Asatru

This essay was a presentation delivered at the Midgard Maker's Faire in Arnold, MO, August 18, 2024. The focus of this presentation was the history of the Asa tribe, concerning Odin, who plays the role of psychopomp, shaman, and seer in the Northern Tradition mythology. Further, it pulls on Odin's myths to look at the mercurial archetype of the psychopomp and the roles that the medium, psychopomp and shaman play within Northern European communities, as well as ways we can incorporate those roles in modern Pagan practice.

Paperback-February 2023 Kindle eBook-February 2023 87 pages Only a handful of authors wrote or write about the idea that there have been initiations in Northern pre-Christian Europe and that elements of these initiations have survived in Freemasonry. Many of these authors didn't even write in English, making even less information available for the English reading audience. This little book and the website are meant to be an introduction into this interesting hypotheses.

'. The seven articles, three in the first of the two issues and four in the second, are revised and expanded versions of the papers presented during those two conference sessions. We also include several book reviews that complement, expand on, and further enrich the discussion.

Magické rituály, různí bohové a bohyně, život v souladu s přírodou, ale i krvavé oběti a uctívání ďábla. Nejen to se člověku vybaví, když se řekne pohanství. Pro křesťany bylo po staletí předmětem teologických disputací a synonymem falešného náboženství. Od osvícenství je zdrojem romantických před- stav a inspirací pro okultní skupiny i evropská národní hnutí. Ve 20. století vzniká moderní pohanství – nové náboženství, které rekonstruuje předkřesťanské tradice. Nicméně mezi ním a oněmi tradicemi leží tisíciletá propast a naše poznání je limitované. Co znamená, když se dnes lidé k těmto tradicím vrací? A jak je obnovují? Kniha Pavla Horáka představuje první českou studii tematiky pohanství, kombinující historickou analýzu s terénním výzkumem mezi moderními pohany v několika evropských státech.

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The Norse-Germanic branch of medievalism in Britain during the First World War has been strangely neglected in both literary-cultural and historical scholarship. 1 Several studies have addressed that period's rampant "military medievalism," considering the conscription of the Arthurian Middle Ages, crusade motifs, and medieval historical figures such as Joan of Arc and Henry V to "do their bit" in the war effort. 2 Ulrich Müller's observation that "The Middle Ages and Medievalism have much to do with modern ideologies" in the Second World War is equally applicable to the First World War. 3 Between 1914 and 1918, Britain and Germany diversely engaged with the strand of military medievalism that borrowed and assembled ideological permutations from Norse mythology (and its German 1 There are no dedicated articles or monographs on this ubiquitous motif in Great War-era Britain; those addressing related topics provide only very brief mentions. See Gregory Moore, "The Super-Hun and the Super-State: Allied Propaganda and German Philosophy during the First World War,"

When living your life like an arrow in flight you must always accept that the end is in sight, be grateful at least for the fact that you knew you came to death-he did not come for you. You are like targets who sit and awaitpatiently suffer the arrows of fate, saying 'I am but mortal and destined to die-I can change nothing so why should I try?' Martin Walkyier, Dreamweaver: Reflections of our Yesterdays, 1989, The best of Enemies (Wulf's tale) Abstract Amidst the many exotic mantic techniques, that are fashionable today, like the tarot, I Ching, and astrology, the runic oracle is, as part of our European cultural heritage, very popular. As with many others, if not all techniques of divination, C.G. Jung's principle of synchronicity is being called upon as a justification for the use of the runic oracle. However, authentic considerations about coincidences that explain and validate the mantic potential of an oracle, are almost systematically passed over. In this article I will try to show that thorough knowledge of the assumed nature of existence of coincidences in general and their models of explanation in particular are indispensable for a good comprehension of the runic tradition. For that purpose I turn to the traditional Anglo-Saxon culture, that sketches a very fascinating, thought provoking Weltanschauung. In order to be able to offer the runes a more appropriate and more justified place among other methods of divination, it is also important to scrutinize their nature and history. Origin and history of the runes 2 According to myth the runes came to this world because Odin, hanging on the world tree 'Yggdrasil' as a self-sacrifice, fathomed their mysteries. Later he also gave an eye to obtain deeper knowledge. Besides being the chief god of the Viking pantheon, Odin was the god of magic and prophecy and still is being associated with runic divination. The truth behind the coming into being of the runes is shrouded in mystery, although there are two assumptions about their origin. One generally held idea is that they are Germanic, possibly with some Roman influence. This assumption is based on historic writings including that of Caesar and Tacitus. Another thought points the similarities between runes and the writings of the Greeks and Phoenicians, or even the cuneiform script; assumptions that seem to give 1 This essay is a translation by the author, and was originally published in 1998 in the Dutch Journal Prana (issue 108), a Dutch, two-monthly periodical concerned with spirituality and the periphery of science. 2 See e.g. Davidson (1994).

