The Second Conversation

Younger: I've been wondering, what are the Gods?

Elder:: That can be difficult to define. We are humans and are made of the same stuff as the Middle World. As such, we can only see things through the human eyes and understanding. We talk to our pets and to our plants like we would talk to another human. So too, we talk to and about the Gods as we do humans. Obviously, there is more to Them than that, but it can be difficult to pin down.

Younger: But They can travel between the Worlds easier than we can?

Elder:: Yes. Odin and His Brothers existed before all the Worlds existed, so They are outside of the limitations placed on us. It was those three Gods who created humans out of an Ash tree and an Elm tree so very long ago.

Younger: Why would They do that? Does that mean we have some purpose?

Elder:: Long ago, there was just Fire, Ice, and a cosmic gap between them. This was before the Worlds. The mixing of the heat and sparks of the flames with the ice created mists from which the primal worlds were formed. The main solid things were a cow and a giant. Odin and the other Gods came along and used the giant to form everything else.

Younger: How does that relate to humans?

Elder:: I'm getting there. The Worlds all exist in a balance between those primal forces of Fire and Ice. You can think of them as energy and matter. The Gods want to keep the universe in existence, so They constantly struggle to maintain that balance. To help with this, They created other intelligent creatures in each of the Worlds to be Their allies. In the Middle World, humans are Their allies.

Younger: It's our job to keep things balanced?

Elder:: Yes.

Younger: How can we tell if we are headed toward balance instead of making things worse?

Elder:: That can be difficult. The trick is to see if the activity feels wholesome. If living things can grow there, it is likely a wholesome thing. If there is death, disease, disorder, it is likely to be bad. Even then, a little disorder is needed to keep the balance; too much order is just as bad as not enough. Learning to see these things can be tough, but you build experience over time. The experience happens faster if you actively pay attention.

Younger: I've heard there are families of Gods. Does that mean like the Norse Gods and the Greek Gods and stuff?

Elder:: Not exactly. Within the Norse Gods, there are different tribal groups, such as the Aesir and the Vanir. Like with human tribes, They have slightly different cultures and don't always get along. They are still the Gods, though, and we show Them all proper respect.

Younger: That makes sense. What about the Greek Gods and all the others?

Elder:: If there is one universe, then the Gods of that universe are the Gods. However, humans all have different languages and cultures, so we tend to think of the Gods differently depending on where we are from. The differences are in the humans, not in the Gods themselves. It is one of the reasons many of the different religions have a lot in common.

Younger: Is human difference enough to explain all the differences in the religions?

Elder:: Imagine two groups of people where there is one person in common. Each of those groups has its own set of memories, experiences, and inside jokes. If a member of one group talks to a member of the other group about the common person, they may be surprised. Each group may have a different nickname for the common person. They will have seen the common person in completely different situations demonstrating different strengths and weaknesses. Now, given how few people interact directly with the Gods and how many just know Them by word of mouth, the variations make sense.

Younger: Okay, but what about the other things out there like the giants and dwarves and stuff?

Elder:: Giants are entities more closely aligned with those primal forces of Fire and Ice. There are giants that are more like us, or seem that way to human understanding, and there are old tales about them. Others are much closer to their primal element and would prefer a return to the old structure of just Fire, Ice, and the Gap. That's why the Gods struggle so much with the giants; it is two sides of the fight for existence.

Younger: So ice giants and fire giants can come to our World?

Elder:: Hypothetically, yes. I don't think it happens very often. Those of ice would be more likely to be in very cold places. Those of fire prefer some place hot and dry. Because it takes effort and knowledge to travel between Worlds, there would have to be an important goal.

Younger: What about dwarves then?

Elder:: We are told that the first giant was slain to form the land and oceans and so forth, and maggots formed in his flesh. These became the dwarves, though we do not have many details about that process. As such, they are still prone to tunneling through the ground looking for good things. They tend to like well-made things, so if you find yourself interacting with them, it is good to either demonstrate your skill with a craft or to provide them with a well-made gift.

