First off, 'Creed of Iron', for the most part, makes an attempt to put all of "European man" under the pagan umbrella of Wotanism. To me, "Wotanism" isn't a new name of a modern incarnation, but the actual proper name of an old spiritual tradition. I mean "proper" in a more-or-less unifying principle, as our Langobard ancestors called this god "Godan." I appreciate the book and it's message, but there are aspects of it so far which are undefined or which somewhat sloppily merge many spiritual traditions into "Wotanism" or of the "Wotan-spirit."
Again, I appreciate many aspects of what the author Ron McVan is trying to do, but I just don't entirely agree. In many ways, the Gaulish gods probably did merge with the Norse gods as the people had close contact over many centuries. Also, much of the ancient knowledge did merge as well, from the Sumerian time to the Viking era. I find myself really wanting to agree with the "historical all-being Wotanist spirit," but some parts of it seem a bit of a stretch. Naturally, different cultures tied the ancient spiritual-knowledge into their own gods and culture; into something that they could relate to.
I recently viewed a video of Ron McVan on YouTube. He was wearing a Germanic warrior outfit as he chanted something about Wotan. He pronounced it, in almost a theatrical manner, as "WOH-TAHN" with emphasis on the two syllables. Somehow I feel closer to the spirit when I pronounce it as "Woh-ten," rather than in an ominous way. Just for the record, I believe that the pronunciation of Cernunnos can only be said in one manner: "KER-new-nos." I think that people should, within reason, put their own spin on things up to a point.
As within the Odinic tradition, one can personally view a great ancestor as a god or goddess. I sometimes see some of the Langobard kings and queens as something like gods or goddesses. One such person is the first queen of what was to become the Langobards, the Winniler Queen Gambara. I see her as a spirit representing "doing what has to be done," even if it's something very difficult and unsettling. I sort've see the later Langobard Queen Theodelinda in the same manner, although with her I feel "the spirit of pragmatism and compromise." Both ideas probably being traits that a successful person would need. King Alboin comes to mind as well, as something of a god-figure representing "masculinity and fearlessness." The warrior spirit, also necessary in some form.
The book goes on to discuss in detail the Runestones, in which they are described as being of unknown origin; although they are, as the book states, "In the Wotanist pantheon the giant Mimir, as the possessor of the well of wisdom, is credited as the inventor and source of the Runes." According to Wikipedia's Runic alphabet page, under Origins, it is stated:
Specifically, the Raetic alphabet of Bolzano, is often advanced as a candidate for the origin of the runes, with only five Elder Futhark runes (ᛖ e, ᛇ ï, ᛃ j, ᛜ ŋ, ᛈ p) having no counterpart in the Bolzano alphabet (Mees 2000). Scandinavian scholars tend to favor derivation from the Latin alphabet itself over Raetic candidates. A "North Etruscan" thesis is supported by the inscription on the Negau helmet dating to the 2nd century BC. This is in a northern Etruscan alphabet, but features a Germanic name, Harigast.
Common within Odinic circles is the reference of "Northern Europe." However, there seems to have been more Wotanist-influence in regions which were not in what is generally considered "Northern Europe," more so than in some regions which were in Northern Europe. For example, "Langobardic Austria" (Lombardy/Trento/Tri-Venetia), Russia and the Ukraine (the Csars were descendants of the Vikings); as opposed to South France, which was Gaulish, and later became a Greek colony before Roman rule. There may have been more Wotanist-influence in Visigothic Spain than in South France. The book doesn't really define this concept, as it moves around mentioning ancient Sumeria, Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece, and Rome as a source for certain things... then floating back to the "Northern Europe" ideal. I think there was a great cross-pollination of many of the ancient spiritual concepts.
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Monday, June 6, 2011
Are Cernunnos and Odin the same god?: Part II
Monday, May 30, 2011
Are Cernunnos and Odin the same god?
The following text is from the book 'Creed of Iron' (McVan; 1997), from a chapter entitled 'Horned Gods' (pages 38-41). Odin, or Wotan, was the chief god of the ancient Teutonic tribes; while Cernunnos was one of, if not the chief god of the Gallic people. Could they have come from a common source? Certainly there was a lot of cultural interchange between Teutons and Gauls. The Triquetra symbol, which has long been associated with Celtic/Gallic cultures, was used by some ancient peoples as a symbol of Odin. But wasn't Odin a Teutonic god? One of the well-known ancient depictions of Cernunnos is located on Gotland Island in Scandinavia. But wasn't Scandinavia prime Odinic territory? You can decide for yourself. It's possible that the answer could lay somewhere in the middle, or perhaps a later connection developed after the very ancient Norse migrated westward into Northern Europe tens of thousands of years ago.
