Tyr's Lament

Tyr and Fenris, by Meredyth.deviantart.com

Sol had risen, Asgard's banners
Caught high in the morning breeze,
From Valhalla's steps, I looked
Across the worlds at violent seas,
Across the downs and rocky mounds
And the flaming tar-black stream,
A boom like thunder rolled from Jottunheim,
A Giantess' labour scream.

And many a moon did pass without
word of what had come to be,
Until the day that Loki came
To introduce his child to me,
Such tragedy, we could not guess,
Would befall the Gods in days foretold,
But such a day I would delay
For every ounce of Fafnir's gold.

But innocence can never last
While prophecy's yet to unfold.

Loki's son, Lupine Shadow,
Mighty Fenrir was his name,
Frolicking in Midgard meadow,
By my own hand he would be tamed,
One by one the Aesir came each day
With meat to feed the gentle beast,
Though feared he was by them,
But by me, loved, and feared the least.

Fenrir, wolf of chaos, wild,
Storm the battlefield at my side,
Companions in arms we be, but mild
In manner after our metal's been tried,
And at day's end when victory songs are sung,
And horror's memory fades,
Your loyalty shines like the sun,
To ease warrior's weary pains.

But size and power, though gifts they were,
were cause for you to be betrayed.

The fear of Ragnarok spread like plague,
Through Odin's halls, the fear of death,
And ordered, he, that bonds be made,
Despite my pleas with wasted breath,
For never could I dare accept that you
Would rise against us so in final days,
And so the Gods, to Midgard stone,
Sought to bind you, their mortal foe.

First came chains of iron, wrought,
Then chains of bronze and shining steel,
And when challenged to break them, how you fought,
And rent each one in turn with zeal,
But Odin's mind was sharp and cunning,
Thus, from hen's teeth and woman's beard,
Formed bonds to cease your running.

Such a fine thread, you saw,
Barely visible in the light of day,
And in your heart I watched distrust be born,
When charged to break this thread, said ye, "Nay,
For lest this be some wicked trick
Of cowardice, give me assurance
That you will work to set me free,
Should I fail to sunder this!"

And lo, my of reckoning came,
Such painful choice at my feet was placed,
In weakness I forsook my name,
and lied for Odin to your face,
And so I offered up my hand,
To earn your faith and trust in me,
Held in your jaws, I took my stand,
And you submitted willingly.

Rip out my wretched heart, so weak,
Tear off my wretched hand,
For as I watched you thrash and shriek,
As they bound you to the land,
Your eyes, once full of warmth, turned black,
And misty cold like Niflheim's ice,
As you fought and cried and rent your back,
Trapped by the Dwarves' awful device.

Each day I look upon your hill,
And each day I feel my black heart sink,
And each day you look with hatred, still,
Upon my mournful face, and do not blink,
For my betrayal, though it be great,
And shattering to our friendship so,
Fills me with guilt that won't abate,
And a dark, all-consuming sorrow.

I was the first to lead you,
The first to meet you eye to eye,
The last brave enough to feed you,
The last to weep as we said goodbye,
I loved you as a father would,
As though you were a child of mine,
I'd have chosen differently if I could,
But I'll mourn beside you when Vidarr lays you down to die.

And though the foretold war may rage,
And mighty Sol be swallowed whole,
And Odin sundered limb from limb,
As the Norns fulfill the worldly goal,
And after, when the wheel turns yet again,
Let my dearest friend never forget,
My choice will be to save him from such pain,
His suffering, ever my worst regret.

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn’t sound right... - 3: Tyr

I am now coming to the end of my 9 days of contemplation of the Runes, so I will continue to compile and post my notes on each of them as and when I am able to do so. This installment is focusing on the first Rune of the third Aett, Tyr. Since this Rune literally pertains to the God of the same name, I have found that to understand the Rune, I must also understand the deity and his story, and so much of my analysis is of the Deity and how he translates into human life and consciousness.

ᛏ, Pronounced “T-ear”. Other variations are Tiu, Tiae and Teiwaz.

Meaning: Tyr, God of Justice and courage in battle.

Element: Fire, Air. Gender: male

Tree association: Oak

Relates to the warrior, divine spinner, justice, self sacrifice, analysis, rationality, honour, righteousness, sovereign order, law, fairness, peacekeeping, faith, loyalty, victory, honesty.

