Saxon Heathenry compared with Norse Heathenry

A detailed description of the major differences between Saxon Heathenry and Scandinavian Heathenry. To be more clear, this is comparing historical Saxon Heathenry with historical Norse Heathenry.

[annettee.neumann]

Grimm noted that it was the Goths who first started mingling Hel with Christian lore. You would go there if you were not "saved" because it was a heathen underworld and you shouldn't want to go there. It continued to evolve with Christian Lore from there into what Christians believe today.

[DVX_BELLORVM]

7:04 I'd imagine (although I haven't researched this) that "Hel" was transliterated to "Hell" by Christian missionaries thanks primarily to its wide number of cognates in Germanic languages. It was a readily understandable concept as an underworld for Germanic language speakers that could map easily onto developing Christian beliefs regarding the place of damnation (Gehenna/Hades/Sheol). It's telling that "Hell" does not appear in Romance languages, where some iteration of "Inferno" is used instead.

[Hypatiaization]

My ancestors come from Saxony Anhalt. Thanks for this

[JackSardonic]

You are doing the Gods' work, Mr Sass!

A point I'd make about Lacnunga citing seven worlds rather than the Norse nine would be that it is a Christian poem; Christian numerology emphasises seven as the number of Christ, and there are many biblical references to the number.

It's not far-fetched therefore to think that the Nine Herbs Charm was subject to Christian alterations regarding the cosmology, just as the imagery of Woden "holy in heaven as He hung" is a very Christian motif analogous to the Crucifixion, in that same charm. There are too many references in what we do have of pre-Eddic heathen sources, to the number nine--especially in the Anglo-Saxon--that I think the "7" idea can be dismissed as a Christian alteration.

Swain Wodening proposed an interpretation that bridged the gap here, and this is the view I personally take. Swain stated that there are seven *habitable worlds* and the other two of the actual nine were *the primordial realms, * Muspelheim and Niflheim (or the Anglo-Saxon equivalents).

[widukindbooks]

Valhall is just one hall of many halls in Asgard. If Asgard exists in then the Halls of the gods are contained with. The Meadow or Wanga could be the plain or word in which Asgard is build.

[pe]

Thanks that was awesome it might be redundant but have you ever considered comparing old English heathenry to Saxon and Nordic heathenry

[johnnybumgarner]

Where can you find these old Saxon writings?

[vorthora]

I'm a northern Heathen, and I believe it's quite plausible that all the Vanir and Aesir gods were humans at a very very early date, later to be deified. It also seems that Saxon heathenry shows this, as if the Indo-European tribe of the Aesir must have passed what is now Austria and Germany on their way to Scandinavia where they encountered the Vanir tribe. Through shamanic journeys on my own, that's what the gods have told me. You seem to confirm it, though I have had a curious experience with a wooden-like light elf in Vanaheim. Likeable guy, when I "interviewed" Freyr. I still haven't gone to the home of the Dark Elves. And all throughout Europe, from north to south, east to west, there have always been not-too-good water beings that could've been basically what the Scandinavians called Dark Elves.

[floppynwah]

I have studied religions since I was young. I've noticed patterns and similarities among all religions. Different names for the same Gods basically. Ever among Judaism. God has 72 names one half masculine the other feminine. Anyway my point. The resurrected beloved sons of God half God Half human. Is incredibly common worldwide. Which I've never read anything on but my research and intuition I guess. Is screaming there is something in the ancient indo European past that would explain this with sky father(time) and mother earth? I could be wrong but it repeatedly keeps coming up one way or another.

Also sub earned

[GrimoldderWillensstarke]

Concerning "the path/way" contraty to the concept of the bridge:
There is a "Sage" from today's Bad Fredeburg (Sauerland) that mentions the Bridge of the Gods to span from the Rothaar Mountains to a Hill nearby at dusk. Over it walks Wotan, Frija, Balder, Höder and Heimdall. Heimdalls Horn is the Halfmoon on the firmament (which might indicate it's former name!?). Just trying to throw in what I know very locally.

[chrisd]

so did the Saxons or Old English have the Fimbulwinter? also I believe that the Old English had Waelcyrge, although seemingly more horrifying in aspect. I am getting this from Grundy's The Cult of Odinn: God of Death?, re-published by The Troth, so not primary sources, although he does quote and cite sources

[ajnachakraguy]

Two different cultural customs and narratives

[livb]

Where did the Saxons originally come from? And the Danes? And all the tribes of Europe? It is interesting that there was a huge migration of people from the levant into Europe in around 800 B.C. What occurred at the same time? The ten tribes of Israel (Northern Kingdom) were captured by the Babylonians. In the Bible it states that God allowed them to be captured because they began worshipping paganism and other false gods. The historian Josephus wrote that it was well known where the 10 tribes were and that they were too large of a number to count and beyond the Euphrates. It is interesting that many of the writings that you translated had Biblical stories and themes. There is also some speculation that Saxons derive from “Isaac’s sons” and specifically the tribe of Dan left its mark wherever it went including Jordan, the Danube River, Danmark, etc. DNA tests have also shown that ancient Israelites had blonde hair and blue eyes. I suppose this comment will not be well received on this channel as you seem very anti-Christianity... but I would argue that the Catholic Church and Christianity that organically came from the followers of Jesus are two different things. I am just interested in history and where my ancestors came from and why Caucasian people seem to have appeared out of nowhere in history and no one seems to know where they come from. I believe it’s all lies and our true history and ancestry is hidden from us.