The Iron Age cultures ancestral to the Germanic peoples, I'd say, evolved from Neolithic and Bronze Age longhouse societies.
In the Neolithic era, Europeans lived in clan-based agricultural societies, where patrilocal clan chiefs controlled farms near resources like flint and fertile soil, leading to conflicts between rival clans (Violence in the Neolithic: https://t.me/thechadpastoralist/2268?single)
By the Nordic Bronze Age, longhouses were central to society, and technological advancements like bronze weaponry, long-distance trade with Greece and Mesopotamia, and seafaring vessels only strengthened the power of local chiefs.
This societal structure in the North European Plain and Scandinavia persisted through the Pre-Roman Iron Age and into the Viking Age, with Viking royal dynasties likely emerging from Vendel era warlords expanding their territories after returning home from their service in the Roman Foederati.
In the Neolithic era, Europeans lived in clan-based agricultural societies, where patrilocal clan chiefs controlled farms near resources like flint and fertile soil, leading to conflicts between rival clans (Violence in the Neolithic: https://t.me/thechadpastoralist/2268?single)
By the Nordic Bronze Age, longhouses were central to society, and technological advancements like bronze weaponry, long-distance trade with Greece and Mesopotamia, and seafaring vessels only strengthened the power of local chiefs.
This societal structure in the North European Plain and Scandinavia persisted through the Pre-Roman Iron Age and into the Viking Age, with Viking royal dynasties likely emerging from Vendel era warlords expanding their territories after returning home from their service in the Roman Foederati.
What's the deal with patrilineality in ancient Europe, and how can we see it in the archaelogical record?
Patrilineality is a kinship system whereby an individual's family membership derives from the father's direct paternal lineage. A bit like today where you have your dad's last name!
Well, we can tell that our ancestors were patrilineal by their burials and DNA. One of the most exemplary examples of this comes from Neolithic Ireland, with the Newgrange megalithic tomb. The man buried inside belonged to Y-DNA lineage I2a, a Western Hunter-Gatherer lineage.
Despite the Newgrange elite's overall autosomal ancestry being inherited from Anatolian Farmers and roughly a quarter from the Western Hunter-Gatherers, his phenotypic traits (specifically his complexion) resembled that of his hunter-gatherer ancestors due to him being the result of an incestuous relationship as a means of preserving this archaic trait.
We see this in Neolithic Denmark as well, with sample NEO792 from the Allentoft paper (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06862-3) being 85% Western Steppe Herder in overall ancestry but his Y-DNA lineage was I2a-S2703. A Funnelbeaker Early European Farmer subclade of Western Hunter-Gatherer origin.
NEO792 was buried in a megalithic tomb, not a burial mound, and carried mt-DNA U2e2a1, a Western Steppe Herder derived female lineage. This means that despite NEO792 indirectly inheriting the majority of his overall ancestry from Western Steppe Herders, he was likely aware of his direct paternal heritage going back to his Funnelbeaker farmer male ancestors, and was given a special megalithic tomb in the same way.
This would be like a guy today who is 85% French and 15% Danish with a Danish male line, specifically choosing to be buried with a Danish burial rite and having a Danish identity and culture. Fascinating, isn't it? As more work is done to uncover the archaelogical history of ancient Europe, it is becoming increasingly more complex (See more on this here: https://t.me/thechadpastoralist/2610)
Patrilineality is a kinship system whereby an individual's family membership derives from the father's direct paternal lineage. A bit like today where you have your dad's last name!
Well, we can tell that our ancestors were patrilineal by their burials and DNA. One of the most exemplary examples of this comes from Neolithic Ireland, with the Newgrange megalithic tomb. The man buried inside belonged to Y-DNA lineage I2a, a Western Hunter-Gatherer lineage.
Despite the Newgrange elite's overall autosomal ancestry being inherited from Anatolian Farmers and roughly a quarter from the Western Hunter-Gatherers, his phenotypic traits (specifically his complexion) resembled that of his hunter-gatherer ancestors due to him being the result of an incestuous relationship as a means of preserving this archaic trait.
We see this in Neolithic Denmark as well, with sample NEO792 from the Allentoft paper (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06862-3) being 85% Western Steppe Herder in overall ancestry but his Y-DNA lineage was I2a-S2703. A Funnelbeaker Early European Farmer subclade of Western Hunter-Gatherer origin.
