Vör, Vör is a Norse goddess and often attributed the aspect of being inquiring and wise, nothing could be hidden from her. Not much is known about her aside from this she may have tied into the volva seeresses and the wise women of the Norse. I've recently begun being mildly obssessed with bringing the lesser known gods to light. Vör just happened to occupy my mind lately and all due to buying a certain brand of Hazelnut butter whoda thunk. I personally see her reflected in modern travelers and librarians pursuing knowledge or even something like an interrogator. Though that is far less common. Either way I personally think it wise to remember and ponder even the lesser known gods. For Vör was also what women were said to be when they were "aware of what she has learned" essentially wise. Her name may mean the careful one.

Video from White Oak's channel, well done man- TAO

The sacrifice of the people has not just been as soldiers on a battlefield, how many men lost their lives providing for their families and their people? How many are forgotten because their deaths and lives were spent in the caves with tommyknockers and the spirits of Joe Magarac and the mining monk. Never forget everyone who got us to where we are today the good and the bad, the ancestors are people not just some mythic concept, as flawed as you or me, yet without them and their sacrifices here we would not stand, just ashes in the wind in our place.

The Warriors of Bern, they are depicted as bears as the area has had the bear be both a spiritual and cultural symbol for a long time, effectively the area has the continued vestiges of the European bear cults that are so integral to European spirituality.

Statue of an armored bear from Bern

I love this kind of Wylder Mann stuff, I also love the Morbid macabre parts of Yule. Thanks be to Perchta-TAO

Ghosts: One of the most well known, prolific and easy costumes of Halloween, and quite simply the most fitting by far. The common bedsheet ghost is a rather recent concept, originally ghosts were depicted as wearing the clothes they had when they died but over time artists began to depict ghosts as being covered in their “Burial shroud” creating the modern image of the white sheet ghost we all know and love/hate. Before then ghosts took many forms, the wailing white ladies, the giant british ghost known as Jack-In-Irons, The Dullahan or Headless horseman, or the vengeful ghosts such as those seen in Hamlet or Mcbeth, spirits of the dearly departed showing up in Norse sagas, or appearing to guide fairy tale heroes. The idea of spirits and ghosts coming to our aid or coming to harm is rather old this boon or bane of spirits is a very old and deeply important custom to Europeans. Especially in the coming season when the veil is thin, as Halloween approaches and our ancestors and all sorts of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins run amok. Oh and who can forget a good old haunted house, Recall your ancestors light a jack’o lantern as a totem of protection and a beacon to the spirits of the ancestors, wear a costume so they know they are welcome. There is not much to fear if your dearly departed know where to find you as the parade of spirits and wild hunt ride across the sky.   
#halloween
#ghost #pagan #ancestorveneration #costume #halloweencostume #folklore #monsters #jackolantern #ancestors #undead #spooky

1/4 hoping to do at least 4 classic costumes for Halloween, next up Vampires!

Traditional Costumes of Tyrol

An illustration by Arca of the Blood Coven a member of our group who hails from Spain, here he depicts our remythed version of Snow White (Not intended as what the story was but more as a way to look past to what is hidden from the Christians) from Issue 1 of Europe & Diaspora- TAO

Witches: Witches are simply put the sum total of the mythology and demonization of the wise woman of Europe. Many good woman have lost their lives as a result of demonization of wise woman who kept pagan customs, though many men also died defending said women or were burned alongside them as werewolves or witches. They were herbalists, priestesses, healers, matriarchs who kept the old ways. With their murders much was lost of our old ways. Though that important note out of the way I am here to discuss the origin of the current incarnation of the witch. Starting with the hat, while we do not know for certain it seems likely it arose either out of a demonization of a former custom or in a similar vein the conflation of the alewives hat with witches due to herbalism, many of “eye of newt” ingredients were actually plant nicknames. The cauldron likely had to do with brewing remedies, the broomsticks seem to have their origins in plant based hallucinogens applied to brooms and “ridden” giving the sensation of flying (Though admittedly this may be Xtian propaganda). The green skin mostly comes from the wizard of Oz film, though some say it originates from the green skin tone of the witches when they were tortured to the point of severe illness. The black cat is likely due to the accusation of familiars taking the shape of pets, as well as goddesses such as Holle and Freyja. The three witches motif seems to tie into the Norns and similar deities such as in the Weird Sisters from Macbeth. Many goddesses such as Perchta, Holle, Baba Yaga, Hecate, The Morrigan, Freyja, and Frigg were all demonized as witches or associated with said priestly trades. A witches sabbath was a demonized name for a pagan gathering of witches typically associated with a horned god such as Akerbeltz, Pan, Cernunnos, or Krampus. The demonized witch is at its core the wise women of our people both the mythic origins and the sad lies.  
#halloween
#halloweencostume #witch #pagan #hornedgod #witchessabbath #morrigan #babayaga #freyja #akerbeltz #wisewomen #heathen #herbalism #frigg #pan #cernunnos #akerbeltz #blackgoat #folklore #europeanfolklore