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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7510609" data-attributes="member: 58172">During the Viking Period, a Norse family has its own sacred customs. Norse sacred traditions are individualistic. They are a network of overlapping local traditions. Traditions that are happening in one location can be absent in an other location, even a nearby one.The Old Norse term hof, meaning ‘shrine’, literally means a ‘farm’. The Norse have a custom where an individual will set aside a sacred space in ones own home, where they can be mindful of the nature spirits around them. These are the nature spirits that the individual feels a connection with, to help out with the wellbeing of the animals and crops. The individual perceives the nature spirit as a kind of a ‘companion’ (fylgja) with oneself and ones family.The personal friendship with this nature spirit is sacred. Having a helpful nature spirit be a ‘friend’ (vinr) is honorable and valuable.The nature spirit can be anything: a human ancestor, a particular animal, a nearby hill (dvergr), a breeze of good weather (vanir), the sunshine (alfar), fire in the hearth (jǫtnar) − whatever the person feels a connection to and wants to honor. The names of particular farm estates often mention the nature spirit that a family custom cares about.Only some Norse build a shrine in their home, those ones who want to express a connection. Sometimes there are annual meals, and one invites friends and neighbors to come honor the nature spirit together with ones family.</blockquote>

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