NEO792 was buried in a megalithic tomb, not a burial mound, and carried mt-DNA U2e2a1, a Western Steppe Herder derived female lineage. This means that despite NEO792 indirectly inheriting the majority of his overall ancestry from Western Steppe Herders, he was likely aware of his direct paternal heritage going back to his Funnelbeaker farmer male ancestors, and was given a special megalithic tomb in the same way.
This would be like a guy today who is 85% French and 15% Danish with a Danish male line, specifically choosing to be buried with a Danish burial rite and having a Danish identity and culture. Fascinating, isn't it? As more work is done to uncover the archaelogical history of ancient Europe, it is becoming increasingly more complex (See more on this here: https://t.me/thechadpastoralist/2610)
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The East Scandinavian cluster chads! Special thank you to Ryan Murray for creating the illustrations of the Late Neolithic Scandinavians.
I had the talented Art of Ryan Murray create these historically-inspired illustrations of Late Neolithic/Nordic Bronze Age Scandinavians.
They wield flint weaponry as stone tools were standard in LN Scandinavia before the adoption of bronze tools and metallurgy, likely acquired through their trade links with the Unetice culture in Central Europe.
You can follow Art of Ryan Murray and see more of his work here: -http://Instagram.com/artofryanmurray
-https://www.artofryanmurray.com/
They wield flint weaponry as stone tools were standard in LN Scandinavia before the adoption of bronze tools and metallurgy, likely acquired through their trade links with the Unetice culture in Central Europe.
You can follow Art of Ryan Murray and see more of his work here: -http://Instagram.com/artofryanmurray
-https://www.artofryanmurray.com/
Forwarded from Æhtemen
In 1661 a 130 foot tall Maypole was erected in the Strand, London to celebrate the restoration of the English monarchy. A previous Maypole that had stood nearby at the remains of the medieval stone Strand Cross had been destroyed by the Puritans in 1644 for being seen as heathen in its nature.
Another famous London Maypole once stood at the crossroads by St Andrew Undershaft church, which got its name from the fact that the Maypole stood taller than the church, hence the church was under-the-shaft. The Maypole was kept in Shaft alley but by 1517 celebrations had been stopped as they had become to rowdy!
Another famous London Maypole once stood at the crossroads by St Andrew Undershaft church, which got its name from the fact that the Maypole stood taller than the church, hence the church was under-the-shaft. The Maypole was kept in Shaft alley but by 1517 celebrations had been stopped as they had become to rowdy!
Forwarded from The Chad Pastoralist: History
On May Day and Beltane by WodenWyrd on Instagram
Have a joyous May Day celebration!
https://instagram.com/wodenwyrd?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Have a joyous May Day celebration!
https://instagram.com/wodenwyrd?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Forwarded from The Chad Pastoralist: History
Here's a little bit of English history for you guys.
In 1710, Queen Anne urged Parliament to pass an act allowing for the construction of fifty new churches in London. The act was passed, but building fifty churches is easier said than done and so only twelve of what were called Queen Anne's churches were ever built.
The first Queen Anne church was St Mary le Strand, on the former site of the largest maypole in London. A rise in puritanism in the 1660s meant that many of the city's maypoles were torn down by religious extremists due to their pagan origins; this maypole fell over from a high wind in 1672.
In its original plans, St Mary's featured a 250ft colum to honour Queen Anne. The design was approved and the materials were acquired, but the plan was quietly cancelled following Anne's death in August 1714.
In 1710, Queen Anne urged Parliament to pass an act allowing for the construction of fifty new churches in London. The act was passed, but building fifty churches is easier said than done and so only twelve of what were called Queen Anne's churches were ever built.
The first Queen Anne church was St Mary le Strand, on the former site of the largest maypole in London. A rise in puritanism in the 1660s meant that many of the city's maypoles were torn down by religious extremists due to their pagan origins; this maypole fell over from a high wind in 1672.
In its original plans, St Mary's featured a 250ft colum to honour Queen Anne. The design was approved and the materials were acquired, but the plan was quietly cancelled following Anne's death in August 1714.
"Then sought the Gods | Their assembly-seats,
The Holy Ones, | and council held,
To find who should raise | the race of dwarfs
Out of Brimir's blood | and the legs of Blain." -Vǫluspá, Stanza 9
The dwarves are responsible for the creation of various divine tools such as Draupnir, Gungnir, and Mjǫllnir.
Let us delve deep into the cave of mystery and uncover hidden knowledge that may help us learn more about the magical nature of the dwarves as doorways into magical power.
NEW Substack:
Doorways Into Magical Power: Dwarves in Norse Mythology.
