Winifred Hodge Rose
This Word-Hoard or glossary is far from comprehensive, but I offer it to assist readers of my articles, since there is a lot of complexity in these areas of study!There are many books and websites which offer more information about these and other foundational Heathen concepts.
Æweweard, Éwart: Anglo-Saxon and Old High German terms, respectively, for a Heathen priest. The meaning is ‘warder of the troth / covenant / law’.
Æsir: A tribe of Heathen Gods. Prominent members are Odin, Thor, Frigg, Tyr.
Ahma: The Gothic term for ‘spirit’, including the breath of life. I also use this word to indicate the cosmic field of spiritual proto-being that I envision arises from the meeting of Fire and Ice within Ginnungagap.
Alda Vé: Alda Vé translates as the ‘sanctuary or sacred place of Aldr,’ of humans who possess the Aldr soul. As I understand it, the ‘sanctuary of Aldr / humans’ refers to Midgard itself: the place that Vé, son of Borr and Bestla, and his brothers Odin and Vili shaped out of Ymir’s corpse as a sanctuary for human and earthly life in the midst of the cosmic chaos surrounding it.
Aldr: One of the Heathen souls, which governs our lifespan and the timing of events in our life, and channels spiritual nourishment for us. Its meaning is closely related to ‘old’ and ‘age, age of time.’
Aldr, Ealdor, Alda börnum, Eldi-barn: Aldr, Ealdor, and their variants in the old Germanic languages pertain to one’s age, span of life, and to the life-force or life-soul that supports us during that lifespan. It also is used in descriptions of death, the end of the lifespan. In the lines about the creation of humans from trees or logs, the Norns “choose life for the children of aldr” (Völuspá vs. 20). The word aldr comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *al, ‘to nourish,’ related to alan, with the same meaning, a word found in Gothic, Anglo-Saxon and other Germanic languages. It also means ‘to grow.’ *Al is the root for words relating to ‘age’ in the various Germanic languages, including English ‘old’ and ‘elder.’
Old Norse alda börnum means ‘children of Aldr;’ Old Saxon eldi-barn means ‘Eldi-child.’ I translate these terms as ‘mortal beings’ because the context in which they are used in the old texts is that of mortality, of humans whose time in Midgard is limited by the shaping of the Norns / Wyrd. Another, more poetic way I translate these terms is ‘Time-Children.’
Alf (sing.), Alfar (pl.): This term can refer to a divine tribe of beings closely associated with the Æsir Gods, and is also used to designate the spirits of deceased male ancestors.
Alveig: The literal meaning is ‘nourishing drink.’ An alveig is a drink of power, which may be made of potent herbs and / or infusions of runic or magical power.
Asgard: The divine realm of the Æsir Gods, which includes many individual God-Halls within it.
Ask & Embla: The mythical first human couple, formed from trees or logs by Odin, Hœnir and Loðurr, or by Odin and his brothers Vili and Ve.
Athom: An Old Saxon word for the spirit and the breath of life.
Auðumla: In Norse mythology, a primal being in the form of a cow, whose name means ‘the hornless cow of wealth / prosperity.’ She appeared in Ginnungagap at the beginning of things, licked the shape of Buri, the first God, out of the enclosing ice, and fed Buri and Ymir with her milk. In my thought, she is a shape-shifting Mother-Goddess, and transformed herself into the realm of Hel. I believe she was the mother of Borr, the progenitor of the Æsir.
Bestla: The mother of Odin, Vili and Ve, and perhaps the sister of Mimir. I believe Bestla and Mimir were the unnamed pair who were generated under the arm of the primal Giant, Ymir. Thus, in this understanding, Bestla, her brother Mimir, and her consort Borr were the first generation of offspring from the primal powers.
Borr: The son of Buri and consort of Bestla. As the father of Odin, Vili and Ve, he is the progenitor of the Æsir Gods.
Buri: In Norse lore, a primal being, progenitor of the Gods, who formed within the ice of Ginnungagap. He was licked free of the ice and fed by the Ur-Mother in the form of a cow, Auðumla.
