Jeg deltok for første gang på sommerblot 2021. Vel utført arrangement med arrangører som har faglig tyngde samt inkluderende, underholdene foredrag. Jeg er takknemlig for arbeidet Norse Tradition gjør, som er verdifult og viktig for å lœre om og forstå den norrøne kulturarven.Samtidig tar de tidsriktig og nøkternt avstand fra radikale holdninger. Herlig mat og drikke! Mye gode mennesker! En opplevelse for livet! Jeg anbefaler Norse Tradition på det sterkeste!

- Glenn

Andreas:

"Amazing people with great depth of knowledge about what they are talking about. I have attended 3 blots and several plays, and have never been disappointed. A safe space for everyone with lots of openness and warmth. Cannot recommend enough, a must for everyone interested in Norse tradition."

Rita:

I was at Vinterblot 2023 and met with warm welcome and creative spirits. It deepened my understanding of old Norse culture in a truly magical experience.

⚡️ New upcoming lecture in Oslo: Divine migration, how did Odin arrive to Norway? A meeting with our earliest ancestors ⚡️

In this lecture, we will dive into an unknown but very interesting topic. We will travel as far back as we can in our own cultural heritage and learn about how what we know today as Norse mythology originated.
In truly ancient times, a very exciting people existed on the Caspian steppes by the Black Sea. These people were very fond of milk, horses and warfare, and spoke what is the ancestor of Norwegian, Punjabi, Urdu, English, Russian and just under a hundred other languages. Today we call these people Indo-Europeans. In this lecture, we will learn about our ancestors - and mothers, with a special focus on what they believed in, and how their gods moved to the rest of the world - from Norway to India.
We invite everyone with an interest in Norse mythology to an exciting, educational and inspiring evening at the Scotsman Pub on Karl Johan.

Admission price: NOK 300
Entrance fee includes lectures on the theme, as well as a drink voucher that can be converted into beer, wine or something non-alcoholic at the bar! Bring all your curiosity and good humor, and join us in reviving the rich, ancient Norse cultural heritage!

After the lectures, it is of course nice if people stay at the Scotsman and discuss further over a glass of something good to drink.

#oslo #norrønt #lecture #norsepaganism #norseprojects #norsegods #odin #indoeuropean

🛖 Where will the Sommerblót take place? 🛖

Our Sommerblót will take place in the Norwegian Highlands at the beautiful Huso Lodge & Farm. With its reconstructed Viking Hall in remote and scenic surroundings, Huso Lodge creates the perfect atmosphere for a weekend of Sommerblot.
Participants will be accommodated in the contemporary Viking Hall or at the beautiful laftehytten Kongeseteren. Here the participants will stay in 2, 3, and 4-person rooms. We take into account the participants’ wishes and needs for who they share a room with as far as possible. The cabins have top facilities, with good beds, fireplaces, great showers, toilets and kitchen facilities.
During Sommerblot you have access to all the facilities at Huso: hot tubs and saunas, canoe, lake and beautiful hiking surroundings.
We recommend everyone to check out Huso Lodge’s website to read more about the place: www.husolodge.com

🎶 Sacred poetry and magical song - seidr and galdr 🎶

At this summer blot, participants will learn about two of the main spiritual techniques of Norse paganism. Both employ voice as the magical medium.

The voice and the word is sacred. Most of us are familiar with the world “mantra”, a Sanskrit word that refers to a combination of syllables, intonation and rhythm that facilitates a change in consciousness. There is a similar tradition in the North. Magical verse, meter and words formed a core part of the Old Norse spirituality, and people who were proficient in these arts were honored and feared.

This tradition is moreover divided by gender. Seidr was mostly the domain of women, whereas galdr, the use of magical verse and poetry, following a very specific rhythm and intonation, mostly was employed by men.

During this summer blot, we will divide participants into male and female workshop groups, where they will learn about these arts under the care of our team members. This is an intimate, powerful experience that will only be shared by attendees at the blot.

The lectures and workshops will be given in English this year, to accommodate foreign guests. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend, regardless of background, religion or other identity markers. All we ask is that you meet the tradition, and each other, with respect and an open mind.

Tickets can be found here, book yours well in advance to be sure that your spot is secured: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/summer-blot-2025-the-meeting-of-earth-and-heaven?lang=en

We look forward to welcoming you to a magical weekend in May!

#norsepagan #norsemythology #gealdýr #seidr #seiðr #norsepaganism #paganritual

Norse Tradition is delighted to announce that for the first time our main celebration of the year will be hosted in English: welcome to Sommerblót 2025! The sommerblót is a pagan retreat in the Norwegian highlands: a long week-end of spiritual inspiration, traditional food, amazing people and of course authentic, norse pagan ritual practice.

We will discuss the function of myth and how it influences us, individually and as a society, learn about the spiritual archetypes of the feminine and masculine within Norse paganism and through this, be given the opportunity to study what spiritual forces are closest to our personal nature. One of our focus-point for this blot-weekend is to empower participants to develop their own pagan practice, notably by creating their own idols, learning to compose their own pagan poetry and sing with the voices of our ancestors.

