Wane Wyrds

FREJA   John Bauer (public domain) What is Vanatru?...it is a question that popped into my mind tonight. I mean I obviously know how to define it for the layperson, but what does it mean to me? What would I consider the core tenets, or beliefs of Vanatru, for myself? What differentiates Vanatruar from a Vanir focused Asatruar? I thought perhaps it would be interesting to write a post about what I believe is the core of Vanatru. {{{{TENETS}}}} of Vanatru 1. a belief in the Vanir gods, and a pledge of loyalty.          To be Vanatru, I believe it is essential to believe in the "realness" of the gods. You may conceptualize this in any number of ways, but a belief in the Vanir is essential. To be VanaTRU you are pledging yourself as true to them, it is a Prioritized relationship. This does not bar the belief in other gods, but rather expresses your loyalty to them as metaphorical kin. UPDATE: Due to some secondary feedback (thanks for leaving ...

Detail from THE HAY WAIN: John Constable  The wain is an item that often appears within the Vanir myths. It has been connected to many of the major Vanir gods, including Freyr and Nerthus. In the simplest terms, the wain is a drawn cart. It was usually pulled by horses or oxen. At some point in history, the term was modified by its exposure to Anglo Saxon and Old English languages, which explains the introduction of the guttural g, changing the term into one more recognizable, wagon or waggon. The wain was a cart used predominantly for agricultural products and other cargo, rather than the transportation of human beings. This makes sense in relation to the Vanir, given that they are beings associated closely with the earth and agriculture. The interesting thing about the wain in the Vanir myths is that it is often depicted with a ritual or religious function. For example, the only mentions we have of Nerthus come through the works of Tacitus, a Roman historian in the 1st c...