I got drunk one night and decided it would be in my best interest to start and insult contest with my room mate in making fun of Loki. The next morning waking up hung over, notice the trash can was missed more than a few times, my room mate asked, .. " What happen to all of our alcohol, who was that guy, and serious man, where did that .. goat .. come from ?" Few hours later, my mom wanted to know why is there a goat in the back yard.
@@Amy_the_Lizard We had called the police to see if anyone had a missing goat, he was a good size one. Within a day, he was turn over to a random farmer.
I told a Christian friend recently that I was Heathen his response was to ask me if I was “slitting chickens throats in my garden and offering them to the gods” my response was to ask him if he was burning unmarried women for practicing witchcraft in his garden to please his god, luckily we laughed and are still friends mainly because he’s not a devout Christian and hasn’t been to church for a long time
Why does it matter if he’s “devout Christian” … as if it effects anything.. even they could careless about your weird faith. Why compare to Christianity? Why not Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism.. it’s always against Christian’s for some reason..
@@TheBaBaTV because the vast majority of any pagan believers will come into contact with Christians so it’s easy to make the comparison, on the side of Hinduism, Hindus are polytheistic so don’t have much different from most pagans.
I was raised by atheists who didn’t force their views onto me and wanted me to make my own decisions but sent me to a Christian school because it was the only school available who did try to force their views on me and I hated it, always felt wrong when I was forced to pray
I can relate with you, I have been atheist pretty much my entire life and same with my parents, so prayer and deity's is a hard concept to grasp, I performed my first prayer to Odin last night for his help, knowledge and guidance on this journey and self discovery into Norse Paganism, I can't really explain it but I honestly feel that it was heard and listened too, I feel that my words were not empty into nothingness and that I feel fulfilled.
As a new pagan who has come from the Christian faith, this was very helpful. The only channel I was listening to for the longest was The Wisdom of Odin. But I find your videos to have so much more factual and historical information. So ready to see more videos. Again, thank you. Gods guide you.
💯 I started watching Wisdom of Odin and some other Wicca channels, just surprised at the amount of this content on social media. Finding OK, I think I'm in love with the reconstruction approach. I've never been particularly interested in the fluffy bunny school not thought.
I grew up in Sweden, in a village called Landvetter. I always thought it came from "direction and view of the land" but never considered that the "vetter" part also can mean spirits ("vätte", in Swedish).
As one raised as a southern Baptist I remember prayers over feasts would take so long one would find themselves feeling quite faint with hunger in waiting for the ending of the prayer
That's quite deliberate. I've heard a Baptist say it's to make you "hungry for Christ"... But really you're just hungry. It's a Pavlov's dog response designed to make you feel ingratiated to God. To those less prone to the fawn response to fight/flight/freeze/fawn, it doesn't go over all that well.
I do not know if you will see this, but I wish to thank you. For years I've heard of the Norse Pagan religion and Vikings, and something about them has always felt right. I was baptized Catholic but never attended church, nor did it feel right to pursue. But looking into the Norse Pagantry and reading about it's history and how it's taught and videos like this, make me feel like this is the right path that I am travelling on. I sometimes feel out of character aligning myself as a Norse Pagan, as I'm a mixed Mexican-American, but at the basis it simply feels right to me. These videos are an immense help, so I thank you truly.
I’m Latino and I’m also new to Norse paganism. Im still learning about this religion but it’s the only one that I felt an actual connection to. I grew up Morman and looked into Catholicism and Christianity and so many others and always felt so alone and lost but I always felt a connection to Norse paganism and Vikings. I do tell people I’m heathen and so far haven’t had any bad reactions, just people who are curious about this religion and what it is and it’s so hard to explain it to them when I’m still learning so much about it. 😂
The gods welcome all! But always remember that Odin wishes us to gain all the knowledge we can, we have an infinite amount of knowledge from the internet and the Norse peoples were very interested in other cultures and other gods. I've been learning about Celtic mythology and native North American mythology for some time now, I only feel a connection to some Celtic and Native gods, but it's always good to learn about other pantheons
Same here, I was born and raised as a catholic but yet never really felt “pulled” to it and really felt forced, but I’m starting find an interest in Norse religion.
i would like to share something with prayer that made rny day earlier. i am traveling and the rain began to quickly get very heavy. even the lights of other cars were hard fo see, forget about seeing the road. i called upon any and all who were listening, thanked them for the beautiful rain, but asked all rain deities and anyone else in charge of water to thin the rain. right as i finished, the rain immediately lightened. i can’t stop thinking of how incredible it was. when i reach my destination and get settled, i’m making a foliage crown and laying it in the river, as an offering for their reign over the earth.
I was raised in several churches, then I lost my faith in Christianity at around 13, and found paganism gave me some serenity, so I've been pagan ever since
I've spent my life as an atheist, a while ago I started to find interest in norse paganism. For a long I put off my interests because I didn't know how to go about it, but thanks to videos like this I feel comfortable enough to start practicing. Thank you so, so much.
When I pray I offer honey, food, and spices or scents. I prefer to use candles as prayer focal points. I try to only ask the Gods for aid when its a dire need. I use quick prayers to praise. I'm still new to paganism but I feel a strong connection to my Gods and I might be on the right track because I've noticed many of my practical requests are granted. I'm appreciative of the pagan community as a whole on RUclips. I feel more free as a pagan then ever as a Christian!
It feels good to have some sort of guidance behind, but if anybody feels to do it otherwise, it is ok to deviate from that structure of course. The relationship with the gods is the most important thing
This is exactly what I have been struggling with for the past couple of years since I began finding my way. I admit I have been trapped in the mindset of not wanting to pester the gods with "my small and trivial day to day things", and "Is THIS a worthy thing to pray to them for?", as well as "I don't have anything appropriate to offer, maybe it's best I just work through this one myself" so many times. Occasionally I direct a one-sided conversation when I'm alone to either Odin or Tyr when there is a difficult conundrum/dilemma that I need to put my thoughts into words to properly asses what's going on but I'm unsure if that really counts for anything. I like to think that including them in my inner dialogue helps align myself to them in some small way, but idk. I never really "got" how to pray to the Christian God, and I think that's carried over.
@@OceanKeltoi Duly noted for next time that happens. Speaking of housewights, the other issue I've been stumped on forever... What are some of your recommendations for a suitable offering? I'm also confused on the most appropriate methods of disposal. I've seen all kinds of conflicting options: Setting it out for a while then eating/drinking it, Setting it out then disposing it in the trash/sink, burning it, or just leaving it outside. Does it really just depend on each persons specific circumstances and intent?
@@Shinseidono89 Environmental limitations are often the discerning factor. If you =can= leave it outside, that's an option, which is one that I use. I also use incense offerings instead of food offerings commonly. But some people don't have these luxuries, so trash or sink disposal a while after ritual is concluded is considered practical and legitimate. Multiple paths are valid depending on circumstance.
One way (I think is important) is to just listen for what the God(s) has to say to you. And asking a question and waiting for an answer is also good. And I think deities don't actually need our presents, they have the whole universe, but the offering, chanting, and other physical manifestations are helpful for US. And to remember that what is difficult or impossible for us is probably quite easy for them. thank you for your time.
I pray mostly to Freyja. If I need to ask another deity for help, I ask Freyja to ask with me. Freyja came to me before I knew who she was. I was just a young kid who was going through a really tough time and didn't have anybody who I could really TURN to. My family loved me, but things were tough for them, too, and they didn't have the time to help me. But, Freyja did. She has helped me so many times.
Good video. There is still a common misconception that, "We do not pray." More pervasive is this bad idea that, 'We do not kneel." I sure do. I've done it at a public blot. I've bowed as well, though I can't source it, I still do it. I usually stand, as you say, due to physical comfort. I worship gods from more than one pantheon, but I am very heathen heavy. I think part of the problem is Steve McNallen having pushed the Konan the Barbarian idea where we simply don't ask for help but rather achieve achieve achieve in spades and then show the gods the reat booty we have won in their honor by way of battle... and only battle, and we should never ever ask for help like ever because heathen are always completely self reliant... unlike those mere mortal hippie Christian liberal. OK, that's hyperbole, but the point is, one problem is we have this misconception in North American heathenry that we can't just be regular humans who ask for help sometimes and aren't always #WINNING! Obviously, it's good tp out in our share of the work, but asking for help is a legit form of prayer. And, yes, sometimes, we can't always make offerings, or when we can, they aren't always the best. Sometimes, all we have is a piece of ham sandwich and apple juice. Odin says to give within our means, after all, and sometimes, our means are meager. It's OK to give something other than mead. Maybe someone is a recovering alcoholic. Maybe someone just doesn't drink. Maybe a person puts their heart and soul into making fudge, so fudge is a more meaningful sacrifice than a horn full of mead that they had shipped to their house. My situation is that, I fortunately know enough Heathens IRL and have enough lay people's sources to have a good idea what to do and what not to do and to break Catholic habits of thinking about things like religious observance. Now, what to do about Baltic observance? Well, I have to learn some songs in other languages. Until then, I feel safe using Heathen ritual as an acceptable roadmap. What do I do about offerings to Mesopotamian gods? Um...... I learned one format in an audiobook called "Mesopotamian Religion", but there are really no books that I know of that are lay people's 101 type books to get one's practice off the ground. So I'm gonna do it wrong. I accept that. As I learn and practice, I will do it better and better. I will go slow though because doing things better and better takes time. Anyway, thank you for the video. I think MANY new heathens need to learn, "Yes, you get to pray. Yes, you get to ask for help sometimes. Yes, you g et to make offerings that aren't not the heads of your enemies. No. You don't have to shout loud enough for them to hear you in Asgard. Yes, we sometimes kneel. Yes, I'm serious. Yes, the arch heathens knelt. Yes, it's in source material. No, not every heathen does it the same. There is no one excat right way. No, you don't have to be a Viking. No, you really aren't a Viking. Yes, cool period cloths, but no, we're not Vikings, and that's OK." :-D I needed to learn all of this in my own time, and I'm sure I need to learn more! And I will.
