Faces of the Land, Faces of the Gods
by Svartesól
One of the few things we can be absolutely certain of, with the arch-Heathens, is that there was no one overarching pan-Germanic form of Heathenry where everything was done exactly the same. There were, to be sure, common threads of Gods worshipped, customs, and virtues. But even these differed from tribe to tribe, location to location. If we understand "Heathen" in its original meaning of "heath-dweller", we understand the arch-Heathens had a very close relationship with the land on which they lived, and indeed the flavor of their tribal customs and the way the Gods manifested was influenced by the land.
When comparing and contrasting the ancient Norse perceptions of Gods, and their customs, with that of the continental Germanic tribes and the Anglo-Saxons who migrated from the continent to the British Isles, we see that there is a marked difference that indeed is shaped by the land.
For example, the cosmology itself is so different as to be contradictory. The cosmic axis of the Germans and the Anglo-Saxons is Irminsul (Eormensyl), with seven worlds, as opposed to the Norse Yggdrasil with Nine Worlds. Eormensyl lacks the worlds of fire and ice. In the surviving continental and Anglo-Saxon lore, we do not see the eternal Gods/giants struggle so pervasive in the Icelandic and Norwegian lore.
In terms of the Gods Themselves, They also vary by tribe, by land.
The Norse Odin is seen as the primary and most important God - a fierce, battle-mad chieftain, using magic for war. The Anglo-Saxon Woden is a king, but seems to be as equally important as Thunor and Ing; moreover, Woden is seen as a wanderer and wise man who gains magical knowledge primarily for healing (Second Merseburg Charm, Nine Herbs Charm). There are some Heathens who feel that Woden and Odin are completely separate entities. This does not make sense as the names Woden and Odin are etymologically related (springing from the earlier form of the God, Wodanaz) and share enough characteristics to suggest being the same entity showing different faces - faces revealed by His presence and workings upon the land.
There is even something to be said about the Gods being associated with specific types of landscapes, and ease or difficulty of connecting with Them depending on what terrain one is in. The clearest example of this is the myth of Skadhi and Njord separating because Skadhi could not abide with living at the sea, nor Njord in the mountains. Wuldor is said to live in Ydalir - Yew Dales - and several Heathens have reported strongly feeling His presence in evergreen forests. Idunna has associations with orchards, and Frigga with swamps (the fens).
Ing-Fréa, also known as Yngvi and Freyr, was worshipped predominantly in Sweden - where He was said to father the Yngling lineage of kings - and England, which is literally Ing's land, settled by the Angles: Ingvaeones, Ing's people. Both Sweden and England had good farmland, as did what is now Schleswig-Holstein (purported to be the place of origin for the Angles), Germany (origin of the Saxons), and Jutland in Denmark (origin of the Jutes). Is it any wonder that the Svear and Anglo-Saxons would hold Ing in such high regard? To be sure, we know Frey was also worshipped in rural Norway (e.g. Thrandheim, where Olav Tryggvasson hewed His statue before His devotees), and Iceland (where the town of Thvera was dedicated to Him), but in Norway and Iceland the worship of Odin and Thor was much more prominent. We can assume, then, that Ing made His presence best known in extremely fertile land, where there were more farmers.
Now, if you are reading this, the chances are good that you live outside of Northern Europe, and somewhere in the New World. It is not that the Gods can only be felt in Northern Europe in certain climates and terrains, but the way They manifest or don't seems to be dependent on the land - and even more so if one is working with one or more of the Vanir, the Powers of nature itself. We, as modern Pagans, often expect to be able to connect with the Gods at all times, in any season, in any location, that we can invoke Them into our rites and just expect Them to show up because we call. We will insist up and down that our religion is not 'earth-centered', yet ignore the obvious. Most Americans will agree that different parts of our country have different cultural flavors - the culture of New England is different from the culture of the Midwest; Texans and New Yorkers are different; the culture of the San Fransisco Bay Area is different than the culture of Orange County, California. This seems to be just as much shaped by the land, and who decides to live in such climate and terrain, as anything else. Why is it such a stretch, then, to believe the Gods present Themselves differently depending on where you are?
