We know that Njord was powerful among the Vanir, enough that He was given to the Aesir as Their hostage in the truce following the Aesir-Vanir war.  I believe that Odin, being as thirsty for knowledge as He is, knew He could learn things from the Vanir, and as there is never any mention of Njord breaking out of Asgard we can assume that 1. He would not want to break the hold-oath, 2. He must have gotten along well enough with the Aesir.  Njord is mentioned as a "priest of the sacrifice" along with His son, and I believe that the offerings we make to the Gods are part of an exchange -- we gift Them, and They gift us.  Njord and Frey having inborn Vanir generosity would be the best ones to process the exchange of energy between Gods and man.

It is noted that Njord had taken His sister to wife (who is most likely Nerthus), as was Vanir custom, and when moving to Asgard this was not acceptable by their standards, and would be why He was given to Skadhi later on.  It is also noted that Njord is the father of Frey and Freya, and not much detail is given into that relationship (if anything, the Edda is wanting for detail in any kind of relationships between the Gods).  We can assume He was a good father to Them, since They came out all right.

Njord has been something of a father figure to me.  Njord's way of fathering is to teach, and often teach through hands-on experiences, even play.  I know He must have been very loving and patient with Frey and Freya, teaching Them leadership skills as well as how to lead with a proper attitude.  Njord almost always comes off as being very mellow, laid-back, gentle, and warm.  I have only ever seen Him angry once, and that was a vision regarding the story behind the truce between the Aesir and Vanir.  I often see Njord walking along the beach, barefoot, watching the ebb and flow of the tides and smiling slightly, knowingly, seeing the patterns of the tides and wave formations as Wyrd, and enjoying the beauty of the sea.  I have seen Njord walking along the beach with His children, pointing out different varieties of seabirds, collecting shells, driftwood, sea glass and smooth rocks.  Teaching His children to sing to the sea, and the cycles of precipitation that renew the sea and the water supply of the Worlds.  That tears are a reminder that we are all alive, and a part of this cycle.

Njord's own fathering towards me has been to teach me to find the calm center within myself -- to the place where the tides may ebb and flow, but never cease, and the water renews itself through evaporation and transpiration, precipitation, and runoff.  I find taking long showers to be very relaxing when stressed out, and being at the beach and in direct contact with the sea recharges my batteries like nothing else.  To flow with the water, to pour and drop down, billow into wave and roll out, is the nature of my calm center.  To be liquid, to flow, and to know that I am part of the greater cycle of nature, and the Universe itself, and all things will work out in their time.

Njord is huggable, He is often smiling, with a twinkle in His blue eyes that hints of occasional mischief.  He loves the Worlds because they are beautiful in their own way, if only because all life is dependent on water and He likes nothing better than water.  He is much less intense than Odin, and much less into the idea of power and status.  He's not too proud to sit down and build a sandcastle (or a sand turtle), or splash around with you in the sea.  He loves laughter, and you can sense the vitality and life within His being without it becoming overwhelming or oppressive.  His contentment and sense of rightness about things is infectious, and it's very hard for me to stay upset or grumpy for very long around Njord.

That being said, part of Njord's fatherly role towards me is teaching, or at least gentle guidance, which sometimes involves things I don't want to hear.  Njord has commented that I am representing the Vanir when I deal with others, and need to be always mindful of that, especially in my tone and the way I word things.  I know I do not have a lot of tact, although I think I have gotten a lot better about not letting things such as "you're doing it wrong" drama get to me as much as it used to. That being said, I have, in the past, been upset about things, usually in direct proportion to the stress level of other events accumulated in my worldspace. Njord has "nudged" me when He thinks I sound a little harsh or rantish; it's still important to speak my truth, and He does indeed understand the value of speaking out against evil or blowing off steam.  But even when I am speaking my truth, it is better to do so with the grace the Vanir are known for. Njord is renowned in the Nine Worlds for being a good speaker, and it is better, from His perspective, to explain "why this is not kosher" in a logical and rational manner rather than flinging childish insults back and stoop to the level of "the haters" - to address the issues, rather than make personal attacks.

I've been trying hard to watch my words, watch my tone, while still allowing for justifiable human emotions. I am far from being a finished product, and it may indeed be the great challenge of my life to relate to others more compassionately even if I think they're scumbags or at least someone who's pissed me off at the moment. It's going to take a lot of work, but having Njord as a teacher makes it not a wholly unpleasant experience.  I have to remember that I was in a very wounded place in my life some years ago and was probably not great to be around; in cutting myself some slack, I also have to not get bogged down in hatred of others, but always turn my focus onto the better things, such as the love of the Gods, which would include Njord.
 
Indeed, it has been through Njord's encouragement for me to adjust my attitude that I have found opportunities to connect with like-minded people, as well as people who may not be in the same place spiritually but are still good to know.  This is an important step to get past the mindset of being a permanent bullying victim, and taking charge of my own destiny.

Njord's fathering of me has helped me heal, and though I am not complete in my healing -- it's rather like peeling layers of an onion, from all the damage sustained -- I know that all things will work out in their time, and the journey is just as important as the destination.  To sail on a ship from one land to another and be impatient with when you arrive is to not observe the waves, to not observe the patterns of the sea, the way the sky and sun reflects, particularly at sunrise and sunset, or the twinkling stars and bright moon at night.

© 2008-2009 Svartesól.