[This part and the forthcoming sequels are an elaborated version of the original article entitled “The Norse Goddesses behind the Asir Veil: The Vanir Mothers in Continental Scandinavia—a late Shamanistic Branch of the Old European Civilization?” by Märta-Lena Bergstedt & Kirsten Brunsgaard Clausen, included in Goddesses in Myth, History and Culture (Mago Books, 2018) Edited by Mary Ann Beavis and Helen Hye-Sook Hwang.]
“Once, something else existed”[1]
In the beginning there was a war …, so the Icelandic Eddas on Norse mythology of the Asir-belief state for the beginning of time.[2] But the fact is that before this first war, there was peace in Scandinavia, and peace for millennia – society was not yet organized and dominated by warfare values.[3] Instead another type of society, akin with the Old European Society lingered on in Scandinavia until the decline of the Roman Empire.
In this society, Norse goddesses like Hel (Hell); Natt (Night); När/Njärd (Nerthus, Earth); Freya/Fröja (Völva/shaman and guardian of Growth); Ran (Mother of the Sea); Idun, the Apple Maiden, and many others are primarily known from medieval scripts, dating 11th‒13th century were neither Asirs, nor goddesses. The Mothers of Old were knitted into the new and rather late 4th century Asir world of gods, and Asir mythology itself reports that in principle all their new goddesses originated from an earlier layer of cosmology – that they belonged to Vanaheim (Vanir Home), Alfheim (Elven Home), and some to Jotunheim (Giants’ Home). And further, they were all taken into Asgård (the Asir Court) as hostages in the peace-agreement that followed the first Asir-Vanir war, which, seemingly on purpose the Asir High-god, Odin, ended in a draw.[4]
Our research has set out to find out, who these Norse goddesses may once have been in their original Vanir cultural and mythological context, predating Asir mythology. By means of different disciplines and based on a mytho-historical-archaeological perspective, the main aim of this article is to present some of the most well-known Vanir mothers. In order to find the Old Mothers, we have had to work our way through layers of patriarchal, war dominated history of Scandinavia, as well as Christianity and Asir religion.
Scandinavian Pagan religion – two, not one
Although the Old Norse (ON) texts themselves make clear references to two different systems and orders of society in Scandinavia – the Vanirs and the Asirs – Nordic pre-Christian religion is traditionally portrayed as one single pagan religion based on war and fertility. At times, references are made to an underlying culture of fertility and wealth, predating Asir religion, but with no further explanations concerning its substance.[5] We will review this perception by means of archaeology and religious history, and other fields.
Already for decades the possibility of a substantial shift of power and ruling structure taking place in Scandinavia around 400CE has been discussed.[6] Today, there is quite a widespread acceptance that a new kind of warrior-based and elitist dynasty did establish itself in this period, radically changing society into a hierarchical and military stratified system not seen before in Scandinavia. Design and framework for the new society took its inspiration mainly from the Roman Empire itself, but also adopted ideas from different European cults further south, associated with the Roman Empire, e.g. the Mithras cult, Christianity, and thereto from the Huns.[7] The new system overrode former borders and authority. In Scandinavia, this meant that former loyalty to one´s own clan and tribe was now challenged by the quick expansion of the house-carl system (följeväsen, hird), where young warriors swore their oaths of loyalty to non-kindred or foreign kings. The profound change in mentality does show even in landscape as the new Asir religion and ideology manifested itself in the building of strongholds dating from c. 450, and later halls and royal estates and temples.
Although new strongholds were carefully erected close to the much older Bronze Age borgs or hill-forts, the two differed considerably in function. The older Bronze Age borgs were once used in a society, characterized by archaeologist Åsa Wall as collective and mythic,[8] peaceful and female led, whereas the new 4th century forts are generally suggested as military camps for training and initiation of youngsters into the closed and exclusive warrior brotherhood of the Asir-belief, modelled with unmistakable inspiration from the Mithras and Roman Emperor Cult, which will be discussed further below. The military forts were soon after succeeded by the first royal halls and temples.[9] A hierarchical pantheon of Asir warrior gods naturally challenged the old Vanir-belief system. In the beginning of this era the old tradition of laying down gifts of sharing into lakes and sacred groves at ancient holy places was abandoned,[10] simultaneously the first findings of war-trophic offerings appear in Scandinavia.[11] Archeologists like Lotte Hedeager and Charlotte Fabech and others suggest a dramatic shift in the 5th Century, meaning that a new kind of elite took control and birthed territorial thinking for the first time.[12]
Religious history points to a phenomenon designating patriarchal take-overs world-wide, that this is accompanied also by a new hierarchical religion. The new patriarchal religion will most often keep certain core elements from the older layer of local divinities and legends, and knit them into the new construction, for the sake of stability and legitimacy. Local older icons is dressed in new garments and given partly old, partly new legends about them, as well as they are equipped with new or supplementary areas of function. This process is generally known as the acculturation or syncretistic process.[13] We will argue that the patriarchal take-over in Scandinavia was no exception. For legitimacy, the 5th Century elite initiators of Asir religion found good reasons to interweave spiritual entities from the local, pre-existing Germanic culture. Professors of Archeology Kristiansen and Larsson indirectly confirm the syncretic process of the Asir belief, putting it like this: “It is remarkable that this central Bronze Age myth should not [?] be preserved in Old Norse mythology. Once again it demonstrates that Norse or Nordic religion was re-shaped during Iron Age, most probably by the introduction of the æsir gods in the Migration Period.”[14] Consequently, the Vanir mythic mothers, Fröja, Hel and the others may have been underwent both transformation as also distorted to become Asir goddesses, Asynjor, in Odin´s court.
