Fridhr: An Ancient Way of Living in a Modern World

If I’ve learned one thing over the course of my educational sabbatical thus far, it’s that there is literally no such thing as one, singular “Viking” way of life: every single academic source points out, over and over again, things like “well, this is what they did in Sweden, but this is what they did in Denmark, or Norway, or Iceland, or fill-in-the-blank”. Certainly, there were some things which make/made the viewpoints and worldviews of these people uniquely Norse/Germanic/Teutonic/Scandinavian (pick your cultural adjective of choice!), but how those viewpoints and worldviews were actually practiced (i.e., how thought turned into action, or how thought integrated with action) varied widely. It might come as a shock to many moderns that one of the most predominant Norse/Germanic/Teutonic/Scandinavian cultural viewpoints/worldviews is that of fridhr:

Fridhr: friðr: peace; personal security; love; friendship

Breaking the bonds of fridhr could lead to punishment, exile, or even war. We see this echoed not only throughout the written historical record (including law codes), but also the extant lore (Lokasenna immediately comes to mind). We also see it reflected in the archaeological record, in things as seemingly unrelated as the architecture of houses, the general “layout” of settlements, settlement patterns, and mortuary practices (inclusive of grave-goods). The simple fact is, fridhr was an across-the-board fact of life, which was very much a cornerstone of what made a people distinctively culturally Norse/Germanic/Teutonic/Scandinavian.

The other “ideal” which is apparently “across-the-board” in Norse/Germanic/Teutonic/Scandinavian Iron Age culture is reputation, more commonly known as hamingja. Reputation–and its maintenance–was so important to these ancient people that it was actually viewed as a soul part. We find this concept echoed down to us throughout the written lore, from the Havamal to the law codes of the 12th and 13th century which site exile as a means of effectively dealing with someone who bastardized another’s reputation via word-of-mouth or name-calling. Even Odin laments that He worries more for the loss of “memory” (i.e., reputation; His raven, Muninn), than for the loss of “conscious thought” (His raven, Huginn). Smearing someone’s reputation became, inevitably, a primary way of breaking the bonds of fridhr. We find this reflected in the lore and laws as well–again, Lokasenna immediately comes to mind.

So what are the bonds of fridhr? Well, the simple truth is that they vary, from locality to locality, and from person to person, just like almost everything else, when it comes to attempting to define any sort of “Singular Viking Way of Life”. However, we know for certain that besmirching someone’s reputation was definitely an across-the-board way of breaking those bonds of fridhr. Beyond that, the bonds of fridhr seem to have been as “culturally personal” as virtually everything else in “Viking” Society. For example: what is outside my personal bonds of fridhr might be perfectly acceptable within your own, and vice versa. Inserting this into a historical context: in Sweden, which had a large Saami population which apparently intermingled with and strongly influenced religious practice, etc. (this is proven in the archaeological record, see finds at Valsgarde Boat Graves 6 and 8, and Neil Price, The Viking Way, p. 237), participating in “Saami activities”, such as the playing of drums, would have been viewed as “more acceptable” than it was in Iceland in the 13th century, at the time the Lokasenna, with its criticism of “beating on a drum like a Saami” was penned into the Codex Regius. While that is, admittedly, a rather awkward example, hopefully it serves to make my point. 

So, if “you have your rules and I have mine”, how can we ever hope to guarantee that the bonds of fridhr will not constantly and consistently wind up broken? The simple answer is, we can’t. Someone’s toes are inevitably going to get “stepped on”, and then that ball starts rolling down that hill, and internet firestorms, etc., inevitably blow up. But, if we focus on the one thing which we know, historically, was held in common by virtually all of our Iron Age Ancestors, we might begin to resolve this issue. That one thing is, of course, reputation or hamingja.

A focus on reputation or hamingja inevitably leads us back to that age-old adage: “we are our deeds“. Unfortunately, that phrase actually appears nowhere in the lore, however it seems to be one of the few things that most modern Heathens accept without argument as a “cornerstone” of our faith. It is, of course, suggested by Havamal 76 & 77:

Cattle die, friends die,
One dies oneself the same,
But fame never dies,
For him who gets goodness/righteousness for himself.