HORNED GODS
It was no accident that the Horned Gods of the early Aryan pagan religions of Europe would later become vilified under the alien religious domination of Christianity. It has always been the nature of rival ideologies to demonize and destroy their opposition, and the storm to power by Christianity was certainly no exception.
In the ancient religions and arcane mysteries horns on the human head were always symbolic of divinity and high wisdom. The horned human image was, also, representative of virility and fertility. It was most common and natural to find such characterizations on many of the early deities. Only after the rise and imposition of Christianity with vigilant campaigns of death and torture did the nature-based pagan religions subsequently withdraw from the world stage of history. In so doing, the great esoteric wisdom and horned gods of ancient days were concealed from the vulgar. This hidden knowledge was later to become defined as "occult," which simply means "hidden." Occultism is, therefore, the study of the hidden, dissolving the diabolical implications of the term.
Through anthropological research one can trace the line of horned god prototypes back to Paleolithic times. The earliest known representation of such a figure is found painted on the interior walls of the Caverne des Trois Frères in Ariège, France and dates to the late Paleolithic period. Among an assemblage of animals, a figure of a man is clothed in the skin of a stag and wearing on his head the antlers of a stag. It seems evident from the relative position of all the figures that the man is dominant and that he is in the act of performing a ceremony.
It is into the Bronze Age when the horned figure flourished again among the Indo-European (Aryan) tribes of Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. Horned gods were quite common in Mesopotamia, as in Babylon and Assyria. The copper head found in the gold tombs of Ur is believed to be earlier than the first Egyptian dynasty, displaying an advanced stage of metal-working.
When Alexander the Great raised himself above the kings of the earth and declared himself a "god," he wore a horned head piece as a symbol of his divinity. Polytheism appears to have arisen among the Aryan cultures, East and West, with the amalgamation of tribes, each with its own gods. The horned deities were prevalent throughout Greece and Rome.
The greatest horned god of pagan Gaul was known as Cernunnos. Images of this archetype date back as far as 20,000 years ago. The English parlance was "Herne" (i.e. Wotan), or more colloquially, "Old Hornie." In Northern Europe the ancient equivalent "Neck" or "Nick" was used, meaning "spirit." He had such a hold on the affections of the people that the Christian church was forced to accept him. And he was canonized as St. Nicholas, who in Cornwall still retains his horns. Few are aware today that Santa Claus has traditional and symbolic roots to Wotan.
Over the ages the names of deities change, but the essence more often remains the same. In addition to Cernunnos, the ancient Celtic god "Belenus" (Bel) was the most widely worshipped in all of Gaul and is still celebrated in the traditional festival of Beltane. Classical writers associate him with Apollo.
The early Greeks inherited from Mesopotamia a nature-personified god. "Ouranos," which means sky. Ouranos was later usurped as sky-god by his son "Kronos," later to be replaced by "Zeus." The Celtic god "Lugus" was characterized as the "shining one." Caesar identified him with the Roman god "Mercury," who was often compared to Wotan. The ancient deity of the Teutonic tribes was the sky-father "Tyr" (Tiw, Tew, Teu), later to be replaced by Wotan.
Of all the Aryan gods who have come and gone, Wotan remains consistent. Although subtle at times, Wotan is always ready to reemerge from the collective psyche of the Aryan folk. He is a god of many facets, which has no doubt helped him to endure through the ever-changing times. As the horned god, Herne the Hunter, the wearing of the staghorns is symbolic of the Ur-force, the primal power of the forest, as characterized by the Uruz rune. Wotan as Herne shares other similar characteristics with Cernunnos, as Lord of the Forest and the Animals. Wotan is, also, the spirit behind the leaf-faced "Green Man," who is widely represented in the fine arts and architecture of European culture.
Herne was known to be the mystic guide of Robin Hood. Also, we have the connection of Wotan, personified as Merlin, who was mystical seer to King Arthur.
