The dichotomy of good and evil in heathenry

A few days ago, on the Asatru UK facebook group, someone took issue with the focus of the next great heathen gathering being the goddess Hel. They seemed very offended by this and accused the group of being "Rokkatru" for paying homage to the ruler of the underworld. Rokkatru are heathens whose primary focus are the beings associated with "darkness" or the underworld. Some of these might be considered antagonists in the story of Ragnarok. Such beings are Hel, Jormungandr, Fenris, Surt and the often maligned Loki.

The complainant seemed to be saying that, in heathenry there are "good" beings to worship and "bad" beings that should be shunned for some reason. This conveniently ignores the fact that many of the "good" gods are less than perfect. Thor certainly has anger management issues and has been known to break frith at a whim. Odin is very far from a good guy, betraying his followers and acting in a very rapey manner in more than one instance.

I think this desire to categorise characters and beings from the mythology as either "good" or "bad" is a hangover from christianity. In christian doctrine, everything is divided between "that which is of god" and "that which is not of god". Further, everything to do with god is good and everything that isn't to do with god is bad. To polarise this yet more there is no neutral or null position. If you aren't on god's side, worshipping god (in the correct manner) then you are "not of god" and thereby evil. There is little to distinguish a satanist from an atheist - they will both suffer in perdition.

Heathenry isn't like that. While there is a "battle" between gods and giants, it isn't as simple as polar opposite ideologies fighting for dominance. Many beings that we think of as gods and goddesses have Jotun parentage - Odin, Thor and Loki being notable examples. No-one would question anyone's right to worship Skadi, yet she is fully Jotun. So it is not as simple as the Aesir and Vanir being 100% good and Jotuns being 100% evil. Clearly these two cultures have interacted peacefully at times. Indeed, it seems that as Christianity took sway, Jotuns were demonised to better fit the church's narrative.

Similar demonisation may have occurred with Loki. Always a bone of contention with some heathens, a fact I'm sure that he appreciates, Loki is often viewed as "the heathen devil" or similar. He's a bad guy, surely? He fights on the "wrong side" at Ragnarok, so he must be a wrong'un. But Loki would never allow himself to be so easily labelled. Rather than "the heathen devil" or the rather reductionist term "trickster god", I think he works better as an antagonist or agent of change. It is difficult to grow or improve without some kind of challenge or hardship to overcome. Loki embodies that and more - he will shake up your life to force you to see the world in a different, more useful light.

Loki is blood-brother of Odin. Odin isn't anyone else's blood brother, so there must have been something particular that ol' One Eye saw in the son of Laufey that, at the very least, was useful to him. After all, without Loki, Odin would not have Sleipnir. In Loki's travels with Thor, we also see how useful his moral ambiguity and transgressive nature can be - Thor certainly wouldn't have Mjolnir without Loki's willingness to dress himself (and Thor) as member of the opposite sex.

There is no pure good and evil in heathenry. Everything is nuance and shades of grey. Just because Odin does it, doesn't make it good. Just because something comes from a Jotun, doesn't make it bad. This appreciation of the darkness in light and the lightness in dark is key to the full and proper appreciation of the heathen path.

Article Correction: The Nature of Heathen Gods

It's just occurred to me that a blog post I created a while ago that linked to forum I used to frequent was a little broken. The links to my historic posts were only accessible if you had the requisite permissions on the old forum. As such, it didn't really provide much in the way of information and my "to conclude" paragraphs really didn't make much sense.

So, I've updated the post with the actual words I posted all those moons ago, and this can now be read by all on my original post here:

The Nature of Heathen Gods



Hope this helps pass some time while you're locked away at home.

The Nature of our Heathen Gods: What are they? (updated 20/04/2020)

Many years ago, when I had been calling myself heathen for only a very short time, I hungrily scoured the internet for information and insights that might help me understand more about heathenry.

In the process of this, I signed up to a number of forums and mailing lists, for that was how the internet was back then. This helped me interact with fellow heathens (albeit virtually), which helped me explore the faith of which I had chosen to be part.

One of the first questions that new heathens often ask themselves - or that they have asked of them, is: "What form do you believe the gods take?" (or similar).

My answers back then were as confused as you might expect for someone new to the faith. These posts from the old Kindred UK forum (now sadly defunct), illustrate that perfectly.

(Linked for those that might still have access)

How do you see the gods thread - post one

Well, as I said, I am still new to the faith. I have not yet been blessed with a 'meeting' of any sort with a divine entity. Or, at least, I have not recognised one as such.

