This part of the rune lore course will explore the mind, body and spirit and how it interconnects things.
The notion of the being in traditional Gothonic belief is extremely complex. Like all aspects of Stáv, this is open to personal opinion and beliefs. The terminology I use and the exact divisions I suggest are open to debate. There is no reason to believe that the tribes of Germany two thousand years ago had the same understandings or conceptions as the Indo-Europeans many centuries earlier or the Scandinavians many centuries later. Likewise, there were probably almost as many differences of opinion in Norway and Denmark around the year 800 as would be found on the shelves of the “New Age” section in a bookshop today. Again it must be stated that Stáv is not dogmatic and the concepts I am outlining here are simply traditional beliefs which could be interpreted in a variety of ways, not an exact, monoperspectual, universal “truth”. Let us begin with a few basic ideas.
In our modern, materialistically-oriented world, with its largely Christo-Judaeically inspired 'scientific' paradigm, the bulk of people have the basic notion of three areas of human existence. Just about everyone would accept that humans have bodies. Here we are talking about something physical, material, 'concrete'.
Equally, most people would accept that humans have minds - thought processes, memories, consciousness and the like. Some people may argue that the body is simply a container to house the mind, others that the mind is produced by the body through chemical reactions and so on. Whatever the case, the basic body and mind, the physical and mental categorisation of a person is pretty well established.
We now have a third area which is far more open to debate and by no means as quantifiable. Humans are often thought to have 'spirits' or 'souls'. Opinions obviously vary as to what exactly a spirit or soul actually is, but as a rule of thumb, it is generally taken to be something non-physical, perhaps existing before and / or after death. The 'spirit' or 'soul' is also generally accepted as not simply being the same as the 'mind', although the exact functions ascribed to the mind and the spirit blur and vary from person to person, belief to belief. As with the mind, the body is often regarded simply as a container or vehicle for the spirit or soul to inhabit, and there is a tendency in many religions or philosophies to regard the flesh as something inferior to the spirit that it houses, certainly less important than the soul in the overall scheme of things. On the other hand, materialist philosophies often regard the soul as non-existent, a mere illusion. In the last few decades, there has been a growing trend toward appreciating the body, mind and spirit as being one, simply differing parts of the whole overall being. Part of this has been the influence of various Eastern philosophies within the West, or perhaps it is simply the dawning of a new, yet ancient, understanding. Whatever the case, the Gothonic peoples of the past certainly recognised these three parts of the whole being, and saw them as all contributing to the whole person.
The Norse myths of creation are manifold. In these myths, not everything was created at once and almost certainly different peoples had their own specific versions of the myths. In the Norse versions, preserved in Iceland, which have come down to us today, there are many 'creations'. We are told how the universe was formed in one myth, and how the 'classes' were engendered in another. But there is a particular myth which tells how humans were first created.
Three gods were once walking along a seashore. In one version of this myth, the gods are named as Óðinn, Vili and Vé. In another, the gods are called Óðinn, Hśnir and Loðurr. Many academics have theorised over the differing versions of this myth, but leaving aside such speculations (although such debates are perfectly valid and can be very useful) the general conception within the Stáv system is that Óðinn of course is Odin and that Vili is Hśnir and Vé is Loðurr, another name for Loki.
Odin (or Óðinn) is a very complex god who has many names (over 200 are recorded) and many 'functions' in the myths. It is by no means easy to state exactly what his name 'means' but some of the earliest versions of it are linked to the concept of wind, storm, fury, madness, inspiration or ecstasy.
Vili is far simpler to translate and basically means 'Will'. 'Will' is perhaps open to interpretation because of the many modern usages of the term such as 'force of will', 'will power', 'to do one's will', 'true will' and the like but basically 'Will' can certainly be seen as an aspect of consciousness, although there is quite a lot to this concept.
Vé is not too difficult to translate and perhaps the most suitable modern word is 'Holiness' - ancient pagan shrines were often known as 'Vé' much as we might use the term 'temple'.
