6 replies to this topic

[frax]

Speaking of nothing, I just attended a "pagan" wedding, on the summer solstice, which was supposedly following the norse mythology. Supposedly, since there is only vague records on what the cermonies were at that time, and they have soften down some things that we know about - like ritual animal slaughter. I think it is a huge joke, in these modern times, but obviously it was what the couple (whom I don't really know) wanted.

Anyways - to get back on the topic of geography - the officiant started with calling out to the gods and the powers in the four cardinal directions, and then to the powers above and below. Unfortunately I don't remember which were in which directions, but the powers included the giants of Jotunheim (I think they were west) and all the gods (Freia was east if I remember correctly, and Odin south, and Thor north). They were all asked to come , bless and attend the cermony, but I didn't see any of those. I wanted to see some giants and other creatures...

After the cermony the powers were thanked and excused, one by one.

Weird.

[MapMedia]

Nice. Kind of like the 4 points of Christ's cross. One aspect of pagan rituals is the 'grounding' oneself in place and time (geography) as well as spiritual (please don't someone else say 'also geography' :~)

[mike]

I wanted to see some giants and other creatures...

maybe they didn't get the invitation in the mail.

[Jean-Louis]

the officiant started with calling out to the gods and the powers in the four cardinal directions, and then to the powers above and below

Interesting, The same invitations of the 6 dierctions, (actually 7 when you include the center) are practised regularly in a men's movement I know. Their inspiration however comes from a Native american tradition . I also remember something very similar (from my 'occult' days) calling upon the same directions within a Medieval cabbalistic symbol called the 'cube of space'. In this case, each 7 direction was associated to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

I guess it is a timeless, instinctual, and universal archetype that has special appeal to cartographers.

[ELeFevre]

Frax,
The next time you have the opportunity to attend such a wedding, you should rent a Thor costume and hide near-by until the ceremony begins.The moment Thor is conjured by the officiant, jump out and let out a horrific battle cry...then run away. This is your chance to become an urban legend!

[frax]

Jean-Louis, I wouldn't take for granted it is an archetype - since there is very little record of the traditions from the old norse - the ceremony would probably be exteremly inspired by other pagan/new age stuff...

[Jean-Louis]

Jean-Louis, I wouldn't take for granted it is an archetype - since there is very little record of the traditions from the old norse - the ceremony would probably be exteremly inspired by other pagan/new age stuff...

Absolutely. Almost all of that stuff is backward projections. Many today have a very romantic and distorted view of ancient 'native' traditions and will conveniently ignore that some of those traditions were not quite animated by their modern little eco-spiritual trip and included celebrations of torture, genocide, rape, cannibalism and other unsavory elements.
Nevertheless, I think there is some archetypal and universal resonnance to the idea of the directions. But then again, maybe its just a banal recognition of the obvious, that we exist in 3 dimensions.
I think you should follow-up on Erin's suggestion by the way