Nordic Shamanism Didn't Disappear 

I was drawn to do a walk solstice 2012. I spent the day quiet, walking around my Grandfather's farm. It was psychedelic, brought me peace and wisdom. I learned things from that day I still struggle to convey to others. I will spend some of tomorrow with my shoes off sitting silently in the grass.

Something really cool happened that you may not have noticed during your video. There seemed to be no wind. The leaves were sitting quietly at your feet until you said the names of the two mythic characters relevant to your discussion (same character-different names, I mean). Then the wind picked up and blew the leaves around in a very noticeable way, just after you said those names. Then it all stopped again. And the leaves did not move again during the rest of your talk. They heard you. call their names. Wyrd! Cool.

Tommy Kuusela has a (more recent?) article written in Swedish about årsgång. He mentions things such as useful objects for protection (garlic, valerian and so on) and that a group of people could perform årsgång together. So a lot of variety in the practice it seems.

Sounds similar. I felt an unbelievably strong force Nordic Animism and American Shaman. I felt like 2 parts of my soul coming together ❤😮

Well said yes we need to keep producing and wake up ! 🙌

I grew up in the mountains and sea side villages of Fiji were ancient tradition, lore and animistic belief systems are still alive and real. My father is Native Fijian and my mothers heritage is from denmark. The last two years ive been called to go walk on new years day and threanimals i see will give me the energy or theme for the year. Last year i seen 5 peacocks cross my path in the middle of the city that was strange as, but it did give me insight into the year. This year it was a murder of crows surrounding a crow with blood read feather on its head and limp feet not sure how to read that as i sign or omen only time will tell.

I am American. I believe through cultural ties is why I am so drawn to this subject.❤

I am absolutely loving your scholarship, subscribed!

Love your videos, watched every single one of them! Finally a voice of reason in the runic current! ..Uppsala as sunken Atlantis...that does sound a lot like Stephen Flowers books...

I have this ability and I'm just starting to delve deeper into it. I think it would be awesome to try to do divination work for a community.

Väldigt spännande! Som alltid 🙂 Har du tittat närmare på bruk kring skålgropar/älvkvarnar någon gång? Apropå bruk och traditioner som lever vidare, utvecklas och blir "re-invented" om och om igen ❤️

amazing video, rune your animistic perspectives are truly eye-opening i already saw you scratching about some animistic features on the norse gods such as odin, thor and tyr. it would be really great if you get a little bit deeper on this. i imagine you have a lot to say. that's a good ideia for a book actually! i would buy it for sure! all the best for you and your family happy yule!

I’m half Swedish my mother was born there and it’s a strong line in both grandparents. I was brought up Christian but When I was having a operation and near death I would naturally as I do each day walk bare foot along a river with trees and bush around but I would go deep into the bush alone and feel the energy of the trees and nature and see many birds up close to me that wouldn’t move it was actually and many other things happened even tho it was a hard time and I was deathly it was also a good time as I felt like I was in between worlds . It’s hard to explain but I think my Nordic side was just coming out then I was interested in learning more and I love how you say to bring it back to life and involve it as it should be 🙌

There's a blog post called 'Viking stones of shame' (google it and it comes up as web site nr 2). The stone shows a procedure for shamanic initiation, and the first section from above shows a root meant to be ingested. A maiden witch fights against the effects of the root (personified as warriors). The second section contains the motif of a shaman drum and a horse, probably symbolizing the spirit synchronizing itself to the rythm. Does somebody know what root or plant they ingest/ingested previous to a Scandinavian shamanic initiation? I'm wondering if it's Mugwort?

