Gate of the Slain

Wytch of the North

Beth — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:49:01 +0000

It just came to my attention today that there are still some people out there linking to this blog, so I thought it might be time for another quickie public service announcement post! I’m not actively blogging here right now, but you can find me here.

What will you find at my new blogging home? Discussions of my spirit work practice (seidhr, wortcunning, trance work, ancestor worship, etc.), and craft projects (jewelry making, dolls, spinning, fiber arts), book reviews, a first look at new articles and essays as they emerge from my subconscious, news about my Etsy store, general woolgathering (pun intended)…and, of course (most importantly), reflections on my life with my gods and spirits, first and foremost Odin.

Sound intriguing? Join me!

Wild Hunt playlist

Beth — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:20:11 +0000

For some of these, I posted embedded YouTube links during the twelve days of high Yule, so that my readers would be able to play them right here without having to go searching for them. (Sometimes it was a challenge to find a suitable version to link to, and in certain cases, this was why a song was not featured.) In any case, I did promise to post the entire list, and here it is:

Christmas Eve in Sarejevo, Manheim Steamroller
Don’t Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
Furious Angels, Rob Dougan
Ride of the Valkyries, Wagner
Gingerbread Coffin, Rasputina
Hunter’s Kiss, Rasputina
Goodnight Moon, Shivaree (This conjures up the jumpy, paranoid, thin-veil feeling of Yule very effectively, for me.)
The Sickness, Disturbed
Riders on the Storm, The Doors
Odin’s Song, Karl Donaldsson
Pursuit, Icon of Coyle
Hollow Hills, Bauhaus
When the Falcon Flies, Hagalaz Runedance
Zeit nach dem Sturm, by Faun
Hagal, Wardruna
Joupolle Joutunut, Hedningarna
Wo die Wilden Kerle wohnen by Allerseelen (I couldn’t find a version of this to post, but it’s an awesome song for Frau Holle, very evocative of Her.)
Woodpecker from Mars, Faith No More
Nachts: night weaving silently through the woods, Joachim Raff
Christmas Mourning, October Rust
Hunter, Bjork

A few of the above were suggested by my friend Dver, who compiled her own list in preparation for our Wild Hunt mumming. I’m sure my list will continue to evolve in years to come, as I continue to explore the Hunt mysteries.

And now we head towards Candlemas. I hope your Yule was productive, enchanting, and revealing!

Posted in bestla, holidays, odin, yule

Odin figurine from Lejre, re-identified?

Beth — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 06:05:46 +0000

A friend forwarded me the link to this post. Apparently, two months ago someone found a silver figurine of a person seated on a high seat surrounded by raven-and-wolf trappings and identified the piece as Odin…until someone else pointed out that the figure is wearing a dress and a necklace–in other words, obviously female. A new ID of Freyja has been suggested, though for the record, my vote is that it depicts Frigga instead. Grimnisal specifically states that She was the only one allowed to sit at Hlidsjalf besides Odin Himself–and if this is Her, how exciting, since there are so few images associated with Her, either ancient or modern.

(Yes, I know, in Skirnismal Freyr sits at Hlidskjalf–but He isn’t “officially” allowed to, even in the context of that lay, and positing Freyr would fly in the face of the conclusion that the figure is female. I know the theory that this is Odin-in-drag will have its proponents too, but I’m sorry, I refuse to believe that the definition of ergi is that stupidly simplistic. And Freyja is never mentioned, ever, as sitting in Odin’s high seat, which is what the raven-and-wolf trappings make pretty clear this is.)

Of course, it could just be depicting a regular human seidrhkona. In that case though, this is clearly an Odin’s seidhrkona…which is just as exciting, from my point of view.

Posted in archaeology, frigga, odin, seidhr