*Ocean drops a Jormungandr video*: "man, I should add Jormungandr to my hearth cult. *Ocean drops a Loki video*: "man, I should add Loki to my hearth cult." *Ocean drops an Ullr video*: "man, I should Ullr to my...wait a minute." Thank you for another great video! As someone with a close relationship with Skadhi, I feel like Ullr has a similar style: strong, capable, and self-assured. I will definitely be watching this one again!
Ocean, on the subject of healing. Given a little understanding of physiology, growing stronger is a product of healing. A muscle is worked, hard and long, and suffers micro tears that heal and the muscle grows both larger and stronger, generally. A broken bone heals with boney material in a stronger pattern than the one that broke. Generally, healing is growing stronger. Even this, can be taken to toxic levels. But even as we learn from our mistakes, our bodies learn from our injuries. It may take some work on our part. But what worth having doesn't?
Our kindred oaths to the chief and the group. But that’s only after a year of provisional membership at the minimum. We look at kindreds as a true tribe, a family. Once the oath is taken you are as good as blood kin. Of course there is a way to be released from oath. But saying oaths to tribe and chief is a negative I think is wrong.
The statement on masculinity actually resonated with me as a mom and military spouce. "When shit happens I'm just expected to deal with it" is the norm. Kid goes to the hospital, husband gets deployed, you can't establish a career cause you will move in a few years, whatever you just deal with it and if you complain you are critisize as a depentent who has it "easy" I found a sign at a local thrift store that said "I'm a military spouce I can handle anything." It seems toxic. Just keep sweeping it under the rug and deal with it all 90% on your own. Thank you for this introduction to Ullr 🙏
This comment makes me wonder if I got the same “I’m not strong if I don’t just deal with it” from being a military kid. Because my experience as a child was different than it would have been as a spouse, but the energy of “you just have to keep going, whatever is wrong” definitely reads right. Thanks for the brain food!
@@antihousewife Oh definitely! The suck it up and deal with it attitude seems to have diminished in more recent years for both enlisted and families, especially for kids, with allot more knowledge of emotional and mental health. Expecting kids to "just be ok" with relocating and the family seperation strains isn't expected as much now as I'm sure it would of been a decade or 2 ago. No one should expect kids to "just deal with it", I certainly don't expect mine to, and not all spouces should be expected to "handle anything". I can't immagine handling anything without talking about feelings, openly crying and having mental/emotional support.
As a single mom I agree. I have to be everything to my kids all the time and cope as best as I can and even though you're married I'm sure you're a solo parent every time your husband deploys. I hope you're able to have support in your life while your husband is away.
I love how this community gives more obscure and less understood deities and entities the respect they deserve. And trans men ARE men. Thank you for being so inclusive and supportive. 🛡️🛡️🛡️🏳️⚧️🛡️🛡️🛡️
A video on the archery god! Yay! 🏹 As a person who does archery, I appreciate Ullr getting some love. Fun fact: Ullr’s hall was called Ýdalir, translated as “yew dales.” This goes back to the yew tree being an ideal wood for the making of bows. I like to think of his hall as surrounded by groves of very tall and old yew trees.
Okay, I wasn’t expecting to cry today, but I did at the end. That was beautifully said and hit me right in the feels. As a cis woman who presents and (for lack of a better word) functions masculinely, I too share in many of the struggles that men face. I am expected to stay in a constant state of heightened awareness/hypervigilance, always have to stay ready to handle whatever comes. And it seems that people subconsciously come to expect it of the masculine people in their lives, even if they don’t realize it. I am realizing that healing is something I need right now. Sometimes relying on our strength can only carry us so far before we have to come out of the cold, collapse next to the fire and accept that we need to rest. Man, this one hit me hard. May need to reach out to Ullr soon. I am seeing him in a way I hadn’t before. Awesome video Ocean! Tons of great information here. Hail Ullr!
I love how honest Ocean always is about what we actually know and don't know about the gods. And while he puts in his own extrapolations he can absolutely base it all in actual evidence and yet never makes me feel like I have to follow his take on anything.
As someone who is questioning Christianity and is feeling pulled towards the Gods of Norse Polytheism, to learn of them and knowing which of Them resonates the most because of your content. Thank you for doing what you do!
Watch wendigoon videos about biblically accurate angels there you will find your answears why Christianity is bleak now. I hope you all the best to your Heathen ways also which diety you feel pull towards the most?
