Hell Flies from Mars!

—

Osho

What is Norse Heathenry?

Norse Heathenry is a contemporary pagan spirituality derived from the beliefs, customs, superstitions, and folklore of the pre-Christian Norse people. It is one of a few different kinds of Heathenries, which include Slavic Heathenry and Teutonic (Germanic) Heathenry.

The word "heathen" means "of the heaths." However, it's not a word the Old norse people themselves used. They didn't have a word for their spiritual belief system, as they didn't distinguish this from all other aspects of their lives. Rather, "Heathen" was coined by Christian writers to refer to Scandinavian pagans (this is also why it's sometimes used interchangeably with the word "heretic").

Nowadays, Norse Heathenry is referred to by many names, which reflects different developing iterations of it. Amongst these names are Norse Paganism, Asatru, and Forn Sidr / Forn Sed.

Where does Norse Heathenry come from?

Norse Heathenry comes from the Nordic countries of Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. These places are also known as the homelands of the vikings. But despite their shared origins, Norse Heathenry is not the religion of the vikings. This very large misconception has a very long, complex history behind it, owed to a combination of commercialization and fascist tampering. The Heathenry we see in America is extremely muddied from these influences. Fortunately, we now have the means to disambiguate it, thanks to increasingly accessible cultural exchange.

The following explanation is a product of ongoing anthropological, theological, and cultural research, in combination with what we know about the historical.

Norse Heathen Beliefs

Unlike organized religions, Norse Heathenry is (and has always been) a decentralized belief system. This means it has no universal doctrines, no orthopraxy or orthodoxy, no holy texts, and no religious figurehead governing it. When you hear people say "There's no 'right' way to practice Heathenry," this is generally what they're referring to.

However, Norse Heathenry does have a distinct way of thinking about and viewing the world, and it's very different from what we usually see here in the US. If you're feeling stuck trying to figure out how to "do Heathenry," this would be why.

Animism

A staple of Norse Heathen epistemology is Animism.

Usually, Animism is defined as the belief that all things have a spirit or vital essence to them. But this is only one definition of many, and not the definition that applies here.

The Norse concept of Animism is "the awareness that all things are part of an interdependent ecosystem." This changes how we engage with everything around us. We understand that when we interact with the forces of this world, they will interact back on their own merit. Our relationship with all things is a social one, and we're not spectators in our environment, but active participants at all times.

This stands is stark contrast to the way the USAmericans typically view the world: As a landscape to either test or be tested by, with the forces of the world acting as the means through which this is done.

Additionally, there's no separation between the sacred and the profane.

Immanence

Faiths that focus on spiritual ascension, enlightenment, or attaining a good afterlife are known as transcendent faiths.

While Norse Heathenry has some transcendent elements, it's ultimately an immanent belief system, which means its focus is on living life for the sake of living, as opposed to living life to receive a good afterlife. A good afterlife is already guaranteed.

(Some Heathens may strive for a specific kind of afterlife, however, which do have certain conditions for accessing. But these are elective rather than required, and different as opposed to superior. It's all a matter of preference, at the end of the day.)

The Norse Gods

Many people are already familiar with the Norse gods, such as Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freyja, but not many people are familiar with how they operate as gods.

In Hellenism and Religio Romano, the gods are divine lords who preside over different domains of society. It's a reflection of what the ancient Greeks and Romans highly valued in their civilizations: Law and political/civic involvement.

In Norse Heathenry, however, gods don't operate in a lordship capacity. Instead, they're more like celebrities in that they're celebrated figures everyone knows about.

While they don't rule over one thing or another, the Norse gods often act as allegorical representations of worldly phenomena. Thor is to thunderstorms as Loki is to "random-chance odds." SIf is to wheat-fields as Odin is to the old wandering beggar. Frey and Freyja represent masculine and feminine principles, Skadi the driven snow and foggy winter, and so on. The gods exist as worldly experiences inasmuch as they exist as ideas.

