From the translator of the bestselling Poetic Edda (Hackett, 2015) comes a gripping new rendering of two of the greatest sagas of Old Norse literature. Together the two sagas recount the story of seven generations of a single legendary heroic family and comprise our best source of traditional lore about its members—including, among others, the dragon-slayer Sigurd, Brynhild the Valkyrie, and the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok.
The Wanderer's Hávamál features Jackson Crawford’s complete, carefully revised English translation of the Old Norse poem Hávamál, newly annotated for this volume, together with facing original Old Norse text sourced directly from the Codex Regius manuscript. Rounding out the volume are Crawford’s classic Cowboy Hávamál and translations of other related texts central to understanding the character, wisdom, and mysteries of Óðinn (Odin). Portable and reader-friendly, it makes an ideal companion for both lovers of Old Norse mythology and those new to the wisdom of this central Eddic poem wherever they may find themselves.
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 CUNDILL HISTORY PRIZE Valkyries: the female supernatural beings that choose who dies and who lives on the battlefield. They protect some, but guide spears, arrows and sword blades into the bodies of others. Viking myths about valkyries attempt to elevate the banality of war – to make the pain and suffering, the lost limbs and deformities, the piles of lifeless bodies of young men, glorious and worthwhile. Rather than their death being futile, it is their destiny and good fortune, determined by divine beings. The women in these stories take full part in the power struggles and upheavals in their communities, for better or worse. Drawing on the latest historical and archaeological evidence, Valkyrie introduces readers to the dramatic and fascinating texts recorded in medieval Iceland, a culture able to imagine women in all kinds of roles carrying power, not just in this world, but pulling the strings in the other-world, too. In the process, this fascinating book uncovers the reality behind the myths and legends to reveal the dynamic, diverse lives of Viking women.
Inherited through the line of the berserker Angantýr and his war-loving daughter Hervor, the ever-lethal, shining sword Tyrfing and its changes of hands frame the uncanny story of The Saga of Hervor and Heiđrek. A second heroic saga, Hrólf Kraki and His Champions, recounts the daring deeds of the members and entourage of the ancient Danish house of Skjoldung. Passed down orally in pre-Christian Norse times, transmitted in writing in medieval Iceland, and here wielded by the hand of Jackson Crawford, the tales told in this volume retain their sharp edges and flashes of glory that never fail to slay.
From the ashes arises the sacred lore of the North, the ancient stories and proverbial wisdom of the satr religion. Mighty Gods and fierce Giants battle in the never-ending struggle between order and chaos, while men seek honor and glory in the eyes of their beloved deities. After many years of research and piecing together sources, now comes the first known holy text ever presented for the satr faith. Giving these ancestral accounts in their true, epic form, The satr Edda is designed as a religious work by and for the men and women of this path. In reconstructing this sacred epic, the idea is to create a living storytelling tradition that will honor the legacy of the ancient Teutonic peoples, while providing an in-depth source of satr wisdom for our modern world.
A practical guide to the magical systems of pre-Christian Iceland • Reveals spells and workings drawn directly from surviving magical books from the 16th to 20th century preserved at the National Library in Reykjavík • Explores the history of magic in Iceland through original translations of Icelandic folktales about famous magicians and about legendary grimoires, such as the Galdrabók, the oldest and most complete book of its kind • Explains how to personalize the spells through the creation of unique signs and symbols based on the mythic names of Odin and Icelandic magical alphabets During the Christianization of Europe in the Middle Ages, many books of magic were lost as the ancient pagan traditions were suppressed. But in Iceland the practice of recording magical spells in books continued in secret for centuries, on a scale not seen elsewhere. Now housed in the National Library in Reykjavík, these surviving grimoires, which represent only a hundredth of what was lost, reveal a rich magical tradition that continued to evolve into the 20th century. Drawing directly from the actual surviving Icelandic books of magic, Stephen Flowers presents a complete system of magic based on Icelandic lore and magical practices from the 16th century onward. He explores the history of magic in Iceland in pagan and early Christian times and reveals specific practical techniques and ritual templates that readers can adapt to their unique purposes. Illustrating traditional Icelandic magical practices and the Icelanders’ attitudes toward them, he shares original translations of Icelandic folktales about famous magicians, such as the legend of Gray-Skin, and about legendary grimoires, such as the Galdrabók, the oldest and most complete book of its kind. After initiating the reader into the grammar and symbols of Icelandic magic through history and lore, Flowers then presents an extensive catalog of actual spells and magical workings from the historical Icelandic books of magic. These examples provide ready-made forms for practical experimentation as well as an exemplary guide on how to create signs and symbols for more personalized magical work. The author also includes guidance on creating unique magical signs from the 100 mythic names of Odin, which he translates and interprets magically, and from Icelandic magical alphabets, symbols that connect Icelandic magic to the ancient runic tradition.
