landvaetter

 The Landvaetter

These are two excerpts from mine and Melanie’s conversation about the Landvaetter in the ritual: (Yule 2003)

 …what [is] this ritual is for, exactly [?]. 

Balance. Carrying on among the overarching celebration of the tilt of the season and the return of the Sun at Solstice, the basic theme of the ritual is of dynamic reciprocity and building “community”. That while we might often think of the dynamic equilibrium of life taking place on several levels – really they are all related to each other. We will all symbolically integrate the levels to make all of us stronger.

The basic message (ok, I’m really trying to state it basically!) is that as the universe, the earth and sun, the seasons, the cycle of life, matter and energy follows a pattern of organic, dynamic reciprocity -- renewal on whatever scale – so too can we have a healthy life, family, friendships, community, relationship to the gods and nature by remembering to participate in the covenant, if you will, of the same.

 Of course, this is nothing new to people, we all know about give and take. But, it is good to muse about it a’times J. 

-- The symbolism of either burning something on the Yule fire or taking it home is a little shaky -- why would doing either work? The two actions don't seem to point the same direction. What are you asking for, exactly? This might work, but it's not clear yet.

 Ok, the idea of the tokens. Originally Jeffery and I were a little split on this but came to the accord that these represent both:

1. the gifts or blessing that we receive from the land (oversimplifying here, but -- properties like food from the good earth, fresh air, warmth of the sun, clean water, the importance of self challenge and need (ice)
2. and the gifts, qualities, or “sacrifices” that we balance our world with – those things that we offer back. Whether to others in our community, our family or friends, the earth, or the world at large. That is, in EAFWI order again for example: composting and working in a pea-patch garden, writing a book, fostering a loving relationship, speaking truth among friends, and struggling through months of job hunting, re-training or re-locating to find work.

 Why doing either sacrificing the token on the Yule fire or keeping it works is (and this is part of what we’ll restate at least three times throughout the ritual) that if someone feels that they have enough of a surplus of this particular quality in their life or themselves -- what ever it may be or how they want to define it – that they feel that they already are or can return some of that energy to the earth, or the community, or a project… then they symbolize that by turning right around and sacrificing it on the fire. They could even state something as a pledge.

 If they feel that this is something that they need, or are not in a place right now that they can do that, then they should hold on to those tokens as a reminder of the strengths that the earth will always offer them, the things that they can perhaps call on the “community” for help with, or the things that they are working toward. When we are able to return this energy, even in some small form (the gods don’t distinguish between the size of an honest offering), then the token can be offered back to the earth (burn, bury, throw into the lake…). This is a time that people if they wish could state what they are working toward or maybe what they could use help with.

 Ideally we will all be able to look more closely throughout the coming year at how we are maintaining a healthy relationship in our lives of giving and receiving. The cycle of spiritual, energetic and mundane reciprocity is as the cycle of life; as we receive from the growing earth so too can we compost and replenish it and plant again to carry on. As I am filled with the beauty of a hawk wheeling in the clear, cold sky so too can I take my kid camping and help him learn about the beauty and wonder of the wild.

 (Here my inner eco-Jungian-beatnik gestures and acts out): “Part of it is the wild hunt you know -- off in the cold, winter wilderness, making the epic, mythical journey, soul-searching, getting back to your wild self, in touch with the space, man.”

 Background information on elements, directions and realms 

Norse mythology defines five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Ice.

 The five elements correspond roughly to five of the nine Norse realms: Midgardr – the physical Earth (Jord), the center, the land of men, and the material realm; Jotunheimr – the Air, the east (auster), and the land of the etins; Muspelllheimr – the land of creative and destructive Fire, the south (sudthr), and the land of the dwarves; Vanaheimr – the Water, the west (vestur), and the land of the Vanir gods and the elves; and Nifleheimr – the land of creative and destructive Frost or Ice, the north (nordthur), the land of the frost giants. Traditionally, all of these realms are conceived as being arrayed among the three general “layers” -- above, middle, and below -- among the three dimensional axis of the world tree Yggdrasil.