Hmmm what are you so fearful of, that you feel the desire to appeal to gods of multiple different religions? What are you trying to run from, or hide from or avoid
@@PotatoeJoe69 My ancestry includes the Celts, the Picts, the Norse, the Danes, the Romans, the Greeks and the Turks. Who do you assume I would fear that I instead touch the Earth and ask her children who went before to guide my steps? Who do YOU fear that you must cling to one group like a child at a parent's knee, afraid to greet an unknown relative? We, like the Norse, are the product of thousands of generations of successful adults. There is no 'pure' bloodline; we are all mixes of different Tribes and peoples. Acknowledging that is simple logic and basic respect.
People that have reverted back to their cultural religions fascinate me. I honestly would have thought that that well would have been poisoned by Christianity and Secular reasoning. I'm an atheist myself and I'm very much intrigued by your content on all of this. You're doing fantastic work!
@@WildMen4444 Poisoned by the sense that Abrahamic religions by there nature tends to demonize other spiritual beliefs by those indoctrinated in said Abrahamic faiths. Since the spread of the bug 3 virtually unchecked in Western society for centuries until modern secular reasoning which is more science based and also doesn't add credence to spirituality or religious beliefs
I'm a devout Christian, but I always have loved Religious Studies, History, and other such studies, and I used to be SUPER into Norse and Germanic Myth (not in the sense of worship, I was just academically interested). Your channel seems very objective and respectable. Overall I love this channel and respect your way of explaining your beliefs and as far as I can tell you're very tolerant of other religions.
@Ameretat010 yeah there's alternative views, specifically what I'm thinking of is the 'Christian polytheists'. They still believe in one Supreme Being who created everything but believe He also created other 'gods' they are way less powerful than Him but are still 'gods' and this is becoming an increasingly popular idea among Protestants. Note: they do not believe the other gods are worthy of worship
@Ameretat010 at the current moment I'm nondenominational. As for the arguments, they usually come in the form of Biblical arguments. A few examples are things like Psalm chapter 82 (first thing to come to mind), or various other verses throughout the Bible that imply the existence of multiple gods. The arguments are usually how to interpret these things.
It's opened me talk doors for me. I couldn't be more happy to hear such a logical, faith-based recount of who, what, why, and when. I hope to hear more from this man
This helps me on my path to be more of a self practicing Asatruar. I know a lot of other folks, who follow the Norse tradition, will get at me for being self-practicing, but it's the path that works best for me. I have to quote the late Robin Williams when I say, "I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone, it's not. The worst thing in life is to be around people who make you feel alone." Why be a part of a so-called "community," of anything, much less other Asatruar, if all there going to do is put you down and limit you. I don't buy into either the Folkish or Universalist Concepts of Asatru. I Hail to the Gods in my own way, but that doesn't mean that I don't keep an open mind and limit myself to only wisdom from Asatru. I also like what Bruce Lee said, in regards to Jeet Kune Do "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add something uniquely your own." So in other words fuck the idea of, "you're not a real heathen/Norse Pagan/Asatruar, because you (insert lame excuse here)."
Excellent video. After watching your style of content on Heathenry, I don't know how I ever watched anybody like WoO and took them seriously. Your content is much more mature and informative.
I’m not Heathen, though I am a pagan, and would be interested in hearing more about the landwights. Are they something similar to Nymphs or nature spirits? That’s just a guess
Speaking from my perspective as a Norse Heathen/Celtic Polytheist: Wights/vættir are spirits or life forms. The Gods are wights, as are the ancestors. The animistic side of this faith includes the belief that there is a wight in/around/of everything so you can think of e.g. the Nisse, or similar as far as landvættir or hausvættir goes. I give offerings to my hausvættir and ask for things like help with a stable internet connection, to help us keep the house safe and secure and tidy, to help us keep a harmonious household. Did any of that help at all?
@@wednesdaysixx2213 yes, thank you. Your explanation of how it pertains to other areas of faith, deities, and it’s application in your every day life was very helpful. I very much value your insight as a practitioner.
Yes I think it is another name for the same presences.I live in Oz and our country is literally crawling with the land wights But interestingly , I have found them to present as indiginous.
This is great. I really like that you touched on the Landvættir, I generally feel much more drawn to “spirits of place” than I do gods, at least that’s how I perceive them.
Same! In my case, it's complicated because I'm actually Christian. I believe in the omnipotent, omnipresent Christian god, Jesus, angels, ect, but I also believe that the gods of other religions are real as well, and are just a different sort of divine being. I've considered asking them for help with relevant things, but I feel very awkward doing so, because I'm afraid that they might feel insulted, since I don't view them as the highest cosmic authority, and don't direct the majority of my worship towards them? I don't have that issue with land spirits, I'm not entirely sure why. I've always felt a strong connection to them, have always given them thanks, and asked them for help with things related to the land (usually related to the various wildlife that lives in my yard.)
Really insightful, it's great you acknowledge the literature of the Greeks and Romans. I find a lot of strictly Norse polythiests try to go at prayer amd not use the ancient Mediterranean sources, because it's not Norse. The only thing I hear used is Germania. But had the Norse/Germanic peoples integrated into the Greek or Roman society or at least be respected enough to be written about more, I think we would find they shared a lot of customs. Not to mention the very nature of polytheism is to adopt other gods and practices into the faith. The Greeks did it as cited by Herodotus, he literally says the Greeks got the names and nature of the gods from the Egyptians. I think the same attitude needs to be given to Christian practices. It's the religious heirarchy structure that is the problem. Not the personal practices. If we're ever going to reconstruct and revive the old ways, we really have to accept that.
@@ZeLeninovoMasoveRizoto There's no god in Slavic Polytheism named "Woda", the word "woda" means "water" in Polish and it comes from Proto-Slavic *voda "water", that comes from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wandō "water", and that comes from Proto-Indo-European *wédōr "water". Wodan comes from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz, that is related to the PG word *wōdaz “rage, manic inspiration”, which comes from PIE *weh₂t- “to be excited”. "Wodan" and "woda" are not related.
@@lunarAureola wow, two very different words spelled the same/similarly, never heard of that happening before... I literally never said they were cognates. It's like claiming that the fish and the measurement have to have the same origin just because they both happen to be written as tuna in certain languages...
@@lunarAureola and yes, the source he was dug up from is disputed a lot, so I will give it to you that he might not exist, but that doesn't cancel my point of the name being possible without the words having to mean the same thing.
@@ZeLeninovoMasoveRizoto "currently can only think of Woda - Wodan/Odin", you didn't say it directly, but you insinuated that these words have to be somehow connected in some way.
@@lunarAureola yes, in that in said disputed source, Woda was in fact listed as Slavic name of Odin. But what I meant is that Odin could be called Woda by Slavs independently on water being written the same, especially as half of western Slavic languages don't even spell water as woda. Basically, "Woda" can be both Odin and water without the two having to be related in any way, because as I have mentioned, there are other words like this.
Nice to see this kind of intro content entering the RUclips stream. I think recent events have shown there are a LOT of people out there looking for it, and this is the kind of content they should find! Thanks for everything you do!
Thank you for this video. It helped me give my first offering today. I used my own words but was so inspired by your phrase, “I have never prayed or given offering to you before but I have felt your pull.” It was so simple but incredibly moving. Thank you.
Your content is really good. You don't over do it, (like a southern Baptist prayer xD) and you don't minimalize it to the point of nothingness. Just enough info to get us going in the direction we seek. Thank you for sharing. And thank Odin that you have the knowledge and the wisdom to share!
This absolutely helped clear my head of so many questions I have had. I began to gain what I once called “fog brain” and felt “a prayer of thanks or guidance would be bothersome” but now I feel more confident in my path again and will once again say my thanks and ask for guidance again. Thank you
I just wanna thank you so much for all of your content as a new Heathen, particularly the video where you disavow “Wisdom” of Odin, whom I, admittedly, followed for quite a bit before realizing the racist undertones of how they practice. You rock, man, and I love your content (not just your advanced knowledge, but your silly puns at the beginning always give me a chuckle).
