Norse Divination: Different types in the Viking Age

[@WilleyGHD3]

I have a good friend who got the opportunity to visit an area in the South West where saquatch lived.. They were blindfolded on the trip so that thjeir area would not be found by hunters. In any case, she carried a Pendulum for 'Divination'. At one point the pendulum that was in her jacket pocket "disappeared" for a while. She thought that it was gone for good but found it in her pocket again before they left the site. She said that it appeared 'different' but, when she used it again, the 'answers' she received were much clearer and more concise than before.

[@MagnoliaZZZZ]

I love your channel. So interesting! Thank you.

[@theslayer1652]

From someone doing it off of memory these videos are very professional

[@americandreamsicle1]

Thank you for your knowledge

[@saxonheathen3043]

A very important fact is also that we actually know very little about the old germanic Futhorc. I know there are tons of new age book on the market that strangely all focus on rune divination, yet, ever single runic name is actually a reconstruction. The writer who documented the Old English Rune Poem intrudes us already with a few mistakes and a few uncertainties about names and spelling. Like the rune Agliz for example. What it is? The animal Elk or the swamp grass Elk Sedge? How come this very runic symbols then ends up in the younger Futharc as madr - Man? We modern pagans tend to think of the runes always as 'magical' or magic symbols used for divination. But please let us not forget that the runes are first and foremost an alphabet, symbols to represent spoken sounds.

[@BillRoyMcBill]

Good video, thanks.

[@WilleyGHD3]

Divination was used in the First Nations People's relating to "Animal Totems": If you saw a particular four-legged while on a Vision Quest ((whether in a Dream or in Physicality) you spoke to the Holy Person about it to get his/her interpretation. There is even a very good set called the "Medicine Cards" by Jami Sams..........similar in practice to using the Tarot.

[@gcanaday1]

I don't know about the symbols, but there are contemporary attestation about Celt divination using birds, entrails, horses, and so on in Roman sources. The Celt traditions didn't develop in a vacuum and the Germanic and Celt peoples were one and the same if you go far enough back, so I'd have a hard time thinking these other methods would be unknown in the North and just never written about. Just a semi-related thought.

[@kurtbogle2973]

I think we should concentrate more on the structure of the spirituality, then we can put the furnishings in it. If we spend all of our time on minutiae we end up with puzzle pieces buy don't know where they go. What was on the chips may become clear later. What you and us out here are doing is a wonderful act of kindness for all of Humanity. Please keep this in mind. THIS IS HOLY WORK!

[@samanthasavarese7631]

Hi! I’m new here. I love your content and your channel! Finally, someone providing historical evidence of facts rather than making false claims based on distorted interpretation of media and inaccurate TV shows from the past decade… I have a question for you in regard of the “blótspán”. I couldn’t find much records of the origin and etymology of this word online. You have mentioned the idea of prophecy embedded in the meaning of blótspán, but also referred to it as “sacrifice cheaps”. I’ve always called it runes, so yes I agree with the interpretation of these sacrifice cheaps being carved in runes… I mean, what else these runic symbols could be if not what they look like?! So my question is: why are these called “Sacrifice Cheaps”? Is it any idea of sacrifice associated with knowing our fate, whether it’s for collective/tribal or personal divination? I’ve met some people casting runes in the past, making offers (usually crystals or gems, calling it “sacrifices”) to Oðin and other deities, fearful of the Gods taking something from them if they forgot this important step… but to be honest I don’t know how knowledgeable were these people about the topic, Norse culture and pagan beliefs in general… As for other cultures such as the Roman, Greek and Egyptians I remember there is some idea of being cursed for knowing the fate and outcome of future events. We know this mostly through myths or unclearly historical records of people losing their sight or even the possibility to go home… So, how is the idea of sacrifice incorporated in divination in Norse, pagan culture? Could you share more thoughts on this? If you made it down here thank you for reading! 😂😅

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Sure! Spán has been translated as chips and also spoons actually. But it likely also has something to do with the old norse word "spá" meaning prediction/prophecy. We can also look at records in Tacitus Germania about the northern tribes 600 years before the viking age and he seems to describe this same thing. And yea i think that "sacrifice/offering" is something modern people made up. I cant remember any records of it in the old sources. Divination was usually done by more active methods. Seidr/Utisseta/Firegazinng/Dream interpretation. There were much more used ways than the sacrifice chips I mentioned here. Have done other videos on that