Those familiar with the myths will have little trouble seeing Óðinn as bringing various forms of ecstasy (ranging from shamanic trance, through poetic inspiration to berserk battle-frenzy). Hśnir is less well recorded in the myths, but it is not too difficult to find his links to the intellect or lack of it. Perhaps the most surprising concept is that the trickster-god, the deceiving, thieving Loki should have been once known as 'Holiness'. Unfortunately, this introduction simply does not provide enough space to begin to discuss this properly and so the reader is advised to read the myths themselves and form their own conclusions.
To return to the story, Óðinn, Vili, and Vé were walking along a seashore when they came to two logs or tree stumps. These they fashioned into the shape of two human beings, a man and a woman. Each of the gods then gave a gift to this couple. Óðinn gave “Onde”, Vili gave “Ande” and Vé gave “La” and good “Lette”. The gods then clothed the couple and gave them the names “Askr” for the male and “Embla” for the female.
Ask & Embla
*Note : these are more modern Norwegian terms; the Old Norse for 'Onde' is 'Önd', for 'Ande' is 'Óðr', and 'Lá' and 'gutte Lette' is 'Lá' and 'góðr Litr'.
The term 'Onde' can basically be translated as 'breath' but really means 'inspiration' - both in the sense of 'to breathe into' or 'give life to', and in the sense of being poetically, religiously (etc.) 'inspired'. Onde is basically a gift of the spirit, life and the desire for life, a quickening.
‘Ande' basically can best be translated as 'consciousness' and is linked to all aspects of mental faculty such as thought, memory, reason and so on.
Lá' and (good) 'Lette' are a little harder to translate, literally meaning something akin to 'warmth' and 'colour'. Basically here we are speaking of bodily function, warmth and life in the physical sense. Also covered by these terms, which are very difficult to sum up in a simple word or two, are concepts such as 'charisma' or 'attractiveness' - in other words the sort of 'feel' you get from a person like beauty or ugliness, energy or lethargy, attraction or repulsion which are the result of the person's 'presence' but not necessarily just their purely physical appearance, even when we speak of how someone appears 'in the flesh'.
It should be easy to see that these functions were the most appropriate gifts these three gods could bestow - Óðinn 'spiritual inspiration', Vili 'mental function' and Vé 'warmth, colour and presence'. Of all the gifts, Vé's is perhaps the one which most often can cause confusion. A beautiful face can hide a less than beautiful mind or apparent physical ugliness can mask the most noble interior. We are often reminded not to judge by appearances and it is best to remember that Loki's gift was in two parts - the purely physical, life giving functions of the body which have their own appearance, and the gift of a more subtle 'presence', the 'feel' one gets from someone. Either can be deceptive, intentionally or otherwise.
It is now important to remember that all three gifts make up the person, in short that spirit, mind and body are really one and the same. This means that an apparently physical exercise also affects both the mind and the spirit, something that will be familiar to those who have studied systems such as yoga, and likewise that a mental or spiritual activity can affect the body. This principle holds true with illnesses - the cause or effect of an illness may not be either purely physical, mental or spiritual. A person suffering ill health physically may also develop mental side effects and vice versa. Likewise, someone in a state of spiritual crisis may suffer ill-health or mental problems. All are bound together.
So, we can see that the tradition tells us that the human 'being' is given life by Onde, Ande, Lá and Lette or Spirit, Mind and Body. However, these three divisions of the whole can also be subdivided.
If we start with 'body', let us examine how this can be looked upon. First and foremost there is the purely physical body. This is the part of us that is most apparent, the skeleton, muscles, flesh and so on that makes up our 'earthly' form. Clearly there is more to a human being than just a mass of biological matter, or even just the combination of such matter with the chemical, hormonal and electrical functions of the brain. What separates a living human from a corpse? What gives us life? These are of course eternal questions and not something which can be answered lightly, if at all. For now let us simply state that clearly we all have bodies, and that these are dependent upon certain things to sustain them.
