Repost @the_pagan_path ... ODIN’S DISCOVERY OF THE RUNES- part 3- Odin’s Discovery of the Runes- Since the runes’ native home is in the Well of Urd with the Norns, and since the runes do not reveal themselves to any but those who prove themselves worthy of such fearful insights and abilities, Odin hung himself from a branch of Yggdrasil, pierced himself with his spear, and peered downward into the shadowy waters below. He forbade any of the other gods to grant him the slightest aid, not even a sip of water. And he stared downward, and stared downward, and called to the runes. He survived in this state, teetering on the precipice that separates the living from the dead, for no less than nine days and nights. At the end of the ninth night, he at last perceived shapes in the depths: the runes! They had accepted his sacrifice and shown themselves to him, revealing to him not only their forms, but also the secrets that lie within them. Having fixed this knowledge in his formidable memory, Odin ended his ordeal with a scream of exultation. Having been initiated into the mysteries of the runes, Odin recounted: Then I was fertilized and became wise; I truly grew and thrived. From a word to a word I was led to a word, From a work to a work I was led to a work. Equipped with the knowledge of how to wield the runes, he became one of the mightiest and most accomplished beings in the cosmos. He learned chants that enabled him to heal emotional and bodily wounds, to bind his enemies and render their weapons worthless, to free himself from constraints, to put out fires, to expose and banish practitioners of malevolent magic, to protect his friends in battle, to wake the dead, to win and keep a lover, and to perform many other feats like these. Join the @the_pagan_path community. The most exciting pagan art from around the world! 🌐 #pagan_lives_matter #vallhalla #vallhala #pagan #pagancommunity #pagansofinstagram #paganism #paganmetal #paganart #pagantattoo #norsemythology #norse #norsepagan #norsegods #norsetattoo #norsepaganism #helheim #jotun #jotunheim #gods #vikings #viking #vikingstyle #vikingtattoo #slavicpagan #fenrir #loki #thor #odin #ragnarok Artist unkown https://www.instagram.com/p/CSHYzSZDp4b/?utm_medium=tumblr
