Historical Worship of the Norse Gods

[@overlookers]

*talks about Norse stuff* *casually scratches back with raptor claw*

[@julians.stevens1192]

big mood

[@DrAskildsen]

I bet it can be 3D printed too and just painted :)

[@hollyarmstrong6462]

I freaked out.

[@silvussol8966]

I laughed pretty hard when I saw that.

[@worldtraveler930]

I thought that he might have fleas with all that scratching going on. 😁

[@JoshFTL]

I beg your pardon with the casual bone claw back scratcher what where did that come from?!

[@urgaalnoir5268]

Gaming Faster than Light! 2.25

[@juliaconnell]

I saw the comment before watching but nothing could prepare me for the reality - WHAT WAS THAT??

[@juliaconnell]

thanks Urgaal Xai - but needs : to work - 2:30 ;)

[@andrewgcrowhurst]

Bahahahaha Here, let me just casually scratch my back with a giant claw. Dude, thats so bad ass.

[@sirnukesalot24]

I think that's the foot of the elusive Thunderbird. Either that or it's from one of the Colonel's failed experiments...

[@etepeteseat7424]

Nonchalantly scratches back with dino/bird foot without explanation or comment, then walks off "into the sunset". Winning.

[@jonathankeen8836]

The past three videos I've been watching have all had the same exact comment. Coincidence, I think NOT!

[@jasonpowell4007]

Gotta love academia when you can say "...even though the penis itself is not killed." in an educational context.

[@MrC0MPUT3R]

And "did he inhale"

[@jonko82]

"Nine [rings] for mortal men doomed to die". - The Lord of the Rings Yeah, Tolkien was really into all that Old Norse stuff.

[@balhaddadinn]

His created languages make no geolinguistic, phonetic and grammatical sense anyway. He was an expert, true, but his works are far from noteworthy, let alone professional. (Tolkien fanboy hate incoming)

[@avzarathustra6164]

@@balhaddadinn Yea, you’re wrong.

[@balhaddadinn]

@@avzarathustra6164 nice argument, I submit.

[@avzarathustra6164]

@@balhaddadinn Glad to see that you’re reasonable.

[@vertexvortex]

Lord of the Rings is just Wagner's Ring Cycle but written by a linguist instead of a composer.

[@enmac500]

"Ithyphallic -- if you don't know what that means look it up, I won't tell you." They had stiffies

[@haganegenkotsu2180]

Jackson "Claw" ford ?

[@henrikjrgensen5958]

Just as I thought you couldn't be more awesome, you casusally scratch your back with a carved claw.

[@JaylukKhan]

That looked like a legit dinosaur hand.

[@heimdallswife6102]

Would you like yo know more?? I can tell you things you shouldnt know. If you do reply YES here

[@RifinTidHamar]

@@heimdallswife6102 YES

[@tonypinberg4737]

"Waking up trolls, whatever that means" In our folklore trolls are huge creatures that turn into stone every morning when struck by sunlight. They are well respected in a fearful way and the general advice is that if you just stear clear and do not disturb them they will leave you be as well. Disturbing them - especially if waking them up during the day - is sure to bring their full wrath upon you, the surrounding land and its inhabitants. So if your neighbor would wake a troll you could be sure that your farm and cattle would suffer as well, so having it a criminal offense makes perfect sense.

[@InsomniacRavyn]

I like to think that the claw is some insane archeological find that hes casually scratching his back with

[@losthor1zon]

LOL - even his back scratcher is drengr.

[@triangularbox949]

I enjoy the idea of just leaving his car and camera then after wandering approximately 3 miles in "beautiful Colorado" he remembers and has to turn around.

[@nightingaletarotpsychic]

“What would a typical catholic religious ceremony look like? Okay, but what if it was rock-and-roll?” 😂😂😂

[@scygnius]

This is one of my most treasured and valued channels on the whole of KZbin. Ever since early high school I started watching your videos, and I’m always greeted with another great font of knowledge. Thank you, Dr. Crawford.

[@SwordAndWaistcoat]

Would the fact that Thor uses his hammer to bless things shed any light on why said hammer became the symbol for Norse pagan belief? Were any other objects used to bless things in the mythology?

