ᚬ