Lastly, but importantly, the Norse gods don't distribute rewards or punishments in accordance with on one's actions or deeds, nor do they tell us how we ought to live our lives. The way they interact with us depends on our individual relationships with them, which can be just as diverse as the ones we have with each other.

Myths & Folklore

What people often refer to as the "Norse Myths" are stories found in two old Icelandic texts called the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. These texts are special because they're the oldest and largest collection of tales featuring the Norse deities.

However, these texts represent just one region's period-specific interpretation of Norse folklore. They also only represent a fraction of the tales that still circulate within Nordic oral traditions, so not only are they not "canon" in the usual sense of the word, they're also just a sample.

This is all to say that Norse Heathenry doesn't have a hard body of mythology. It certainly has a defined one, but its definition is built from local legends, fairy tale humor, songs, customs, superstitions, and family folklore in addition to what survives on runestones and parchment. The corpus of Heathenry is very much a living, breathing thing.

Spirits

Norse Heathenry recognizes a wide variety of different beings, the likes of which can be found all around us. Some of these beings are like how we typically imagine spirits, in that they're incorporeal or otherwordly, while others are physical but may play tricks on you so you can't see them.

Like many things pertaining to Heathenry, there isn't a universally-shared classification system for Norse beings. But generally-speaking, beings are defined by their natures and the manner in which they relate to the rest of the world, rather than their morphology. For example, Trolls can take the appearance of rocks, trees, and also living people, but they can also be incorporeal spirits. This is all, however, the same kind of Troll, rather than being different types of trolls.

This is also why the lines between "spirit", "god," and "ancestor" can become very blurry at times. In English use, these are all typically labeled under the category "vaetter." Sometimes "wight" is used to refer to spirits of various types, but isn't often used to refer to gods.

Typically, the way people interact with spirits entirely depends on what kind of spirit they're dealing with, as well as their disposition towards human beings. Some spirits may enjoy a personal relationship, while others are best when left unbothered.

Values & Morality

Because Norse Heathenry has no doctrine and is immanent in nature, it has no fixed value system. Just like the stories were decentralized, so were the Norse people's values.

This is a feature as opposed to a flaw, and a fact as opposed to a theory. But it also has a habit of making Americans very uncomfortable.

For this reason, Heathens sometimes choose to construct their own value system to observe as part of their practice. But what those values are is up to each individual.

Anyone claiming Norse Heathenry has a universal value system is either new to Heathenry, or selling something.

Veneration

Heathen veneration is not just limited to gods, but also includes ancestors and even certain kinds of spirits, such as nisse/tomte.

Like most things in Norse Heathenry, what, who, and how a Heathen chooses to venerate is their choice to make. One popular observance across the globe is to craft altars, shrines, or similar sacred spaces for the entities one venerates. If a Heathen lives in a house that has a nisse (similar to a gnome), they might leave porridge (with butter) by the hearth for him, and he'll in turn bless the house with good luck and fortune.

Oftentimes, relationships with entities are very interpersonal. Heathenry's animistic and immanent nature means entities are rarely cold and distant, including the gods.

Misconceptions!

A list of misconceptions off the top of my head:

The practice known as 'Odinism' is an invention of the Germanic Volkish movement, which was the social precursor to Nazi Germany. This is also, unfortunately, the first kind of "heathenry" to be brought to the US, back in the 1970's. It was spread through the country via one of the fastest-moving networks at the time: The US prison system.

The Black Sun is a Nazi symbol, not a Heathen one.

No, Norse Heathenry is not a closed practice.

No, you don't have to have Scandinavian heritage to practice Norse Heathenry. Blood quantum is not a thing.

The rune alphabets are old, but the method of runecasting is new.

So is the use of magical bindrunes.

Bindrunes are also different from Galdrastafir. The latter is actually a form of Jewish-Christian-Norse syncretism and needs to be taught orally since it's a mystery tradition. You can still slap the Helm of Awe on things and look cool about it though.

Norse Heathenry is not the same as being a viking, and Norse Heathens are not vikings. However, some Heathens partake in viking reenactment as an extension of their practice.

