ELEMENTS OF TEUTONIC RITUAL
In Teutonic religious practice, there are some elements which are fairly consistent throughout most rituals. These are elements of which you should be aware in constructing your own rites; they should serve as loose guidelines, though not as necessities. The outline which I offer here is the simplest form of a “basic” Nordic ritual, which you can incorporate into whatever personal workings or dramatic enactments of myth you wish.
GATHERING THE FOLK
When it is time for the rite to start, you may wish to have a more ceremonious gathering than just shouting, “Hey, get over here!” Favored methods have included the sounding or striking of an instrument, banging of a sword or spear against a shield, and a singer or herald with a loud voice calling out a few ritual lines of invitation. Such a gesture is not needful, but it is useful for setting the ritual mood and getting everyone into their places in the shortest possible time.
THE HALLOWING
This part of the rite is performed when you are working in your home or other such place where everyday life usually takes place. It serves to create a ritual space in which you may work more directly with the god /esses and ghosts – a place that stands half in the Middle-Garth, half in the worlds beyond, and into which no unholy or unfriendly wight may tread; on a psychological level, it heightens your awareness of things of the soul and blocks out distractions which might interfere with your communion with the god/esses. For this reason, the hallowing is not necessary in any of the places which are considered wih-steads (see the chapter on Holy Steads). The hallowing, indeed, can be seen as creating a temporary garth of the soul around the space where the ritual is taking place.
In many ways the hallowing is similar to the circle-casting of the magician, but the level of energy is not usually so intense, nor does a great danger exist if the bounds of the garth are crossed during a religious rite. Indeed, as you will notice, several of the dramatic rites for the greater seasonal blessings in this book specifically integrate a figure bringing a holy gift from the realms without into the community of folk inside. In the rituals here, the figures embodied are Wodan (bearing the mead of poetry and leading the ghosts of the kin) and the Spring Bride (Eostre/Idunn, bringing the golden apples of new life). In the Eddic myths, Thunar also fares to Etin-Home to gain or reclaim treasures for the god/esses (such as Ægir's brewing-cauldron and his own hammer); any of these tales can be used as models on which to build a similar dramatic rite.
The Hallowing which I describe in this book – the tracing of the Hammer-sign at the ættir – is the simplest form possible. The four-quartered circle was not unknown to the Germanic folk – it appears, for instance, in Anglo-Saxon charm spells where the names of the evangelists set at the quarters have probably been substituted by Christian writers for the names of the heathen god/esses. Since the frithgarth is firstly an affair of the Wans, you might choose to call upon them at the quarters thus: Fro Ing in the east, the Frowe in the south, Njördhr in the west, Nerthus in the north. Otherwise, if you wish to make a rite which is specifically given to the Ases, you can call upon Thunar in the east, Tiw in the south, Heimdallr in the west, and Wodan in the north.
THE SETTING
Sometimes, especially if you are dealing with a group of folk who are not deeply versed in Teutonic tradition, you may find it well to speak a few words about the history and lore of the feast you are holding. Such a statement should remind the folk gathered there that their ancestors stand beside them in the garth; that the stream of tradition flows unblocked, though sometimes hidden, from the first celebration of the festival to you and all who have come together to keep it with you; and should generally serve both to inform about the feast and set the mood you want for its beginning – a mood which will vary from holy day to holy day. At Eostre, for instance, the feeling should be one of an anticipation, which the rite will fulfill; at the feast of Thunar (Thor), the beginning of the rite should be darkened by a mood of uncertainty and an awareness of the lowering threat of the rime-giants – a mood which the rite will banish.
THE CALLING
The Calling is simply an invocation of whichever god/esses and/or ghosts you wish to work with in the ritual. In your Calling, it is good to look up the various names and titles by which your god/esses are called and incorporate whichever of those are appropriate to the aspect which you wish to have turned towards you. This is especially good if you are calling Wodan (Odin), many of whose faces can be dire!