As Mark Turner claims in his work Reading Minds, "the human person is a patter of activity in the mind and in its brain" (Turner 13). This would imply that the human being is constantly "cognitively active", since he or she is steadily subjected to a continuous flow of stimuli from the surrounding environment, which are elaborated, processed and stored in forms of concepts and thoughts. Languages are preferred places to express such concepts and thoughts, and language structures and their organization in every communicative activity can be considered as a reflection of how the human mind works, perceives the world and expresses such perceptions. While some concepts are expressed without any particular linguistic resource, others are conveyed through more complex and elaborated structures, which formations are the outcome of specific cognitive processes, like association, analogies and connections between different domains. The large number of symbolic expressions and metaphors in our language is a sign that "they are indispensable for the human mind" (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron 11) in order to understand the world around us. Symbolic language and metaphors are often used in every day interactions, which reveals how important and strictly imbedded in human communication those two elements are in Concu, V.

Gútiská Rúnós (Gothic Runes) are mysterious abstract symbols for real entities and primal powers. These Runes are arguably foundational – thus the Ur-Runen – perhaps being a complete array as early as circa 100 AD. My book relates this earliest Germanic tribal set of Runes to its ethnic founders – that is, the Goths – by providing historical & cultural context for understanding the Goths and their Runes. Hitherto nobody has dared to do so! And that alone makes my book unique and distinguished in Runology. Initially, these Runes are presented arrayed all together. Then each Rune is presented boldly & individually, within its own definitive & linguistic vignette. Therewith each Rune is fortified by a relevant inspirational image on the facing page. Thereafter, each Rune is supported by further insightful commentary and then random remarks. Finally, I offer my original runic poem to help others, especially children, to quickly & memorably learn the Gothic Runes. +

A presente escrita delineia considerações acerca do Paganismo Piaga e da Vila Pagã no Piauí. Olhando para os aspectos da cosmologia e da paisagem, faço uma reflexão sobre como a organização dos mundos físico, espiritual e divino do piaganismo é relacionada à incorporação de elementos que estão no lugar habitado pelos pagãos piagas: a Mata de Cocais piauiense, que contorna a localização da Vila na zona rural do município de José Freitas (PI). Tomo como meio de visualização dessa relação a Roda do Ano Piaga, calendário litúrgico pagão, que estrutura oito celebrações festejadas ao longo de um ano, que olha para os ciclos da natureza e o percebem como manifestações espirituais de emanação de energias de deuses, divindades e entidades. Para isso, faço uso de entrevistas e imagens fotográficas desenvolvidas nas minhas idas à campo desde 2019. Sustentada pelo campo das Epistemologias Ecológicas e dos Pagan Studies, discuto conceitos que envolvem a percepção dessa tradição pagã contemporânea como um processo contínuo e coletivo de relação com uma natureza que é sacralizada.

Divine love and wisdom take innumerable forms. A religious fact I am deeply aware of as a (Gnostic) priest of the Goddess Nerthus, and partially explaining the resurgence of Northern Mysteries within twenty first century Britain. After all, the relentless pressures generated by a global market seem to demand both a re-examination of our essential values, as well as a necessary recovery of perennialist inquiry. In other words, a reactivation of Traditionalism at its Heathen best.

La información contenida en este libro no pretende sustituir el consejo de un médico. Si tiene problemas de salud consulte a su proveedor de atención médica. Las hierbas y los aceites esenciales pueden ser potentes y contrarrestar ciertos medicamentos. Úsalos con extremo cuidado y, en caso de duda, compruebe su seguridad con su médico o farmacéutico. Utilice velas y objetos afilados con cuidado y bajo su responsabilidad para evitar cortes, incendios y otros accidentes. Toda la información contenida en este libro se proporciona de forma subjetiva y exclusivamente para fines de entretenimiento. El autor no puede ser considerado responsable por cualquier daño o pérdida causada por el uso o mal uso de los contenidos de este libro o por cualquier error en el mismo. Ninguna de la información contenida en este libro pretende ser un consejo legal o financiero. Los lectores aceptan usar este libro y su contenido bajo su propio riesgo y responsabilidad. Los resultados no están garantizados de ninguna manera.

Most modern neopagans of any tradition refer to their practices as ‘earth-based religion.’ Circle Sanctuary, a Wiccan organization founded in 1974, defines this as practices that “[honor] the spiritual interconnectedness of life on planet Earth, often as Mother Earth or Gaia, but sometimes as a gender neutral Earth Spirit.”  This definition is very broad, but it is useful in that it centers the interconnectedness of life on Earth.  Unfortunately, ‘honoring’ is not terribly descriptive of what neopagans do.  There are many ways to honor, but what does that mean to a Heathen?  How do Heathens honor the Earth?  How do we practice an earth-based religion?  And how does this inform our Theology? This paper explores these questions and seeks to answer them by building an argument that Heathenry is not only earth-centered, but place-centered in our practices and that relationships with nature and nature spirits are critical.  Such relationships not only reflect what pre-Conversion Heathens believed and practiced, but that they are a step modern Heathens can take when combating climate crisis.

Hávamál (Palavras do Altíssimo) é o segundo poema da Edda Poética.Este tesouro foi preservado apenas no Codex Regius e acredita-se que sua composição original seja datada do início do século 10 d.c. e derivado da antiga tradição oral.O poema é mencionado por Eyvindr skáldaspillir em sua obra Hákonarmál (de cerca de 960 d.c.).Snorri Sturlusson cita uma estrofe do Hávamál na sua Edda em Prosa.Além de conselhos sábios o poema narra a magia das runas e o sacrifício de Óðinn na árvore Yggdrasill.