All are warmly welcome to a weekend beyond time and space! More infos and tickets on our website: www.norsetradition.no
#norsepagan #norsetradition #norsepaganism #pagancommunity #norsemythology #pagan #norsegods

🎭 The power of archetypes 🎭

Archetype means “ancient pattern” and refers to a pattern of behavior, or a certain characteristic, that is passed down through the time. Most of us are familiar with archetypes, even though we might not know the word. The Hero, the Wise Man and the Mother are all archetypes that live around and within us. An archetype is any person or character that embodies timeless characteristics, and who for that reason is recognizable.
Odin, in Norse mythology, is an archetype or the Wise Man. So is Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, and Dumbledore in Harry Potter. Thor is a typical archetype of the hero: someone who embarks on quests, is courageous and fights evil. We carry these archetypes within us, and we will, upon introspection, note that we have relationships to them. We aspire to different archetypes. Some of us might relate to the role of the Hero. Some might feel a pull towards the Witch, while others might be drawn to the Trickster. Understanding our own archetypal patterns, and consciously aspiring towards them can be a great tool for self-discovery and spiritual growth.
At the coming summer blot, we will explore archetypes in the Norse pagan traditions, and reflect upon which archetype pulls us. We will then, during the main ritual, invoke the power of the archetype through the spiritual techniques of the Norse pagan lineage.
The lectures and workshops will be given in English this year, to accommodate foreign guests. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend, regardless of background, religion or other identity markers. All we ask is that you meet the tradition, and each other, with respect and an open mind.
Tickets can be found here, book yours well in advance to be sure that your spot is secured: https://www.norsetradition.no/.../summer-blot-2025-the...
We invite you to a journey of self-discovery, community and empowerment, where you will meet the gods within.

#norsepagan #blot #archetypes #norsepaganism #pagancommunity #visitnorway

⚡️ Sacred kingship and the earth-goddess: the norse hieros gamos ⚡️

The hieros gamos is a spiritual term that denotes marriage or sexual union as an act of worship: a union of male and female conjoined to merge the world of spirit to that of matter.

There is evidence that points to a neolithic hieros gamos tradition in the north, where the earth itself was seen as an embodiment of the Great Mother, whom we know as the goddess Freyja. This tradition is hinted at in the historical record, and clearly manifested in what we call the “god-poems” or the poetic edda, notably the Skirnismål and the Hyndljuljod. Both of these poem are centered around a man being initiated into, or connected with, his divine ancestry by a female goddess who manifests under different forms. The male, on his side, performs an act of spiritual penetration on the female, which breaks her defenses down, and transforms her from an aggressive giantess and into her true, divine form.

This principle was also strongly associated with kingship, and the king, or earl, was spiritually wedded to the goddess through the lands over which he reigned. The fertility of said land was a direct consequence of the king’s spiritual integrity.

We will explore this topic much more in depth at this year’s blot, where the sacred union of male and female forms the central theme.

If you want to understand this concept in depth - both historically and how it can be employed in your spiritual practice - you are more than welcome to join us in the Norwegian highlands in May!

The lectures and workshops will be given in English this year, to accommodate foreign guests. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend, regardless of background, religion or other identity markers. All we ask is that you meet the tradition, and each other, with respect and an open mind.

Tickets can be found here, book yours well in advance to be sure that your spot is secured: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/summer-blot-2025-the-meeting-of-earth-and-heaven?lang=en

See you in the mountains!

#norsepaganism #norsepagan #pagan #pagancelebration #visitnorway #mythology #norsemythology #hierosgamos

Why attend a blót?

The blóts organized by Norse Tradition is a direct revival of the old Norse religion. The blóts, or communal sacrifices, were the central pulse or rhythm in the Norse pagan religious life, when high and low and young and old would gather to meet their gods. Spiritual practice in groups is powerful. Similar to how singing in harmony - in the same note and key - increases the power of the vocal vibration - so does a shared intention amplify spiritual power.

We live in a fractured world with little to no connection to tradition. We are in dire need of a genuine connection to the world around us and the people who went before. Our blóts exist to offer exactly this.

People enter the blóts for different reasons. Some come for solace from busy lives. Some attend to honor the passing of a loved one, and others join us to ask the gods to bless their new endeavours. We have attendants who have years of pagan experience behind them. Others are completely new, and seek knowledge and inspiration. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, you are invited to share in the atmosphere, power, community and spiritual power that we raise at a blót.

The lectures and workshops will be given in English this year, to accommodate foreign guests. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend, regardless of background, religion or other identity markers. All we ask is that you meet the tradition, and each other, with respect and an open mind.

Tickets can be found here, book yours well in advance to be sure that your spot is secured: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/summer-blot-2025-the-meeting-of-earth-and-heaven?lang=en

If you would like to spend an entire weekend together with other inquisitive minds, and receive empowerment and inspiration for your own spiritual practice, we warmly welcome you to the blót.

#norsepagan #blot #paganlife #pagantraditions #norsepaganism #ritual

🌿 Partake in the rich tradition of spring celebrations 🌿

The Norse culture was deeply connected with the other Indo-European cultures, and one thing they all had in common was recurring yearly celebrations.

For springtime, we find Beltane in the Celtic tradition, the Witches Nicht of the Germanic area, and Flora of the Roman tradition. Sumarmál, meaning the first days of summer, was celebrated with a grand blót in Norse society 28 days after the vernal equinox. In modern day Sweden, the first of May is still celebrated with deeply traditional dances, dress, and customs like the maypole.

This year, on the first of May, we invite you to take part in this broad Indo-European tradition of welcoming the return of summer, by joining us for a Viking Age weekend in the magical mountains of Hemsedal, Norway.

Lectures will be given, on traditional Norse spirituality and religious practice, as well as Viking Age history. We will have workshops on traditional Norse folk-magic, and will all participate in a blót ritual followed by a ceremonial and lavish feast in a reconstructed Viking Age hall. When not attending a lecture, workshop or ritual, participants are welcome to make use of saunas, outdoor hot tubs, or swimming in and canoeing the local lake.

