Living with the Earth

Our heathen ancestors were farmers.

They were many other things besides; explorers, merchants, warriors, magicians, fathers, mothers, fishermen, kings, and poets, but they were by and large farmers. And it is this connection with the earth which infuses the Théodish mindset and which framed the view of the world in which the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Norse found their fullest flower. Without attempting to rekindle the same sort of relationship with, respect for, and instinctive connection to, the earth, the Théodish experience will necessarily be incomplete and our modern understanding of the ancient thew between the Gods and men will be wanting.

Of the fact that many if not most of the figures of the Icelandic Sagas lived the farming life there can be little doubt; mentions of farms and farming are so common throughout the sagas that one is hard-pressed to only present a few examples:

"Hauskuld Njal's son and his mother had a farm at Holt, and he was always riding to his farm from Bergthorsknoll..." (Njal's Saga 103)

"'Sure enough,' says Lyting, 'I had hard work to get away, but still I wish now that thou wouldest get me atoned with Njal and his sons, so that I might keep my farm.'" (Njal's Saga 104)

"(Thorgeir said) '...but tell this to Kari, that he must ride hither to me and be here with me if he will; but though he will not come hither east, still I will look after his farm at Dyrholms if he will, but tell him too that I will stand by him and ride with him to the Althing.' (Njal's Saga 130)

"Then he (Thorgeir) gave Bjorn a ready-stocked farm at Asolfskal, but he took the farm in the Mark into his own hands. Thorgeir flitted all Bjorn's household stuff and goods to Asolfskal, and all his live stock; and Thorgeir settled all Bjorn's quarrels for him, and he was reconciled to them with a full atonement." (Njal's Saga 151)

"Grettir liked going about and visiting the people in the other farms on the island." (Grettir's Saga 18)

"Towards Yule-tide he made ready to go on a journey to his farm called Slysfjord on the mainland, whither he had invited a number of his friends." (Grettir's Saga 19)

"At the farm called Muli (the Mull) lived Thord Arndisarson: he was wedded to Thordis, sister of Bork the Stout. They had two sons who were both younger than Asmund the son of Bersi.

"There was also a man with Vali. His farm was named Vali's stead, and it stood on the way to Hrutafiord." (Kormak's Saga 7)

This connection with the land and the rural lifestyle is not limited to the Norse or Germanic peoples. Even in the lands around the Mediterranean, it was the people who dwelt outside of the large cities (the pagani, which means "country-dwellers") were the ones who held out the longest against the encroachment of the new faiths such as Christianity. Their deep connection with the land gave them daily examples of the good things bestowed by the ancient Gods of their fathers, and country-folk have always been of a more conservative and pragmatic bent then their urbanized cousins.

As noted above, while farming was at least part of the lifestyle enjoyed by the ancient heathens, it was not uncommon for them to undertake other endeavors, such as fishing, going on a merchant expedition, joining a war-leader on a (hopefully) profitable and glory-filled raid, etc. But the return to the farmstead was always at least in the back of the mind, and the counterpoint between the frenetic activity of adventure and the bucolic life of the farm once again demonstrates the dualistic dichotomy of action/inaction that characterizes so much of heathen attitude and experience.

"Thorgeir, the eldest brother, was managing the farm at Reykjarfjord, and often rowed out fishing, as the fjords were full of fish." (Grettir's Saga 11)

And even a king could look forward to the relative quietude of the farm at the end of a long life.

"When King Harald began to grow old he generally dwelt on some of his great farms in Hordaland; namely, Alreksstader or Saeheim, Fitjar, Utstein, or Ogvaldsnes in the island Kormt." (Halfdan the Black's Saga 40)

The question of the productivity of the earth was paramount in ancient times, and for good reason. With a prolonged drought, bad crops, or other circumstance the life of the nation as a whole could be threatened through famine. The connection of kings and the fertility of the land is well attested-to in the Lore, and indeed a good king was often seen as condusive to good crops, and conversely, poor crops could lead to the necessity of finding a new king...

