On the Afterlife in the Germanic Tradition and Modern Misconceptions

Part 1

There is a large portion of modern heathens that claim our tradition did not have an afterlife, or that our afterlife is whatever you want it to be, or that there is no punishment in the Afterlife. These are all lies, lies that can only be perpetuated if you refuse to read the primary sources.

Lets dispel each of these three assertions in quick succession.

The first is the claim that we did not have an afterlife. There are references to Hel in at least 4 poems of the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda describes the location when Hermod travels to Hel in the failed attempt to bring Bældæg (Baldr) back.

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 16

Wynterfylleþ, Wynter Filling

Wynter 1

Hærfest Emnyht, New Year’s Day
Wynterfylleþ 1, 2022
September 22, 2022
Þunresdæġ, Thursday

Wynternyht - Fréanblót
Wynter Nights - Fréa’s blо́t
Wynterfylleþ 18, 2022
October 9, 2022

Wynternyht - Gydenneblót
Wynter Nights - Goddesses’ blо́t
Wynterfylleþ 19, 2022
October 10, 2022

Wynternyht - Ylfablót
Wynter Nights - Elves’ blо́t
Wynterfylleþ 20, 2022
October 11, 2022

https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

On the Afterlife in the Germanic Tradition and Modern Misconceptions

Part 2

In Gesta Danorum there is a story about King Hadingus being dragged into the underworld, where he sees rich men and nobles and a river with strong rapids and filled with weapons. Crossing a bridge they come across two equally matched armies fighting each other. This is clearly a depiction of Hel and the Anherġas of Wælheall.

The above not only strongly dispels the idea that there wasn’t an afterlife, it also destroys the belief that the afterlife can be whatever you wish it to be.

Onto the final point that there was no punishment in the Germanic cosmology. Usually this is followed with the statement that punishment is a Christian concept. It is not.

Woden - Hār

Odin’s byname of Hárr means old or grey and is cognate with the OE Hār, also meaning old or grey. The name evolved into the English word hoar – as in the hoarfrost.

Few know that within the Houses of Parliament in London, stands an enormous painting by Colin Gill - 'King Alfred's long-ships defeat the Danes 877'. Though completed in 1927, before WWII, you can see he gave the Danes a Swastika flag as their emblem (it lies fallen at the bottom of the painting)

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 17

Blótmónaþ, Blót Month

Wynter 2

“This month is the month of sacrifice, because our forefathers, when they were heathens, always sacrificed in this month, that is, that they took and devoted to their idols the cattle which they wished to offer. In this month that the cattle which were to be slaughtered were dedicated to the gods”    

~ Menologium seu Calendarium Poeticum

https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

On the Afterlife in the Germanic Tradition and Modern Misconceptions

Part 3

In the poem Völuspá contained in the Poetic Edda there is the following passage;

“A hall she saw standing
remote from the sun
on Dead Body Shore.
Its door looks north.
There fell drops of venom
in through the roof vent.
That hall is woven
of serpents’ spines.
She saw there wading
onerous streams
men perjured
and wolfish murderers
and the one who seduces
another’s close-trusted wife.
There Malice Striker sucked
corpses of the dead,
the wolf tore men.
Do you still seek to know? And what?”
~Völuspá 38-39, Dronke's translation

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 18

Blótmónaþ, Blót Month

Wynter 2

Fyðerling Tælmearc, Quarter Date
Blótmónaþ 17, 2022
November 7, 2022
Mónandæġ, Monday

Onsæġungdæġ, Sacrifice Offering Day
Nýtenoffrung, Animal Offering
Blótmónaþ 18, 2022
November 8, 2022
Tíwesdæġ, Tuesday


https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

On the Afterlife in the Germanic Tradition and Modern Misconceptions

Part 4

This place in Hel, Dead Body Shore (Nastrond in ON) is clearly a place of punishment. People who slandered another unjustly, murderers (outside of battle and honourable combat), and adulterers (oath breakers) are subjected to residing in a hall with venom dropping from the roof (very much akin to Loge’s punishment for killing Bældæg), wolves tearing at them and Niddhoggr devouring them. This is mirrored in the Prose Edda in Gylfaginning, probably reflecting on how Snorri used the poems that make up the Poetic Edda.

For anyone to claim the punishment is a strictly Abrahamic idea have never read the mythology of the Greeks (Tartarus), or the texts of Buddhism (Naraka), or heard of the realm of Diyu in Chinese mythology. They are either woefully ignorant of comparative mythology to the point where their opinion is not worth anything, or they are aware but do not wish for divine punishment (guilty consciences maybe?).