There's no good or bad gods in Norse Heathenry. All the gods are capable of great good and great bad, just like people. They're fallible, and that's what makes them relatable.

Odin and Loki aren't at odds with one another.

You don't need to wait for a god to pick you to start venerating them.

Hel and Odin

It has been a while since I have posted something, but I have been doing a lot of reading and thinking, particularly about death. In this blog I want to look at Hel and Odin, who share some traits as gods who collect the dead, but who seem to be working in opposition to each other. Hel is an outsider just like her parent Loki. She is a jötunn (“giant, glutton, overeater”) born in Jotunheim, and a force of chaos and destruction, as opposed to the Aesir/Vanir, who mainly seem to be forces of creation and order. Odin, as god of war, however, does not shy away from causing a little chaos and destruction, but then, Odin is also of jötunn parentage.

Hel is described by Snorri as being half a corpse, monstrous like her siblings Fenrir, the giant wolf, and Jormungand, the giant serpent, but unlike them she takes a human form. The gods receive a prophecy (Prose Edda, Gylfaginning) concerning Loki’s monstrous offspring, and Odin has them brought from Jotunheim to Asgard. Jormungand is thrown into the sea, Hel is made ruler of the underworld, but Fenrir is fostered in Asgard. Why does Fenrir get this treatment? Perhaps simply because Odin likes wolves (he already has two pet wolves, Geri and Freki), or perhaps because he thinks the wolf will be an asset to him, as his dead warriors in Valhalla are. Hel is not given a place at Asgard, and she seems to be as much a prisoner of the underworld as she is its ruler, which to me suggests that the other gods see Hel as a danger to them. I think Hel embodies death or death of the gods. She is a harbinger of doom, and omen of Ragnarök. She is the daughter of Loki, after all, and Angrboda (“harm-bidder”, “bringer-of-sorrow”). What with Hel being half a corpse, she is a visible reminder of that which we will all one day become. The Norse gods are not immortal, and I think especially Odin is afraid of death and/or losing his mind, which would mean losing all the knowledge and experience he has gained (in Gylfaginning he says he is afraid of Huginn and Muninn not returning to him). On his wanderings, Odin queries spirits and jötunns about the afterlife and his own and his son’s demise. Is Odin trying to cheat death or to put it off as long as possible? He lets people who have died live on in his hall. These people make up his army that he will use to fight against the forces of death/chaos at Ragnarök. Hel could be a personification of death coming to stop Odin before he discovers the secret to not dying.

Before they are brought to Asgard, Hel and her brothers never harmed the gods, so by taking them from their home and banishing and chaining them, do they not have a hand in fulfilling the prophecy? If Hel is death, she cannot be killed, only temporarily ignored or warded off. Is this why the best thing Odin can do is to make her ruler of the underworld? She does not die and disappear there, but it seems she cannot leave either. She can still influence the other realms, though her influence only extends to taking in the shades of those who have died of old age and sickness.

What is this place Hel is made ruler of? The sources contradict each other. According to some, it is located under Niflheim (“Place of Mists”). In Baldur’s Dreams in the Poetic Edda, Hel is described as being located in Niflhel. In another tale it is said to be located under one of the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. In any case, Hel in Old Norse means ‘hidden’, so Helheim = Hidden Place. It seems fitting that there is no conclusive answer as to where it is, because it is not for us living people to know.

Niflheim is said to have existed before anything else did. It is a cold, dark and misty place, but it is not a void, it has material, it has rivers. The water running out of Niflheim turns to ice and fills up the Void (water = a source of life). It makes sense to me, therefore, that this is the sort of primordial place where people return to after they die to become material once again. When we think of someone dying, we picture them going somewhere else, but if, like me, you do not believe in any sort of afterlife, they are in fact not going anywhere. Still, they are no longer Here with us, we can’t see them or talk to them, and since Nowhere At All is kind of hard to imagine, we assume they must be Somewhere Else.