[@heimdallswife6102]

Would you like yo know more?? I can tell you things you shouldnt know. If you do reply YES here

[@stonethacrow]

@@heimdallswife6102 yes

[@jessiehermit9503]

@@heimdallswife6102 Yes.

[@REDSQUIDX]

@@heimdallswife6102 yes

[@Scar-jg4bn]

@@heimdallswife6102 yes

[@marcomirhayes7121]

As someone who is apart of the heathen faith, this is the only KZbin channel that deals with it which I wholeheartedly trust and respect. You can always rely on Jackson to tell it like it is with no mysticism or gate keeping attached.

[@matthewdrum2961]

It is very nice and valuable to have an unbiased a source as possible for this information.

[@marctelfer6159]

Man, I want that backscratcher!

[@Steff2929again]

In conjunction with the construction of a new railway, extensive excavations have been made in Gamla Uppsala. The findings will be presented at Gamla Uppsala Museum during a three day event May 18-20, 2018. A scientific report and a popular science book based on the report will be released. Some of the lectures will address new findings on the religious practicies of the era. Probably a bit more extensive and realistic than what Adam of Bremen tells us.

[@chammersley9719]

Where did you get this information? I'll have to keep an eye out for the book.

[@Steff2929again]

www.arkeologigamlauppsala.se Some pages are available in English, Google translate will take care of the rest.

[@auntfanny3266]

C Hammersley Thank you.

[@chammersley9719]

Steff2929again thank you!

[@Steff2929again]

Here is a link to the publishers information about the book. No info about any translation yet. www.norstedts.se/bocker/176816-gamla-uppsala

[@karolw.5208]

Another great video - depth of knowledge, ability to connect the dots and flawless delivery. As the Slavs would exclaim - long live Jackson Crawford!

[@snailmessia]

Danish still use "Vi / vie" To become married. At blive viet. To be married. Vi (Vi also means US or WE) skal vies. To make holy or to make something solely dedicated to something. Jeg vier denne sten til XYZ (I bond this rock to XYZ). Jeg vier mine penge til godgørenhed (I bond all my money to charity (godgørenhed "Good doing ness" = God gøren hed))

[@thedondeluxe6941]

We still use that in Norway too. The verb "vie" and the noun "vigsel".

[@Iarlen]

Att viga, vigsel, Swedish!

[@Bozemoto]

@Claystead think you mean finnish?

[@typograf62]

And if someone causes a lot of commotion we can use the word "virak", holy smoke! (vi rauch).

[@MidgardMusings]

Fantastic video Dr Crawford!

[@colinp2238]

As a modern pagan believer I am often bemused that we can think that we can celebrate our beliefs in the same way as the ancients. Our belief has to evolve as we do not live the same life as our ancestore no matter how we may fantacise that we do.

[@MorusAlba1975]

I think we should deal with the myths in a playful manner. They are excellent material for songs, theater, stories, paintings and other types of art, and of course as metaphors for philosophical and metaphysical ideas, but it would be wrong to seriously believe there are gods (with arms and legs) in the sky.

[@ll1ll1ll1ll1ll1ll]

I like to think that the stories may not be factual but are none the less true.

[@nicholasleclair8711]

Morus Alba no one actually believes that the gods are flesh and blood beings in the sky. Modern practitioners have a nuanced view of the gods. Most hold beliefs similar to Hinduism in relation to their deities. I hope that helps.

[@DeFactoLeader]

lol well at least you realise this. most neopagans tend to not face this, very well.

[@colinp2238]

Wulfrun 9 I would think that only radicals would be so inclined. Surely the gods or godheads are symbolic of nature or natural phenonena rather than literal beings? I would also think that the ancients could only describe them as personalities because of their lack of any other way to describe them. On the point of attacking a person for their belief, the christians seem to forget their own teachings (Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.).

[@digitalbrentable]

Any guesses on how one might 'wake trolls' and 'ride like a night monster'?

[@daveh3997]

I'll bet it starts with the words: "Hold my beer and watch this!"

[@andrewgcrowhurst]

Mead. Its "here, hold my mead and watch this".

[@Siggorillo]

jon.. no.. stop

[@loganater45]

Neanderthals were not especially tall were they? Interesting though innu have legends about giants to. Hi from canada.

