1) PLEASE make sure to read the head title first before going into the links on the sidebar. This will help you understand some of the introductory information available and perhaps clarify some basic questions about the format of teaching or lessons provided here.

2) The Asatru faith is all about INTERPRETATION. Much, if not all, of my studies and information provided on this site are based on actual facts of my own personal studies of the Edda’s, Saga’s, professional authors on the subject of Runology and the Asatru faith, and my own biased views on the ERULIAN path of Asatru.
Please remember even the greatest of Asatru philosophers believe that the religion is about self-exploration and interpretation of the information (as complete or incomplete as it may be) available to us.

3) MY faith is NOT about HATE and RACISM! Its about Heritage! Learning the history and culture of the ancient Indo-European / Scandanavian – Germanic peoples and trying to re-create that faith in the best way possible. Those of you who wish to simply throw slanders have no place here on this bloging site.

Anyway, please have a blessed Modar Symbel!
~Spaerunn Helgardar

During the month of “Shedding” (Sept 6th – Oct 3rd) we hold a minor festival of thanksgiving at the end of the second harvest. It is rather more celebrated in modern Norse heathenism than it was originally, when the urgency of getting the harvest in before winter was predominant; and celebrations tended to be held off until the beginning of the Winternights ceremonies. However, in our current culture we are gifted with the ability to observe such holidays.

Kincade Eksagthi gave me this to post on the site. Take a look, I hope you like it.

Hail to my fathers and mothers, hail to our ancestors, gods and ghosts! Hail to all my brothers and sisters who share in our faith! Remember well where we come from, and to be knowledgeable of your choices in the Asatru faith. Learn the lore, remember the words of Wodhannaz!

~Spaerunn Helgardar

I feel I should apologize for my lack of updates as my life has gotten exceedingly hectic as of late. I even missed Stikklestad I was so busy. However, I am aware of Litha’s approach (thanks to Eksagthi’s reminding).

July 29th: Stikklestad Symbel

While the day is in remembrance to Olaf Tryggvason (Lawbreaker) death, it is more a celebration of faith. Olaf killed, maimed and exiled many who would not convert to the Christian faith. You can find plenty of information here: Olaf Tryggvason This day is important to us as a recognition against those who would choose forceful conversion over the freedom of choice. Religion is a matter of individual expression, not a tool for organized control over the masses.

August 9th: Lithasblot

The harvest festival; giving thanks to Urda (Earth) for her bounty. At this time it is wise to give sacrifices to the earth mother (in all her forms) of milk, honey, and grain (or beer). These are things the Vana take life and energy from, along with our blessings for a fertile earth come spring.
Donnarfisk: At this holiday we have a tradition of an “apple bob” in which we take a trough and throw apples and ice within and call it Donnarfisk (or Thor’s Fishing). Two apples have symbols. One is that of Moljnir (the Thors Hammer), and the other is that of Jormungundr (the Midgard Serpent). We take turns, each individual bobbing for an apple until the two special apples are retrieved from the trough. After these two apples are retrieved, the one who got the Thor’s Hammer is given the title of Hammer Thane, and the one who retried the Serpent is named Veltwyrm, and we take these to our hallow stone. The Hammer Thane smashs the wyrm apple with a hammer that has been blessed as Moljnir for the celebration; while the Veltwyrm eats the apple with the Moljnir symbol.
The Explanation: First, the trough has the same representation as a well in that it is a connection to the land of the dead (this is why we put ice into it. This ice also preserves the apples and the symbols on the Moljnir and Wyrm symbols). Second, the apples represent two distinct idea’s. The hammer is our faith and the action of drawing the hammer from the well is a symbol of us as Erulians (or Asatru if you prefer) taking back our faith from the river of the dead into which Olaf threw it. The wyrm is a representation and acknowledgment of the inevitable cycle into which all things must pass. Even the gods were knowledgeable of their fates and did nothing to prevent them, except simply to live as brightly and with as much might as any Skald could afford them.

Happy Symbel!
~Spaerunn Helgardar

Today I celebrate my friends life, Kincade Eksagthi. It is his birthday.
To you, my friend, I give this…a gift of a Skald.

To Celebrate a Life
-written 7/14/09 by Spaerunn Helgardar.