I am not saying the gods and goddesses aren't real entities. I am saying, having not been exposed to them that long, I can't honestly think of them in that way. Just in the way I think of Trevor McDonald as 'that newsreader guy on the tv' or David Bowie as 'that musical artist'. They are real people. But, having never met them, I have no means of thinking of them in that way.

And, yes, I think I am an aspect of humanity, in the same way I am an aspect of masculinity, an aspect of life, an aspect of anything and everything that goes into making me what I am. That is a whole other quest, discerning precisely what I am. I hope the gods and goddesses (whatever form they take) can help me with that, too.

So, essentially, at my current stage of 'spiritual development', I can't really think of the Aesir and Vanir as individual entities. At least not and be able to easily learn and grow from the knowledge of them. I think of them as I described and it helps me get an easier handle on them and my relation to them.

Okay, I accept that is pretty weird, and probably the opposite way that our ancestors would have learned about them. They would have learned about them as 'people' first. But they also would have learned about them from birth. Without years of christianity and rationalism polluting their opinions in the first instance, to boot.

Maybe the gods and goddesses are bodiless, and the fact they appear to some in a human guise is simply the easiest way for our minds to comprehend a divine being/presence/concept? Or maybe they are humanoid, simply with godly powers. Maybe they only exist as energy. As of yet, I do not know. But I don't want to assume anything about them this early on my spiritual path, simply because others claim to have seen them in the form of an individual.

Essentially, I am playing safe and keeping my mind open. Well, that is the way I look at it.

My views are just that - mine. Based only on what I have experienced thus far. Others have been a lot longer on the path than I. But I've got the rest of my life (40 years or so, if I am lucky) to find my own path. I'm just enjoying the scenery for now.

How do you see the gods thread - post two

I have to say I fall heavily on the side of their being anthropomorphic representations of the forces of nature/the cosmos or abstract concepts promoted in a form that people can more readily understand. Explaining renewal/order/'justice'/culture to people even today is pretty hard. Explain that there are gods and goddesses who personify these roles and people can relate to them. Especially with the teutonic gods who are peculiarly more 'human' than many others.

But, more than this, I see there is a counterpoint to this in that the gods can also represent similar aspects of our own psyches. Thor might represent my protective instinct, my pragmatic side and also my no-nonsense approach to problem solving. Freyja might represent the my sexual side. Loki my mischevious side. The stories in the eddas and other sources can be seen as a guide to how these various aspects of ourselves interact and/or how they should be viewed/nurtured.

But, then on another level entirely, I think by following the gods, honouring them in our day to day lives, we breathe a life/more life into them. To all intents and purposes they become independent beings. All we ever know of each-other (as humans) is what our eyes see, our ears hear and, essentially, what our brains process about that person. It is the same when we bring the gods and goddesses into our lives. We see them active in the world and they have an effect on and through us.

Whether what I have reasoned means they are or are not actual, real entities, I am not yet sure. I have only just come to heathenism, but I hope through studying diligently on the evidence of how our faith was practiced traditionally, by reasoning how that should be interpreted in a modern context, and maybe with the odd moment of spiritual enlightenment, I might find out one day.

Also, please note, my knowledge of the gods and goddesses is very primitive at the moment. Forgive me if I have made any inappropriate connections or somesuch 'newbie mistake'

To be quite frank, my beliefs are no more certain now than they were all those years ago. I have had experiences and episodes of enlightenment which have shaped the way I feel about the aesir and vanir. But the only lesson of value that I have learnt is that it really doesn't matter how you see the gods and goddesses of our faith. More important is to be "a good heathen" - however that is expressed for you. Keeping your word, being resilient and self-sufficient or blotting often and offering sacrfices whenever you can.

Hours spent debating what form the gods take is just time wasted. Instead we should try to learn their lessons and accept the wisdom they are offering us - if only we will take it, and them to heart.

Not a bad intro for the layman

Just found a reasonable introduction to a few of the gods and goddesses of our path.

Article: Heathen Gods

Origin of the gods?

Something of a placemarker here. Just some ideas for further consideration when I have more time. I'm at work right now and can't really spend too much time daydreaming about our heathen ancestors and norse mythology.

I've just been considering the Voluspa, more specifically, the following passage:

6. Then sought the gods | their assembly-seats,
The holy ones, | and council held;
Names then gave they | to noon and twilight,
Morning they named, | and the waning moon,
Night and evening, | the years to number.