[@c.c.frodin1987]

The only thing about "waking trolls" I found seems to come from norse laws in the 1100-1300, like Jackson said. It was a serious offence to "Sit outside to wake trolls in order to practise paganism" ( from a Swedish magazine article). It seems that "waking trolls" meant practising the old paganism/shamanism (outdoors, as was the pagan way), which could please the trolls and maybe make them appear. Trolls were portrayed as hating christanity in a big way and Christians made trolls into somekind of "devil"-figure (like everything opposing christianity, I guess), probably to scare people into converting by propaganda: "Don't be a horrid pagan troll, be a christian". More can perhaps be found in the book linked to the Swedish article I found: John Lindow's "Trolls: An Unnatural History", Reaktion Books Lmt. 2014.

[@valboy]

Fascinating! Thanks for doing these videos for free!

[@ThemischievousLoki]

Thank you Dr. Crawford for all the videos you post. Your vids are extremely educational and amazing. Thank you again good sir.

[@GeezNutz]

As a Floridian who dreams of one day living in the mountains, one of my favorite aspects of these videos is that this man, who grew up in this area, is still awed by how beautiful the place he lives is.

[@jarnhund376]

1. A fine scholar talks about Norse gods. 2. Backscratching time. 3. Now where was I?..

[@warshark13]

This is amazing and I’ve been deprived of learning due to covid. Thank you Dr, this has sparked something in me and I can’t wait to learn more.

[@daniellebryan3496]

Anybody else notice how the horse in the profile pic has eight legs??? Love it.

[@richi7494]

He must be riding sleipnir

[@hopehodgson6298]

Thanks for being a teacher , and for producing awesome educational content . Your generosity entwined with the topic, make this video feel like a blessing . Compared to most culture creators on the KZbin Forum , Your channel is a public public palace , and a gem to be discovered on the forum.

[@raughbieghrt4377]

Yule tidings Dr. Crawford. Thank You for the time You spend with us. May the goat bless Your space and gift You well while the log burns long.

[@BantiarnaMacRaghnaill]

I wanna be blessed by Dr. Crawford and his mighty Hand of Odin too!

[@markdpricemusic1574]

Mjog mjog takks fyr all your work. Much appreciated !

[@holymountaineer9325]

"Motorcycle Rock album" You're great.

[@seadawg93]

My theory is that there was a bet that involved drinking and a challenge of “ok! You have to scratch you’re back with a raptor claw in the middle of a video ...no explanations!” 🤣😂🤣

[@robinandersson5382]

happy midwinter blot

[@dadefectivedunyain]

Du gör riktigt grymma videos Prof. Crawford! Gillar dom starkt!

[@wenqiweiabcd]

Love the new Sleipnir-riding cowboy profile pic!

[@Sup3rD4ve]

Mr. Wen \m/ I didn't even notice that! Hmm, that gives me an idea for a new crossover: maybe I'll call it "Cowboys and Æsir".

[@jonrolfson1686]

That meme has legs.

[@kyreshlcsw2229]

My grandfather is from Upsalla his name was Yngve but he changed it to Walter.

[@milindagraham5303]

Thanks so much for all that information! I love the prayer and how it is said. Such a lovely language and a nice voice delivering it :)

[@aurasedge5580]

Recently discovered this channel. Thank you for these videos. I hope to be able to buy some of your books soon.

[@DrengrMike]

My man Jackson had to walk all the way back to the camera to turn it off lol excellent video and dedication to quality outros.

There was a papal bull banning horse meat that was according to some historians (at least) directed at the nordic countries, wasn't there? Also, Blot-Sven? Plus, many of the graves from Vallsgärde and Vendel contained horses, besides all the other gear and animals.

[@gatorpsd]

I extremely enjoy your channel. Please keep up the good work.

[@garyleeparker]

I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for educating me in such an enjoyable manner.

[@tenzin682]

Just fascinating!! Your videos and information have become almost a daily "ritual". Thank you so much for real information about my and many other's Scandinavian ancestors. Great work.

[@Vasquimho]

You should do a video on how old swedish (old east norse) most likely sounded, differences with Old Norse and how each scandinavian langauge evolved grammatically and phonetically. Also a episode maybe on the evolution of Icelandic because of what I have read is that it was changing rapidly due to danish and so they chose the dialect/accent that had the more arcaic traits? Great videos by the way!