It's funny that you mention Ullr's fire. My family has kept a story of Ull bringing fire to mankind during a particularly bleak and harsh winter where their harvest yielded no food. The original tongue is lost, but the story remains. Hail Ull, hunt god, ring god, Oath god. May he keep us and we keep him as survivors!
I knew this was gonna be good, but ya hit it out of the park here boss. Particularly loved the discussion of the localization of historical heathens and the section on Ullr as God of the Shield. I say it all the time but it bears repeating: too often people treat the few surviving myths we have as an absolute canon and just ignore all the other evidence we have to show this diversity of practice. This video demonstrates that variety in way that is thorough and easy to understand. Big ups my friend
Figured I’d post this here as an offering to the algorithm, You never fail to help me better understand my faith. I’ve not once prayed to Ullr because, as you said, I thought of him as some ambiguous Skadi-esque god. But this video gave him a new sense of depth that I hadn’t thought about or known about. I’ll be sure to leave an offering for the mighty hunter of the harsh winter. Hail Ullr!
I have been dedicated to Ullr for many years now. I am from northern Minnesota. My life experiences are most reflected in Ullr. I have skied many marathons, hunted using a bow and rifle my whole life, have lived in the harshest cold of winter in North America for many years. Thanks for sharing this view on Ullr.
Wonderful video to add depth to my praxis: as my worship of Skaði has grown, I've treated Ullr as something of an afterthought. As winter draws to a close, I plan to make space on my altar to him and meditate on your words and all I have endured this season. Thanks as always, Ocean.
This is wonderful, definitely think that the healthly masculinity patt is awesome. Glad to know there's more Gods to add to the list of mental and physical strength and healing.
Ocean, that video was amazing. Especially the last 10 minutes. As someone in a leadership position and someone who is a leader over men, but a woman, this was so important to hear. I sometimes forget that my guys are going through it and I need to give them some grace. Thank you for the content.
Cis woman here married to a man - your commentary on masculinity resonated a lot with me as a Skaði devotee. In what ways am I expecting my husband to bear a shield and handle it when I'm in the same trenches and given so much more freedom for emotional expression? AND in what ways does the expectation of stoicism pushed on men so often also lead to the infantilization of women's struggles?
I remember you specifically requesting Ullr which inspired me to get this video out. You've been supportive in the comment section for years now. Appreciate you.
This was beautiful. As a cis-woman who is a firm believer in positive disintegration, having everything challenged (and indeed die away like crops in winter) is necessary for regrowing and rebuilding. You’re absolutely spot on about healing - strength comes not through persistence in the face of a winter storm, but by allowing the storm to do its work. Then, we reflect, rebuild, and ensure what we rebuild is better than before, taking our lessons with us (in preparation for next winter) ❤
I am a woman, but I identified very strongly with what you said about masculinity. Our society tends to associate strength with masculinity, so, even though I am a woman, my desire to be seen as strong means that I am also under the pressure to just take whatever is thrown at me and deal with it. if you take time to rest and recover, you are seen as weak. Society doesn’t seem to really care whether you are a man or a woman when they are pushing this agenda on you, so, even though I am a woman who freely expresses my masculine side, and I am not expected to be strong, I still feel this pressure. I think women would benefit from exploring their masculinity, just as much as men would, because I do think that most of us do have at least a little bit of both masculine and feminine in who we are. I like the idea of looking into the spirituality of masculinity quite a bit and plan on doing some work with it myself. Plus that commentary on oathes, this was an absolute banger.
Society is not a person or entity, its a word. Individuals are too busy worrying about themselves just like you are the one putting pressure on yourself. Life is short and can be hard. Do you and stop worrying about concepts and what others think.
I just wanted to say that I include this video in a monthly tradition of listening to people speak about the gods I work with, as the repetition of oral traditions is a big part of the religious adherence of many. I just wanted to thank you for creating (imo) the best compilation of information on Ullr that is available on RU-vid. It's very much appreciated, and I will continue to honor your work as apart of my faith and teachings. Well met.
You know on the second watch through, you're explanation on regional pluralism is really helpful. It shows the gods weren't historically locked to a location or specific group of people.
When I finally listened to the call of the gods and this faith I searched for a deity that made me feel safe and strong. When I learned of Ullr I felt what I was searching for immediately, I was disappointed that there was so little known but I have made offers to build that frith and have been rewarded with a few great hunts since. Thanks for making a video about him, I've been looking forward to it since you mentioned it a while back.