According to the established interpretation, the pagan Great Midwinter Sacrifice at Old Uppsala, in Uppland province, took place every ninth year. In our modern way of counting, this means every eighth year. The starting date was determined by the full moon that occurred between 21 January and 19 February in the Julian calendar. After the introduction of Christianity, the tradition with a great assembly at Old Uppsala at midwinter was continued by the Disting, which consisted of an assembly and a market. By combining historical data and calculations of the dates of the full moons within the Disting period, it has been possible to establish the exact years of the eight-year cycle. One such year was AD 852 the same year as St Ansgar's second missionary journey to Birka, the oldest Swedish town. At the end of the 17 th century, the farmers of Uppland were still using the so-called rule of King Aun, according to which the phases of the moon in the Julian calendar fell one day earlier after 304 years. Such displacements in the eight-year cycle took place in 1692, 1388, 1084, 780, and 476. The semi-legendary king Aun is considered to have reigned about AD 450-500 and t o have been buried at Old Uppsala. The three 'royal' burial mounds there have been dated to AD 450-550. These mounds are oriented in such a way that they could have been used to regulate the sacrificial calendar. Historical sources for our knowledge of the Great Midwinter Sacrifice at Old Uppsala Vita Ansgarii, written before 876 by Rimbert (Rieper 1995), the successor of Ansgar as archbishop in Hamburg-Bremen, tells about the earliest known Christian Missions to Sweden, the two visits by Ansgar and some other priests to Birka in Lake Mälar 829-830 and 852. The ruler during the first visit (Rieper 1995: 37-40), King Björn, invited them because he wanted better relations with the Christian countries in northern Europe. One big problem in these relations was the Great Midwinter Sacrifice, including human sacrifice, which was celebrated regularly and was lead by the king. During Ansgar's second visit to Birka in 852 (Rieper 1995:66-76), he learned that there recently had been such a Great Sacrifice and that the Christian priests were no longer popular. The situation was similar in Denmark and Norway, but the Christian influence in Denmark was greater than in Sweden. Chronicon, written by Thietmar from Merseburg about 1000 (Trillmich 1957, chapter I:17), tells about the last Great Sacrifice at the ancient Danish heathen centre at Lejre. Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae pontificium, by the German missionary Adam from Bremen, written about 1075, gives details about the Great Midwinter Sacrifice at Old Uppsala, the ancient main heathen cult centre in Sweden (Tschan 1959: 207-208 [Adam 4.26-27]). In the original text, Adam wrote "Solet quoque post novem annos communis omnium Sueoniae provintiarum sollempnitas in Ubsola celebrari". This means that every ninth year all the Swedish provinces had to send representatives to Old Uppsala for a common celebration. We must note, however, that when the early Swedes said every ninth year this corresponds to every eighth year, as they had no zero and counted the beginning of the first year as year one and reached year nine when only eight years had elapsed. It was the German Historian of Astronomy Otto Sigfried Reuter who first realized that post novem annos corresponds to every eighth year in the our way of counting (Reuter 1934: 483-484). Most Swedish scholars, however, continue to believe that it was a true nine-year cycle. In fact, this celebration took place every eighth year according to an eight-year cycle determined by the phases of the moon. The eight-year cycle is the shortest period after which the same lunar phase is repeated approximately on the same date, as eight tropical years = 2921.934 days and 99 synodic months = 2923.528 days. This means that the same phase of the moon will appear delayed by one and a half days after eight years. After 19 eight-year cycles (= 152 years), the cycle is shifted by a whole month, which was already mentioned by the Greek astronomer Geminos ca 70 BC (Aujac 1975: 47-58). He also explained why this cycle was called both the nine-year and the eight-year cycle in antiquity.

Heimdall, su nombre puede significar "Guardián de los Dioses", " Guardián de la Esfera Celestial" o "Guardián del Arco Iris" y es conocido por todos como vigilante del Bifrost (arco iris). Es el primer dios nombrado en la Völuspá, la Profecía de la Adivina, y quizá es uno de los dioses más incomprendido a la vez que más ignorado, tanto por Snorri como por los practicantes y estudiosos modernos, a pesar de que por la gran cantidad de referencias que tenemos de él y de sus andanzas y características es seguro que fue de suma importancia en época Vikinga, Medieval y anteriores, esto se demuestra por el hecho de que pertenece a la Asamblea de Doce Aesir en Ásgard, de que tiene un cantar propio: el Rigsthula en el que se nos relata su intervención para crear las "castas" o estratos de la sociedad nórdica, además de un cantar mágico: el Heimdal-galdr. Es un dios que por sus características se considera perteneciente a la familia de dioses Vanir, pero que también está incluido entre los Aesir por su papel principal de vigilante de Ásgard. Se le incluye dentro de las listas de los hijos de Odín, pero también hay otro relato que nos dice que fue concebido sin la intervención de varón. Ha sido comparado por diversos académicos con el mito solar o incluso lunar, se le nombra como "el dios más blanco" o "más brillante" en referencia a estos mitos además de por las características de su concepción: por las nueve doncellas gigantes que pueden ser las 9 olas hijas de Aegir, y crianza, ya que se nos dice que fue criado con la fuerza de la tierra, del mar y de la sangre sacrificial del jabalí (o cerdo) Y que dispone de habilidades increíbles, teorizado por unos como dones de los Aesir para este dios y por otros como cualidades propias de su nacimiento: como una vista con la que puede ver a 100 leguas tan bien de día como de noche y un oído que le permite oír crecer la hierba o la lana en una oveja y no necesita dormir (o tan ligero como un pájaro). Además es un dios caracterizado por su sabiduría y en algunas menciones se nos explica que al ser Vanir tiene el don de la profecía o clarividencia. Y juega un papel primordial en muchos de los relatos: como el viaje de Thor a recuperar su martillo, el rescate del Collar Brisingamen de Freyja, en el entierro del dios Baldr, así como su papel principal en la Batalla Final del Ragnarok en la que será el encargado de levantar a todos los dioses y sus aliados con el sonido de su cuerno Gjallarhorn para prepararse para la confrontación y en donde combatirá a muerte con su némesis Loki, al que en numerosas ocasiones se enfrenta. Es poseedor de un salón en el borde del cielo junto al arco iris: Himinbjorg, el cual es la entrada de Ásgard y protege y tiene además una relación muy especial con el simbolismo del oro: por sus dientes, su caballo, por su cuerno, entre otros; así como con el propio jabalí, tan preciado como ofrenda para los dioses.

