I chose to do my Memorial Day post on the actual Memorial Day and not the one that is observed because I feel that it is more solemn and appropriate. I guess that is my old fashioned way of thinking.
I have discovered a sadly haunting image of a a woman who cleans her husband's shield as she cries. She cries for her husband has been killed in battle and she naturally mourns him. Behind the wife is her husband in a ghostly form to say good bye before going to eternity in Valhalla, where they will, some day,hopefully again be together.
Remember the real reason for memorial day is to honor those that have fallen in battle and not those that have lived. That is what Veteran's day is for.
On this Day of Frigg I share with you a beautifully haunting song for Frigg that is entitled Frigga's Web Hagalaz' Runedance in 2002 from the album/cd of the same name.
I feel truly blessed to have come across or dare I say to be shown by the all-Mother this music. For those that know me on Twitter they know I love Frigg and am disappointed in the lack of honor she receives. I believe I have expressed the same sentiment in a couple of post her on my blog. But with this song, I feel the love and power for and of Frigg. As well as her wisdom.
May Frigg Bless you and let you feel her love and power.
Frigga's Web Lyrics
Silence before the storm
I reach the house hidden by the night
A light I saw I knocked all quietly
I entered; a woman sat by the spinning wheel
"What brings you here my child", she asked?
"Don't you know our lady keeps her secrets well?"
It's my life I am running from
It's my fate I am hiding from,
oh would the Goddess speak to me?
Her ways I do not understand, the mysteries I must know,
Oh would the Mother see through me?
"Why don't you rest my child", she said, "I will seek her advice, I will wake you
when it's time"
All night by the spinning wheel, she sang an ancient tune and in the morn' her
work was done
In the distance I heard a call, I awoke and held the spindle in my hand
My other hand held new life, the Goddess had been by my side
The All-Mother has become very important to me. When I started representing her on Twitter I had no idea what to do or even if I wanted to be her. I had thought of Freyja but when I was ready to become her I started having many to come and talked to Frigg so I stayed Frigg. I believe she knew of my struggle with my Twitter identity and had others befriend me as her to keep me representing her.
With the All-Mother keeping me as a representative of hers I became more comfortable and found my footing. At first I thought to try to be like my maternal grandmother, who everyone loved and still love, but then I found that I have some of her qualities, taking care of the family,cooking,etc., so I put me out there as Frigg. Being me is really the best thing I could do for Frigg.
The All-Mother has seemed happy to have me or at least I feel that I please her. She has helped me a couple of times. First was when one of my cats got out early in the morning on Valentine's Day and I did not realize it until almost bedtime. I was calling for him for hours when he showed himself but then he disappeared again. I finally got to the point where I looked up and saw the constellation Orion and his belt. This gave me hope. Looking at Orion's Belt, also known as Frigg's Distaff, I asked her to help bring my cat back to me and inside my house. I tacked on Freyja to be on the safe side. A few minutes later here came my cat and I picked him up and got him back inside. since then he has somewhat learned not to sneak outside though he does try but a spray bottle of water helps that situation.
My second encounter with Frigg's help was a few weeks ago. Nothing dramatic. I was having a bad day and was getting ready to cry when all I did was say"Frigg help me" and almost immediately after getting the words out I felt calmer.
This all may seem far fetched and the rambling of flighty mind but this is how things are for me and my representation and love of Frigg. I feel blessed to have her in my life and am devoted to her. I also feel she gets relatively ignored by others because she did the most important thing of all:She took care of her family, all of the Æsir , and those she fostered. Maybe it is because of the times and those that are able to take care of their family,whether they (like me) have no children or not, but can still tend to the home seems to be look down on and feel by others to be unimportant. I would like to see them tell the women in their families who stayed home and took care of the family that and see what happens. Because if you are shortchanging the women in your family for raising her family and possibly you, then you are also shortchanging Frigg.
Forgive me for losing control but I had to write the words that were flowing through me.
I am a devoted admirer of the All-Mother, Frigg and I try to give a representation of her on Twitter that makes her proud to call me her daughter.
