Review of Orlog Yesterday and Today: The Shapings of the Norns
Book authors: Winifred Hodge Rose, with contributions by Sara Axtell and Daniela Svartheiðrinn Simina.
Review by Anastasia Haysler, published in Idunna: A Journal of Inclusive Heathenry, issue 136, May 2026. Reproduced here with permission, and thanks!
For anyone familiar with previous books written by Winifred Hodge Rose, you know what to expect: extensive research, solid scholarship, and creative approaches to traditional topics, written in an engaging and accessible style. The newest volume, which also features contributions by Sara Axtell and Daniela Svartheiðrinn Simina, lives up to—and exceeds—these expectations.
The subject this time (this tome!) is Orlog–“a fundamental pattern that shapes life in Midgard, the work of the Norns, the Deities and humans, and of natural processes” (page 1). Not a small topic, and the 462 pages of the book are filled with references, quotes, and original ideas.
The book opens with a linguistic analysis of “orlog” and its related forms, which provides a useful orientation to the changes in the word and its usage throughout the centuries. This review also provides a solid base for the rest of the material in the book–to borrow an idea from the book itself, a good first layer from which other ideas can be shaped.
The next section provides a similar analysis of sköp, “to shape,” and the role of runes and speech in shaping orlog. This subject provides useful background for Chapter 26, which specifically addresses oathing in symbel.
This is followed by discussion of the Norns and their work, including a look at their names and their various roles in the universe. This section covers the upper-case Norns, as in the Three Who Shape Fate for all beings, and Simina’s examination of the lower-case norns, such as valkyrie, seers, spákonur, and völur.
“Orlog Metaphysics, or Some Weird Ideas About Orlog” occupies the center of the book, and was the section I took the longest to read, although it is not the longest section of the book. When reading any of Rose’s work, do allow extra time to pause every few paragraphs to contemplate the ideas presented and really take them in. In this section, I found myself pausing every few sentences, because the ideas were so intriguing and presented wonderfully new and unique perspectives, and I wanted to savor them and absorb them deeply before going on to the next one. I take notes when reading, and for this section, I quickly realized that I would end up with most of it excerpted as one very long note. The discussion of the process vs the substance of orlog is 10 pages, and was an entire evening’s occupation.
Similarly, the chapter on “The Quantum Nature of the Norns’ Work” at 16 pages became my entire Saturday afternoon, and the chapter on “The Work of the Three Wells” was my Sunday. I have re-read these two chapters a few more times, and still have so much to think about.
Axtell brings things back down to earth with a section on collective and group orlog, and a piece on the orlog of our relationship with land. This second essay incorporates subjects as disparate as weaving, land consolidation in 19th century Norway, and the development of the U.S. food system. Axtell also provides useful ideas and suggestions for working with orlog in Chapters 29 and 30.
Wrapping up the book is a chapter with useful meditations contributed by each of the three authors. The meditations each provide a different way of thinking about orlog and how to think about your own orlog and your connections to others in the Web of Wyrd.
The final chapter, “The Song of the Norns”, is beautifully poetic prose. Rose concludes with a firm grounding in reality , and also inspires the reader to incorporate the ideas in the book into their daily lives and spiritual practice not only for their own benefit, but for the benefit of all beings, “expanding out from our individual perspectives to encompass greater realms of Being.”
The supplemental materials include a Word-Hoard / Glossary and a Book-Hoard: References and Further Reading, because there are always more books to add to one’s library and knowledge to add to one’s mind.
The book includes some pieces of art and some photographs to illustrate specific ideas discussed. My only wish about this book is that there was an option to order a version with a color interior; the black-and-white images are useful and I can imagine how dazzling some of them would be in color. (Note from Winifred: Sadly, including color prints in my books makes them prohibitively expensive. I did create a color version of my first book, Heathen Soul Lore Foundations, because I wanted copies for myself and to give as gifts, but the cost today for that version of the book is over $100USD. Very few people bought that version!)
We have been gifted with another tremendously useful and interesting book to add to the Modern Heathen Library, and I celebrate the accomplishment by Rose and her contributors.