Note: Since I often give long replies to questions here and this page is getting pretty full, I’ve started turning my longer replies into articles and posting them on my website. After some time has passed for people to read the responses here, I’m deleting those responses and putting a link to the relevant article as my new response to the reader’s question. The reader’s original question remains on this page. So you can still read my response to the reader’s question: just follow the link that I give.
I’m glad to respond here to questions of general interest about Heathen spirituality and practice, which is the focus of my work and my website. However, unfortunately I don’t have the stamina to respond to personal requests, to run a prayer list, perform ceremonies, offer personal counseling, and the like. Nor will I address any political issues. Politics is important, but in today’s fractured and stressful world we all need to have some places that are politics-free zones, where we can focus on other important things. This website is one of them! So comments and requests on all of the topics I just listed will not be posted.
But by all means, ask your questions about Heathen spirituality: I enjoy them and enjoy responding to them, and I think other viewers on my website do likewise. These questions often stimulate new directions of thought and writing for me, and I thank you for that!
My role in Heathenry is as a writer, scholar, and practitioner of Heathen spirituality, theology, philosophy, rather than serving as a gythja, godwoman, clergy, counselor, or giver of pastoral care. I wish I could do everything, but I can’t! What I try to offer in my books and website is guidance for those who wish it, so people can learn to nurture and care for their own souls and for the souls of others. However much or little spiritual help we are able to access, in the end it all comes down to this: We ourselves must be the foremost caretakers of our own souls and of our relationships with our Holy Ones. With my writing, I hope to help people achieve this.
In frith,
~Winifred~
Winifred,
I’ve just finished reading both Soul Lore books, Wandering on Heathen Ways, and Oaths, Shild, Frith, Luck and Wyrd. Your work has changed my life and given me so many answers to questions I have been trying to solve for a couple years now(putting pieces together).Thank so much for that! But I still have questions..
I’m so glad my writings are helpful to you! If you have more questions you’re welcome to post them here and I’ll do my best to respond. Thank you for your good words!
Winifred
I just wanted to let you know how amazing your work is. Your website alone has such a wealth of knowledge and helpful information (I’m going to be using your Yule blot ritual shortly). Thank you for this website, first of all. Secondly, your books are the epitome of scholarly Heathen research and are exactly what I have been searching for. There are myriad intro to Heathenry/Asatru books in existence but very few advanced ones that delve deeper into the practice, beliefs, and philosophical aspects.
I have purchased the kindle version of “Heathen Soul Lore Foundations” and a hard copy of “Wandering on Heathen Ways”. You are such a fantastic writer and your work is never boring or dry, even when exploring such complex concepts in such detail and depth. I want to thank you for contributing so much amazing work to the Heathen community and the world in general. You are a treasure.
Best wishes and much love to you, Winifred.
Ellen Marie, your praise is very heartwarming–thank you! I write about what is meaningful to me, write from heart and souls as well as mind, and it’s so rewarding to know that there are other Heathens who also find these things as meaningful as I do. I feel like there are many people out there, like you and other commenters here and many others, whom I don’t know personally, but when our minds and souls are in touch through my writing we become friends in spirit. To me, this website and my books are both a temple and a spiritual home; what I write is my worship, my gift to the Holy Ones as well as to Heathens here in Midgard. It is lovely to be able to share this with people around the world!
Winifred
Winifred,
Hello again! I have a couple of questions that I would love to get your opinion on- I have been thinking about them for quite some time. I am relatively new to Heathenry so I apologize if they seem silly!
Do you think it’s okay to Blot to certain deities during the holidays even though you aren’t particularly close to them?
If you are close to more than one deity which a lot of Heathens are, do you think your Ghost could possibly travel easily to each of their halls as long as they’re willing?
Thank you for your time!
With utmost respect,
Jacques
I gave a long answer to this question of Jaques and another related one. To keep this Questions and Comments page to manageable lengths, I combined my responses into an article and moved it to this page on my website: https://heathensoullore.net/thoughts-on-the-afterlife-of-the-ghost/ Please head over there if you’d like to read it!
Winifred
Thank you for your input! That was great!
On the subject of Ghost reincarnation- do you think that it has the option to reincarnate whenever ready as you said or that it will do that in time no matter what? Or can our Ghost (Gods willing) continue to reside in their halls?
Thank you again!
Very respectfully,
Jacques
I gave a long answer to this question of Jaques and another related one. To keep this Questions and Comments page to manageable lengths, I combined my responses into an article and moved it to this page on my website: https://heathensoullore.net/thoughts-on-the-afterlife-of-the-ghost/ Please head over there if you’d like to read it!
Winifred,
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I have another question and would love your opinion: How do you feel about silent prayers to the Deities when it comes to personal “one on one” devotion? I’ve heard some disagree with it which seems strange.
Thank you again! I truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
It does indeed seem strange to me, Jaques, that some people would disagree with silent, one-on-one devotion, but I see no need to be constrained by any such opinions! Why should anyone try to tell other people how not to go about their devotions? Now, as to suggestions for pursuing one’s devotions, I have a number of those on my website, very much including one-on-one and silent devotions. In particular, there are my articles on “Heathen Contemplation,” “The Great Gift,” and “Earth, Water, Wind and Fire,” among others.
There are any number of examples in the sagas and other old writings of people going one-on-one with our Deities and friendly spirits, though I don’t feel like looking up all the references at the moment. Odin comes to people privately and makes bargains with them. A devotee of Thor went off privately to the ocean shore to beg Thor’s help with fishing when his group was starving, and Thor sent a whale that beached itself. When a man who had been personally devoted to Frey died, Frey kept the man’s burial mound always free of snow and frost so that ‘nothing would come between them’–between the man’s spirit in his mound, and Frey the God of good seasons. Though not much is written about these, there were surely frequent prayers, both formal and informal, given by folks at home–housewives, elders, maidens, anyone–to their chosen Goddesses, Gods, Disir and Alfar, landwights, etc, for help and support. Far into Christian times crypto-Heathen folk maintained secluded frithyards, nooks and crannies in rocks for offerings, offerings at sacred wells and trees, and more, as we can see from many laws and church rules that forbade these things. Especially after ‘official’ conversion to Christianity, Heathens who maintained some of the old ways would have had to keep their words and actions relating to worship very private and silent, but they didn’t give them up. In Germany, Frau Holle and other Goddesses remained in folk-memory and folk practice through the centuries, and devotions to them were based on household and personal practices rather than formal group ceremonies. She is still a very popular figure in Germany.
