Pagan Ramblings

I saw one of those "Valhalla does not discriminate against the type of battle you lost" posts go by my dash. I really want to say something but the notes are full of people grieving and saying how much comfort this re-interpretation gave them and I'm not that much of a bastard.

This story of the littlest cancer patient going to Valhalla is kind of upsetting but I struggle to articulate why. It's like Christianity wearing my faith like a costume.

I don't want to call it cultural appropriation because, you know, Norse Paganism/Heathenry/Ásatru is a reconstruction of a dead faith - a (more or less) historically-informed best guess based on scanty surviving evidence (much, if not all, of that Christianised). It's public domain mythology, reuse and remix as you like, etc, etc.

But...

Valhalla is not and has never been a place of rest and healing, and to say it is is to fundamentally misunderstand the mythology. Valhalla is where Odinn is building an army to fight the war at the end of the world. It is not a place for children or victims of domestic violence or cancer patients or anyone like that.

If you're drawn to Norse mythology, if you're grieving and you want to believe that your loved ones are in a better place, let me give you a different story.

It starts with a little girl, a child whom the gods deemed monstrous. Her name is Hela and she's the daughter of Loki, so she every right to claim a home in Ásgard. But, as I said, she was called monstrous for her appearance and her heritage and all but cast out. She was given her own realm, far away from the gods, and tasked with caring for the dead that Odinn (etc) have no use for.

The charge that the gods give this outcast child was considered shit-work. Un-honourable, if not actually dishonourable. An insult for a goddess.

But Hela took that duty with solemnity and made Helheim a home for her wards. It's not a hall full of warriors feasting and drinking and fighting. It's quiet; a rest at the end of a hard life. A place full of children and grandparents, mothers and fathers, farmers and shepherds. You and me.

Helheim, like its mistress, is misunderstood and maligned. When we, who have no place in war, die, Hela will accept us into her hall, care for us, and let us to rest, instead of demanding we keep fighting forever.

On August 1st, we witches of the Northern hemisphere will celebrate Lammas, also called Lughnasadh. It is now high summer and the union of sun and earth has produced the first harvest. It is a time of gathering in and giving thanks for abundance. Feasting, market fairs, games and bonfires are the order of the day. Active growth is slowing and darker days are coming...

-- -- --

Rituals to celebrate:

🥳 With people, this is usually the time to gather around a bonfire, to celebrate the blessings of the harvest. Surround yourself with loved ones and make sure to light something - a bonfire or a candle, it doesn't really matter - to celebrate the sun one last time.

🍽️ In the kitchen, learn to play with yeast and bake your own bread. Grains of any kinds are highly thought after in this festival!

🎨 Get crafty, by making corn dolls out of cob husks.

💃 Dress up, with shades of deep yellow, orange and reds to descent of summer into (soon enough) the fall season.

📜 Write in your journal, about what you are harvesting in your life at the moment. What should you hold onto for the winter months?

There was no universal Scandinavian religion, or Slavic, or Celtic.

They were multiple mini cultures with changing and differing views.

That’s why we have different beliefs on who was the ‘High God’ in the Norse myths and physical evidence that we have left. Tyr, Freyr, Odin; have all been the High God in different cultures. Because people didn’t collect under orthodox and shared religion in a pre Christian world the way they do now.

This list is based on my interpretation of the Norse Gods. I worked with sources, but also with my heart, as I have been interested in the Gods for over a decade and would count myself as a pagan. c:

The Engineer - Ymir

Funnily enough, the Engineer was the last one that came to my mind, even though this one is actually so obvious. And there is a reason that I start with him. 

Ymir is a giant - and not just any giant, but the very first one, primordial!

I chose him not only because the Engineers came before us, but because of his importance in creation itself. Odin, Vili, and Vé (The first Aesir) killed Ymir, and from his flesh they formed the earth. His blood became the oceans, his bones the mountains, his hair the trees, his brain the clouds, his skull the heavens, and his eyebrows formed Midgard - the world of humans - our world.

It fits the Engineers almost perfectly, because they believe that sacrifice is necessary for new life, and Ymir's story reflects that idea. His death was not the end, but the beginning of something new. Without his sacrifice, there would be fewer worlds, and especially no Midgard.

In the same way, the Engineer sacrifices himself at the beginning of Prometheus so that life can emerge from his remains. With his death, he was able to create. 

Both Ymir and the Engineer become the foundation for new life. (Even if one death was willing, and the other was unwilling… but still!)