It seems to me that Folkvang, Freyja’s meadow where she receives half of those who have died in battle, and Valhalla are just temporary stops on the way to Somewhere Else (a.k.a. Hel, the Hidden Place). Valhalla in particular sounds like some terrible limbo, a Groundhog Day/Russian Doll kind of time loop, where the fallen warriors eat, drink, fight, die and rise again the next day to repeat the same process, until the inevitable end, Ragnarök, comes. Odin keeps his guests in a state of intoxicated forgetfulness.

Like Odin, Hel has an army of dead people, but unlike him she does not seem to have amassed it on purpose. She lends the dead people to her parent Loki, who captains this army at Ragnarök. Perhaps she wasn’t too happy about the fact that she and her brothers were kidnapped and then banished/locked up. Additionally, I think her function is to end everything so the cycle can begin again. Odin and the others need to make way for the next generation of gods.

If gods die, then, do they also go to Niflheim/Niflhel/Hel? It does appear to be the case. A feast is prepared in Hel for Baldur, and he goes there after he is killed by the mistletoe dart. He does not die in battle, but his death is an accident. Niflheim/Niflhel/Hel seems to be a place where ordinary people go, and where there is calm and rest. Snorri calls the being Hel cold, and uncaring about the fate of humankind, but that is just what a mortal person would say about death, isn’t it? Yes, death sometimes may seem cruel and unjust, but I suppose there is equality in death, and as Neil Gaiman wrote, we all get what everybody gets: a lifetime. Hel treats everybody the same, regardless of the life they have lived. They do not have to die honourably or prove themselves in battle to be granted entry to her realm. She also ends the suffering of those who are old and sick. As distressing as it may be to us, life cannot exist without death.

DEVOTIONAL ACTS AND OFFERINGS TO FENRIR

~These may also serve as ideas to put on an altar~

Physical Offerings

Bones (Found Naturally or Bought from Ethical Sources)

As his name translates to "Fen-Dweller", offerings themed around the Woods, Marshes, or Fens may also be given (Some examples may include sticks, acorns, plants, or other things that remind you of him. Please do not harm the area to gather your offerings!) [This is also a easily affordable option!]

Wolf Imagery (Statues and Sculptures, Figurines, Images and Drawings)

Meat (I tend to use red meats, like steak and roast beef)

Candles, Incense (More woody and musky themes)

Crystals (Sticking darker usually, you can use intuition or try and ask him what he might like, but some safe options (and fairly afforable!) are Obsidian, Smokey Quartz, Hematite, Onyx, Petrified Wood, Bloodstone, Lava Rocks, Black Agates, and Howlite. Some more expensive stones can be Silver, Copper, Fossils, and Lapis Lazuli

Herbs, examples can be Mugwort, Root (Burdock, Valerian, etc), Barks (Willow, Birch, Oak)

Cut and dried wood slices (I found and dried mine, but you can usually buy natural wood slices at craft stores!)

Photos or Drawings of nature (bonus points if you went out to sit and draw them based off what you saw)

Mead and Wine (usually reds) [And if of age]

Silver Rare-ish Coins (Half-Dollars, Silver Dollars)

Spiritual Offerings

Lend him memories. Especially ones of you walking out in nature, being free. Fenrir is trapped and chained, you can offer him those short moments of freedom

Talk to him. Even if you don't hear a response. Talk about your day, what's bothering you, etc. Keep him some company for a while- it gets lonely in his position.

Let him tell you his story. No amount of story or research will exactly equate to what he has to say. Open your mind to his sides of the stories, let him tell you what happened. Legends and myths don't share it all.

Offer him your pain. Not physical- (do not harm yourself as an offering!)- but mental and emotional. Give him your anger and work for forgiveness, give him your stress and work on taking care of yourself. (I've offered my emotional pain before, and then given myself some care with his guidance; I tend to feel much better after)

Standing up for yourself

Being fearless/facing what you're scared of

Easily Afforable/Free Options

Items found in Nature/From going outside

Most Spiritual Offerings (above)

Photos and Drawings/Symbolism

Lighting a Candle

Small Coins

Bones and Herbs (Many can be found outside/foraged for)

That's all I have for now, this list may be updated as more ideas show themselves!

