#alfar

[the-pagan-crow]

Deity Spotlight: Freyr

AKA Frey, Yngvi, Ing, Ingwi, Yngvi-Freyr

(Note: Freyr's mother is a highly debated topic. We know that his mother was likely his father's sister, but there is debate over what her name is)

Quick Facts:

Tribe: Vanir

Domain: Fertility, Prosperity, and Peace

Parents: Njörd and Nerthus/Njörun

Sibling: Freyja

Spouse: Gerðr

Child: Fjölnir

Mythologically Backed Facts (VPG)

Freyr is a god of fertility, prosperity, and peace. He was born a Vanir to Njörd and Njörd's sister, but moved to Asgard as a baby after the Æsir-Vanir war. Both his parents were Vanir, with his father being considered ruler of the Vanir. With Gerðr, he had one child, Fjölnir. Fjölnir is said to have become the king of what we now call Sweden, making him the first of the Ynglings, and many people consider Freyr the father of the Yngling dynasty (more on that later).

Lord of Alfheim: When Freyr moved to Asgard as a baby, the Æsir gifted him Alfhiem, realm of the Alfar (elves), as a present when he got his first tooth. While there aren't many attestations about this story, or about Alfheim and the Alfar in general, this is a pretty important part of his mythology. Some people will call him the King or Lord of the Elves.

Father of the Ynglings: Freyr, as the father of Fjölnir, is said to be the father of the Yngling dynasty. To my understanding, this dynasty is the first known dynasty of Sweden, and of Scandinavia as a whole, but they ruled in modern day Sweden. The Ynglings would claim that they were decendants of Freyr, possibly to maintain their rule (although this is slight speculation on my part).

Gullinbursti: Made from gold by the dwarf brothers Brokk and Sindri, Gullinbursti is Freyr's boar. Gullinbursti is said to move through air and water faster than any horse. As a symbol of Freyr's rule over prosperity, Gullinbursti is an important companion of Freyr.

Skídðblaðnir: This magical ship, made by the same dwarves who made Gullinbursti, is Freyr's ship that can hold all the gods and their gear while also being able to be folded up and fit in a pocket. This important item of Freyr's also goes back to his roots as son of a sea god.

Gerðr and Freyr's Love Story: If you're interested in reading about their story, please read our Deity Spotlight about Gerðr located here.

Our Experiences (UPG)

Surtr and Ragnarok: At the end of the world, when the gods must face the Jötunar in Ragnarok, Freyr will face Surtr. However, because he gave up his sword to win Gerðr's hand, Freyr will be slain by the Jötunn.

We have worked with Freyr for several years now. He is a big part of our practice and craft.

He is a very kind deity, but he can push his practioners to be their best selves. He loves nature and agriculture. He likes shades of green, yellow, some browns, and blues.

Like with Gerðr, we'll take nature walks with him. We've offered him sea water, and we've also offered him coins because of his association with prosperity. Also due to this association, we did a good luck spell with him once.

He has a very rich mythology and history, and he is very cool and fun to work with. He can be "quiet" sometimes. For instance, he may not answer questions through tarot unless you word them exactly as you mean. He also might not give as many cards as a "chattier" deity such as Loki.

As always, if we get anything wrong, please let us know nicely! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!!

For further reading, feel free to view this article. Always remember to take things with a skeptical eye and cross reference, but the article has a lot of good information.

[wardenofannwn]

Im starting the manly elf movement. Im tired of sissy, girly elves drawn in furry art style.

[broomsick]

A gratitude ritual to the elves

(For the autumn season!)

This is a ritual that I’ve created some two years ago, as a gesture of thanks and acknowledgement to the álfar as land spirits. It acts as the “closing ceremony” for the harvest season, so it could be fun for you to perform it on Samhain if you celebrate, or on your preferred date to perform the Álfablót. It’s made up of three major steps; the offering of drink, the offering of food and the burning of autumn symbols, all of which are separated by invocation and prayer. Without further ado, I will detail the ritual.

The first step? To bake/cook/prepare your offerings of food and drink. I think it’s important to incorporate local seasonal ingredients, as they come directly from the land you live on and therefore, can be considered gifts from the harvest Gods and spirits. Examples of seasonal drinks might be cider (apple juice also does the trick if you’re alcohol-free!), mead, mulled wine, spiced drinks and the like. Seasonal foods might be include apple, pumpkin, corn, squash, etc…

The final offering requires you to go and pick a few good, local symbols of autumn. These can be fallen leaves, helicopter seeds, fallen flowers… Basically anything that you know will burn well and which you won’t have to pluck directly from the tree or plant it comes from. If you grow herbs, fruits and/or veggies, it’s also possible to offer them up as well. I also write down on a piece of paper a few things I’m grateful to the álfar for.