Younger: Are there any other things out there I should know about?

Elder:: Plenty. For example, there are the elves of Alfheim, or Elf Home. As the dwarves like deep, dark places, elves like bright places full of green. In fact, dwarves are sometimes called "dark elves" and the other elves are called "light elves". They travel a bit more between worlds, but mostly like to visit wholesome places. Sometimes they will visit a place that needs care. Do not annoy an elf or you may find yourself being used as mulch.

Younger: Are they like the elves from fantasy or more like in fairy tales?

Elder:: Since they are not really from this World and humans can only interact within the realm of human understanding, the elves seem to take all sorts of forms and sizes. You can assume that old stories may be based on someone's interaction with an elf, but your results may vary.

Younger: Do all the elves live like that, either in the light or as dwarves?

Elder:: There are also tales of twilight elves. These are the elves that prefer to live in our Middle World rather than Alfheim. Because of their connection to the Middle World, they are more like humans than the other elves. They seem to be rare. There are stories of elves leaving the Middle World due to unwholesome human activities in the past centuries.

Younger: Are the Norns a type of elf?

Elder:: The Norns are a separate type of being all on their own. They seem to be personifications of the mechanisms of the universe. They represent the past, present, and future. You will often hear it phrased: "That which was," "That which is," and "That which will be." Even the Gods are subject to the weavings of the Norns.

Younger: They seem powerful. I bet you want to stay on their good side.

Elder:: Actually, there is little you can do to affect the Norns. They are the ones who make sure everything follows the rules. The past, That Which Was, can never be changed. The present, That Which Is, can change a little, but is tethered to the past, so it mostly alters the trajectory of your life into the future. The future, That Which Will Be, is always in flux, but is based on the past and the present. The Norns enforce this and nobody, not even the Gods can change that. However, in this brief moment of That Which Is, you can take an action that will completely alter That Which Will Be and the Norns will allow it because that is the rule.

Younger: How much can I change something right now? I don't have power or money or anything like that.

Elder:: That is correct. The past is your starting point, but it is not your ending point. The more effort you put into the change, the greater the change as your path diverges from its current trajectory. Just keep in mind, others can nudge your path too, sometimes as a side effect of nudging their own. The Norns make sure that life is fair, horribly, horribly fair.

Younger: There's this other term I keep seeing in forums and I'm not sure what it is. They say "draugr" and "draugr folk" and "draugrbok". What's that all about?

Elder:: Well, a draug is a type of undead creature. The idea is that an unwholesome, incorporeal entity would take over the body of a recently dead person. This draug then rises from the grave to cause harm to living people and creatures.

Younger: So "draugr folk" are just the undead people, like zombies or vampires?

Elder:: Not exactly. Historically, and often today, Christian people have been hostile to Asatru people. This has left many Asatru people hostile back at the Christians. They show this hostility by using the word "draug" to describe Jesus, whom the Christians believe rose from the grave and then command his followers to spread his religion. The epithet "draugr folk" is a slur for Christians and the "draugrbok" is a reference to the Christian bible.

Younger: Do you use those words?

Elder:: In my youth I was more prone. Since then, I've realized that most Christians only follow that religion because that's what they grew up with. Most of them are good people who don't mean any harm. There are some, however, who are still hostile to non-Christians and will attempt to cause harm if they can. You have to be vigilant.

Younger: Okay. It sounds like there are a lot of Gods and other things I need to learn about.

Elder:: You can never stop learning. Here are some books that will help:

• Nordic Gods and Heroes by Padraic Column
• The Poetic Edda, I like the Lee M. Hollander translation from the University of Texas Press as a good starter translation. There are other translations and you will want to read many just to get a better feel for the possible interpretations.
• Elves in Anglo-Saxon England by Alaric Hall

Important Points from the Conversation