Amongst these sustaining factors are breath, food, water, temperature and environment. If we chose, we could call these air, earth, water and fire and ice but for the moment let us move on. Clearly the body is a vital part of our whole being. In Stáv we do not see the body as something to be denied or rejected. It is not something we particularly wish to leave behind or relegate to a level of unimportance. As the spirit, mind and body are all a part of each other, harming one will harm the others and therefore we accept that the correct maintenance or improvement of the body is vital to all activities. This means paying attention to such things as posture, diet, rest, sleep and so on. If the body is allowed to become unbalanced or ill, then so too will the mind and spirit.
As well as the purely physical body, there is a traditional concept of a more “subtle” body. This has been given a variety of names such as one's “shape”, “hide”, “hamr” and so on. Both the physical and subtle bodies can be seen as closely related to the concepts of Lá and Lette, being both concerned with the function of the physical form such as digestion, reproduction and so on and also the less tangible manifestation of ones 'persona'; charisma, natural energy or 'aura'. When one meets a person, one frequently gets a 'feel' for them. This may be an impression of honesty, trust, dislike, energy, fear or anything else. If asked to analyse a reason for these feelings, we can often be stumped for a good answer. Frequently there seems to be nothing that the person has said or done, nothing in their dress or general appearance that can give a logical answer. One way of looking at this phenomenon is to see it as the action of the Hamr or subtle body. If one falls in love, often the object of our affection seems to be the most beautiful, wonderful person in the world - even if someone else might see nothing special. This could be seen as the projection or perception of the subtle body, rather than the purely physical form. The Hamr is, however, not any more (or less) reliable as a guide to a person's true self than is their physical body. Just as a person may alter their appearance through costume, make-up and the like, so many individuals can alter their Hamr to give a particular impression. This is by no means always deliberate, some people seem to have a natural talent and others deliberately cultivate the art. The Norse myths abound with examples of the gods and mortals disguising themselves to hide their true identity, or even exchanging shapes with another person so that they can appear to be someone else. When not disguised in another form, or if the viewer is adept enough to see the true form, the Hamr can be extremely revealing about a person as it is a far better indication of their nature, state of health and so on than the purely physical appearance. Some skilled healers can diagnose illness by 'seeing' alterations in the colour, shape or intensity of the Hamr. Likewise, some martial artists for example can alter their Hamr to mislead or startle an opponent - often this is done in conjunction with aspects of the fylgja (see later).
The Hamr can be seen as relating to many concepts found in Northern European folklore, including also the idea of the "Shade" or "Shadow", although of course this can also be viewed as a separate part of the whole. The "Shade" or "Shadow" can sometimes indicate various things, such as a near-death state (if it cannot be seen) - think of the concepts of vampires and their lack of reflection in a mirror. It is also thought that either / both the Hamr or Shade / Shadow can at times be sent forth from the individual, often being seen as a "doppelganger" or "double" of the person it belongs to; this shade will not itself cast a shadow, because it is itself the shadow-self.
Clearly, in a physical sense, we are all individuals. However, at the same time, we all are part of families. We have many expressions in English which remind us of this, a parent may for example describe a child as their 'own flesh and blood'. In a sense, this is literally true. Modern science explains this phenomenon in terms of DNA, blood or hormonal similarities. Inheritance and blood-line are recognised scientifically as being significant, especially in extreme cases such as bone marrow or organ transplants. Physically, we are both individuals and parts of a greater whole. Our families are basically extensions of our selves and we are aspects of our whole family. The more narrow-minded will no doubt see this as an excuse for racial rhetoric about 'purity of blood' and other such nonsense. While clearly the closer the relative, the closer the connection, a white man can receive blood from a black or Asian man or woman of the same group (or vice versa) but could not receive blood from his brother if it belonged to a different type. All humans are kindred, some are simply more close relations than others. In fact, we do not need to stop here. We are all related to all animals, however distantly, indeed to all plants and even the rocks themselves. Everything in physical creation is formed from matter, and the difference between human molecules, plant molecules and mineral molecules is actually very slight. When we forget this, we forget who and what we really are.