I'm totally new to Heathenry, I tend to believe to the Gods but I'm not sure, you're one of the channels who help me and thanks you for that, I don't understand everything, but I'm eager to learn, thanks you
Really enjoying these videos for two reasons. First being on the academic and organic side of information and the realisation on how our religion is. Secondly the side of open discussion, its not restricting any ideas on how to pray or restrict step up and down like the 'Vatican Rag'. Since firstly finding your videos I've gotten much more information, much more soruces YOU display in your videos which is so helpful to encourage independent thinking and researching. You are doing our community great service and I seriously hope your channel grows as its been such a twist of fate to finally find someone who is as well with teaching and discussing our religion with an academic and open minded sense.
Thanks for this, while I have felt the call of the gods for quite some time, I have only recently heeded their call and figured out who they were. As such, this type of video is infinitely helpful. Weirdly enough ritual is one of the less alien parts to me despite being rather new due to my background in witchcraft and magic, still I struggle with the minefield that is Folkism when trying to find information regarding Heathen ritual. Obviously prayer and ritual aren't exactly the same but I've always found more ritualistic settings when praying to be helpful.
ODIN's BEARD😂😂😂... you had me at "Norse Code"😂 Just "Watched, Liked & Subscribed". I'll digest later. As a young teen I rebelled from the Baptist church..but Still believed in God. At about the same age, my Daughter chose to be a Pagan and has Never wavered. Her better half is a Fire Fighter who follow Norse traditions. They are my Heart & Soul. I used to love to ask him to do the Blessing but I think I might be offending him. That's why I came to your channel. Thanks for doing such a thorough and informative job...with an occasional Painful Pun just for good measure😉
Thank you! Regarding land wights, in Finland we have a tradition to leave porridge out as an offering to the house tonttu (Swedish: tomte, nisse), especially around Yuletide. This was a form of thanks for the care that the tonttu gives the household and its livestock throughout the year, and to ensure that this care would continue. I have always found this tradition very intriguing.
My mom's norse pagan, my dad raised me around romani traveller pagan festivals. They raised me to love everyone and everything, i think I'm ready to learn about my faith more. I'm ready to learn with my siblings, no matter your gender, sexual orientation, background or race. Odin welcomes everyone, hes the all father, not the some father. Skal to all my siblings, who have love instead of hate. Love from a nonbinary bisexual pagan, to others like me ❤️
I’ve claimed to be a heathen for about two years now. I have a tattoo of Yggdrasil and Mjolnir on my right shoulder but I’ve never known how to properly worship, now that I’ve found your channel, I think I’m starting to learn more than trying to learn on my own the past two years. Thank you for that
Oh no, the Southern Baptists and JWs have the same problem with their long damn prayers. XD I remember how much it sucked having to stand for 15-20 minutes waiting for a prayer to be done because they decided to go on forever.
I'm a new young follower of the Norse Gods and I just found your channel, and it's so much more helpful than I thought it would have been. It's nice to know I'm not alone in what I chose to follow. Thank you for sharing what you know, it really does help clear things for me and am sure for others too.
Good information, and well researched, as always. Please keep up the good work! You are an excellent teacher, as well as a great ambassador, as it were, for pagans in general and heathens in particular. Well done!
I just discovered your channel here a few weeks ago. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and wisdom. Love all the videos so far. AWESOME Job!
Another great video! I love how I've been praying is basically what you said! Glad to know heathen praying has a format lol. Question. Could you maybe do a video about evil/malevolent spirits (dare I say demons?) in heathenry? I own many books but can't really find a whole lot on the matter. Again, great content! Keep it up!
Awesome! Thanks alot! I'll be watching that soon. What about the squirrel atop yggdrasil? Or the serpent below gnawing on the roots? Couldn't those be considered malevolent?
A) This is fantastic! I stumbled upon your channel and am so thankful for it. I am learning so much! B) One thing that has always confounded me are sacrifices. I know *about* sacrifices and understand them in theory, but in practice I am just so lost. Do I set aside food and then throw it out? Eat it myself? Donate it? Place it somewhere outside? Etc. etc. I know there are /plenty/ of ways do sacrifice, but it still remains rather daunting
Honestly when I pray to the gods in public and quietly, or just a quick prayer, I will be standing, but will bow my head or look above my head to imply that I am not equal to the gods. Usually I do it while a source of smoke is nearby, I feel like my connection to them is stronger in the presence of smoke. Bonfires feel the strongest, but even a cigarette helps
I appreciate the shout out to land spirits. I have been leaving offers on the sabbats and esabbats for going on six years now. I never really ask for anything from them, but I've found that harmful and invasive plant species tend to held back while I'm living there, and my animals (I've been keeping chickens for several years) are safer than other peoples tend to be with far less work on my part. So I'm a big proponent of being friends with your neighbors.
finally someone who has done his research! never seen your channel before mate but I'm sticking around. agree with everything you said, every time i see someone post "I don't kneel" or "I walk among my gods and an equal" a small part of me dies.
I'm glad i came across your videos, and channel. So far, after 10-12 videos, i have to say i do not disagree with anything i've learned so far... I've always been a norse pagan, as far back i can remember, but i've never really educated myself in terms of the gods, and the lore... It's only recently, after a blood clot in the brain, that i've started to really feel that i need some closer connection with the gods... My life has always been really hard, and i've often attributed it to "Karma"... Maybe i was a really bad person in a previous life, so i had to suffer in this one... But about a year ago, i met this really wonderful woman, in NY, and she stole my heart... So the past year have been a real blessing for me, and i often find myself thanking the gods, for their help in making it happen... So, thank you, for some really good and strong content, and helping me evolve as a pagan... You've gained a new follower, and i'll be sure to comment from time to time, with my own personal insights and experiences... Hail all, from Denmark !
@RunetheDane Der er ikke mange med en bachelor i Nordisk Mythologi, der har en youtube kanal, ja det er fuldstændig korrekt. Mathias Nordvig har en kanal og en uddannelse i modsætning til ham her..
So I'm new to Heathenry, and I've loved your videos! I have since said two prayers. The first was quite awkward and more like rambling. My second just now was a little better, but I'm still getting the hang of it. Not sure if I was supposed to hallow the space, but I figured it's a full moon, why not lol. I find doing a ritual of washing my hands, preparing the offering, and lighting candles gets me into a mood of reverence. The actual prayer was more just me talking to the gods and thanking them for things in my life I've had success with, almost like sharing stories with friends lol, followed by the ask and offering. Maybe I'm making it more mentally difficult than it needs to be, but I hope I'm doing it right. I did enjoy talking with them :) it made me notice I should probably be more grateful for things in my life.
My boyfriend introduced me to this belief a couple months ago, and I've been very nervous to begin my path fully. I felt called to provide an offering tonight. It was strong. I decided to pray to Odin for wisdom and guidance as I start my journey down this path. I ate some bread and milk and asked he join me in partaking. I was so nervous I had tears in my eyes. After I was done, I thanked him for his time and said goodbye to him. I hope I was respectful and that he accepts my prayer. I'm still incredibly new to all of this, but I'm hoping your videos can help provide some guidance as well. Thank you!
Greetings from Norway. Thank you for your channel. Just discovered it today. Thank you you for condemning racism. It has no place in paganism. I am pagan and my wife is philippina. Interesting to hear about how you practice. Keep it up. I have subscribed and will watch a lot more of your content in the time that follows.
A couple hours late but here are my thoughts: I don't really keep any gods in particular (as of yet, these things are fluid and I'd be lying if I said I am not feeling pulls) but I agree with all of this. Get in a reciprocity groove and meditate on what your intention needs to be for the prayer. I like the phrase "you need to turn the wheel" I think that's an apt description of what you have to do after the fact. I know that when I was being raised as Catholic I didn't think of prayer that way, you didn't have the agency. But reframing prayer this way really helps in feeling empowered and actually accomplishing what you prayed about. Then the reflection afterward is really rewarding. I really recommend keeping a journal of any prayers, rituals, offerings, etc of what you do as keeping track can really help reflect overall. Plus, if you come up or hear a prayer you really like you have one spot for all of them. Thank you and can't wait for the next stream/video, love these intro videos :)
Can an Arab be a Heathen? I'm Lebanese (and I'm actually white, could have some German blood)...but if I don't have any German in me, could I still be a Heathen? I really love this religion, wanna switch over.
I'm not going to lie I was really ignorant of this, I would Norse Mythos as a child, I grew up as a black kid in a black church , never liked Christianity, because I felt no connection. maybe what im saying doesn't make any sense. but this, this is very eye opening.
I understand. I was raised to be a christain but it never felt right. I tried to believe but it never worked for me and it made me feel miserable. One day I stopped trying all together. I became a atheist for a while and although that made me feel better as person it still never felt right. I felt as if a part of me was missing. One day I learned about Odin and the norse gods. Started delving in the belief of them and found what made me feel complete. I no longer feel like I'm lost in this world. No longer feel like I'm alone searching for something. I always felt that there was something out there. Someone to believe in. It took me years to find it and now I'm happy. The norse gods saved me from a life of misery and I'm grateful to them for that.
