Uppsala Runes

[deviadah]

I was in Uppsala (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppsala) the other day and took shots of some runes I found quite beautiful and serpentine (focus a bit bad since I used the camera in my phone):

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/deviadah/other/r1.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/deviadah/other/r22.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/deviadah/other/r33.jpg


These runes were next to the Cathedral (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppsala_Cathedral):

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h18/deviadah/other/d.jpg

I am sure Rat or Fox can say something about these runes since I know next to nothing myself, but I do know that these runes are from the 11th century!

:cool:

[Amur]

That's really beautiful, odd that the church didn't tear them down as 'demonic' or something lol, but I suppose it was different as the vikings became the christians by themselves to plunder other civilizations which changes the game rules a bit.

[deviadah]

That's really beautiful, odd that the church didn't tear them down as 'demonic' or something lol, but I suppose it was different as the vikings became the christians by themselves to plunder other civilizations which changes the game rules a bit.

These were actually found beneath the Church's foundation when they were digging around down there!

:cool:

[Amur]

These were actually found beneath the Church's foundation when they were digging around down there!

:cool:

Well, as Jesus got the Overground (building churches on top of pagan sites and what not idiocy lol) all the cool people got the Underground :cool:

[Talkingfox]

Sorry about the delay in response...moving and suchlike. This is a fairly well known runestone and lays out the familial lines of a dead guy as most known runestones do.

[deviadah]

Sorry about the delay in response...moving and suchlike. This is a fairly well known runestone and lays out the familial lines of a dead guy as most known runestones do.

Ok... there are runes all over the place here and I have never hardly looked at them... it wasn't until I started spending time at AF that I actually paid them some attention.

I guess it is a common feature to have serpents!

:cool:

[Talkingfox]

Well serpents figure prominently in Nordic mythology, although usually as a symbol of restriction ie Jormungand (Midgard serpent) It stands to reason that they'd show up on death stones as a decorative device.

[Wolfman]

Nice stones there. Well preserved.


Abrahamic religions (not just the Christians) had a habit of finding a sacred place that was already in use, then, recognizing its power, would build their church on top of the pagan holy place they had razed to the ground.

Pagan artifacts are common underneath or concealed in the walls of many churches. Here, in Canada it was not uncommon for a church to be built on a site sacred to the Native people in the hopes that it would 'draw in' local folk to be converted.

Why did they do this? There are a number of reasons, but I think, fundamentally, the church fathers knew then as they know now - that theirs is certainly not the only spiritual reality - despite what they say publicly. In fact I'd go so far as to say most Christian higher-ups truly know their 'religion' for the political tool it solely is.

My two bits.

Wolfman

[Neshamah]

I think (IMHO) it has more to do with "power spots." Ancient religious sites were built on "power spots," i.e., places where the magnetic field lines (read "ley lines") crossed. In these "power spots" they felt the "magick" that their gods granted to these special sites.

Those that built the newer, christian religious buildings on the same spots as the old ones knew that the locals believed that these spots were "holy;" thus if the new religious buildings were there, they must be accepted by their gods.

The Celtic priests (Druidic, for the most part) were quite accepting and accomodating to the new religion for some reason (unlike in other parts of the world) so they didn't surreptiously demand that the locals burn down the new buildings.

Some of the old Stave churches are well over 1000 years old.

Light, Life, and Love.

Neshamah