Daemon, Daimon: A Greek word with complex meanings; here it is used to designate a soul or spirit which can exist and take action independently of its living physical body.
Dis (sing.), Disir (pl.): Literal meaning is a lady or a noblewoman; sometimes a demi-goddess. Disir (plural; the singular is Dis) are most often female ancestral spirits, though sometimes beings called ‘Disir’ are more like demi-goddesses, or fylgja: luck-bearing spirits who are attached to individuals. Likewise, Disir are sometimes considered equivalent to the Lesser Norns who attend people in person to shape their fates more individually. Disir are considered to be knowledgeable about spells, orlog, and oracular knowledge. The Disa-Blót was celebrated annually in Scandinavia, indicating the wide-spread importance of these beings. (See also Idis, Idesa.)
Doppelgänger: The double or etheric twin of a person, a term used in reference to occult phenomena.
Draugr: A reanimated corpse; can also refer to a ghost. In my thought, the corpse is reanimated by the Hama soul.
Dwarves: Otherworldly beings who appear in many forms and roles in all the branches of Germanic folklore. Considered to be very wise and full of craft, but can be deceptive and are famed for bearing grudges. In Norse lore, Dwarves formed within the sacrificed body of the primal Giant Ymir; according to one account, they began as ‘maggots’ within Ymir’s flesh, absorbing his-her energy and substance. In my view, Dwarves are masters of mod-energy, which they ‘suck’ or absorb from the natural and otherworldly environments, and sometimes from other beings as well, causing fatigue and illness. Dwarves absorb mod-energy, transform it, and use it to power their craft.
Dwimor: A phantom or apparition. I use this term specifically to designate the phantom of a living person which is created by the Saiwalo soul, and which serves as a matrix for holding together the energies of all the person’s souls during life in Midgard.
Einherjar: Einherjar (plural) are the ‘single-warriors,’ the champions, who populate Odin’s Hall Valhalla or Valhöll. They are selected from the battlefield by the Valkyrja—this selection brings about their death. Their spirits or Ghosts are then taken to Valhalla, where they train daily, and feast in the evenings, to prepare for the great battle of Ragnarök.
Elivagar: A sea, encircling river, or multiple rivers that flow out of the great wellspring Hvergelmir in Norse mythology. In my thought, Elivagar is a braided system of ‘rivers’ of energy which arise from the cosmic wellspring Hvergelmir, and surround, separate and nourish the various Worlds upon the World-Tree.
Ferah: One of the Heathen souls, which confers life, life-force, sensation, thought, feeling, behavior, piety, wisdom.
Fjǫrgyn, Fjǫrgynn: An ancient Goddess and God, about whom little is known, except that Fjǫrgyn is one of the names of Thor’s Mother, the Earth Goddess, and Fjǫrgynn is the father of Frigg. Presumably they are brother and sister, and perhaps spouses as well. Their names are cognate with the Proto-Indo-European Thunder-God, *Perkwunos.
Frigg: The great Goddess of Asgard: mother, wisewoman, wife of Odin, mother of Baldr, leader of a group of helping-Goddesses, diplomat and frith-weaver / peace-weaver. Her name means ‘beloved.’
Frith is an old word from the Germanic languages that refers to a state of peaceful interaction, a low-strife condition. It also refers, in a broader sense, to the entire social fabric that is created by the maintenance of good relationships among individuals and groups within the society.
Galdor: Galdor is a form of chanting, singing, or intoning that is used for magical purposes, both in the past and in present Heathen practice. It is often used in combination with the runes for runic magic or meditation. Odin is considered a Galdor-master.
Gefrain: The Anglo-Saxon word for ‘reputation, fame.’ I like to use it in place of the modern word ‘reputation’ to emphasize the spiritual importance for Heathens of building and maintaining a solid reputation worthy of our own self-respect as well as the respect of others. It is pronounced yeh-FRAIN.