In the cold howl of biting winters I met him, though Nifelheim’s door lays only ajar in these north west lands called AnTir.
From Halja’s (Hel) halls I had traveled and clan had taken me as need-fire demanded.
He was clan to them and theirs, Eksagthi they called him. He was oak blessed and rune-wise and thus was the truth of Fro Egnus (Freyr) and Tiw (Tyr).
Kincade they named him, with eyes like Wulþuz (Ullr) and open hands famed more than any Theodin; his voice like Braggi in a Drightens Hall; his skill to best any for a challenge at Utgard-Loki’s horn!
Nithingr are those who speak such seith against these words of praise!
His was a teaching art, for all my kenning of Mimrs wit, still yet like Kvasir was he to my own Rune knowledge.
None like him – save rhine maidens, swan ladies, and fey creatures – could know the strength of my arm and the truth of my words.
To Wodhannaz (Odin) he bade me, with Tiw’s (Tyr) justice; with blood stained sax did he call me “brother”.
He named me then, near the day of my birth as a gift like that of an arm ring. Spaerunn Helgardar.
So did he… Kincade, Eksagthi, Andrew… call Spaerunn, Tigernnan, Jariah: Erulian and Einherjar.

Happy birthday, silly man. *hugs*

I am a bad, bad admin. *chuckles* I had gotten caught up with the intricacies of fathers day and Sunna’s Symbel all at once that I had forgotten to write a post. Life often times gets in the way like that.

But, continuing onward…
Sunna Symbel is a celebration of the Summer Solstice, when the power of the Sun is at its height. It was at this time that most foreign trade was conducted, as well as shipping, fishing expeditions, and raiding (go a Viking!!!). Thus, Midsummer was the festival of power and activity. It was not without its dark side as well. Midsummer was recognized as the longest day of the year; thus, the year began to age after this time and the days grow progressively shorter. The god Balder is said to have been killed by Loki at this time; the hero Sigfrith was also said to have been slain by treachery at Midsummer by his blood-brothers Hagan and Gundahari.

This is a time to remember that all our works are for the betterment of tomorrow; that what we do in life echoes throughout the years to those whom love us dearly.
Go forth and do something worth while. Make an effort to change something. Forge something great.
And if that cannot be accomplished, then just make sure you let your loved ones know that you are there, and that they in turn have worth to you.

~Spaerunn Helgardar

Last week I met the husband of a friend of mine and was pleased to find a student of the runes within him. Not only a student, but someone who is worthy of the studious and excessive nature of an Eruli (thats meant to be a complement =P ). His knowledge is less than, but his heart far more. And when a heart is as strong as that, then none save Woden can know the limits of knowledge itself. I feel this way about him as well.

This is true for the Eruli…dedicated and damn near obsessed. But then again, I’m crazy…but were completely ok with this, right? Right. =)

I wonder if his path is that of the Erulian, or just a dedicated Runster. We will see.

~Spaerunn Helgardar

I got an e-mail this morning that surprised me. With as diverse as the Heathen mindset is, you would think there would be more ability for acceptance of abstract or unique views. But then again, as Eksagthi often tells me : “There you go using that ‘one would think’ phrase of yours.” For as much as I get negatives, and will get negatives in the future for my oppinions and interpritations of Runelore, I hope that I get as many positives.
More on this later.

New layout is going well. Check out the RESOURCES AND INFORMATION tab for a lot of good stuff. It is still under construction however, so please bare with me.

~Spaerunn Helgardar

So the site is coming along wonderfully. I am working with the site moderator on html and scripting issues as well as layout, so please bare with if something looks odd or funky. Were still trying to test things out.

I am happy to say that the Introduction page has finally been finished, so that will give you a strong idea to the meaning of this site and its purpose. It is my intention to spread forth much information and do a lot of organization in the first couple weeks of the sites “Grand Opening”. So, more to come. Wish me good luck.

~Spaerunn Helgardar

Hai und Well Come!

I am glad you have come from whichever site you were browsing to view this wonderful site (which is still very much under construction). Runelore is to be a site containing information of a philosophical and spiritual nature of both historical and esoteric nature dealing with the old world culture, religion, and mindset of the Viking Age up till now. Most of the information will be from my own studies of the Runes as well as references and such from other sources (of which I will have an extensive bibliography for those who would like to research further).

I will describe this in depth later in my discussions, but I want you to think first on an idea. That idea is “Rune” itself. Not as “the runes” concerning the pictographic shapes, but as an all encompassing power source. Runes are the pictographic images that shape ones will into a form, but RUNE itself is the power within ones will to manifest that great power.
While I realize this idea is very abstract, it is important for many of the lessons that will be taught here. More on this later.

Finally, I hope to give a good view of what a modern day Erulian has to say on his Heathen religion, as well as to open some doorways into the spiritual nature of the power of Rune.

With joy and frith, may the gods and wights protect you all.
~Spaerunn Helgardar