Viking mythology and all that goes with it

Beave, yeah, to a large extent the cultural expressions are still the same. I'm in a rush today (over slept), so I'll get back to you with a better reply later - it's one of those big topics that cannot really be answered with just a short "yes" or "no".

EZ, naw, I have enough with Loke, don't need to add another trouble maker demi-god to the collection...LOL. I did do some other stuff, though, that did not entail the riding of brooms, but sacrificing of other items instead.

Hel, yeah, you bet - the future groom is going to be one lucky a-hole, because whatever he does or is, he won't be worthy of my daughter. Help! I'm turning into my mother... Applying braided gold thread to to garb today. I think I am going a bit over board, but it's all period, and I will want to look like my kid's worth it when I go into negotiations. The problem as I see it, is that I lay awake at night planning which stitch to use and what I can change etc. Not getting much sleep...
 
Tyra said:
Beave, yeah, to a large extent the cultural expressions are still the same. I'm in a rush today (over slept), so I'll get back to you with a better reply later - it's one of those big topics that cannot really be answered with just a short "yes" or "no".
Click to expand...

Right on, I totally understand. I see you've got a lot on your plate these days -- I was wondering if you ever got any sleep at all!

But yeah, if you ever get any spare time and are in the mood, a little insight into how the fiery berzerkers from the north evolved into the lovable "Swedish chefs" we know today would be much appreciated. :)
 
Ok, I just finished bottling my newest batch of mead. This is the "Bifrost" recipe. It's a dry-ish mead, but this time I added some sparkling solution (a honey/water/yeast mixture) so it will be fizzy. It's my latest experiment. Sure hope the bottles don't explode! Maybe they could be considered a kind of Viking grenade...
 
Tyra:
I want to see pics of your finished garb too! It sounds so fancy you are making me jealous hehehehe. Your family will be well-dressed Vikings indeed. I actually don't have anything with fur on it except for a fake fur trim on my woolen cloak and fox fur trim on my hat. Its just too warm here for all that fur. I am also working on a new treasure necklace that has 2 silver coins (not period unfortunately, but from 16th cent) and the middle size of these pendants http://www.ragweedforge.com/hejslund.jpg ,along with glass beads. My older necklace just has glass beads and a replica byzantine coin in the center. I wish there was a store around here that sold silk...I would have to order it. Speaking of fabric I just splurged on some pretty blue and gold brocade for some byzantine stuff...I just couldn't resist, it was so pretty. I really need to get things together but its hard when its "SCA on a tight budget" so I tend to buy bits and pieces here and there when I see good prices. I do have pics of my latest completed project, which is an embroidered pillowcase. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/SwordMaiden77/all1_small.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/SwordMaiden77/process_progress_small.jpg
It looks like that embroidered runecloth (first I need to look that up to see what it is before I make it) that someone wanted will have to wait since I have my hands full at the moment.

Runesinger:
"Moms are always too soft. They can't resist making their daughter all pretty - even at the expense of their own attire." Oh, that is so my mother! Its a "mom thing" hehehe. Hmm...I have never had sparkling mead before. I hope it turns out great! It sounds yummy so far.

Speaking of pretty garb I hope betrothal isn't on my mother's mind when she insists upon nice garb and jewelry...you never know with European parents...marriage seems to always be on their minds hahaha.

Beave:
I was wondering the same thing about why generally Scandinavians are more reserved and avoid things like being boastful and the like when their Norse ancestors were the complete oposite. In my opinion, it seems to have something to do with the Protestant Reformation and the rise of Puritanism and such, but I really have no idea. I laugh every time I see that citibank commercial. Tyra is right about that being a typical thing. Also, the fact that generally Swedes and Norwegians don't always get along makes it funny too.
 
On the topic of the reservation of Scandinavian peoples:

I found these Northern Virues in a book that belonged to my Grandfather Lars:

1. Gifting is praiseworthy.
2. Generosity is praiseworthy.
3. Moderation is praiseworthy.
4. The maintaining of frith in all circumstances is praiseworthy.
5. Courage is praiseworthy.
6. The seeking of good over ill is praiseworthy.
7. Hospitality is praiseworthy.
8. Courtesy is praiseworthy.
9. Tolerance is praiseworthy.
10. The pursuit of wisdom and knowledge is praiseworthy.
11. The defense of freedom is praiseworthy.
12. Industriousness is praiseworthy.
13. Vigilance is praiseworthy.
14. The protection, nurturing and forbearing of kin is praiseworthy.
15. Showing respect for elders is praiseworthy.
16. Loyalty to friends and kin is praiseworthy.
17. Keeping an oath is praiseworthy.
18. Honoring the sanctity of marriage is praiseworthy.
19. Refraining from mockery is praiseworthy.
2o. Refraining from arrogance is praiseworthy.
21. Making kin, honor and justice more important than gold is praiseworthy.
22. Cleanliness is praiseworthy.
23. The maintaining of one's dignity in all situations is praiseworthy.
24. Good organization is praiseworthy.
25. Persistence is praiseworthy.
26. The rule of law is praiseworthy.
27. To try ones steel against an opponent fairly is praiseworthy.
28. Respect for the dead is praiseworthy.
29. For a man to never strike a woman is praiseworthy.
30. To not abuse one's power is praiseworthy.

[To my best knowledge, I translated these from the Norwegian correctly, my grandmother helped and she is fluent.]

My grandmother tells me that these virtues were taken from the 'trulog' and 'sagamal'. I have never really checked authenticity or anything, I trust my elders.

But anyway, according to these, one should be reserved and avoid arrogance, maintain dignity, and all that. Not sure if that helps, but its my two cents worth.