(This might be a long post, bear with me here.)

Please forgive any typing errors, sometimes I miss things, I am human. :)

In a lot of Forums, Webpages, Resources, and even down to Drawings I've seen, Fenris doesn't seem to get much of a good reputation.

Seen as the "big bad wolf" of Norse Myth, those who work with or worship the "Bringer of Ragnarök" have been shunned or put down by other Practitioners; at least in different parts of the Web I come across.

This isn't as much as an Informational Post than more of a "Fenrir Appreciation" Post, but nonetheless I believe it might shed some light on the "Good" parts of the Great Wolf.

First:

Fenrir is not a "Black or White" Deity. He is not all bad (as many like to make him out to be) but he is certainly not all good either. Working with him has lead me to believe he lies somewhere around the "morally grey" side.

Which I suppose can make him easy to relate to, because no human is all good or all bad. He was shunned and bound for what he would grow to be, not necessarily because he was evil, as many seem to think he is.

Now that that part is out of the way, some of my personal appreciation for Fenris Wolf below.

Comfort

Yes, comfort. Easily one of the first positives that comes to mind; Fenris has always brought with him an intense but warm presence. Through communication, sometimes it seems he knows exactly what I need to hear at the time, and despite the intensity his energy can have, more often than not it feels like a warm blanket has wrapped over me. His presence feels like more of a safety than someone to be feared.

Honesty and Self Improvement

Fenris is also a Bringer of hard truths. He will be entirely honest with you, especially if it comes to calling out behavior you need to fix yourself. I like to attribute a lot of my recent self-improvement to the things he has pointed out to me; both what I need to improve on, and what I need to start doing.

Strength

Now not necessarily PHYSICALLY strong, but Fenrir has pulled me out of a lot of moments where I've felt "lesser than", whether it's more of a comforting presence or the wolfish "bare your teeth and get up off the ground". He'll be a constant reminder that no, you're not done yet, it's not time to give up. There has been a few times now where I fully believe he offered a small bit of his strength to help get me back on my feet again.

Ferocity and Confidence

I would like to preface this bit with the admission that I used to be a "doormat". I didn't speak my opinions, I let people walk all over me, and I didn't voice the things I needed.

With Fenrir I've slowly been able to work towards and find that I can speak what I want, defend myself and my needs, and I don't feel guilty for saying what I need to. Working with him and speaking enough to get his advice has made it where I feel fully confident to say exactly what I need to without feeling that guilt for voicing my opinion.

Companionship

Most Deities I would never consider "companions", nor am I trying to say I am on the same level as Fenris (for he is still a Deity and I am most certainly below him), but there have been many times where I can feel him walk with me, or even give simple reminders that he is in fact still here, or that he hasn't abandoned me. Those small reminders have only added to the comfort he brings me, because there are times I haven't needed to ask for a reminder of his presence. He'll often make himself known to you, if he has to slap you across the face with obvious signs.

Power

Down to the Pagan side of it, I've felt more confidence in my work and divination skills, I've branched out in new ways and overall improved my craft through his guidance and finding my own power. Comparing my progress of before working with him to after, there's been a huge jump in my abilities and how I do things than before. Reflecting on it, it seems that the entire path I followed has changed, and for the better. I don't feel as stagnant in my progress or what I'm focused on. I feel rejuvenated, motivated, and powerful.

Reflection and Mindfulness

Fenris has given me many moments to reflect back, through both shadow work and simply taking the time to meditate and/or reflect on my actions of the day. Going back after, I can explore what I would have changed if I had the chance, and push that forward for the next time something similar can happen. This loops around again to that Self Improvement, and feeling more confident in my action. And oddly enough, sometimes he serves as a reminder that it is okay to rest. To take a moment for self care and simply for you. Not every moment needs to be drained on Deity Work, your Path, or Responsibilities. While he doesn't hesitate to remind you what needs to be done, he will give the leisure of letting you feel the need to take breaks.