Turning to the mental aspects of the human being, these can also be subdivided. If Ande is taken as a term for the whole of the mental faculties, it may be useful to divide these into parts. First and foremost, we could divide the mind into thought and memory. Our ancestors frequently divided the mind into the categories of thought and memory, or to use the Old Norse terms Hugr and Minni. Both of these can be seen as part of the gift of Ande. The myths abound with examples, perhaps the most clear being that of Óðinn's twin ravens Huginn and Muninn (which also translate as Thought and Memory). Óðínn is described as sitting every day in his seat which overlooks the universe and sending forth his Ravens, in other words his thoughts and his memories, so that they could fly through all the worlds and bring back understanding to him. Óðinn is said to fear that one day Huginn (Thought) will not return to him, but to fear all the more for Muninn (memory).
Anyone familiar with mediation principles will find it easy to relate to the sending forth of Hugin and Munin; while those with genuine ‘shamanic' experience will recognise the knowledge that one's fylgja can bring from other worlds. But myths abound with further examples. One tells how Hśnir, the giver of Ande, was sent as a hostage by the Æsir to the Vanir, along with the being known as Mimir. When Hśnir and Mimir were both present at council meetings, Hśnir always gave wise advise and judgments. Yet when Mímir was not present, Hśnir was unable to speak wisely, if at all. The Vanir thought that they had been sent an idiot by the Æsir and so cut off Mimir's head and sent it back, whereupon Óðinn preserved it with his magic and consulted Mímir for his wisdom. The name 'Mímir' is closely related to our modern word 'memory' and so it is possible to see in Hśnir the concept of 'Hugr' or thought. Thoughts are vital to good judgement, but what is thought without memory? Could we even remember how to speak? Hśnir is also described as 'the quick god' and 'long legs' both terms denoting speed and thus are metaphoric of thought. It is worth noting that in the myth of Þórr's journey to Útgarðr, Þórr''s servant Þjálfi, the fastest of all mortals is pitted in a race against a Jötunn named 'Hugi' (thought). Þjálfi of course loses, for what is as swift as thought? Interestingly, in the same myth Loki (or Vé, the giver of 'La' and 'Lette', warmth and bodily function) is matched in an eating contest against the Jötunn 'Logi' (Fire). Loki consumes all the meat, flesh, gristle and bones set before him, while Logi consumes even the wooden plate the meal is served upon. This can be taken as a cautionary tale, for the gifts that are bestowed upon us can be taken back - we are all mortal. Loki's rune is Kreft (the Old Norse name was Kaun 'canker').
The Kreft Rune
In Hafskjold-Stav tradition, Kreft means 'cancer', another bodily function which, out of balance, can spread like wildfire and consume our bodies from within.
Just as physically we are a part of our families, so too are we linked mentally. Often we know what someone we are especially close too is thinking, even before they speak. It is possible that there exists some kind of Kin-Minni, a folk, family or ancestral memory and this often seems in some way tied to the land of our birth or of our ancestry. The Nazis perverted this concept as an excuse for territorial gain and genocide, but the concept is far older than these petty dead-end philosophies. Jung examined the concept in his hypothesis of a 'collective-unconscious' although this is probably a little more like a pseudo-scientific convenient explanation than a detailed analysis. Just as Óðínn preserved the severed head of the dead Mímir and was thus able to consult the ancient wisdom, so we can tap into our ancestral memories through an understanding of the Rúnar (The Runes).
Having briefly outlined some of the traditional divisions of body and mind, we must now turn to the most complex part of all, the 'spirit'. The ancient 'divisions' of the 'soul' are far from easy to present clearly. It is possible to argue over the exact functions of the physical body, let alone the less-material qualities of the mind. When we begin to discuss the spirit, naturally we enter more into the realms of hypothesis than anything quantifiable. This does not however mean that we cannot say anything about the spirit or that there are not traditional techniques of the spirit which are tried and tested. As I have stated, Stáv is not a dogmatic system, and while I have my own views of the component parts of the 'spirit' and their interrelation (and I am bound to have allowed this to colour this text somewhat) the last thing I want to do is to present my own 'dogma' to the reader. This section will simply outline and discuss certain terms and phenomena and leave the reader to form their own conclusions beyond this.