It seems to me that there is little to no appreciation, let alone love, of Frigg and this hurts me and breaks my heart as to how overlooked and unappreciated she is. Frigg is not Freyja. Freyja is not Frigg. They are sister goddess of different pantheons. Freyja is loved above Queen Frigg because she goddess of war, sex and beauty. Where as Frigg is of the home and hearth, keeper of the visions she sees and tells no one.
Frigg is also goddess of Love, Marriage and Destiny. She is a sky goddess and as such is responsible of the weaving of clouds, hence the All-Mother is also responsible for sunshine, rain and the fertility of crops. She is also responsible for the weaving of fates.
She is also the goddess who keeps us in touch with our intuitive nature and helps us make the transition to new beginnings.
So with this in my heart and mind I give my devotion and love to the Al-mother Frigg. Blessed Be.
Frigg with her handmaidens Fulla and Gna with her horse Hofvarpinr
Beautiful All-Mother Frigg
Seer of all but quiet of everything
Protectress of the home,hearth, marriage women and children
I thank you for choosing this humble and unworthy woman
The Norns also call upon me this day to tell their tale this day from the Voluspa/Voluspo . So I will honor them and their words and do so. BlessedBe.
20. Thence come the maidens mighty in wisdom,
Three from the dwelling down 'neath the tree;
Urth is one named, Verthandi the next, --
On the woods they scored, -- and Skuld the third.
Laws they made there, and life alloted
To the son of men, and their fates.
Yggdrasil and the Norns are getting their own post out of my love and respect for all of them.
19. An ash I know, Yggdrasil its name,
With white water is the great tree wet;
Thence come the dew that falls in the dales,
Green by Urth's well does it ever grow.
We have now come to the creation of the first man and woman of Midgard by Odin, Hoenir (Honir) and Lodur (Lothur).
17. Then from the throng of did three come forth
From the home of the gods, mighty and gracious;
Two without fate on the land they found,
Ask and Embla, empty of might.
18. Soul they had not, sense they had not,
Heat nor motion, nor goodly hue;
Soul gave Othin, sense gave Honir,
Heat gave Lothur and goodly hue.
To continue on our Voluspo journey and the name of the dwarves. These stanzas make me smile and if you are a J.R.R. Tolkien fan or even a fan of the movie The Hobbit trilogy these will should make you smile as well. As usual this is from the translation of Poetic Edda.
12. Vigg and Gandalf Vildaf and Thrain Thekk and Thorin Thror, Vit and Lit Nyr and Nyrath, -- Now I have told -- Regin and Rathsvith -- the list aright. 13. Fili, Kili, Fundin, Nali Heptifili Hannar, Sviur Frar, Hornboi, Fraeg and Loni, Aurvang, Jari, Eikinskjaldi.
14. The race of dwarfs in Dvalin'sthrong Down to Lofar the list I must tell; The rocks they left, and through wet lands They sought a home in the fields of sand. 15. There were Draupnir, and Dolgthrasir, Hor, Haugspori, Hlevang, Gloin, Dori, Ori, Duf, Andvari, Skirfir, Virfir, Skafith, Ai. 16. Alf and Yngvi, Eikinskjaldi, Fjalar and Frosti Fith, and Ginnar; So for all time shall the tale be known, The list of all the forebears of Lofar.
This is still from the Henry Adams Bellow 1936 translation of The Poetic Edda. It is the naming of the dwarfs and some of them have very familiar names.
9. Then sought the gods their assembly seats,
The holy ones, and council held,
To find who should raise the race of dwarfs
Out of Brimir's blood and the legs of Blain.
10. There was Motsognir the mightiest made,
Of all the dwarfs, and Durin next;
Many a likeness of men they made,
The dwarfs in the earth, as Durin said.
11. Nyi and Nithi, Northri and Suthri,
Austri and Vestri, Althjof, Dvalin,
Nar and Nain Niping and Dain,
Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Nori,
An and Onar, Ai Mjothvitnir.