Ghost: As I use this term, Ghost is one of our human souls, our ‘spirit’. It is formed from primal, unshaped, transcendent Ahma-Spirit by being enwrapped in a soul-skin which gives it shape, coherence, personal characteristics, and personal consciousness.
Ginnungagap: In Old Norse lore, Ginnungagap is a place of primal chaos or nothingness. At either end are the primal powers of Fire and Ice, and in the temperate center is where the World Tree takes root. The ancient Giant Ymir was formed from the frozen rime at the icier end of Ginnungagap. The ancient divine Cow, Auðumla (whom I regard as the Ur-Mother) also arose from Ginnungagap, as did the progenitor of the Gods, Buri.
Hama, hama: The literal meaning is ‘a covering’. In Norse folklore, the Hama manifests as a magical being, an occult shape with paranormal powers, which can fare forth from a person in spirit form, and is also associated with the womb, the caul, and the processes of gestation. In my soul lore theory, Hama shapes and ensouls our physical body, the Lich, and provides it with many abilities such as speech, behavior and action. I postulate that the Hama soul is made up of the La, Laeti, and Litr that were given to Ask and Embla when they were transformed from trees.
Hamingja: In Norse folklore, Hamingja is both a form of luck, and a spirit who bears and gives that luck to the person with whom it is associated. As with Hama, Hamingja is considered to reside in the womb / caul / afterbirth. It accompanies the child it was born with throughout life, as long as nothing dire occurs to destroy its luck or its connection to the person.
Harrow: An Anglo-Saxon word for altar or an outdoor worship site or sacred location.
Hel: Hel, with its linguistic variations, is the term in all the Germanic languages for the place where souls go after death. It was not considered a place of punishment, but simply the residence of the dead. In Norse lore, Hel is also the name of a daughter of Loki, a Goddess of the dead and ruler of Hel. The word Hel is derived from Proto-Indo-European *kel-, meaning ‘to cover, conceal.’ Hel is the Hidden Land. The German Goddess Frau Holle derives her name from the same root, and is considered to be a guide and protector both during life and after death.
Hlidskjalf: Odin’s high seat from which he views the Worlds. His Ravens return to him while he sits on this seat each day, and bring him further news of the doings in all the Worlds.
Hiwscip, Hiwship: An Anglo-Saxon word referring to a household or group of people living together. I use it to refer to the household of soul-beings which makes up our personal ‘soular-system.’
Hlin: A Goddess and companion of Frigg, whose name means ‘protectress’. Quite possibly she is an aspect or emanation of Frigg’s own protective powers. Germanic Goddesses were considered protectors of warriors in battle, as well as of all men, women, and children.
Holle, Frau Holle: A German Goddess much involved in all matters of daily Midgard life, especially those traditionally relating to women and children, and to food, agriculture and home. Her care for all humans extends before and after Midgard life, as well as during it. Her name is cognate with ‘Hel’, and Holle’s domains of action include not only Midgard and Midgard’s sky, but Underworld as well. Other roots of her name include words for ‘benevolent, kind, gracious’. Holle is especially revered by the modern Heathen sect called Urglaawe.
Hugr: A powerful soul focused on Midgard activities, using faculties of thought and emotion to navigate the complexities of human social life. In my thought, Hugr is the soul which periodically reincarnates, and which continues its involvement with Midgard life even after death by becoming an ancestral spirit, an Alf or a Dis, or a guiding spirit, or if ill-natured, becoming an afflicting wight.
Hvergelmir: In Norse mythology, a well or wellspring located in the cold, Niflheim side of Ginnungagap, under a root of the World-Tree, from which the Elivagar river(s) flows. In my thought, Hvergelmir is centered in Ginnungagap and is the source of the energy flows that form the cosmos.
Idis (singular), Idisi (plural): Idisi or Idesi are beings similar to the Disir of Scandinavia, but were historically located in continental Germanic lands. Though the word idis technically just meant ‘woman,’ often a noblewoman, the word as used by modern Heathens holds the implication of arcane skills. There is an old German charm that was written in the 10th century, perhaps much older in oral form, that shows one kind of magic Idisi performed.