@@chaseviking5096 I am grateful as well. I wear Thor's hammer proudly now. I want to embody my hero and protector in my life. Im still new to this haha
As a Dane I can tell you, that offerings to landvætter/what you call land spirits is the best preserved heathen practice today. A lot of people do it, including Christians, espessially at Christmas where the nisse is the talk of the town - few people relate Christmas to the birth of Jesus.
@wolf trader true, Christmas is also still called "jul" in Danish. But today jul has become a christian holiday, eventhough it isn't historically correct.
I'm a Catholic, raised Presbyterian. I had always felt that there was more than a God that I was taught. I asked a heathen friend (after many conversations) to give me a resource to help me understand the multiple feelings I had of God, nature, the saints...you explained this so well that I finally felt a spiritual peace to explore my soul and desires further. I see little difference in being a Catholic vs. heathen and now I feel safe iny faith and love for God to explore more. Who knows! Maybe now I can feel spiritually complete. Thank you!
There will be some major differences. The Gods are different, and we dont hold to a trinitarian view. Nor is there a central authority like the Pope or a tradition of ecumenical councils. But there are many familiar elements that you’ll find as well. Many of the Catholic Saints are rooted in stories of Celtic and Germanic deities. So there may be some familiar presences as you explore.
I am a new subscriber and a new follower of the Norsepagan faith, I stumbled across your vids in my feed and I'm like a sponge and want to learn more, thank you for the content. SKAL!
Talking about prayer...reminded me of a scene from Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger, just before the big battle the the forcer of Thulsa Doom when he started out his prayer to Crom by saying, "Crom, I have never prayed to you before, I have no tongue for it..." To be honest in nearly 30 years of following Asatru, I cannot say I have done much by way of praying...I have rituals and magic but never really prayed. Of course I never did much, if any praying before discovering Asatru either. My family was nominally Christian but the only time I remember being in a church growing up was at weddings and at piano recitals. So basically I never learned how to pray to begin with and in my time in Asatru it isn't something that I encountered anywhere outside of formalized ritual. I have encountered that mentality of " we don't beg on our knees we stand in strength." It was never put forth with the idea that we saw ourselves as equals to the gods, but that the Gods respect strength and kneeling is a position of weakness. As to myself...my few attempts at prayer in recent days (which makes me curious about the timing of my finding your channel tonight) have been standing, or seated. In my case...well...getting down onto my knees isn't the issue...getting back up off of them...well...THAT'S where things take a turn for the painful. This video has, though, given me a bit of insight as to the nature and structure of prayer...we will see what the All father makes of it...
I have prayed, asked for help or given thanks or praise to different gods or beings many times and do it very differently, and can honestly say I've never begged the gods because begging is pathetic. I ask them for help as I'd ask a well respected but occupied friend who takes some time to hear me out, with a clear heart but never out of option, even if the only other option is to accept fate as will be without their help. When giving thanks to the gods I always offer some coin as a sign that I value the time I spend giving thanks and don't do it out of obligation or habit. I can say if I was ever to kneel before the gods it'd be out of gratitude.
What would've been really helpful is a full example prayer, since The Argument and The Preces sound pretty similar in terms of what is said and what their function is.
My go to offering is tea. I have well enough means that simple water doesn’t feel right. And food tweaks my “good waste” button. But when offering was described like welcoming a friend into your home and treating them as a guest that helped me settle on tea (and incense for more general prayer).
I am partly in the broom closet when it comes to family. I am heathen (specifically norse polytheistic) with my my close friends and have to force myself to be Christian in my family, though my twin and I are both heathen. I never actually prayed to the gods. So I think I would like to since I do want to thank them for keeping me positive throughout 2020! Thx Ocean for bringing this concept to me, you have opened my eyes to more possibilities to celebrate my heathenry thx to your videos! :)
As a Christian. Clicking on this video I felt as if I sinned. I always felt a pull towards the Norse ways and it always interested me. I did my ancestry & found out I am Wales, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark ❤
Wonderful presentation, thanks. I am still exploring this as I lena into paganism and transition from Christian practices which I have been leaving for many years. I speak to the Gods and Goddesses as Friends, family and of course respectfully. I have been over time learning the background and the traditions from which the Good sn Goddesses I have been drawn to. What you are explain gin can be applied to any Pagan Pantheon, most of mine are Celtic. I am eclectic and have drawn inspirations from a number of traditions and practices. I do do rituals alone and in groups. I write prayers and I pray off script. Prayers can be simple, direct and even silent. I think that it's about intention. Long rambling prayers are not a part of my practice. Regarding offering, flowers, incense, smudging, herbs, tobacco, sometimes food offerings. It's what intuitively right at that moment. Drumming and chanting and dancing can be an offering. My overall belief is that the One is many and the many are one! I am a polytheist, and believe that all n nature is alive and part of th Divine. In that way I am an animist. I am evolving, this has taken time, there is so much to learn. That is important is intent and sincerity.
This definitely helps, I've been a heathen for... At least 3-4 years now, and I would often try to just share my morning coffee with the Gods, go up to the window, look at the bright blue sky, to the green coloured mountains and birds flying through the sky, and talk to the gods in that peaceful moment that exists when we are just waking up, and breathing in the new day. Unsure if I was even doing the correct thing, I kinda stopped with this practice, but looking back, the connection I felt with the gods when doing it, when sharing my thoughts with Odin, or Freyja, that feeling deep down is perhaps confirmation that I was doing the right thing. But a more "formal" way of prayer to the gods, is definitely something I was looking for, thanks for the video.
I think writing my prayers will probably be part of my practice. I want to leave a record for the curious of how I prayed and worked Seidr. I have a journal I try to note important things of personal significance. I don't have too many common knowledge things like the runes or passages from the Eddas but if I work a spell or do an important divination, or have a notable dream I write it down.
I feel the same way as many here, though I have very seldom prayed, it was in times where I have felt lost or hopeless. This video has cleared up questions in which I never knew who to ask for answers, or where to look. I now can strengthen my bond with the gods
When using norse code to discern the runes you shouldn't do it one rune at a time.
You should Hávamál laid out at once.
That feeling when one isn't sure if there is a storm brewing, or if Thor himself is literally groaning at the puns being made here.
Otherwise it runes the whole thing.
Get out of my house
@@OceanKeltoi stop you're bringing a Tyr to my eye.
Boooooooooo 😭😆
"I’ve never prayed or given offering to you before but I have felt your pull” that gave me goosebumps
Yeah it sounded kinda flirty, like a bar pickup line for a god lol
I got drunk one night and decided it would be in my best interest to start and insult contest with my room mate in making fun of Loki.
The next morning waking up hung over, notice the trash can was missed more than a few times, my room mate asked, ..
" What happen to all of our alcohol, who was that guy, and serious man, where did that .. goat .. come from ?"
Few hours later, my mom wanted to know why is there a goat in the back yard.
@@krispalermo8133 I NEED MORR INFO WHERE DID THE GOAT COME FROM
@@krispalermo8133 What happened to the goat after that?
@@Amy_the_Lizard We had called the police to see if anyone had a missing goat, he was a good size one.
Within a day, he was turn over to a random farmer.
I told a Christian friend recently that I was Heathen his response was to ask me if I was “slitting chickens throats in my garden and offering them to the gods” my response was to ask him if he was burning unmarried women for practicing witchcraft in his garden to please his god, luckily we laughed and are still friends mainly because he’s not a devout Christian and hasn’t been to church for a long time
Yeeeaaahh. I've stopped counting the number of times I've been asked something like that, or if I'm a satanist!
Why does it matter if he’s “devout Christian” … as if it effects anything.. even they could careless about your weird faith. Why compare to Christianity? Why not Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism.. it’s always against Christian’s for some reason..
@@TheBaBaTV because the vast majority of any pagan believers will come into contact with Christians so it’s easy to make the comparison, on the side of Hinduism, Hindus are polytheistic so don’t have much different from most pagans.
@@TheBaBaTV have a nice day
@Hairy Plotter 🤣 that’s fucking hilarious
As someone who was raised without religion, I'm struggling to fall into prayer. But this video is helping, so thank you.
If you are struggling to fall into prayer, i suggest RISING into prayer 🤘
I was raised by atheists who didn’t force their views onto me and wanted me to make my own decisions but sent me to a Christian school because it was the only school available who did try to force their views on me and I hated it, always felt wrong when I was forced to pray
I was raised without religion too, but for my adult life I have been Norse Pagan, and yes his videos are helping me navigate what that means as well.
I can relate with you, I have been atheist pretty much my entire life and same with my parents, so prayer and deity's is a hard concept to grasp, I performed my first prayer to Odin last night for his help, knowledge and guidance on this journey and self discovery into Norse Paganism, I can't really explain it but I honestly feel that it was heard and listened too, I feel that my words were not empty into nothingness and that I feel fulfilled.
Likewise!
As a new pagan who has come from the Christian faith, this was very helpful. The only channel I was listening to for the longest was The Wisdom of Odin. But I find your videos to have so much more factual and historical information. So ready to see more videos. Again, thank you. Gods guide you.