 Runemistress Freya Aswyn lists slightly different correspondences in Northern Mysteries and Magick (Llewellyn 2002), whereas the above is gleamed from Nigel Pennick (Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition, Thoth 1989). She notes that Earth’s direction is to the north, and Ice merely to the realm of Niflheimr.  Since we in the Sylvan Tradition don’t assign directions to the elements and won’t be holding the Landvaetter’s realms to that placement (except for Earth at center), this point is moot.

 As we have it, the other Landvaetter’s elemental realms will be placed: Fire/Muspellheimr at the fire walking area in between the house and the stone fire circle/altar (Earth/Midgard); Air/Jotunheimr will be at the gate to the path down to the cabin and the treehouse; Water/Vanaheimr will be out at the Fey garden; and Ice/Niflheimr will be just opposite to that across the fire circle near the tree line. Does this sound good to everybody?

 Of course, given the time of year and it’s weather, if it proves dreadful outside, we’ll change this a bit for an indoor ritual, having all Landvaetter follow one another’s address in a common area, either within the circle or standing a few steps up on the stairwell.

 Qualities associated with these realms, elements and directions: (also drawn from the traditional meanings of the runes associated with these realms, tutelary beings and gods):

Earth: everyday life, ego, manifestation, Earth Mother, the only realm subject to time, center, connected to all other realms.

Air: chance, stress, testing, change, chaos

Fire: vital energies, active

Water: growth, erotic energy, balance, structure

Ice: passive, dormant, resistance, need, challenge, the runes I  h  n

Background information on Landvaetter

As to be expected in a mythology ripe with many spiritual realms, gods, beings, an active ancestral presence, magic, runecraft, ect. There are several types of indigenous guardian spirit other realm forms found (the wights): the disir and alfar – ancestral female spirits and fey; house spirits; the fetch or fylgia – “someone who accompanies”, a personal spirit, tends to be corporeal and often in animal form; the hamrannur or shapeshifters – faintly shamanistic overtones, turning into animals, includes the berserkers and ulfserkers (“bearshirts” and “wolfshirts”); nature spirits and guardian spirits of the land, the vaetter and landvaetter.

 These last also take on shifting qualities of form and could be elven and fey; elementals; animistic spirits tied to one particular grove of trees, piece of land, body of water, or a large stone for instance; or shifting into animal forms. It was fairly common practice to make offerings and hold rituals to their honour.  Because the majority of historical Scandinavia lived as farmers and in close-knit extended families on the same piece of land for generations, it only seems reasonable that they afforded the guardian spirits of their land a good deal of respect.  

These are the beings that we will be honouring through the course of the ritual, who will impart their particular blessings and wisedom to the people as they journey to their realms, and who will help stress the ritual’s (other) theme of dynamic balance or reciprocity as a way to healthy relationships, environment, community and spiritual practice.  Well, true, the Solstice celebration is one of dynamic balance as well! 

The speech’s need not be long or incredibly detailed (indeed we’d all rather they weren’t as it will be cold!), but I think that a few concise, poetic lines on their salient qualities, a good strong “presence”, bringing on the theme in the context of the particular Landvaetter, and imparting the blessing/token and the challenge would work perfect.

We figure that the token could be as simple as a length of ribbon in appropriate colours (i.e. green, white, red, blue, pale blue…) or something else very small, organic and burnable.  Unfortunately, note that burning fur, leather or feathers indoors is likely to raise a heck of a smell. If you’d like, I have reams of those colour of ribbons I can furnish. Hmm… I’ll bring them anyway. 

Animal qualities in Norse mythos-

The country of Iceland reputably has four Landvaetter that protect it: a dragon, a vulture, an ox, and a giant. In reading through the myths and folklore about Northern animals I’ve been able to draw some broad elemental correspondences to the following animals. Of course, if you are moved to integrate another appropriate animal, plant, familiar, being… into your part, do so. 