I am cis female but since a increadibly young age I had to care for my mother and older sister. Sadly my father, the role traditionally ment to protect us and provide for us, was the one causing us so much instability due to his addiction and caused really physical and emotional danger to all of us. Thusly I stepped into the much needed and unmaned role. I state this not for pitty but as a background, this was my lot in life and i grew up in accordance. I have been told I am the calm man in a storm dispite being a woman, I even now am sole income for my household as I have a young son and my husband is a wonderful homemaker. Much of what Ocean said resonated with me. I wish growing up I could have found heathens and Ullar to help me through. I will be adding him to my practice though part of my heart hopes that maybe he was looking out for me through all these years, and i may just be welcoming back an old friend.
As a newish heathen I find your content superb and an inspiration as to how much knowledge you hold about the gods, I always refer back to you and how simple you break things down and make it easy to understand, thank you and keep making this amazing content
I joked before about a Skyrim build but didn't yet have the words to convey how how ground shaking this video was. In the 5 months since it's posting I've gotten sober rekindled my masculinity and my commitment and oaths as a father, husband, protector and provider. With tears in my eyes and undescribable gratitude in my heart, I wanna thank you Ocean along side Ullr and Thor. I know the strength was always in me to be better but it was you who reminded me of it. Hail!
It's amazing to me that even the tiniest fragments of the old stories that we find are every bit as good as anything coming out of Hollywood today, and it seems like there's always something new to learn, I didn't even know about Ullr until this video
Ullr was the first god that appeared to me, so to speak. I was in a time of distress falling away from Christianity, and not sure of who I was and what I followed. Ullr spoke to my mind in a way that I couldn’t explain, not like a literal voice, but as soon as I learned about him it all just became clear. Thank you for this video.
I like to think of Ullr as an out going outdoors sportsman. A hunter, skier, and a surfer. And, due to these, he is very fit and active and so would people like him. Hence why he is good to call on for a one on one duel. He is strong like a shield. Protect others from bullies. A handy man you can rely on.
Gothi, that oath "hot take" hit just the right spot. I'm currently homeless, trying to find a state to base out of and a situation that won't kill me for existing, so vulnerability is written all over me. Ullr might get a hoot from me in all this. Thank you. ❤
Thank you for helping me learn more of the gods. None of the countless books that i own speak of Ullr much. I find it so sad we have so little information on the gods. But Ullr is revealed to us all with your help
I am just barely coming out of the cold myself and the talk of healing towards the end of this really resonates with me. Thank you for this. It really helped.
I find that I feel calls to the more unkown or potentially misunderstood deities. I am consistently edified by your work, where you collate the disparate accounts of these criminally undervalued vestiges of our faiths. I am able to see Ullr alongside my house's circle of guidance and trust based spirituality. I can definitely appreciate more positive leadership in it too.
@@OceanKeltoi You and me both friend, and thank you. Also my brain always forget a deity/entity named ‘Eir’ exists in both Germanic and Irish mythos so my brain just went: damn gonna have the entirety of the isle of ireland helping me (Éire is the primordial entity representing the island :) )
I don't always watch your videos, but everyone I watch I enjoy, and every so often you drop something absolutely fantastic in your videos that I wish more people would see/know. It was one small comment, but your simple words of acceptance to trans men speak volumes to you as a human. And I can only imagine what hearing the being called "brother" means to a trans man having to deal with the hate in the world right now. And your statement on oaths was just as clear and just as needed. I wish such statements would be standard, but sadly we do yet live in that world. If more people thought like you, and were not afraid to say so, we would get there a lot faster.
As and adult with high functioning autism, the statment at the end about masculinity really speaks to me. I have a very hard time healing from things and growing from them. The attitude in society of "you'll be ok but you're on your own" has been extremely prevalent in every step of my life. Not only am I a man that needs to "deal with things," I have a mental disability but i'm expected to behave like I don't, and perform nonetheless. Hearing this take on Ullr is very helpful to me and lets me remember to let myself heal. Thanks Ocean, great video as always!