7. At Ithavoll met | the mighty gods,
Shrines and temples | they timbered high;
Forges they set, and | they smithied ore,
Tongs they wrought, | and tools they fashioned.


To me, this sounds like the establishment of civilisation. Establishing rules, constructing municipal buildings, creating tools - all things necessary when establishing a new culture or city-state. Could the gods have originally been ancestors who established the original proto-germanic culture?

Petitioning the Aesir and Asynjior

Distasteful as it is to me, I had occasion to petition the gods and goddesses of the northern pantheon the other day. Normally, I don't like asking to be bailed out of a situation that, most likely, I got myself into. That seems, to me, so smack of Christianity and is a large part of what I consider makes them unsuitable for me for a spiritual path or world view. Asking for supernatural help to get yourself out of trouble really doesn't sit well with me - how does that illustrate the much vaunted heathen virtue of self reliance?

However, things were (and, to some extent still are) pretty desperate for me in a certain area of my life and I had something of a 'Why the hell not?' moment, causing me to petition the gods for help in remedying this situation for me.

After this cry for help, the seriousness of the matter reduced somewhat (or, at least, my perception of it did), so now I feel I owe the Aesir and Asynjior a gift in return.

The best gift I felt I had to give was to put more of my time and effort into promoting heathenry here in the UK. Both by posting more regularly to this blog (with posts that are on topic, informative and that promote discussion) and by generally just being more overtly heathen in my daily life - though how much more heathen I can be when I am 6'3" with long hair, a beard, real ale in my hand and viking metal ringing in my ears is not immediately apparent to me.

Kith of Yggdrasil forum post 2011: Pondering Tyr

Here is a blog entry I originally posted to the (sadly now defunct) Kith of Yggdrasil forum in Dec 2011 and then again to my UK Pagan blog just under a year later. Think it might have found its way to my internal martial arts blog at some point, too. Enjoy.



Posted ImagePosted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:04 pm Post subject: Tyr I've allowed Tyr to occupy my mind somewhat, perhaps in an effort to get to grips with him and any way that he might help in my Baguazhang training.

I've read the usual factoids regarding him, available from several sources. Perhaps once the chief deity until he was usurped by Odin in some areas. Sky god. Patron of combat. Lost his hand while binding Loki's troublesome canine offspring... yada... yada... yada...

At first I found him completely inscrutable. Very little information available regarding him and there seem to be very few authors willing to pontificate too much as to his nature, either.

Then I started to really think about what we know of him. He lost his hand when binding the wolf. Offered as a pledge of faith. Tyr must have known that the hand would be lost once the binding was complete. To look that giant, ravenous animal in the eye and to offer your hand without a solitary quiver of doubt crossing your face...? Any sign of unease would surely have warned Fenrir of the gods' true intent. To keep that calm under such immense pressure in spite of what pain and loss was to come. Now that calls for ice in your veins.

Similarly, Tyr is described as the only god brave enough to feed the bound Fenrir. When you consider the nature of the other gods, that is quite a claim to fame. Perhaps the statement is not meant to be literally true - Odin and Thor, for example, do not strike me as cowards - but to be hailed as the bravest of the gods is an incredible accolade.

The feeding of Fenrir also raises another interesting point. This wolf has just bitten your hand off, what kind of fairness of judgment must you show not to bear a grudge and to feed the animal? Hel, why not just let Fenrir starve, chained up helpless as he is? Obviously, Tyr's honour precludes him from such base flaws.

Indeed, Tyr's honour would have to be renowned for his hand to make sufficient a pledge for the wolf to allow himself to be bound. Let's face it, Odin or Thor would be likely to eschew honour in order to get the job done. Only Tyr, it seems, had enough honour, bravery, determination, pragmatism and foresight to offer his hand for the greater good and to secure the future - allowing the gods a chance to secure a better post-Ragnarok world...

What will I attempt to learn from him, then? It seems he has a lot of value to teach me, even from the superficial insights I have drawn for myself so far. I am looking forward to getting to know him even better, so that I can learn some of those traits of which, I must confess, I could use more.

Obviously, at the time I didn't feel the need to reference any of my claims within the little passage - but it is through plain, simple consideration and musing like this that I have come to feel myself closer to Tyr than before. No mystical mumbo-jumbo required. No chanting bollock-naked in my garden (good job, too, I only have a small balcony that is overlooked by the apartment block across the street). Nothing but a little time and thought.