If you are doing a rite given to all the god/esses, it is probably simplest to speak a line or two for each of the chief ones – Wodan, Frija (Frigg), Thunar (Thor), Fro Ing (Freyr), and the Frowe (Freyja), and then simply add, “and gods and goddesses all” or some such inclusive formula.
SHARING OF DRINK
The passing of the horn is also central to most Teutonic rituals. This is usually done as a part of the blessing, in which whatever is left in the horn after the folk have all drunk from it is poured into the blessing bowl and used as the “blood” of the sacrificial bread animal, if you have one. Usually the godwo/man hallows the horn first; each of the folk then makes the sign of the walknot (Wodanic), Hammer (for Thunar; or just as a general sign of hallowing), or sun-wheel (Wanic) over it and speaks a toast. The frowe of the hall or a woman who chooses to fill the role of walkyrige, may carry the horn from person to person; otherwise, it can simply be passed. In most rites, it is passed about deosil, though when the Wanic powers are specifically being called upon, it can also go widdershins. This sharing of drink should not be neglected in solo rites, either; here you are drinking with the god/esses as a close friend, giving them half of your own horn or cup.
A symbe1 may be included as part of the ritual. This should be distinguished from the act of drinking with the god/esses; when you drink at symbel, you are taking part in the work of the Norns by shaping wyrd. If you do symbel as part of the rite, it takes place after the sharing of drink with the holy ones and the blessing. Most of the time, however, it is done as a separate rite, usually after the feast.
THE BLESSING (BLÓT)
In all the sources dealing with all the Teutonic folk, the heart of all religious workings is the making of a gift to the god/esses, either as thanks for something they have done or as a request for something you would like for them to do, or (as in the seasonal blessings) both. In earlier days, this gift was a living sacrifice which bore the message to the gods; now, it is more commonly an animal made out of bread or biscuit dough (recipe and directions in the chapter on Crafts). The type of animal varies according to the rite: a boar is traditionally used at Yule, cattle or horses at Winternights and Midsummer; a goat at the Feast of Thunar, and so forth; while a human figure made of bread might be used either at a Wodans- blót or as the symbolic “Frodhi-King” at Winternights.
This part of the rite offers the opportunity for each of the folk to put their hands on the creature and speak their own wishes or thanks to the god/esses. Thus charged, the symbolic “killing” of the bread beast by the godwo/man releases the might and the words which have been set into it by this part of the ritual, sending them straight to the god/esses.
Because the sprinkling of the sacrifice's blood upon the harrow, the stead, and the gathered folk was a primary aspect of the blessing among the Old Norse, it has become customary to substitute wine, mead, or ale poured into the blessing bowl and sprinkled about with a twig of oak or pine. This may be done whether or not a bread-creature is actually used; if you do not have a symbolic animal, then the wishes/thanks should be spoken or whispered while the horn is being passed around. The remainder is then poured out over the harrow (if the rite takes place outside) or else taken outside at the end of the blót and poured onto the earth, preferably at the roots of a tree.
The meaningfulness of the blessing to Teutonic ritual cannot be over-stressed, because this gift of might which flows back and forth between humans and the god/esses is the primary form of interaction between the realms. It is vital that we show them our thanks for the gifts we have gotten from them – the gifts of life, might, mind, and luck – and all they do so that the things of our life may go well for us. In this way we keep our troth with them and keep their friendship as well. As Wodan (Odin) says in “Hávamál” 41-2, “Giver and returner remain longest friends / if that (the exchange of gifts) is able to turn out well./ To his friend should a man friend ever be / and pay back gift for gift.” The giving and getting of these gifts is a vow in its way; to make the blessing is to swear your troth to the gods and to strengthen the bonds between you, just as gifts in the earthly realm are the tokens of alliance and loyalty.