As I understand it, forms of worship among Heathens (and other old Pagans) across many lands and many centuries ranged through the entire gamut from ‘high church’ public sacrifices and feasts, to specialized group observances such as those of warbands and mystery or priestly cults, to family and household observances, to personal and private devotions and offerings. I suggest not to concern yourself about other people’s opinions, but to pursue your own devotions as you and your Holy Ones see fit!
In frith,
Winifred
Just as another example, Jaques: throughout the ages people, women especially, have prayed to their Gods and especially Goddesses for conceiving a child, and for safe childbirth. These were certainly private, one-on-one prayers, often silent I’m sure. Another example is prayers for the safety of oneself or for loved ones who are going into battle or on an ocean voyage. My article “Matrons and Disir” talks about many such examples of personal prayer devoted to these Goddesses / demi-Goddesses / Spirits, as shown by hundreds of votive stones placed by their devotees in thanks for prayers answered.
Winifred,
I hope you are doing well! I wanted to ask you if you had any recommendations for books about how to write Runes?
Thank you for your time!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
Greetings, Jaques!
As I’m sure you know, there are a great many books about runes, and their usefulness depends on what you want to do with the runes and the context in which you want to do it. For example, divination and / or magic, and then what type of magic. There are also controversies about some of the books because of the views or reputations of their authors, even though their expertise may be acknowledged.
For myself, I like to go back to the basics: studying the various rune poems and the old runic inscriptions, the verses about the runes at the end of the Havamal, and so forth, and then do a lot of meditation and practice of my own. Experiment and see what works for me.
A couple of books useful for this are Ann Groa Sheffield’s “Long Branches: Runes of the Younger Futhark,” and Stephen Pollington’s “Rudiments of Runelore.” Both are based on solid scholarship but are readable and interesting. It’s also worth keeping up with new scholarship and discoveries by searching the internet for news on these topics, and perhaps following up with some of the references quoted.
A website that is based on Pollington’s translation and information is worth looking at, though it only discusses the Anglo Saxon Rune Poem: https://www.tha-engliscan-gesithas.org.uk/written-and-spoken-old-english/old-english-alphabet-2/the-anglo-saxon-rune-poem/
A Wiki website has texts of all the old rune poems in original languages and translations, which is useful: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Rune_poems
One approach you could take is to use these as source materials, and then take the approach that I outline in my article “The Mood of the Runes.” With this approach you’re essentially making the runes your own: learning what there is to know about them intellectually, but then internalizing that knowledge, combining it with your own unique experiences, insights, purposes and goals, and thus growing your own approach.
An additional aspect is to ask one or more of our Deities to work with you on this project, teach and guide you. It could be Odin, of course, but it doesn’t have to be. Heimdall-Rig is a teacher of runes, too, and any of our Deities can do the same, each in their own way. I’ve learned much on this subject from Frigg, in a non-intellectual, even a non-verbal way, through meditative visions and intuitions.
Your Godly runic teacher(s) might step forth not so much because they’re acknowledged ‘experts’ on runes, but more because of how you want to *use* the runes and how they can teach that–teach how the runes can be applied based on their and your common interests, knowledge and skills. Freya has a lot to teach about using the runes for certain forms of magic and seidhr, for example, or the runes can be used to explore some of the mysteries lying in Mimir’s Well. Frigg and her ladies, or Sif, can teach use of the runes for homemaking and relationships, Eir for healing, Tyr or Thor for manifesting the runes in strong actions, etc, etc.
This teaching usually happens through intuitions, insights, and inspiration, and the use of a rune-journal is an important part of the process. Another thing I’ve found through meditation on each of the runes individually is that different Deities may teach us about different runes, as I write about in my article on Vor, for example. In fact, for me it seems like each rune has its own Godly teacher, though of course one Deity may teach about several. And even that is personal: for example, the rune Gebo, giving, might be taught to different people by different Deities depending on how each person ‘gives’ in their individual lives, how they contribute, support, offer, guide, heal–however each person’s ‘giving’ is shaped. Different Deities, and people, give in different ways. Same for each of the other runes. Likewise, you might well find that multiple Deities can teach you about each individual rune, from different perspectives.
For me, the most essential process for learning runelore is to undertake meditations on each one, first reading its rune-poem(s) and then keeping an open mind about what might come to you during meditation. I like to use meditative writing for this: just enter into meditation, then write in your journal whatever comes to mind without analyzing or organizing it until later, after the session is done. Each rune should be meditated upon multiple times to allow for different perspectives and insights. There’s a great deal to be learned from this, and your lore-hunter Hugr and Ghost souls will be of great help!
The approach I suggest here is a lot of work, I know–even more work than following some system that’s already laid out for you in a book or by a teacher. But it’s real and it goes deep, and it’s yours!
May the Gods speed your runing!
Winifred
Greetings, Winifred!
It is an honor to get to know you and I hope the Norns have blessed you with much joy as we continue forward into this new year. I deeply admire your work as I too possess a great passion for philosophy and long to understand the world. In large part of this I have frequently prayed to the All-Father, Frigg, and the other great deities of wisdom and they have truly given me such great rewards I can never repay. However, I was hoping to ask a question that I feel would best come from a philosopher such as yourself, something I long to truly be. And please let me say I found your excerpt on heathen philosophy to be absolutely beautiful and radiating with truth as far as my eyes could see. Truly, you have been blessed by the gods to carry such wisdom and understanding.
If possible, I was hoping to ask a few questions that may seem a little deep. They are in regard to certain beliefs of heathen faith regarding the gods and the afterlife. For a long time now I have had a deep pondering regarding some of these beliefs from a philosophical perspective and was hoping for your input, if possible. I feel by better understanding these questions I can better understand the world and truly set myself down on the path of becoming an enlightened philosopher.