I understand the Vanir to be Powers of nature and the land. In my experience, my dealings with the Gods have been shaped, very much, depending on where I live.
I spent the first 26 years of my life in central Connecticut. I hailed Njord at Cape Cod and off the coast of Maine; I fained Skadhi and Wuldor when the snows came. I could see the work of Idunna when I picked apples at Lyman Orchard. I saw Freya in the riot of spring flowers each year. The very reason why New England has its name is because it is rather similar to the climate and terrain of England, and so it is reasonable to see the English Gods as being 'at home' there. When I moved to Southern California, everything changed. It got 'discombobulated' in terms of energy. It was no longer feasible to try to impose a strictly northern European structure on my spirituality when I am not living there, but in the southwestern United States. At the same time, I am of northern European descent and while I despise the 'folkish' mentality in Asatru, I can't just go worship the Aztec Gods or something; plus I can't abandon my Gods, especially the one I am oathed to.
After much thought and prayer, I am now working with my primary Gods as Their 'original type': the Earth Mother, the Sea God, the Lord of the Green, and the Shining Lady.
To elaborate on this, my understanding of Ing-Frey is no longer limited to 'here is Freyr as He was worshipped by the Swedes; here is Ing as He was worshipped by the Angles', but goes to contemplating His original, primordial Neolithic form - Ing-Frey before He was Ing-Frey - and how that translates in the land where I live, in the time where I live. My experience of Frey as of late has been bound less to lore and the expectations associated with it, and more of Him as He manifests through the growth and death cycles here in my bio-region (California). So while I keep some of His traditional associations (the boar, the stag, various holidays) and preferred forms of worship (wain procession, being consulted for foresight), it is in addition to finding new ones, as there is a need. I have found that the way Frey's presence and energy manifests in the southwestern United States, His 'time of power' is from January to late July/early August - the rainy seasons to the beginning of high heat and drought. At the end, the need for His sacrifice is greater, and His presence 'goes away' for awhile (while people in more temperate climates may be able to feel His influence year-round), leaving the land vulnerable to fire in the fierce Santa Ana winds.
Because the way Frey presents Himself in the here and in the now is different than how He is traditionally seen, I am as likely to refer to Him by an epithet - 'Lord of the Green', 'Golden One' - as by His name.
Surprisingly, working with the 'bigger' form of Frey does not make my relationship with Him any less personal. Rather, it draws me closer to Him in acknowledging Him for who and what He is, rather than what I think He is 'supposed' to be.
My experience of His immediate family follows that, as well.
Nerthus is always present, as the Earth Herself, but Her mood changes. In the first half of the year, She is green and golden, fruitful and giving. In the latter half of the year She is brown and parched - grieving and raging for the loss of Her son; and then, before the winter solstice, She returns to calm, as Her son - the force of gentle sunshine and gentle rain, and vitality - is given back. She goes from being a loving Mother to the terrible one who devours - perhaps even more terrible than the days when She saw bog sacrifices - and back again. And indeed, She is both loving and fearsome, so She is 'Holy Mother' and 'Terrible One'.
Njord is the Sea. When Nerthus rages in Her heat and dust, Her consort provides comfort and a safe haven at His shore. When Frey returns to the land of the living and Nerthus is appeased, Njord is colder and only the true lovers of the ocean approach Him.
While the presence of the Bright Lady can be felt and has been felt, it is much more fickle and capricious. There is rarely ever any 'just right' days when She glows not too hot, and the weather is 'perfect'. She is often either hiding from the fog, or from the baking sun. There are not as many flowers here as where I am from originally, and most of the flowers in my current bio-region are either thorny (wild roses) or prickly (on cacti). One of the flowers seen in abundance here is called 'statice', which does very well in this climate as it is a low-maintenance plant and very resilient. It seems that like the flowers here, Freya's energy is sharper, and She manifests more as a protectress than a Goddess of love and lust.