Acceptance

Even through his Mythology, Fenrir is an outcast. Bound and Fettered for a Fate he did not decide, he seems to have a habit of taking in your own feelings of not belonging, and turning them into strength and empowerment. Other than things I have needed to improve on, he has shown no anger nor distaste for things that a good chunk of people would have outcast me for. He is forgiving and accepting of Mental Illness, Identity, and Sexuality. Something I cannot vouch for from parts of humanity.

Reflection

As far as the Deities I have worked with go, though intense, he seems caring and gentle, but blunt enough to push you to improve.

Despite his reputation for villainy or destruction, direct speaking with him has shown that he is aware of his destiny and has made his peace with it, but in some ways he does not want to be the one to end the worlds. He has a bitterness and feelings of betrayal for the God's who chained him; but overall he is a *surprisingly* peaceful but intense Deity. He is accepting, he doesn't demand extravagant offerings or every moment of your time, only the promise of doing better and improving.

Now this isn't to speak for everyone, because experiences will be different, but all in all, he is one of my favorite energies I've gotten the honor of working with, and I fully disagree with the beliefs that Fenrir is a Deity everyone should steer away from.

You see this a lot like with alleged "Viking inspired tattoos" that often just steal from Inuit Tuuniit. Like that bullshit that runway pulled & called it "Viking"

[Image ID: two photos stacked next to each other horizontally. The first on the left is of a White model on the runway with false tattoos, her forehead has two triangles entending in a downward, "V", while her chin has two vertical lines with 3 dots on opposite sides. The second on the right is of an Inuk woman with traditional tattoos, with the same "V" shaped tattoo on her forehead but more curved inward, and her chin has 5 lines running down it. The tattoos in the two photos are remarkably similar. End ID.]

I also think they did this with Tyr in the new god of war game

[Image ID: screenshot of a promotional photo from the upcoming Santa Monica Game God of War Ragnarok, featuring the character Tyr. His forehead has the same V shaped tattoo as the above images, though with the innerside of the V being shaded in. End ID.]

And again with Eivor in Assassin's Creed Valhalla (alternatively, theirs also looks like Dene & Cree tattoos I've seen)

[Image ID: screenshot from the Ubisoft game Assassin's Creed Valhalla, featuring the female version of the playable protagonist character Eivor. She is White & ethnically Norse wearing green metal armor, with a long scar on her cheek & a partially shaved with pulled back into a ponytail. Tattoos of 3 thick lines extend down her chin, similar to the photo of the Inuk woman in the first image. End ID.]

& then AGAIN with the show Barbarians, but this time with makeup (compare to how traditional pow wow dancers do their war paint using the same colors, if you're a regular pow-wow-er you'll know that red across the forehead with black lines or dots is a popular combo design)

[Image ID: 3 photos stacked together vertically. The first is of a White woman, a character from the TV show Barbarians. She is wearing warpaint, with a dark streak all along her forehead and ending at her eyebrows, with black lines extending from her eyeliner across to her ears, 3 black lines going down her chin, and the rest of her chest completely covered in black. The other two images to the right feature 2 different Native men, one younger and one elderly, in traditional pow wow regalia. They both also have ted across their foreheads. The younger man in the middle ohoto has a black line just under the red paint going across his nose and cheeks, with dots underlining the line, and 3 black lines on his chin extending outward from a shared point starting from the center of his lip. The more elderly man in the 3rd photo has yellow and white lines underlining the red face paint, and black dots undernearth those. End ID.]

We don't even know what Viking or Old Norse tattoos looked like, but they WERE described as having tattoos in black and dark blue. Although, given what we've seen in their art, they PROBABLY looked a lot more like the designs and art as seen in their existing carving, woodwork, runes & other art. Even if historic Scandanavian people tattooed their faces, why would they look like Inuit or other Native tattoos? & that's not even getting into all these fantasy video games or movies that do this too.