Well met ^_^
And i’ve seen a lot of people coming here from WoO’s channel. I’ve addressed some of my concerns with him in a previous video.
Velkommen to the side of the open mind
💯 I started watching Wisdom of Odin and some other Wicca channels, just surprised at the amount of this content on social media. Finding OK, I think I'm in love with the reconstruction approach. I've never been particularly interested in the fluffy bunny school not thought.
I too have come from WOO and there are things I don’t agree with on his platforms. You however have calmed my concerns about Pagan channels.
I’ve also come from that channel 🤣😂 however I find im enjoying the content here way more x
"Norse code" the pun police are here 😂
I will be... punished.
@@OceanKeltoi no
@@OceanKeltoi be careful not to rune the joke
I grew up in Sweden, in a village called Landvetter. I always thought it came from "direction and view of the land" but never considered that the "vetter" part also can mean spirits ("vätte", in Swedish).
Eyy Götaland gang
As one raised as a southern Baptist I remember prayers over feasts would take so long one would find themselves feeling quite faint with hunger in waiting for the ending of the prayer
That's quite deliberate. I've heard a Baptist say it's to make you "hungry for Christ"... But really you're just hungry. It's a Pavlov's dog response designed to make you feel ingratiated to God. To those less prone to the fawn response to fight/flight/freeze/fawn, it doesn't go over all that well.
And the food would be cold after the prayer too😭
I do not know if you will see this, but I wish to thank you. For years I've heard of the Norse Pagan religion and Vikings, and something about them has always felt right. I was baptized Catholic but never attended church, nor did it feel right to pursue. But looking into the Norse Pagantry and reading about it's history and how it's taught and videos like this, make me feel like this is the right path that I am travelling on. I sometimes feel out of character aligning myself as a Norse Pagan, as I'm a mixed Mexican-American, but at the basis it simply feels right to me. These videos are an immense help, so I thank you truly.
I’m Native American, and I also feel the same pull towards Norse mythology
I’m Latino and I’m also new to Norse paganism. Im still learning about this religion but it’s the only one that I felt an actual connection to. I grew up Morman and looked into Catholicism and Christianity and so many others and always felt so alone and lost but I always felt a connection to Norse paganism and Vikings. I do tell people I’m heathen and so far haven’t had any bad reactions, just people who are curious about this religion and what it is and it’s so hard to explain it to them when I’m still learning so much about it. 😂
The gods welcome all! But always remember that Odin wishes us to gain all the knowledge we can, we have an infinite amount of knowledge from the internet and the Norse peoples were very interested in other cultures and other gods. I've been learning about Celtic mythology and native North American mythology for some time now, I only feel a connection to some Celtic and Native gods, but it's always good to learn about other pantheons
Same here, I was born and raised as a catholic but yet never really felt “pulled” to it and really felt forced, but I’m starting find an interest in Norse religion.
i would like to share something with prayer that made rny day earlier. i am traveling and the rain began to quickly get very heavy. even the lights of other cars were hard fo see, forget about seeing the road. i called upon any and all who were listening, thanked them for the beautiful rain, but asked all rain deities and anyone else in charge of water to thin the rain. right as i finished, the rain immediately lightened. i can’t stop thinking of how incredible it was. when i reach my destination and get settled, i’m making a foliage crown and laying it in the river, as an offering for their reign over the earth.
You had me at “ I was raised Southern Baptist so I can say that” haha. I was raise Irish Catholic so I see how we end up seeking the gods
Same, I was a non-denominational Christian trying to keep it peaceful, but I couldn’t lol now I’m a kemetic and norse pagan/green witch :)
I was raised in several churches, then I lost my faith in Christianity at around 13, and found paganism gave me some serenity, so I've been pagan ever since
I've spent my life as an atheist, a while ago I started to find interest in norse paganism. For a long I put off my interests because I didn't know how to go about it, but thanks to videos like this I feel comfortable enough to start practicing. Thank you so, so much.
I'm still an atheist, I think it's entirely possible in ancient orthopractic religions to be non-theistic despite it being historically rare
When I pray I offer honey, food, and spices or scents. I prefer to use candles as prayer focal points. I try to only ask the Gods for aid when its a dire need. I use quick prayers to praise. I'm still new to paganism but I feel a strong connection to my Gods and I might be on the right track because I've noticed many of my practical requests are granted. I'm appreciative of the pagan community as a whole on RUclips. I feel more free as a pagan then ever as a Christian!
It feels good to have some sort of guidance behind, but if anybody feels to do it otherwise, it is ok to deviate from that structure of course. The relationship with the gods is the most important thing
It's a basic structure, but I don't think breaking these 'rules' creates any kind of distance. I agree, the relationship is the most important part.
This is exactly what I have been struggling with for the past couple of years since I began finding my way. I admit I have been trapped in the mindset of not wanting to pester the gods with "my small and trivial day to day things", and "Is THIS a worthy thing to pray to them for?", as well as "I don't have anything appropriate to offer, maybe it's best I just work through this one myself" so many times. Occasionally I direct a one-sided conversation when I'm alone to either Odin or Tyr when there is a difficult conundrum/dilemma that I need to put my thoughts into words to properly asses what's going on but I'm unsure if that really counts for anything. I like to think that including them in my inner dialogue helps align myself to them in some small way, but idk. I never really "got" how to pray to the Christian God, and I think that's carried over.
A prayer to the housewights when you’ve lost your keys is accurate and historically justified pagan praxis.
@@OceanKeltoi Duly noted for next time that happens. Speaking of housewights, the other issue I've been stumped on forever... What are some of your recommendations for a suitable offering? I'm also confused on the most appropriate methods of disposal. I've seen all kinds of conflicting options: Setting it out for a while then eating/drinking it, Setting it out then disposing it in the trash/sink, burning it, or just leaving it outside. Does it really just depend on each persons specific circumstances and intent?
@@Shinseidono89 Environmental limitations are often the discerning factor. If you =can= leave it outside, that's an option, which is one that I use. I also use incense offerings instead of food offerings commonly. But some people don't have these luxuries, so trash or sink disposal a while after ritual is concluded is considered practical and legitimate. Multiple paths are valid depending on circumstance.
One way (I think is important) is to just listen for what the God(s) has to say to you. And asking a question and waiting for an answer is also good. And I think deities don't actually need our presents, they have the whole universe, but the offering, chanting, and other physical manifestations are helpful for US. And to remember that what is difficult or impossible for us is probably quite easy for them. thank you for your time.
I've come to this path alone with only small amounts of teaching. I'm absolutely binging your channel right now.
Wonderful!
that norse dad joke at the beginning XD
and that southern baptist line about it being 2+ hours, I really felt that lol
I pray mostly to Freyja. If I need to ask another deity for help, I ask Freyja to ask with me.
Freyja came to me before I knew who she was. I was just a young kid who was going through a really tough time and didn't have anybody who I could really TURN to. My family loved me, but things were tough for them, too, and they didn't have the time to help me. But, Freyja did. She has helped me so many times.
Yeah right
@@God-sz4pf Yeah, it is right. Thanks for that unsolicited confirmation!
I accidentally offered baldr mistletoe and now he isn't returning my calls
Good video. There is still a common misconception that, "We do not pray." More pervasive is this bad idea that, 'We do not kneel." I sure do. I've done it at a public blot. I've bowed as well, though I can't source it, I still do it. I usually stand, as you say, due to physical comfort. I worship gods from more than one pantheon, but I am very heathen heavy. I think part of the problem is Steve McNallen having pushed the Konan the Barbarian idea where we simply don't ask for help but rather achieve achieve achieve in spades and then show the gods the reat booty we have won in their honor by way of battle... and only battle, and we should never ever ask for help like ever because heathen are always completely self reliant... unlike those mere mortal hippie Christian liberal. OK, that's hyperbole, but the point is, one problem is we have this misconception in North American heathenry that we can't just be regular humans who ask for help sometimes and aren't always #WINNING! Obviously, it's good tp out in our share of the work, but asking for help is a legit form of prayer.
And, yes, sometimes, we can't always make offerings, or when we can, they aren't always the best. Sometimes, all we have is a piece of ham sandwich and apple juice. Odin says to give within our means, after all, and sometimes, our means are meager. It's OK to give something other than mead. Maybe someone is a recovering alcoholic. Maybe someone just doesn't drink. Maybe a person puts their heart and soul into making fudge, so fudge is a more meaningful sacrifice than a horn full of mead that they had shipped to their house.
My situation is that, I fortunately know enough Heathens IRL and have enough lay people's sources to have a good idea what to do and what not to do and to break Catholic habits of thinking about things like religious observance. Now, what to do about Baltic observance? Well, I have to learn some songs in other languages. Until then, I feel safe using Heathen ritual as an acceptable roadmap. What do I do about offerings to Mesopotamian gods? Um...... I learned one format in an audiobook called "Mesopotamian Religion", but there are really no books that I know of that are lay people's 101 type books to get one's practice off the ground. So I'm gonna do it wrong. I accept that. As I learn and practice, I will do it better and better. I will go slow though because doing things better and better takes time.