Muitos deuses e deusas são mencionados na mitologia nórdica. Você vai encontrar vários deles nestas páginas. Contudo, a maioria das histórias que conhecemos trata de dois deuses-Odin e seu filho, Thor-e daquele que foi feito irmão de Odin por um juramento de sangue, Loki, o filho de um gigante que vive em Asgard junto aos Aesir. Odin Odin é o mais poderoso e o mais velho dos deuses. Ele conhece muitos segredos. Abriu mão de um de seus olhos em troca de sabedoria. E foi mais além: por poder e pelo conhecimento da magia das runas, sacrificou a si mesmo. Odin se enforcou na Árvore do Mundo, Yggdrasill, e ficou pendurado em um galho por nove noites. Seu torso foi perfurado pela ponta de uma lança-um ferimento gravíssimo. Os ventos agarraram e açoitaram seu corpo dependurado. Ele nada comeu durante os nove dias e as nove noites, e nada bebeu. Ficou ali, sozinho, com dor, a vida se esvaindo pouco a pouco. Em meio ao frio e à agonia, já à beira da morte, seu sacrifício rendeu um fruto sombrio: no êxtase da dor, Odin olhou para baixo, e as runas lhe foram reveladas. Ele as compreendeu, assimilando seu poder e significado. Então a corda se partiu, e, com um grito, Odin caiu da árvore. Ele passou a entender a magia. E o mundo passou a lhe pertencer. Odin tem muitos nomes. É o Pai de Todos, o Senhor dos Mortos, o deus da forca. É o deus das cargas e dos prisioneiros. É chamado de Grímnir e de Terceiro. Recebeu um nome diferente em cada país (pois é cultuado de formas diferentes e em muitas línguas, mas é sempre Odin o objeto de culto). Ele viaja para todos os cantos sob um disfarce, querendo ver o mundo como as pessoas comuns. Quando caminha entre nós, é na forma de um homem alto usando manto e chapéu. Odin tem dois corvos, Hugin e Munin, cujos nomes significam "pensamento" e "memória", respectivamente. Esses pássaros voam pelo mundo inteiro, trazendo notícias e levando a Odin todo o conhecimento das coisas. Os corvos pousam em seus ombros e sussurram aos seus ouvidos. Quando ele se senta em seu grandioso trono em Hlidskjalf, contempla tudo, I Antes do princípio, não havia nada-nem terra, nem paraíso, nem estrelas, nem céu-, existia apenas o mundo feito de névoa, sem forma nem contorno, e o mundo feito de fogo, eternamente em chamas. Ao norte ficava Niflheim, o mundo escuro. Nele, onze rios venenosos cortavam a névoa, originários do mesmo poço em seu núcleo, o turbilhão barulhento chamado Hvergelmir. Niflheim era mais frio que o próprio frio, com uma névoa cerrada e turva encobrindo tudo. Os céus eram ocultados pelas brumas, e o chão era encoberto pelo nevoeiro gelado. Ao sul ficava Muspell. Muspell era fogo. Tudo lá ardia e queimava. Muspell era brilhante, e Niflheim, cinzento; tão diferentes quanto lava derretida e gelo. A terra ardia com o calor ruidoso da fornalha de um ferreiro. Não havia terra sólida, não havia céu. Nada além de fagulhas e jatos de calor, rochas derretidas e brasas. Em Muspell, no limite do fogo, onde a névoa se transforma em luz, onde a terra termina, ficava Surt, que existia antes dos deuses. Ele está lá agora. Surt carrega uma espada flamejante, e, para ele, a lava borbulhante e a névoa congelante são como um. Sabe-se que no Ragnarök, no fim de tudo, e só então, Surt deixará seu posto. Ele sairá de Muspell com sua espada flamejante e espalhará o fogo pelo mundo, e, um a um, os deuses cairão diante dele. II Entre Muspell e Niflheim havia o vazio, um lugar sem forma, uma lacuna de nada. Os rios do mundo feito de névoa escoavam para esse vazio, que era conhecido como Ginnungagap, a "garganta do abismo". Ao longo de um tempo imensurável, os rios venenosos se solidificaram e, pouco a pouco, formaram enormes geleiras na região entre o fogo e a névoa. Ao norte, o vazio era preenchido de névoa congelada e calotas de gelo, mas, ao sul, mais próximo do mundo feito de fogo, as brasas e fagulhas de Muspell encontravam as geleiras, e ventos mornos da terra em chamas deixavam o ar acima do gelo suave e agradável como um dia de primavera. No lugar onde o gelo e o fogo se encontravam, o gelo começou a derreter, e, nas águas derretidas, a vida floresceu: a criatura tinha a forma de uma pessoa maior do que mundos inteiros, mais alta do que qualquer gigante que já existiu ou existirá. Não era homem nem mulher, mas os dois ao mesmo tempo. Esse ser era o ancestral dos gigantes. Ele chamava a si mesmo de Ymir. Ymir não foi a única vida gerada pelo derretimento do gelo: uma vaca sem chifres, muito maior do que nossa mente pode conceber, também surgiu. A vaca