The lectures and workshops will be given in English this year, to accommodate foreign guests. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend, regardless of background, religion or other identity markers. All we ask is that you meet the tradition, and each other, with respect and an open mind.

Tickets can be found here, book yours well in advance to be sure that your spot is secured: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/summer-blot-2025-the-meeting-of-earth-and-heaven?lang=en

We look forward to seeing you in the majestic mountains!

#norsemythology #blot #norsepagan #pagan #pagancommunity #pagancelebration #springcelebration #norseculture

The Norse Tradition is full of animals as spiritual symbols.

The wolves and ravens at Odin’s side reflecting the roles these animals play in the saga literature, as the companions of armies, awaiting the feast of the corpses left on the field after a great battle. We see the Vanir riding their sacred boars, and Thor’s chariot being pulled across the skies by magical goats, in the same way that Freya’s is pulled by lynxes.

Are these animals merely decoration? What can learn from these symbols? One of the lectures at this years summer blot will explore this theme, and we will examine how lofty spiritual principles, and practical rules of life both are animated by the symbols of sacred animals in the Norse sources.

#norsetradition #sacredanimals #odinsravens #fenrir #norsegods #norsepaganism #freya #odin #thor #blot

Norse culture, power distance and self-government

The scandinavian societies, and Norway in particular, have a strong culture of short power distance, which goes way back in history.

Power distance is about the distance between different social strata in society and how strong and clear social hierarchies are. Cultures with high power distance are often characterized by clear elites and strong dividing lines between different classes.

Norwegians don’t like this. We have an instinctive distaste for meaningless formalities and the idea that some people are better than others. We like things to be relaxed and down-to-earth, and we have done so since Norse times. His Majesty King Harald, Norway’s current king, is well-liked precisely for his down-to-earth humor and popularity, like his father, who was known to use the ski slopes in Nordmarka on an equal footing with ordinary people.

Norwegians have also repeatedly voted clearly against the EU. We don’t like to be ruled by lofty, distant bodies we don’t know. In Norse times, we set sail for Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Scotland when the royal power and the church began to usurp more power than we were used to. This is an expression of the same, primordial Norse instinct that is as evident in our sagas as in Holberg’s “Erasmus Montanus” and today’s EU resistance.

#norsetradition #norse #norseculture #thor #norsegod #blot #norway #paganism #pagancommunity

What is the sommerblot?

At every blot we have a good mix of participants, who have either attended several times before or who have never at an event organised by Norse Tradition. Both are warmly welcomed! For those who are curious, and are considering joining us, it might be a good idea to know a little about what an NT blot actually is:

The word blot, in this context, naturally refers to the highlight of the weekend, the ceremonial act of sacrifice. This year, the blot is dedicated to Thor, and the ceremony is designed specifically for this purpose. But! There’s much more to the upcoming long weekend.

Over the course of the weekend, we will go through two short and two longer lectures. In the ‘lightning-lectures’ we will talk about sacred animals in the Norse tradition and child rearing in the Norse era. The first of the two longer lectures will focus on the meeting between the Aesir and the Vanir, and how this meeting differs from related traditions where the meeting between sky gods and earth gods played out quite differently. The second major lecture will look at the structure of Norse society, and the tension between those who sought to centralise power in few hands, and those who wanted a more decentralised social order where people were much more in charge of themselves. We will also read a legend about Thor’s journey to Utgard, and talk about what we can learn from this exciting journey and how we can benefit from this legend in our own lives.

As always, we’ll also have a ceremonial banquet, with fantastic homemade traditional food with a modern twist. There will be stomps, saunas, magical summer nights, laughter, song and learning. Not to mention the fact that this year we can once again offer a rare surprise, which we won’t reveal until the time is right!

#blot #sommerblot #thor #norsemythology #norsegods #norsepagan #pagan #norwaylife #norsetradition

Norse Tradition is happy to announce this year’s biggest adventure - the summer blot!

The blot is the central norse pagan ritual. It is a communal offering ceremony - an exchange between the worlds of mankind and the realm of the gods.

The ritual is the highlight of the weekend, but we will also host a series of interesting lectures:

• Children’s position in Norse Society
• Sacred animals in the Norse spiritual tradition
• The tribal society versus monarchy: the Norse struggle for independence
• The meeting of earth and heaven: the origins of the Norse pantheon

The event takes place at beautiful Huso Lodge in the Norwegian highlands. In between rituals, meals and lectures participants can enjoy the spectacular scenery, the fresh mountains lakes, the traditional saunas and the wood-fired bathtubs.

If you want to join us you can write us or order tickets here: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/sommerblot-2024?lang=en

See you in july!

We just had our annual blot at beautiful @huso.lodge where we spoke on the topic of marriage and did a beautiful blot to Frøy as well as a proper wedding ceremony! Our team already started planning for Sommerblot 2024 - is there anything in particular you would like us to add to the program? Tickets for Sommerblot 2024 can already be purchased at our website www.norsetradition.no.

Please enjoy a short clip from our evening event 'Norrøne festpill, Nornenes Gilde - Trymskvadet' the 21.10.23. This evening event is an interactive theatrical play of 'Trymskvadet' - you know that one where Thor loses his hammer and ends up killing a bunch of giants. He might also have had to wear a wedding dress at some point but, for the sake of good weather we don't really speak about that part. We are looking forward to future events like this and hope to see you there!

#thor #thorragnarok #trymskvadet #theatre #interactivetheatre #vikinghistoryandculture #norseculturalheritage #norsetradition #norwegiantraditions #protoindoeuropean #oldnorsefest #norsefeast

Sailing the shores in Lofoten, Norway. Ever wanted to sail a viking ship? Well, you can! Travel to @lofotrvikingmuseum and join the ride.