Earth: bear, wolf, dragon

Air: raven, owl, boar, goat

Fire: fox, wolf, horse, cat

Water: salmon, orca, seal, wolf, dragon

Ice: snowhare, caribou, seal, bear

 This is an excerpt from Stone Creed Grove’s Yule ritual, and as you can see, the Landvaetter also envelope many of the parts and beings of the earth. This is much akin to Native American and Japanese Shinto beliefs; indeed most animist philosophy that all things are imbued with vital force and sacredness.

Offering to the Landvettir. The Horn is filled with Cider and elevated, saying:
”To all those who dwell in this land we give honor. Kindreds of the soil, of the waters, of the sky; clans of tree and herb, of stone and stream and lake; tribes of bird and beast and creeping things; you we remember with honor as we drink. In the season of the sleeping earth we ask the spirits of the land to loin us at our fire and feast, that all wights of good will may be blessed.”

The Horn is passed as all sing a chant to the Nature Spirits.

“Fur and Feather and Scale and skin, different without but the same within,
Many of body but one of soul, through all creatures are the worlds made whole.”

When this is done the remnant of the Horn is poured into the Offering Bowl, saying:
”Let all the earth and sea and sky receive with us the blessing of Yule!
Landvettir, accept our sacrifice!”

Some notes on the animal lore that I could find: 

  Raven: (Old Norse: Hrefn. Runic: hrafn) Sacred to the Celtic god-king Bran, sacred to Odin (his companions Huginn & Muninn – “Mindful & Desirous” or “Thought & Memory”). Odin is the Raven God “Hrafntyr”. The Viking luck-flag was call the “Raven Banner” bore the black raven of Odin. Raven brings luck to the house where they nest and it is unlucky to kill one. The warrior’s bird. Corvids have a spirit that travels between Asgard, Hel, the Heaven world, and the Underworld. They have the ability to travel into any of the nine worlds and to span the depths and heights of the self. Represent wisedom, intelligence, and the ability to see all. Cunning,  magic, death, intellect, shamanic journeying. 

Goat: (ON: geit) The Horned One. Sacred to Thor, his twin goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr (“Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder”) drew his chariot. Mother Berka (“Birch”, also called Pertcha, Bertcha) a Crone-mother goddess common in Northern Yule mythos to this day, rides her goat “Gnasher Skeggi”. While Odin rode on the Wild Hunt, Mother Berka made the rounds to various families on Yule nights accompanied by her goat, a bundle of birch twigs, and a large sack. To those families in need she sacrificed Gnasher Skeggi to make a rich stew – but declared that none should break the bones for the marrow. Once the feast was consumed, Mother Berka placed Skeggi’s bones into her bag, gave it a shake and out came the goat good as new. If Skeggi returned lame however, she knew that someone hadn’t listened to her warning and broke his bones, wherefore she would grab the offending person (in the stories it is usually a child), stuff them into the bag and steal them away. She was also responsible for claiming and caring kindly for unwanted and orphaned children. Both Odin, Thor and Mother Berka have combined in various degrees to produce the background for the Santa Claus mythos.

In modern Scandinavia it is still common for the Julbok or Julbukk to carry gifts, accompanied by Julnissen, or elves. 

 Bear: (ON: Bar. Runic: bar)) Combination of seeming opposites:  hibernation, home, introspection, careful, quiet seeker – and – awesome strength, fortitude, fury. True wilderness. Earth powers.)Wilderness. Earth powers. Omnivorous. One of the most famous of the hamrannur/ shapechangers, Berserkers wore a bear hide or “bear-shirt” to gain strength in battle.  Show of strength as the best means of defense. The Polar bear was the Snow Queen’s companion and the “Northern King”. 

Snow hare: Becomes color of snow in winter – camoflague. Pretty. Swift and silent. Gift giver (food source for carnivores). Hare-in-the-Moon. Snow-walker. 