lambia os blocos de gelo salgado para se nutrir, e quatro rios de leite fluíam de suas tetas. Era esse leite que alimentava Ymir. O gigante bebia o leite, e crescia. Ymir batizou a vaca de Audhumla. A língua rosa da vaca lambia os blocos de gelo, e deles surgiram pessoas. No primeiro dia, deixou à mostra apenas o cabelo de um homem; no segundo, a cabeça; então, no terceiro, a forma completa foi revelada. Esse homem era Buri, o ancestral dos deuses. Ymir dormia, e, em seu sono, deu à luz. Um gigante homem e uma gigante mulher nasceram de debaixo de sua axila esquerda, e um gigante de seis cabeças nasceu de suas pernas. Dos filhos de Ymir descendem todos os gigantes. Buri escolheu para si uma esposa entre esses gigantes, e eles tiveram um filho, que chamaram de Bor. Bor desposou Bestla, filha de um gigante, e, juntos, tiveram três filhos: Odin, Vili e Ve. Odin, Vili e Ve, os três filhos de Bor, chegaram à idade adulta. Enquanto cresciam, viam ao longe as chamas de Muspell e a escuridão de Niflheim, mas sabiam que ir a qualquer um desses lugares seria morte certa. Os irmãos estavam presos para sempre em Ginnungagap, o vasto vazio entre o fogo e a névoa. Era como não estar em lugar algum. Não havia mar nem areia. Não havia grama, pedras, terra, árvores, céus ou estrelas. Naquele tempo não havia mundo, não havia céu e não havia terra. O vazio não ficava em lugar algum: era apenas um espaço sem nada esperando para ser preenchido com vida e existência. Chegara o momento da criação. Ve, Vili e Odin se entreolharam e discutiram sobre o que deveria ser feito, ali no vazio de Ginnungagap. Falaram sobre o universo, sobre a vida e sobre o futuro. Odin, Vili e Ve mataram o gigante Ymir. Era necessário. Era a única forma de criar os mundos. Isso foi o princípio de todas as coisas, a morte que tornou toda a vida possível. Os três apunhalaram o enorme gigante. Sangue irrompeu do cadáver de Ymir em quantidades inimagináveis. Rios de sangue salgado como o mar e cinza de uma pessoa. Odin os segurou e, um de cada vez, soprou a vida para dentro deles. Agora não eram mais troncos mortos em uma praia. Estavam vivos. Vili deu-lhes vontade própria, deu-lhes inteligência e motivação. Então podiam se mover, e desejar. Ve esculpiu os troncos. Deu a eles a forma humana. Esculpiu suas orelhas, para que então pudessem ouvir; seus olhos, para que então pudessem ver; e seus lábios, para que então pudessem falar. Os dois troncos na praia agora eram duas pessoas nuas. Ve esculpira um deles com genitais masculinos, então decidira esculpir o outro como uma mulher. Os três irmãos fizeram roupas para a mulher e para o homem, para que se cobrissem e se mantivessem aquecidos naquele borrifo gelado do mar, naquela praia à beira do mundo. Finalmente, deram nomes às pessoas que tinham criado: chamaram o homem de Ask, que significava freixo, e a mulher, de Embla, ou olmo. Ask e Embla foram o pai e a mãe de toda a humanidade: todo ser humano deve sua vida a seus pais, e aos pais deles, e aos pais que vieram antes dos pais deles. Se voltarmos o bastante no passado, descobriremos que deles descendem as famílias de todos nós. Embla e Ask fizeram de Midgard seu lar, na segurança por trás do muro que os deuses ergueram com os cílios de Ymir. Lá, construíram suas casas, protegidos de gigantes e monstros e de todos os perigos à espreita nas terras selvagens. Em Midgard, os dois puderam criar seus filhos em paz. É por isso que Odin é chamado de Pai de Todos. Porque ele foi pai dos deuses, e porque soprou a vida nos avós dos avós de nossos avós. Quer sejamos deuses ou mortais: Odin é o pai de todos nós. © Beowulf Sheehan NEIL GAIMAN descobriu seu amor pelos livros na infância e devorava as histórias de C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, James Branch Cabell e Edgar Allan Poe, entre outros autores, e hoje é considerado um dos dez maiores escritores pósmodernos vivos. Tem mais de vinte livros publicados e já foi agraciado com inúmeros prêmios, incluindo o Hugo, o Bram Stoker e a Newbery Medal. Começou a carreira como jornalista, mas logo seu talento para construir tramas e universos únicos foi levado para o mundo dos quadrinhos, com a aclamada série Sandman, e, depois, para a ficção, publicando obras memoráveis como Deuses americanos. Algumas de suas obras foram adaptadas para o cinema e para a tevê. Nasceu em Hampshire, Inglaterra, e hoje mora nos Estados Unidos. Pela Intrínseca, publicou também O oceano no fim do caminho, Faça boa arte, A verdade é uma caverna nas Montanhas Negras,