Ben, thank you for your kind words! I’m always glad to hear from others who take an interest in Heathen philosophy, as I do myself. Deep questions are the best kind of questions, and I’ll be more than happy to consider yours about the Gods and the afterlife to the best of my ability. I’ll look forward to reading your questions.
Ben, just an additional note about Heathen philosophy: you might enjoy the latest article I posted just a week or two ago, called “Kvasir and the Fermentation of Wisdom.”
https://heathensoullore.net/kvasir-and-the-fermentation-of-wisdom/
Dear Winifred, thank you for your kind words as well and for sharing this knowledge with me. I will be sure to look over it and take it all to heart.
For my first question, I was hoping to ask a very strong question that has been asked since the dawn of civilization. It relates to the concept of fate. While my area of expertise in philosophy is focused mainly on ethics and political philosophy when it comes to metaphysics, I have always been a firm fatalist, and I have truly come to believe that certain key events in my life were predetermined.
However, I have long pondered on the extent that fate holds over all of us. The power of the Norns is unfathomable as they decide even the fate of the gods and goddesses themselves. However, I must wonder to what extent they control our lives. In philosophy, standard fatalism holds that while certain events in our lives have been predetermined since the universe began, there is still, at the very least, the possibility of free will, and that we are capable of making our own choices at the very least to random mundane events. For example, the Ancient Greek philosophy of stoicism, which I have come to deeply admire and adore, argues that while the events surrounding us are fated to be, our emotions and reactions to them are of our own accord. Determinism, however, is a far more extreme philosophy of destiny, as it argues that all of events, whether mundane or grand are predetermined.
I have pondered this for a long time but have yet to reach a definitive answer. Have the Norns determined everything about our existence? When they weave the thread of destiny, do they weave every event that surrounds us? Do they decide both our actions and thoughts? To what extent are we our own individuals? Are our thoughts and beliefs predetermined programmings? Do they decide what food we eat everyday, what clothes we wear, and what games we play? In Heathen philosophy, does free will exist or are all events and life forms but things determined by the power of three goddesses of destiny?
If possible, I would love to hear your answer to such a question asked and considered by philosophers throughout history.
A very good question indeed, Ben, and as it happens, I am currently working diligently on a book about this very topic: “Orlog Yesterday and Today: The Shaping of the Norns.” It’s going to take me a little while to condense my thoughts from the book into a shorter response to you, though! I always have trouble giving short answers to anything, and this topic is an especially dense one. So give me a little time to put that together, and I’ll get back to you here.
But here are a few teasers, which I’ll elaborate on later:
1) “Fate” as understood in the classical cultures of Greece and Rome certainly has similarities with the Heathen Germanic ideas of orlog and wyrd, but there are some very significant differences as well, which shift the ground of discussion about the nature of determinism in profound and interesting ways. In my view, it’s of vital importance to use each of these words–fate, orlog, wyrd–judiciously when pursuing a philosophical discussion about them, because they do not mean exactly the same things and hence our understanding of their implications differs depending on which concept–and culture–we’re focusing on.
2) In a very brief nutshell, I do not think that Germanic concepts of wyrd and orlog equate to hard determinism, at all. I argue that orlog is more a ‘conditioning’ force than a deterministic one: it lays down the conditions or parameters within which our choices and deeds must take place, but it neither determines those choices in advance, nor controls how we make them in the present, within the boundaries of those baseline conditions. Not only that, but we ourselves play a big role in setting those conditions, based on our past choices and deeds. The Norns may supervise the *process* by which orlog is laid in the Well, but the *substance* of what is laid is, to an extent, the result of our own choices and deeds, and these layers of orlog then proceed to ‘condition’ our future fields of choice and action.
There’s a big exception to what I say here though: in ancient Germanic thought, orlog and wyrd were most often used in the context of one’s fated time and mode of death. And in their minds, that was indeed determined by the Norns. But for all of one’s life up until the circumstances resulting in one’s death, there is no indication that every little mundane detail was decided and set in place by the Norns, though big life-changing events certainly show their hands at work. The circumstances of birth and death are determined by the Norns, but what happens in between those points in time is influenced by many factors and many beings, and provides a certain amount of space for the exercise of free will. (Now, whether our own society makes that exercise of free will difficult or impossible is another matter: we can’t blame the Norns for everything!)
From my limited reading of Stoic philosophy–and I might change my mind if I read more!–I think that much of it is compatible with Heathen modes of thought, more so than many other forms of philosophy. I find it a useful field of comparative study for Heathen philosophers and certainly recommend it! One of my articles I think demonstrates a mindset that’s quite consistent with Stoicism as I understand it: https://heathensoullore.net/a-heathen-meaning-of-ordeal/
I don’t know whether you’ve read this article of mine, but it discusses some aspects of orlog that might be of interest: https://heathensoullore.net/images-of-orlay/
I’ll get back to you again soon!
Winifred
Dear Winifred, thank you so very much for such a thoughtful and captivating answer. I enjoyed reading on your perspective regarding the extent of fate in our lives. For me, I have long pondered this question and I have felt that perhaps knowing the extent to which the Norns control our lives is beyond our full comprehension and that we must accept that most if not all of the details of our lives were by their design. However, your reasoning is quite compelling and well thought out. When you finish writing your book I would love to read it and learn more.
Also, thank you for your articles, I enjoyed reading them. For the second one, you are indeed correct as it shares many key philosophical tenets with stoic ideology. Stoicism emphasizes living in the moment and accepting whatever fate determines for one’s life. It teaches us to not be dominated by the past or to fear about the future, instead living in the moment and being free from attachments. This not to say one should not care about others or personal possessions, but to accept that times flows in one direction and that all we have will eventually fade, which we should accept and embrace to live a virtuous and happy life.
I see many parallels between this and Heathen philosophy’s lessons on life and living in harmony with nature.
If it is alright, I would like to hear your wisdom regarding another topic that I have long pondered but have failed to reach a definitive answer too? This one relates to the afterlife, for which I share a deep fascination of.
