While this entire site gives us many idea’s of the Erulian practices, I wished to give a simple sum-up to those who want a more basic idea of Erulians and their practices. So…here ya go.

THE ERULIAN

There are many words that can be attributed to the tribes people known as the Erulian. Some of them include Heruli, Eralaz, Myrding, and Helsing. The term Jarl (Eorl, Earl, etc.) comes from the Erulian as it originally was a title given to those with Runic Knowledge that where apart of the tribe. In later times when the Erulians seemed to all but disappear, the term became a more common as a title and not in reference to the tribe of peoples.

The Erulians were mostly associated with the Berserker cults of Odin and were terrible and horrifying tacticians of outstanding ability and cunning, mixing both esoteric lore of runes with true tried and tested battle strategies. They held a special office in the tribes, the office of chief shaman and/or war adviser.

Historical and archeological evidence indicates that many of the surviving runic inscriptions were carved by those claiming either blood heritage or the title of an Erulian. In fact, it can be said that the idea of what we call the “Viking Age Culture” is a direct inspirational influence of the Erulian mindset. A good point of origin for one kind of Erulian influence is that of the Bersark or “Bear Shirt”; the Berserker. Shamanistic in nature, these warriors would drink mead that had been infused with hallucinogenic mushrooms before going into battle. They believed that by wearing the “shirt” of an animal (its skin) that they would take on the aspects and ferocious nature of those beasts. Fearing neither death nor wound, these warriors would cut themselves, gnaw their shields, foam at the mouth, and charge heedlessly into the throng of battle with abandon as “a lover runs to her love”. They believed that the greatest reward was death in battle to join the All-Father and the Dark Mother in the Halls of the Slain.
Another point is that the Erulians were Rune Masters and esoteric lore keepers. One such character depicted in many of the Saga’s of Norse tradition is Egil Skallagrimson. A warrior of unparalleled skill and cunning and unmatched in runic lore, he is the depiction of the ultimate perfection that any norseman could hope to aspire to. Sharp in mind, devastating warrior, wise in the ways of men and magic, and loyal to kith, kin and clan. He is even honorable in all that he does, even to those he would call enemy. It is because of him that Erik the Red even sought out refuge across the sea and inadvertently discovered Vinland.

Traditional Asatru worship the Aesir and the family of gods both Vanir and otherwise as a mirror of good society. The lawgiver, the lawspeaker, the hearthmother, the birthmother, etc. are all reflect an ordered law abiding society both family oriented and serving the community as a whole. Erulians deal with all that can be considered Utmangarder – the Outland folk – dealing with everything normally taboo or forbiden, a chaotic element in the structured order of Teutonic or Norse Society. Such things include burial rites, dealing with the dead and undead, esoteric practices and rune interpretation, social immunity from factional differences within the structures of society, hallowing of sacred places and practices, speaking with Jotuns – Trolls – Ettins – Thurs – Dvergar – Alfr, etc., and anything that may be considered seithr.

One of the most alarming facts is that the Erulians themselves have a very different view of the myths themselves. The Shaman understands that the end is in the beginning and visa verse. All things sew the seeds of their own destruction and rebirth, that is the eternal cycle. One story that is held by the Erulians as most important is the “set up” of the death of Balder and for the inevitable conflict that stokes the fires of Ragnarok. The Volspa sees Ragnarok happen and tells all of the gods of its coming. Odin knows that Loki will be the instrument of Balders death and yet does NOTHING to prevent it. Loki himself is Odin’s own blood-brother and closest friend, far from being the Judas of the Christian world, he is the implement of the Worlds renewal after Ragnarok. By binding his chaotic Jotun nature to the games of the gods early in the myths, Odin asures a tool to secure the future of the world by having what some may consider a “secret weapon”. An “ace in the hole”, if you will, that insures his sons revival in the next world. While Loki knows his part in the grand scheme, he is demonized by those with lesser understanding then the All-Father. Afterall, if the All-Father likes him, he can’t be all bad. If the All-Father, in his infinite wisdom, works his will in odd ways, just because we or the other gods do not fully see or understand the end reasoning, it will be made apparent – like any good trick – in the end.
When Balder is slain by Loki he is never allowed to leave the lands of the dead by the tricks played by the Trickster. In doing so and thus by Odin’s very will, Balder is sent to the lands of the dead and thus PROTECTED from a death at Ragnarok. Erulians would say that Ragnarok is not an end but the beginning of a new era in which Odin lives again through his son Balder as all of humanity lives through their descendants. Halja, the Mistress of the dead, spared her own death at Ragnarok (when almost all other gods die) will become the new mother of all with Balder the Bright as the new All-Father and lord of the gods. Loki and Heimdall, twin aspects of the whole, emulate or unite each other in death and perhaps are reborn as a whole being.