It is through an understanding of world history that Aryan man sees himself and by the comprehension of the mysteries that he knows himself. Wotanism is the incarnation of the indestructible collective soul of the Aryan race.
Since the first horned god was scrawled on the wall of a cave in pre-historic times, the blood essence of our ancestors has continued through the chain of the generations which bind us in a great linkage of destiny, beat and time.
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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Your Ancestors Were Heathen...
[Article borrowed from the Temple of Our Heathen Gods group on facebook; February 5, 2011; exact article source page link above]
This essay is written for those that know very little about Asatru or Heathenry, or perhaps have not even heard of it.
It is a simple question, really. Did your family come to America from Northern Europe...or do you have Northern European Ancestry? Well, if you do...then your ancestors were "Heathens."
Many people with Northern European ancestry do not realize that the original religion of our People and our ancient culture was not Christianity. If you go back a 1000 years or more, prior to the conversions to Christianity in Europe, our ancestors had their own native Folk Religion that was rich and meaningful in their lives.
Our People honored their own Gods and Goddesses, their ancestors, and the spirits in nature. These original Heathens were the pre-Christian Northern European peoples who lived in the lands around what is now called the North Sea. These included the people of Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, and other areas of Northern Europe.
Some of our ancestors were convinced to convert to Christianity by missionaries. Some were coerced into converting, based on threats of physical violence. Others converted due to political or economic pressures brought on them by Christians. And some of our ancestors were killed, because they refused to give up the Ways of their People.
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD "HEATHEN"
If you are just hearing about Heathenry, then you are very likely thinking, "But isn't the word Heathen a word for a bad person?"
Well, it is true that Christians frequently use it this way. The word "heathen" refers to people who don't worship the Christian God or follow the Christian religion. The historical origin of this use of the word "Heathen" is pretty interesting.
The word "Heathen" comes from the fact that the country people (those living on the heath), honored the old gods for centuries after the city-dwellers were already converted to Christianity.
This is why "heathen" is a bad word in Christianity. The missionaries and preachers in the cities would rail against the "heathen" (those living out in the heath), that still honored the old gods. But we embrace the term, for we are proud of those ancestors that resisted the conversion to a foreign religion, and who remained loyal to the Gods and the Ways of our People.
Another word commonly used for heathenry is Asatru, meaning "loyalty to the gods." Though, Asatru is normally used to refer to a more Icelandic influenced heathenry, while the word heathenry itself is a broader term encompassing those focusing on the Icelandic, the Anglo-Saxon, the Frankish, etc.
Our Heathen ancestors did not refer to themselves as "Heathen" or "Asatru." It is believed they did not have a name for their religion, and simply called it their Way.
So many modern Americans are dissatisfied with their religious options. Many of the descendants of our Heathen ancestors have become dissatisfied with Christianity. Modern Heathens would make the point, that much of this dissatisfaction comes from the fact that Christianity did not originate with our People. It is a foreign religion that was relentlessly pushed on our Ancestors, until our native Folkway was suppressed or destroyed among our People.
Modern Heathens around the world are reviving the Ways of our Ancestors, and find that the religion of our Ancestors is truly satisfying and feels "like coming home." Heathenry is very family and community-oriented, and encourages us to live responsible lives of loyalty and honor. A person's word matters greatly, and each person is judged by his/her choices and actions. The Ways of our Ancestors are life-fulfilling and natural to who we are and how we think, and they work to strengthen and enrich our lives.
You will hear modern Heathenry called many things by the people who practice it. You may hear it called Asatru, the Northern Tradition, Odinism, Forn Sed, Germanic Pagan Reconstructionism or, simply, Heathenry. In Iceland, which did not convert to Christianity until the 11th Century, Heathenry has once again become an official (nationally recognized) religion. There are growing numbers of Heathens and Heathen groups across the United States, and that growth seems to be accelerating as more and more people tire of the foreign religions.
SOMETHING WORTH CONSIDERING...
If you have found yourself dissatisfied with Christianity and organized religion, take a little bit of time to look into modern Heathenry. When your heathen ancestors were pestered, coerced, or forced into giving up the Ways of the People, I have to imagine that they wondered if years down the line their descendants would again return to their true religion and way of life. As someone who has returned to the religion of my Ancestors, it is hard to describe how much it has improved my life. In the end, it is something you have to look into yourself and explore whether it makes sense for you.