Kissing her Godhead Away: The Proto-Feminist Individuation of the Hero Brünnhilde”) remind us that texts thought to be the bread and butter of the mythic canon often lend themselves readily to “marginal” readings that buck “mainstream” interpretations which have resulted in their association with historically dominant cultural sensibilities and socio-political movements. Davison introduces us to Brünnhilde in Wagner’s opera as a proto-feminist figure, identified as such by Wagner’s contemporaries, and communicated through powerful archetypal symbolism in contemporary stagings.

Zemle means 'in my land' in Russian, and it is the title of a fifteen minutes epic song by the Russian Pagan metal band Arkona. The song narrates about the adventures of a Slavic warrior from a bygone pagan past, who travels throughout Europe in order to find happiness. The warrior meets the indigenous people of every country and asks them what it is that makes them happy. The natives all state in their mother tongues that the beauty of their own land, their own people, their own traditions and their own gods make them happy. In the song, bands from various European countries impersonate these native-born people in the vernacular. For instance, Månegarm sings in Swedish, Obtest in Lithuanian, Skyforger in Latvian, Menhir in German, and Heidevolk in Dutch. Menhir explains: 'Thüringer Land, wie bist du so schön, wie eine junge Maid' 1 , and Heidevolk states: U volgde de zon Door uw goden begeleid Westwaarts bent u gereisd Naar de grenzen van het land Waar de zee de grond verzwelgt Naar het land der drakenschrei Het oord, met mijn aard vergroeid 1 Arkona 2009; Arkona 2010, 'Thuringian land, you are so beautiful, like a young maiden,' my translation.

In 2007 vraagt een journalist van The New York Times onverwachts aan Obama: 'Heeft u Reinhold Niebuhr wel eens gelezen?' Barack Obama's reactie was: 'I love him. He's one of my favourite philosophers.' 1 In de daaropvolgende minuten geeft Obama een korte samenvatting van Niebuhrs denken, wat de interviewer nogal verbluft. Hiermee zijn we meteen bij het onderwerp van dit artikel. Wie is de inspirator van Obama? Op basis van Obama's eigen woorden stellen we vast dat Niebuhr een van zijn favoriete filosofen is. Wat betekent dit voor de politiek van Obama? Voor een antwoord op deze vraag neem ik de volgende stappen. Allereerst beantwoord ik de vraag wat Niebuhr voor Amerika betekend heeft. Daarna ga ik in op de vraag wie Niebuhr was voor de beide presidentskandidaten John McCain en Barack Obama. Vervolgens ga ik kort in op de vraag wat dit dan nu betekent voor Amerika en de wereld. Natuurlijk kan ik niet voorspellen welke keuzes Obama gaat maken. Wel kan ik aangeven wat ik bij Obama van Niebuhr terugzie en welke verwachtingen dat schept voor zijn politieke optreden. Hoe hij uiteindelijk zal optreden, zal voor een groot deel afhangen van de mate waarin hij bestand is tegen de corrumpering die er van macht uitgaat en de vraag of het eigenlijk wel mogelijk is om als president van Amerika zelfkritisch te zijn. De betekenis van Niebuhr voor Amerika Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), de jongere broer van theoloog en ethicus Richard Niebuhr, die doceerde aan Yale, is één van Amerika's bekendste theologen. Dat komt vooral door zijn boek Moral Man and Immoral Society. 2 Hij schreef dit naar aanleiding van zijn ervaringen in Detroit, waar hij van 1916 tot 1928 predikant was namens de Duitse Evangelische Synode van Noord Amerika. Tijdens deze periode werd hij indringend geconfronteerd met het leven van de arbeiders in de auto-industrie van Henry Ford. Om die reden bemoeide Reinhold zich actief met

Los libros no se escriben en el vacío. Este surgió debido a la insistencia de los fabulosos clientes de mi trabajo de joyería talismán. Terminé escribiéndolo para tener un solo lugar al que referir a las personas que tenían preguntas sobre lo que hago. ¡Pensé tontamente que sería "más fácil" escribir un libro! Este es ese libro. Un eterno agradecimiento a mi esposa Blu, sin quien este libro no existiría. Mucho agradecimiento y profundo, profundo agradecimiento a los primeros lectores por sus invaluables comentarios: Fabeku Fatunmise, Briana Saussy, Dre Achilleus, Jonathan Emmett y William Jones. Fabeku y Dre, en particular, ayudaron a dar forma al texto de numerosas formas que lo hicieron más claro y más reflectante de mis intenciones. A Erzebet Barthold por la corrección de estilo. A la Dra. Jenn Zahrt por la maquetación, el diseño y el índice. Escrito con amplia asistencia y aportes de Shop Fairies. Todos los errores son míos.