A Runic priest dedicated to Odin and Halja. Not the most popular of gods in the Norse Mythologies, especially not for the common Norseman (especially farmers who mostly focused on the Vanir deities or the guardian gods such as Thor and Tyr.) The reason for the reverent worship of Halja is that the Erulians looked at the Staves themselves as magickal keys associated with the realm of the dead.
The Norseman and all Indo-European ancestor cults (of which many religions where based off of) hold many practices of “necromantic” and “nature” style ritualistic symbols of death and rebirth. Shaman, the world over, undergo a ritualistic death to awaken and be reborn to new knowledge and power. This is reflected in the natural order of life and death that we see around us at all times. Because of this, the Staves themselves are secrets held apart as the basic building blocks used to travel the realms where the average man dare not tread.

Odin was not originally the “king of the gods” as he was worshiped by the Teutonics as the god of Storms and Battle Frenzy, where Tyr was the true king of the gods and was heralded as the “just and right ruler”. It is only after the sacrifice of his eye to the well of Mimir (note: that the head resides at the roots of the Yggdrasil Tree above the Well that leads into the land of the dead); the drinking of the Mead of Poetry made from Kvasirs blood (the wisest of all the gods); AND his sacrificial deprivation and death – sacrificing his mortal form to the divine SELF – that he has the power to reach into the well and travel through the nine worlds into the land of the dead and grasp the runes and bring them forth. ONLY then did he assume the Lordship over the Aesir.

In this, there is a silent marriage of power and inspiration given to us by Halja (keeper of life and death, lady of the underworld) and Odin (the father sage and ultimate Erulian himself).
“Out of the greatest darkness comes the greatest light, the womb is the tomb.”
Keepers of the hidden lore of the dead, and speakers of otherworldly inspirations. A good term for these people would be “warrior shaman”.

H.R. Ellis Davidson writes: “In spite of this awareness of fate, or perhaps because of it, the picture of mans qualities which emerges from the mythis is a noble one. The Gods are heoic figures, men writ large, who lead dangerious individualistic lives, yet at the same time were part of a closely knit small group with a firm sense of values and certain intense loyalties. They would give up their lives rather than surrender these values, but they would fight on as long as they could since life was well worth while. Men knew that the gods whom they served could not give them freedom from danger and calamity, but THEY DID NOT DEMAND THAT THEY SHOULD. We find in the myths no sense of bitterness at the harshness and unfairness of life, but rather a spirit of heroic resignation. Humanity is born to trouble. But Courage, Adventure, and the Wonders of Life are matters for thankfulness to be enjoyed while life is still granted to us. The great gifts of the gods were readiness to face the world as it [is], the luck that sustains men in tight places, and the opportunity to win that glory which alone can outlive death.”

Many of the modern Norse practitioners stylize themselves as Odinists seeking to emulate him for his wisdom in runes and magick and his prowess as victory giver in battle. The truth is Odin himself is the idealized Erulian Shaman, gaining knowledge through self-sacrifice, wisdom through mistakes, and knowledge gained over a lifetime of sacrifice and studious self-introspection. It is recorded or postulated that prior to the Erulians coming to Scandinavia, the kings of Sweden (called the Inglings) all partook of the Vanna Cult of Freyr and Freyja. It is through the melding of Erulian Aesir-like idealism that the Scandinavian and Teutonic peoples have the myths as they are. The path of the Erulian truly is emblematic of the Northern Tradition as a whole and all gods, ghosts, giants, heroes, and any wights therein have their proper place in the practice of Northern spiritualism.