A good starting place to learn more, is this Heathen FAQ. Reading through all the topics there will give you some idea of what heathenry is all about:
http://heathengods.com/temple/modules/xoopsfaq/
And for some basic information on Heathenry and how to start and maintain a Heathen group (normally called a kindred), you might want to read this book which is available as a free download or in paperback and hardback versions:
http://www.heathengods.com/library/book/
Mark Ludwig Stinson
Jotun's Bane Kindred
Temple of Our Heathen Gods
http://www.heathengods.com/
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Camunian proverbs: Part 3
Apparently these are real proverbs from the Val Camonica. For each one, the fist part will be in native Camunian, the second in Italian, and the third in English (if it translated correctly):
La mòrt del lùf l'è la felicità de le pegòre.
La morte del lupo è la salute della pecora.
The death of the wolf is the health of the sheep.
--Anonymous
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De drè portento... de nàs spaènto!
Dietro affascinante... davanti che spavento!
*English translation needed*
--Anonymous
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Quand la barba la tàca a sbianchì làga le fomne e tachèt al vi.
Quando la barba diventa bianca lascia le donne e attaccati al vino.
*English translation needed*
--Anonymous
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'L vi 'l cünta poch se l'ostéra l'è bèla e 'l sò òm l'è óch
Il vino conta poco quando l'ostessa è bella e il marito è un coglione.
The wine counts little when the hostess is beautiful, but her husband is a jerk.
--Anonymous
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'L gà piö cûl de servèl.
Ha più fortuna che cervello.
He has more good fortune than brains (?).
--Anonymous
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Catholic Church Issues Guide on How to Convert Witches
The Vatican doesn't seem the least bit concerned with tens of millions of Muslims migrating into Europe with no end in sight; not to mention the fact that Catholicism, and Christianity at large, has become a comparatively weak social construct in the UK in particular. Apparently, they're too preoccupied with a very small number of practitioners of native paganism, or what they refer to as "witchcraft." Apparently "priestcraft" is okay. If this action was targeting one the larger religions, then people would call it "hate," but if it's a smaller relgion, then it's okay under the current paradigm.
The Vatican is a sovereign state which oversees the worldwide Catholic Church; as well as a massive, MASSIVE, global banking conglomerate. Why are they concerned with a few people chanting in a forest clearing, who aren't even bothering anyone? Now when we add in the factor of the Vatican's historic systematic murder of any religion which wasn't Catholic (Waldensians, Cathars, Pagans, etc.), this action by the Vatican is nothing short of crazy. If there were pagans somewhere, antagonizing Christians, then that would merit a similar response; but lets face it, what we have here is an ant versus an elephant.
The Camonica Club of North America, descendants of the Val Camonica witch trials brought upon by the Vatican in the sixteenth century, condemns the Vatican's pamphlet entitled 'Wicca and Witchcraft: Understanding the Dangers', and calls for them to simply leave these peaceful people alone. Whatever fault could be found among an absolutely minuscule number of pagans is a drop in the bucket compared to the very serious problems of a much larger number of trusted Catholic officials worldwide in recent years; not to mention the Vatican's terribly destructive proxy actions in Croatia not so many years ago.
Catholic Church Issues Guide on How to Convert Witches
Theunis Bates - AolNews - February 4, 2011
LONDON -- Five hundred years ago, the Catholic Church had a simple way of dealing with witches: It burned them alive. The Vatican still views these broom botherers as a danger, but is now calling on Catholics to eliminate the neo-pagan problem in a more moderate manner.
According to a new booklet from the Catholic Truth Society -- the U.K. publishers for the Holy See -- the faithful can convert Wiccans by following a few simple steps. The pamphlet, titled "Wicca and Witchcraft: Understanding the Dangers," suggests that Catholics spark up conversations with these unbelievers about shared concerns such as the environment, The Telegraph reports.
And if you bump into a witch in a bar or coffee shop, the book adds, it's important to recognize that "Wiccans are on a genuine spiritual quest," providing "the starting point for dialog that may lead to their conversion."
The booklet's author, former Wiccan Elizabeth Dodd, states that nearly 70 percent of people indulging in witchcraft are young women seeking some kind of spirituality, according to the Daily Mail. The source of that statistic isn't clear, but some 7,000 Brits identified themselves as Wiccans in the 2001 census.
