It is time for some more calls to the gods and other wights; it was in late November that I last posted some. Like the previous ones, these calls are also two stanzas of ljóðaháttr. Today I’m presenting calls to Thor, the Elves, the Aesir, and the Vanir. (The astute and well-read may notice some Dumezilian trifunctional aspects adapted into the last two.)
Author: Eirik Westcoat
Freyr and Gerd
As may or may not be thought appropriate for a certain secular holiday, I present a short poem about the betrothal of Freyr and Gerd. It would not be wrong to think of it as a very short poetic summary of the Skírnismál from the Poetic Edda. Numerous interpretations of the Skírnismál are possible, and I won’t try to summarize any of them here. Suffice it to say that there is much going on in that poem.
My poem here is in ljóðaháttr. The spelling has been mostly anglicized here. Note that the Old Norse name “Freyr” is not so much a name as it is a title. It actually means “Lord.” Thus I can assure you that the last half stanza is still a reference to Freyr and not to a certain monotheism.
An Ullr Poem
While it is still winter in the northern hemisphere, I present a poem in honor of Ullr, one of the gods most associated with winter. This is perhaps because he is associated with skis, a distinction he shares with Skaði, who is also connected with wintertime.
There is not much lore about Ullr, but I have worked most of it into this poem. In stanza one, the unusual surfing reference comes from the Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus (which is also the source of the variant name Ollerus). Stanza two is inspired by Atlakviða (stanza 30), which seems to connect Ullr to the swearing of oaths. Ull’s dwelling in Ýdalir is mentioned in Grímnismál 5, though I have added the idea of winter winds being there. The other half of stanza three is inspired by Ull’s connection to hunting via archery. The first half of stanza four is built from the attributes that Snorri ascribes to him (Gylfaginning 31). The poem is in fornyrðislag.
The Virtue of Perseverance in the Lore
It is one of the major themes of my blog that the lore should be made operative and used in modern heathen poetry. Such poetry can be put to a number of uses. In one kind of usage, it can inspire and instruct, and it should relate the lore to our modern needs. Today I present a poem that should help illustrate at least some aspects of what is meant by that.
Most American Asatruar are at least familiar with the Nine Noble Virtues, regardless of what they may think of them. (An earlier poem on this blog gives a complete list in poetic form.) It is common to say that the NNV were originally gleaned from a reading of the lore, primarily the Hávamál. At one point, I took a closer look into one of the nine, Perseverance, with the aim to discover if it was displayed in other parts of the lore, particularly the rest of the Poetic and Prose Eddas and the Rune Poems. Here is a poem I wrote based on what I found.
A Special Sumbel Toast to Odin
It’s been nearly three months since I last posted sumbel toasts to this blog. The previous ones were short, two stanza toasts. This time, I present a longer, more formal toast in honor of Odin. It is the sort of thing that I write for the more elaborate sumbels that take place at large Asatru gatherings. It is written as a seven stanza ljóðaháttr drápa, with the final stanza ending in a galdralag couplet; the refrain is italicized. To make it more friendly to my readers, I have completely anglicized the spelling of the Norse names and words. I originally wrote it as part of a three round sequence of toasts; I may post the other two toasts at some point in the future. This is also a likely future audio recording.
Audio for Vetrartímadrápa
Winter is still very much here in the northern hemisphere, and in honor of it, I present an audio recording of my poem Vetrartímadrápa. Last week’s audio, The Six Treasures, was in the ljóðaháttr style. This one, however, is in the fornyrðislag style, so you’ll probably be able to notice a distinct difference in the rhythm between the two poems when recited out loud.
Audio for The Six Treasures
Today I present the first of what will be many audio recordings on this blog, starting with my popular and award wining poem, The Six Treasures.
Books for the Asatru Alliterative Poet
For a change of pace this time, I have a book list for you instead of a poem. These are some books that I would recommend to the modern would-be Asatru alliterative poet, with short commentary on each. Many have references to older languages such as Old Norse or Old English. This is generally unavoidable, as all the great exemplars of the form are in those languages.
1. Hollander, Lee M, trans. Old Norse Poems. London: Abela P, 2010.
2. —. The Poetic Edda. 2nd ed. Austin: U of Texas P, 1962.
Invaluable resources for the alliterative poet, as Hollander translates the old material into Modern English while retaining the original meters as he understood them. His language can be a bit archaic at times, and often sacrifices literal accuracy for the sake of the meter. But the latter is exactly why the alliterative poet should read them. He also includes a brief explanation of the meter in his Edda translation.
The Mead Quest
Here is one of my favorite early poems, based on the tale of Odin’s winning of the poetic mead from Snorri’s Edda. A version of the tale exists in the Havamal, but it clearly has some differences. I have written it as a lore poem in eight stanzas of ljóðaháttr. In this one, the spelling has been completely anglicized. Since mead is strongly identified with poetry in the Old Norse tradition, this tale allowed for a tight interweaving of the two concepts, especially in the first and last stanzas. (As a change, I have now put the first stanza prior to the break.)
The poem is called “The Mead Quest.”
Honor I Odin
by eagerly pouring
that precious and potent mead.
How he won
that wynnful draught:
that spell I speak in verse.
The Skaldic Eagle 