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#vikingship #vikinghistory #vikingmuseum #lofotrvikingmuseum #lofotr #lofotennorway #norseculturalheritage #norsehistory #nordicinspiration #nosetradition #sailing #sailboats #ancientsailing

The Ulfberth Swords

Perhaps europas earliest example of branding

As written on the display:

"Real Viking Swords

These seven swords are from
the world's most comprehensive collection of artifacts from the Viking Age. Free men of the Viking age had both the right and the duty to bear arms. The old norse sagas speak of powerful swords that were passed down from generation to generation"

Courtesy of the historical museum, University of Oslo in collaboration with Avinor Oslo Airport.

Displayed at Gardermoen Airport, Norway.

#historiskmuseumoslo #oslogardermoenlufthavn #gardermoem #realvikingswords #theulfberthswords #ulfberth #ulfberthsword #norseculturalheritage #norsetradition #norsehistory #vikinghistoryandculture @historiskmuseumoslo
@oslolufthavn

Here on top of Stegastein taking in the beauty of Aurlandsfjorden. Behold !

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#aurlandsfjorden #aurlandsfjord #norseculturalheritage #norwegiannature🇳🇴 #norsknatur #norskfjord #norsetradition #paganworship #natureworship #stegasteinviewpoint #stegastein

Testing our precision at the njardarheimr archery range. A little more training should do it...

Do you practice archery? Tell us about it!
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#njardarheimrvikingvillage #archery #archerypractice #archeryrange #gudvangenvikingmarked #gudvangen

Ever been to Njardarheimer viking village in Gudvangen, Norway? If not, you probably should. If you have, you might have seen their site of worship and the anthropomorphic wooden staves that illustrate the gods. Some perhaps more authentic looking than others.

Can you recognize the gods shown in the video?

#norseculturalheritage #norsetradition #norsereligion #norsepagan #vikingbattledrums #vikingvillage #vikingheritage #paganritual #paganworship #vikingvillage #njardarheimr #njardarheimrvikingvillage #gudvangenvikingmarked #gudvangen

Battles are not only fought on battefields, they are also fought in the kitchen. Honour and glory to the chef and his team, making the taste of sommerblot an unforgettable sensation.

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#paganritual #sommerblot2023 #sommerblot #indoeuropean #indoeuropeans #vikingbattledrums #battle #theritualoffood #feast #nordicinspiration #nordicliving

Our speakers, Ragnar and Henrik, guiding us on a little journey through the proto-indo-european cultural landscape at our Sommerblot event two weeks ago. Here on the theme of kóryos. The theoretical proto-indo-european brotherhood of young warriors who, as a rite of passage, served as warriors for several years before their initiation into society as mature men.
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#koryos #protoindoeuropean #protoindoeuropeans #norsepagan #norsegods #norsereligion #pagan #norseculturalheritage #vikinghistoryandculture #vikinghistory #norsepagan

Another summer and another epic event at the magical @huso.lodge, Hemsedal.

Sommerblot is the highlight of the summer for all of us here in Norse Tradition, and perhaps also for our fellow entusiasts about the norse history, tradition, mythology and cultural heritage. This year we delved into the indo european sphere of inauguration, the warrior community and the spiritual mysterious that lie in the surface of the collective spirit.

The hero's journey and the story of the path maturity, is perhaps a very easily recognizable and relateble story for most people. Perhaps mostly told today through fantastical and fictional stories, however, these stories also have their origin in history and the communities of old. This year our participants were taken through a hero's journey of their own. We met and travelled with the norse heroes. We had a close (but safe) encounter with death and perhaps we all came a little bit closer to our warrior spirit. We hope that every participant had an interesting and rewarding experience through the events of the inauguration.

Thanks to all that participated. We hope to see you again next year and at our upcoming events.

🍻☀️⚔️

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#norsehistory #norsemythology #norsetradition #norsepagan #nordicinspiration #indoeuropeans #indoeuropean #heroesjourney #norseinstrument #norseinstruments #norseculturalheritage #theheroesjourney #spiritualinauguration🙏🏾 #spiritualjourneys

Welcome to Sommerblot 2023!

Norse Tradition is once again pleased to be able to invite everyone who is interested in history, mythology and Norse tradition to this year's highlight of Norse cultural heritage: Sommerblot. This year we will travel into the great Norse mysteries over four days, the theme for this year's event is initiation.

History is full of examples of spiritual communities that one had to be initiated to participate in. In Rome we find the mystery cults, and in Greece the Eleusinian rites. Initiates of these mystery cults claimed to have "conquered death" and met the gods face to face. In the North, we also had an initiatiory tradition, and that, dear participant, we will explore together this summer.

#sommerblot2023 #sommerblot #norsehistory #norsemythology #norsetradition #pagan #paganritual #ceremonial #ceremonialevent #sacredspacerituals #norsepagan #nordicreligion #norwegiannature🇳🇴 #norskskog

Many thanks to everyone who participated in our Norse Midsummer celebration this weekend! We got an amazingly beautiful day with lecture, swimming, blot, and cozy atmosphere the whole evening. As our first live English-speaking even, we were particularly happy to receive guests from Germany, France, Ukraine, Brazil and Mexico, among others.

Our next upcoming even is the Summerblot - and there are still a few free spots! More info at https://www.facebook.com/events/612660574018669/

NORSE MIDSUMMER
Norse Tradition welcomes you to a Norse Midsummer celebration on Saturday the 17th of June at Tryvann in Oslo.

