Recommended Book

[Talkingfox]

I'd Like to recommend what is, in my opinion, the BEST book on Runes that I've found to date.

Northern Mysteries and Magick by Freya Asywn

It used to be titled "Leaves of Yggsdrasil" which I found to be a better and more poetic title, but I guess it wasn't selling under that title so the publishers decided to go more generic. Pity.

Ms. Aswyn is no fluff bunny like so many other authors on Runic Lore and has managed to piss off a whole bunch of people ( Mostly those who think that Blum is the be all end all) in her approach. I think that her writings on Yggsdrail as a construct alone makes the thing worth reading.

[YsetEternal]

I love you foxy... I met Blum years ago and still laugh at the encounter...

[Talkingfox]

Yeah we figured out the perfect way to throw the blank rune is so that it lands in the middle of your fishtank....OOooo pretty:laugh:

[Ratatosk]

Where did Blum come up with the "blank" rune? (In our alphabet it's known as a "space" and it must be important, look how big the key for it is on your keyboard!:o_O:)

I am still firmly of the belief that he added that to keep the rune tiles from rattling around in the little plastic "clam-pack." That seems to fit best, and with the slap-dash quality of the writing the late addition of the excuse for the so-called wyrd rune went completely unnoticed.
:p

[MythMath]

"Space - the final frontier..."

Cap'n Kirk

[Ratatosk]

DOH! :o_O:

I just realized that in my previous post I completely failed to say what I really wanted to say: I wholeheartedly second the recommendation of Leaves of Yggdrasil or, as it is now titled Northern Mysteries and Magick.

[Talkingfox]

There have been some scholars of the Northern Paths that have issue w/ Ms Aswyn I must add. Mostly those of the pure unadultrated re-creationist stand. Freya has background in CM and Wicca as well as the Northern Trads(she considers herself and Odinist).

Personally I don't think the 'Purist' stand holds much weight......especially since the Celts and Germanic tribes lived cheek to jowl and that the seafaring folk of the Far North no doubt picked up stuff along their travels which if useful were no doubt used.

I think that whatever approach furthers understanding of whatever system is valid.

[Nuhad418]

I'm currently reading Northern Mysteries and I find it very useful. I was a bit concerned by the Llewellyn publishing (snob that I am) and I was, at first, put off by the various deitiy correspondences, seemed very Wicca to me, but they are growing on me. I read it over once cover to cover and now read a rune a day and try to fit the reading in on a pragmatic way during the day.

[Talkingfox]

Yeah I had some issues with some of her Deity alignments too. I ESPECIALLY had a hard time with the Odin-Gebo thing. I guess it's like any other source material though...one has to sift a bit.

[Nuhad418]

Yeah I had some issues with some of her Deity alignments too. I ESPECIALLY had a hard time with the Odin-Gebo thing. I guess it's like any other source material though...one has to sift a bit.

What issues do you have with linking Gebo with Odin, or more specifically what about Freya's interpretation? This might be a good place to discuss more intimate aspects of the book.

[Talkingfox]

It's the emphasis on crucifiction type sacrifice that bothers me.
Gebo is more about give and take as in the Nordic standpoint that a gift requires one in return.
There's an old Icelandic proverb that speaks to that "It is not a kindness to give a poor man 100 goats"
Why? Because he's POOR and will have no means to repay you, it'll make him feel in your debt and why did you do such a magnanamous thing anyways? Was it to help him or to make yourself look large?

IMO the rune used as a glyph for a spread eagle crucifiction is a stretch at best.

Where have you had issues with her alignments/interpretations, Nuad?

[Nuhad418]

It's the emphasis on crucifiction type sacrifice that bothers me.
Gebo is more about give and take as in the Nordic standpoint that a gift requires one in return.
There's an old Icelandic proverb that speaks to that "It is not a kindness to give a poor man 100 goats"
Why? Because he's POOR and will have no means to repay you, it'll make him feel in your debt and why did you do such a magnanamous thing anyways? Was it to help him or to make yourself look large?

IMO the rune used as a glyph for a spread eagle crucifiction is a stretch at best.

Where have you had issues with her alignments/interpretations, Nuad?

Well I can't really say for certain as I have yet to enter into in indpeth study of the pantheon, myths and cultural norms (as much as we can tell anyway). However, the few things that bothered me on the surface was, as mentioned before, the convenient deity correspondences. She does not indicate if these are based on previous Wiccan/Neo-pagan sources, her own revelations, traditional sources or just trying to apply a logical structure to them. Any of those options is fine, I just like to know where it comes from. Her knowledge of the runes as well as the native languages is a great plus for me though.

I also find her use of Jung distracting. My academic background is in Jung (especially in relation to Religion) and I am trying to reconnect with things I used to have outside of the academy. I am trying very hard not to critique her use of Jung nor to view the gods as archetypal images. If I'm in academic mode that attitude is fine...more than fine, its essential. However, in trying to facilitate a rapport with the gods, ancestors and the runes that perspective is a hindrance. On the other hand, from what I have read I think many heathens dismiss Jung the same way they seem to dismiss Christianity; i.e., without much sustained thought. Generally it seems they don't want to be associated with something that may put into question the existence of the gods. While Jung did say, in his paper Wotan, that a literal belief in the gods is childish, a thorough understanding of his psychology would indicate that regardless of the literal nature or not they are still real. But this criticism is a very personal one and not a bad thing overall.

[Talkingfox]

There are a few deity correspondences that ARE convenient....Ing and Tyr immediately spring to mind

[Lucian]

I've had this book. Did anyone have the version that came with an audio CD of her chanting the runes? Seems like there was something else on it, too... can't remember...

Hmm. I liked it, lent it to a friend, and then never saw it again after he moved to Maine. With all of my books about rune lore.:dull:

[Talkingfox]

Yeah I did. I've actually had several copies over the years.

I like the fact that the addition of the CD makes it clear that if one is going to work w/runes on any major level that they SHOULD be sung.