Odin with some of his Fylgjur
For most people, the first aspect of their 'spirit' to be encountered is their fylgja. Fylgja or Folgie are Scandinavian terms basically meaning 'follower' or 'companion' (the plural is "fylgjur"; the Anglo-Saxon derived term is 'Fetch'). The fylgja is generally a spirit-animal, although the fylgja may be visible by others on occasions. This 'animal' may be a mammal, a bird or even an insect or fish. Rarely, the fylgja may be a 'mythological' animal e.g. a composite creature such as half-cockerel, half-lizard or even a mythical being such as a troll, although generally the fylgja appears simply as a normal creature. Quite often a person may have a strong bond with 'physical' animals of the same type as their fylgja (a good friend of mine who lived in a large town would frequently find injured crows appearing in his back garden which he would nurse back to health. He didn't seem to attract any other species. He had known for some time that his association was to the crow and one can only assume that the crows had noticed this too!). While the fylgja may have certain unusual features - for example one might see a gigantic or tiny animal, or it may be of an unusual colour, the fylgja usually has all the qualities of an animal and no more. A relationship with a fylgja can be developed over a period of time and it can be utilised for many purposes. Although communication with ones fylgjur is possible, such communication is generally more akin to a Lassie-movie - "What's that girl? It's over the next hill?" - than it is to Doctor Dolittle. This is not to say that the spirit-worlds operate on exactly the same rules as the physical world or that it is impossible to learn the speech of animals, but it is very unlikely. In general, if one encountered a talking animal and it is not simply the product of one's self-illusions or an evening at the pub, then it is more likely that the animal is not quite what it seems to be and is in fact a deity, supernatural-being or a magician in a disguised form. Later in this text I include a basic list of the associations that the tradition records for the fylgjur, deities, runes and so on, although this is by no means exhaustive. In general, I would advise the reader not to study this list until after they have made contact with their fylgja, as we should always be aware of the power of wishful-thinking.
What, the reader may be wondering, is the significance of the fylgja? On the one hand, the answer may be 'not much'. The fylgja is basically just an animal and for most people it will simply provide a key to understanding something about themselves, if one is needed. In the Galder way of looking at things (in other words an approach based upon order, sequence, structure, comparison etc.) the fylgja can act as a symbol. The Hafskjold-Stav tradition tells us that certain animals are related to certain runes, to certain deities and to certain classes. Thus for a person looking to 'find them self' the fylgja gives an indication of ones class or speciality and thus what sort of vocation or training method may be most suitable. The fylgja can indicate who one's patron god is and which rune one has the strongest links to, giving indications for meditation and other matters. It should be fairly obvious that the earlier in one's development that these issues can be sorted out, the more time that is left to 'get on with it'. Having said all this, it should again be stated that Stáv is non-dogmatic. If hypothetically, a person encountered a fylgja which showed them to have a Herse mentality, to be linked to the god Þórr for example, but that person wished to undertake Jarl or Karl training and chose to 'believe in' Heimdallr or Freyr (or for that matter Jesus, Buddha, etc.) then that is quite simply their own business. The links the fylgja reveal are the most natural for us, but they do not restrict our free-will. Just as a person may be a naturally talented painter and have no natural talent as a dancer, it is still up to the individual to decide whether to paint or to dance. However, acceptance of one's talents and limitations can often make life easier and it certainly provides us with a good idea of whether a path will be easy or hard for us to follow. In traditional societies the world over, and the Gothonic regions were no exception to this, an individual generally sought out their fylgja as part of the transition from childhood to adulthood. Many people would have encountered their fylgja prior to this, perhaps in dreams, and some people will find that the fylgja they had as a child will change upon becoming an adult (although this is not a standard occurrence). Likewise, it is possible (even if rare) for ones fylgja to change at some point, usually in connection with a major change in life, crisis, upheaval etc. Traditionally, the fylgja was encountered by sitting-out (Útiseta), a form of meditation which involved going off to a remote place away from human contact such as a forest, mountain top, cave, cairn etc. and simply sitting without eating or drinking for three days and three nights and waiting for one's fylgja to appear.