David - Loki

Ah. Who would have thought? The God of Chaos, the God of Fire, the trickster - yet also a helper and friend of the Aesir. One could think that I go for the trickster and “villain” aspect here, and while David and Loki certainly are cunning bitches, nothing is ever that simple.

Loki was born as a Jötunn - a giant - yet, a long long time ago, became part of the Aesir through his friendship with Odin. They became blood brothers. 

Half giant, half god, half Aesir - half man? Loki is a formchanger, genderfluid, yet always Loki. Really makes me think of our most human Synth - the one who was created to be as close to being a human as possible, and yet was always treated as something less, never whole.

Loki is also the father of beasts: Jörmungandr, Fenrir, and Sleipnir - the latter even being birthed by Loki himself. (Yeah, Loki turned into a mare and got knocked up. Man, I love Norse mythology.) 

David and his children, anyone? The Xenomorphs and Neomorphs? He practically even carried some himself while bringing them onto the Covenant.

There are interesting parallels here as well. Loki's children with Angrboda are feared from the moment they exist. The gods take them away because they are terrified of what they might become, based on a prophecy. Thor tries to kill Jörmungandr more than once, while Fenrir is captured, bound, and imprisoned. 

Much like Loki's children, David's creations are seen only as monsters. They are feared, hunted, and destroyed before they are ever given the chance to be anything else.

For much of Norse mythology, Loki is not the enemy. He helps the Aesir time and time again, solves problems they cannot solve themselves, and repeatedly uses his intelligence for their benefit. Yet despite everything he does for them, he remains an outsider. David was created to serve humanity. He assists them, protects them, learns from them, and spends years trying to understand them. But no matter what he does, he is constantly reminded that he is not one of them.

And maybe that is why both of them eventually become exactly what everyone feared they would be, fulfilling the prophecy - simply because of what was done to them.

By the way, Loki has magic shoes with which he can walk on air and over water like Jesus - reminded me of his quote in Covenant: “Me and fog on little cat feet.” Hehe

Elizabeth Shaw - Sigyn

Finding the perfect Goddess for Elizabeth was not as easy as I thought. There had been multiple Goddesses on my list - Frigg, Idunn, Sága… but in the end, it finally clicked. Sigyn. At first, I thought that it might seem a bit cliché to choose her because of the Loki on my list, but he is not my true reason for this association. 

First things first: Sigyn has no real aspect that she embodies. However, her name means “friend of victory” or “victory bringer”, so there’s speculation that she might be a goddess of victory, though this is not certain.

And I think that fits Elizabeth quite well: she won against everyone and everything that was thrown against her in Prometheus. She got rid of the Alien gestating inside her on her own, fought against the Engineer and was the one to emerge alive from that battle. Even the fact that Weyland answered her request and financed the mission can be seen as a victory - even if he did that for his own selfish reasons.

But my true reasoning behind assigning Sigyn is her compassion and loyalty.

Despite all the pain she went through, seeing her son Narfi get ripped apart as a punishment for Loki’s killing of Baldur, Sigyn stayed with Loki and shielded him from the serpent's venom, cared for him, and never lost that benevolence. This is where I see Elizabeth with David. She showed empathy and kindness, handled his head carefully, put him back together - even after what he did to Charlie, to her. 

And there is another parallel that just came to mind: when Sigyn leaves Loki to empty the bowl that catches the venom, he writhes in agony, screaming so loudly that the earth begins to shake. One day Loki will rip himself free from his shackles and begin Ragnarök, the dawn of the gods. 

…Elizabeth leaving David alone during her cryosleep leaves him to spiral and decide to kill the Engineers on Planet 4, the “gods,” in revenge - his own personal Ragnarök.

But again, Sigyn is not just a symbol of suffering or unhappy wife - she represents someone who can endure unimaginable pain without losing her kindness, compassion, and ability to love - like Elizabeth.

Charlie Holloway - Thor

Thor is the god of thunder, storms, farmers, and the protector of mankind. He’s loud, impulsive, stubborn, and tends to solve problems by charging straight at them headfirst, which sounds veeeeery familiar, doesn’t it?

Charlie is driven by curiosity and passion and lacks caution. He wants answers, he wants proof, and the moment they may have actually found what they came for, he is full of excitement.

Both follow their hearts way more often than their heads. 

There is also the fun detail that Thor and Loki are constantly at odds with one another throughout the myths, even though they also work together and are friends. (This is thinly veiled Dolloway propaganda)

At first, I wanted to go with Heimdall because of his rivalry with Loki, but then chose Thor because both of them possess the same kind of unstoppable determination. Once they have decided on a goal, good luck convincing them otherwise.