My Free-word association list:

Tyr, bravery, benevolence, fairness, friendship, Fenrir, animal, fear, danger, courage, strength, taming, binding, training, discipline, regiment, structure, order, precision, analysis, detail, observation, listening, equality, support, community, cooperation, benefit, survival, safety, building, growth, drive, passion, fire, determination, power, control, leadership, mastery, godhead, Ascension, manifestation, creation, contribution, giving, charity, sacrifice, death, ego, awakening.

Since the meaning of this Rune is Tyr, that is where I began with my analysis.
Tyr was once the king of the Aesir, but stepped down to allow Odin to take the throne, following the war with the Vanir. This demonstrates a willingness to relinquish one’s hold on power when it is right to do so or when necessity demands it. It is a lesson to those who feel the need to control everything in their lives, to let go and occasionally allow oneself to be led by orders or by events. It is Tyr who advises Odin as to which fallen warriors are bravest, suggesting that taking a back seat can give one greater perspective and thus afford the individual more power over a situation.

Tyr was the only God brave enough to feed Fenrir, for he knew that the wolf's size and power were an advantage if understood and directed properly. This teaches us that, although the darker aspects of nature are frightening and potentially destructive, they can also become a great asset, and even come to be loved if we do not fear them, but instead engage with them in the same way we would any other part of our psyche or spirit. It teaches us to master our darkest facets and nurture them rather than to reject or suppress them out of fear; this is emphssised by Fenrir turning against the Aesir after they bound him to Midgard, for if the shadow is rejected, chained, suppressed and ignored, it festers and becomes more poisonous and more destructive.

Tyr also demands that Fenrir’s life be spared until it is proven that he is the enemy they fear, And so Odin binds him instead. This acts as an example for us to operate with rational analysis, and to not jump to conclusions, assuming that all are innocent until proven guilty, or that the situation is not as it appears to be at first. It also teaches us that nothing can be achieved by force alone, and that benevolence and understanding are equally powerful actions. It is for this reason that Fenrir doesn’t kill Tyr at Ragnarok. If Odin represents sharpness of mind and wit, then Tyr represents strength of heart, and so stands as an example of listening to your heart and acting at times in a way which may appear irrational to others, but from a broader perspective, eventually comes to make perfect sense. This is why Tyr advises Odin just as the heart advises the mind.

Tyr willingly places his hand in Fenrir’s mouth to control him whilst he is being bound, even though he knows he may lose it. This symbolises self-sacrifice for the greater good, giving something of value for the benefit of your family or community or even the whole world. It symbolises selflessness and charity as well as strength and bravery in the face of adversity, opposition or danger. Together, all of the above constitute the qualities of a true leader, one who is fit to oversee their fellow man; in this sense, ᛏ epitomises kingship and/or regality, nobility, and respect both given and received. This ties in also to the law of attraction, for in the same way that when we give respect, we receive it in kind, so too do we get back from the universe what we put into it; therefore, ᛏ represents a positive attitude and a gratitude for what we have, so that we may be open to receive more. Continuing in this vein, ᛏ teaches us to feel, not only worthy, but deserving of receiving what we desire and helps us to overcome and do away with negative, self defeating thought patterns which prevent us from manifesting our perfect reality.

ᛏ’s association to the Oak tree consolidates it’s meaning of strength, for Oak is one of the hardest woods in the world. Furthermore, the roots of the Oak tree go deeper than any other deciduous tree in the north, making it virtually unmovable in violent storms. This teaches us two things, the first is to weather any storm, to be strong in the face of adversity and do not yield to external pressure; secondly it teaches us to stay true to our roots and to establish a firm foundation upon which to build a life for ourselves. It also indicates the importance of family lineage, Especially in Royal lines. This is a further link to the notion of royalty and nobility which is demonstrated by and epitomised within the Oak tree, which in most if not all Northern traditions is regarded as the king of the forest. Finally, ᛏ 's Association with Oak teaches us that, whilst we must always be prepared to stand alone, we must also always maintain strong roots to those closest to us, And be prepared to accept help when it is offered.

Visually, ᛏ is an arrow head, symbolising directness and efficiency, as well as swift action and decision-making; it can also mean having clear targets or goals and moving inexorably towards them. The arrow was also used to give direction when one is lost, so ᛏ can indicate that we need to stop and take stock of our options when at a crossroads in life. We can also see ᛏ as a cross-section of a structure, showing a sloping roof held up by a central supporting pillar; this denotes strength but also great responsibility, possibly leading to strain and stress. The upward arrow can also denote upward motion or growth, mental and emotional development, spiritual awakening and Ascension. It also teaches us to constantly move onwards and upwards, striving to achieve new goals and become/acquire something greater. It is a symbol of ambition, aspiration, drive, confidence, passion and persistence in pursuit of one's dreams.