We also don't even know what Celtic tattoos looked like, or indeed, if they even had any. But again, we can probably guess they looked like something similar to the other art they had. But then in the show Brittania you also get this.

[Image ID: photo of a screenshot from the tv show Brittania. It features an elderly woman wearing a bluish white feathered headdress extremely reminiscent of Native American war bonnets. She is also wearing green jewelry and a feathered necklace. Characters in the background, while blurred, also have similar clothing reminiscent of Native American traditional clothing. End ID.]

???? LOOKS KINDA FAMILIAR. They did not. Have headdresses. This was also pulled apart as inaccurate by people who study historical costume on youtube, but you don't even need to do that to know this is inaccurate as hell an appropriation. She looks like those hipster, appropriative types who do this exact thing so they can post it on their blog from coachella or pinterest princesses with Viking moodboards full of white women in dreadlocks (because of course they are, of course they appropriate Black culture too) with feathers in their hair who look like this (you noticing a pattern here?)

[Image ID: 3 images stacked together vertically. The 3 images have 3 white women dressed very similarly. The first woman is blonde, holding a wooden & furred weapon, with a feathered head piece, & a bone choker & breastplate obviously based off of Native American ones. She has white dots along her eyes. The middle photo features another blonde woman with matted hair 'dreadlocks' with bone jewelery in her hair, a leather bra, dark makeup with a rune on her forehead, and a dreamcatcher like ornament in her hair. The last woman on the right photo is black haired, with a red streak of makeup along her eyes, a single black line going down her chin, a red leather vest showing her cleavage, and wearing a black feathered headdress obviously nodeled off of Native American war bonnets, & with also a dreamcatcher like ornament within in. End ID.]

& istg I read an article online somewhere that said that when European artists started depicting Celts, they portrayed them like this, vs. A drawing of a Powhatan person on the right, so they based a lot of drawings of Celtic peoples on early drawings of Native Americans (if I can find it, I'll link it)

[Image ID: two photos stacked next to each other vertically, they are both in very similar poses and are historical illustrations. The first features a celtic man with red hair and various tattoos. The second on the right is of a Powhatan man with a bow in his hand, with red tattoos on his body. While not exactly the same, the biggest similarity is on the Celtic man's legs, which resemble algonquian tattoos, like on the Powhatan man's legs and arm, with curved lines going up and down. End ID.]

Names:

Fenrir (Fen-Dweller)

Fenris (Coming from "Fenrisúlfr")

Fenrisúlfr (Úlfr meaning Wolf, Fenrir's Wolf or Fenris-Wolf)

Vánagandr/Vanargand (Monster of the River Van)

Hróðvitnir (Fame-Wolf)

Appearance:

Fenris is said to appear as a Ginormous Wolf, with Black Gur and Red Eyes. However, for me personally, his fur appears as more of a darker greyish color. :)

Mythology:

All of these are going to be kept as short as I can, while still keeping them accurate and informational. (Low Energy for those who don't like to read as much or are having a hard day and out of spoons!)

Birth and Prophecy:

Fenrir was born to Loki and Angrboða, among of course, his other siblings. (Jördmungandr and Hel). The Æsir had heard of these births, along with the prophecies that came with them. Fenrir was to swallow Odin, the "Head Ruler" of the Æsir, and the other children to add their destruction with the bringing of Ragnarök; the End of Worlds. Now it would be obvious the Gods didn't like to hear about their own endings, so the effort was put in to try and hold off Ragnarök.

Jördmungandr was thrown into the deepest depths of the Ocean, curled around Midgard (Earth). Eventually he grew large enough to bite at his own tail, and the Ouroboros is a common symbol used to represent him.

Hel, Fenrir's other sibling, was set to rule Helheim, land of the Dead.

Meanwhile Fenrir himself was raised by the Æsir in hopes he would grow to favor the Gods. However as he grew larger and more ferocious, the Gods began to fear what he would become, and Fenrir was tricked into being bound in fetters (leg bindings).

