The Old Ways

[Tyr]

How many of us still practice the old ways, death in battle is glorious instant grant into vahalla i personally do but ive heard of the more "mordern" way of thinking and people do not honor that age old tradtion.

[Zephyr]

Originally Posted by Tyr

How many of us still practice the old ways, death in battle is glorious instant grant into vahalla i personally do but ive heard of the more "mordern" way of thinking and people do not honor that age old tradtion.

I'm pretty damn old-fashioned, however, death in battle isn't exactly an instant grant for what it's worth. You'd be just as likely to end up in Folkvangr, not like that's a bad thing at all.

[lokis_dottir]

If you pay attention to the lore, aka the Norse Myths, you'll discover that there are multiple known destinations where the dead may go as their are within our tradition a number of Halls and Gods that play host to the dead.

Hel - simply put is the place of the dead. Etymologically it's believed this roots to simply the word for grave. As the place where the dead reside. It has no connotations of good or evil in and of itself.
But within hel there are 2 places known for where those who committed evil in life (oathbreakers, murders, etc.) were known to go:

• Nifolhel - where those who have committed evil go
• Nastrond/possibly also Wyrmsele (in OE)- where the most evil are sent

Battle-slain - if not evil, go to Valhalla or Sessrumnir.
Vingolf (according to Snorri some of Odin's dead go here instead of Valhalla, but it may refer to a hall hosted by the Goddesses instead... this one is unclear).
Those who die at sea - go to Ran
Geofon (aka Gefion/Gefjon) - I think this Goddess is also said to take some of the dead. But can't remember for certain.

And that's only the places and/or Gods/Goddesses I remember off the top of my head. I seem to think there are more halls that are said to play host to the dead.

Also, here's some more food for thought. Ours is not a warrior religion, and unfortunately that's what get's hyped the most. Ours is an AGRICULTURAL religion. All of our rites and holy days coincide with specific events related to having food to survive. Yes we honored the ancestors, and we spent time to honor those who died in good service to their community. Women who died in childbirth were JUST as highly honored as men who died in battle in some communities. A poet or skald could be just as honored as any warrior, etc.

[Zephyr]

Welcome to RF lokis_dottir. Stick around some. We really need more active Heathens around here. I've been getting lonely.

[Ciarin]

I'm here too

[Zephyr]

Originally Posted by Ciarin

I'm here too

Yay! We finally get people here.

[Tyr]

The more heathens the better welcome

[Reiðrœska]

I can't say I practice at all. I'm only 15 and my parents would almost undoubtably not let me practice any religious rituals (Asatru or Satanist/Enochian/Goetic etc) so I'm going to have to wait until I'm older before I practice anything, but I'd be more than happy to discuss Asatru practices with you.

lokis_dottir is right when he says that poets and such were honoured as much as warriors were. Do you happen to know where a doctor or surgeon would go when he died, by the way? I'm curious as I can't believe there were too many cerebrovascular neurosurgeons 1000 odd years ago, but there may have been an equivalent?