Wonder if I could get closer to other aesir and asynior in this way? Might be worth thinking about... ;)

UKPagan blog July 2012: Lokke = Spider = Loki ?

Here is another post from a while ago from another pagan blog of mine (see The Valley UK Pagan forum for more goodies like this). I know I am posting a lot of this kinda thing, but I hope it gives you a better idea where I am coming from vis-a-vis my pagan path, and maybe gives you a little food for thought, too.



Now a good few years ago, when I was living in Sweden, I 'rediscovered' my paganism. Around the same time, and perhaps connected (who knows?), I had what I refer to as 'a waking dream' or hallucination which occurred just as I awoke. It was a hallucination of a bloody huge spider in my bed. Scared the shit out of me and caused me to wake my (then) girlfriend up in the middle of the night - which may have contributed to our splitting up (again, who knows?).

I have found references online to a book, "Loki in Scandinavian mythology" by a Ms Roothe which posits that Loki is, in fact, an anthropomorphic deification of spider. Apparently, spider in old Danish is "lokke", which may have mutated into 'Loki'. I am hoping that is not the only (rather tenuous) justification for the association.

The only copy of said text that I can find is at the John Rylands library here in Manchester. To access it, though, I fear I need to pay an annual subscription of £30, for access (reference only) to the library. Thing is, this is the first time I have had to put my money where my mouth is regarding the weirdish things that have happened to my around and since my 'spiritual awakening'. I have had a few of these hallucinations or what have you and I would normally write them off as the symptoms of fatigue or stress or somesuch. But as I am being more open minded and experimenting with some rather more far out beliefs than normal, I would like to investigate further.

But, £30? Not that much money, but it is a good night on the beers, or a respectable surprise gift for my baby daughter...

Have I been touched by Loki?
How will that contact affect me in the future?
Can I point out on the doll, for the benefit of the court, where Loki touched me? ;)

Pondering dedication to Odin & Loki - from Dec 2013

The below is an old blogpost of mine from around Dec 2013. By way of an update - two feet is perhaps an overestimation of the wingspan of the Huginn that I had tattooed onto my shoulder. At least 18 inches, though.



Despite having a distinctly Jungian opinion of gods, I can't ignore the fact that I feel a very strong draw to Odin. He appeals to me on so many levels, it is unreal. However, being the kind of guy who doesn't particularly want a spearshaft projecting from my perineum, I'd rather not put myself in the position of being dedicated/beholden to him.

Despite this, and despite not really being much of a 'viking'*, I'd still quite like to 'show my appreciation' for want of a better term, in some way. I already have a raven tattoo of some two feet or so in wingspan on my shoulder, but I'm looking for something else.

It will be an acknowledgement of both Odin and Loki, as I feel the two go together and would somehow feel wrong in recognising one in such a fashion without, at least, a tip of the hat to the other. Strangely, though, despite Loki's reputation, it is his blood brother that I am more wary of, by far.

I am trying to think of something I can offer that will sate the need I have to do something like this and yet won't paint a bloody great target on my gonads, if you'll pardon my French. Until I think of something I'm happy with, I'll keep things as they are. Whatever happens, I will continue to recognise and 'honour' all the gods and goddesses.

There are other gods I feel something of a connection to, also - yes. Skadi, Bragi and Freyja to name a few. I know I don't yet see gods as distinct beings, which might be a stumbling block for some people. But even as aspects of my own consciousness or Jungian archetypes, I can see no reason why I can't feel a 'draw' to them, similar in some ways to how a theist might. I also fear that allying myself to an Odinesque aspect of my own consciousness could be detrimental in a similar way to how aligning to such a god could. I have a very healthy respect for the power of the human mind, and I have a young family for which I am responsible.

And, besides, I never said I was concretely certain in my atheism. ;)



* At the very least, I am not very Viking minded. Not at all aggressive. More of a hippy, really. Though being tall with long hair and beard does tend to cause others to bring up the Viking label without any impetus from me.

Gullveig: Thrice burned, thrice reborn - A Viking Phoenix or something more?

Taken from an earlier post on my blog at The Valley (www.ukpagan.com)

I've been spending some time thinking about Gullveig.

For some reason, the Aesir pierce her with spears and burn her three times...

This alone got me thinking of how those actions alone are reminiscent of a shamanic ordeal to reach altered states of consciousness. She is, after all, thought by some to become a great seer, a volva, after this ordeal. Three times reborn could be descriptive of her being reborn to take on another role. Of course, "piercing with spears" can also be a euphemism for something else... ;)

And the name, Gullveig. I am not sure precisely what 'veig' means, but Gull, iirc, means 'gold'.