[@tiffanyhaberacker]

Is that a raptor claw? 🤨 Awesome video btw, thank you for making them!

[@lewisrobinson3380]

To add to the horse sacrifice being very likely both the Baltic and Slavic pagans were also said to sacrifice horses with white horses being specifically mentioned for a figure in opposition to “chernobog”. I don’t know if my memory is playing tricks on me but I think Tacitus also mentioned a white horse sacrifice among early Germanic tribes.

[@alfia6690]

Horse sacrifices also figure prominently in Sanskrit epic literature.

[@Red0100]

When a priest blesses a couple in marriage it's called "viga" in modern Swedish, so I'm guessing vigi is the root of this word! Very interesting.

[@darrishawks6033]

Do you know how their marriage ceremonies worked? Or how they made oaths outside the Yule boar thing? Did they just put their hand on the ring and say "I'm gonna do XYZ"? Since they might outlaw you for reneging on an oath you made during Yule, was the gothi an "oathkeeper" or did he just provide the ring? Did they just kind of rely on the whole village to enforce these oaths? The mystery is killing me lol

[@arifreeman]

The English word Bless is related to the root word for blood. Bless: From Old English bletsian (“to consecrate (with blood)”.

[@horrorbusiness9592]

That's a roll credits as First blood part 2 music plays kind of ending. 👏

[@CarlosRalatJr]

19:19 Norse pagan prayer for those interested

[@helenwood1]

Dinosaur claw back scratcher. Not everyone has one. Keep the student's attention. Nice touch.

[@gwennvorsaga3576]

Finding your channel was the Best Discovery Ever! Thank You for these Fabulous videos....

[@sir313jonsson]

that poem at the end i can understand every single word of it

[@bjornlindstrom9929]

In the preview looked like you were standing at the mounds in Uppsala. Would have been fitting (although pre-viking era).

[@BaronvonKorf]

In addition to the contemporary Christians hypothesizing the rituals based on their own, they might also look to Old Testament accounts of Jewish sacrifices. This would include both the righteous Mosaic sort and the unrighteous ones to other gods like Baal. These rituals would include the slaughter of animals and sprinkling their blood with branches.

[@meadish]

It's been far too long since I rode like a night monster.

[@JustCallMeNorth]

gotta be honest... when he said "it's kind of a magic 8 ball" I lost it hahaha ;P

[@j1sc211]

Outstanding video, thank you Doctor!

[@sunshinesilverarrow5292]

Thank you! Hugs & sunshine 🌞 N

[@JoiskiMe]

Excuse my ignorance but is "exposing children" what I think it is? - leaving children to die in the elements?

[@jhendin]

I had read somewhere that that one of the primary reasons the Scandinavians adopted Christianity was because of the image of Christ's death upon the cross. For the Norse , there was no better way to die than to die in battle. They equated this with Christ's persecution and subsequent death upon a cross. They saw it as an honorable way to die. Whether or not it's true I don't know, but it certainly makes sense (looking at it through the eyes of a Viking). As far as horse meat is concerned, it's possible it was initially frowned up for consumption because of the dietary laws set down in Leviticus (chapter 11). Animals permitted to be eaten were suppose to "chew the cud and split the hoof" (i.e. sheep, cows and goats). Since a horse does neither, that may have been the reason why it was banned by the early church. I enjoy your videos, Sir. As usual I sit here with a pen and piece of paper so I can take notes.

[@paulaunger3061]

That's fascinating about the Scandinavian conversion. I read a while ago (in a book I've still got but can't find!) that an Anglo-Saxon version of the Passion has Jesus going to his death as if going into battle - a battle with death itself (which is the essence of the Christian story). It's an interesting insight into how people saw Christianity back then as much as anything else.

[@kimfleury]

The early Christian Book of the Acts of the Apostles says everything is lawful to eat, meaning the food laws in Leviticus are no longer binding. At the same time, it's not sinful to retain those eating habits from personal choice.

[@WildCard-ze3tm]

​@@kimfleury A good point, however the Christian tolerance towards dietary habits would also be dependent on culture. For example, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, I saw some Christian memes that praised the Bible's wisdom in forbidding the consumption of bat meat. Obviously, Christians are free to eat bat meat in light of the teaching from Acts that you quoted. However, since bats are not commonly consumed in the United States, some American Christians fell back on Levitical prohibitions to explain their aversion to it. It is possible that the missionaries to Scandinavia may have used a similar justification since their cultures did not consume horse meat.