First Merseberg Charm
Once sat Idisi,
They sat here, then there.
Some fastened bonds,
Some impeded an army,
Some unraveled fetters:
Escape the bonds,
flee the enemy!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merseburg_charms
Many of us assume this magic was done by the Idisi sitting near the battlefield using runes—some runes are known to be useful for fettering and unfettering. Caesar’s writings and other old writings mention that women often stood on the sidelines of battle where their men were fighting, shouting to encourage them, but more than simple encouragement may have been going on. These Idisi did more: they fettered their foes and unfettered their own warriors. The ‘bonds’ mentioned in the charm are likely to have been magical attacks on the souls or psyches of the warriors, causing immobilizing panic attacks or deep confusion. I assume that Idisi on both sides of the battle would attack their enemies and release their own warriors from such attacks. A lot was happening on the so-called ‘sidelines’ of battle, apparently! Idisi are considered to be knowledgeable about spells, orlog, and oracular knowledge.
Jotnar, Giants: Considered to be descended from the hermaphroditic proto-Giant, Ymir. Norse Giants are grouped into several tribes, including Thursar, Jotnar, Rises, Frost-Giants, Berg- or Mountain Giants, Trolls, etc. Giants such as the Anglo-Saxon Eoten and German Riesen play a role in the folklore of other Germanic lands as well. In the Norse pantheon, many of the Æsir Gods are of Jotun descent through their mothers, including Odin, Thor, Vidar, Magni and Modi.
La, Lö: Life-force that expresses itself through blood and the warmth it gives to the body, and through the health and beauty of hair and skin. Given to Ask and Embla by Loðurr, or by one of Odin’s brothers, Vili or Ve (Vili, in my view).
Læti: Another gift given to Ask and Embla by Loðurr, consisting of speech, the ability to move and take action, and of the characteristic behaviors of human beings.
Landwights: Land-spirits, beings who inhabit spiritual planes of Earth / Midgard, and involve themselves with the features and processes of landscapes and ecosystems. They range in size / power from smaller beings inhabiting trees, rocks, small spaces, up to mighty warders of large areas and phenomena such as mountains, lakes and storms. At the latter end, they merge into the domains of the Jotnar and Deities.
Lich-Hama, Lich: Lich is the physical body; Lich-Hama or Lichama is the living body ensouled by its Hama-soul.
Litr, Wlite: A gift of Loðurr / Odin’s brother, consisting of our physical shape and appearance, enlivened by the energies of our souls shining through that appearance. Litr is the Norse term, Wlite is Anglo-Saxon.
Magni: A son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa, embodiment of might and main. He survives Ragnarök and is one of the leading Deities of the new world that comes after.
Matronae: A multitude of Goddesses, demi-Goddesses, ancestral warding spirits of tribes and clans, and land- and river-warding spirits, who flourished during the time of the Roman empire. Both Germanic and Celtic Matronae are recognized, as well as some whose provenance is not clear. Many stone altars and thanks-offerings to them have been found, especially in the region of what is now Germany, but extending all over Europe and Britain in the wake of the Roman Empire and their troops. These matronly beings are honored by modern Heathens, as well.
Mægen, megin, main: Power, force, energy that is inherent in living beings, magical objects, and otherworldly beings.
Midgard: The World of Earth and all it encompasses. It means ‘middle yard, enclosure’, a word and meaning that existed in all the Germanic languages, often in the form of ‘middle earth’ meanings. This term implies an assumption that there are ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ worlds as well. According to Norse lore, Midgard was formed from Ymir’s sacrificed body by Odin, Vili and Ve.
Mimir and his Well: Mimir is an ancient, wise Giant, the teacher of Odin and possibly his uncle. Mimir was beheaded while a hostage with the Vanir, but Odin preserved his head and continues to receive wise rede from it. Mimir’s Well is considered a place of great wisdom and mystery. Odin pledged his eye to this well in exchange for runic knowledge, and the well also is said to contain Heimdal’s horn and his hearing or his ear. My idea is that Mimir’s Head / Well is ‘World-Mind’ or the Noösphere, the realm where Thought occurs.
