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nyykiI know this may be rather shocking to many people in the Neo-Pagan and Neo-Heathen Norse communities, but though I have deep abiding interest in a Norse path, I don't want the Norse gods to touch my life in the least. In these modern times where invocation and evocation of the godhead seems like a feature of almost every ritual, this may seem unusual, but it has strong historical basis.
Look at the sagas and eddas. The gods aren't called upon unless things are highly dire. As a follower of a Traditionalist approach to the path, I feel this is appropriate. Indications are that the folks in Scandinavia saw the gods as vast powerful forces that, should they become aware of you, your free will was gone as you would become a pawn in their schemes. And some of those schemes, like Odin's all consuming drive for warriors to feed his army or Frig's all consuming drive for status and power could get rather unpleasant. As such, the Norse made sacrifices not to gain the favor of the gods, but to gain their appeasement so that the gods would leave them in peace.
I used to not have this view. And I must admit, asking the Norse gods for help never gained me anything but heartache. The rather convoluted path I'm on is, according to some people doing Norse oracular stuff, what the Gods feel is my proper path. That bothers me a lot, and I would love to be completely under their radar.
If I do something Hellenic, I know that sacrifice is making a contract with the gods. I do my part, they do theirs. Similar conditions go for dealing with Celtic gods, though there's more subservience to it, and even more if I sacrifice to Ganesh or Durga, though they're again more well disposed to helping people. But for the Norse Gods, I want exactly the opposite -- to give them their due so they leave me the hell alone to work my will without their Wyrd affecting my life.
This is not the view of most Norse Heathens and other Neo-Norse, but after coming in contact with it, it makes a lot of sense to me, and also explains a lot of my interaction with them.
Look at the sagas and eddas. The gods aren't called upon unless things are highly dire. As a follower of a Traditionalist approach to the path, I feel this is appropriate. Indications are that the folks in Scandinavia saw the gods as vast powerful forces that, should they become aware of you, your free will was gone as you would become a pawn in their schemes. And some of those schemes, like Odin's all consuming drive for warriors to feed his army or Frig's all consuming drive for status and power could get rather unpleasant. As such, the Norse made sacrifices not to gain the favor of the gods, but to gain their appeasement so that the gods would leave them in peace.
I used to not have this view. And I must admit, asking the Norse gods for help never gained me anything but heartache. The rather convoluted path I'm on is, according to some people doing Norse oracular stuff, what the Gods feel is my proper path. That bothers me a lot, and I would love to be completely under their radar.
If I do something Hellenic, I know that sacrifice is making a contract with the gods. I do my part, they do theirs. Similar conditions go for dealing with Celtic gods, though there's more subservience to it, and even more if I sacrifice to Ganesh or Durga, though they're again more well disposed to helping people. But for the Norse Gods, I want exactly the opposite -- to give them their due so they leave me the hell alone to work my will without their Wyrd affecting my life.
This is not the view of most Norse Heathens and other Neo-Norse, but after coming in contact with it, it makes a lot of sense to me, and also explains a lot of my interaction with them.