[@battlereed4708]

Was that a damn Deathclaw hand you scratched your back with?

[@olamarvin]

I wonder if "riding like a night monster" has something to do with the Åsgårdsrei (look up Wild Hunt on Wikipedia), a mythical pack of riders thundering across the night sky. In the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, they have an object that's a sort of rattling chain with two hand holds, seemingly made to cause ritual noise. Perhaps it was meant to evoke the rattling bridles of the riding night monsters.

[@detroittarotcompany1183]

Great video!!! Thank you much.

[@charlesharris8805]

Awesome video as always. And that claw is bad ass lol completely out of nowhere too.

[@Paveway-chan]

In Swedish, ”vigsel” is still used in the context of marriage. Fun fact.

[@Darkurge666]

The word for bless is used in modern Swedish as the word for when you are being wedd. "To be wedd" -. "Att vigas" I had no idea it could be that old of a word! :D

[@nakenmil]

I believe the lining of an area with a chain, or rope, also is described as occurring before duels (holmgangr and possibly other forms), and possibly may have served to dedicate (vigja) the space inside to either the gods, or possibly some kind of more abstract notion of justice. Aside from the practical purpose of delineating the area of the fight, of course.

[@nakenmil]

As a fun tidbit, the modern Norwegian term for a wedding ceremony is still "vielse" (noun) , or to "vie". This is a modern form of "vigja" (after some sound-shifts around the high middle ages, I'm not an expert, but the -else ending is a noun-ification postfix of German origin at least).

[@mononoke721]

Fascinating stuff. I just watched Vikings Season 1 Episode 8 set at the Temple of Uppsala and was curious to learn how potentially accurate that portrayal was. Based on your analysis, it sounds like some of the practices shown at least have a basis in Norse beliefs (the significance of the number 9, the hanging of the sacrifices from the tree etc) but just as with various Celtic peoples, it's hard to know for certain how widespread human sacrifices were amongst the Norse peoples due to the greater ambiguity in terms of interpreting archaeological remains.

[@Radimkiller]

Excellent video, thank you!

[@roysigurdkarlsbakk3842]

I'm slightly confused about the sentence "Berið inn hamar brúði at vígja". In contemporary Norwegian, we have "å vie", meaning to conduct a marriage, to pronouce a priest etc (apparently, vígja comes from Vé, Óðinns brother).

[@kenhart8771]

Thank you. Mange Tak!

[@commandershepard5450]

This dude is the best

[@dragonboyjgh]

I mean, blood spread with a hyssop branch is literal old testament stuffs. That's how the Aaronic priesthood was christened in. So either mutual ancestry, convergent memetic evolution, or false guessing.

[@bjorndelight8093]

describing how blood is used in sacrifice (sprinkle it on the alter and on the walls) is pretty much how Leviticus begins, and after the new testament you would expect the old testament to be the most accessible book to a medieval literate.

[@Vikingjack1]

love this

[@sirnukesalot24]

Brynhild's words sound less like a prayer and more like wedding vows... unless you count that as a more specific kind of prayer?

[@thoshinoshi]

do you think there is any connection to the modern use of ”viga” in swedish, which is to marry, or get married, and the earlier use? was it coopted by christians?

[@1974heathinn]

I really like your translation of Hail the Day.

[@honeyowletmoon9929]

I have a horse in the race. ;) I appreciate all of your lectures.

[@jessiehermit9503]

You worship the old gods, too? I suspect that many of us do.

[@yilvoxe4017]

@@jessiehermit9503 Norse paganism is a pretty popular path these days (think it's USG at this point that the gods recruit through pop culture like Marvel, lol) and I'm pretty sure Dr. Crawford knows that we're a chunk of his audience. He's respectful while sticking to only the facts and I appreciate that. Too many modern Heathen sources don't separate the historical record from their UPG. Loki may be attested by modern Heathens to be connected to spiders and love coffee, and that's valuable as USG, but the texts don't mention that and it's important to keep the information separate. *USG = Unverified Shared Gnosis, sometimes represented as SPG (Shared Personal Gnosis). Basically means "lots of people believe this and attest to this, but it's not in the texts." Alternatively there's UPG, Unverified Personal Gnosis. Self explanatory.