My next article will focus on the second Rune of the Elder Futhark, Urur. Until then, love and blessings to all, and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion. O(

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn't sound right... - 2: Hagalr

Continuing my meditations on the Runes, here are my thoughts and notes on the first of the second Aett, Hagalr.

Hagalr, ᚺ, Pronounced "Hah-Gah-L". Other variations are 'Hogal', and 'Hagalaz'.
The phonetic value of this Rune is 'H', and its symbolic meaning is 'Hail' or 'Hailstone'. The tree that is associated with this Rune is the Yew tree.
The elemental associations of this Rune are Air and Earth, and its gender is typically regarded as Male.
ᚺ relates to disruption, wild power, untamed nature, strength, force, protection, shelter, crisis, radical change, catastrophe, the uncontrollable, unavoidable unpleasantness, shadow self, regression, self analysis, acceptance of the unchangeable.

My free-association went as follows:

Hailstone, cold, winter, hardship, poverty, danger, protection, shelter, safety, defense, strength, survival, movement, upheaval, uncertainty, worry, anxiety, anger, force, power, destruction, loss, adaptability, acceptance, moving on, new beginnings, destruction for the sake of creation, cleaning house, purging, cleansing, rain, spring, hope, regrowth, order from chaos, divine order, will of the Gods, fate, Wyrd, the unseen, connections, synchronicity, everything for a reason.

Hagalr, in contrast to Fehu, , represents disruption of order, and so the ending of established patterns of living and thinking. Its mundane meaning of 'Hail' is indicative of this chaotic and potentially destructive principle, for hail, in the far northern regions, can damage houses and potentially kill upon impact. When hail falls, people and animals are forced to take shelter, and all outdoor activity ceases. Hail is most common at the beginning or end of winter and is hence very unpredictable, often beginning as rain, and so ᚺ teaches us to expect the unexpected and always prepare for the worst. While rain, even at its heaviest, nourishes the earth, whereas hail beats the earth and destroys the weakest plant life, clearing space for the stronger plants to thrive and spread. In this sense, ᚺ demonstrates the unbridled power of nature which destroys for the sake of creation, sacrifice for the greater good; this can be interpreted in a human context to mean letting go of what no longer serves us, which despite being painful, is necessary for continued growth, and it takes strength of character to undertake. Furthermore, since ᚺ is a force of nature beyond humanity's ability to harness it, ᚺ expresses that in the case where an individual is stubbornly reluctant to change, fate will force that person into a situation where change is not only necessary but unavoidable.

Although hail is frozen water, it's alchemical correspondences are to Air and Earth, for Air embodies the principle of change and formlessness, whilst Earth represents stability and growth, the combination of which conveys the idea of chaos as a part of nature and divine order. Hail, as frozen water, also acts as a metaphor for suspending emotional attachments and sentimentality, for when times are difficult, it is sometimes necessary to adopt a coldness which allows us to detach from a situation and look at it objectively to find the best possible solution. In this sense, ᚺ teaches us to look at ourselves objectively and, just like the hailstones, crush the weeds of the ego that take root in our minds so that the strongest and most positive parts of ourselves can flourish. This takes no shortage of shadow work to achieve, to understand and purge the self of all unhealthy beliefs, thoughts and behaviours which arise out of illusions. This links to ᚺ's attribution to the Yew tree, which though poisonous, uses that poison to defend itself against parasites and illnesses which cause dieback. ᚺ encourages us to make the most of seemingly bad situations and to use our darkness, or inner poison, to our advantage. Our negative past experiences which lend themselves to the development of neuroses, can also be powerful lessons and tools for overcoming new hardships and adversity. It also allows us to toughen ourselves to defend against attack from others whilst also teaching us that sometimes, severity is the best policy, to adopt a 'kill or be killed' mentality to propel us forward and overcome our obstacles. ᚺ as the Yew tree also encourages us to be flexible as well as strong, for Yew was, and still is, the most widely used wood for making longbows, due to its strength and flexibility which made it worth working despite the risk of poisoning. While strength is important, it is easy to confuse conviction with stubbornness. ᚺ advises us to be ready for anything at all times, and to be flexible enough to adapt to massive change very quickly.