"Then began in his days the Frodi-peace; and then there were good seasons, in all the land, which the Swedes ascribed to Frey, so that he was more worshipped than the other gods, as the people became much richer in his days by reason of the peace and good seasons." (Ynglinga Saga 12)

"Domald took the heritage after his father Visbur, and ruled over the land. As in his time there was great famine and distress, the Swedes made great offerings of sacrifice at Upsal. The first autumn they sacrificed oxen, but the succeeding season was not improved thereby. The following autumn they sacrificed men, but the succeeding year was rather worse. The third autumn, when the offer of sacrifices should begin, a great multitude of Swedes came to Upsal; and now the chiefs held consultations with each other, and all agreed that the times of scarcity were on account of their king Domald, and they resolved to offer him for good seasons, and to assault and kill him, and sprinkle the stalle of the gods with his blood. And they did so. Thjodolf tells of this:

It has happened oft ere now, That foeman's weapon has laid low The crowned head, where battle plain, Was miry red with the blood-rain. But Domald dies by bloody arms, Raised not by foes in war's alarms -- Raised by his Swedish liegemen's hand, To bring good seasons to the land.

(Yngling Saga 18)

Most modern people have largely lost this connection to the earth, as a result of both being so removed from the source of the food they eat, as well as being insulated from privation through the general prosperity brought about by the modern global economy. What matters a drought in Kansas when grain can be imported from Argentina with no one (except, of course, the farmers in Kansas) even realizes the change?

This disconnection with the soil, this estrangement from the earth (which is, let us not forget, embodied by Jord, mother of the great God Thor) one of the most serious factors keeping Théodsmen from realizing a true revival of the heathen mindset and attitudes which shaped the ancient faith. And without at least an understanding (a true adoption and internalization would of course be infinitely preferable!) of such attitudes, a true realization of the ancient troth between the Gods and men will be almost impossible to regain. This is one of the differences between Théodsmen and other modern worshippers of the Norse Gods; where they are 21st century people who happen to be Heathens, we are Heathens who happen to live in the 21st century.

Naturally, it is impossible for most people in the modern world to quit their jobs, sell their homes, and buy a farm somewhere. For no other reason, most urban (and suburban) dwellers simply lack the technical knowledge to run a farm. Too, there are many obligations to family, employers, and friends that cannot lightly be shrugged off. It should be mentioned, however, that mere inconvenience is a sorry excuse for inaction; are we so soft and decadent that the prospect of doing without 24/7 Chinese food delivery service interferes with a decision to become closer with the Earth?

Short of wholeheartedly adopting a rural life (by far the preferable alternative), there are steps than modern Théodsmen can take to bring themselves more in tune with the tides and patterns of the earth, and do so in a meaningful way. Key to this is finding a way that, even in a small way, our daily lives are touched by the rhythms of the earth. If possible, those who either dwell in cities or rental apartments should make some effort to remove themselves to a less urbanized locale, but of course this is not always practical. It should, however, be seen as desireable.

For the typical suburbanite, the simplest way to bring this about is to begin a garden, and actually rely on its produce for at least a portion of one's food. It needn't be elaborate (although it certainly could be; there are excellent books available on how to do everything from starting salad garden to maintaining a full fruit-tree orchard in one's back yard), but the feel of the loam on one's hands, and the first-hand knowledge that at least part of one's meal came from the earth, coaxed out by one's own effort and care, is a very effective way of beginning to forge that bond and begin to feel the tug of the rhythms of the earth. Raising small animals (rabbits, chickens, etc.) is the next level of building the attachment to the earth; to actually see the tides of life with the birth of new babies and the death of older animals brings the tides of life home as little else save a full life itself, can.

Even those who lack a large plot of land on which to establish a garden (or raise animals) can take steps to bring themselves more in tune with the tides of the earth. Indoor container or rooftop gardening, while several steps removed from the subsistence-level farming in which the elder Heathen beliefs were originally forged, does provide a small link to the agricutural roots of our ancestors, and can be seen as at least a beginning. Hunting and fishing, done on a regular basis and once again for subsistence, is also a good way to come back in tune with the rhythms of nature.