Mod: One of the Heathen souls, which has a powerful influence on our character and actions in Midgard. Mod’s strengths include our Will, energy, determination, and courage, and reflects in our moods.
Mod-power: I envision this as a form of energy similar to mægen / megin, except that it is shaped by the mood and character of the being who is accessing and expressing it.
Moði: A son of Thor and the giantess Jarnsaxa, embodiment and channel of mod-power. He survives Ragnarök and is one of the leading Deities of the new world that comes after.
Niflheim: In Norse lore, the cold, icy end of the primal space called Ginnungagap. The word means ‘mist-world’. In my thought, the term Niflheim describes the mist of spiritual proto-being, the field of Ahma, that continually arises from Ginnungagap, generated by the primal polarities of Ice and Fire. This mist is the basis for all subsequent shapings of worlds and beings.
Norns: Three womanly beings, possibly Giants though their origins are unclear. In Norse lore they are named Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld, representing ‘What-Is’, ‘What Is Becoming’, and ‘Debt, or What Should Be.’ They live beside the Well of Wyrd / destiny, called Urðarbrunnr, and nourish the World-Tree with mud and water from the Well. They speak ørlög or fate for humans, and the council or doom-stead of the Gods takes place near their Well; presumably they participate in these councils. There are also lesser norns, who appear as fairy godmothers and similar beings involved with people’s fates. In Anglo-Saxon, these beings are called the Wyrdæ.
Odin, Oðinn, Woden: One of the chief Gods of the Aesir, son of Borr and Bestla, brother of Vili and Ve, husband of Frigg, father of Thor and Baldr. He involves himself heavily in Midgard affairs.
Ǫnd: Old Norse word meaning both ‘spirit’ and ‘breath’.
Ordeal: An “or-deal” in a Heathen philosophical sense means ‘the primal roots of a given ordeal-circumstance: the ørlög, the weaving of wyrd, which has been dealt out for me to face here and now, in this place, in this time.’ An ‘ordeal’ has the connotation of a struggle, a challenge, a personal testing, and it is that, but it is more. It is fateful, it is a weaving of wyrd, a drawing-together of the strands of our life into a nexus-point of deep significance. Much of our past has gone into reaching this nexus-point of the ordeal, and much will lead forth from its outcome, that will shape our time to come.
In my understanding of Heathen philosophy, life itself is an ordeal in this sense: a complex, patterned knot or nexus of strands of ørlög, arising from the past, gathered together in the present, and shaping the future to come. The ordeal of life is a challenge and a struggle, indeed, but more than that, it shapes the whole pattern of our Being, and shapes the meaning that our life holds. Our purpose in life is not to avoid or escape true Heathen ordeals, but to rise to the challenge they offer: the challenge not only to meet the ordeal successfully, but to use it as a vehicle to emerge from the ordeal with greater wisdom, soul-qualities, and strength than we had when we went into it.
My concept of the Heathen ordeal does not involve the deliberate infliction of pain, as ‘ordeal’ is sometimes understood in other contexts. An ordeal, in my view, is defined as a serious challenge or difficulty that has developed in our life through the workings of wyrd and orlog. In some cases it may be caused by mistakes, neglect of our responsibilities, or wrongdoing that we have committed and that we must work our way through, not seek to escape or excuse. Calling on Tyr / Tiw and the Norns can help us see our situation clearly and face it with courage, strength, and wisdom.