The Binding of Fenrir:

At first, Fenrir was tricked into bindings, told by the Gods that it was a game, a test of his strength. He was first bound with Leyding, created by the Gods themselves. It was the strongest chains they had created, however Fenrir broke it with a single kick.

The Second Binds were known as Dromi, also made by the Gods, and twice as strong as before. Fenrir struggled a moment, but in under a minute he had broken free.

The Third and Final Binding was Gleipnir, which roughly translates to "Entangler" by most sources, though other sources have argued a few different translations.

Gleipnir was crafted by the Dwarves from 6 "impossibles" (The Sound of a Cat's Footfall, a Woman's Beard, the Spit of a Bird, Breath of a Fish, Roots of a Mountain, and Sinews of a Bear). Light and thin, Gleipnir appeared as merely a ribbon. However the Gods had sensed its power, and none of them had proven able to break it.

So from there Gleipnir was presented to Fenrir, with the Gods challenging that he could not break it, as none of them had been able to. Fenrir had scoffed, as ripping such a seemingly small thread would not be as impressive as thick chains.

However he sensed a trap, and agreed with caution to allow the ribbon to be tied around him as long as he had the assurance he was safe, which required the Gods to sacrifice their own safety as well. Tyr, (who had been feeding and caring for Fenrir as the Gods grew more and more fearful of him, and the one Fenrir trusted most) was the only one brave enough to volunteer. He placed his right hand into the jaws of Fenrir as the great wolf was tied.

Fenrir struggled and kicked, but the ribbon only tightened around him. The Gods mocked and laughed at Fenrir for being unable to break himself free. In the rage, Tyr lost his right arm to Fenrir, the sacrifice for binding the wolf.

Gleipnir was fastened to a large stone, which was then anchored to another, larger stone. A sword is then forced through Fenrir's jaws, keeping him trapped.

His children, Sköll (Sun Devourer) and Hati (Moon Devourer) were the only ones who attempted to free him. However the ribbon proved unbreakable, and the children were punished with chasing the Sun and Moon until Ragnarök, when the planets will be swallowed.

Location:

According to Myth, Fenrir is said to be bound on the Island "Lyngvi", in the Great Lake "Amsvartnir" (roughly translated to Pitch Black).

Personal communication with him sets more of a woodsy location, he is usually within a large circle of trees.

Things that Remind Me of Him:

The rush of adrenaline after doing something you're proud of

The burn in your muscles and lungs after a run or working out

The strength in standing up for yourself and defending what you believe

The smell of the Woods and safety of the darkness

Embracing the darker parts of yourself, whether it is simply to acknowledge them, or work on healing them

The rage associated with something being unfair or inequal

Rebelling against the "Norm"

Being unapologetically "You"

The Cyclical Events and Beginnings and Ends in life

The harsh heat of Flames

The scent of fresh-brewed coffee

Protection Magick

Caring your Mental and Physical Health

Putting yourself first in times of need (not selfishness, but times where you are needed to be put first)

Emotional Pain (Sorrow, Anger, etc. Offer it to Him too!!)

Dark Colors, Makeup, and Outfits

Bloodstone, Obsidian, Petrified Wood, Smokey Quartz, Tree Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Howlite, Hematite, Carnelian, Onyx, Black Moonstone, and Fossils (for my Crystal Focused Practitioners)

Mugwort, most types of Roots and Barks (White Willow, Oak, Birch, Burdock, etc), Yarrow, Yew Berries, Pine Needles, Turmeric, and other "Woodsy" Plants (for my Herb-Based Witches)

Parents and Siblings:

Fenris was born to the Jotuun Loki, the Trickster God, and the Jotuun Angrboða, Mother of Monsters. Along this were his Siblings, Jördmungandr the World Serphent, and Hel, Ruler of Helheim, the realm of the Dead (which is also a part of Niflheim).

Children: Sköll and Hati [Though some mythology speculates They and Fenrir are the same being(s)]

Disclaimer:

These retellings and translations are by my own words and own research, I cannot promise 100% accuracy on it all.