The Holy Ones, | and council held,
To find who should raise | the race of dwarfs
Out of Brimir's blood | and the legs of Blain." -Vǫluspá, Stanza 9
The dwarves are responsible for the creation of various divine tools such as Draupnir, Gungnir, and Mjǫllnir.
Let us delve deep into the cave of mystery and uncover hidden knowledge that may help us learn more about the magical nature of the dwarves as doorways into magical power.
NEW Substack:
Doorways Into Magical Power: Dwarves in Norse Mythology.
The Haustlǫng (Autum-long) poem composed by the 10th century Norwegian skald Þjóðólfr of Hvinir is one of the earliest poems detailing various mythological scenes of the Gods. The poem was preserved in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda and contains numerous kennings that allow us to gain an understanding of the way in which the Norse and thus Germanic people as a whole conceptualised the world.
In detailing Thor's fight with the jǫtun Hrungnir, Þjóðólfr says:
Ok harðbrotin herju
heimþingaðar Vingnis
hvein í hjarna mœni
hein at Grundar sveini,
þar svát eðr í Óðins
ólaus burar hausi
stála vikr of stokkin
stóð Eindriða blóði
"And the hard-broken whetstone of the home-visitor of the female follower of Vingnir (Hrungnir) flew whining towards the boy of Grund (Grund: Jǫrð, boy of Grund: Thor) into the roof-ridge of his brain, so that the pumice of steel weapons (whetstone), still stuck in the skull of the son of Óðinn (the son of Óðinn: Thor), stood there, spattered with the blood of Eindriði (Thor)."
It is interesting to note that the whetstone is described as flying towards Thor in the direction of "the roof-ridge of his brain". Roof-ridge, in this case, is a kenning that means the top half of the skull.
The skull being referred to as a roof is similarly described by the Icelandic skald Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld (c. 1012-1070), who, in his poem Magnússdrapa verse 19, says in reference to King Magnus:
Jafnmildr ungr skjǫldungr stígr aldri und gǫmlum hausi Ymis á skildan við; rausn þess grams vas gnóg.
"Never beneath the ancient skull of Ymir will an equally bounteous young king step aboard a shield-hung vessel; the magnificence of that lord was ample."
Here, we see another example of the skull being referred to as a roof. The sky being being called the ancient skull of Ymir coincides with the creation myth in Vǫluspá, where the three Gods, Óðinn, Villi, and Vé, create the Earth and use the skull of Ymir as a dome or roof placed overhead.
In detailing Thor's fight with the jǫtun Hrungnir, Þjóðólfr says:
Ok harðbrotin herju
heimþingaðar Vingnis
hvein í hjarna mœni
hein at Grundar sveini,
þar svát eðr í Óðins
ólaus burar hausi
stála vikr of stokkin
stóð Eindriða blóði
"And the hard-broken whetstone of the home-visitor of the female follower of Vingnir (Hrungnir) flew whining towards the boy of Grund (Grund: Jǫrð, boy of Grund: Thor) into the roof-ridge of his brain, so that the pumice of steel weapons (whetstone), still stuck in the skull of the son of Óðinn (the son of Óðinn: Thor), stood there, spattered with the blood of Eindriði (Thor)."
It is interesting to note that the whetstone is described as flying towards Thor in the direction of "the roof-ridge of his brain". Roof-ridge, in this case, is a kenning that means the top half of the skull.
The skull being referred to as a roof is similarly described by the Icelandic skald Arnórr Þórðarson jarlaskáld (c. 1012-1070), who, in his poem Magnússdrapa verse 19, says in reference to King Magnus:
Jafnmildr ungr skjǫldungr stígr aldri und gǫmlum hausi Ymis á skildan við; rausn þess grams vas gnóg.
"Never beneath the ancient skull of Ymir will an equally bounteous young king step aboard a shield-hung vessel; the magnificence of that lord was ample."
Here, we see another example of the skull being referred to as a roof. The sky being being called the ancient skull of Ymir coincides with the creation myth in Vǫluspá, where the three Gods, Óðinn, Villi, and Vé, create the Earth and use the skull of Ymir as a dome or roof placed overhead.
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The Wang Dong Disagreement.
Special thank you to Imperium Press for sending me a review copy of Germanic Theology by Tristan Powers.
Two things I liked:
-Powers' discussion on the intrinsic physicality of the realms within the cosmological structure of Yggdrasil. Powers' position corresponds to the reachability of Hel, for example, by the living and the dead found in the sources. He brilliantly details the way in which the nine realms exist with overlapping structures that are intrinsically connected via the world tree.