A new video from my favorite heathen content creator after a hiatus, AND it's of my primary deity. Sweet. There is sooo much I can say about Ullr. I've made multiple dedicated essays about him and also of yew trees from a heathen perspective. But, I want to focus on on a specific aspect, which in this case is total UPG. Ullr's association with oaths and hunting. When oaths are made (in a healthy scenario) you make it in front of people you are closer with. Because you recognize your luck is tied with them. We are our deeds, and our deeds and luck contribute to the luck of those close to you. Your achievements are shared, and it's one of the reasons why merited boasts are not seen as taboo in heathenry. Just like the bounty of a lone hunter can be shared with the whole stead, your individual deeds can contribute to the luck of the group.
A very interesting production, indeed! As an avid archer..hunter, gatherer.. I have both of the mentioned entities in my life..n..have had for quite a while!! You, Ocean, are the very 1st to touch on any specifics,( as many as there may ,or, maynot be...) ,and make sense of the whole entity journey!! Thank you!! 🏹🤙🐺🧙♂️🦊👍🏹
I loved this video. I never fully understood Ullr as a God but yet I'm still learning about Norse Spirituality. I think you have helped shed light on the definition that is Ullr the God of survival like you had put it. And I loved what you said about healing. How it's essential in "handling our shit" and that we need it to overcome. I don't think it's healing that removes our masculinity, but I think it's the way that people tell us to heal that challenges our masculinity. I think we all need to find our own way. As long as it works for you, who cares how you get there. Thanks for sharing this. Love your channel.
Another brilliant video! The topic of Oaths should be it's own video, because you are SPOT ON, and also because it's such a deep topic. Thank you for this essay too, because good leaders to often get forgotten, while it's the flamboyant or bombastic ones who get passed on. (looking at you, odin)
I've been watching for a long time I have been a heathen for a while you are the first person I ever came across to didn't give off toxic vibes I commend your hard work on trying to stay level-headed this was the first place of Refuge I ever found thank you
Thank you for another awesome educational video! Your insights into Ullr's importance and possible connections are fascinating. I don't know many people who could take a fairly unheard-of deity and be able to talk about them with real substance for over 15 minutes. I appreciate you also touching on important subjects, such as toxic manipulation in Heathen groups, and toxic masculinity in general. I think it is important to show that our faith and being a healthy community are not mutually exclusive, especially as a juxtaposition to some of the other Heathen groups out there. Keep up the great work!
So much of this, especially where you talk about Ullr being a deity of leadership, and survival, and protection, and most especially the betterment of oneself, really reminds me of my relationship with Tyr, as that’s the major role that he plays in my life. And that makes sense in regards to what you mentioned about them both being leadership-related deities just in different locations. I have no personal practice with Ullr currently, but so much of this still resonates! Great video as always c:
Ocean, great pun😊, great video. And I, an old woman, loved the bits on masculinity. I've noticed the term 'toxic masculinity ' gets tossed around by young women today, too often. They don't even know it was coined, when I was young, in the 80s,by mens groups! 👍💙💙💙🥰✌
When I first started my heathen journey 11 years ago now, I felt an immediate call to Ullr that's never gone away. Even though I knew next to nothing about him, he was "my homie" for lack of a better term. I've always felt he was more than "the god of skiing" and hearing you put words to what I knew in my heart really solidifies him as my chosen patron.
I like the idea of hunters doing the work of Ullr, serving the God, and at the same time, serving the community. Nice stuff ! I also like that bit about "Loyalty is earned by good leadership" , too bad our politicians haven't learned this.
Hey ocean, I've been watching your videos since I started my journey into heathenry (almost 5 years ago to the day as of writing!) And I wanted to say your diligence has been indispensable to my personal relationship with the gods. Thank you for doing what you do
First off: I tried explaining something similar to your thoughts on an oath to a few brothers of mine. I’m part of a group (many members are heathen but the group is not for that) that does take an oath. My opinions were all but shrugged off and it did indeed raise a red flag for me. Basically they wanted to make some minor changes to it and I told them it’s irrelevant in my eyes because my loyalty lies in the bigger picture. Not the “group”. Good on you for saying what needed to be said and thank you. Secondly: When you mentioned Tyr with Ullr as “Leadership” gods it got me thinking. Your comparison with the 800 car pile up was dead on, with that in mind, and the way you brought Tyr in and mentioned Thor, I wonder if somewhere in the lost stories and sagas that we don’t have there is more of a connection between the three of them. I’ve heard opinions from all over that vary drastically and some have even mention a possibility of Tyr and Odin being the same god. With Odin’s 5,000 nicknames and one even being “Veratyr” it makes for interesting ideas. We all know Thor was idolized as the protector of Midgard and mankind and Tyr is huge for self sacrifice because of the sagas bringing him and Fenrir together and gliepnir and all that. But I can’t help but wonder if Ullr may have been an old god that was later seen as Tyr and Thor and only separated as different gods due to some dispute between regions or clans and maybe that’s why we see so little about him? I don’t know. Food for thought. Haha! Great video. Got the brain juices going! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My own experience of Ullr resonates with what you have presented. I like to describe him as the God of Going Outside, in the sense of the kind of discipline and skill you need to go outside the safety of your community and commune with the wild places. I believe there is something to be explored in the contrast of Ullr and Odin. There is an Apollo and Dionysus flavor to them in the sense of Dionysus (Odin) is the wine and Apollo (Ullr) is the vinegar. The both of them creating social liquidity in different ways.