Thus, during the separating and unwrapping of the older entities from Norse mythology, out-lines of a matrifocal, matrilineal, and shamanic (sejd) based culture, embracing an animistic, one-world understanding of cosmos has started to shine through. Its non-dualistic concept will be explained below. And further, the model of Vanir society and spiritual world-view has turned out to share certain features with both its millennia-old neighbor on the Scandinavian Peninsula, the indigenous Sami, and further, it seems to link into the so called Old European (OE) civilization in south-eastern Europe, first described by Professor in Archeology, Marija Gimbutas.[15] In the disrobing the Vanir figures of their Asir disguises and functions, for instance as war-goddesses and subordinated wives of the Asir gods, we could gradually begin to explore what the mythic Vanir maidens, mothers, and crones underneath may have represented in their own original old culture. Self-evidently, an equal amount of male entities may have existed, but this article focusing the feminine, the male side will be given only as brother, partners and lovers to the females here.
To summarize. Leaning on resent interpretations of archeological evidence, and generally accepted religious phenomenology, and also taking into account references from the medieval Icelandic Eddas themselves concerning a still older layer of mythology represented by the Vanirs, we will suggest that pre-Christian or pagan Scandinavian belief was not one (namely the Asir religion, known from scriptures), but in fact two belief systems, Asir-belief and the interwoven Vanir-belief; when separated, the two being utterly different from one another – as this article will make an attempt to show. To secure a clear distinction and also for the sake of simplicity, we will refer to the two cultures and belief systems, the newer and the older, as the Asirs (Aser – the patriarchal system), and the Vanirs (Vaner –the Old Ways). The labeling, Vanir, is controversial, but the multitude of van-words in Scandinavia, in both languages and geographical locations, speaks convincingly in favor of Vanir presence of some kind, and may allow such entitling. We will discuss the word, Vanir, below.
As the idea will be new to many that pagan Scandinavian religion falls into two intrinsically different belief systems, the main characteristics and premises of each of them will be sketched out first. We have also chosen to give a summery of the historical roots and background for the rise of patriarchy and hierarchical warfare-society, and then brief the specific establishment of warfare culture in Scandinavia, the shift of paradigm and religion. The transition from the more egalitarian and apparently shamanic based society into a full hierarchical war-fare society have left signs and remnants to be found in both art and landscape, and will be exemplified.[16] The informative parts at the beginning are meant to serve as background and scenery, when finally the esteemed Vanir mothers will enter the stage, representing their own ancient culture.
1. Asir religion – a late top-society sect with martial signatures
The Icelandic medieval scripts, the Eddas emerged from oblivion first in the 17th century and for centuries. They are the prime source to on the late Asir-belief. For long the scriptures were reserved exclusively for the academy. Therefore mythology about Odin, Thor and other Asir gods remained unknown to the public until the National Romantic Era in the midst of the 19th Century. Reading the Asir mythology today, it does leave an impression of having been manufactured more for aristocracy and for an esoteric and close-knit brotherhood of elitist warriors, initiated and consecrated to Odin and a paradisiac after-life in Valhall (warrior heaven), than addressing any parts of ordinary rural people.[17] The Asir religion was indeed meant for an exclusively male and warrior community, resembling a sect of secrets or a closed cult, to a high extend occupied with (honorable) death, and masculine martial values. The initiated warriors´ cult had no common missionary goals, and did not aim to involve rural peasants, craftsmen and traders – on the contrary.[18] Therefore, the vast majority of ordinary people in contemporary time may never have heard of, nor even have come into contact with the contents of the Asir-religion. They would just have carried on in their Old Ways of honoring the annual circles. If in principle, only Nordic nobles and their sworn house-carl retinues were Asir-believers until centuries later around 1000CE when the elite converted to Christianity, this it may explain why Asir-religion left so few, if any, traces of itself in the mind-set, traditions, or landscape of today´s Scandinavia. When nobility had converted into Christianity, Asir-belief just vanished in a few generations. There seems to be good reasons to characterize Asir-belief as a delimited and comparable short-lived religious sect with martial signatures (from c. 400‒1100 CE).
