Temple Development Projects
 Unknown artisans at the Ribe VikingeCenter, Denmark. Photo is linked to the Center and you can see footage of its creation at their site. |
God pole(s) and steam house
There is to be a steam house constructed in Odin's Grove. It is integral to the Temple as healing space.
History of the Nordic Bath Mikkel Aaland's well-researched website describes the key role a steam house once played in Norse spirituality and culture, prior to the conversion away from pagan beliefs. We tend to think of "sauna" as purely a Finnish institution, but it was a tradition all over the north, as the Swedish "badstuga", Russian "bania" and Norwegian "badstue." The sanctity of the sauna was supported by ritual and strict propriety. "These stubborn people," wrote an astonished Swedish economist in 1776, "even connect the sauna with their theology and think the sauna building is some kind of shrine." It was, and will be, exactly that. Odin, and the Grove's birch vaettir are adamant. I've been gathering information on this project for a long time, and know what building style will be used (cordwood masonry) and what plan will be used, as well as how to rot proof the wood in a non-toxic manner. It will be a radial design with a central support pillar. Odin wants that pillar to be His godpole, similar to the one being crafted at left. The artisan creating Breidablik's godpole(s) will be Ken Packie. I spoke to him last summer and he was quite eager to undertake the project. He estimated it would cost about $300.00 to create a pole which would be non-toxic and capable of weathering conditions inside a sauna-like environment. Your contribution can be earmarked for the godpole, if you choose. Ingvi Freyr's godpole will be erected at the site of his golden hops vine planting, and will likely be the center of a trellis for the vine. The form of the trellis remains to be discovered, but an Ingwaz rune shape seems to be the most probable. |
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Cretan jibsail style windmill, for irrigation A perpetual concern at Breidablik, water for the horses and gardens is hauled, presently. This is a time and energy consuming task, year-round. I, Jalkr, worked at an appropriate technology museum & homestead during 1984, and at that time became impressed by the Cretan jibsail windmill, a low-budget piece of appropriate technology frequently used overseas, for irrigation purposes. I located a .pdf plan online, "How to Build a "Cretan Sail" Windpump for Use in LowSpeed Wind Conditions," by Mann, R.D. London: Intermediate Technology Publications, Ltd., (c) 1979. I know from the history of this farm that access to a good well site is very possible in the Temple space. There will be lots of opportunity for participation in this project, which, while not seeming spiritual at first glance, gives appreciation for the water and wind vaettir, while enabling better care for the stock and garden. The pasture shade trees planted last year may have died, from lack of water. With a low-tech, adjustable Cretan mill pumping into a cistern, that could have been avoided. A cistern storage/trench watering system would meet our needs admirably. |