Caribou or Reindeer: Integrally bound to the Sami people’s nomadic herding culture. Provides meat and hides, pulls sleighs, herded but not quite domesticated. Santa’s reindeer. Caribou are the North American equivalent.

Santa's reindeer most probably evolved from Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Eight reindeer pull Santa's sleigh, representative of the eight solar sabbats. In British lore, the stag is one of the five oldest and wisest animals in the world, embodying dignity, power and integrity. From their late Autumn dramatic rutting displays, stags represented strength, sexuality and fertility. As evidenced by multiple prehistoric excavations of stag antler ritual costumes, the wearing of stag antlers in folk dance recreated the sacred male shaman figure called Lord of the Wild Hunt, Cernunnos, or Herne the Hunter, among others--he who travels between worlds, escorting animal spirits to the afterlife and sparking wisdom and fertility in this world. Likewise, the stag's branching antlers echo the growth of vegetation. In America, the stag represents male ideals: the ability to "walk one's talk," and powerfully, peacefully blend stewardship and care of the tribe with sexual and spiritual integrity.

In Northern European myth, the Mother Goddess lives in a cave, gives birth to the sun child, and can shape shift into a white hind, or doe. Therefore, the white hind was magical, to be protected and never hunted. In myth, graceful running women of the forest--who were actually magical white hinds--brought instant old age or death to hunters who chased them.

To the Celts, all deer were especially symbolic of nurturing, gentle and loving femaleness. White deer hide was used to make tribal women's clothing. White deer called "faery cattle" were commonly believed to offer milk to fairies. In Britain amongst the Druids, some men experienced life-transforming epiphanies from spiritual visions or visitations by white hinds, balancing and healing their inner feminine energy. In Europe white hinds truly exist, and are many shades of warm white cream-colors, with pale lashes--otherworldly in their peaceful and modest behavior.To many Native American tribes, deer are models of the graceful and patient mother who exhibits unconditional love and healthy, integrated female energy.

 Arctic Wolf: (N: Ulf, Runic: ulf) “Active protection”. Magic of night, song, winter, another of the fearsome warrior hamrannur, the hunt, persistence, wisedom; the strength of pack, family, or tribe bonds. Also associated with the Wild Hunt – called “the Dogs of God”.

 Dragon: Symbolizes the web-like nature of reality, the connectedness of all life. Associated with treasures, the earthly wealth and hidden subterranean streams of Earth energy 

 Horse: (ON “Hengest”, “Horsa”, “Drasil”, and “Hester”.) Considered sacred and one of the totemic animals of Odin (his horse Sleipner, the eight-legged) and Frey, they were also sacrificed at important funerals. Known as soul carriers and along with wolves and dogs were a part of the Wild Hunt. Their behavior was used to predict the outcome of battles. Associated with the rune e or Ehwaz, “Transmission, Horse, Partnership, graceful Adjustment” and r or Raido, “Riding, Journey, the active will, ritual, balance.” 

Boar: (ON: Svin, runic: swin ) Wild boar, “formidable opposition”.  Sacred to the god Frey. The boar was the mainstay of any Yuletide feasting (along with copious amounts of mead). Oaths and boasting were sworn over it before it was eaten.

   In Heathen times the sonargöltr (hallowed Yule boar) was led in and the holiest of oaths were sworn upon it, as is recorded in Helgakviða Hjorvarþssonar (The First Lay of Helgi Hjorvarthsson):
   "In the evening (Yule-eve) vows were made: the sacrificial boar was led in, men laid their hands on him and swore dear oaths as they drank from the hallowed cup."
Then it was taken and slaughtered (not in a state of fear, but quickly) for the Yule feast. It was believed the soul of the animal went straight to the Gods, while its flesh provided the holy feast. In later times or among those too poor to own pigs, a special boar-shaped bread would take the place of the Yule boar.”

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