‘Or-log’ means the ancient, primal layers of fate which have been laid down and which affect the present. ‘Or-deal’ refers to the dealing-out of our personal orlog that results in a specific challenge or difficulty occurring at a specific time in our life, the nexus-point where these orlog-strands from the past all come together and create this ordeal. The ordeal calls not only for courage and strength, but even more importantly it calls for wisdom and insight. An artificially-created episode of deliberately inflicted pain is not rooted in wyrd and orlog, it is not dealt out to us by the Norns as part of our path toward wisdom. Thus, I do not consider this kind of artificial ordeal as a true Heathen ordeal in the philosophical sense: a Heathen ordeal which must be rooted in and arise out of orlog, and lead us toward the wisdom of the Norns.
Ørlög, Orlay: This word means the ‘ur-layers, primal layers’, and is related to the words for ‘law.’ These layers are laid by the Norns, shaped from the deeds and events of humankind and Midgard, as well as the other Worlds and beings. In turn, ørlög influences the lives and life-spans of living humans. Ørlög is the Old Norse term, Orlæg or Orlay is Anglo-Saxon.
Proto-Germanic: A language which has been reconstructed by modern scholars; the prehistoric ancestor of Germanic languages such as Anglo-Saxon, Old Saxon, Old Norse, Frisian, Old High German, Frankish, etc. Gothic is the closest historical language to Proto-Germanic.
Proto-Indo-European, PIE: The prehistoric, reconstructed root of all Indo-European languages, ancient and modern.
Ragnarök: ‘The destiny or fate of the Gods,’ a great battle between the Gods and the Jotnar or Giants, with the dead from different realms participating on different sides. Some modern Heathens regard Ragnarök as having already happened, in the form of the forcible conversions from Heathenism / Paganism to Christianity during the early Middle Ages. Others regard it as an event yet to come, and some see Ragnarok as a cyclical, recurrent event, having already happened in the past, and still to come again in the future.
Saiwalo, Sawl, Seola, etc: The root of our word ‘soul’. In Heathen belief, this is the afterlife soul, which naturally goes to Hel as the realm of the dead.
Sefa, Sebo: In old Germanic texts, a soul or soul-part especially attuned to emotions and relationships. The word probably relates to other words for ‘sib’ and ‘relative’, and to words for ‘self.’ In my thought, Sefa is a soul which arises from the interactions of all our other souls. It contains our perception of ‘self’ and ‘self in relation to others.’
Seiðr, Seidh: In Nordic cultures, a practice similar to witchcraft, with a strong focus on oracular work and faring in spirit-forms. In modern Heathen use, it often refers to oracular trance practices.
Shild: An Anglo-Saxon word which is cognate to the name of the Norn, Skuld. Shild refers to a debt, and to one’s responsibility for one’s actions and their results.
Sif, Sibbe, Sippe: A Goddess, in Norse mythology the wife of Thor and mother of Ullr and Thruðr. Her name is related to the words for ‘kinship, relationship’ in all the Germanic languages, and she supports and protects this important domain of life. Some also consider her to be the Goddess of grain, with a belief that thunder and lightning are necessary to cause the grain to ripen, reflecting the relations between Sif and Thor. I envision her as the ‘frith-sib of the folk’, a peace-weaver who graciously shares her home and blessings with living folk and with the many human spirits who reside with her, Thor and their family in the afterlife.
Sjöfn: A Goddess and companion of Frigg; a promoter and protector of love, marriage and relationships generally.
Soular-system: An expression I invented to designate the group of soul-entities who collectively create a living person here in Midgard.
Spaecraft, spaework: As used here, and in modern Heathen terminology, these words refer to a practice of oracular trance work, often performed in a group setting, other times performed individually, to explore questions and issues of interest to the querents.
Sumble, Symbel, Sumbel: A Heathen ceremony. Participants sit or stand in a circle, each holding a suitable drink, and go around the circle one by one to drink a toast, speak a boast or an oath. Usually the first round is dedicated to the Deities, the second to ancestors, heroes, and admired persons, and the third and subsequent rounds are open.
Syn: The Goddess Syn wards the doors of the hall, and closes them against those who must not enter. She is called on at the Thingsteads (assemblies) when one wishes to refute an accusation, and is considered the Goddess of Denial. (Gylfaginning p. 30, Edda). I view her as the “Just Say No” Goddess, the one who helps us protect our healthy and necessary boundaries against intrusion.