I’ve posted my response to this question as an article, which you can find following this link:
https://heathensoullore.net/the-norns-determinism-or-influence/
Dear Winifred, first I wish to thank you profoundly for yet another beautiful answer. Not only is it well thought out, but you have provided such profound depth to this question. It has truly made me consider features I had not before and given me a new perspective on the matters of fatalism. I especially enjoyed reading your theories on events and perception, as you covered it in ways that I did consider, ways now that I wish to integrate into my memory as they may indeed bring me closer to the greater comprehension that I hope to acquire. While we may never know the full extent of the control that fate and Norns hold over our lives, you have provided very interesting examples that have helped shape my views on the subject.
Based on the examples you provided, it does seem rather insignificant that every single event of our lives, and the universe as whole, would be shaped by the Norns when it serves no greater goal in furthering the end of the story they have designed. For me, many of the events that I have felt were “destined” each served a specific purpose. Primarily, the purpose of these events was to shape my world view and guide me on path I walk: the path I feel the Norns have determined for me. However, I now consider if insignificant events had any bearing on this. Such as, which chair I sit on for breakfast, which toothbrush I pick to brush my teeth at night, and which shirt I wear before beginning the day. None of these events, when lacking a significant influence, seem to bear a particular influence on my path.
Thus, I can fully understand your reasoning and indeed see so much merit to this line of thinking.
Truly, thank you for sharing these theories and insights: you grace me and everyone else reading these excerpts with your knowledge and wisdom.
My next question is a long one I am afraid and it will take me some time to formulate my response, but I look forward to asking it and I am quite excited to receive your answer.
Ben, I’ve received, read, and appreciated your latest question about the afterlife of warriors in Valhalla and Folkvang, and I will respond to it to the best of my ability. I won’t post your whole message here because of my website policy of being apolitical, as I believe you understand, but your question is an important one and I’m not sweeping it under the rug. Would you agree with this summary of your question, to form the basis of my response here?
You’re asking about my thoughts on what one might call the ‘criteria of acceptance’ for warriors to enter into Valhalla and Folkvang. You’ve noted that the standards of ‘warrior morality’ in Viking times are quite different than the Geneva standards regarding the conduct of war today, and that in conflicts around the world these modern standards of warfare morality are being disregarded by combatants, to the extent that such warfare seems more like the ‘no holds barred’ behavior of Vikings and other raiders of those times. Yet, as you note, we are told in the old poetry that many of those unrestrained Viking warriors were lauded as heroes and awarded places in Valhalla and Folkvang.
You write: “I have long pondered on the fates of fallen warriors in the modern day. It is said that only the honorable fallen may enter these realms, but what does that mean specifically? ” I think this is the gist of your question–and likely a question that many of us wonder about. What was honorable then, many of us may not consider honorable now. Are combatants who engage in acts that are considered dishonorable today still welcomed into the Gods’ halls as they apparently were in the past? What are the ‘criteria of acceptance’ into Valhalla and Folkvang today?
Please let me know whether this is an accurate summary of your question before I proceed to respond to it, except for one item which I address below.
You also wonder whether Christian warriors are accepted into Valhalla along with Heathens. I don’t see this as the case at all, for the sake of the Christians as well as the Heathens. I think Christians would be horrified to end up in a Heathen afterlife, and would very likely simply regard that as being in their Christian Hell, not see it as a reward of any kind. Christians have a very obvious warrior ethos of their own which apparently doesn’t exclude them from their own God and their own Heaven, even though warrior behavior seems to contradict the teachings of Jesus. I leave them to sort out those contradictions themselves!
And on the Heathen side: what would be the point of accepting Christians? As I’ll get into more when I respond to your main question, I think one of the main criteria for acceptance into the Heathen warrior God-homes is loyalty and devotion to Odin or Freya–loyalty to the point of death, loyalty in spite of the risk of losing the battle, being a ‘failure’, as long as one dies in the process and dedicates one’s efforts and one’s death to one of these Deities. Christians certainly wouldn’t be loyal to our God/desses, and wouldn’t have that motivation to fight for them at Ragnarok, which is the primary motivation for collecting the warrior-ghosts into Valhalla, anyway.
I don’t have time to write more now, but I’ll watch for your response to my summary of your question and will be back later.
Dear Winifred, thank you so much for responding back with such a delightful excerpt once gained. Yes the summary you provided is accurate of the questions I am hoping to be answered. Please let me say how much I appreciate your response and once more sharing your knowledge and wisdom with me. Also, I wish to again apologize for the parts of my previous message that were unsuitable for this page. I completely understand and thank you for still answering my questions.
I wish also to know an additional feature of this subject that was not presented in your summary. In discussing the “criteria of acceptance” into the warrior realms, I have long pondered on what that acceptance may mean for modern standards of combat. For example, if modern warriors who abide by the standards of Vikings rather than the current rules of engagement in a present conflict, would they still be welcomed into the realms? If so, what does this say about modern attempts to apply morality to warfare? Are current definitions of war crimes and moral standards of conflict irrelevant?
Again, thank you for all the effort you have put into answering these deep questions of mine. I know you are pressed for time now, but please take as long as you need to. I completely understand and wish you to have a wonderful day. I look forward to your response and hope that the gods give you much joy.
I’ve consolidated my response to this and several related questions in the following article:
https://heathensoullore.net/thoughts-about-heathen-afterlife/
(Continuing from my previous post)
I, and I think many other modern Heathens as well, look at the situation more from Odin’s perspective–he’s recruiting the warriors he needs to prepare for Ragnarok, not rewarding the wealthy patrons of poets. Odin isn’t really the type to be giving out lollipops for being a brave little boy!
Now getting into the morality aspect: first I’ll say that Odin is not really the God to look to, for the details of moral behavior. He has his own morality, which I would characterize as “The ends justify the means,” something that many of us today don’t consider to be the high ground of moral behavior even though it’s often tempting to adopt that approach.
Odin doesn’t try to justify this, but he has his reasons. As I understand it, though he knows that Ragnarok will bring about the deaths of the elder Aesir Gods and destruction of Midgard and its societies, what he wants to do is bring down the enemies that will cause that destruction so that a new cycle of the Worlds can begin, one which does not have these dire enemies looming over it. He will do what it takes to bring that about, and his choice of the Einherjar is one of the tactics he uses. (As to his own role in the arising of the enemies of the Aesir, that’s another whole can of worms!)