It should be noted that the call to the simpler life, with a deeper connection to the earth, is not a call for the complete renuciation of modern life, modern technology, and so forth. We are not Luddites. Modern Théodsmen do not aspire to be "heathen Amish" (although there are indeed many worse things that might be aspired to!), but rather to bring back an appreciation for and connection to the tides and rhythms of the earth. Modern life works to remove us from those tides and rhythms, by the ever-increasing-specialization we are forced to undertake in our lives by our modern post-industrial society. As heathens, we should ever seek to re-establish those ties, to bring us ever-closer to the ancient understanding of our Gods and ourselves.

Land-Taking

Especially during the early years of the settlement of Iceland, it was the custom of folks to claim land by defining its boundaries with fire. This could either be done by walking with a torch or other flame around the perimeter of the land, or by shooting a flaming arrow over it:

"Jörund goði, son of Hrafn Heimski, settled west of Fljót, where it is now called Svertingsstadir; there he raised a large temple. A small piece of land lay unsettled east of Fljót, between Krossá (river) and Jöldustein; Jörund went with fire around this, and made it the property of the temple." (Landnamabók v, 3)

"Onund the Wise took up land in the valley of Merkigil. When Eirik (from Goddalir) wanted to settle in the valley west of it, Onund threw blótspán [i.e., cast lots for divination] to ascertain when Eirik would come and take up the land. Onnund then forestalled him, and shot with a burning arrow across the river, and thus took possession of the land west of it and dwelt on it." (Landnamabók iii, 8)

In modern practice, walking around the boundaries of newly-purchased land with a candle or torch is the most common practice (since local firefighting authorities usually take a dim view of flaming arrows being lobbed around local neighborhoods).

Witnesses should be present to observe the rite:

"Odd rode to a house which was not quite burnt down [the goði Blundketil had been burned to death in his house by his enemies]. He stretched out his hand and pulled a rafter of birch-wood out of the house, and then rode against the sun [i.e., widdershins, or counterclockwise] 'round the houses with the burning brand and said: 'Here I settle on this land, for I do not see any homestead; may the witnesses present hear it.' He then whipped his horse and rode away." (Hænsa Þori's Saga 9)

It was also possible to dedicate a particular piece of land to one's favorite God or Goddess, which would be reflected in the name given to the property:

"Asbjörn Reyrketilsson and his brother Steinfinn took up land above Krossá, and east of Fljot. . . . Asbjörn consecrated his land to Þórr, and called it Þórrsmörk." (Landnamabók v, 2)

The Land-Wights

The land-wights (ON Landvættir) are guardian spirits of the land; in this way they are analagous to the Dísir and Hamingja, who serve the same function on the level of the family or individual. The well-being of the land is directly tied to the presence and goodwill of the land-wights, and care must be taken not to offend or frighten them:

"It was the beginning of the heathen laws that men should not go with a head-ship [i.e., a ship with a dragon-head on the prow] out on the main sea, or, if they did, they should take the heads off before they saw land, and not approach it with gaping heads and yawning snout, that the land-wights not be frightened." (Landnamabók iv, 12)

And it was also possible to harm an enemy by acting against the land-wights that were associated with their lands (this is the niðing-pole):

"And when they were ready to sail Egil went upon an island. He took into his hand a hazel-pole and went on a projecting rock, pointing landwards. He took a horse's head and fastened it upon the pole; then he said the following words: 'Here I raise a pole as a curse, and I turn this curse upon King Eirik and Queen Gunnhild.' He turned the horse's head so that it pointed landwards. 'I turn this curse on the guardian spirits who dwell in this country, so that they shall all go astray, and no one of them shall meet or find his home until they have driven King Eirik and Gunnhild from the land.' He then thrust the pole into a rift in the rock, and let it stand there; he carved runes on the pole which told all this imprecation. Thereupon he went on board ship and sailed." (Egil's Saga 60)

While the land-wights were most often associated with the land itself, it is possible a given person to become favored by them and enjoy their good graces:

"Björn (an Icelander) dreamt one night that a rock-dweller [Landvættir] came to him and offered to enter into partnership with him, and he consented. Thereafter a he-goat came to his goats, and they increased so much that he soon became very rich. After this he was called He-goat Björn. Second-sighted men saw that all land-wights followed He-goat Björn to the Thing, and Thorstein and Thórd (his brothers) to hunting and fishing." (Landnamabók iv, 12)

© 2006 JJB. Used with permission.

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