Skadi, Mistress of Scandinavia

God of All Scandinavia, Wise God-Bride, The Huntress, The Shadowy One, Lady of the Mountains!

The North is a harsh mistress, but through these trials, this peril, she makes you strong! Few deities make this as clear as Skadi, of who Scandinavia is lovingly named. She dwells in the Rocks and the Mountains, the Ice and the Snow. Embodying all the beauty and fury of the Scandinavian Wilderness and its' people.

At a glance Skadi might escape notice, like figures in a blizzard or eyes from mountain tops but she is one of the most ferocious, dangerous and beautiful of all Northern Gods.

Among the gods of Scandinavia she is most favored. Skadi sits in a seat of prominence, lover of the Seafaring God, Queen of the Mountains! The very soul of Scandinavia and her people. In Eddic Myth she was married to Njord taking him as her husband not her him when after the death of her Father it is said:

"Now Skadi, the daughter of the giant Thjazi, took helm and birnie and all weapons of war and proceeded to Ásgard, to avenge her father. The Æsir, however, offered her reconciliation and atonement."

For Skadi is not simply a huntress or ski god, an archer or mountain dweller... no she is all of these things and more for she is the goddess who bestows and caretaker of all the wonders of Scandinavia, from the Mountain Forests to the Fierce Spirit of War. She embodies all that is noble and incredible of her people and her land. Fore she is their Mother, their Mentor and their War Leader.

She is the keeper of all these talents and treasures of the Northern Lands, she married Njord so her people may conquer the sea. She married Odin as his cult rose to prominence but in Lore further south she finds perhaps her greatest match, Ullr the Winter King. While she gave birth to Kings via Odin, with Ullr she begot the god of Steam and by extension our modern wonders.

Truly she is the Shining Bride of the Gods.
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Here in the Netherlands, Vrouw Holle is still well known, even amongst non-pagans and christians, as a fairy tale figure. The amusement park De Efteling has her immortalised in their fairy tale forest as the old crone who makes it snow when she fluffes up her pillow.

What is lesser known is the story tradition that places her in charge of spring. As a golden haired maiden, she takes the position of Eostre in Anglican lands and starts of the season at the equinox. By my knowledge, the last person to write about her in this capacity in earnest, was children's author Hermien IJzerman in the 1950's.

Hermien wrote original fairy tales for little children, that she illustrated herself. She uses the old narrative structure of an old woman telling tales to little children by the fire. Hers is called Mother Urdhula - which sounds in and of itself as oer Hulle, ancient Holle. But this Mother Goose tradition is, entirely, a referrence to goosefooted Holle herself.

~Schreeuwekster

Although Ijzerman wrote her fairytales as a christian, and the christian god is present in the tales, they treat Holle as a figure with real power. The opening rhyme especially, where mother Urdhula is told the stories by the Wind. I read it to my own daughter frequently, who is shieldnamed for the Goddess, and who loves it so much she tries to eat the book entirely.

Moedertje Urdhula spint en spint
de draden tot ragfijne wol.
't Wieletje draait gezwind en wind
het spoeltje al voller en vol

Hoor, door de schoorsteen blaast vrolijk de wind.
Hij kwam over bergen en dalen.
Moedertje Urdhula luistert, mijn kind. Wat brengt de wind voor verhalen?

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Mother Urdhula spins and spins
the threads to spiderfine wool.
The little wheel spins fast and winds
the bobbin fuller and full.

Hear, through the chimney blows cheerful the wind.
He came over mountains and valleys.
Mother Urdhula listens, my child.
What kind of stories does the wind bring her?

Always good to see some Frau Holle posting. -Ike

This Weeks Broadcast! - Indigenous
At what point is something Indigenous?

This topic was suggested by a Member of our Community, Roxanne.
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For those who know "The old ways are the only ways, all else is pageantry", there's Hyperborean Radio with Jeff and Ike in the Morning; speaking the truths we all know but others fear to whisper.
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