The summer solstice is a celebration of the light, both symbolic and literally. Therefore, the celebration is dedicated to Freya, the goddess of beauty, youth, love and power: the Great Mother of the North.

We will host a lecture on Freya, who she was and how she was worshipped, and perform a ritual to this goddess. After the ritual, we’ll sing and dance, and perform a selection of old Norse lays, folk songs and dances.

This will be our first live event in English, so we hope to see many of you there!

To buy tickets for the event, follow this link: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/midtsommer

#norse #midtsommer #midsummer #pagan #norsepagan #norsegods #norsepaganism #freya #solstice #tryvann

Happy international women’s day!

Today we want to celebrate our strongest “foremothers” from Norse times. We have a long and proud tradition of wise female leaders, who made way for a more contemporary society. We want to present five women from the viking-ages who were written about in sagas, and are still remembered and honored today. This we will do each day from today and the next four days to follow, so stay tuned!

Odindisa
The housewife was highly regarded in Norse times, and had an important role in HR, agriculture, child rearing and cooking. Hosting and thus building political alliance was also an important part of their work. We have runestones that tells tales of the importance the housewife had, and the stone honoring the housewife Óðindísa is one of them, telling the tale of the best sister and housewife there ever was.

#norse #internationalwomensday #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsewoman #norsewomen

Here are some more photos from our last Vinterblot at @huso.lodge . Our participants at our blots and events in general are just amazing! They are the x-factor that make a space for expression, creativity, fun and warmth. Each blot, people have the opportunity to contribute to the Sumbl in form of jokes, bragging, or stories from the heart. We also encourage people to join in on the “open scene” we always provide after our feasts on Saturdays, sharing their musical treasures with the rest of the group. This year, we also did a ring-dance together in the hall, which we think will be a staple for years to come.

Are you interested in joining our next summerblot? Spaces are already filling up, so check out the event and get your tickets through the link before it’s too late: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/sommerblot-2023

#norse #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegod #norsegoddess #norge #norsepaganism #norseprojects #norsemagic

One of the best things about our blots is the conversations we have with people, especially around the fire pit. In this modern world, we rarely get to experience authentic human connection without distraction. At our blots, we always encourage participants to leave their phones in their rooms, and spend time with other people or in the beautiful nature surrounding @huso.lodge. We believe that taking time connecting with ourselves, especially prior to the blot, facilitates a much deeper connection to the ritual itself.

Until now, we haven’t been able to conduct rituals that English speakers can partake in. We are happy to offer a Midsummer event, where we will do a blot to mother Frøya, and of course a sumbl after. To read more about the event, follow this link: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/midtsommer

#norse #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegods #norsepaganism #norseprojects #norseproject

Here is another photo from our Vinterblot this year! The last few blots, we have dramatized a “kvad” - an old Norse story. This time we portrayed Hervar and Heidreks-saga, which we had translated ourselves to Norwegian from old Norse. The photo shows Hervar when she - leaving her “brave army of men” behind - manages to convince the ghost of her father that she is worthy to carry Tyrving, the greatest sword to ever exist.

Our next event will look a bit like this, only even more epic! We will host “Norrøne Festspill” where we perform the Lokasenna and Trymskvida at Ringnes Brygghus in Oslo on the 28th of April. Here, all guests will somehow be involved in the storytelling of the play. The event is almost sold out already, so follow the link to get your tickets before it’s too late: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/norrone-festspill-nornenes-gilde

The event will be held in Norwegian, but stay tuned for events in English!

#norse #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegod #norsegods #norsepaganism #norseprojects #norsepagans

Dear friends,
We welcome all of you to a proper Midsummer-celebration on Saturday the 17th of June at Tryvann in Oslo. The event also welcomes English-speakers, and so we hope to see many of you there!

Around the 20th of june, the solar light reaches its apex of power, and the nights are short. The summer solstice is a celebration of the light, both symbolic and literally. This celebration is both of the light and the heat that gilds the natural world, and the light and warmth we humans exchange with each other and that makes life beautiful and rich. Therefore, we would like to invite you to celebrate this year’s midsummer with a feast to Freya, the goddess of beauty, youth, love and power: the Great Mother of the North.

All enthusiasts of Norse history, heathens, historians and mythology nerds are invited to the Norwegian forest in Oslo on the 17th of June. We will host a lecture on Freya, who she was and how she was worshipped, and perform a ritual to this goddess. After the ritual, we’ll sing and dance, and perform a selection of old Norse lays, folk songs and dances. Musicians and poets are welcome to contribute!

To buy tickets for the event, follow this link: https://www.norsetradition.no/event-details/midtsommer

#norse #midsommar #midsummer #pagan #norsepagan #norsegods #norsepaganism

We have been a bit quiet here on Instagram lately, but the reason why is a good one! We just finished Vinterblot, our fourth blót at @huso.lodge, and it’s the biggest event we have ever done! We are extremely grateful that old and new faces continue to show up on our events. It’s our participants who enable us to do what we really love - spreading information and awareness about the Norse and Indo-European traditions, through lectures and ceremonies. This years Vinterblot we talked about death, the soul, and afterlife. Thus, the blot was dedicated to our ancestors. It was truly a moving experience, with stories of both happiness, love, and loss. Fueled by our participants' courage and engagement, we have set out to plan Sommerblot 2023! Can any of you guess the topic for the next blot?

The photo is of Henrik and Runar, two of our team-members, at this years Vinterblot. Stay tuned for more photos coming soon!

#norse #norsemythology #norsepagan #indoeuropean #ancestorworship #norsegods #norway #norsereligion #norsegod #norserunes

The Wild Hunt

Although most written sources on this phenomena dates from after the Scandinavian christianization, the Wild Hunt itself is evidently a pagan concept.