-Powers' position on Ginnungagap mirrors my own, that the Yawning Void serves as the creative potentiality from which things arise. Powers suggests that given the aforementioned two points, we should reject the notion of transcendence entirely, which I do not necessarily agree with. However, I agree with the concept of creative potentiality which is also explored in Aristotle's theory of potentiality and actuality.
Two things I disliked:
-Powers' mistakes and reliance on hypothetical reconstructionism. For example, on page 79 Powers suggests that Odin's byname Þundr means thunder and connects this to the hypothetical "*Dyḗus ph₂tḗr". This is incorrect, as Dr. Jackson Crawford states that the word Þundr is not related to thunder and is instead a past participle to the verb þenja, meaning "stretched". Therefore, Odin's epithet Þundr likely references His hanging on Yggdrasil.
-Powers references Hinduism as a filler source too frequently. Additionally, the book mostly goes over numerous scholarly theories as opposed to the study of the nature of the Gods and the metaphysical principles within the myths themselves.
Ultimately, Germanic Theology by Tristan Powers is a decent book but I would not call it theology. Commendably, there are gems contained within such as the aforementioned comment on Ginnungagap, and the book itself functions extremely well as a compendium of academic theories that can be referred to when studying.
Germanic Theology by Tristan Powers: https://www.imperiumpress.org/shop/germanic-theology-vol-i
Two things I liked:
-Powers' discussion on the intrinsic physicality of the realms within the cosmological structure of Yggdrasil. Powers' position corresponds to the reachability of Hel, for example, by the living and the dead found in the sources. He brilliantly details the way in which the nine realms exist with overlapping structures that are intrinsically connected via the world tree.
-Powers' position on Ginnungagap mirrors my own, that the Yawning Void serves as the creative potentiality from which things arise. Powers suggests that given the aforementioned two points, we should reject the notion of transcendence entirely, which I do not necessarily agree with. However, I agree with the concept of creative potentiality which is also explored in Aristotle's theory of potentiality and actuality.
Two things I disliked:
-Powers' mistakes and reliance on hypothetical reconstructionism. For example, on page 79 Powers suggests that Odin's byname Þundr means thunder and connects this to the hypothetical "*Dyḗus ph₂tḗr". This is incorrect, as Dr. Jackson Crawford states that the word Þundr is not related to thunder and is instead a past participle to the verb þenja, meaning "stretched". Therefore, Odin's epithet Þundr likely references His hanging on Yggdrasil.
-Powers references Hinduism as a filler source too frequently. Additionally, the book mostly goes over numerous scholarly theories as opposed to the study of the nature of the Gods and the metaphysical principles within the myths themselves.
Ultimately, Germanic Theology by Tristan Powers is a decent book but I would not call it theology. Commendably, there are gems contained within such as the aforementioned comment on Ginnungagap, and the book itself functions extremely well as a compendium of academic theories that can be referred to when studying.
Germanic Theology by Tristan Powers: https://www.imperiumpress.org/shop/germanic-theology-vol-i
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See you in Hel > See you in Hell
Odin, friend of altars
It is interesting to note the similarity between the English understanding of Woden and Norse understanding of Óðinn as the creator of shrines, altars, and temples.
In the Ynglinga Saga, it is stated in a euhemerised account that Óðinn is the builder of temples, and in the Anglo-Saxon source Maxims I, Woden is described as a constructor of idols:
Woden worhte weos
"Woden wrought idols"
This is reflected in some toponymic place-names in England such as Woden's Dyke and Grim's Ditch. Grim being an epithet of Woden meaning hooded or covered, with the Old Norse name being Grímr. This can also be connected to another one of Woden's epithets in Old Norse - vinr stalla - Friend of Altars.
It is interesting to note the similarity between the English understanding of Woden and Norse understanding of Óðinn as the creator of shrines, altars, and temples.
In the Ynglinga Saga, it is stated in a euhemerised account that Óðinn is the builder of temples, and in the Anglo-Saxon source Maxims I, Woden is described as a constructor of idols:
Woden worhte weos
"Woden wrought idols"
This is reflected in some toponymic place-names in England such as Woden's Dyke and Grim's Ditch. Grim being an epithet of Woden meaning hooded or covered, with the Old Norse name being Grímr. This can also be connected to another one of Woden's epithets in Old Norse - vinr stalla - Friend of Altars.
Forwarded from Æhtemen