Exploring the Deep Ties Between Norse Mythology and Anglo-Saxon Culture: A Journey into Shared Heritage
Dive into the fascinating connection between Norse mythology and Anglo-Saxon culture, unraveling shared beliefs, values, and traditions.
ᚠᛁᚱᛏᚢᚩᛋᛁᛏᛁ- ᛏᚻᛖ ᚪᚱᛏ ᚩᚠ ᛖᛋᚳᛖᛚᛚᛖᚾᚳᛖ
The connection between Norse mythology and Anglo-Saxon or Germanic culture is a fascinating topic that highlights the shared heritage and cultural ties between these two ancient civilizations. By exploring the myths and legends of Norse mythology, we can gain a deeper understanding of the beliefs, values, and traditions that were once held by the Anglo-Saxon people.
Norse mythology, with its rich collection of gods, goddesses, heroes, and epic tales, has had a significant influence on Anglo-Saxon literature and culture. The stories of Odin, Thor, Loki, and other Norse deities have found their way into various forms of art and literature throughout history.
Furthermore, the themes present in Norse mythology - such as honor, bravery, fate, and the cyclical nature of life - resonate with many aspects of Anglo-Saxon society. These shared values served to unite both cultures under a common spiritual bond.
By delving into the realms of Norse mythology and its connection to Anglo-Saxon culture, we can uncover a deeper understanding of our collective past. It allows us to appreciate how these ancient mythologies continue to shape our modern world by reminding us that despite our differences in time or geography, we are all connected by a common spirit - Volk.
Between 1890 and 1930, two völkisch scholars in Austria named Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, respectively, pioneered two esoteric ideology systems known as Armanism and Arisophy.
In addition, List referred to his research and philosophy as Wotanism (Norse Mytholoy), while Lanz also used the terms Theozoology and Ario-Christianity.
List called his doctrine Armanism after the Armanen, supposedly a body of priest-kings in the ancient Aryo-Germanic nation. He claimed that this German name had been Latinized into the tribal name Herminones mentioned in Tacitus, and that it actually meant the heirs of the sun-king: an estate of intellectuals who were organized into a priesthood called the Armanenschaft.
Runes: Rune Translator
Before the Latin alphabet was adopted and for certain reasons afterward, several Germanic languages were written using a family of similar alphabets called the runic alphabets, which used letters known as runes.
Runes might be thought of as the Hebrew, Greek, Cyrillic, or Roman alphabets. They are far more than just an alphabet, though. "Rune" is derived from the German word raunen, which means "to whisper," and the Irish word ran, which means "a secret." It also implies "secret," "mystery," or "hidden."
Even the Chinese hieroglyphs have some similarities to the runic variants. The same is true for several Turkic written characters, which were thought to have evolved apart from European languages.
A theory states that even the older form of the Cyrillic alphabet is a runic system. The proficiency of the Runes were utilized until the late 1800s.
In the 19th century, Germany was the first nation in Europe to begin restoring runic knowledge. Numerous covert organizations surfaced.
List asserted a smooth transition from Wotanism to Christianity, claiming that native customs persisted beneath a Christian facade, perhaps a Christianity that Europeans and others can call theirs.
List also attributed magical powers to runes, asserting that heraldry concealed encoded runes, transmitting a secret heritage. Overall, List's Ariosophy encompasses esoteric Armanism and exoteric Wotanism, depicting a complex interplay between ancient Germanic beliefs and Christianity, viewed through a mystical lens.
Here are the nine noble virtues which can be found in the Norse Mythological historical textbooks, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, which can be found here, Norse Mythology Information.
Under the skald poets' guidance, List thought the conversion from Wotanism to Christianity had gone successfully, preserving local rituals, festivals, and names under a Christian façade that just needed to be "decoded" back into their pagan forms. The forced conversions carried out by "bloody Charlemagne – the Slaughterer of the Saxons" had upset this harmonious blending of the two faiths.
According to List, the Church's hegemony in Austria-Hungary was evidence of the Roman Empire's ongoing persecution of the Germanic peoples' and Celts' old religion as well as its ongoing occupation of the Germanic tribes—albeit in a religious capacity.
The influence of Norse mythology can be seen in various aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture, including language, art, and even religious practices. The similarities between the two mythologies demonstrate how interconnected these ancient cultures were.
By exploring the connections between Norse mythology and Anglo-Saxon culture, we can gain a deeper understanding of our shared history and heritage. It allows us to appreciate how these ancient myths continue to shape our modern world and how they unite us in a common spirit, perhaps sooner than later.
FOR YOUR JOURNEY- The Vegvisir, also known as the runic compass or the Viking compass/Nordic compass made of eight Viking rune staves, is a symbol of protection and guidance believed to be used as a compass by Vikings. The word vegvisir means ‘wayfinder’ and ‘sign post’ in Icelandic language.