Idris Janek - Njörd & Meredith Vickers - Skadi

Njörd is the Vanir patriarch and god of the sea, the wind, and fertility. He is the patron of sailors and fishermen, and he brings wealth to those who are worthy of it. His favourite animals are swans and seals, he embodies the calm sea, gentle winds, and good weather. He is also associated with abundance and treasures that come from the ocean.

So who is our other kind and gentle soul? Janek!! If Janek were a god, he would absolutely be one of calm seas and nice weather - simply because he is a captain. And because I say so. A spaceship can be a boat if you bend the rules enough.

Sailors ask Njörd for favourable winds and safe journeys, and that made me think about Janek sacrificing himself to save Earth. ;; The journey might not have ended well for them, but he managed to save humanity with this.

Skadi is the giant-goddess of mountains, hunting, snow, ice, and skiing! Yes, skiing.

She is a huntress, a winter goddess, and basically a snowshoeing/skiing pro. Sadly, there is not that much known about her, but if you know me, you know that I love portraying Meredith as a Snow Queen. She is cold, independent, always watching, and constantly on the prowl - fitting for a goddess of the hunt.

She is also the one who binds the serpent above Loki's head, the one that keeps dripping venom onto him - and considering David is my Loki... do with that information what you like. 

Why am I naming both of them together? Here comes the real highlight: Njörd and Skadi were married! Even though it did not turn out to be a happy marriage. :(

Skadi loved the mountains, while Njörd loved the sea - and that difference was simply impossible for them to bridge. They tried to compromise, spending nine days in the mountains and nine days in the sea, but neither of them liked it there. In the end, they divorced. 

And those marriage struggles remind me of the little romance Janek and Meredith had going on during Prometheus. One is a powerful CEO, the other an ex-military captain. They come from completely different backgrounds, with completely different priorities and ways of seeing life. Janek would have been good for Meredith, but I believe their relationship would have faced a similar struggle - two people who care about each other, but from different realities.

Rafe Millburn - Freyr

The god of fertility, peace, prosperity, good harvests, spring, rain, and sunshine - you get the idea. Freyr is a true all-rounder when it comes to nature, and sweet Millburn is a biologist who is really, really into his field of expertise.

Freyr is the ruler of Alfheim, the realm of the Elves, and is associated with boars, stags, and horses. He even owns a golden boar called Gullinbursti, which he rides into battle. I really want, and can totally see Millburn riding around on a giant boar, not gonna lie.

Freyr is also simply one of the kindest and mildest gods in the Norse pantheon. He isn’t a warrior - he actually has a sword that fights on it’s own. He later gives it away to woo his wife, Gerd. (He’s btw absolutely lovesick for her, also makes me think of him with Fifield.) The reason he will later die during Ragnarök :’)

So while this is one of the simpler comparisons on my list, I still think it fits. Freyr is a gentle and energetic god of nature and everything that comes with it (including sex) - and Millburn is a cutie patootie.

Sean Fifield - Narfi

This one right here was the HARDEST. I went through so many gods and mythological figures, and none of them truly fit. I sat here thinking about Tyr, Magni and Modi, the Fenris Wolf, but nothing worked! Until I suddenly thought: Wait. Okay. This isn't exactly a well-known god, but role-wise? It fits.

Narfi is the son of Loki and Sigyn. Very little is actually known about him, though he’s apparently a patron of survival and martyrdom? I don’t know if this is actually historically accurate, but at least the martyrdom would be quite fitting, because poor Narfi never did anything wrong.

The Gods transformed Vali into a wolf, who then tore Narfi apart in front of Sigyn’s and Loki’s eyes. To make matters worse, Narfi's entrails were used to bind Loki to the stone. Damn, guys. I know Loki killed Baldr, and I know you're all very upset because of that and because he insulted almost everyone at Ægir's party, but that is NOT Narfi's fault, okay?

So why Fifield? Because Fifield is the first to die on Prometheus under truly horrific circumstances. Even after dying, he gets mutated by the pathogen and can’t rest, wreaking havoc as a zombie. He can’t have dignity in death, his body still being used - just as Narfi’s body is still being used. All Fifield wanted was to get to safety. He was scared, he knew something was wrong. Narfi must have been scared, too.

Kate Ford - Eir

I feel a little bad that I do not have much to say for this one, but yeah - Ford, our EMT nurse, is definitely Eir, the goddess of healing and medicine.