Anyway, thank you for the video. I think MANY new heathens need to learn, "Yes, you get to pray. Yes, you get to ask for help sometimes. Yes, you g et to make offerings that aren't not the heads of your enemies. No. You don't have to shout loud enough for them to hear you in Asgard. Yes, we sometimes kneel. Yes, I'm serious. Yes, the arch heathens knelt. Yes, it's in source material. No, not every heathen does it the same. There is no one excat right way. No, you don't have to be a Viking. No, you really aren't a Viking. Yes, cool period cloths, but no, we're not Vikings, and that's OK." :-D I needed to learn all of this in my own time, and I'm sure I need to learn more! And I will.
Even Crom gave Conan the opportunity to honor him in battle and play him a song of praise using his sword.
Well said, anything worthwhile takes time.
Hmmm what are you so fearful of, that you feel the desire to appeal to gods of multiple different religions? What are you trying to run from, or hide from or avoid
@@PotatoeJoe69 Why do you gather I am motivated by fear to worship deities from multiple pantheons?
@@PotatoeJoe69 My ancestry includes the Celts, the Picts, the Norse, the Danes, the Romans, the Greeks and the Turks. Who do you assume I would fear that I instead touch the Earth and ask her children who went before to guide my steps? Who do YOU fear that you must cling to one group like a child at a parent's knee, afraid to greet an unknown relative? We, like the Norse, are the product of thousands of generations of successful adults. There is no 'pure' bloodline; we are all mixes of different Tribes and peoples. Acknowledging that is simple logic and basic respect.
People that have reverted back to their cultural religions fascinate me.
I honestly would have thought that that well would have been poisoned by Christianity and Secular reasoning.
I'm an atheist myself and I'm very much intrigued by your content on all of this.
You're doing fantastic work!
Poisoned how so?
@@WildMen4444 Poisoned by the sense that Abrahamic religions by there nature tends to demonize other spiritual beliefs by those indoctrinated in said Abrahamic faiths.
Since the spread of the bug 3 virtually unchecked in Western society for centuries until modern secular reasoning which is more science based and also doesn't add credence to spirituality or religious beliefs
I'm a devout Christian, but I always have loved Religious Studies, History, and other such studies, and I used to be SUPER into Norse and Germanic Myth (not in the sense of worship, I was just academically interested). Your channel seems very objective and respectable. Overall I love this channel and respect your way of explaining your beliefs and as far as I can tell you're very tolerant of other religions.
@Ameretat010 most sects do, some teach they dont exist at all
@Ameretat010 I'm a little conflicted about the nature of pagan gods, if they exist, if they're demons, if they're something else, etc.
@Ameretat010 yeah there's alternative views, specifically what I'm thinking of is the 'Christian polytheists'.
They still believe in one Supreme Being who created everything but believe He also created other 'gods' they are way less powerful than Him but are still 'gods' and this is becoming an increasingly popular idea among Protestants.
Note: they do not believe the other gods are worthy of worship
@Ameretat010 at the current moment I'm nondenominational.
As for the arguments, they usually come in the form of Biblical arguments. A few examples are things like Psalm chapter 82 (first thing to come to mind), or various other verses throughout the Bible that imply the existence of multiple gods. The arguments are usually how to interpret these things.
@Ameretat010 Tot ce e posibil 😬
This is great. I whole heartily agree with this.
It's opened me talk doors for me. I couldn't be more happy to hear such a logical, faith-based recount of who, what, why, and when.
I hope to hear more from this man
This helps me on my path to be more of a self practicing Asatruar. I know a lot of other folks, who follow the Norse tradition, will get at me for being self-practicing, but it's the path that works best for me. I have to quote the late Robin Williams when I say, "I used to think the worst thing in life was to be all alone, it's not. The worst thing in life is to be around people who make you feel alone." Why be a part of a so-called "community," of anything, much less other Asatruar, if all there going to do is put you down and limit you. I don't buy into either the Folkish or Universalist Concepts of Asatru. I Hail to the Gods in my own way, but that doesn't mean that I don't keep an open mind and limit myself to only wisdom from Asatru. I also like what Bruce Lee said, in regards to Jeet Kune Do "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add something uniquely your own." So in other words fuck the idea of, "you're not a real heathen/Norse Pagan/Asatruar, because you (insert lame excuse here)."
Wonderful video, and it's great to see you so active again!
Excellent video. After watching your style of content on Heathenry, I don't know how I ever watched anybody like WoO and took them seriously. Your content is much more mature and informative.
Thanks so much!
I got a Christian ad just before this video 😂. But this was really helpful since I'm still getting used to praying to the gods! ❤️💪
I’m not Heathen, though I am a pagan, and would be interested in hearing more about the landwights. Are they something similar to Nymphs or nature spirits? That’s just a guess
Very similar, yes.
Speaking from my perspective as a Norse Heathen/Celtic Polytheist: Wights/vættir are spirits or life forms. The Gods are wights, as are the ancestors. The animistic side of this faith includes the belief that there is a wight in/around/of everything so you can think of e.g. the Nisse, or similar as far as landvættir or hausvættir goes. I give offerings to my hausvættir and ask for things like help with a stable internet connection, to help us keep the house safe and secure and tidy, to help us keep a harmonious household. Did any of that help at all?
@@wednesdaysixx2213 yes, thank you. Your explanation of how it pertains to other areas of faith, deities, and it’s application in your every day life was very helpful. I very much value your insight as a practitioner.
Yes I think it is another name for the same presences.I live in Oz and our country is literally crawling with the land wights But interestingly , I have found them to present as indiginous.
@Mike C good to know, thanks for the recommendation.
This is great. I really like that you touched on the Landvættir, I generally feel much more drawn to “spirits of place” than I do gods, at least that’s how I perceive them.
Same! In my case, it's complicated because I'm actually Christian. I believe in the omnipotent, omnipresent Christian god, Jesus, angels, ect, but I also believe that the gods of other religions are real as well, and are just a different sort of divine being. I've considered asking them for help with relevant things, but I feel very awkward doing so, because I'm afraid that they might feel insulted, since I don't view them as the highest cosmic authority, and don't direct the majority of my worship towards them? I don't have that issue with land spirits, I'm not entirely sure why. I've always felt a strong connection to them, have always given them thanks, and asked them for help with things related to the land (usually related to the various wildlife that lives in my yard.)
Really insightful, it's great you acknowledge the literature of the Greeks and Romans. I find a lot of strictly Norse polythiests try to go at prayer amd not use the ancient Mediterranean sources, because it's not Norse. The only thing I hear used is Germania. But had the Norse/Germanic peoples integrated into the Greek or Roman society or at least be respected enough to be written about more, I think we would find they shared a lot of customs. Not to mention the very nature of polytheism is to adopt other gods and practices into the faith. The Greeks did it as cited by Herodotus, he literally says the Greeks got the names and nature of the gods from the Egyptians.
I think the same attitude needs to be given to Christian practices. It's the religious heirarchy structure that is the problem. Not the personal practices.
If we're ever going to reconstruct and revive the old ways, we really have to accept that.
@@ZeLeninovoMasoveRizoto
There's no god in Slavic Polytheism named "Woda", the word "woda" means "water" in Polish and it comes from Proto-Slavic *voda "water", that comes from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wandō "water", and that comes from Proto-Indo-European *wédōr "water".
Wodan comes from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz, that is related to the PG word *wōdaz “rage, manic inspiration”, which comes from PIE *weh₂t- “to be excited”. "Wodan" and "woda" are not related.
@@lunarAureola wow, two very different words spelled the same/similarly, never heard of that happening before... I literally never said they were cognates. It's like claiming that the fish and the measurement have to have the same origin just because they both happen to be written as tuna in certain languages...
@@lunarAureola and yes, the source he was dug up from is disputed a lot, so I will give it to you that he might not exist, but that doesn't cancel my point of the name being possible without the words having to mean the same thing.
@@ZeLeninovoMasoveRizoto "currently can only think of Woda - Wodan/Odin", you didn't say it directly, but you insinuated that these words have to be somehow connected in some way.
@@lunarAureola yes, in that in said disputed source, Woda was in fact listed as Slavic name of Odin. But what I meant is that Odin could be called Woda by Slavs independently on water being written the same, especially as half of western Slavic languages don't even spell water as woda.
Basically, "Woda" can be both Odin and water without the two having to be related in any way, because as I have mentioned, there are other words like this.
Nice to see this kind of intro content entering the RUclips stream. I think recent events have shown there are a LOT of people out there looking for it, and this is the kind of content they should find! Thanks for everything you do!
Thank you for this video. It helped me give my first offering today. I used my own words but was so inspired by your phrase, “I have never prayed or given offering to you before but I have felt your pull.” It was so simple but incredibly moving. Thank you.
Your content is really good. You don't over do it, (like a southern Baptist prayer xD) and you don't minimalize it to the point of nothingness. Just enough info to get us going in the direction we seek. Thank you for sharing. And thank Odin that you have the knowledge and the wisdom to share!