Other ways to make gifts to the god/esses are to hang things on hallowed trees, (especially in the case of Wodan, though this can be done for any of the god/esses) perhaps attached to a wish or note of thanks written in runes; for Wanic sacrifices, the gift should be tossed into a body of water or sunken in deep mud; an Ase-sacrifice, particularly to Wodan, can be burned. Such gifts can be bread- or cookie-dough animals, or else small figures betokening the issue in question (to give thanks for surviving a car wreck, for instance, or to ask the god/esses' help concerning problems of your vehicle, you might hang up a small model car). Decorating a special tree with colored ribbons and flowers (real or artificial) on feast days is also a very traditional way of giving worship to the god/esses and wights of the land. This is done, not only at Yule, but also at the beginning of summer, usually on the various feast days between the equinox and Midsummer's.
THE CLOSING
It is often good to have some sort of short speech or gesture which marks the shift from the specifically ritual part of the event to the feasting and celebration. This can be as complex as a specific formula of thanks addressed to each of the god/esses who were called upon at the beginning of the rite, or as simple as a chorus of “So mote it be,” a blast on a blowing horn, or the striking of a staff against the ground, etc. If the folk still remain quiet, leave them be for a few moments; a mighty rite should give rise to a feeling of awe. If this silence lasts too long (again, especially if you have guests or new members), they may not realize that the rite is over; the godwo/man should then make some remark to betoken the return to spontaneous activity (the favored one in the North Texas Kindred was “Rite's over, folk – let's party!”). Alternatively, if you wish to emphasize the sense of continuity, a brief formula inviting all the wights present to the feast of celebration can be added at the end of the rite proper.
It is not needful to ceremoniously take down the circle after a simple Hammer-hallowing. However, if you have called upon the god/esses to ward the garth, you should give them spoken thanks either at the end of the ritual proper or when the feast is over.
OTHER COMMENTS
Memorized rites are better than rites read out loud. Write your rituals well ahead of time and, if more than one person is involved in the performance, PRACTICE. Don't try to get too complicated, especially the first few times.
From experience, I have found that lengthy readings from the Eddas tend to bore most people who are not already closely familiar with, and emotionally tied to, the legends of our folk. If you wish to do the poetry of the Elder Edda, it is much better to adapt it for a dramatic rendition; many of these poems may originally have been meant as scripts for folk-drama, and thus translate very easily into that medium. This does not mean that readings from the Eddas are not a good thing; they hold much might in and of themselves, and are very powerful if performed for folk who understand their meaning or read in solo rites. It is also perfectly all right to read a fitting excerpt from an Eddic poem rather than struggling through the whole thing.
A brief homily on one or more of the strengths and goods of our folk – troth, bravery, or such – or on the nature of the god/esses being worshipped at the rite is not inappropriate, if you feel the need of one; this may serve to remind those who are gathered there of the most important reasons why they follow the Northern way, and of what they must do to be worthy. If you do this, remember to keep it very short. Use only words which come from Germanic roots. Try to avoid reminding the folk of a sermon in a Christian church.
Music with the rite is, at least in theory, a very good thing. Until someone collects a heathen songbook, however, the choices are pretty much limited to (a) what you can write yourself, (b) folk-songs with a strong heathen flavor such as “John Barleycorn,” and (c) Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle. If you can find or write folksongs, be sure everyone has the music and words well in advance so that they can all sing along. The ultimate recording of the Ring Cycle is Sir Georg Solti's London (Decca Record Co. Ltd.) recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, starring such notables as Kirsten Flagstad (Fricka in Das Rheingold), Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried), Gottlob Frick (Hunding and Hagen), Hans Hotter (Wotan in Die Walküre and Siegfried), and Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde). This version is available in both records and CD.
The finest piece of heathen music yet written is Grieg's operatic fragment OIav Trygvason, opus 50, (released on CD by Unicorn-Kanchana Records, London, 1992), of which only the invocations of the Norse gods, the speech of the Völva, and a choral scene of heathen worship and rejoicing were actually completed. Many of Grieg's instrumental pieces are also appropriate ritual music, as are most of the works of Sibelius.
Some kindreds also use recordings of natural sounds such as thunderstorms, howling wolves, and so forth as very effective enhancement for ritual performance.
