Building a Norse Type Priest...

[Sigurd]

I think you have to stick to very broad outlines. This is not universal, and prone to at least as many mistakes as other sources. Still my .02

1. Family and lineage were important to the norse and there was a huge difference in the status of a free man or slave. Individuals that held their honor gathered respect and advancement. Family Gods, sometimes carved in holy poles of the long house were the center of a family religion, perhaps more than a temple. Whatever the venerated place you can bet that it was cared for\lived in by the most honourable\central of the family.

2. Giants and serpents were common enemies, as well as feats of great strength and 'manliness'. Wrestling and physical challenges were common enough.

3. Winter was long - food & resources were a very serious concern.

4. Festivals, holy times and 'things' (Great meetings) were very important. A Norse priest might take great pains to attend ceremony or join circle's of judgement. These circles might be legal or centers of ritual.

5. The dead that were too greedy or terrible in life might rise as a wyrm or undead after death. Since the noble went on to Valhalla the undead are not only horrible but they are necesarrily ignoble and evil.


There is a really good section on Norse and Inuit magic in Monkey God's _Frost & Fur_ now published by Highmoon Media.

http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1985&it=1

It divides magic users into Godi (priest), Vetki (Rune Mage), Voelva (priestesses of Freya). Its a great product.


Sigurd

I have no association with Highmoon or Monkey God - just a happy customer

 

[Griffith Dragonlake]

I would like to bring up the point that reconstructionist Nordic faith is a nasty bit of convoluted history, because there have been so many interpretations of it. Iceland is also a very distinct case because it always has been the other with its own unique cultural traditions. While a Nordic country, the sheer fact that it was cut off from the continent means that developments are unique to Iceland and shouldn't necessarily be used as an image for the whole.

It depends on what era you're using, if you're using pre-medieval Norse faith or if you're using immediately pre-Christian faith. However, Wikipedia should not be used as a definitive source for this, even more than is the case for other articles. There was a fairly rabid follower on that site some months ago that would consistently change specific facts again and again, revolving around Freyja, as well as the idea that one could not trust any of the Post-Christian writing of the subject because it had tainted the whole.

Modern faith is difficult to base it off because you have this tension between the reconstructionist Asatru or Vanatru against Norse-Wiccans or Norse-Pagans or NTS workers, and unfortunately, if anything is published, you can make a case for it to be included in Wikipedia.

Agreed. Even a cursory glance at the Tacitus' writing on the Germans compared to Adam of Bremen, and Snorri Sturlasson's Icelandic writings and it becomes apparent that there was a quite a variation of beliefs and practices across lands and histories. Add in the ever-present problem of chroniclers writing unusual events or practices which shouldn't be taken as a whole. A good example is the sacrifice at Uppsala. Adam of Bremen's comments while accurate for a particular point in time and place should not be taken to be typical of Aesir worship in Germany, England, Iceland, etc. anymore than Caesar's comments on wicker men. Of course what made for interesting reading back then also makes for interesting games today.

Lettuceman is absolutely correct about being careful of Wikipedia and Neo-Pagan reconstructionism. Best advice is to read the sagas yourself and then review the academic writings -- and draw your own conclusions. I highly recommend reading (I forget the title) by Viktor Ryberg's Teutonic Mythology (http://www.northvegr.org/lore/rydberg/). Even though it was written in the late 1800s, I found it to offer some fresh perspectives which are still fresh today. Just don't be concerned about it being found on a Neo-Pagan website. In fact, many of those sites (the Scandavian heathens) actually have some good source material just treat their commentaries with a grain of salt.