When armored spacemen invading Gallifrey identify themselves as the "Sontaran Special Space Service," the Doctor asks whether "S.S.S.S." is not taking alliteration too far, thus teaching British schoolchildren something.
Stirling's character, Thora, describes a deity:
"'Fair-footed father of Freyr and Freya,
"Wave-rider, winning us wealth from the sea,
"Shielder of ships...'"
- petitions him:
"'...send us good fortune,
"Hear us and help us to prosperous harbor,
"Bring us a blessing...'"
- describes him again:
"'...oh brother of Nerthus,
"Pledge of the Vanir...'"
- petitions again:
"'...by our prayers be pleased...'"
- locates him:
"'In Noatun...'"
- names him:
"'...Oh Njordr...'"
- and finally petitions:
"'...Know Now Our Need.'"
-SM Stirling, Prince Of Outcasts (New York, 2017), Chapter One, p. 27.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I can't help but wonder how pagan Scandinavians circa AD 900 prayed. Did they even have anything more than a basic "Odin, bring us luck and prosperity"?
Sean
I wrote my previous note too hastily. I should have remembered and stated that the Amon Hymns of the XIX Dynasty of Egypt shows real depth of thought and feeling. We see a very high conception of Amon in those songs, so high as to come close to monotheism.
Sean
There are a fair number of recorded prayers to the Aesir, and on an everyday basis they take the formula I had Thora use: I consulted Diana Paxson, who's both a notable scholar and herself Asatru about it.
There are strong similarities to the way the pre-Christian Greeks prayed: you named the God, listed their attributes and something of their history and/or notable deeds, specified your relationship to them (eg., "Hestia to whom I offer first and last each day"), listed the things that that deity was pleased by (Odin, for example, was patron of wanderers; if you took in a stranger and showed him hospitality, it was equivalent to making a sacrifice -- exactly the same as the role of Zeus in that respect, and in both cases probably going back to Proto-Indo-European beliefs) , made your request, and named the God and his/her descent again.
Pagan Norsemen often had what they considered close personal relationships with one or another of the pantheon: a person might call themselves "friend of Thor" or "Odin's-man".
This is aside from the public, communal side of the faith, which was very important -- almost every significant public event or action involved invoking the Gods (and other spirits) and making offerings in ways prescribed by custom.
Eg., if you wanted to make an important pledge, you swore in public at a "howe" or temple or sacred rock; the most solemn oaths were made at seasonal feasts, or at a meeting of the "Thing", and were done with a hand on the oath-ring sacred to the Gods, who were called to witness them.
Certain festivals were times for "oath and boast" -- swearing to do something in the coming year, for example (they were caled "symbel"). This wasn't just bravado; it involved both the honor and luck of everyone there to witness it.
Poul brings out the aura of the numinous in the old religions -- the feeling of fear and awe before the Powers. This is hard for a modern to grasp.
Dear Mr. Stirling,
Yes, you are correct about what you said about the Scandinavian pagans. I should have remembered that both from my reading of the ELDER EDDA and how Poul Anderson described this religion in his "Scandinavian"stories.
And this feeling for the "aura of the numinous" can be found in Christianity as well. Such as the awe and wonder all Catholics should feel about the atoning sacrifice of Christ on His Cross and the true and real presence of Christ in the Mass under the accidents of Bread and Wine.
Yes, it is hard for a modern, Christian or not, to think the ancient pagans had this "feeling of fear and awe before the Powers." After all, I feel no such awe and fear for the carved wooden and stone idols of pagan gods.
Sean
Post a Comment