Now, doesn't the norwegian rune poem contain the line:
"Fee (wealth) is a source of strife among kinsmen..."

Could Gullveig have been attacked precisely because she was (perhaps maliciously) causing strife amongst the Aesir?

I need to meditate upon this a little more, I think. Twenty minutes thought on the tram home last night maybe isn't quite enough to solve this particular mystery... ;)



Despite the further meditation I attempted, no further insights were forthcoming. Alas...

Article of mine from around 2007

Here is a response to a forum thread that I posted in around 2007. Back then, I had been a heathen for a few years, but was new to researching it on the internet - prior to that I had simply been "experiencing my heathenry" in Sweden and the UK.

Original post was on the Kindred UK pagan / heathen forum.

How do you see the Gods?

I have to say I fall heavily on the side of their being anthropomorphic representations of the forces of nature/the cosmos or abstract concepts promoted in a form that people can more readily understand. Explaining renewal/order/'justice'/culture to people even today is pretty hard. Explain that there are gods and goddesses who personify these roles and people can relate to them. Especially with the teutonic gods who are peculiarly more 'human' than many others.

But, more than this, I see there is a counterpoint to this in that the gods can also represent similar aspects of our own psyches. Thor might represent my protective instinct, my pragmatic side and also my no-nonsense approach to problem solving. Freyja might represent the my sexual side. Loki my mischevious side. The stories in the eddas and other sources can be seen as a guide to how these various aspects of ourselves interact and/or how they should be viewed/nurtured.

But, then on another level entirely, I think by following the gods, honouring them in our day to day lives, we breathe a life/more life into them. To all intents and purposes they become independent beings. All we ever know of each-other (as humans) is what our eyes see, our ears hear and, essentially, what our brains process about that person. It is the same when we bring the gods and goddesses into our lives. We see them active in the world and they have an effect on and through us.

Whether what I have reasoned means they are or are not actual, real entities, I am not yet sure. I have only just come to heathenism, but I hope through studying diligently on the evidence of how our faith was practiced traditionally, by reasoning how that should be interpreted in a modern context, and maybe with the odd moment of spiritual enlightenment, I might find out one day.

Also, please note, my knowledge of the gods and goddesses is very primitive at the moment. Forgive me if I have made any inappropriate connections or somesuch 'newbie mistake' ;)

My views differed a little back then to what they have evolved into these days. Naturally, you might say. Opinions and beliefs should always be tested and subject to change and development.

Good to see how, even back then, I was still very accepting that my way (whatever that turned out to be) would not be the only way. If only others - especially new seekers - could accept that.

Living Gods

I came across this post while reading back in my livejournal (http://5threplicant.livejournal.com) and thought it would be good to post here.


Here is something I posted to the Kith of Yggdrasil's member's forum about the nature of storytelling, mythology and the divine.

A theory I am developing to this day and which makes for great pub-pint conversation with anyone sharing a similar paganesque interest.



Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:35 pm Post subject: Living gods

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think one thing that is often a neglected part of our faith is one key difference between modern heathenry and its original form.

In times gone past, the stories of our faith were living things, evolving and growing with each progressive telling. Breeding, if you will, as new stories were created to join the old. Dying as less popular or lesser known stories were forgotten and blew away in the smoke of the campfire. When skalds told new tales of the gods and heroes, if those tales didn't sit right or were somehow wrong, then they simply would not be enjoyed and not remembered and retold. Good stories that added something to the fame of the god or hero or that simply entertained would be appreciated, remembered and retold.

These, however, were not the static, codified stories written in books like those we pore over today. They had no one true version so that each word of the story could be pored over, examined and argued over. They were tales told around the campfire. They'd be embellished and exaggerated with each telling. Altered at the whim of the storyteller or at the behest of his audience. Truly a living tale and, with the potential for other tales to be created in the future, they were tales that imbued the protagonist with life. What would Thor do upon the next telling? Or the next?

When I read the Eddas, they can feel like an obituary. A recounting of the deeds of someone from the past. Great and glorious deeds, for certain. Deeds providing us with something to aspire to and lessons to be learnt, but deeds which are a fait accompli. Over. Something that was done in a world of the past, involving the people and events of the past and something I need to reassess for application in my own, contemporary world.