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The Viking Spirit is an introduction to Norse mythology like no other. As you'd expect from Daniel McCoy, the creator of the enduringly popular website Norse Mythology for Smart People (Norse-Mythology.org), it's written to scholarly standards, but in a simple, clear, and entertaining style that's easy to understand and a pleasure to read. It includes gripping retellings of no less than 34 epic Norse myths - more than any other book in the field - while also providing an equally comprehensive overview of the fascinating Viking religion of which Norse mythology was a part. You'll learn about the Vikings' gods and goddesses, their concept of fate, their views on the afterlife, their moral code, how they thought the universe was structured, how they practiced their religion, the role that magic played in their lives, and much more. With its inclusion of the latest groundbreaking research in the field, The Viking Spirit is the ultimate introduction to the timeless splendor of Norse mythology and religion for the 21st Century.
Embark on a Vitki and Völva Initiation with my fully comprehensive guide to Heathen Sorcery, featuring full-page, color illustrations of rune spirit worlds. Here's how to perform Sinister Shamanism with the most revered gods in world history. In Heathen: A Viking Grimoire of Norse Sorcery, you will learn: Fully modernized initiatory pathworking Rituals for evocation, pacts & spells DIY help with relics, altars & shrines 31+ sigils for gods, goddesses & monsters 10 color illustrations of astral rune-scapes 100% compatible with Left Hand Path As a young boy in Scotland, my father would recite the exciting legends of the Norse Gods and Goddesses to me every night at bedtime. In my dreams I performed magick with these deities and became like an apprentice. From the Wise Wanderer Odin who hanged himself from a tree to discover the runes, to the Mighty Thor slaying the Frost Giants to protect Midguard, to the Goddess Freyja who rode in a chariot pulled by cats... these ancient heroes and heroines became dear friends and their worlds became a second home to me. My name is Asbjörn Torvol, and I have carefully formulated my entire lifetime of authentic experiences into a modern grimoire called Heathen: A Viking Grimoire of Norse Sorcery. For the first time ever, it provides a fully comprehensive guide to a magick initiation known as The Path of the Vitki & Völva. Utiseta: Meditation & Trance techniques to introduce you to the Norse Astral workings - Chapter 3 Dedication & Maegan: Dedication Rituals to build influence and favor with the Gods - Chapter 5 Pacts: Making agreements with certain Gods to further your relationship with them - Chapter 5 Self-Initiation: Rituals for Initiation that cuts out the need for a third party, so you can be initiated by the Gods themselves - Chapter 6 Vé Detailed methods on how to set up shrines and altars to the Gods - Chapter 9 Relic Creation: How to create your own magickal tools - Chapter 7 Protection Magick: Norse methods of protection magick from simple to complex - Chapter 7 Cleansing & Grounding: Norse methods of Cleansing and Grounding to connect with nature - Chapter 8 Lokkr: Evocation of over 31+ Gods, Goddesses & Monsters told of in the historical tales - Chapter 10 Sigils: Gorgeous, artisanal sigils for each God and entity never before done by another magician - Chapter 10 Galdrstafir: Norse Magickal sigils for manifestation and methods on creating your own - Chapter 12 Rune Magick: Methods and techniques of discovering and learning the runes and their magick - Chapter 13 Together we aspire to make history, not just reconstruct it. I still walk this path one foot at a time moment by moment and will for the remainder of my life. It is a living book. I hate dogma and leave you room to accommodate your personality and preferences in it. Let my grimoire Heathen: A Viking Grimoire of Norse Sorcery provide the do-it-yourself help necessary to skyrocket the ascent of a modern Vitki and Völva along the Norse path. This grimoire does not aspire to just reconstruct history... it aspires to make history. Stay true & stay awesome, ASBJÖRN TORVOL