This absolutely helped clear my head of so many questions I have had. I began to gain what I once called “fog brain” and felt “a prayer of thanks or guidance would be bothersome” but now I feel more confident in my path again and will once again say my thanks and ask for guidance again.
Thank you
I just wanna thank you so much for all of your content as a new Heathen, particularly the video where you disavow “Wisdom” of Odin, whom I, admittedly, followed for quite a bit before realizing the racist undertones of how they practice. You rock, man, and I love your content (not just your advanced knowledge, but your silly puns at the beginning always give me a chuckle).
I'm totally new to Heathenry, I tend to believe to the Gods but I'm not sure, you're one of the channels who help me and thanks you for that, I don't understand everything, but I'm eager to learn, thanks you
Not gonna lie, the Norse code thing had me in the first half. 😂
Really enjoying these videos for two reasons.
First being on the academic and organic side of information and the realisation on how our religion is.
Secondly the side of open discussion, its not restricting any ideas on how to pray or restrict step up and down like the 'Vatican Rag'. Since firstly finding your videos I've gotten much more information, much more soruces YOU display in your videos which is so helpful to encourage independent thinking and researching. You are doing our community great service and I seriously hope your channel grows as its been such a twist of fate to finally find someone who is as well with teaching and discussing our religion with an academic and open minded sense.
The southern Baptist comment had me cackling like a madman. That was one of my pet peeves while attending church. Thank you for the good laugh!
Thanks for this, while I have felt the call of the gods for quite some time, I have only recently heeded their call and figured out who they were. As such, this type of video is infinitely helpful. Weirdly enough ritual is one of the less alien parts to me despite being rather new due to my background in witchcraft and magic, still I struggle with the minefield that is Folkism when trying to find information regarding Heathen ritual. Obviously prayer and ritual aren't exactly the same but I've always found more ritualistic settings when praying to be helpful.
ODIN's BEARD😂😂😂...
you had me at "Norse Code"😂
Just "Watched, Liked & Subscribed". I'll digest later.
As a young teen I rebelled from the Baptist church..but Still believed in God. At about the same age, my Daughter chose to be a Pagan and has Never wavered. Her better half is a Fire Fighter who follow Norse traditions. They are my Heart & Soul. I used to love to ask him to do the Blessing but I think I might be offending him. That's why I came to your channel. Thanks for doing such a thorough and informative job...with an occasional Painful Pun just for good measure😉
Thank you! Regarding land wights, in Finland we have a tradition to leave porridge out as an offering to the house tonttu (Swedish: tomte, nisse), especially around Yuletide. This was a form of thanks for the care that the tonttu gives the household and its livestock throughout the year, and to ensure that this care would continue. I have always found this tradition very intriguing.
Same in Norway.
Thank you for this - the sincerity and respect is refreshing.
My mom's norse pagan, my dad raised me around romani traveller pagan festivals.
They raised me to love everyone and everything, i think I'm ready to learn about my faith more.
I'm ready to learn with my siblings, no matter your gender, sexual orientation, background or race. Odin welcomes everyone, hes the all father, not the some father.
Skal to all my siblings, who have love instead of hate. Love from a nonbinary bisexual pagan, to others like me ❤️
I’ve claimed to be a heathen for about two years now. I have a tattoo of Yggdrasil and Mjolnir on my right shoulder but I’ve never known how to properly worship, now that I’ve found your channel, I think I’m starting to learn more than trying to learn on my own the past two years. Thank you for that
Had to join you're advice is amazing for new people to the faith like myself
I love that I stumbled upon this page May the gods be with Hail from Canada
“CRUM, I have never prayed to you before; I have no tongue for it….and if you do not listen, then to Hel with you.” -Arnie
Oh no, the Southern Baptists and JWs have the same problem with their long damn prayers. XD
I remember how much it sucked having to stand for 15-20 minutes waiting for a prayer to be done because they decided to go on forever.
This resonates deep within me- I feel this makes so much more sense- and somehow more respectful than the way I was taught etc.
Odin smiles upon you for sharing your wisdom.
I'm a new young follower of the Norse Gods and I just found your channel, and it's so much more helpful than I thought it would have been. It's nice to know I'm not alone in what I chose to follow. Thank you for sharing what you know, it really does help clear things for me and am sure for others too.
Good information, and well researched, as always. Please keep up the good work! You are an excellent teacher, as well as a great ambassador, as it were, for pagans in general and heathens in particular. Well done!
I just discovered your channel here a few weeks ago. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, knowledge, and wisdom. Love all the videos so far. AWESOME Job!
Another great video! I love how I've been praying is basically what you said! Glad to know heathen praying has a format lol. Question. Could you maybe do a video about evil/malevolent spirits (dare I say demons?) in heathenry? I own many books but can't really find a whole lot on the matter. Again, great content! Keep it up!
Jotun worship is historical. I talk about it a little in my video on the afterlife here: ruclips.net/video/qKB1Gm3eV6Y/видео.html
Awesome! Thanks alot! I'll be watching that soon. What about the squirrel atop yggdrasil? Or the serpent below gnawing on the roots? Couldn't those be considered malevolent?
@@brianrobertson3626 I've never considered them malevolent personally. More neutral or 'aligned with nature' perhaps.
A) This is fantastic! I stumbled upon your channel and am so thankful for it. I am learning so much!
B) One thing that has always confounded me are sacrifices. I know *about* sacrifices and understand them in theory, but in practice I am just so lost. Do I set aside food and then throw it out? Eat it myself? Donate it? Place it somewhere outside? Etc. etc. I know there are /plenty/ of ways do sacrifice, but it still remains rather daunting
Honestly when I pray to the gods in public and quietly, or just a quick prayer, I will be standing, but will bow my head or look above my head to imply that I am not equal to the gods. Usually I do it while a source of smoke is nearby, I feel like my connection to them is stronger in the presence of smoke. Bonfires feel the strongest, but even a cigarette helps
I appreciate the shout out to land spirits. I have been leaving offers on the sabbats and esabbats for going on six years now. I never really ask for anything from them, but I've found that harmful and invasive plant species tend to held back while I'm living there, and my animals (I've been keeping chickens for several years) are safer than other peoples tend to be with far less work on my part. So I'm a big proponent of being friends with your neighbors.
i love the “or you could go the southern baptist route” bit 🤣
finally someone who has done his research! never seen your channel before mate but I'm sticking around. agree with everything you said, every time i see someone post "I don't kneel" or "I walk among my gods and an equal" a small part of me dies.
The like is strictly for the pun at the start.
I'm glad i came across your videos, and channel. So far, after 10-12 videos, i have to say i do not disagree with anything i've learned so far... I've always been a norse pagan, as far back i can remember, but i've never really educated myself in terms of the gods, and the lore... It's only recently, after a blood clot in the brain, that i've started to really feel that i need some closer connection with the gods... My life has always been really hard, and i've often attributed it to "Karma"... Maybe i was a really bad person in a previous life, so i had to suffer in this one... But about a year ago, i met this really wonderful woman, in NY, and she stole my heart... So the past year have been a real blessing for me, and i often find myself thanking the gods, for their help in making it happen...
So, thank you, for some really good and strong content, and helping me evolve as a pagan... You've gained a new follower, and i'll be sure to comment from time to time, with my own personal insights and experiences... Hail all, from Denmark !
I find it quite ironic as a dane learning more about the gods from a English speaker than from my own country men lmao
Har du set ordentligt efter?
@RunetheDane Der er ikke mange med en bachelor i Nordisk Mythologi, der har en youtube kanal, ja det er fuldstændig korrekt. Mathias Nordvig har en kanal og en uddannelse i modsætning til ham her..
I don’t know why but I started tearing up towards the end of this. I feel like I finally found what I’ve been looking for
Ooooooo different kind of intro
So I'm new to Heathenry, and I've loved your videos! I have since said two prayers. The first was quite awkward and more like rambling. My second just now was a little better, but I'm still getting the hang of it. Not sure if I was supposed to hallow the space, but I figured it's a full moon, why not lol. I find doing a ritual of washing my hands, preparing the offering, and lighting candles gets me into a mood of reverence. The actual prayer was more just me talking to the gods and thanking them for things in my life I've had success with, almost like sharing stories with friends lol, followed by the ask and offering. Maybe I'm making it more mentally difficult than it needs to be, but I hope I'm doing it right. I did enjoy talking with them :) it made me notice I should probably be more grateful for things in my life.
Good talk! May the gods be with you 🙏🏻 skål
My boyfriend introduced me to this belief a couple months ago, and I've been very nervous to begin my path fully. I felt called to provide an offering tonight. It was strong. I decided to pray to Odin for wisdom and guidance as I start my journey down this path. I ate some bread and milk and asked he join me in partaking. I was so nervous I had tears in my eyes. After I was done, I thanked him for his time and said goodbye to him. I hope I was respectful and that he accepts my prayer. I'm still incredibly new to all of this, but I'm hoping your videos can help provide some guidance as well. Thank you!
Greetings from Norway. Thank you for your channel. Just discovered it today. Thank you you for condemning racism. It has no place in paganism. I am pagan and my wife is philippina. Interesting to hear about how you practice. Keep it up.