2. The Old Vanir Ways – a Nature Based World-Concept.
In contrast to Asir mythology, the Old Ways of Vanir thinking left a multitude of imprints on present day Scandinavian heritage and self-understanding. Echoing fertility rituals of high antiquity, this belief seems to have been centered on honoring the Earth, and honoring the life forces. The Old Ways were firmly anchored in rural population. As Wall showed in her PhD. Diss. thesis, the Scandinavian society until Iron Age (200-550CE) (at least valid for southern Sweden), was collective and mythic, encompassing no concepts of owning land, of hierarchy, or of inheritance of property.[19] Still today, fragments of its fundamental ideas, its world-view, and even its shamanism (sejd) are reflected in folk-customs, traditional rituals, and annual festivals, like the Swedish Midsummer, the Lucia celebration,[20] the eight seasonal bonfires e.g. Valborg (the Celtic Beltain).[21] Also flickers of the Old Ways are preserved in oral memories and sayings about nature beings, familiar to everyone, like the Huldra or Rådare or Vittra, the Sjörå, the Näcken; all of whom are holy guardians of forests, mountains, rivers and lakes. Old values and thinking are preserved in language and expressions, and also found in the vast numbers of ancient theophoric geographical names, shrines, and holy places in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, often with specific types of old legends tied to them.
So far, the old culture has not fully been acknowledged academically (even less given a generally accepted name). The difficulty lies in circumstances that the Old Scandinavian culture shares with all indigenous cultures – it is all together oral. The old culture is not able to show any written documents on its history. Abroad, there is a rising understanding and will to acknowledge non-historical indigenous cultures on their own terms. Scholars like e.g. Miranda J. Green advocates for the indigenous, oral, and nature-based culture of pre-historic British islands, pre-dating the invasions of patriarchal Continental Celts, that there “is abundant evidence for[Bronze Age forebears] their veneration of water [and nature elements]….”[22] Maybe Professor in Religious History, Juha Pentikäinen has given the most distinct lines of directions on how to allow oral cultures into academy in their own rights, namely that a variety of non-written sources needs to be taken equally into account. [23] This approach, allowing the use of both written and non-written sources has been crucial for our attempt to disclose and present the old Vanir mothers on their own terms.
(To be Continued)
(Meet Mago Contributor) Kirsten Brunsgaard Clausen.
[1] Birgitta Onsell, Något annat har funnits (Stockholm: Carlssons Bokförlag, 1999).
Onsell was the founder of the Thealogical Association in Sweden.
[2] Gjellerup, Karl, ed. Den ældre Eddas Gudesange, Völuspá, trans. K. Gjellerup (København: P.G. Philipsens Forlag. 1895, 7. http://heimskringla.no/wiki/V%C3%B8lvens_Spaadom
[3] Before 300s the free Germanic clans ruled themselves sovereignly. But the fact is that no archeological evidence typical of organized warfare as we know it, like battlefields, mass graves, king´s courts and signs of organized militarism, are found in Scandinavia earlier than around the 400s does not mean that fights and unrest did not exist.
[4] Odin was renowned for never loosing a war. The handsome but useless Asirgod Höner was transferred to the Vanirs, but they sent him back. Johansson, K.G.,ed., Snorres Edda, (Gylfaginning), trans. K.G. Johansson (Stockholm: Fabers Förlag, 1997), 23-24. Gjellerup, ed. Ældre Eddas, (Völuspá), 10-11. Kaliff and Sundqvist s. 14ff
Jónsson, Finnur, ed., Heimskringla – Nóregs konunga sǫgur (Ynglingesaga), trans. Jesper Lauridsen, 2012. (København: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1911), cap 4. http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Ynglingesaga
[5] Vennemann accords the Vanirs also agriculture and navigating (metallurgy). Vennemann, Theo. Andromeda and the Apples of the Hesperides, in Europa Vasconica/ Europa Semitica. (Berlin; New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 2003), 631.
[6] Johannes Brøndsted, Danmarks oldtid III, Jernalderen (København: Gyldendals Bogforlag, 1940), 253.
