witchyways:

9. Loki kvað:

“Mantu þat, Óðinn,
er vit í árdaga
blendum blóði saman?
Ölvi bergja
lézktu eigi mundu,
nema okkr væri báðum borit.”


Auden and Taylor translate L9 thus:

“Remember, Odin, in the olden days
What blood-brothers we were:
You would never have dreamed of…

in re-reading the Eddas, I’ve marveled at the different styles and translations! In the Havamal in particular, does Odin take up the runes crying? shouting? screaming? moaning? all of these different translations mean something specific, and describe a particular experience. My own experience with the runes has been overwhelming confusion and humility. But to take them up screaming? woah.

What did Odin whisper into Baldr’s ear?

What did Jesus whisper to Thomas?

I can’t not draw ingwaz. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about this.

journeyers-scrapbook:

Odin

thank you thank you thank you, All-Father. Please continue to walk with me.

I know that I hung

on a windy tree,

nights all nine,

wounded by the spear

given to Odin,

myself to myself,

on that tree

of which no man knoweth,

from whence its roots rises.

They dealt me no bread

nor drinking horn,

I gazed down,

I took up the runes

roaring I took them,

and fell back again.

~Havamal

nonsequently:

odin’s sacrifice, by pete white. 2000. woodcut.

“I know that I hung on a windy tree

nine long nights,

wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,

myself to myself,

on that tree of which no man knows

from where its roots run.

No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn

downwards I peered;

I took up the runes, screaming I took them,

then I fell back from there”.

-rúnatal, from hávamál, trans. carolyne larrington.

I’m the idiot who forgot that the Havamal was collected in the Poetic Edda. Two of everything, please?

little Odin!

(via thedeerandtheoak)

http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=odin&order=9&offset=24#/dcyws5

Blessed All-Father, I spoke to you a few months ago at Samhain. Maybe it’s not time for me to learn the runes, bu I do intend to devote some time to you and our heritage.

I’ve spent the last few weeks speaking with Dionysus and spending a lot of time with him, but the winds have shifted and the coming weeks are yours.

I aim to re-acquaint myself with our myths, legends and heroes. Maybe, just maybe I’ll dabble with the runes.

And, as she said, “we will drink like Gods.”

So, Io-Dionysus, you are not far from my thoughts or heart, but in this cold of winter I need to firm up, grow a thick skin, shield myself from my trials, and give myself to myself.

I’m setting aside all other books, and I’m carrying the cold with me. Cold pages, cold memories, warm mead, warm lessons.

Blessed be.

blacktogreaye:

Odin by ~dislodge

what a scary f’in #bamf

(via mad-stardust)

huzzah!

(via journeyers-scrapbook)