A seated posture much like this depicted on the Gundestrup cauldron is often used in Utsette
These days, the traditional way is simply not suitable for most people. Firstly, it can be very dangerous to go without water for three days if you eat a modern diet. There are now so many chemicals, additives, pesticides and the like in our food that are routinely flushed through our system, that going without water for such a period can cause not only dehydration but also liver or kidney damage as toxins rise up to the skin or collect in tissue if they cannot be excreted through urine. If you are tempted to use Útiseta traditionally, by all means fast (as long as you are physically up to it - if in doubt check with your doctor) but you must take an adequate supply of water. In addition, most people are so used to central heating, air conditioning and the like that they face a genuine risk of suffering the effects of exposure unless they have carefully prepared suitable clothing etc. in advance - do not take any pointless chances. In Stáv, we do not believe that there is any spiritual worth in either ill health or making your life miserable for the sake of it. A necessary spiritual ordeal is one thing, sitting on a rock in discomfort is just a pain in the backside.
Ideally this is best done with an experienced Stáv practitioner who can take you through the visualisation method. We frequently run day courses in different aspects of Stáv such as the stances, martial training and healing techniques and you can perform this exercise with a qualified Stav teacher (called a "Gode") at such an event - contact us for more information. You are more than welcome to attend any of these events and you will be able to be taken through the fylgja exercise and other vital teachings such as the performance of the stances, galder etc. However, there is a very simple method you can use at once, although results will vary depending upon your visualisation ability. This is the method I recommend.
Choose one of the following three runes :
or
Do not use any other rune at this stage. The three runes I have mentioned are generally the most 'user friendly'. On no account use the runes
(which might be very unpleasant) or
(which could be very dangerous).
Having selected a rune, draw it clearly on a piece of paper - if you make any mistakes, start again. Find a comfortable place to sit and make sure you have a good posture e.g. with spine straight, although be relaxed and don't force anything. Place the piece of paper with the rune-stave upon it in front of you so that you can see it clearly - possibly placing it just above the height of your eyes so that you have to deliberately focus upon it might be a good idea. Now simply relax for a few minutes while looking at the rune. If you notice any tensions or feelings of discomfort in your body, adjust your posture so that you are comfortable and relax any stiff areas. Concentrate upon the rune all the time. When you feel you are ready, focus upon the rune completely and start to breathe deeply. I would suggest taking nine breaths. Now close your eyes. If you have really been focused upon the rune and your mind has not wandered too much, you should still be able to see the rune before you, even with your eyes closed. If this is not the case, simply open your eyes and go back to focusing on the rune and breathing deeply, thinking of nothing else, until you can still see the rune in front of you with your eyes closed. Assuming you have got to this stage, focus upon the rune in your mind. Imagine it as a doorway. Focus upon the doorway opening and move through it. See what happens and don't try to force any events, but look to see if any kind of animal, person, bird or other being appears.
If this exercise were being performed together with a teacher, certain other information would be given but for a solo exercise it is best for me to stop at this point. I will say only that when you have travelled trough the rune you should pay attention to all your senses and notice any sights, sounds, smells etc., that you may become aware of. If you see or hear anything, make a mental note of it but carry on with the visualisation.
When you feel it is time to 'return', retrace any journey you have made until you come to the rune you used as a doorway. Go back through the door and then watch it close behind you - this is fairly important. If at any time you encounter anything which you are either unsure of, unhappy about or think may simply be the result of your imagination then just focus upon the rune you used as a doorway. Anything negative or just the result of your imaginings will then be 'banished'. If something stays despite this, then it is actually meant for you and should be remembered.
When you have performed this exercise, record your experiences even if they seem not to mean anything or you saw nothing. Feel free to use this technique as many times as you wish although I would recommend waiting a few days between trying. Please let me know the results of what happens as there may be a lot more information I can give you or additional help if things are not working - however, don't be in a rush and don't force things; the best way of making this technique work is to be totally relaxed.
In the next part we will look at the other elements of the soul and related traditions.