In Teutonic religious practice, there are some elements which are fairly consistent throughout most rituals. These are elements of which you should be aware in constructing your own rites; they should serve as loose guidelines, though not as necessities. The outline which I offer here is the simplest form of a “basic” Nordic ritual, which you can incorporate into whatever personal workings or dramatic enactments of myth you wish.
GATHERING THE FOLK
When it is time for the rite to start, you may wish to have a more ceremonious gathering than just shouting, “Hey, get over here!” Favored methods have included the sounding or striking of an instrument, banging of a sword or spear against a shield, and a singer or herald with a loud voice calling out a few ritual lines of invitation. Such a gesture is not needful, but it is useful for setting the ritual mood and getting everyone into their places in the shortest possible time.
THE HALLOWING
This part of the rite is performed when you are working in your home or other such place where everyday life usually takes place. It serves to create a ritual space in which you may work more directly with the god /esses and ghosts – a place that stands half in the Middle-Garth, half in the worlds beyond, and into which no unholy or unfriendly wight may tread; on a psychological level, it heightens your awareness of things of the soul and blocks out distractions which might interfere with your communion with the god/esses. For this reason, the hallowing is not necessary in any of the places which are considered wih-steads (see the chapter on Holy Steads). The hallowing, indeed, can be seen as creating a temporary garth of the soul around the space where the ritual is taking place.
In many ways the hallowing is similar to the circle-casting of the magician, but the level of energy is not usually so intense, nor does a great danger exist if the bounds of the garth are crossed during a religious rite. Indeed, as you will notice, several of the dramatic rites for the greater seasonal blessings in this book specifically integrate a figure bringing a holy gift from the realms without into the community of folk inside. In the rituals here, the figures embodied are Wodan (bearing the mead of poetry and leading the ghosts of the kin) and the Spring Bride (Eostre/Idunn, bringing the golden apples of new life). In the Eddic myths, Thunar also fares to Etin-Home to gain or reclaim treasures for the god/esses (such as Ægir's brewing-cauldron and his own hammer); any of these tales can be used as models on which to build a similar dramatic rite.
The Hallowing which I describe in this book – the tracing of the Hammer-sign at the ættir – is the simplest form possible. The four-quartered circle was not unknown to the Germanic folk – it appears, for instance, in Anglo-Saxon charm spells where the names of the evangelists set at the quarters have probably been substituted by Christian writers for the names of the heathen god/esses. Since the frithgarth is firstly an affair of the Wans, you might choose to call upon them at the quarters thus: Fro Ing in the east, the Frowe in the south, Njördhr in the west, Nerthus in the north. Otherwise, if you wish to make a rite which is specifically given to the Ases, you can call upon Thunar in the east, Tiw in the south, Heimdallr in the west, and Wodan in the north.
THE SETTING
Sometimes, especially if you are dealing with a group of folk who are not deeply versed in Teutonic tradition, you may find it well to speak a few words about the history and lore of the feast you are holding. Such a statement should remind the folk gathered there that their ancestors stand beside them in the garth; that the stream of tradition flows unblocked, though sometimes hidden, from the first celebration of the festival to you and all who have come together to keep it with you; and should generally serve both to inform about the feast and set the mood you want for its beginning – a mood which will vary from holy day to holy day. At Eostre, for instance, the feeling should be one of an anticipation, which the rite will fulfill; at the feast of Thunar (Thor), the beginning of the rite should be darkened by a mood of uncertainty and an awareness of the lowering threat of the rime-giants – a mood which the rite will banish.
THE CALLING
The Calling is simply an invocation of whichever god/esses and/or ghosts you wish to work with in the ritual. In your Calling, it is good to look up the various names and titles by which your god/esses are called and incorporate whichever of those are appropriate to the aspect which you wish to have turned towards you. This is especially good if you are calling Wodan (Odin), many of whose faces can be dire!
If you are doing a rite given to all the god/esses, it is probably simplest to speak a line or two for each of the chief ones – Wodan, Frija (Frigg), Thunar (Thor), Fro Ing (Freyr), and the Frowe (Freyja), and then simply add, “and gods and goddesses all” or some such inclusive formula.