Cattle die, friends die,
One dies oneself the same,
I know one that never dies:
Renown of the dead.

–Connla Freyjason, Translation

It’s fairly obvious (I hope) that the only way to “get goodness/righteousness” for oneself is to get out there and do those deeds, which totally validates (at least in my opinion) that “Heathen cornerstone” of we are our deeds.

Of course, this gets us into that rather “sketchy territory” of having to be able to discern “good deeds” from “bad deeds”. Morality can, unfortunately, be a very subjective thing. If we are going to call ourselves Heathen, or Heidhrinn, or Norse/Germanic/Teutonic/Scandinavian-faith-based, our best source for such discernment becomes the historical record itself. Unfortunately for us, most of that historical record was documented a couple hundred years after the Iron Age Period which we are supposedly “living from” (inclusive of the Havamal), yet we can glean much from the myths, echoed in art scattered across the archaeological record, and much of it dating even as far back as the 6th century. For the purposes of this blog post, I will be focusing on the myth of Volundr the Smith, as we have definite representations of this myth’s existence in the Iron Age world, going back as far as the 6th century (Schweindorf solidus coin), and the possibility of a center of worship (yes, you read that correctly) for Volundr at Uppakra, Sweden (dating as far back as 100 BC–see Zachrisson, 2018).  

For those unfamiliar with the story of Volundr, here is the short version:

Volundr and his brothers, Egil and Slagfidh, lived in a dale near a large lake in an area known as “Myrkwood”–likely the area of modern Sweden which is near Lake Roxen. In the written lore, the three brothers are described as the son of a “King of the Finns”, and both references within both versions of the story (Danish and Swedish) as they have come down to us in the written record and artifact-evidence suggest that they were, in fact, understood as being of Saami descent. This is not as unusual as one might think, given the Iron Age interaction with the Saami previously mentioned. Volundr is also described in the written lore as “Visi-Alfar”, “King of the Alfar”, as is Freyr. Depictions on Gotland Picture Stone Kyrka Ardre VIII of Volundr’s forge, which bears a marked resemblance to the shape of a boar, a symbol commonly associated with Freyr, Freyja, and the Vanir, further support this. 

One day, by the lakeside, the three brothers encounter three swan-maidens (valkyries), who they take as wives. They live for a number of years together happily, before their wives literally “fly the coop”. Volundr’s brothers set out to attempt to find their brides; meanwhile, Volundr remains at home, forging rings representative of his love for his wife.

Somehow, King Nidhudh finds out about Volundr, and decides he needs this man to serve him. So he sends soldiers to basically kidnap Volundr, and take everything the smith has thus far crafted. Nidhudh claims not only Volundr’s rings, which he forged out of love for his wife, but also his sword, as his own. Volundr is taken captive, lamed, and made to work the forge on Nidhudh’s island–likely the island of Visingso, in Lake Vattern, Sweden.

Crippled and wronged, Volundr works Nidhudh’s forge, all the while contemplating his revenge. Eventually, he kills both the king’s sons, decapitates them, and turns their skulls into silver goblets for the king and his wife. (We find this likewise depicted on Gotland Picture Stone Kyrka Ardre VIII.) He also woos Nidhudh’s daughter, Bodhvild, and impregnates her. Finally, Volundr takes flight (whether by means of shape-shifting, or via a flying contraption crafted by his brother, Egil, written sources disagree; artifact evidence, however, strongly suggests the former over the latter), faces down King Nidhudh, and makes Nidhudh swear an oath:

“Swear by a ship’s board;
Swear by a shield’s edge;
Swear by a horse’s withers;
Swear by a sword’s blade:
Swear, that you will not harm my beloved Hervor, even if my new bride be a woman of your own kin; even if that new bride bears me a son within your very own hall. Only then will I tell you the fate of your two sons.” (Connla Freyjason Retelling)

Nidudh accepts the oath, and then (in the written lore), Volundr reveals the scope of his vengeance on Nidhudh:

“Your sons are but skin-bags now, full of blood and gore. They lie beneath the shelf of the forge you forced me to work. I cut off their heads and left their bodies ‘neath the bellows. And after I had taken those heads, I decorated them with silver. Look to your drink, old man! And then I took out their eyes, and I crafted them into jewels. Look to the neck of your crafty queen, old man! Finally, I made jewels from their teeth, and I sent those to your beloved Bodhvild. And those teeth glisten on her ears even now, old man, above her growing belly. For yes, I have got a son on her; the next heir of Narke shall be Elf-born!” (Connla Freyjason Retelling)

Volundr then flies away, laughing.

