Finding the Fetch: Misconceptions in Heathenism and Paganism
Is this what we've come to? Finding ones personal fetch, or animal fylgia, is something that I have been reluctant about discussing, mainly for the reason that within both heathen and pagan circles, I feel the misconceptions of this concept run deep. But it is something so very important to me as a heathen, that I feel it is time for me to discuss my perceptions of the fylgia, as well as these misconceptions. I think part of the reason the term fylgia is so confusing, is that in the old languages, the word itself had more than a singular meaning. Often it was used interchangeably with other terms within some of the literary sources. The word fylgia is often associated with the haminja, or personified luck force of the individual. Also, the word fylgia and dis were often used interchangeably, leading to more confusing. In previous posts, I have discussed how the word disir can denote any feminine being, but is most often associated with a sort of ancestral guardian spirit which is m...