[@samanthasavarese7631]

@@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 thank you so much for your reply! And sorry for my late one, I must have lost track of my notifications, but I’m glad you replied as I’m very curious about this and misinformation runs high. Ok this is great I actually should have The Germania of Tacitus in Latin at home so I will definitely look it up! This actually makes more sense. The sacrifice/ offering thing seems to me more like a product of modern mentality fond of the idea of making sacrifices to get ahead with life goals… I mean, the same pagans I was referring to also have man-made altars with statues and other items to worship the gods in a let’s say Christianized fashion… I’ve watched your other videos about the divination methods and the seiðr. I’ve really enjoyed it! Hope you you can delve deeper these specific subject in next videos and perhaps talk more about the differences between Germanic and Cheltic seeresses and Norse Völva. As always thank you for reading 🙂

[@torstenscott7571]

Thank you both for your conversation, it has shed light on a usually murky subject and gave me greater understanding.

[@1.1797]

"Let the chips fall where they may" 🤔

[@secretsquirrel726]

I would work up this explanation of why they drew lots on the island, but I would like to save it for an expansion in the third my book on magic. They used fruitwood a lot because it was considered sacred, it was used like we use plastic to make things out of today, it had a good look. They believed fruitwood carried sedir, and because it was perishable over time, or when put into a flame. Dice were used because there were six possible outcomes to make random numbers. You have to charge dice to really make their randomness come through. I use old casino dice, that were thrown on craps tables hundreds or thousands of times, because that makes their outcome really random.

[@worm_vaquero]

Two books? What are they? Finished the third?

[@kurtbogle2973]

Sacrifice chips serve the same purpose it appears as the Morogon, the Lady of Feight . If you saw the Lady in Red along the way.

[@EveInTheMachine]

Would love to hear any recommendations you may have for books on using the runes for divination. :)

[@ronross1145]

Was there a runic system of numbers?

[@luminarion422]

Exactly. 👍🏼

[@ronross1145]

Did the norse have a counting system?

[@kurtbogle2973]

Somthing I intend to do more of is; convince myself that I'm a above ground root on what ever Oak tree I sit down against. Then I will meditate. This brings on EPIPHANY. So maybe now you will understand why the Druids didn't write anything down. It's easier to remember in verse. Druids talked in poetry, and any information can be obtained this way. Although it may take a while for one person. Many people doing this. Someone will usually get a answer. So in conclusion. It wouldn't hurt a bit to try this. Yes it's scary when it happens, but only at first. Then you want it to happen agsin ,and again.

[@mattiaswilhelmsson3992]

Can i ask you something did you not like to live in Norden?

[@spjspj-yn8ky]

Can you clarify … on one of your prior videos you didn’t believe that they did human sacrifice .. you spoke of the blogs for criminals and the honor of slaves or close family members who volunteered for those honorable .. but in the saga about the wind they used the dice to decide .. I love your videos but wondering if you could clarify

[@norsemagicandbeliefs8134]

Yes for the bogs thats true. But we have some records of human sacrifice. Also criminals most likely. this is the only one in this video where it was an innocent person. Allthough we are not sure how true all these records are. Will do a video about human sacrifice soon

[@spjspj-yn8ky]

@@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 thank you

[@saxonheathen3043]

Tacitus was not only a scholar and historical but also a great traveler. He must have seen doing his times some versions of the north Italian alphabet's or other alpine alphabet's. He could obviously read and write! It is very strange therefore that Tacitus utterly failed to recognise those carved symbols of the germanic tribes. As a scholar wouldn't he have recognized at least the B , M , R , O , L , P , C , T , I , as very identical to his own native alphabet?? Would he have put 1 & 1 together. I mean it would have been absolutely obviously to him as a different alphabet. So, that begs the question, did Tacitus observed the runes or more likely very different symbols that he just couldn't understand. ...