So what does this story teach us about reputation and the bonds of fridhr?

Hospitality matters. At the beginning of the story, we are given a model of hospitality. The three brothers meet the three swan-maidens and welcome them into their home.

Loyalty matters. When the three swan-maidens leave, rather than pursuing his bride, Volundr stays behind and labors day and night to forge rings as a sign of his loyalty and love for her.

Don’t steal. Nidhudh stole more than Volundr’s things; he stole Volundr himself!

Don’t claim another person’s work as your own. Nidhudh claims not only Volundr’s sword, but also the rings which Volundr had crafted for his bride.

Do not use violence or public shame to unduly subdue someone else. Nidhudh lamed Volundr by cutting his sinews. The cutting of the sinews was often a euphemism for neutering a male. Clearly, given the fate of Bodhvild in the story, Volundr wasn’t actually neutered; instead, the act of cutting his sinews can be taken as the active shaming of Volundr.

Expect no less than what has been given from someone you have wronged. Never trust “the fox in the hen house”. Nidhudh believed that since he had shamed and harmed Volundr, he had subdued him, but instead, this only ripened Volundr’s anger. 

Keep your oaths; be a person of your word. Even someone as low as Nidhudh was bound by oath.

Once someone has wronged you, place them outside your “wall”. Volundr flew away in the end, leaving Nidhudh behind the walls of his own making.

Therefore, the bonds of fridhr modeled for us in the historical record are as follows:

Hospitality: Open the doors of your heart, and your mind to anyone and everyone, no matter the clothes they wear or the color of their skin, or the place from whence they hail, or who they love, or the names they call their Gods. Do not tolerate those who do not.

Loyalty: Once you have allowed someone into the doors of your heart and your mind, treat them with constant and consistent love and respect. Do not tolerate those who do not.

Honesty: Do not lie, cheat, steal, or boast of things you have not done or are incapable of doing. Do not commit fraud. Do not claim the work of another as your own. Do not tolerate those who do.

Equity: Treat everyone with fairness expecting fairness in return. Do not allow yourself to become over-proud; do not tolerate those who do.

Justice: Seek never to harm those who are undeserving of harm. Never tolerate those who do. At the same time, understand that if you do wrong someone, they may seek reparations.

Honor: Be a person of your word. Do not break your word, once it has been given. Never tolerate those who do.

Volundr actively models for us what is stated in Havamal 127:

When you see evil being done,
Call it out as evil,
And show the evil-doer no peace.

–Connla Freyjason, Translation

This is not me advocating vengeance; getting involved in “hamingja pissing contests” ultimately does nothing but lead everyone involved to ruin! What I am saying, however, is that, in addition to placing that person “outside your fence” (making them Utangard; more or less “social exile”, just as actual exile was practiced by our Ancestors in the Iron Age and after), you should inform others who are “inside your fence” (kith and kin; friends, family, loved ones, people you respect and actively work to protect) of the things that were committed against you. That isn’t intended as a method of “getting back at” the other person; instead, it is a means of protecting those whom the Gods have placed “in your care”.

Living according to this ancient model which has been given to us is not easy. Human beings are inevitably going to be human beings, no matter what you do, or how you try to live your life. And when you find yourself, like Volundr, with your sinews cut, slaving over a forge of someone else’s making, it is all too easy to respond out of a place of abject anger, rather than to cling to the principles you know in your heart are truly who you are and what you believe in. At such times, the best we can often do is to be still, be silent, and ask the Gods to keep us right. I have personally found, at such times, a prayer to Njordhr may be helpful:

Njordhr, make me a peaceable person;
Lead me to calmer waters and brighter horizons.
Show me the way to keep the peace,
While still remaining just.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two books by Connla Freyjason, Norse Witch: Reclaiming the Heidhrinn Heart and Blessings of Fire and Ice: A Norse Witch Devotional, are currently available from Iaconagraphy Press.