Would it be appropriate to view Ullr as the God of "Trying again" as that is the only way anything/one gets better? Linking the leadership, community guardian, Winter and Games, I am getting "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" energy. For reasons, this felt like a needed message to both me personally and to the wider community. He also in his "keeper of oaths seems to me to be witness of "the struggle" the god that says, "I see that you tried and failed but points for trying....let's chill for a minute as you heal before trying again . Here are the dice..Let's roll!
Love the video. As a survivor of physical, mental, emotional abuse and molestation as a child the last part speaks to me. I am now considering welcoming Ullr to my hearth since these traumas still affect me today. I may of just started watching your videos, but I've appreciated every one of them. ❤❤
At first I laughed out loud about the comparison with southern baptists, the pope and that other guy 😂. In the end when the video turned from a more historical perspective to a hope instilling sermon I was crying, in a positive way.
Ocean, I always look forward to your latest videos to listen in while I'm on the road. Nothing makes for a more pleasant drive than your fresh and educated perspectives. Keep 'em coming brother! Much love and many blessings.
Hey Ocean, just wanted to say thank you for all that you do in edutainment and heathenry. I myself am now starting my journey into Heathenry, and you have played a major role in getting me interested into the subject. Thanks a lot man❤ Sending you Thor’s thunder from way down under ⚡️
Mythology & researching little known tidbits about the gods and mythical beings has been a personal hobby for about 30 years now. Ulr is also mentioned in greek & celtic documents. I will confirm that much of what you convey about him is correct. He is a god of the winter sun. Specifically the ring of light around the sun. I personally believe he is a son of Sol with one of the Matrona of the Norse pantheon that would be at the ancestry level of Odin's uncle perhapse. He is a god of oaths, protection, honor, harmony, endurance, bonds. That is why the oath ring & sheild or ring are his symbol. Bone endures. He probably correlates with stone age deities & took a step back as a head figure of the pantheon in the metal ages. Good video.
love watching these kinds of videos, soo intellectually stimulating when i think about oath of loyalty, it should be from the leader to their people, after all the leader is responsible for their people and any act that negatively effects the people should be seen as a violation of that oath as for masculinity, i agree, I'd go as far to say you are the weak one for not actually handling and keeping bottled up. strong people handle their shit and avoid it
Like Ratatoskr, I think sometimes people fall into the etymological fallacy instead of considering onomatopeia The hunting god is called Ullr because it sounds like an animal bugling.
You are my absolute FAVORITE person to see a new video from on RU-vid. I have noticed you aren’t making as many? Or maybe I’ve just finally finished the whole catalog. Thanks for doing what you do.
Ullr holds a high place in my practise, both as him and Skadi reprisents my home country of Norway with their connection to the mountians,skiing and winter. But also in my view being a god of overcomming hard times, since after all after the coldest winter comes the warmest summers. And i sorta exsplore my masculinity not in some spiritual way, but in more being help full to others. I have friends who struggle with mental issues and having a few family members who relies on me from assistance with tasks they cant do. And i find my masculinity in that, being a relieble back bone who lifts those weaker than me up.
100% agree with you about the oaths. How anyone can argue otherwise boggles the mind. Wyrdly enough, I was thinking about Skadi and Ullr earlier today... always a pleasure to listen to your videos/thoughts. Be well
Another great video. I must confess that I mostly turn to Skathi when hunting. I make an offering and give thanks for the opportunity and a safe return from the hunt.