This is why I am beginning to feel that we have lost something very important by relying on the same, almost canonical stories from our mythology. A great mythology it is with much to benefit those who study it. But it is not as vibrant as it was when it came in the form of an oral tradition.

However the stories came about, whether the work of one or more skalds with an incredible imagination, the codified knowledge of a venerable gothi, the chronicles of ancient kings, gods, or whatever - that all seems to be of secondary importance to me. I enjoy the great mysteries as much as anyone. Philosophy and theology provide manna for my intellect that I would hate to have to do without. But I feel the stories themselves are so much more to so many more people. Accessible and of value to all, they encapsulate all that is good about heathenry and tell a damn good tale to boot.

I feel the stories need to be told again. Need to breathe and evolve. To escape from their current bondage within the written word and roam free as evolving, breeding entities.

Now, one problem, I foresee is that any skald brave enough to create his own Lay would doubtless come under an immense amount of flak from those for whom his portrayal of the gods and heroes in question didn't ring true. That is the way of contemporary heathenry, it seems - 'what I don't like shouldn't be...'. I can't imagine this happened all those moons ago. As I stated earlier, I feel that those stories that were less popular would simply fade away through natural selection.

This would also help to reinterpret heathenry in a modern context by creating stories of the gods and heroes at large in the modern world. It also might help heathenry reach a wider audience, too.

Obviously, I am biased, fancying myself as something of a Skald, but what I'd like to know is what kinds of stories about the gods and heroes would people want to hear around the campfire?
_________________
D.

Pondering Tyr

I decided some time ago to crosspost (read: steal) this from my post on the Kith of Yggdrasil members' forum and post it onto my blog at UKPagan. Now, in turn, I repost it again here, hoping to bring it to a wider audience.  I've been pondering Tyr ever since I wrote this and gradually feel myself being drawn toward him (mentally, spiritually, theologically - however your worldview prefers to describe it).

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:04 pm Post subject: Tyr I've allowed Tyr to occupy my mind somewhat, perhaps in an effort to get to grips with him and any way that he might help in my Baguazhang training.

I've read the usual factoids regarding him, available from several sources. Perhaps once the chief deity until he was usurped by Odin in some areas. Sky god. Patron of combat. Lost his hand while binding Loki's troublesome canine offspring... yada... yada... yada...

At first I found him completely inscrutible. Very little information available regarding him and there seem to be very few authors willing to pontificate too much as to his nature, either.

Then I started to really think about what we know of him. He lost his hand when binding the wolf. Offered as a pledge of faith. Tyr must have known that the hand would be lost once the binding was complete. To look that giant, ravenous animal in the eye and to offer your hand without a solitary quiver of doubt crossing your face...? Any sign of unease would surely have warned Fenrir of the gods' true intent. To keep that calm under such immense pressure in spite of what pain and loss was to come. Now that calls for ice in your veins.

Similarly, Tyr is described as the only god brave enough to feed the bound Fenrir. When you consider the nature of the other gods, that is quite a claim to fame. Perhaps the statement is not meant to be literally true - Odin and Thor, for example, do not strike me as cowards - but to be hailed as the bravest of the gods is an incredible accolade.

The feeding of Fenrir also raises another interesting point. This wolf has just bitten your hand off, what kind of fairness of judgment must you show not to bear a grudge and to feed the animal? Hel, why not just let Fenrir starve, chained up helpless as he is? Obviously, Tyr's honour precludes him from such base flaws.

Indeed, Tyr's honour would have to be renowned for his hand to make sufficient a pledge for the wolf to allow himself to be bound. Let's face it, Odin or Thor would be likely to eschew honour in order to get the job done. Only Tyr, it seems, had enough honour, bravery, determination, pragmatism and foresight to offer his hand for the greater good and to secure the future - allowing the gods a chance to secure a better post-Ragnarok world...

What will I attempt to learn from him, then? It seems he has a lot of value to teach me, even from the superficial insights I have drawn for myself so far. I am looking forward to getting to know him even better, so that I can learn some of those traits of which, I must confess, I could use more.

Obviously, at the time I didn't feel the need to reference any of my claims within the little passage - but it is through plain, simple consideration and musing like this that I have come to feel myself closer to Tyr than before. No mystical mumbo-jumbo required. No chanting bollock-naked in my garden (good job, too, I only have a small balcony that is overlooked by the apartment block across the street). Nothing but a little time and thought.

Wonder if I could get closer to other aesir and asynior in this way? Might be worth thinking about...