Wane Wyrds

"Freyja Wandering" Amber is an organic gem, which is created over hundreds of thousands of years. Amber itself is actually simply solidified tree sap, which is why one often finds inclusions and organic objects and small creatures such as insects inside. It is the softest gemstone on earth in its solidified state, and if place in fire will eventually melt, releasing a fragrant scent which is common enough that most would recognize it immediately. For a Vanatru like myself, the gemstone of Amber is also connected to the Goddess Freyja herself. Baltic amber is some of the most sought after amber in the world, often washing up on the Baltic shores, in a myriad of colors such as cherry, green, yellow, and the commonly known traditional buttery copper color we call amber. Though the etymology is uncertain, both amber and gold are known as Freyja's tears, and many modern day followers of the Goddess Freyja choose to wear this stone in honor of her. Amber is called Fre...

I was reading about the Vanic God Kvasir, whose blood created the Mead of Poetry, and came across something that struck me. In the Skaldskarparmal, the story goes that Kvasir, the wisest of the Vanir, was invited to the home of the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar, supposedly for a private interview. When Kvasir arrived the two dwarfs killed him and placed his blood in three containers, two cauldrons and a kettle. This blood was eventually mixed with honey to create the Mead of Poetry, or Poetic Inspiration, which Odin eventually acquired. Now there is a general agreement by scholars that this story, and the creation of Kvasir from the spittle of both the Aesir and Vanir, is a metaphor for ancient practices of brewing as well as peacemaking practices involving the sharing of mead or beer. I think that is probably likely myself, but I was also struck by a particular bit of information in the story itself, and that is what I want to discuss here. The Wikipedia article on Kvasir states that when t...