Youtube comments of (@bjornekdahl721).
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@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 In the Somayajna ritual today it is the somalatha plant that is used, and the Zoroastrians that are left use ephedra mixed with pomegranate twig (and used in the battle between order and chaos). Historically and trying to find the original identity of the soma plant they're mainly talking about 10 plants – in fact the fly agaric (rød fluesopp ;) is one of the most commonly mentioned. The others are: the already mentioned somalatha, the psilocybin mushroom Psilocybe cubensis, Ephedra, the perenn Peganum harmala, the Lotus flower Nelumbo nucifera, the fungus Claviceps purpurea, the sugarcane Saccharum Sara and cannabis. Haven't had time to figure out which of them grow in Europe. What we DO know – and here it gets very interesting is that the original proto-Indo European word for this drink is *medhu – 'methu' in Greek, ('mead' in English and 'mjöd' around here) and the Greeks had another word for wine, so it was NOT alcohol (in fact the Sanskrit/Hindi word to describe the characteristics of Soma drink is 'madhu', meaning sweet or honey). Odin actually steals 'the mead that's been mixed with blood and been fermented' and uses it to create peace between the Aesir and Vanir. The Celts had the 'Flaith' drink, meaning 'red ale'. In Homer we find several ritual drinks beside the 'methu', for example the Nekter drink (ambrosia meaning 'not dying' in Koinë Greek). I could go on and on, but as you know YouTube comments aren't the right forum for this ;) One thing is for sure – the Indo European tradition is FULL of ritual drinks, made out of everything from alcohol to hallucinogen mushrooms and plants. It's part of our history and worldview and very important in my opinion.
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The small city of Höör in Skåne is actually named after hörgr, so something must've been very important there. And many other Swedish places got -hörg or -harg in them, but often became -herge, -hälla or even -erid. Btw, a video on the sacred places and groves (ve) would be very interesting. I've heard that our ancestors sometimes built the hörgr inside a ve, and the whole site was the 'altar'. Then there was also a fire in front of the hörgr. Speaking of ve – so many Scandinavian places are named with that, not the least Odens(v)e, Vä, Ullvi, Karlevi, actually even the city of Skövde, that was originally Skedevi. Hälsningar från Sverige!
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To circumambulate something is to honor that which is circumambulated, and the spirit associated with it. (Proto)Indo-European rituals often included this, since movement is to act in natural accordance with the Xártus. Interestingly enough, compared to the later phenomena you describe, is that the original (P)IE way was always to circle clockwise, since this is how the sun moves, and it'd be to act in accordance with natural order. You invoke the power of nature, you become the sun – and the object becomes that which the sun orbits. Also, for the (P)IE it was important to move clockwise since then you'd always have your right side toward it – meaning you honor it. Moving counterclockwise did happen, and that was the kind of magic when you wanted to disestablish something, to break things up and open them, so that your prayers may enter the realm that way.
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Ovaries! No wind! Selection of dharma! Read all about it! Knowing that all the Indo European peoples – no matter where they ended up – were very aware of the self-realization and the atman going up in the brahman and had a reincarnation world view, Valhall as a 'heaven you go to when you die in battle' is out of the question. Possibly much later on someone might've thought that – when it all comes down to it we all actually die in battle, since life is struggle and suffering (not the least according to Buddhism). Jung's Warrior archetype has Indo European roots, and 'the death of the warrior', i.e. the death of the ego with self-realization as a result, is something we all have to go through, and the Indo European peoples did this both physically and symbolically to reach your higher level (the YT account Thoughts on thinking has a great video on the strive for excellency in Homer). Nirvana – nirva=wind and 'na' is the negation, so meaning 'no wind' – and moksha is the most probable origin of what later became Valhall. Where there's no struggle and suffering (wind) there's peace, i.e. no more rebirth. In the Vedic texts they talk a lot about that death is just a state where you choose (VAL!) your soul's swadharma before being reborn. I personally also think that Valhalla is a metaphor for the ovaries – a place where you choose your swadharma but also where you are the one chosen to be reborn. Of millions of sperms the egg (Freja) chooses one sperm to fertilize. We are all the chosen one – we have been 'VALD' (VALGT in Norwegian). In nature it's all a selection. And a very interesting last point is that the norn Skuld (meaning both 'debt' and 'what will come' simultaneously, for our non Scandinavian readers) means that you actually are in debt to your own future, the future and the duties you have CHOSEN before this life. You have a choice, but you gotta fulfill your duties, your personal dharma. And you will die in battle while doing it.
