I would like to ask if you also believe in Odin. Unfortunately, I was born as a Catholic. Even as a child, I did not accept this belief. When did you come to Odin? From birth or later? I hope my English is enough to understand me. But I know my English is terrible. I'm trying my best and learning from you

Lea Anna



Ich möchte fragen, ob du auch an Odin glaubst. Leider bin ich als Katholikin geboren. Schon als Kind habe ich diesen Glauben nicht angenommen. Wann bist du zu Odin gekommen? Von Geburt an oder später?

There are so many people nowadays who call themselves runologists and claim to be masters, but in reality, it isn't so. How can one tell that he is not dealing with an imposter?”

There is a very good way. It is to become a master yourself. Then nobody will be able to fool you. But in order to become a master, you need to have a teacher. It seems to be a Catch-22, but it isn't so. Because according to our tradition, the Northern Tradition, the only one who is able to teach you the Aesir tradition and the runes, and give you an opportunity to embrace its most inner knowledge is the god Odin and him alone. Therefore, if you learn from him and become a master yourself, you will no longer need to ask such a question since it will become meaningless.
KSENIA MENSHIKOVA

When amateur archaeologist and metal detectorist Morten Skovsby uncovered this tiny silver figurine near the village of Hårby in the southwest part of the Danish island of Funen, he knew exactly what to do. He documented the findspot immediately, and then took the artifact to the City Museum in nearby Odense. When the museum’s curator, Mogens Bo Henriksen, saw the figurine, he knew what it was. “There can hardly be any doubt,” he says, “that this depicts one of Odin’s valkyries.”

Norse myths, called sagas, tell of female figures called valkyries (from the Old Norse valkyrja meaning “chooser of the slain”). The valkyries were sent to battlefields by the god Odin to select which fallen warriors were worthy of afterlives in Valhalla, filled with feasts of wild boar and liquor milked from goats. Despite their prevalence in the sagas, depictions of valkyries are relatively rare. They are confined to Swedish picture stones dating to about A.D. 700 and a handful of Early Viking fibulae (brooches) from Sweden and Denmark. So this three-dimensional representation is unique.

The figurine, which would probably have been a pendant, is partly gilded, while other areas are colored black by niello, a mixture of copper, silver, and lead sulphides used as an inlay. The valkyrie wears a long patterned dress and carries a double-edged Viking sword in her right hand and a shield protecting her body in her left. Dating to about A.D. 800, the figurine was recovered near an excavated area known to have been a metal workshop. Perhaps, says Henriksen, it was discarded as waste. Or maybe it was raw material on the way to the melting pot. “For some unknown reason it didn’t make it that far—and that’s our good luck.”

Source: JA Lobell. Archaeology Magazine

Read the Eddas, explore mythology and legends, immerse yourself in ancient stories, and meditate with runes. Absorb as much as you can about the runes, and eventually, you’ll be able to distinguish the meaningful from the meaningless. You’ll sense where the true essence of Odin’s wisdom is present and where it is not, recognizing when words are merely empty. Over time, the volume of knowledge will transform into true quality. Personally, I recommend the works of Thorsson, as they certainly contain the wisdom of Odin’s eye. Anton Platov’s books also hold that same depth.
Ksenia Menshikova

My Odin

In Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) just a stone's throw from the royal mounds is the restaurant Odinsborg.

In 2021, NAS/NAC handed over an Odin statue to Odinsburg, the statuette is made by the National Blót Responsible Thommy Vähäsalo.

The statue is right at the entrance to the restaurant.

Btw, all members of NAS/NAC have a 25% discount at Odinsborg upon presentation of a valid membership card.

Odin has two ravens, but many associate crows with Odin.

They associate crows with ravens. Ravens and crows belong to the same bird family, but they are two different species.
Crows have nothing to do with Norse heathenry, no matter how people want to twist and turn it.

Odin has two ravens, not two crows.

May you all catch his eye on this day of Wodin!

A little about me im: British with: English (which is Saxon mainly), Germanic ;-) Irish, Scandinavian ;-)) , Scots & Welsh ancestry/ethnicity. Ive been lucky enough to trace my ancestry back to the Dukes of Normandy & Jarls of Orkney. Although to be fair most people of N.W. European descent can count them as direct ancestors, but can u prove it...? . My cultural identity lies in the history and mythology of Scandinavia and Germay: Woden/Odin. I love/passion all things history particularly Norse and Roman. My 'speciality' is Roman but the Norse is catching up! Sköl!

Valhalla label artwork for my shop Valkyrie Beard Care. Each has a bindrune, color and icon representing it. This bindrune incorporates:

Tiwaz (ᛏ) – The rune of Tyr, representing honor, justice, and the warrior’s path. For Valhalla, it’s the ultimate symbol of the noble fight, the bravery that leads a warrior to fall in battle with honor, securing their place in Odin’s Hall. The fallen heroes of Valhalla exemplify this courageous energy.

Algiz (ᛉ) – The protective rune, symbolizing divine protection and the sacred space of Valhalla. It guards the hall of the chosen warriors, where they are safe under the watch of the gods. In this bindrune, it represents that spiritual shield that keeps Valhalla as a sacred and protected place.

Ansuz (ᚨ) – The rune of Odin, symbolizing wisdom, communication, and divine inspiration. It ties the warriors to Odin’s wisdom and guidance, reminding us that Valhalla is not just a place of feasting and celebration but also of learning and spiritual growth, under the Allfather’s watchful eye.

This combination speaks to the honorable passage of a warrior—protected by divine forces, guided by Odin’s wisdom, and celebrated for their courage.

www.valkyriebeardcare.com