So let’s move on to the modern day, and the question as to whether the criteria of acceptance into Valhalla have changed. I’ll offer a scenario and a response to this question that might or might not make sense to anyone else. Odin and the Valkyries choose the Einherjar for a reason: their potential effectiveness at Ragnarok. So what is Ragnarok? Has the understanding of the nature of Ragnarok changed over time, along with so much else? And if it has, then the role of the Einherjar changes too, and hence the criteria for selecting them also have to change.
I propose this way of looking at it: Ragnarok is the symbol of a dire threat to the world, a massive change in the circumstances of living and in the things one believes and trusts. It’s as much an ‘inner’ thing as an ‘outer’ one. Various cultures and societies and locations of humans have experienced Ragnarok-equivalents many times over the centuries and millenia: effectively their own cultural world comes to a terrible end, the world they always knew before, even though the physical world continues in its existence. Though indeed there are often physical disasters too: floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, famine, and the like. Climate change, too. This happens all the time around the world. Sadly and awfully, it’s happening right now to various groups of people. It’s often heralded by the death of a culture hero, like Baldr for the Heathens.
Different people respond differently to these events, and their religions play a role in shaping these responses. I suggest that the role of Odin and Valhalla, and I’d say Freya and Folkvang too, and in fact all the other Deities as well, who are much involved with all this–is to prepare for such changes as these ‘cultural Ragnaroks’ bring. Changes for them–the Deities, and changes for us humans, for Heathens specifically, and for the natural world as well.
And so, the selection of the Einherjar and the Folkvang warriors needs to change, to prepare in a suitable way for the nature of whatever Ragnarok is coming next. And not only them. Odin boasts in Grimnismal 24 that Thor’s hall is the greatest of all, even larger than Valhalla, which contains fighters as well. I write some thoughts about the dwellers in that Hall in my article about Sif and the Hall she shares with Thor: https://heathensoullore.net/goddess-sif-kinship-and-hospitality/
In another article I quote a powerful poem written by modern Heathen John Mainer about Vidar, which gives a picture of a different ‘hall of waiting’ for warriors chosen by Vidar. https://heathensoullore.net/to-honor-vidar/
Frigg and her ladies have great roles to play. Tyr, through the Tyr-star that guides us over the paths of night, as the rune-poem says, points out a trustworthy path for those who would work with the Gods. All of our Deities have their teams of partners and human afterlife souls who support their work and aims in Midgard through spiritual means. They don’t remain fixed in the past, focused on things that might or might not have much relevance for today.
So, I think that the selection today of warriors for Valhalla and for Folkvang needs to take into account whatever form of ‘Ragnarok’ may be coming next. The thing is, we don’t know what shape that will take, nor what kinds of responses the Holy Ones may be preparing to deal with it. Here, I’d say, is where some trust comes in: trust that we Heathens and Odin and Freya and all the Deities can align our values and ethics to fit both the Gods’ vision and our own about what is right, as these matters play out in today’s world with all of today’s challenges and confusions.
We need to follow and live by our own values, and interact with our Holy Ones to understand their views, their actions, and their choices. And thereby we find and trust in the common ground, the frith, that unites us all. Ethics and values grow out of a ground of frith, and support that frith. The Gods expect us to accomplish this creation and maintenance of frith and the values that support it by ourselves; they don’t impose it on us as other deities do with their followers. We need to have the intelligence and goodwill to take this pursuit seriously, knowing that it’s our responsibility but that the Gods respect us for our efforts, and meet us on that path of mutual understanding.
I think, Ben, that this question you asked, and that other Heathens ask as well, arises from the root of a longing for frith among humans, and frith between humans and Deities. We want to have a sense of values and to know those values are shared with others, humans and Deities, both. By asking the questions and pursuing the answers as well as we can, we help to create that common ground of understanding among us all. So, thank you for the asking!
I realize I need to clarify a comment I made earlier, that seems to mock the rewards of Valhalla. I don’t mean to do this; rather, my point is that reward isn’t the *reason* for the existence of Valhalla or for the choice of the Einherjar, I don’t think. For Odin, the reason is preparing for Ragnarok, as I argued before, and for the Einherjar, I believe the reasons for being in Valhalla are honor and loyalty to Odin, the Aesir, and Odin’s purposes.
If the main reason for Valhalla was ‘reward,’ then the Einherjar would simply be mercenaries, not honor-bound warriors. I have more respect than to call them that!
But for warriors as for everyone else, of course rewards are welcome and appreciated, and from the images of Valhalla in the lore–ancient and modern–the warriors clearly do appreciate it!
As for the warriors in Folkvang, I simply don’t know what is happening there; there’s so little in the lore to go on, and the warrior aspect of Freya isn’t one that I know at all well. I know she takes many people into her hall, warriors and others as well, but I don’t know what her warriors do, specifically, nor do I know what criteria she uses to choose them.
One thing I wonder is whether she maybe takes warriors, not because she wants them to be warriors for her, but because she’s offering them an afterlife home as she offers to many noncombatant women and other people generally. Another possibility is that she does want them as warriors and that she and they also take part in Ragnarok.
Well, this is all very interesting and I’ve been enjoying the conversation!
Blessings to you and to all who read this…
Winifred
Dear Winifred, thank you so very much for these captivating explanations and answers! I have truly enjoyed reading your thoughts on this subject and receiving your wisdom once again.
Your answers are indeed very thoughtful and do offer a great sense of reason to their understandings. In regards to my earlier question about Christian warriors, it does indeed make much sense. I don’t truly see Christian warriors being welcomed into Valhalla or Folkvang, for, as you pointed out, they would feel welcomed existing in the realm of gods/goddesses outside of their monotheistic beliefs. Additionally, I don’t believe the gods would be comfortable with warriors in their realms who do not appreciate nor truly respect them. Thus, I feel it is more likely that Christian soldiers would most likely be sent to Hel if fallen in battle.
As for your other discussions, to be sure I understand, it seems that you speculated that the acceptance into either realm is primarily determined by the standards of the current era in which battles are fought and for the primary motivations of the warriors fighting in these battles. You have stated that each culture eventually has a “Ragnarok” of its own and the standards of acceptance into Valhalla much change in order to prepare for these culture devastations. Thus, it can be assumed that the standards of acceptance have changed for wars waged today as opposed to the Viking era. Based on this, warriors who commit modern definitions of war crimes may not be accepted into these realms after all.