[p.s. if anyone does know what these are from, a little insight would be appreciated, my elders are long dead and their knowledge of it has been lost]
 
I agree with Bates, it's probably from the Hávamál, if you read it you'll find things that look a lot like that ones (I don't remember very well because it's been a long time since the last time I read it), but for example look at this text, is a translated piece, they tell the same thing::
Cattle die,
kinsmen die,
likewise you will die;
but the name
will never die,
of one who has done well.
 
Yes, Sagumál is a compilation of virtues taken from many of the ON texts and combined into one, Havamal being one of those texts. It used to be available on-line, but I think that site is down these days. It was the same one that had that great version of the Havamal, called Havamal for New Yakas. Anyhow, it's a good resource, and it begins to answer Beave's question quite a bit, actually.
For starteds, you must, as Beave said, consider 1000 years of Christian influence, but at the root of it all sits that list of virtues above. Second, you have to consider that what you find in writing is the ideal, and not necessarily what happened in reality. I just got back from a big archaeology conference, where I went to a seminar on this (among other things). The researcher in question had studied Celtic grave material, and had come to the conclusion that these people, who glorified raids and war in their lore, did not do anywhere as much of it in the real world as they did in the stories. The women were always depiced as spinning, but their skeletons also did not show signs of repetitive actions that would have been the result. The researcher's opinion, and mine, is, that being a warrior was what defined a man as a man, and being able to spin a fine yarn was what defined a woman as a woman. That doesn't mean that you did that all of the time in reality. The lore is full of archetypes, not only when it's about gods and goddesses.
Anyhow, Beave, the raiding and such had to stop with the true uptake of Christianity, but much of the spirit and the ideals that lay behind it still permeate within Scandinavian society today. For example, a Scandinavian woman will always be more equal to a man than an American. That was one of things that we just refused to give up. It was even written into the first law books. Christian women were non-entities, but we had the right to inherit, marry and divorce as we pleased, we had a voice at the Thing, and within the marriage, a woman's worth was just as high as a man's. The old ways are reflected in how we raise children, in our drinking customs, how we do bussiness (specifically with foreigners) and in many other ways, some of which are so subtle that it takes careful study to notice them. The most noticable thing that makes us Swedes Swedes, so to speak, is that everyone is supposed to be equal to everyone else - nobody gets to be better or worse in any way, everyone has to be average, so for someone to be better, we all have to become better. Thus education is free still to this day, for example. The warrior spirit is in there (you can see it when someone picks on any of our neighbouring countries or when we play hockey etc), but it is expressed in many different ways besides from direct fighting. As you can see from the list above, fighting is a last resort. It's about being sly, about acting like Odin in Gylfaginning, about the holy idea of the frith just as much as the idea of war. Raids were not done out of anger most of the time, but as a way of maintaining ones status in society. As other new ways were developed for this, the needs for raids became obsolete, just like they did for the Celts after conversion. Anyhow, there's more to this, but I've seriously got to run. Will continue another time! Kind of crazy comeing back after a week away!
 
Tyra said:
Anyhow, Beave, the raiding and such had to stop with the true uptake of Christianity, but much of the spirit and the ideals that lay behind it still permeate within Scandinavian society today. For example, a Scandinavian woman will always be more equal to a man than an American. That was one of things that we just refused to give up. It was even written into the first law books. Christian women were non-entities, but we had the right to inherit, marry and divorce as we pleased, we had a voice at the Thing, and within the marriage, a woman's worth was just as high as a man's.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the misogynistic nature of Christianity has had tragic consequences for women over the years. For the Scandinavians to largely side-step this aspect of it is most admirable.

The warrior spirit is in there (you can see it when someone picks on any of our neighbouring countries or when we play hockey etc)
Click to expand...

Ah, now that you say that, I suddenly remember my favorite hockey player who also happens to be Swedish: Peter Forsberg. That guy is a class act all the way. He's a true juggernaut on the ice, but still maintains a relatively quiet and modest demeanor.

It's all starting to come together for me now... thanx a bunch Tyra!
 
Forsberg rules, even with crappy ancles. The only hockey players I like more than "Foppa" are, of course, the world's greatest brothers, Mr Hegg and Mr Carlsson, (Johan, b t w is an awesome hockey player) and my husband. Mind you, I have not seen Runesinger in action. I hear she's litterally pretty mean on a pair of skates!
 
Beave said:
Ah, now that you say that, I suddenly remember my favorite hockey player who also happens to be Swedish: Peter Forsberg. That guy is a class act all the way. He's a true juggernaut on the ice, but still maintains a relatively quiet and modest demeanor.
Click to expand...

definetly a class act...

but seriously, I love Foppa to no end!! (sorry about being off topic, this clip just cracks me up)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Brekke said:
definetly a class act...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c33sEyWyhLM
but seriously, I love Foppa to no end!! (sorry about being off topic, this clip just cracks me up)
Click to expand...


Ah, but you overlooked a key modifer in my statement: but still maintains a relatively quiet and modest demeanor. And by "relative," I mean relative to guys like Jarome Iginla.;)
 
Bates said:
Slightly off-topic, but I've finally found a decent meadery in my area.
http://www.piscassic.com/index.html

And the most important part of all...
We are now offering Mead in 5-liter mini-kegs. These kegs are only available directly from the winery, and availability is limited. Please call or email for prices, hours, and availibility.
Click to expand...


pfffftttt.....


call me a mead snob, but I would try to find some local brewers before I went to "commercial" meads.......


you need to contact me.
 
Question: I bought this awesome looking Tshirt at the pagan fest.. a Tyr shirt with a longship in front and in the back theres written "Foroyar, mitt land"... (the first "o" is crossed").. I know what "mitt land" means but whats "Foroyar"? (it better be some cool shit).
 
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