The meaning of animal sacrifice has fascinated historians of religion for decades. In addition, it goes against trends of professed concern for animals in contemporary Western culture, although the notion of sacrifice remains important in Christianity, and animal sacrifice is still practiced at the feast of Id al-Adha in Islam. Scholars of religion have viewed it variously as a bribe to divine powers (Edward Tylor), as reinforcing the community of believers (Robertson Smith, Émile Durkheim, and others), as recapitulating a primal event (Mircea Eliade, Sigmund Freud), as deflecting social tensions (René Girard), and as a substitute for hunting (Walter Burkert) or hunting's structure idealized in the face of primal chaos (Jonathan Z. Smith). Today, some followers of Modern Nordic Paganism (e.g. Ásatrú) have revived animal sacrifice as part of the ritual of blót, which honors important turning points in the ritual calendar. Fieldwork among these Pagans suggests that perhaps Burkert's vision of animal sacrifice as a privileged vestige of prehistoric hunting culture offers the best lens for understanding this controversial practice. In Norse myth, the creation of the world is brought about by the sacrifice of the primal being Ymir, as recounted in the Grímnismál and several other poems of the collection known as the Poetic Edda, Of Ymir's flesh, the earth was shaped, Of his blood, the briny sea Of his hair, the trees, the hills of his bones, Out of his skull the sky. 1 An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual American Academy of Religion conference in San Antonio, Texas, in November of 2004. I am grateful to those who have commented on various versions and provided constructive criticism and alternative viewpoints. 1. Grímnismál,, verse 41, in The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee Hollander, 2nd rev.

Aesthetic imaginaries in stories, paintings, film, and music, ranging from Wagnerian opera to contemporary black metal, Viking metal, Pagan metal, and neofolk music have had a strong impact on Asatru as well as on popular images of Nordic myth and religion. They have even shaped academic contributions to the discourse of Nordic myth. In spite of their professed commitment to academic knowledge, many Asatruers mention fictional books as their main sources of inspiration and knowledge of Nordic religion. Furthermore, Asatruers often perceive their own religious practices as aesthetic activities. All of this can be attributed to the specific appeal of art and fiction in modernity. They are modes that bring to life the historical past, speak to the senses, and allow emotional identification. Artworks can create a sense of identity and community (be it national or otherwise) which goes beyond a purely fact-oriented and intellectual level; they allow the creation of coherent worlds beyond the meager and scattered, often contradictory primary sources. This widespread popularity has turned certain aesthetic genres-popular literature and music in particularinto privileged media in Asatru's path toward respectability. They are media Asatruers themselves use to disseminate their thoughts and connect themselves with broader ideas about culture and identity. In addition, they are mainstream media that provide material for the construction of Heathen religion. At the same time, aesthetic approaches lend themselves to a more playful, individualized manner of conducting a spiritual life. Con temporary Neopagan religions in particular tend to perceive their spirituality as a creative process, and to assign art, music, literature, and performance spiritual qualities. All of these observations can be contextualized within a concept that originated around 1800 in German Romanticism: the concept of art-religion (Kunstreligion). Generally speaking, and perhaps surprisingly for many, it is in modernity rather than in ancient or pre-modern times that religion and art, the spiritual and the aesthetic, appear to be most closely related. 19thcentury thought, and particularly that of German idealist theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834), conceptualizes religion as a realm of aesthetic experience. Schleiermacher was the first to tie religion explicitly to emotion, experience, interiority, and the private sphere, the fields in which modern art is located as well. At the same time, art is increasingly assigned religious functions: the artwork is seen as capable of creating transcendent meaning; the process of artistic creation is perceived as a religiously inspired act; the artist is

The survey covers 140 clinically healthy sheep from two indigenous sheep breeds – Karakachan (KK)and Copper-Red Shumen (CRS) over one year old. Blood samples are taken from v. jugularis, and using a semi-automatic biochemical analyzer were determined in serum levels of blood sugar, total serum protein and albumin, creatinine, urea, calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium. The results obtained indicated that the levels of total protein (75.81±7.03 for KK and 72.19±5.64 for CRS), albumin (44.85±6.43 for KK and 42.09±4.06 for CRS), creatinine (183.35±291.77 for KK and 128.30±45.70 for CRS) and urea (9.30±3.90 for KK and 11.10±5.76 for CRS) in Karakachan breed are poorly higher than those of the Copper - Red Shumen. The values of blood sugar (2.89±0.49 for KK and 2.49±0.57 for CRS), calcium (2.30±0.41 for KK and 2.22±0.33 for CRS), inorganic phosphorus (1.94±0.64 for KK and 1.94±0.44 for CRS) and magnesium (1.23±0.29 for KK and 1.14±0.20 for CRS) showed no breed differences. The sig...