Thanks for bringing this alive

My father who was born in 1941 and grew up on a small farm in Småland in southern sweden witnessed how an elder neighbor once warned the small people supposingly living under the surface of earth, de underjordiska, before he poured hot water from the washing of a recently slaughtered pig on the earth. He also thought that a gnome, en tomte, was the responsable for the fact that the mane of the horse sometimes seemed to have been braided during the night. The phenomenon årgång was quite present in common knowledge when I grew up in the 70s and 80s, as I remember it, but I'm not sure whether i heard of somebody actually practizing it. Another thing worth mentioning iscthat at least in those days holding church services in nature was a rather common practise, and there is a special set of official church hymns being sung especifically in summer, that are mostly about nature and have a fairly openly animistic message. They seldom mention christ for example. Several of those are among the dearest hymn to most swedes.

Great video. I'm very interested in your idea of "viking-waahing." Could you make a video dedicated to demonstrating that the Viking Age was not this hermetically sealed epoch that scholars want to treat it as?

I love this material! I believe you presented at a conference in Cornwall in October 2016? I also did, and you look quite like the fellow that presented a paper on årsgång. I don't believe you referenced the Danish material there. I am very interested in that.

Well, I stayed for alltogether one year with shamans in Nepal and there it is official practice to devote, drum, sing, sleep, dream... in cemeteries. This would not be permitted here in Germany. Nepalese shamans came visiting here too and especially liked visiting some historic hidden Hügelgraves and places.

I work with Runes from a magical perspective...my by far the most favourite tool for magic and divination. They are sooo awesome.

Salient points. Mound sitting, vision quests, personal spirit journeys and ancestor veneration tied to lunar/solar calendar probably did not disappear- some Scottish tales like Tam Lin reflect this also- this is an awesome little video lesson - your point about continuity in folkways seems obvious, but you are right it is not sexy for Academia - publish or perish- so unfortunately some knowledge will be ignored and might perish .

I asked for, and was granted, 4 days off from work Dec. 21-24 😊 and with 19, 20, 25-27 being off already, I'll be able to do quite a few simple and more elaborate blóts & rituals, starting with the solstice. By myself, but still meaningful.

Great video Rune and thank you for all your great work. I have looked into årsgang but I haven’t found a direct connection with Kettil Runske. Are you aware of any explicit connection between the story of Kettil and årsgang or is it more of implicit connection since the motive is seeking runes in both cases? More information about this connection is appreciated.

Hey I randomly came across the concept of Bondförnuft (Peasant Sense but can’t find much more details on it. I’m curious if you know where I can get more intro or if it’s something you’d cover in the future.

Id suggest neil price Archaeology of Shamanism it hits on Sweden and the sami tribes that practiced it.

So what do I do when something keeps telling me I have made my sacrifice and walked the road... Now i need to find or gain my runes... How is that possible? Have I got to find a mentor/Odin figure to impart the final wisdom? Maybe this year is the year? Any one have some advice?

Do you have books you recommend for this info.?

I've been saying this for years. Yes.

Very wise man, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, I see myself as an Ásatrúar but I am very interested in your talks and experiences

You've heard about the tradition "Hälsa Nykung"?

What are your thoughts on author Stephen Flowers?

Stole from Odin = Going into an non ordinary state and figures out what effect each rune has? Steward Swerdlow has a good book on hyperspace archtypes that when vizualised at the pineal gland causes shifts in consciousness. I believe the runes have the same potential, and could be used for the development of consciousness.

To me the Oorshka if I spelled this right. Might have it's roots when Odin wandered for wisdom. Nine of course is very much almost reference to the Nine Days hanged himself from Yggdrasil to learn the runes. Also reference to the Nine Realms. Irony in such poetry.

Gosh, I love you and your work! And you should know we are here and the mythological age is back to bust! 🙏🌌💐🌈

Is taking the dwarf's hat 🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄🍄???

Nothing Personal . It's my quest .

Do you believe this is where the stereotypical image of the wizard comes from? The rune staff and the gnome hat in the yearwalker ritual? Forgive me if I misspelled it… I’m from the US. 😂🤦🏽‍♂️

Is Animistic related in any way to Native American Shaman. Please don’t laugh or be mean. I am having a struggle with this.

Shamanism started in Serbia by those Mongolia people so everyone learned from them

And where there is no certainty, make a bunch up a bunch of crap and sell books.