[@secretsquirrel726]

Ok let's Scooby Doo this. You have to look through their idea of the world and how it worked. They believed in nature that at least two outcomes existed at the kill. One outcome was that the fox always got his hare, and the other outcome was the hare always got away, When one chip was thrown down, and a person was killed, it could have been anyone in the group, and they hoped that by randomly dividing the results, they would end up with two different but parallel outcomes. In the first parallel outcome, the guy that died took the lack of wind away with him. In the second outcome, someone else was always chosen and took the lack of wind away. This is from each man's perspective. They were hoping for a "lucky break." As they continued to do this, the more likely it became. To the guys that might suddenly wake up without their comrades on an island with no wind after they were killed: well, that would mean they would have to make a paddle and a raft and try to get off on their own.

[@volkischfrau2957]

❤️

[@saxonheathen3043]

Another wired thing is numbers. The roman alphabet, as well as the greek, hebrew, arabic and many more alphabet's made clear use of a number system. Yet, the old germanic tribes and later on the Scandinavian Vikings where not only known as raiders but also for trading. But the runes where never used to symbolise numbers, you had to write numbers out. So not 125 but as one hundred twenty five. If the runes really where that 'magic' then how come that they never included a simpler mathematical system of numbering? Yes i know, that has nothing to do with divination. My point is simple so reconnect the germanic runes as what it is, an alphabet.

[@Monkey-Boy2006]

I've been using Runes for 30yrs now and what I've learnt is.....Runes work like a calculator. Take a relevant past experiences, add them to your current situation and this equals a predictable outcome. But I have also learnt, they are only as good as the person using them. Runes work like Mathematics which is ironic considering it was my worse subject in school. LOL

[@saxonheathen3043]

Greetings I do not think that the old Germanic tribes used the runes as divination. Tacitus mentioned very clearly that every elder from a household could do divination when ask to do so. That would mean that a member of every household know how to carve, write and read the runes. There is simply not enough evidence for such literacy. But as a personal suggestion... As Tacitus mentioned symbols, it would be easy to assume that every household gad there own symbols that where past down through the generations. Like a tribal or household legancy. Something like out modern 'Witch runes'. Symbols that had a clear yes and no meaning to the people's. One must remember that the runes where an alphabetical first and foremost. Sure, many runic symbols originated from neolithic times, but way too many runic symbols have why too many similarities with alpine alphabets. No other tribal country used an alphabetical system as a divination system in pagan history. I think that we modern pagans just put way to much emphasis on the runes.

[@Rykliukas]

I can do it. I am learning this for almost 5 years already. I can see deaths, illnesses, good luck, etc. of any people.

[@evabladesabate3613]

How did you learned?? With books or someone taught you?? I would love to learn about thiss

[@Rykliukas]

@@evabladesabate3613 I have always had prophetic dreams and even in real life I was just knowing some things. For example I knew what my husband will be and what will be his family situation when I was 9-10 years old girl already. I knew that his parents will be problematic and his sister, also. So, to such person as me, it was very easy to learn rune casting.

[@kurtbogle2973]

Lol for wind the sacrifice chips are obsolete. Any politician will supply you with more wind than you need.

[@kurtbogle2973]

Try using magic for good purposes of course, practice. Invoke Gods. See how it effects your ability. The more you do anything the better you get.

[@kurtbogle2973]

Reincarnation isn't obvious at first. If you have been reincarnated. You will wake up and realize it. I was 54 when I woke up. There were signs that I realize now but didn't know what to think. All of a sudden you find yourself in water that's the perfect temperature in a beautiful lagoon , on a sunny day. You feel free. Inside and out. It's wonderful but just as you start for the beach. A hand comes out of the sky, and you find out that you passed out in class. Later post Epiphany, you read about Tir na N OG , the description is exact. Once in a while your spirit decides to take a walk but forget to take your body along. Out of body experience, but evedently we have some type of control over that. Because after being scared by looking at my own body. I decided that I didn't like doing that, and haven't since then. To know if your awake. Ponder a impossible question. Give it a year. If one day your minding your own business and the Universe drops the answer on you out of the blue. Check it out. Investigate it. Be extremely critical. If the answer is spot on right though you had no back ground information. Your awake. Your Concisness retrieved the answer from the Universe. When you can do this. You are the Universe that you are! Druid!