Rites of passage, being significant markers in a human life time, have, due to processes of secularization been diminished in Dutch society. This artide investigates how different contemporary Pagan movements have affected modern civil society in the Netherlands in finding new expressions of celebrating rites of passage. Contemporary Pagans have, since the movement' s emergence, been conscious about cydes of change and accordingly of the importance of rites of passage. The most important Pagan "liturgy" of the seasonal calendar of the Wheel of the Year incorporates in its symbolism changes in the human life cyele. The relationship between the Wheel of the Year and rites of passage will thus be discussed for five Dutch Pagan traditions, examining how Dutch contemporary Pagans have inspired non-Pagans in celebrating their rites of passage.

Asatrú as a religious movement in Scandinavia, particularly in Iceland, shows a continuing line of dialogue dating back at least to the 16th Century. At its core, the practice of Asatrú and its place within society reflects the push towards creating a model of the “ideal Scandinavian”. The very act of promoting this mythology of larger-than-life role models also reflects what is valued by the society. Examining how this religion is used as a tool for group cohesion further reveals such things as what other cultures are seen to represent, and what is important when defining such terms as “strength,” “citizen,” and “sacred.”

The survey covers 140 clinically healthy sheep from two indigenous sheep breeds - Karakachan (KK)and Copper-Red Shumen (CRS) over one year old. Blood samples are taken from v. jugularis, and using a semi-automatic biochemical analyzer were determined in serum levels of blood sugar, total serum protein and albumin, creatinine, urea, calcium, inorganic phosphorus and magnesium. The results obtained indicated that the levels of total protein (75.81±7.03 for KK and 72.19±5.64 for CRS), albumin (44.85±6.43 for KK and 42.09±4.06 for CRS), creatinine (183.35±291.77 for KK and 128.30±45.70 for CRS) and urea (9.30±3.90 for KK and 11.10±5.76 for CRS) in Karakachan breed are poorly higher than those of the Copper - Red Shumen. The values of blood sugar (2.89±0.49 for KK and 2.49±0.57 for CRS), calcium (2.30±0.41 for KK and 2.22±0.33 for CRS), inorganic phosphorus (1.94±0.64 for KK and 1.94±0.44 for CRS) and magnesium (1.23±0.29 for KK and 1.14±0.20 for CRS) showed no breed differences. The sig...

The representation of nature is central to Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung cycle on a number of levels.  The Nordic-mythic sources and setting, the role of original or partially re-invented nature deities (Erda, Donner and Froh, the three Rhine Maidens) or semi-divine beings linked to the natural world (Valkyries, Norns) inspired a range of sophisticated Romantic musical nature "painting" throughout the score, including some of the best known passages. Classical-Romantic traditions of pastoral or other imitative nature topics in music of the Classical and Romantic eras plays an important role in the development of the network of leitmotifs in the Ring cycle.  Readings of the Ring as an allegorical critique of modern industrial capitalism connect the traditional mythography of a lost golden age with a potential parable of environmental degradation driven by the loveless, reckless profit motive of modern capitalism. Alberich’s forging of the Ring from the Rhine Gold and Wotan’s violation of the World-Ash Tree to create the symbol of his divine legal authority (his Spear) project parallel symbols of the transgression of a natural order.  Mythographic vs. modern environmental readings of the apocalyptic conclusion of the cycle are also discussed.
Keywords: Richard Wagner, Ring cycle, Ring of the Nibelung, Nature, musical topics, leitmotif, Romanticism, eco-criticism, environmental criticism, apocalypse

CityGML ist als internationaler Standard zur Repräsentation und den Austausch virtueller, geometrisch semantischer 3D-Stadtmodelle akzeptiert. Für die Version 3.0 deuten sich erhebliche Änderungen an, die sich an 19 Arbeitspaketen der CityGML Special Working Group manifestieren. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über aktuell geplante Neuerungen der Version 3.0. Ziel ist es, die Akzeptanz des Standards weiter zu erhöhen und Diskussionen über vorgeschlagene Änderungen zu ermöglichen. Die wichtigsten aktuellen Diskussionen betreffen eine Neudefinition des Level of Detail Konzeptes (LoD), die Anpassungen alter und Einführung neuer Module sowie eine Harmonisierung mit den benachbarten Standards der Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) und INSPIRE. Die nächste Version wird konform zu den Normen des ISO TC211 sein. Die CityGML XML-Schemata werden automatisch aus dem konzeptionellen UML-Modell abgeleitet werden können.

From the Iron Age to the modern period, authors have repeatedly restructured the ecomythology of the Siegfried saga. Fritz Lang's Weimar film production (released in 1924-1925) of Die Nibelungen presents an ascendant humanist Siegfried, who dominates over nature in his dragon slaying. Lang removes the strong family relationships typical of earlier versions, and portrays Siegfried as a son of the German landscape rather than of an aristocratic, human lineage. Unlike The Saga of the Volsungs, which casts the dwarf Andvari as a shape-shifting fish, and thereby indistinguishable from productive, living nature, both Richard Wagner and Lang create dwarves who live in subterranean or inorganic habitats, and use environmental ideals to convey anti-Semitic images, including negative contrasts between Jewish stereotypes and healthy or organic nature. Lang's Siegfried is a technocrat, who, rather than receiving a magic sword from mystic sources, begins the film by fashioning his own. A...