Prepare a ritual bowl or cup in which to pour the offering of drink, a plate in which to place the food offerings, and a fireproof space in which to safely burn the autumn symbols (I use my cauldron).

Optional but fun: I line each plate up in the order drink-food-fire in an outside space and kneel before them to perform the ritual. I then light incense and anoint each plate with ritual rosemary oil, for purification and protection.

Invocation: “I call upon the spirits and guardians of my land. I call to me the people of Yngvi-Frej who dwell in Álfheimr. Come to me Hidden Ones, come and receive that which I humbly choose to give back, in thanks and as to show my gratitude.”

As you pour the offering of drink: “May you accept this libation, symbol of the water which flows under the earth and nourishes the soil. May you look with fondness upon me and those who dwell on your lands.”

As you offer the food: “May you accept this shared meal, symbol of the many gifts of the earth. May you bring forth favorable and plentiful seasons henceforth.”

As you burn the symbols of autumn: “Another harvest has passed, with your blessing and your protection. Noble elves who answer to the Vanir Son, I am grateful for the land that you share so generously with me and my loved ones. Please bless the soils to be bounteous for the coming year.”

I hope you all have a happy autumn season (or spring, if you live in the southern hemisphere!).

[shameboyadvanced]

norse pagan shitposting 101

[studies-in-heathenry]

I’d like to be clear that this is very likely just a funny coincidence but I’m reading a book of Scandinavian folklore and I was on a chapter concerning the elf-folk which mentioned that they kept blue cattle and this detail instantly reminded me of the old Canadian/American folk hero Paul Bunyon and his blue ox.

[thorraborinn]

Can you recommend any reputable sources on lore surrounding the alfar?

I realise there's a distinct lack of discussion of elves/alfar in Heathen circles, from what I've observed, so I would be interested in learning more about them.

Sorry, I left you hanging there for a little while but honestly I don't really know of very much. "How Elvish were the Álfar?" by Terry Gunnell is a good start and should hopefully lead you to other sources.

I haven't read it, but Elves in Anglo-Saxon England by Alaric Hall is probably good. I try to avoid recommending things I haven't read but I know Hall's work well enough to know that he's a serious and insightful scholar and I can't not mention it in response to this question. Cool that he links to it on Libgen on his own author site too. It's about English traditions rather than Scandinavian ones but I expect there's a significant amount of the latter as well.

[luciiferous]

Just because she’s dead doesn’t mean she can’t be stylish

[ravenousnightwind]

This will be controversial.

During my five year self study, I did a lot of things. One of the things I did was make myself available for people to remove spirits from their homes. I eventually had a client who was losing their eyesight. A child. It was then when I realized my own limitations.

The child I speak of was haunted by a darker spirit, if you would call it that. It actually wrote "no" in crayon on the outside of a two story window. Dunno how but it definitely wasn't the child who did it. Eventually that family succumbed to the spirits influence, because it was beyond anything I'd ever experienced.

What I learned through this experience was that all spirits are people. So, my approach now is to not remove, but to reason, even if that is not possible. Sometimes no matter what you do or how much effort you put into something like that, nothing will come of it. Possibly because the gods wanted me to see it that way. Maybe because the spirit was just more willful. Whatever the case is, my approach is to appease, not to destroy. Even in my own home, I don't cleanse. I welcome all spirits into my space if they wish to be there.

When spirits act hostile towards me, I do not act hostile back to them. Instead, I talk to them, I ask them why, and I ask them to stop. I try to radiate feelings of peace and calmness, because ultimately I do not know them. Usually these spirits in my experience, are beings who are angry for one reason or another. So more aggression often just makes them more aggressive. I don't believe in potentially killing or harming spirits or alfar of the Land. Not only is it part of them, it is their home. I am the intruder there. Anywhere they reside. They were likely there before me, before settlement.

I realize this is not the typical practice. However, I believe it is the best approach, at least for my own practice, is to vibrate acceptance and understanding. I've had way more success with that than I have with being hostile.

This is just my experience and if you disagree with it, then you do, but your disagreement doesn't change anything. I must go where my senses lead me.