On Saturday, the 8th of November, the blót kindred Idavallen gathered at the venerable Dye stone circle to hold our customary Álfablót. This sacred celebration has come to be one of the most appreciated within our honored blót kindred.
Sunna would have blessed us with her spectacular journey westward if it were not for the clouds that blocked the view of this display as we arrived on a November afternoon at the Dye stone circle. A place we return to every year to honor our forefathers and our ancient traditions.
Just outside Karlstad, on a height in the forest halfway up a ridge, stones rise from the root-covered ground. A monument for us to behold, raised during the Iron Age to honor someone who was once of great significance. Here, in modern times, a cremation grave was found containing both a human and our most loyal companion. One is filled with reverence and respect when contemplating the effort these people expended to honor the deceased.
What great deeds did this person accomplish? What did this individual and the four-legged companion achieve during their time in Midgard to earn the right to such a magnificent resting place? We will never know. But it is food for thought that can carry our minds to an era where the wall that separates reality from legend feels thinner than it does today.
Around the stones and a warming central fire, 14 people formed a circle. When all had sworn to Tyr, the gathering was sealed to the drumbeats of NBR Thommy Vähäsalo, assisted by Linnéa Hultman. The Powers were called in, and thus the blót was consecrated.
One element of this sacred ceremony that was, at least for me, greatly appreciated was that Linnéa, through Johan Egerkrans’ book Nordic Gods, told us about the various realms and halls one may find oneself in after our time in Midgard has reached its end. The most focus was placed on Hel, or Helheim, and its ruler Hel, a deity strongly associated with the Álfablót. Surely we all have kin who dwell in her halls.
As we during Álfablót remember and honor family and friends who no longer walk at our side, heartfelt toasts were of course held in their honor. But also strengthening and positively charged toasts, directed toward those we hold dear, the divine powers, and various beings.
This is a very beautiful blót that tosses one’s emotions around, but also can set one on the right course. Hardships can sometimes help us find the way forward. It is not uncommon that losses later give us clarity and the insight we need to focus our strength on the right thing. In an increasingly hectic world, we can always find strength and guidance from our ancestors and those we have lost along the way, if we choose to.
We can also find similar support and help within family and community, something we build stronger day by day within our faith and our community.
I wish to express my thanks to all who took part in the blót, who together create such a fine atmosphere and sense of community. Above all, I also want to thank the members of the blót kindred Idavallen, who support one another and help keep our forefathers’ customs alive.
Hail the forefathers!
Hail Idavallen!
Hail Nordic Asa-community