So why does the Vatican once again feel that it needs to confront pagan practitioners? The Daily Mail says that the church is afraid the dark arts are becoming ever more tempting thanks to the success of Harry Potter. Dodd says that any youngster who dabbles in magic risks long-term problems.
"Whether spellwork is effective or not," writes Dodd, according to The Telegraph, "has no bearing on the psychological damage that can be done to a young person who is convinced that they have summoned the dead, or have performed a spell that has hurt or injured another."
More important, Dodd adds that the simple act of experimenting with spellcraft is an insult to the Almighty. "The use of magic, the practice of witchcraft, offends God because it is rooted in our sinful and fallen nature," she writes. "It attempts to usurp God."
While many religious and nonreligious folk might regard Dodd's message as extreme, her point has clearly been heeded by some Catholics. As of this morning, the pamphlet was listed as sold-out on Amazon.co.uk.
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Friday, February 25, 2011
Camunian proverbs: Part 2
Apparently these are real proverbs from the Val Camonica. For each one, the fist part will be in native Camunian, the second in Italian, and the third in English (if it translated correctly):
Istìt sò bè pò 'n pàl 'l somèa 'n cardinàl.
Vestito bene anche un palo sembra un cardinale.
Garment also a pole seems a cardinal well.
--Anonymous
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Fàga mia saì a là mà drìta chèl che la fà l'nvèrsa.
Non far sapere alla mano destra quello che fa la sinistra.
Not to make to know ago to the right hand which the left.
--Anonymous
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Per cùnùsìs bè s'gà dè maià 'nsèma 'n quintàl dè sàl amàr.
Per conoscrsi bene bisogna mangiare insieme un quintale di sale amaro.
*English translation needed*
--Anonymous
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'N po' per û à càal de l'àsen.
Un po' per uno a cavallo dell'asino.
*English translation needed*
--Anonymous
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Fà e desfà l'è 'l laorà de i frà.
Fare e disfare è il lavoro dei frati.
To make and to unravel are the job of the friars.
--Anonymous
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
Cernic tradition in Iowa
I am borrowing the text of this entry from a blog called The Circle of Shadows. I just wanted to make certain that, in this case, proper credit was given to the author and/or coven. I had originally wanted to post this December 3, 2010 post last Yule, and had sent an e-mail which wasn't responded to.
This is one of the few references to a present day pagan tradition/ritual which actually refers to its Cernic origin. The blog goes in a little bit of a different direction than we usually think of as being Cernist, but sometimes things take time to develop; and to develop a consensus among the larger body of people. It needs some time.
The Coven Ritual for Yuletide 2010 (Cernunnos and the Crone)
December 3, 2010
So, over the past couple of weeks I and few friends of mine have been working on a ritual for this Yuletide season, which falls on December 21, 2010 and also falls on the night of the Full Moon. It will be a very special night since it falls on the rare occaison (though certainly not unheard of) that a Witches Sabbat and Esbat (moon ritual) fall on the same night.
I think one of the great things about our coven so far is that we have managed to put our personal ideas, differences, and preferences aside and just focus on the celebration of the pagan holidays. Our rituals have been generic enough to suit all members, yet they also retain their meaning at the same time. The coven I am now calling the "Circle of Shadows" first met formally on November 7, 2010, the purpose was the observence of Samhain 2010 which actually took place one week prior to our formal observence due to the illness of a member. Upon the conclusion of this meeting we all seemed to feel that this organized grotto of witchcraft was indeed worth pursuing. I think we all feel as though the ritual itself could have been better, but given the lack of preparation (only a couple of weeks) hindered how effective the ritual could have been.
With my personal preferences of more dark sided occultism, and the preferences of other members for a lighter side to such things I feel that we have (in most cases thus far) blended both ideas (and those in between) well. And we all seem to get along with one another very well and have a chemistry that is still developing at this point, but still ever present none the less.
As the high priest at our Samhain meeting and now the High Priest of our Yuletide meeting, we seem to have many obstacles to work through. But yet this Yuletide is the darkest night of the year and thus very mportant to myself. And it is very important to the other members, each for different reasons but we each are able to to afford the the other members thier own importance and celebrate the REBIRTH OF THE SUN. Which is, after all the most important aspect of this holiday!
Om, Sarva Buddha Dakini, Hri Mama Sakta Soha...
Happy Yuletide to all!
Raven Brimstone
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