I have subscribed and will watch a lot more of your content in the time that follows.
A couple hours late but here are my thoughts: I don't really keep any gods in particular (as of yet, these things are fluid and I'd be lying if I said I am not feeling pulls) but I agree with all of this. Get in a reciprocity groove and meditate on what your intention needs to be for the prayer. I like the phrase "you need to turn the wheel" I think that's an apt description of what you have to do after the fact. I know that when I was being raised as Catholic I didn't think of prayer that way, you didn't have the agency. But reframing prayer this way really helps in feeling empowered and actually accomplishing what you prayed about. Then the reflection afterward is really rewarding. I really recommend keeping a journal of any prayers, rituals, offerings, etc of what you do as keeping track can really help reflect overall. Plus, if you come up or hear a prayer you really like you have one spot for all of them. Thank you and can't wait for the next stream/video, love these intro videos :)
I'm excited about making more intro vids. I'm excited about the excitement around them.
excite!
I think you are very helpful in this walk HAIL THE GOD'S
Thank you this is helpful, I am still learning, and I need to find books on the deities and spirits so I know where to direct my prayers.
Can an Arab be a Heathen? I'm Lebanese (and I'm actually white, could have some German blood)...but if I don't have any German in me, could I still be a Heathen? I really love this religion, wanna switch over.
You absolutely can. Gods are not limited by DNA. Worship whoever you please
This was so helpful. Thank you.
I'm not going to lie I was really ignorant of this, I would Norse Mythos as a child, I grew up as a black kid in a black church , never liked Christianity, because I felt no connection. maybe what im saying doesn't make any sense. but this, this is very eye opening.
I understand. I was raised to be a christain but it never felt right. I tried to believe but it never worked for me and it made me feel miserable. One day I stopped trying all together. I became a atheist for a while and although that made me feel better as person it still never felt right. I felt as if a part of me was missing. One day I learned about Odin and the norse gods. Started delving in the belief of them and found what made me feel complete. I no longer feel like I'm lost in this world. No longer feel like I'm alone searching for something. I always felt that there was something out there. Someone to believe in. It took me years to find it and now I'm happy. The norse gods saved me from a life of misery and I'm grateful to them for that.
@@chaseviking5096 I am grateful as well. I wear Thor's hammer proudly now. I want to embody my hero and protector in my life. Im still new to this haha
As a Dane I can tell you, that offerings to landvætter/what you call land spirits is the best preserved heathen practice today. A lot of people do it, including Christians, espessially at Christmas where the nisse is the talk of the town - few people relate Christmas to the birth of Jesus.
@wolf trader true, Christmas is also still called "jul" in Danish. But today jul has become a christian holiday, eventhough it isn't historically correct.
I'm a Catholic, raised Presbyterian. I had always felt that there was more than a God that I was taught. I asked a heathen friend (after many conversations) to give me a resource to help me understand the multiple feelings I had of God, nature, the saints...you explained this so well that I finally felt a spiritual peace to explore my soul and desires further. I see little difference in being a Catholic vs. heathen and now I feel safe iny faith and love for God to explore more. Who knows! Maybe now I can feel spiritually complete.
Thank you!
There will be some major differences. The Gods are different, and we dont hold to a trinitarian view. Nor is there a central authority like the Pope or a tradition of ecumenical councils. But there are many familiar elements that you’ll find as well. Many of the Catholic Saints are rooted in stories of Celtic and Germanic deities. So there may be some familiar presences as you explore.
This and other videos like these from several creators have been helping me on my own path, thank you so much and keep up the great work ^_^
I sooo understand the Baptist praying lol 😂
Lord we just...
jason and the argonauts, love your intro segment
I’m always 15 minutes late.
nooooo
You're still showing up.
Thank you Ocean! This is a very informative video.
The tech gremlins appreciate all your offerings and will consider to lower the amount of pings on the next VC or stream.
Thank you a lot, I had difficulties to pray, cause I didn't know HOW. Thank you very much
Wow, as a dad, I groaned at that intro joke... good work brother, good work.
I am a new subscriber and a new follower of the Norsepagan faith, I stumbled across your vids in my feed and I'm like a sponge and want to learn more, thank you for the content. SKAL!
the humor and information in your channel is great
Talking about prayer...reminded me of a scene from Conan the Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger, just before the big battle the the forcer of Thulsa Doom when he started out his prayer to Crom by saying, "Crom, I have never prayed to you before, I have no tongue for it..." To be honest in nearly 30 years of following Asatru, I cannot say I have done much by way of praying...I have rituals and magic but never really prayed. Of course I never did much, if any praying before discovering Asatru either. My family was nominally Christian but the only time I remember being in a church growing up was at weddings and at piano recitals. So basically I never learned how to pray to begin with and in my time in Asatru it isn't something that I encountered anywhere outside of formalized ritual. I have encountered that mentality of " we don't beg on our knees we stand in strength." It was never put forth with the idea that we saw ourselves as equals to the gods, but that the Gods respect strength and kneeling is a position of weakness. As to myself...my few attempts at prayer in recent days (which makes me curious about the timing of my finding your channel tonight) have been standing, or seated. In my case...well...getting down onto my knees isn't the issue...getting back up off of them...well...THAT'S where things take a turn for the painful. This video has, though, given me a bit of insight as to the nature and structure of prayer...we will see what the All father makes of it...
I have prayed, asked for help or given thanks or praise to different gods or beings many times and do it very differently, and can honestly say I've never begged the gods because begging is pathetic. I ask them for help as I'd ask a well respected but occupied friend who takes some time to hear me out, with a clear heart but never out of option, even if the only other option is to accept fate as will be without their help. When giving thanks to the gods I always offer some coin as a sign that I value the time I spend giving thanks and don't do it out of obligation or habit.
I can say if I was ever to kneel before the gods it'd be out of gratitude.
What would've been really helpful is a full example prayer, since The Argument and The Preces sound pretty similar in terms of what is said and what their function is.
My go to offering is tea. I have well enough means that simple water doesn’t feel right. And food tweaks my “good waste” button. But when offering was described like welcoming a friend into your home and treating them as a guest that helped me settle on tea (and incense for more general prayer).
I am partly in the broom closet when it comes to family. I am heathen (specifically norse polytheistic) with my my close friends and have to force myself to be Christian in my family, though my twin and I are both heathen. I never actually prayed to the gods. So I think I would like to since I do want to thank them for keeping me positive throughout 2020! Thx Ocean for bringing this concept to me, you have opened my eyes to more possibilities to celebrate my heathenry thx to your videos! :)
For a long time i wanted to change my faith, your arguments and videos helped to shine a new light on what i should follow, thank you.
As a Christian. Clicking on this video I felt as if I sinned. I always felt a pull towards the Norse ways and it always interested me. I did my ancestry & found out I am Wales, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark ❤
Wonderful presentation, thanks. I am still exploring this as I lena into paganism and transition from Christian practices which I have been leaving for many years. I speak to the Gods and Goddesses as Friends, family and of course respectfully. I have been over time learning the background and the traditions from which the Good sn Goddesses I have been drawn to. What you are explain gin can be applied to any Pagan Pantheon, most of mine are Celtic. I am eclectic and have drawn inspirations from a number of traditions and practices. I do do rituals alone and in groups. I write prayers and I pray off script. Prayers can be simple, direct and even silent. I think that it's about intention. Long rambling prayers are not a part of my practice. Regarding offering, flowers, incense, smudging, herbs, tobacco, sometimes food offerings. It's what intuitively right at that moment. Drumming and chanting and dancing can be an offering. My overall belief is that the One is many and the many are one! I am a polytheist, and believe that all n nature is alive and part of th Divine. In that way I am an animist. I am evolving, this has taken time, there is so much to learn. That is important is intent and sincerity.
Fascinating stuff.
As a Scot I'm wondering, would old Gaelic/Celtic Paganism be seen as being Heathenism too?
All your videos are so well done and informative. PLEASE keep them coming!
This definitely helps, I've been a heathen for... At least 3-4 years now, and I would often try to just share my morning coffee with the Gods, go up to the window, look at the bright blue sky, to the green coloured mountains and birds flying through the sky, and talk to the gods in that peaceful moment that exists when we are just waking up, and breathing in the new day. Unsure if I was even doing the correct thing, I kinda stopped with this practice, but looking back, the connection I felt with the gods when doing it, when sharing my thoughts with Odin, or Freyja, that feeling deep down is perhaps confirmation that I was doing the right thing. But a more "formal" way of prayer to the gods, is definitely something I was looking for, thanks for the video.
I think writing my prayers will probably be part of my practice. I want to leave a record for the curious of how I prayed and worked Seidr. I have a journal I try to note important things of personal significance. I don't have too many common knowledge things like the runes or passages from the Eddas but if I work a spell or do an important divination, or have a notable dream I write it down.
I feel the same way as many here, though I have very seldom prayed, it was in times where I have felt lost or hopeless. This video has cleared up questions in which I never knew who to ask for answers, or where to look. I now can strengthen my bond with the gods
First time I've seen your mug.... So far so good. I'm give your words a ponder