Happy Sol’s Day

Announcements:

We don’t pray here – we figure God, the gods, goddesses, or whatever powers that be either know already, don’t give a fuck, or are busy with more important matters than our petty stuff. We also kind of assume that they expect us to do stuff that we can do for ourselves and that we will do them ourselves and not be lazy. We also believe in being good friends, so we don’t presume on our friendship with the powers that be by asking them all the time for stuff while giving them nothing in return.

We also don’t take an offering here.  We figure the powers that be probably don’t need it.  Let’s be honest, offerings are not given to the divine powers, they are given to an organization to support it.  Just being honest. God, the gods or whatever never sees a dime, farthing or peso of that money; it all goes to the church, mosque or shrine.

Theme Song: Norse Viking Music – ‘Álfadróttinn’

If you want more details about Asatru, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Sermon: 

I suppose I should honestly say that Freyr is not a god that I am drawn to in high respect. Odin and Thor definitely still appeal to me more.  That said, Freya’s brother and fellow Vanir appears quite prominently in the stories and was probably second in popularity to only Thor.  You kind of see the dynamic of masculinity in Thor and Freyr as Thor is a warrior and Freyr probably exemplifies everything else masculine from industriousness to sexual prowess and potency.  He is a fertility deity much like his sister Freya.

Historically speaking though the ancestrial line of many of the Swedish kings has its roots in Freyr.  It should be noted that fertility and sovereignty are very much linked in Norse mythology. so the fact he was the god of sovereignty, as well as Odin, is indicative of that.  This points out that Odin is the ruler of the gods but his role is more chairman of the group.  He doesn’t lord it over with decree so much as he leads the discussion and gets concession and compromise.  Freyr’s presence points this out as he is more of a Vanir ‘hostage’ than Odin’s subject, but there he is being worshiped with the rest of them.

He rides a boar or stallion both indicative of male potency and fertility. His statues often have him represented with a rather large phallus.  He will wield a stag’s antler in the final battle at Ragnarok indicating his close association to nature both cultivated and wild. There is somewhat of a  similar attitude. to him as Freya when it comes to being the wild untamable side of masculinity that she is with femininity.  He would be the kind of man that most feminists would recoil from what he represents but at the same time in his presence their panties would be getting damp because their sexual fantasies would be running wild.

However, he is only known to have had one romance.  Gerd takes a lot of convincing but she marries Freyr and he was forever faithful as far as anyone knows despite his association with fertility.

The modern followers of Asatru envoke Freyr for fertility, potency, and prosperity which is his sphere.  He is very popular among them.  His feasts are the most celebrated and of course feature a boar as the main course.  Those close to the earth – farmers – rever him.

For me as a character, Freyr seems to have the kind of feeling that every male protagonist has in every romance story.  Strong, hard-working, handsome.  Having the effect on women of even the most ardent virgin wanting to give it up for him.  That said his faithfulness to his wife gives this it counter this, where he might be the kind of man every woman wants, but he is devoted to only one, so all they can do is fantasize.

Parting Thought:

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!