Will of Gaut

Visited Korea. Apparently, this exists there.

One modern poetic extrapolation for Óðinn in Old Norse is Runni vagna ('Mover of Constellations' or 'Driver of Wagons'). This aligns with many mytheme qualities Óðinn is associated with such as creation and order on a cosmological level, which can be seen in chapters 8-12 of Gylfaginning in which Óðinn, Villi and Vé created the sky and placed sparks from Muspelheimr in the sky to create the stars:

'They took Ymir's skull and made from it the sky and set it over the earth, with four corners, and under each corner they set a dwarf. The names of those dwarfs are East, West, North and South. Then they took the sparks and glowing embers that were flying about in Muspell and placed them in the sky, both above and below, to illuminate heaven and earth. They gave stations to all fires, some in heaven, some wandering free under the heavens. Thus were formed the stars.'

The Dutch continued to use the term 'Woonswaghen' or 'Woenswaghen' in the phrase sevenstarre ofde Woenswaghen ('the seven stars of Wōden's Wagon') as late as the 15th century. Sigrdrífumál verse 17 has Reið Rǫgnis, ('the conveyance of Rǫgnir' or 'Rǫgnir's wagon'), where Rǫgnir ('Chief', 'He that reigns') is another epithet for Óðinn. The term valdr vagnbrautar ('ruler of the wagon-road') is found for Óðinn as well, with vagnbrautar ('the road of the wagon') being the road upon which the constellations of the wagon, (the heavenly celestial bodies) travel. Another epithet for Óðinn in Old Norse is Jǫrmunr, which can be interpreted as 'great' or 'mighty' but also carries the connotation of something vast or cosmic in scope much in the same way that Jǫrmungandr encompasses the entirety of Miðgarðr, which aligns well with one of Óðinn's overarching qualities as a deity who transcends boundaries, connects worlds and possesses cosmic wisdom. Óðinn's association with the stars and celestial bodies is also seen in Skáldskaparmál when Iðunn was kidnapped and taken to Þrymheimr, located in Jǫtunheimr, by the jǫtunn Þjazi. Loki transformed into a falcon and brought Iðunn back to Ásgarðr but Þjazi's daughter, Skaði, sought vengeance after Þjazi was killed. The Gods provided compensation in the form of marriage to Njǫrðr and Óðinn took Þjazi's eyes and placed them in the night sky as stars:

'Thereupon reconciliation was made with her on the part of the Æsir. It is so said, that Óðinn did this by way of atonement to Skaði: he took Þjazi's eyes and cast them up into the heavens, and made of them two stars.'

Cleasby and Vígfusson in An Icelandic-English Dictionary p. 594 and Grimm's Teutonic Mythology theorise that Þjazi's eyes represent two stars in our modern constellation Gemini, Castor and Pollux (Alpha Gemini and Beta Gemini), which appear above and to the left of Orion.

Wotan Erwache from Lake Erie Submit your activities to: [email protected]

Excellent turnout today at Exiles of the Golden Age. One of my many takeaways was; there were far more like-minded folkish pagans than I’d have ever imagined in my town and surrounding area, and I’ll be staying in touch with several. Your people are closer than you think, you just have to find them. ᛉ Painting by Branwulf.

Sleipnir by Valhyr

Interestingly enough, when you study the Gothic Bible, you find that often terms used for Jesus, God, spirits, and certain saints correspond in a Runic symbolism and within Germanic language to refer to or allude to the Gods (Æsir). The Heliand is also similar in this with its usage of Runes, the descriptions of Christ being the Son of God but an Aryo solar hero of strength. The language and focus on the Runes is more Germanic ethnic faith than that of anything Judeo. In addition one can also see the same in the Dream of the Rood.

In addition to many historical Germanic kings being descended from divine ancestors, they were also demi-gods. In chapter 78 of his Getica, the Gothic author Jordanes reported that the Goths would promote their kings to the status of demi-gods if they had a substantial amount of luck and skill. He uses the term ansis, which is the Latin glossing of the Gothic term anses, coming from Proto-Germanic *ansuz.

Tun Gothi haut segnes reperti arma capessunt primoque conflictu mox Romanos devincunt, Fuscoque duce exstincto, divitias de castris militum spoliant, magnaque potiti per loca victoria, jam proceres suos, quorum quasi fortuna vincebant, non puros homines, sed semideos, id est Ansis, vocaverunt. Quorum genealogia ut paucis percurram, vel quis quo parente genitus est, aut unde origo coepta, ubi finem effecit absque invidia qui legis vera dicentam ausculta: Horum ergo heroum ut ipsi suis in fabulis referent, primus fuit Gaut... 'Once the Goths were aware, they took their weapons and soon overcame the Romans in the first clash, they slew Fuscus, the commander, and looted the treasure from the camp of the army; because of the great victory they had gained in this region, they thereafter called their foremost men, through whose luck they had won, not mere men, but demi-gods, that is, Ansis. Their lineage, as I shall briefly say, or who was born from which parent, and where the lineage had its beginning and ending, to this they listen attentively when it is spoken. Of these heroes the first was Gaut, as they tell in their own stories.'

In medieval Norse poetry, Gautr is the most common byname for Óðinn with 18 instances, followed by Yggr at 14. Gautatýr ('God of the Geats') is an epithet referring to Óðinn as the god of the Gautar - the Old Norse word for the Goths - who were the progenitors of the Swedes, the Svíar and Gutes, Visigoths and Ostrogoths. The name Geat also appears in Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies as 'Geta' in Asser's Life of King Alfred where he lists the West Saxon noble ancestors. Additionally, the homonym Geat in its plural form 'Geatas' is the tribe to whom Beowulf belonged.

'A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.' -Robert A. Heinlein

"A generation which ignores history has no past and no future". -Robert A Heinlein. I completely agree with him. He has a point because if one wouldn't read his own history or history in general, then how does one would know what an atomic bomb is or what the heroes are of a nation? One doesn't know how to read a situation and remembers "hm if this happens then this will happen". This is important, one can read the intentions of a politician and understand that he has hostile plans against one and the folk How does one understand what happens now? Wars, political or even understand an entire folk?