[7] Anders Carlsson. Tankar kring Torsten och Torborg. Arkeologi och naturvetenskap. (Nyhamnsläge: Gyllenstiernska krapperupstiftelsen. 2005), 169, 176. Kaliff, Anders, and Sundqvist, Olof, Oden och Mithraskulten, Religiös ackultation under romersk järnålder och folkvandringstid, (Uppsala: Department of Archeology a d´Ancient History, 2004), 101ff.
[8] Åsa Wall, De hägnade bergens landskap, Om den äldre järnåldern på Södertörn, (PhD Diss., 2003, Stockholm: Arkeologiska Institutionen 2003), 177ff.
[9] “Initiations borgs” date c. 400-550CE, Elite halls and temples c. 550-800CE. Anders Carlsson, Tolkande arkeologi och svensk forntidshistoria. Från stenålder till vikingatid. (Stockholm: Stockholms Universitet, 2015), 160. Lotte Hedeager, Iron Age Myth and Materiality: An Archeology of Scandinavia AD 400-1000 (New York: Routledge, 2011), 148ff.
[10] Charlotte Fabech and Jytte Ringtved, Samfundsorganisation og regional variation i Norden i romersk järnålder och folkvandringstid (Aarhus Universitetsforlag, 1991).
[11] Carlsson, Tankar Torsten, 174
[12] Hedeager, Skuggor, 1997. Lotte Hedeager and Henrik Tvarnø, Tusen års europahistorie: Romere, germaner og nordboere (Oslo: Pax Forlag A/S, 2001). Hedeager, Iron Age Myth. Charlotte Fabech and Ulf Näsman, Ritual landscape and sacral places in the first millennium AD in South Scandinavia. in Sacred Sites and Holy Places: Exploring the Sacralization of Landscape through Space and Time, ed. Sæbjørg Walaker and Stefan Brink (Turnhout: Brepols, 2013), 53-109. Carlsson, Tankar Torsten, 176
[13] Ingvild Sælid Gilhus and Einar Thomassen, Antikens religioner: Mellanösterns och Medelhavsområdets religioner (Lund: Förlag Studentlitteratur AB, 2011), 12ff. Charlene Spretnak, Lost Goddesses of Early Greece: A Collection of Pre-Hellenic Myths (Boston: Beacon Press, 1984). Britt-Mari Näsström, Forntida religioner (Lund: Studentlitteratur, 2003), 93, 106,11. (Minoan and Greek goddesses/ Minoan Zeus, the Pre-Greek Hera and Hefaistos)
[14] Kristian Kristiansen, and Thomas B. Larsson. The Rise of Bronze Age Society. Travels, Transmissions and Transformation. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 297, note 13.
[15] Donna Read and Starhawk, Signs Out of Time: The Story of Archeologist Marija Gimbutas (Belili Production, 2004). Marija Gimbutas, The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myth and Cult Images (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007). Ian Hodder, Catalhöyük. The Leopard´s Tale: Revealing the mysteries of Catalhöyük (London: Themes & Hudson, 2006). James Mellaart, Çatal Hüyük: A Neolithic Town in Anatolia (London: Thames and Hudson, 1967).
[16] Johansson ed., Snorri Sturlason, Snorres Edda (Prologue), Cap. 4-9.
[17] Kaliff and Sundqvist, Oden Mithras, 68. Initiation of the Bear-shirts, Berserkir, to Odin by the marking of his spear, is testified in Ynglingasaga Cap. 9 in Finnur Jónsson, ed., Snorre Sturlason, Heimskringla – Nóregs konunga sǫgur (Ynglingesaga), trans. Jesper Lauridsen, 2012. (København: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1911), Cap. 9. http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Ynglingesaga. The importance of the secret initiation is central in both Mithras religion and Asir religion. See: Iron Age initiation rites, Carlsson, Tolkande arkeologi, 160
[18] Hedeager, Skuggor, 133, 145.
[19] Wall, Hägnade bergens, 177ff.
[20] Patricia Monaghan and Michael McDermott eds., Brigit: Sun of Womanhood, (Las Vegas, Nevada: Goddess Ink Ltd. 2013), 61
[21] Asir celebrations are generally characterized by competitions of strength and bloody offerings of cocks, pigs etc. Frankopan, Sidenvägarna,141.
[22] Miranda J. Green, Exploring the World of the Druids (London: Thames & Hudson, 2016), 25.
In Scand. Bronze Age e.g. fine metal works and wooden objects were dedicated to water and springs. Rivers in Germanic areas most often had female names like Marne – once Matrona; Seine – once Sequana, Severn – once Sabrina; and Donau/Danube – Donna/Mother. Sun and Sky-deities are usually male and warrior-gods, and may thus originally be Celtic goods.
[23] Juha Pentikäinen, Shamanism and Culture, (Helsinki: Etika Co. 2006), 13-14, 17, 86.
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