Also, I am quite intrigued by the unique distinction you pointed out regarding the motives of the Viking raiders. I know that during that time, Norse warriors and seamen were drawn to pillaging the coasts of England and Europe for wealth, resources, and land to conquer. However, you have noted that not all of these motives were considered honorable, even by their standards at the time. This has opened new thoughts for me, since, if the texts that state only the “honorable” are welcomed into these halls are true, the many of the Vikings warriors who fell in battle may not have been accepted into either after all.
Thank you for this new perspective!
Also, if I may, I would like to offer my perspective on the realm of Folkvang, which you have expressed intrigue on the circumstances and events occurring within this afterlife realm. From reading about this afterlife for many years now, my understanding is this: Folkvang is something of paradise realm and place of eternal piece for warriors chosen by Freya and the Valkyries that directly serve under her instead of the All-Father.
Ironically, while most incorrectly consider Valhalla to be the Viking equivalent of the Christian heaven, which as you pointed out is not the case, it seems Folkvang is a much closer comparison by my understanding. In her realm, it is said warriors help her tend to the fields and enjoy peace and tranquility.
There are some indications as to the criteria of acceptance into this realm ruled by the great goddess. For example, as patron of the shield maiden warriors, it is was said that Freya welcomed all of them who were slain in battle into Folkvang. Because of this, I have often thought that modern female soldiers who fall in battle are most likely to be escorted by the Valkyries to Folkvang. Additionally, based on reading the various poems, Eda’s and other ancient texts, and commentaries regarding them, it appears there Freya chooses the lesser warriors slain in the battlefield. In your discussion, you described the einherjar as “special-forces” with Lord Odin choosing the greatest of warriors to enter and train at Valhalla, for Ragnarok. Based on this, it seems Freya takes in the lowly soldiers. This being the common, ordinary foot soldiers as opposed to more skilled and dangerous warriors, who the All-Father is more likely to desire in his hall to prepare and train for the coming of Ragnarok. I have even heard by some that the families of fallen soldiers can sometimes be welcomed to live amongst them under Great Freya’s rule, adding further support to this being a true warrior’s “paradise.
Based on this I suppose Folkvang is reserved for soldiers who are not seeking glory and duty, as those who enter Valhalla do, as you mentioned earlier. For example, a common foot soldiers opposed who was conscripted into service, who had no training and no real desire for war, would be taken into Folkvang, while a Navy Seal for example who is skilled in numerous forms of combat and is a veteran special forces soldier, would more likely be accepted into Valhalla if slain in battle. Based on this, I have always viewed Folkvang as something of a warriors paradise as opposed to Valhalla, where the slain chosen by great Freya enjoy peace for deeds and heroic sacrifice, while those chosen by Great Odin wish to continue the warrior’s way even in death, fulfilling the desires of glory and duty in his service that you mentioned before.
Going back to the question of morality, I feel that soldiers who commit what we term as war crimes would not be welcomed by the goddess into Folkvang. As a patron goddess of women, I can hardly see Great Freya welcoming rapists and tortures into her domain. And since the realm seems somewhat reserved for more modest and lower-ranking warriors who fall in battle, it seems rather unlikely that she would permit fallen soldiers who craved bloodshed for the sake of it and committed acts of massive cruelty against noncombatants, including genocide, such as those of the Nazi and Khmer Rogue regimes for example, into her rather peaceful sounding realm.
Based on this, perhaps morality may indeed play into the selection of fallen warriors after-all, as Great Freya may not wish for destructive and vile individuals to pollute her realm.
If possible, I would like to know your thoughts on this assessment.
Ben, I very much appreciate your depiction here of your understanding of Folkvang, and it feels right to me, as well as to you. This is an area of our beliefs that I had not yet explored in any depth, and I’m glad to have this understanding that you provide.
As you imply, the majority of warriors throughout time have been ordinary people forced to defend their homes and families, their lands and tribes, or forced by dire circumstances to find other places to live so their people could survive. Most of these warriors were very young when they started on that path–young teenagers–and were given little choice, inculcated into the warrior mindset without being offered other ways to make a living and gain respect in the eyes of their communities. In large families, some children received land or wealth, while others were left to make their own way because there wasn’t enough to go around.
It does seem very right that there be an afterlife place for them, too: one which, as you say, respects their sacrifices and courage without asking them to perpetually follow the warrior path. And one which makes room for them to continue pursuing their true motivations for fighting, namely to treasure their families and communities who join them in the afterlife, and the peaceful way of life that was their reason and reward for their fighting and sacrifices during life.
The name of Freya’s afterlife domain, Folkvang, supports your view. The “folk” part can refer either to an army, or to a folk, an ordinary, peaceful group of people united by a common culture. And the “vang” part means a field, a meadow, an area of countryside, which implies agricultural land, grazing land, and land available for foraging. Land where people can live and prosper in peace.
I suppose that, on occasions when Freya needs this, she could call for volunteers from her ‘retired’ warriors and they would support her need, but as you say, one wouldn’t regard them as full-time professional warriors as the Einherjar are.
So, thank you very much for this picture of Folkvang; I will treasure it!
I’d like to add here another note about God-Homes and afterlife locations. In the old lore, as we all know, there was much emphasis on warrior culture and the afterlife of warriors in Valhalla. But in the prose Edda, several other abodes are mentioned in connection with Odin, including Gladsheim, Vingolf, and Valaskjalf, where his high seat Hlidskjalf was said to be located. It’s not very clear; in one reference Vingolf is the hall of the Goddesses together, in another it’s one of Odin’s halls. Gladsheim, too, is in one context said to be a central location for all the Gods, in another it’s one of Odin’s places.
Actually, it all makes sense to me: the Gods and Goddesses often gather together for feasts and meetings, so why shouldn’t some of their places be considered as much gathering-places as any individual Deity’s abodes? But where I’m going with this is that I believe Odin has one or more other Halls, other than Valhalla, where people who’ve worked closely with Odin in ways other than fighting may choose to gather in the afterlife.