SHARING OF DRINK
The passing of the horn is also central to most Teutonic rituals. This is usually done as a part of the blessing, in which whatever is left in the horn after the folk have all drunk from it is poured into the blessing bowl and used as the “blood” of the sacrificial bread animal, if you have one. Usually the godwo/man hallows the horn first; each of the folk then makes the sign of the walknot (Wodanic), Hammer (for Thunar; or just as a general sign of hallowing), or sun-wheel (Wanic) over it and speaks a toast. The frowe of the hall or a woman who chooses to fill the role of walkyrige, may carry the horn from person to person; otherwise, it can simply be passed. In most rites, it is passed about deosil, though when the Wanic powers are specifically being called upon, it can also go widdershins. This sharing of drink should not be neglected in solo rites, either; here you are drinking with the god/esses as a close friend, giving them half of your own horn or cup.
A symbe1 may be included as part of the ritual. This should be distinguished from the act of drinking with the god/esses; when you drink at symbel, you are taking part in the work of the Norns by shaping wyrd. If you do symbel as part of the rite, it takes place after the sharing of drink with the holy ones and the blessing. Most of the time, however, it is done as a separate rite, usually after the feast.
THE BLESSING (BLÓT)
In all the sources dealing with all the Teutonic folk, the heart of all religious workings is the making of a gift to the god/esses, either as thanks for something they have done or as a request for something you would like for them to do, or (as in the seasonal blessings) both. In earlier days, this gift was a living sacrifice which bore the message to the gods; now, it is more commonly an animal made out of bread or biscuit dough (recipe and directions in the chapter on Crafts). The type of animal varies according to the rite: a boar is traditionally used at Yule, cattle or horses at Winternights and Midsummer; a goat at the Feast of Thunar, and so forth; while a human figure made of bread might be used either at a Wodans- blót or as the symbolic “Frodhi-King” at Winternights.
This part of the rite offers the opportunity for each of the folk to put their hands on the creature and speak their own wishes or thanks to the god/esses. Thus charged, the symbolic “killing” of the bread beast by the godwo/man releases the might and the words which have been set into it by this part of the ritual, sending them straight to the god/esses.
Because the sprinkling of the sacrifice's blood upon the harrow, the stead, and the gathered folk was a primary aspect of the blessing among the Old Norse, it has become customary to substitute wine, mead, or ale poured into the blessing bowl and sprinkled about with a twig of oak or pine. This may be done whether or not a bread-creature is actually used; if you do not have a symbolic animal, then the wishes/thanks should be spoken or whispered while the horn is being passed around. The remainder is then poured out over the harrow (if the rite takes place outside) or else taken outside at the end of the blót and poured onto the earth, preferably at the roots of a tree.
The meaningfulness of the blessing to Teutonic ritual cannot be over-stressed, because this gift of might which flows back and forth between humans and the god/esses is the primary form of interaction between the realms. It is vital that we show them our thanks for the gifts we have gotten from them – the gifts of life, might, mind, and luck – and all they do so that the things of our life may go well for us. In this way we keep our troth with them and keep their friendship as well. As Wodan (Odin) says in “Hávamál” 41-2, “Giver and returner remain longest friends / if that (the exchange of gifts) is able to turn out well./ To his friend should a man friend ever be / and pay back gift for gift.” The giving and getting of these gifts is a vow in its way; to make the blessing is to swear your troth to the gods and to strengthen the bonds between you, just as gifts in the earthly realm are the tokens of alliance and loyalty.
Other ways to make gifts to the god/esses are to hang things on hallowed trees, (especially in the case of Wodan, though this can be done for any of the god/esses) perhaps attached to a wish or note of thanks written in runes; for Wanic sacrifices, the gift should be tossed into a body of water or sunken in deep mud; an Ase-sacrifice, particularly to Wodan, can be burned. Such gifts can be bread- or cookie-dough animals, or else small figures betokening the issue in question (to give thanks for surviving a car wreck, for instance, or to ask the god/esses' help concerning problems of your vehicle, you might hang up a small model car). Decorating a special tree with colored ribbons and flowers (real or artificial) on feast days is also a very traditional way of giving worship to the god/esses and wights of the land. This is done, not only at Yule, but also at the beginning of summer, usually on the various feast days between the equinox and Midsummer's.