[@corymoon2439]

I wouldn't doubt it if a large chunk of people who follow Dr. Crawford online are pagans. I know I'm one, I learned about this channel by watching The Wisdom of Odin. Jacob regularly cites Dr. Crawford and his translations in his own videos. You've really only got 2 reasons (they can overlap of course) to be interested in this stuff. 1. It is really cool to you. 2. It's part of your religion.

[@jessiehermit9503]

@@corymoon2439 Agreed. 👍 👍 👍 👍

[@dinerwaitress]

That's why we're here 🙌

[@Bee-tg3un]

2:29 what was that ? :D

[@skaldofepics9380]

What’s funny is that even the Israelites sacrificed and sprayed the temple with blood as written in the Old Testament.

[@ericjohnson7234]

Dear Doctor Crawford. I love your KZbin channel, will you ever be traversing into Pagan Balkin and Baltic Content in the future. Thank you. :)

[@Wulframite]

Thank you.

[@alabamaviking.2309]

Keep up the great work.

[@MSchmitz77]

The prayer sounds similar to the invocations that are sometimes found at the beginning of Vedic texts

[@fayis4everlove]

How do I worship Dr. Jackson Crawford? 😍

[@detroittarotcompany1183]

Idunnイドゥン no kidding lol

[@ericmueller6836]

Idunnイドゥン keep buying his books. 😉

[@elle-iza]

Idunnイドゥン There is a secret altar where you can sacrifice to him. It's called Påtræøn. ;)

[@dominomasked]

Maybe nothing involving phalli, just a guess.

[@elizabethkleine8153]

Step 1: Wait until he dies Step 2: Place image or representation on an ancestor altar or shrine Step 3: Venerate

[@robpetoletti826]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@BeaufordStenberg]

"I have no horse in that race!" made me laugh my FRIGGin' SEAT off. I really needed that good-natured giggle as well. The necromancer backscratcher is definitely a blackbook backstory. Cheers! B9HH (NB: #Cyprianus has no scholarship of note upon KZbin.)

[@ajkyrkja6230]

Thank you for the videos. Just started watching. Any correlation with Kirkja and Vigja?

[@kjellbjorge5271]

23:18 Thank you for all your wonderful videos.

[@deathmetalhead55]

I know this question may be a bit off topic for this channel, but I remembe you stating in a video a while back that you’re proficient in old Greek and Latin. I was interested in learning Latin by myself, would you have any book recommendations that would be useful for self tutoring? Many thanks in advance, and keep up the good work! Love your channel! :)

[@logitimate]

I was under the impression that the exposure of (unwanted, crippled, sickly, etc.) infants was simply a pragmatic means of conserving resources in a frontier society, and that it was included in the caveats to Christianization because the Church condemned it as murder, not because it was a pagan religious practice. Is there a particular reason that you don't find this an adequate explanation?

[@Villevann]

Great video. Frigg is the wife of Odin and "stepmother" of Thor. Wouldn't it make more sense that these were the three figures in the temple mentioned by Adam of Bremen?

[@logitimate]

Given that Adam of Bremen specifically states that Fricco's "likeness, too, they fashion with an immense phallus," I'm guessing not.

[@camille7905]

what the heck was that? An epic back scratcher😊

[@frankenspine98]

Where'd you get that back-scratcher? That's awesome!

[@NigelEru]

Awesome, thank you. It was very interesting the prayer you recited in the last bit it mentioned "healing hands" .. what do you think the reference of this means? Could it refer to an ancient type of spiritual healing using the hands? Paganism uses earth-based rituals and I wonder if this includes healing? Just a thought. Oh and why would one want to expose a baby? Thank you. BTW, I loved the claw back scratcher! lol took me by surprise!

[@frankstein7631]

Nigel Eru If the baby had some obvious defect,or if the people were poor and already had a lot of children and felt they could not afford to feed it,if the child was as a result of a rape or the mother was young and the family wished to preserve her marriageability,if it was the child of a slave and the owners didn't want it, if the father rejected it for some reason,lots of reasons.