I see Valaskjalf in particular as one of those, named for the powers of seership, and the location of his high seat where he sees, ponders, and learns much of his wisdom–and which, it is said, he shares with Frigg. I think that people who follow Odin’s path of wisdom rather than the path of the warrior may find a good afterlife home in Valaskjalf, or in Gladsheim, or Vingolf–the Hall of Friends (vin = friend).
I also want to wrap up this comment by noting that, following the ideas of soul lore that I’ve researched and developed, I think that the souls we’re talking about here are the Ghost-souls or spirits, who are naturally drawn to the God-Homes after death. I also think that we have other souls, the Saiwalos (this is the proto-Germanic word from which our word ‘soul’ descended’). The Saiwalos, as I understand it, have their natural home in Hel. After death, our Ghost goes to a God-Home, or spends time in several of them, while Saiwalo pursues its existence in Hel, the Womb of Souls.
Anyway, thank you, Ben, for all this good and interesting discussion!
Your discussions are always beautiful and fun to read. While I may be busy for some time tending to my education, I was hoping to ask one more thing. In most of our discussions we have been questioning the various afterlifes, but there are a few have not addressed. One of them, is the realm of punishment: Nastrond.
I do not generally think of Natsrond as an exact variant of the Christian Hell. From the texts and notes by other modern believers that I have read, there are far fewer acts that are considered what the Christians would term “sins” for one to enter this horrid realm. However, it has made me wonder on the question of evil. The three acts that have traditionally been associated with punishment in Natsrond are murder, oath breaking, and adultery. But as moral standards have greatly changed since ancient times, as we discussed before, could there be other offenses deemed so terrible by the gods that they could also be sent to this realm?
Also, what interests me about Natsrond is how many Heathens perceive it. In Christianity, Christians are taught to fear Hell and seem to do everything in their power to try and avoid being sent there. However, while many in Heathenry believe in Nastrond most modern practitioners whom I have read about do not seem to share the same level or worry that they may be sent to this realm as much as other faiths who believe in realms of torment and punishment. Therefore, I was hoping to receive your insight regarding this realm. Do you not fear of being sent there for some reason? Should we all not be afraid of it and dedicate our lives to perfecting the ways in which we can avoid being sent there like many other faiths seem to do?
Again, thank you for all your help and gracing me with your knowledge and wisdom. I am so happy you are safe and that the storm is over. Praise Thor!
I’ve included my response to this and related questions in the following article:
https://heathensoullore.net/thoughts-about-heathen-afterlife/
Winifred,
First of all I hope you and yours are okay after the storm hit! I was just reading the conversation between you and Ben and it drew me in. For Ragnarok, I agree that it is symbolic to the conversion period as well (I don’t believe the Deities can “die”). As for the Valholl subject this has also been something that I have pondered from time to time. If I may, would it be alright to make just a couple of brief comments to Ben on this page about the “acceptance into Valholl” subject based on some research and personal opinion? Of course it will be professional.
Also on a different note, as many Heathens today have loved ones whom are of a different faith (Christianity first comes to mind) how do you feel about Ghost interaction once Heathens enter the God Realms and Christians go to Heaven? As you and I have talked about before of Heathen Ghosts being able to travel to multiple different Heathen Deity Homes(as long as they’ll have you) I am curious on what your thoughts are about this. Thank you so much for your time once more!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
Jaques–I’m glad if you and Ben want to discuss subjects together on this site; please go ahead if you both want to! I know you’re both well aware of the requirements for civil discourse, as you’ve both already demonstrated in your posts here.
I’ve consolidated my response to your question about interacting with those of other faiths in the afterlife into this longer article on my website:
https://heathensoullore.net/thoughts-about-heathen-afterlife/
Dear Winifred,
Thank you for your incredible wisdom and insight! Your words have brought so much warmth to me once again and I appreciate it so much. Being a devout Heathen I sometimes get waves of worry that I wont be able to see certain loved ones who are Christian once our Ghosts depart for the afterlives and I believe what you said as well about being able to interact with them regardless of their afterlife destinations.
Before I address Ben in my next comment submission here, I was also curious if you could help me get in contact with one of your Shamanistic friends you had mentioned before in your conversation with Ben?
If not I understand. Thank you so much Winifred!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
Jaques, I’m afraid I’m out of touch with the friends who did the afterlife care that I mentioned. A couple have passed on themselves, and others I’ve not been in touch with for a long time. All of them were practitioners of Heathen seidh or spaeworking. There are websites and books that teach these skills, which can be extended in various directions, but there are also many precautions that must be taken as this path is not without its risks. Especially when dealing with departed souls.
Hello Ben,
I’m Jacques, you’ve probably seen some of my questions here on Winifreds site. I was reading the conversation between you two the other night and I wanted to share a little bit of my personal perspective which has some scholarly input on the “acceptance into Valholl” subject ( I am not a scholar, I mean from readings as well as my personal opinion) because I too have pondered the same thing! Here it goes.
This first part at least I think some Heathens would agree with: I think a huge part of getting accepted to Valholl or any of Odin’s halls is going to based on building a relationship with him. There are bits and bobs in the old tales that mention people getting into Valholl without specifically being killed in combat as well-but they were devoted to Odin.
Another thing that I have wondered on the same subject is: What about the warriors who were dedicated to Odin and spent their lives fighting but never fell in combat? If they were close to him and of course as long as he is willing, maybe they would be granted entry even if they died of old age. I believe its a possibility and would love to read your thoughts about it (Winifred and Ben).
Again this is just my opinion/beliefs! I just wanted to contribute in some way as like I said before it crosses my mind from time to time too. Thank you to you both Winifred and Ben!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
Winifred,
Also I was wondering if you could elaborate a little more on what you mean by ” the afterlife being a state of mind” and also experiencing being in multiple God homes at once? Thank you!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques
So…the afterlife as a state of mind or perception… My understanding of this begins with realizing that our life here in Midgard is also a matter of perception and a state of mind. We are taught ways of perceiving events and experiences–taught by our families, teachers, those around us, our culture, and by our own reactions to our experiences. Sometimes we learn other ways of perceiving as we grow, sometimes not.