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@norsemagicandbeliefs8134 Spontaneously; It is a late concept, and it's a devotee/sectarian (Bhakti) concept. And most importantly, it has to do with the heroic ideal that was the fundament of all IndoEuropean culture. If we go all the way back, the IndoEuropeans had their 'Otherworld' – depicted as peaceful meadows (vangr/enger!), a place bordered by rivers where you forgot about the carnal and got spiritual insight when crossing them, guarded by someone (later on either Odin or Freja) and a waiting room for being reborn. It was all about samsara, and never 'a nice place where you stay forever' (that's a very late concept). I mean, the earliest peoples de facto put the dead in the ground cause they had seen plants grow up from seeds if you put them in the soil. The only mentioning about such a place in the Vedic texts is 'the world of the fathers', but that too is about a place where the soul waits to take another shape (hamr).
Several things tell me that both Folkvangr and Valhall are late concepts and also sectarian (with that I mean that the later in time, the more people had 'chosen' gods), not the least the fact that you 'stay' there. Rudolf Simek claims that folkvangr can't be older than e.g. Grimnismál (10th century). And just like in India layer after layer has been put on the concept of the afterlife during thousands of years. The Germanic society was built upon different classes (varna), and both Valhall and Folkvangr were connected to the late Warrior caste (Kshatriya). Everything indicates that there must've been different 'teams' – belonging to either Freja or Odin. Areas and tribes that were close to Freja developed a devotion to her and 'ended up' in Folkvangr, and those linked to Odin had Valhall. If we look at the descriptions of the two places the only practical thing separating them is who chooses (Valfreja!) and allows you in. Folkvangr was also a way to show that there was a way for women too to suffer a noble death. For example, In Egil's saga Thorgerd's father is on some kind of hunger strike, and Thorgerd sympathizes and says she'd rather starve and 'meet Freja' (i.e. die a noble death) than to eat. Even death is seen as a sacrifice to the gods, a sacrifice of the material to reach God-realization. Very common in the Bhakti movement. And the love and devotion to Freja was very strong! Also, interestingly scholars say that Suebi Germanics knew of and venerated the Egyptian death goddess Isis, and that has a direct link to Freja.
Summa summarum: The fact that IE and Vedic sources talk about death as peaceful meadows and rivers you cross before the next life, while Valhall and Folkvangr are depicted as violent 'forever homes' where you're chosen by a god, tells me that this is a Bhakti layer added on many thousand years later. It basically fitted in with the old 'Guardians' of the Otherworld. Not making it less true and probable though. I mean, the most common belief in India today is that you end up at the feet of Vishnu, and if you do you should be very happy. Freja is my Ishta Devata, someone I have a very strong love for, so I understand our ancestors.
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@janosch1097 I'd gladly discuss this further, but YT comments isn't the right place. My short answer is 'You're wrong'. It's not important at all for me to be right, but if you look at ALL the historic sources, all the texts, all the Greek and Roman books and dramas, all the poetry, if you look at Indo European sources etc they're all FULL of prayer to the gods. Yes, it's all about establishing a relationship, and there was always offerings, but there's prayer wherever you look. The word 'puja' (itself a way of worship) means 'flower', i.e. 'I come to you with a flower' and the gods answer 'If you come to me with a flower I'll accept it'. There are written hundreds of books on pagan prayer. At the Greek mysteries there was always prayer. The sole fact that all IE peoples have always had altars in one way or another is another proof of prayer. Or read Homer.
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