Thor, Thunor, Donar, Donner: A well-loved and much-trusted God among ancient and modern Heathens, wielding the power of thunder and lightning. His great Hammer is used to defend the Deities and Midgard against destructive forces, and is also used for hallowing and blessing. Thor is Sif’s husband, and is the father of Magni, Modi and Thruðr. His hall Bilskirnir (‘ray of light lightning-strike’) lies within his domain, Thruðheim (‘strength-home, strength-world’), and is the afterlife residence of many human spirits whose patron he was during life.
Thorlings: A term I invented, based on the Germanic suffix “ling, lingas” that implies ‘belonging to or descended from’ the name the suffix is attached to. Thus, Thorlings are those who are descended from Thor: Magni, Moði and Thruðr.
Thruðr: Daughter of Thor and the Goddess Sif. Her name means ‘Strength’. Presumably she, like her brothers Magni and Modi, survives Ragnarök and becomes one of the leaders of the new world. Her father’s godly domain bears her name: Thruðheim or ‘strength-home, strength-world.’
Valhöl,Valhalla: ‘Hall of the slain’, Odin’s hall where spirits of slain heroes—Einherjar—reside.
Werold: A word meaning ‘man-age’, used in Anglo-Saxon, Old Saxon and Old High German, and referring to the totality of a person’s life-span and life-experience. In Old Norse, the word is Veraldr.
Wode: One of the gifts given by Hœnir / Odin’s brother when two trees or logs were transformed into the humans Ask and Embla. Wode refers to an ecstatic state of heightened spiritual—and sometimes physical—energy, which can take forms ranging from inspired eloquence and prophecy, artistic and intellectual genius, warrior focus and strength, to berserker rage, or outright madness. I see the gift of wode as a divine spark or a bridge, that enables humans to reach divine consciousness and communication with the Deities. If the person is not fit nor prepared for this, if their motives are skewed, or if they approach the Deities in inappropriate, offensive ways, the resulting flow of wode may backfire into negative forms.
World-Tree, Yggdrasil: The cosmic Tree, the structure of Space and all that exists within space. It is rooted in the three great Wells of power in Norse myth: Hvergelmir, Mimir’s Well, and Urðr’s Well, and the Nine Worlds are supported by its branches and roots.
Worlds, Nine Worlds: Norse mythology envisions nine worlds as the home-bases for different kinds of beings: Asgard for the Æsir, Vanaheim for the Vanir, Alfheim for the Alfar or elves, Midgard for humans, Svartalfheim for the Dwarves, Hel for the dead, Jotunheim for the Giants, and the Worlds of the primal energies: the World of ice and cold, Niflheim, and the World of Fire, Muspelheim.
Wyrd, and Well of: An Anglo-Saxon word derived from ‘to become, to happen, to come to pass’; basically, ‘to come into being.’ This is the name of a being or a power that brings about destiny and fate in Anglo-Saxon lore, in particular, the circumstances of one’s death. Wyrd is cognate with the Norse Norn-name Urðr, and Wyrd’s Well is the same as Urðarbrunnr: the Well of Fate (approximately). ‘Fate, Destiny’ and ‘Wyrd’ are not exactly the same, but overlap a good deal in meaning.
Ymir: A Giant, said to be hermaphroditic, who came into being within Ginnungagap at the beginning of the cosmos. Jotnar / Giants are descended from him-her, and I believe that the unnamed pair who were generated from beneath Ymir’s arm were Mimir and Bestla, the mother of Odin, Vili and Ve, making Mimir their uncle. Ymir was sacrificed by Odin, Vili and Ve, and his-her body formed the foundations of Midgard and some of the other Worlds.
Yggdrasil: The ‘steed of Ygg’. ‘Ygg’ means the ‘terrible one’, and is a byname of Odin. His ‘steed’ here is the World-Tree upon which he hung for nine days and nights to win the Runes.