As a simplification of the concept ‘a state of mind,’ we can look at a scientific perspective, a materialist perspective, spiritual perspectives, perspectives of various religions, perspectives of many different cultures around the world. People who’ve suffered from terrible experiences perceive the world as a dangerous place, while children who are protected and nurtured develop a trusting world-view, which may gradually change as they experience more of the world.
Even our native language embeds certain perspectives in each of us; if there are no words for certain concepts or perspectives it’s difficult for us to perceive them. That’s what I’m working on with the Heathen soul lore: in modern English we have no words for some of our souls, and we don’t have the concept of having multiple souls, either. What did ancient Heathens perceive about the souls that we don’t? They had words that we don’t have today, and for decades I’ve been trying to understand their words better. This work has changed my whole perspective, my world-view.
So, our Midgard life is a matter of perspective. At the same time, we have a great many ‘touchpoints’ where we can perceive the ‘reality’ of the physical world which is governed by physical laws and properties that don’t change depending on our perspective. So our life in Midgard is a combination of our contacts with the physical world plus the ways we interpret and experience those contacts. And, of course, the great influences of the ‘worlds’ of emotion, thought,creativity, and spiritual experiences.
When we–all our souls–leave the physical world and exist as entirely non-physical beings, our Ghost’s contact with the physical world lessens greatly. We don’t have the ‘touchpoints,’ the reality checks, that the physical world provides during physical life. So the state of mind and perceptions about everything that we developed during physical life now define even more of our personal reality than they did while we were in Midgard–they are all that our young Ghost has to go by. We don’t have any anchors to physical reality that we did in Midgard; we only have our perceptions and the state of mind we developed during life.
There are certainly ‘fixed points’ in the afterlife domains–a great many things that do not depend on our perceptions, just as the physical world in Midgard does not depend on our perceptions. The God/desses and other spirits, and the landscapes of the God-Halls and other Worlds are certainly ‘there,’ as the physical world is in Midgard. A young Ghost, a Ghost who has not spent a lot of time in spiritual form yet, will perceive these beings and spaces as it has learned to while in Midgard: as physical-seeming entities that apparently follow the laws of matter as we have learned them while living in Midgard.
Thus, the young Ghost may experience Valhalla, for example, as it is described in the old Norse lore. Or quite possibly as it is envisioned by some modern warriors, in a more modern setting. (People in other religions will perceive what they are taught to expect.) If the Ghost wants to visit a different God-Hall, it will ‘travel’ there, leave behind its interactions with those in Valhalla and ‘arrive’ in that other Hall. There, the Ghost will perceive quite different surroundings and experiences.
For an ‘older’ Ghost, one who has lived multiple lifetimes in Midgard and afterlives in the God-Halls and otherworlds…my understanding is that this Ghost doesn’t need to ‘travel’ in any physical sense to a different God-Hall. It just ‘shifts its perspective,’ alters its perception, and finds itself in that other God-Hall. With more practice, it can experience ‘layered’ spaces–God-Halls or otherworldly places, otherworlds, and indeed spiritual spaces of Midgard, too–all at once, simultaneously.
How to describe this? It’s like tasting some complex food recipe. You can taste the ‘layers’ of flavors: a bit of salt, sweetness, some tart lemon, a hint of vanilla, a buttery flavor, some crunchy nuts, the texture of the food, and its temperature. You experience these *all at once.* If you want, you can analyze your taste experience, breaking it down into individual flavors and textures, but more often you will simply enjoy the complex taste experience, the blending of the individual flavors. You can go either way, right? It’s all a matter of how you choose to perceive your taste experience.
I think this is how the God/desses perceive things: they’re engaged with many things at once–people, events, interactions with each other, different Worlds, etc. They can focus on each individual thing, and / or at the same time focus on the multidimensional interweaving of all of them together. That’s how they have a deeper perception of Wyrd than we do. But our Ghosts are similar to the Holy Ones, as I perceive: ‘smaller,’ on a lesser scale, but with some of the same abilities. Including, for the more experienced Ghosts, this ability for multidimensional perception and experience.
Let me offer some personal experience. I work a lot, these days, with the ‘resonance of the heart’ that I write about in my article “Heathen Contemplation.” I reach out to the Deities through the energy of my heart, and I find that this approach is not confined to a materialistic conception of limited space. If they choose to respond so to me, or I to them, there is no limit to the number of Holy Ones that I can resonate with through the perception of my heart, simultaneously.
‘Space’ has nothing to do with this experience, and therefore the limitations of physical objects in space doesn’t, either. I don’t worry about ‘how many God/desses can fit in my heart’! Nor about how many Deities my heart can ‘visit’ at once. Such concerns are meaningless in this exercise. There is only resonance with them–vibrational attunement–that can be experienced as single or as many-layered, just as with the example of flavors that I mentioned.
I find that my heart serves as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual, as does my brain and its thoughts, and indeed my whole body, as I’ve written about in my article “Fields of Awareness.” My Ghost and my other souls regard these physical-spiritual contacts as training grounds for my souls in their afterlives. But the resonance of the heart, I’m finding, has some unique traits, and one of them is the freedom from spatial concepts that it offers.
My mind, my thoughts, find such freedom more difficult: it’s difficult for the mind to *conceptualize* being in multiple spaces at once. But the heart can *experience* it without worrying about the idea of it, without asking ‘how is it possible to be in multiple spaces at once? Or interact with multiple beings at once?’ The resonance of the heart is like an orchestra, where many instruments and different notes of music all combine into a holistic experience. And I feel that this practice is of great use in preparing all my souls for more immersive afterlife–and during-life–experiences.
Maybe this clarifies things for you, maybe not! As I said, it’s easier to experience this lack of spatial limitations than it is to conceptualize and describe it. We actually need to change our concepts of space and time if we want to approach these matters through our mind / thoughts, and I think that spiritual experience is the best way to bring about that conceptual change.
Best wishes!
Winifred
Winifred,
Thank you for explaining! It is certainly a lot to try to understand and hopefully things will start to become even more clearer with time. My perception of what are Ghosts “do” and how we perceive the afterlife and God homes is definitely in line with your explanation about “Young Ghost” and I am perfectly content with that. Thank you so much again and be well!
Very Respectfully,
Jacques