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 19

Ǽrra Ġéola, Early Yule

Wynter 3

“That very night, which we hold so sacred, they used to call by the heathen word Módranyht, that is, "Mothers' night", because of the ceremonies they enacted all that night”

~ Bede


https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

What has held us back?

Part 1

The greater Heathen revival began with Alexander Rud Mills in the 1930’s. He established the “Anglican Church of Odin” in Australia. After events that shall not be named occurred, all things Germanic were demonised everywhere, and it took until 1969 for the scorched earth soil to begin sprouting anew with Else Christensen’s Odinist Fellowship. Shortly after Steven McNallen would found what would become the AFA.

This would be a significant step forward for the Heathen community, but not long after this the Folkish & Universalist divide would arise. The only progress made in our native tradition would be the acquisition of temples (hofs) in the U.K., the US & Iceland.

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 20

Ǽrra Ġéola, Early Yule

Wynter 3

Módranyht, Mothers’ Night
Ǽrra Ġéola 17, 2022
December 7, 2022
Wódnesdæġ, Wednesday

https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

What has held us back?

Part 2

Aside from this, no development in Orthopraxy, Orthodoxy, ethics or philosophy in half a century. No priesthood has been established, no representation in the greater public. Compare this to the Mormons, who took over an entire state in the US in a couple of generations. Or the Hare Krishna movement that began in the US at the same time as the Heathen revival. They have all of the above in spades.

This is embarrassing to say the least, but what has caused this? I would contend the reasons are many.

First is the Folkish vs Universalist divide. People in our movement spend far too much energy disparaging others, and yet contribute nothing positive to this faith. It’s a cycle of destruction that only benefits those that wish to see this tradition die. This is not to say the divide is not a necessity, only that it takes up far too much time for many within this community.

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 21

Ǽfterra Ġéola, Latter Yule

Wynter 4

(Hakon) “made a law… …that every man, under penalty, should brew a meal of malt into ale, and therewith keep the Yule holy as long as it lasted. Before him, the beginning of Yule, or the slaughter night, was the night of mid-wynter and Yule was kept for three days thereafter”

~ Hakon the Good’s Saga

https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

What has held us back

Part 3

Second is the infection of backward Left-Hand Path ideas. These ideas aim to make everything subjective, invert everything in our lore (such as Loga (Loki) being a misunderstood necessity to improve everything, instead of the sociopathic Nithing that he truly is). To adopt this worldview is to provide no solid answer and to not be able to assert a strong belief in anything.

This has allowed the degenerates and dregs of society to come into our groups and claim legitimacy. They screech that they are in touch with the Gods and their Nithing actions are absolutely fine in the eyes of our Holy Gods & Goddesses. One example I heard recently was that a woman’s connection to Eostre (the Goddess of the Dawn and strongly associated with fertility) legitimised her having abortions. I do not think I need to state how absurd this statement was.

The time for classical activism is over. The real European people must come together and become a community again.
Create local groups, get together and help each other.
Cultivate and pass on our European values to your children.
This is the only alternative we have left.

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 22

Ǽfterra Ġéola, Latter Yule

Wynter 4

Ġéolafyrm - Þunresblót
Yule Tide Festivities - Þunor’s blót
Ǽfterra Ġéola 17, 2023
January 6, 2023

Ġéolafyrm - Ġéolablót
Yule Tide Festivities - Yule blót
Ǽfterra Ġéola 16, 2023
January 7, 2023

Ġéolesfyrm - Godbótblót
Yule Tide Festivities - Atonement blót
Ǽfterra Ġéola 19, 2023
January 8, 2023

https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead

What has held us back?

Part 4

Next is the assertion that all of our sources were recorded by and contaminated by Christians. Without said sources we would know next to nothing about the Pan-Germanic worldview, so to take this view is absurd, but it’s also not true. The core of our lore is contained in the Poetic Edda. Academics (as much as I do not want to appeal to those atheists) that have studied Old Norse almost unanimously agree that the Old Norse used in the Poetic Edda is an archaic form that predates Christianity in the North. The monks that wrote it down would not have been able to tamper with the poems without it being obvious, and there is no evidence of this.

The final point I wish to raise is a pathological aversion to new findings from our own community. Groups like Aldsidu & the Norroena Society have been making great strides into our tradition, but these have not been adopted by the larger organisations. Most seem content to stick to the Wiccan derived calendar as one prominent example.

The Folcsida Ġerímbóc: Part 23

Sólmónaþ, Sun Month

Wynter 5

“The Sun-month may be called the month of cakes, which they offered to their gods”

~ Bede



https://linktr.ee/TheFrithstead