Odinism / Valhalla

[Magic Friday]

The poetic aedas hold that if the soul exits the body through a wound, as by violent death, the soul will continue on to valhalla. I'm wondering, does this stipulation hold that suicide (which is typically wounding, and violent) will enter the newly dead soul into valhallha.

No, I am not planning on committing suicide.

Yes, this is a serious question.

[Morr]

I dont follow a Norse path, but from my reading about the Norse faith my understanding is that those who enter Valhalla are only the souls of great warriors and those who died in battle.

Most of the rest go to Helheim, I believe, which is Goddess Hel's realm.

I dont know about those who commit suicide, though.

[Darkdale]

The poetic aedas hold that if the soul exits the body through a wound, as by violent death, the soul will continue on to valhalla. I'm wondering, does this stipulation hold that suicide (which is typically wounding, and violent) will enter the newly dead soul into valhallha.

No, I am not planning on committing suicide.

Yes, this is a serious question.


Absolutely not. The souls that go to Valhalla (which is not a universally accepted heathen belief, as many heathens do not believe we even have "souls") are chosen by the Valkyrie to go either to the halls of Odin or the halls of Freya. You must die in battle. Suicide is an act of cowardice and I can only imagine that our ancestors would have condemned such an act with the utmost severity.

[Rick]

The poetic aedas hold that if the soul exits the body through a wound, as by violent death, the soul will continue on to valhalla. I'm wondering, does this stipulation hold that suicide (which is typically wounding, and violent) will enter the newly dead soul into valhallha.

No, I am not planning on committing suicide.

Yes, this is a serious question.
Absolutely maybe. The Poetic Edda only addresses admittance to Valhalla to be through a "gaping wound" (or some such, don't have a copy handy).

Suicide is an act of cowardice? Isn't that a little absolute? We could call it suicidal for a naked man armed only with an axe to attack a dozen well-armed men, but our Ancestors would call it Berserk.

As to Freya choosing half the slain, the only reference to that (of which I'm aware) is in the Prose Edda, and as such may be either the Lore, or the imaginings of a Christian monk.

[Mjollnir]

Absolutely maybe. The Poetic Edda only addresses admittance to Valhalla to be through a "gaping wound" (or some such, don't have a copy handy).

But you knew I would my friend.............

Grímnismál St.8: Hollander Trans.

Gladhome is hight the fifth where golden shimm'ring
Vallholl is widely spread out;
here Óthin chooses every day
weapon-slain warriors.




As to Freya choosing half the slain, the only reference to that (of which I'm aware) is in the Prose Edda, and as such may be either the Lore, or the imaginings of a Christian monk.

Well, Snorri was after all kristjan.

From Gylfaginning:

"She owns that homestead in heaven known as Fólkvangar, and whenever she rides into battle she has half the slain and Oðin half, as it says here:

Fólkvangar's where
Freya decides
who shall sit where in the hall;
half the slain every day
she chooses
and Oðin has half.

[heathenwolf]

the cowards act of suicide. the heart alone decides whether an act is foolish or bravery. the heart can tell whether a man is defending his family or just acting crazy with no thought of consequences.

[Rick]

But you knew I would my friend.............
Hehehe... yep, I was countin' on it...

[Mjollnir]

the cowards act of suicide. the heart alone decides whether an act is foolish or bravery. the heart can tell whether a man is defending his family or just acting crazy with no thought of consequences.


Hel's realm is where all those go who die straw deaths or of any other way other than battle, or they could go to various other places as well but are they cowards as well?

[cowdragon]

Okay, from what I can understand so far,

Odin and Freyja split half the slain warriors.
The drowned go somewhere else (sorry, can't remember)
and most everyone else goes to Helheim (Hel) which by the way, cracks me up to see my mother in laws face when my wife and I told her that little nugget.

Also, you guys are great here. This whole thread has me rolling.:viking:



The Cowdragon _wiz_

[Mjollnir]

Okay, from what I can understand so far,

Odin and Freyja split half the slain warriors.

Yep.

The drowned go somewhere else (sorry, can't remember)

Ran


and most everyone else goes to Helheim (Hel) which by the way, cracks me up to see my mother in laws face when my wife and I told her that little nugget.

Also, you guys are great here. This whole thread has me rolling.:viking:
The Cowdragon _wiz_


Yup, there is a level in Nifelheim...Nastrond... though it is reserved for the worst sort, murderers,philanderers, oath breakers.....

[Ziana]

Yup, there is a level in Nifelheim...Nastrond... though it is reserved for the worst sort, murderers,philanderers, oath breakers.....

major oaths or tiny oaths? my ex-husband swore an oath to me before we were married 'that on his honor he would do everything possible to care for me and the family we would create.'
well, that oath went the way of disco. You see it every now and then, but for the most part it's dead. He wouldn't keep a job and now is so far behind in childsupport I'll be recieving his tax returns long after my daughter turns 18.

and this applies since he follows the Norse path.

[Mjollnir]

major oaths or tiny oaths? my ex-husband swore an oath to me before we were married 'that on his honor he would do everything possible to care for me and the family we would create.'
well, that oath went the way of disco. You see it every now and then, but for the most part it's dead. He wouldn't keep a job and now is so far behind in childsupport I'll be recieving his tax returns long after my daughter turns 18.

and this applies since he follows the Norse path.


Depends, since he apparently broke the oath...and BTW to a heathen there is no "tiny" oath..., the only way to "fix" it is to continue to do good things to counter balance the broken oath. It isn't like it just goes away, his wyrd is affected by it and only good deeds placed upon it over time can counter it, now if he has any other oaths he broke other than that........the only thing he can really do is get his act together and not go back on any other oaths he made and do the best he can to correct what he has already done.

[Ziana]

Depends, since he apparently broke the oath...and BTW to a heathen there is no "tiny" oath..., the only way to "fix" it is to continue to do good things to counter balance the broken oath. It isn't like it just goes away, his wyrd is affected by it and only good deeds placed upon it over time can counter it, now if he has any other oaths he broke other than that........the only thing he can really do is get his act together and not go back on any other oaths he made and do the best he can to correct what he has already done.

lol, by tiny oaths I mean stuff like "i promise to call' or something to that effect. To me a promise is the same as an oath, and I try not to say it that often. As for the rest, he continues to break his word, and I don't see him straightening up any time soon. Time will tell though, he might just surprise me.

[mucgwyrt]

Yep.



Ran





Yup, there is a level in Nifelheim...Nastrond... though it is reserved for the worst sort, murderers,philanderers, oath breakers.....
...and (all? just orphaned?) children go to Fensanlir with frigg - ?

[Mjollnir]

...and (all? just orphaned?) children go to Fensanlir with frigg - ?


I thought I discussed it, didn't I? If I didn't clarify,on the subject of Vallhalla, only those killed in battle go, the other half with Freya. When it comes to everyone else, Helheim, hall of your ancestors, hall of a deity you were dedicated/particularly close to, or in the case of Nastrond, the criteria I listed but we will never know till we die, these are just some options.

[mucgwyrt]

oh I see; sorry, I think I misunderstood the 'hall of your diety' part in your other post :)

[Mjollnir]

oh I see; sorry, I think I misunderstood the 'hall of your diety' part in your other post :)


Yeah, I could go to Biliskirnir or anyplace else really...with the exception of Vallhalla of course..., I guess we won't know until we get there.