Known in Norwegian as “Åsgårdsreia”, or “The Cavalry of Asgard”, the hunt consist of an array of specters, elves, ghosts and such kin, who rides over the heavens around yuletide. The leader of the host is termed differently across Europe. In Norway, it’s either the great hero Sigurd Fafnirsbane or Gyro Rysserova, a blend of witch and hulder. On the continent, the hunt is led by Lord Odin, and in the south, the company is often referred to as “Harlequin’s hunt”. In Vedic religion, one finds Bhagwan Shiva himself titled as “Bhuta-nath”, or Lord of Ghosts.

Given that we know that the Yule celebration was specifically associated with lord Odin, and that certain Yule celebrations involved the use of masks - such as that of the Varangian guard - an explicit pagan can be identified. Around the winter solstice, when the veils between the condition world and the spiritual realms is thin, one can happen upon the Chieftain of the gods himself, thundering across the skies with his host of heroes, ghouls and valkyries.

Hail All-father, and the victorious dead!

#thewildhunt #odin #norsepaganism #norsepagantraditions #norsepagansofinstagram #norsegods #vikings #norsehiatory #germanicpaganism

Viking age Scandinavia is too often portrayed as a barbaric backwater, compared to continental Europe. The reason for this is twofold.

The first is that we tend to learn history from a Graeco-Roman perspective: European history is seen through a Mediterranean lense, with all that entails.. Although we love our Latin and Doric cousins, they tend to be a bit biased towards what they termed the barbarian peoples of the north.

The second, and most important reason, is Christianity. Many of our sources on Viking age Scandinavian culture is written by Christian authors, who liberally painted the norse as uncivilized savages. This despite the fact that Viking lads washed weekly, compared to the English who hardly splashed some water on themselves every Christmas.

If we look a little bit deeper into the Norse history, however, we see a different picture. Although the Vikings were just as martial as the next indoeuropean Iron Age society, they were also connoisseurs of poetry, advanced craftsmen, crafty traders and ardent law-makers.

Enormous wealth flowed like rivers of gold into Scandinavia from the rest of the world. There are Viking age grave mounds that contains thousands of silver coins from all over the world.

Old Norse poetry is so advanced that it baffles modern students of literature. We have yet to meet someone who can compose a proper Drottkvætt (king-poem). The old Norse saga-style is still recognized as a unique literary genre!

We could go on for hours with other examples of the refined nature of the old Norse culture, but would rather encourage you to do your own research. How we view our own history as peoples and as cultures has a serious impact on our own lives, and the society in which we live. Some of our work can therefore be said to be the establishment of a positive Scandinavian self-image, through learning about the wonders of our history. We believe that this in turns makes us more confident as a modern culture, which in turn has a beneficial societal impact.

Do you guys agree? Do you feet hat the culture you engage in has a healthy cultural confidence?

#norsegods #norseculture #vikingage #germanic #indoeuropean #norsepagan #norse

In keeping with the ways of our indoeuropean culture, we accentuate the importance of oral transmission.

We live in a world where the information consumed increasingly is formatted in short, easily digestible bits of knowledge. Mediums such as twitter, online news media and TikTok damages our ability to think principally, maintain focus and store information properly. Any tool that is not properly maintained deteriorates. This is just as true of the mind.

Given our modern cultural rearing, we lose our ability to digest more complex and nuanced units of information. We think in polar moral categories, evident in the public discourse.

Hence, when we lecture, we do so for days. We sit people down in candlelight, and discuss Norse traditions, the nature of the soul, the gods and goddesses and the ways of our ancestors of hours. When information is transmitted like this, it becomes personal and alive: a vibrant, bright think that is given from one human to another. Knowledge received in this way digs deep into the inner recesses of our souls, and becomes alive within us and an animated presence in our lives.

Treat your mind as a noble warrior treats his sword: sharp, polished and balanced.

#norsetradition #norsegods #norserunes #oraltraditions #vikings #norsesagas #ofin #thor #frey #njard #frigg #freya #indoeuropean #nativeeuropeanspirituality #nativeeuropeantraditions #germanictraditions #germanicpaganism

This weekend, we held a lecture at a festival in western Norway whose aim is to raise awareness on maritime environmental awareness. The festival was a collaboration between maritime biologists, arctic sailors, ourselves and others.

The title of our talk was “the daughters of Ran - the ocean and Norse culture”. We talked about the role the seas have played in the wealth and expansion of Norse culture from the Bronze Age to our times. We also discussed one of the most important differences between modern and traditional cultures, which is treating the natural world as a mechanic structure (modern), as opposed to a universe of living, conscious beings (traditional).

Great fun!

#norsemythology #norserunes #norsegods #norselaganism #ægir #vikings

The Norse afterlife - Náströnd

As we saw yesterday, Hel is not necessary a realm of eternal gloom. However, if there is a Norse equivalent of the abrahamic hell, it’s found in Náströnd, the Beach of Corpses.

Náströnd is the resting place of Niðhögg (shame-fang), the terrible dragon gnawing at the roots of Yggdrasil (second picture), who will take flight during Ragnarök.

There’s a hall at Náströnd, with a door facing the north. The pillars and roof of the hall are covered in writhing, poisonous serpents, and poison drips from its ceiling. There are wolves tearing at the flesh of its human inhabitants. Náströnd and its hall is in other words a bleak place, and who might be lowly enough to end up there?

