Odin
Odin as Vegtamr, or Way-Tame
Oðinn kunni þa íþrótt, er mestr máttr fylgði, ok framði siálfr, er seiðr heitr, en af þuí mátti hannvita ørlog manna ok óorðna hluti, suá ok at gera monnum bana eða óhamingiu eða vanheilendi, suá ok at taka frá monnum vit eða afl ok geta oðrum. En þessi fiolkyngi, er framið er, fylgir suá mikil ergi, at eigi þótti karlmonnum skammlaust við at fara, ok var gyðiunum kend sú íþrótt.
Óðinn had the skill which gives great power and which he practiced himself. It is called seiðr, and by means of it he could know the fate of men and predict events that had not yet come to pass; and by it he could also inflict death or misfortunes or sickness, or also deprive people of their wits or strength, and give them to others. But this sorcery is attended by such great ergi that men considered it shameful to practice it, and so it was taught to priestesses (Ynglingasaga 7).
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Odin has over 300 heiti (from the Old Norse heita, 'to be called') or by-names, the majority having to do with His identity as warrior and king, according to scholar Neil Price. My relationship with Him is in a more esoteric vein, as one who manipulates consciousness, being, and form. It is not that I consider this modality in any way superior to those other, more martial aspects, but that He elects to interact with me as the master of seiðr (frequently Anglicized as "seid") and altered states. In these interludes His presence permeates me completely. This is my experience of the mysterious and controversial state of ergi/argr : being so filled with Odin that my will is sublimated, ecstatic sensations course through me, the very air scintillates, I laugh and weep in equal measure, and am overwhelmed. It's a liminal and transformative state, the energy of creation channeled for the High One's use as He sees fit.
For all that scholars and contemporary practitioners of seið (Jenny Blain, Jan Fries, Bil Linzie, Robert Wallis, etc) debate, discuss, dispute and refute exactly what seið is, my identity and role--Odin's seiðberendr--doesn't appear to be accurately represented in anything written thus far, excepting Neil Price's Religion and War in Iron Age Scandinavia, (reviewed here) which I highly recommend to anyone seeking a comprehensive, neutral, and exhaustively researched presentation of ancient Norse spirituality and practices. The author's scholarship is peerless, in my opinion, and extremely valuable because of its objectivity. He states, "with regard to 'seid', as an archaeologist I find this re-use of the past fascinating, though irrelevant for the interpretation of the ancient belief system on which it is loosely based. I have no spiritual interest in it whatsoever, but this may not be the case for some of the readers of this book." (Religion and War in Iron Age Scandinavia, p.23, 'A Note on Seid')
In lore, there is only one reference to the seiðberendr, in stanza 33 of the Hyndluljóð. I've seen it variously translated as "wizard," "sorcerer," "seid bearer," and "worker of charms." Dr. Price's cultural and etymological analysis of the term reveals the intense and heavily stigmatized nature of the identity I inhabit on a daily basis and that analysis has its own section on this site. I quote Price so very heavily not to plagiarize, or because I personally require validation of my experience, but because I know how controversial this sort of matter is, among conservative elements of those following the Northern pantheon most especially. It's hard to deny what's true when someone as learned as Dr Price has laid it all out so very thoroughly, although I'm sure someone will try.
Scholarly discourse pales in comparison to Odin's presence, as I've attempted convey in writings in the Grove section. To to my knowledge my personal gnosis is unique. I know others whom Odin has approached, but none of them have the same dynamic or else have chosen to remain silent for discretion's sake. One of Odin's earliest injunctions to me was to put aside all fear, including fear of censure, as we regain this lost mystery.
I see being ergi as doing Odin's work, being His agent on this plane in the manner which He dictates. I do not "inflict death, misfortunes, or sickness" as Odin did in the above passage. We work together for weal, not harm, and we do so in a manner which has been denied or misunderstood for far too long.
Óðinn had the skill which gives great power and which he practiced himself. It is called seiðr, and by means of it he could know the fate of men and predict events that had not yet come to pass; and by it he could also inflict death or misfortunes or sickness, or also deprive people of their wits or strength, and give them to others. But this sorcery is attended by such great ergi that men considered it shameful to practice it, and so it was taught to priestesses (Ynglingasaga 7).
_______________________________________________________________________________
Odin has over 300 heiti (from the Old Norse heita, 'to be called') or by-names, the majority having to do with His identity as warrior and king, according to scholar Neil Price. My relationship with Him is in a more esoteric vein, as one who manipulates consciousness, being, and form. It is not that I consider this modality in any way superior to those other, more martial aspects, but that He elects to interact with me as the master of seiðr (frequently Anglicized as "seid") and altered states. In these interludes His presence permeates me completely. This is my experience of the mysterious and controversial state of ergi/argr : being so filled with Odin that my will is sublimated, ecstatic sensations course through me, the very air scintillates, I laugh and weep in equal measure, and am overwhelmed. It's a liminal and transformative state, the energy of creation channeled for the High One's use as He sees fit.
For all that scholars and contemporary practitioners of seið (Jenny Blain, Jan Fries, Bil Linzie, Robert Wallis, etc) debate, discuss, dispute and refute exactly what seið is, my identity and role--Odin's seiðberendr--doesn't appear to be accurately represented in anything written thus far, excepting Neil Price's Religion and War in Iron Age Scandinavia, (reviewed here) which I highly recommend to anyone seeking a comprehensive, neutral, and exhaustively researched presentation of ancient Norse spirituality and practices. The author's scholarship is peerless, in my opinion, and extremely valuable because of its objectivity. He states, "with regard to 'seid', as an archaeologist I find this re-use of the past fascinating, though irrelevant for the interpretation of the ancient belief system on which it is loosely based. I have no spiritual interest in it whatsoever, but this may not be the case for some of the readers of this book." (Religion and War in Iron Age Scandinavia, p.23, 'A Note on Seid')
In lore, there is only one reference to the seiðberendr, in stanza 33 of the Hyndluljóð. I've seen it variously translated as "wizard," "sorcerer," "seid bearer," and "worker of charms." Dr. Price's cultural and etymological analysis of the term reveals the intense and heavily stigmatized nature of the identity I inhabit on a daily basis and that analysis has its own section on this site. I quote Price so very heavily not to plagiarize, or because I personally require validation of my experience, but because I know how controversial this sort of matter is, among conservative elements of those following the Northern pantheon most especially. It's hard to deny what's true when someone as learned as Dr Price has laid it all out so very thoroughly, although I'm sure someone will try.
Scholarly discourse pales in comparison to Odin's presence, as I've attempted convey in writings in the Grove section. To to my knowledge my personal gnosis is unique. I know others whom Odin has approached, but none of them have the same dynamic or else have chosen to remain silent for discretion's sake. One of Odin's earliest injunctions to me was to put aside all fear, including fear of censure, as we regain this lost mystery.
I see being ergi as doing Odin's work, being His agent on this plane in the manner which He dictates. I do not "inflict death, misfortunes, or sickness" as Odin did in the above passage. We work together for weal, not harm, and we do so in a manner which has been denied or misunderstood for far too long.