Visually, ᚺ resembles a slope between two positions or states, similar to a mountain path or set of stairs, indicating a transition between the highs and lows of life. It indicates that it is very easy to find oneself in reduced circumstances, and that it can be extremely difficult to get back "up the slippery slope". This teaches us to not be complacent or to take life for granted, as well as to be grateful for what we have, because we can be brought low and left with nothing in the blink of an eye. ᚺ can also resemble a figure extending a hand down to another, representing the necessity to help others through times of hardship, for one can never know when such help may need to be repaid. ᚺ's position as the first of the second Aett, between Fehu and its other immediate neighbour, Tyr, lends itself to the meaning of it being a catalyst for change, moving from the state of childhood naivete to the state of ascension, spiritual growth and taking one's place amongst the Gods. Just as the Yew tree grows in near barren soil, only to drop its leaves and replenish the nutrients of the earth, ᚺ helps us to make the most of what little we have to produce something better, putting us in the position of being a catalyst for positive change and growth from hardship to greatness. It guides us to weather the storm and emerge renewed, shed no tears for what is lost along the way, and to accept the things we cannot change so that we may focus our energy on changing what we can.

I hope that this has provided further insight into this Rune. My next article will focus on the first Rune of the third Aett, Tyr. Until then, much love, many blessings and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion. O(

Rune-imations, wait... that doesn't sound right... - 1: Fehu

This article is to be the first in a series of posts pertaining to and focusing on the Runes of the Elder Futhark. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this system, the Futhark is a divinatory tool derived from (or some might argue, preceding) the Norse alphabet. It consists of 24 letters, or Runes, each with a phonetic value, but also each possessing their own set of individual associations, meanings and symbolic correspondences. The runes would be carved into small pieces of wood or painted onto pebbles, then cast onto a cloth to be interpreted based upon the state of each Rune (right way up or upside down) and their relative positions to one another; in this way the reader, or Galdrmann, could discern messages and/or prophesies for the querent in a similar manner to a Tarot reader.

I have been using the Runes for some time in this manner, but until recently I have only possessed a surface knowledge of their various meanings; so to remedy this, I have embarked upon a voyage of understanding, spanning across nine days in the same fashion as the Norse All-Father, Odin (though I will not be hanging upside down from a tree to achieve this). Each day, I will contemplate three Runes, and do this for eight days (the Runes are grouped into three columns of eight, known as Aetts, each related to one of the Aesir, Freyr, Hagalr and Tyr), and on the ninth day I will contemplate the Futhark as a whole. So far, I have completed writing down my thoughts on the first of the Runes, which is Fehu. My notes are as follows.

Fehu, ᚠ, Pronounced "Fae-Hoo". Other variants include "Feoh", "Fe", and "Feh".
The phonetic value of this Rune is 'F', and its symbolic meaning is 'Cattle'. The tree that is associated with this Rune is the Elder tree.
The elemental associations of this Rune are Earth and Fire, and its gender is typically regarded as Female.
ᚠ relates to wealth, possessions, property, nourishment, abundance, divination, prophesy, expansive energy, new beginnings, control, generosity, success, travel, reputation, power and sexual energy.

I then engaged in some free association in which I listed every word that came to mind in a stream of unbroken thought:

Cattle, property, land, home, family, inheritance, children, fertility, sex, love, relationships, friendships, cooperation, society, reputation, self-image, judgement, exclusion, prejudice, hoarding, greed, laziness, stagnation, loss, poverty, hardship, struggle, challenge, willpower, drive, breakthrough, success, rebirth, growth, self-mastery, greatness, respect, loyalty, leadership, authority, law, justice, Hamingja (karma), divinity, gods, kings, royalty, wealth, power, destiny, fate, Wyrd, Norns, Volva, prophesy, inevitability, death, afterlife, legacy, legend, stories, lessons, mysteries, initiation, maturity, magick, manifestation, creation, creativity, artistry, music, poetry, culture, tradition, folk, family, farm, cattle, continuity, eternity.

Fehu's association to the Elder tree indicates that it represents fruitfulness, even in the face of adversity, for the Elder tree bears fruit in the autumn, after all other summer trees have begun to drop their fruits and hibernate. This to me attributes ᚠ to the autumn and thus to transitions between the realms of light and shadow, life and death, strength, endurance, resourcefulness and competitiveness. Its corresponding direction would thus be West, and its time of day would be sunset (at least by medieval systems of magickal correspondence), both of which are related to the afterlife, the Otherworld and the sea, as well as the primordial abyss. This tie to the abyss, Chaos or Ginnungargapp, links ᚠ to the unconscious mind and shadow aspects of nature, from which issue the first stirrings of creation and artistic tendency. This one reason why ᚠ is the first Rune in the Futhark. However, it is correspondent with the elements of Earth and Fire rather than water; perhaps a reason for this is that, although all life originated in the sea, it only came into being as a result of a mixture of the minerals of the Earth, energised and imbued with life from the light of the fiery sun. Subsequently, life left the oceans behind and evolved on the land, and exposed to the fire of the sun, thus ᚠ's association with power, success, evolution, fertility and growth etc.