She may also have been a Valkyrie, though no one is really certain. Her name means “protection”, “health”, or “mercy”, and she is known as the greatest physician.

Mh. Ford and Eir also have in common that there is almost nothing known about them. :/ 

Peter Weyland - Odin

The Allfather, king of the Aesir, god of wisdom, knowledge, poetry, magic, and war. Peter Weyland being my Odin was one of the easiest choices on this list.

Odin is famous for his endless pursuit of knowledge. He sacrificed one of his eyes in exchange for wisdom, hung himself from Yggdrasil for nine nights to learn the secrets of the runes, and spent his entire life searching for ways to prevent Ragnarök and escape his fate.

Weyland's entire reason for being on LV-223 is his refusal to accept death and his aspiration for godhood. He has spent his life building an empire, pushing the limits of morality and technology, but even at the very end he is still searching for more knowledge, more power, more time.

And much like Odin, Weyland is willing to sacrifice almost anything in pursuit of that goal. Including other people. Like Loki's children.

And while Odin is wise, he is also manipulative and ruthless. He is not a gentle father figure who always does what is right - he is someone who’s willing to make terrible choices for what he believes is the greater picture. 

While he’s wise, he’s also manipulative and fucking ruthless. He’s the only known God to rape a woman - Rinda - the daughter of a king - because a seer told him that only he and her can conceive Vali, who will avenge Baldur. She denies him multiple times, and then he dresses up with trickery and magic, forcefully impregnating her… 

There are multiple stories where Odin places others in danger or uses them as chess figures, very similar to Weyland.

The Prometheus mission is outwardly presented as a scientific expedition, but in reality it’s for Weyland's personal goal, even bringing a medpod meant only for himself.

Neither Odin nor Weyland seek knowledge simply because they are curious. They seek it because they are scared - scared of death, scared of the idea that there are things beyond their control.

Eir whose names mean grace, gentleness , reconciliation, protection and help is regarded as a goddess and or Valkyrja of healing/medical skills. You can blota to her if you want help with healing ailments and diseases.

Both Poetic Edda and Prose Edda mention her. In poetic Edda she is mentioned as one of the braidsmaids to Menglöd (Menglǫð/ Menglöð) and that Eir and her sisters will answer if someone offer to them.

In the Prose Edda (Gylfaginning, ch. 10), it says that Nótt is the daughter of Nörfi/Narfi, who is described as a jötunn that lived in the farthest, darkest parts of the world. But then there’s another Narfi, Loki’s son, who’s either killed or turned into a wolf by the gods.

Many scholars (and a few wild mythology nerds like me 😌) have pointed out that this might not be a coincidence, the name “Narfi/Nörfi” could indicate the same name being, reshaped in later traditions.

What’s even cooler is that Narfi’s name can mean “corpse” (according to de Vries, 1962), and both Hel and Nótt are described as dark, blue, or black.

And remember in the Völuspá (stanzas 62–63) it’s said that Baldr and Höðr will return after Ragnarök? That means Hel and her realm survived too. Since she never joined Loki or her brothers in the prophecy she was going to fufill.. she only aided them with her army. If so, then everything connected to death, including Narfi keeps existing in this new world.

Do you think Odins eye is still tender from his sacrifice with Mimir

Do you think Thors skull rumbles with pain from his duel with Hrungnir

Do you think Tyrs hand twinges with a phantom pain echoing Fenrirs bite

Freyja worship suggestions

Associations

Love

Beauty

procreation/fertility

War

Magic

Death

Gold

Sex

Desire

Possessions

Prophetic virtues

Offerings

Mead

Honey

Wine

Perfume

Jewelry

Cakes

Cat figures

Incense

Medals

Tea

Water

Meat

Bread

Runes

Daisies

Potion bottles

Coins

feathers

Sacred animals

Cats

Boars

Hawks

Sacred colors

Gold

Amber

Red

Green

white

Action devotion

Keep a jewelry box next to and/or on her Altar

Study magic and fortune-telling

Donate to cat shelters

Making oils out of her Sacred herb (Daisies)

Self-love/care

Spend time with your loved ones

Reading her myths

Learning combat or weaponry 

Dressing up in her sacred colors

Necklace crafting

Bringer of Joy and Laughter,

Show me the joy and passion of life.

May Loki,

Shape-shifter,

Keep those outside the binary safe.

May Loki,

Story-teller and Liesmith,

Allow me to fully enjoy the stories and experiences I hear, see, and share with others.

May Loki,

God Of Those Othered By Society,

Help me stay safe in experiencing life as fully as I can.

May we feel your warmth