With regards to the other Vanir, They are not as present. Skadhi and Wuldor are not tangible at all unless you go to the mountains or the redwoods (and I have honoured Them there). Idunna is not tangible. Eir is easier felt in the mountains. Etcetera.
Overall, I think the worship of the Vanir and perceptions of Them changed over time and as They were brought to different lands (e.g. England, Iceland), and will necessarily continue to change.
I assume all of these changes have to do with the land, and that as a Vanic-oriented Pagan, my connection with the land and the land-spirits is going to make a huge difference in what comes through. Having compared notes with others, I'm not so sure this is "just me". Rather than my connection with the Gods changing because of personal changes, I believe personal changes have come as a result from different Gods being emphasized or de-emphasized by the way They present Themselves (or not) upon the land. The Gods are not fossils preserved in amber, but very much living, breathing entities. They have changed over time and will continue to change over time. Particularly when working with the Vanir, the Powers of the Land, it is important to take Them as They come, as the Land comes. And to be true to the Powers, the Land, and myself, this is where I am at in terms of approaching Them.
I know for me, Woden and Hertha both are more prominent in eastern Massachussetts, with the storm patterns and high marsh-farmland ratio, as are Sibb and Elen. Here in the "mountains," with the marshes closer to the shore (in visible distance, but not as tangible), Woden is highly present (particularly since we have high wind activity around the school area, as well as many corvids), but Hertha is harder to connect to. The terrain is less conducive to the forested Ones (few coniferous areas; NJ is mostly broadleaf), but there is no one predominating geospiritual feature in my surrounding area, except for the Rivers and, to a small extent, the Mountains. Part of the reason, also, I think, is the greater concentration of civilization - MA is still mostly rural outside of the Boston-Worchester-Springfield belt, but the entirety of northeastern New Jersey is urbanised to one degree or another until you head about 25 miles or so to the west and south. Thus, Woden (and Thunor) are more easily felt for me. I may contact some of the Vanir that live in Esegeard while I'm still here (notably Frige, as She is one of the only ones I have not yet met at all), given the overt atmosphere of "civilisation".
-Nicanthiel Hrafnhild
Growing up in northern NJ, Erce was the primary influence, although I wouldn't have called her that at the time (I thought she was Demeter! Happily, she doesn't smite 7 year olds too badly). It makes sense as our town was surrounded by swamps and marshlands. Thunor made himself known in the summer storms, but other than those two, I didn't have much awareness of the Wen during my time in the Garden State.
Connecticut (I lived near Greenwich) was a focus for Neorð and Erce, again being a swampy, estuary type of area. I rarely experienced any of the hunting/forest/agricultural deities while I lived there.
Next was eastern MA, where again Neorð and Erce were prominent, but nothing compared to Ingui, Freo and Weland. Now that I've moved past the 495 belt to central MA, Neorð and Erce have all but disappeared, which is hard considering how long I've felt them. Ingui's character is much more mellow (I can't think of a better word), and the patterns of his cycle are reflected in the surrounding farms. Eostre and Habondia are also quite vocal on the little hill where I live, as it used to be an orchard (and now I understand why I was getting pinged with apple imagery!). Sceaðu has already made her presence felt in the early snows. I think if I had a strong connection to Woden, he would be quite palpable as well.
In addition, it should probably be mentioned that wights will vary significantly as well. In some sense, we're lucky that many of the wights we encounter on a daily basis are somewhat used to human civilization and are to some degree willing to interact accordingly.
-Alex Volundsdottir
...Finally, it should be pointed out this is not to dismiss the Gods as being a mere invention of the human mind, but rather to suggest that we are able to find the holy and communion with the Divine in this world - not just the Otherworlds; that the Gods who have investment in this our world would reach us best through expressing Themselves through it.
© 2009-2010 Svartesól, with credit given to Nicanthiel Hrafnhild and Alex Volundsdottir for their input, and thanks to the rest of Vanaheim Fellowship for feedback.