Oath-breakers, murderers and adulterers. The first crime, as most of you know, was extremely serious in old Norse society, and could lead to year-long banishments. Deceitfulness was shameful in old Norse society. The second points might be more surprising, as popular culture often portrays the Viking world as a promiscuous culture where rape and heaps of sexual partners almost were celebrated. As you can see, that’s blatantly untrue. Rape was punishable by death. Murder, too, was not common in the Norse world, defined as taking the life of another without just cause.

The volva in Voluspá describe the eerie place in the following phrases:

“She saw wading
Waves of men
Oath-breakers
And wolffish killers
Those who went
After others’ wives
Niðhögg gnaws
On the corpses of Näströnd
Would you know yet more?”

Well, now you at least know what will buy you a one-way ticket to the Norse inferno!

#nastrond #hel #helheim #norsepaganism #norsegods #vikings #vikinggods #pagansofinstagram #germanicpaganism #germanicpagan #odin #thor #norse

The Norse afterlife - Hel

Thanks to @thechadpastoralist for the request.

The Norse afterlife must not be compared to the Abrahamic ones, and was not based on the monotheistic reward-or-punishment thought we’re used to.

Contrary to common conceptions, Valhalla and Helheim were not the only possible post-mortem destinations in the Norse cosmos. In this new series we’ll have a look at the different roads the dead could travel.

The Norse realm of Hel is named after its stewardess, Hel, the daughter of Loki and the sister of both the Fenris-wolf and the Midgard-serpent.

The name, Hel, means covered or hidden, and refers to Hel’s subterranean location. The grave mounds were seen as entrances to Hel, and points of contact between the two realms whereby the living and the dead could converge. Hel is often also described as being located in a northward direction, the celestial direction of cold, darkness and lifelessness. The Germanic underworld is always portrayed as being under the hearth. The entrance to Hel is guarded by a dog, Garm, which is strikingly similar to Cerberus in Greek mythology.

Hel, unlike the Christian hell, is not a place of eternal torment. Hel is often portrayed in a neutral light. The dead in Hel live on, and to a large extent carry on the same activities as they did in their lives on the surface. Hel is after all also the abode of Baldur, the brightest and most beautiful of the gods.

As with everything else in Germanic paganism, Hel is not a constant, and it’s denizens are only there for a set period of time, until all souls will be churned again in the ragnarok, or the end of the Norse pralaya-cycle.

The general population of Hel live quite ordinary lives, except for the small minority whose misdeeds have doomed them to spend the hereafter in Náströnd, which truly is a place of damnation, reserved for the lowliest of humans, which we will visit in the next post.

(Pic: Dimmuborgir, “the dark castles”, Iceland)

#norsegods #norserunes #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsepaganism #hel #helheim #afterlife #norseafterlife #germanicpaganism #baldur #dimmuborgir #germanic #paganism

Ritual clothing

A nice way to honor the gods is to strive for one’s garments during a ritual to reflect the nature of the deity to which the ritual is dedicated. This is both a way to honor the god in question and something that helps us shift from our ordinary, everyday identities when meeting the gods.

During this year’s summer blot, we therefore dressed in linen clothing, and admonished all participants to do the same. Linen is sacred to the great goddess, and one of her kennings, or epithets, is “hörr”, which means “linen”.

We also know that the planting of linen was a sacred process in the north during the viking age. The women planting it dressed in their finest clothing during the process, and linen was sometimes referred to as “woman’s seed”.

The picture above shows some of our team dressed in linen, preparing for the blot ritual dedicated to the goddess Freya.

Photo: @mathiasolsen_art

#norse #norsepaganism #norsemythology #norsegods #norsemen #norserunes #norsegod #traditionalism #heathensofinstagram #heathenry #norsemagic #norsehistory #norsegoddesses #freya

The sacredness of the meal

The notion that there is a divide between spiritual and mundane life is a modern perspective. In a traditional lifestyle, the sacred and profane are intimately intertwined. In the old norse society, things that we might view as mundane were steeped in spiritual significance. The meal is one such example.

The meal is a vital part of any blot. No blot is complete without a communal meal, to which all participants must in some way contribute. The sources clearly state that participation and contribution to a blot was mandatory, and that there were fines for failing to bring your share to the communal meal. When we eat and drink together after a blot ritual, we cement the ties between each other, ourselves and the gods. The feast served after the blot is an offering to the gods and the community, and therefore an eucharist: a physical substance into which is imbued spiritual power.

After our biggest annual ritual, the summer blot, we always serve a lavish, traditional, home-cooked norwegian meal and home-brewed mead. The pictures above show some highlights from the feast after this summer’s blot.

Photo: @mathiasolsen_art

#norsepaganism #indoeruopean #germanic #norsepagan #vikinghall #vikingfood #norsegods #norsepaganritual #norseviking #hall #paganritual

The priestess of the hall

Nowhere in our source material do we see women exercise power more clearly than in the mead hall. The viking age men, generally, ruled matters pertaining to the outer world; what was beyond the property of a family, whereas women, again generally, were in charge within the perimeters of the property.

This, however, should not be interpreted as women being in any way “locked in” at home. The role of the housewife, in norse times, was highly praised, and important in local politics. Women were responsible for receiving guests and serving them. Serving mead to strangers entering your hall, in the norse context, was a sacred act, as we see in the initiation myths of Odin and Sigurd alike. In the role of hostess of guests, the norse housewife thus performed a priestly function, acting as the leader of an important ritual.

Where in the hall a housewife chose to place guests said much about their social standing, and what view the host family had of them. Those who sat closest to the host family and were served food and drink first were those the family wished to honor the most. In the viking world, where power was mostly decentralized, these informal social relations were fundamental to political power, and therefore of enormous importance. These relations were in turn cultivated in the mead halls.