The natural progression of a species from parent to child is premised upon the genetic traits of each generation being passed along, changing with each new emanation; thus ᚠ represents the importance of selective breeding (in humans as well as in cattle), and what each generation passes on to the next whilst working with what it has received from the former. This relates to property and reputation, as well as skills, inclinations, habits, thought patterns and behaviours etc. Whilst we each make the most of what we have, playing the hands we are dealt, as it were, these inheritances can relate to or result from Hamingja (or ancestral Karma, in other traditions), which can be accumulated from past lives as well as from one's ancestors. This begs the question, are we in fact reincarnations of our forebears? Are they different from us or are we the same people in a perpetual process of learning. This idea, in the context of the Old Kings, is the source of the phrase "The King is dead, long live the King!", as the spirit of a previous ruler would pass into the body of their newborn heir; and so in this sense, ᚠ relates to reincarnation and the passage of kingship. When considering the ancestors, it becomes apparent that there is also a cultural link to the Celtic idea of the Otherworld, or the "Thin Place", where the spirits of the ancestors journey to after death. This harkens back to the Norse Disir and Alfar, spirits of ancestors who have achieved different states of divinity. The denizens of the Otherworld in Celtic folklore are known as the Fae or Faeries, who are the equivalent of the Norse Alfar from which we derive the word 'Elf', and so it is likely no coincidence that ᚠ is pronounced "Fae-hu", possibly connecting to the same concept of ancestral nature spirits. Also, to corroborate this idea, the Elder tree, to the Celts, was seen as the gateway to the Faerie Kingdom, the bridge to the Otherworld and the conduit for communication with the Fae or Alfar. It is through our communication with these beings that people learn the secrets of nature and the workings of the Universe, and are thus able to earn magick to manipulate and change physical reality as they see fit, beginning the path of the healer, the shaman, the wandering wise man, and eventually the hero or perpetrator of great deeds. Also, through these interactions, people learned to understand the workings of fate, or the Wyrd, and so they became prophets, seers, Volvas and Sudrsaers.

Elderberries were (and still are) used to make wine and mead, so ᚠ would also represent the abundance of the Earth, joy, and celebration, wealth, prosperity, status and respectability etc. Elderberry also possesses aphrodisiac qualities, tying ᚠ to sexual energy and lust. In Eastern traditions (and some would argue in western European tradition also, albeit in a slightly different form), sexual energy is generated in the Sacral Chakra and is synonymous with creative energy in general which, when directed into artistic pursuits, becomes divine inspiration.

Visually, ᚠ has the general appearance of a branch of a tree, possibly representing one section of the World tree, Yggdrasil, and by extension, the paths between Midgard and its immediate neighbours. In another sense, ᚠ also resembles a primitive farming tool or plough, evoking the idea of the sowing of seeds, the preparing of the earth to be made fertile, planning and preparation of new ideas of ventures. The sound of ᚠ when spoken is similar to the sound of leaves in a breeze or the motion of waves, linking the spoken word to the "breath of God" or the "breath of creation", the embodiment of the primordial essence of life that begins all things. It is interesting to note that ᚠ seems to embody within itself, the essences of all of the other Runes of the Futhark; it is also interesting to note that, in the same way, the wisdom of the Major Arcana in the Tarot is encompassed within The Fool, which is the first card in the sequence, and furthermore, the book of Genesis contains all of the symbolic wisdom of the entire biblical Old Testament. I feel that this is because each of them pertains to creation, and the first point of creation contains within it, the limitless potential, and therefore essence, of everything that comes afterwards; thus, ᚠ represents the multiplicity within the singularity, and accurately demonstrates the initial spark of ordered growth, of a tree from within a seed, or of an entire world from within a single human soul. It empitomises the individual as their own God among Gods at the centre of their own reality from which issues the limitless potential for creation into the eternal web of Wyrd.

I will be journaling about my ruminations and meditations upon the rest of the Runes of the Elder Futhark over the next week, so until my next installment, I wish you all much love, many blessings, and may your Gods be with you!

Enki Endymion O(