THE CLOSING
It is often good to have some sort of short speech or gesture which marks the shift from the specifically ritual part of the event to the feasting and celebration. This can be as complex as a specific formula of thanks addressed to each of the god/esses who were called upon at the beginning of the rite, or as simple as a chorus of “So mote it be,” a blast on a blowing horn, or the striking of a staff against the ground, etc. If the folk still remain quiet, leave them be for a few moments; a mighty rite should give rise to a feeling of awe. If this silence lasts too long (again, especially if you have guests or new members), they may not realize that the rite is over; the godwo/man should then make some remark to betoken the return to spontaneous activity (the favored one in the North Texas Kindred was “Rite's over, folk – let's party!”). Alternatively, if you wish to emphasize the sense of continuity, a brief formula inviting all the wights present to the feast of celebration can be added at the end of the rite proper.
It is not needful to ceremoniously take down the circle after a simple Hammer-hallowing. However, if you have called upon the god/esses to ward the garth, you should give them spoken thanks either at the end of the ritual proper or when the feast is over.
OTHER COMMENTS
Memorized rites are better than rites read out loud. Write your rituals well ahead of time and, if more than one person is involved in the performance, PRACTICE. Don't try to get too complicated, especially the first few times.
From experience, I have found that lengthy readings from the Eddas tend to bore most people who are not already closely familiar with, and emotionally tied to, the legends of our folk. If you wish to do the poetry of the Elder Edda, it is much better to adapt it for a dramatic rendition; many of these poems may originally have been meant as scripts for folk-drama, and thus translate very easily into that medium. This does not mean that readings from the Eddas are not a good thing; they hold much might in and of themselves, and are very powerful if performed for folk who understand their meaning or read in solo rites. It is also perfectly all right to read a fitting excerpt from an Eddic poem rather than struggling through the whole thing.
A brief homily on one or more of the strengths and goods of our folk – troth, bravery, or such – or on the nature of the god/esses being worshipped at the rite is not inappropriate, if you feel the need of one; this may serve to remind those who are gathered there of the most important reasons why they follow the Northern way, and of what they must do to be worthy. If you do this, remember to keep it very short. Use only words which come from Germanic roots. Try to avoid reminding the folk of a sermon in a Christian church.
Music with the rite is, at least in theory, a very good thing. Until someone collects a heathen songbook, however, the choices are pretty much limited to (a) what you can write yourself, (b) folk-songs with a strong heathen flavor such as “John Barleycorn,” and (c) Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle. If you can find or write folksongs, be sure everyone has the music and words well in advance so that they can all sing along. The ultimate recording of the Ring Cycle is Sir Georg Solti's London (Decca Record Co. Ltd.) recording with the Vienna Philharmonic, starring such notables as Kirsten Flagstad (Fricka in Das Rheingold), Wolfgang Windgassen (Siegfried), Gottlob Frick (Hunding and Hagen), Hans Hotter (Wotan in Die Walküre and Siegfried), and Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde). This version is available in both records and CD.
The finest piece of heathen music yet written is Grieg's operatic fragment OIav Trygvason, opus 50, (released on CD by Unicorn-Kanchana Records, London, 1992), of which only the invocations of the Norse gods, the speech of the Völva, and a choral scene of heathen worship and rejoicing were actually completed. Many of Grieg's instrumental pieces are also appropriate ritual music, as are most of the works of Sibelius.
Some kindreds also use recordings of natural sounds such as thunderstorms, howling wolves, and so forth as very effective enhancement for ritual performance.
(Excerpt from the book Teutonic Religion by Kveldulf Gundarsson. Used with permission. To purchase an entire e-copy of the book Teutonic Religion click on the link.