In this, we see the viking woman, in one among many of her roles, exercising direct political agency, without having to dress up in chainmail bras and draw historically unattested bind runes on her face.
Photo: @mathiasolsen_art

#norsepaganism #norsehistory #vikings #viking #vikinghistory #vikingage #getmanic #getmanicpaganism #pagansofinstagram #norsegods #oldnorse #meadhall #norsepaganritual #norsepaganaesthetic #norsepagans #vikingwomen #priestess #hostess #ritual

Humor and the gods

One of the defining characteristics of paganism is it’s active use of humor as a metaphysical tool. There is not only room for humor in the pagan religious life, it’s also an intrinsic part of pagan theology. The gods, as us, have humor, and appreciate laughter. This is especially evident in the Norse myths. Several of them are meant to be funny. This is an excellent tool to propagate them, especially with regards to children, who will be more inclined to integrate mythological themes when they’re presented with a side of laughter and good cheer.

An epitomic example of this is Trymskvida, or the lay of Trym. Trym is a jotun-chieftain who steals the hammer of Thor, and demands Freya as is bride in order to give it back. Freya starkly refuses Trym’s request, and the gods gather to discuss alternatives. Heimdall suggsts to dress Thor himself up in the bridal veil, and after some back and forth, the lord of thunder agrees. The gods dress him up as a beautiful bride, and together with Loki, he travels to jotunheim to retrieve his mighty weapon.

At one point in the wedding ceremony, Trym calls for mjolnir to be placed in the bride’s lap to seal the marriage. When Thor seizes with beloved hammer again, he roars with laughter and proceeds to slay all the jotun in the hall.

During this year’s summer blot, we acted the lay of Trym out in full, maintaining the poetic structure of the original old norse poem. The pictures above shows Anna, Runar, Ragnar and Henrik of the Norse Tradition team playing greedy-hotun-woman, Loki, Trym and Thor respectively.

Great fun!

Photo: @mathiasolsen_art

#norse #norsepaganism #norsemythology #norsegods #norsemen #norserunes #norsegod #traditionalism #heathensofinstagram #heathenry #norsemagic #norsehistory #trym #loki #jotun #jotunheim #utgard #trymskvadet #paganhumor

Even though we have been a bit more quiet here then usual, we are working hard behind the scenes. Tomorrow is one week until our third and most epic Sommerblot yet! This year, our blot is dedicated to the mystical and magical goddess Frøya. The weekend will be packed with lectures touching on feminine aspects of Norse times such as Volver, motherhood and queens during the Viking ages, as well as our blot and sumbl rituals.

We are extra humbled and ready for this year, seeing we have sold out all the tickets for our blot! If you sadly didn’t get your ticket, we recommend you go to our blog on our website to check out our article on Frøya for a glimpse at what our blot will be like.

Which god or goddess would you like to see celebrated at our next blot, and why?

Photo: participants from last years Sommerblot.

#norse #norsegods #viking #norsemythology #norsepagan #frøya #blót #paganism #indoeuropean

THANK YOU ALL!

It seems that our combined efforts paid off. The uncertain fate of the invaluable viking ships had a lot of people up in arms (as it should), and it may seem like the Norwegian government took notice. They have now released a large enough portion of the withheld funds for the new museum, for the project to move ahead, and for construction to begin shortly. Unfortunately, a compromise was made on some of the plans for the new museum such as special rooms for educational school outings. We still consider this to be a victory - ᛋᛁᚵᚱ - and would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the Hávamál's view on speaking up in the face of wrongdoing:

"hvars þú böl kannt
kveðu þat bölvi at
ok gefat þínum fjándum frið"

"If evil you encounter,
proclaim it as evil,
And give no peace to your foes."

#norse #viking #vikingships #longships #heritage #norsereligion #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegods #indoeuropean #runes #norsegods #pleasehelp #saveourships

The three most well maintained Viking ships in the world are located in Norway. They've been decaying for years, and now, just two months before work was set to begin on giving them a home in which they will be preserved, and for future generations to visit, the Norwegian government has decided to cancel the project due to budgetary issues. Please help us save these invaluable historical artifacts by signing the petition linked in our bio. We also ask that our norwegian followers consider writing directly to Kunnskapsdepartementet, which is the branch of government currently threatening our ships. Be sure to keep it civil.

Picture shamelessly snatched from @vikingtidsmuseet (the Viking Age Museum), depicting the planned home for the ships - now in jeopardy.

#norse #viking #vikingships #longships #heritage #norsereligion #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegods #indoeuropean #runes #norsegods #pleasehelp #saveourships

Dear friends, it is with great pride that we today launch our new online shop! We will use the shop to sell home-designed merch with motives reflecting our mission to spread awareness and knowledge on Norse tradition in particular, and Indo-European tradition in general. Every penny we get from the sales will be used to cover costs of traveling, printing material, website costs, etc. Thus, the profit we make from this sales will be crucial for Norse Tradition to continue its mission and grow bigger and better to the benefit of all interested in Norse and Indo-European culture and religion.
To buy our merch, visit our website www.norsetradition.no, or follow this direct link: https://norse-tradition.creator-spring.com. Clickable link in bio. #norsereligion #norsemythology #norsepagan #norsegods #vegvisir #indoeuropean #viking #runes #norse #norsegods

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Norrøn Tradisjon formidlet av ildsjeler gjennom foredrag, retreats, ritualer, utflukter og seremonier.

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Norrøn Tradisjon formidlet av ildsjeler gjennom foredrag, retreats, ritualer, utflukter og seremonier.