Web of Wyrd November 2005
THE LAST SIX MONTHS
WELCOME to the sixth Ice and Fire member’s magazine, bringing you up to date with what is happening in our world. In the last six months we have been out and about at various events, from Newcastle to Swanage, via South Wales and Wallingford. The regular monthly courses have continued well, with a good line up planned for next year. Inside this issue, we will give you a flavour of the courses, and personal experiences and articles from some of our members, as well as an interview with Ivar Hafskjold himself.
Return to top of pageThe Path of the Skald
The Skald in Stav
An aspect of Stav that has been woefully neglected of late is the path of the skald - the Nordic poet. Like his Celtic counterpart the bard, the skald is much more than just a singer, poet and storyteller. His role is to provide much more than entertainment. However, one of the skills of skaldic mystery is that most people only perceive his role as that of entertainer.
Traditional Roles of the Skald
The skald was the memory of the community. He knew the old stories of the gods and heroes, both as tales and as coded ‘lessons’; he knew the history of the land and the community and the stories that had developed from these. He used this knowledge to teach, remind and inspire the people of who they were and what they represented, giving them identity and a place in the world. Because he knew the whole truth, he could hide or emphasise parts as required to create the desired effect. This could range from full scale propaganda, to cheering up someone who’s depressed. The skald provided instruction and enchantment through the careful selection of words to create the precise series of images in his listener. These would be worked into perfect form to carry the words and present his meaning on the almost subliminal level of poetry, enhanced by music being made to beguile the senses and bewitch the mind. Everything he did was a performance, each move and gesture considered and placed to emphasise the power of his words, poems and music. All these combined to produce a specific mindset within his audience to sell the idea he was presenting, whether that was a magical ritual, a history lesson or a call to war.
The Skald within the Stav System In order for the skaldic path to be part of the Stav system, it is necessary to see how the principles of Stav can be applied to it. The main Stav principle associated with the skald is the ‘crowing’ aspect of galder. Quite clearly, the outward face of the skald, the part most people see, is that of the story teller, singer and performer. Also outward, although (by its very nature) less obvious, is the art of ginning, or creating illusion. The skald uses ginnings in the form of riddles, sleight of hand and other theatrics to hide the reality of what he’s doing in order to instil a deeper sense of meaning to his performance. It is because of the overt nature of this form of galder, and the subtleties of the ginnings, that makes people believe the skald is ‘only’ an entertainer. What is less obvious is the skald’s deep use of the less visible principles of seid and kenning. The skald needs a very deep-level of understanding: he sees the web (reality) of the stories, and the web of any situation he finds himself and ties them together. He gains awareness through a combination of galder (logical) understanding and seid (spiritual) understanding. These combine into kenning, which is a very deep level of understanding, going deeper than merely ‘knowing’. Even this is not enough, though, and the kenning can become static on it’s own. It needs to flow, to be merged with the natural rhythms of megin, that mystical energy that makes the difference between dead, static ‘knowledge’ and living, flowing inspiration that is greater than the sum of its parts. These principles are further honed by the mindset and skills of each of the classes. The skaldic system is not a single-class pursuit, and can be practiced and enjoyed by people of any class. It does tend to be more of a Jarl study, but only in the same way that martial arts are more of a Herse study. Karl Level: This is the level where the skald deals with his own needs, taking responsibility for himself. It is the nuts-and-bolts level, where the skald puts in the time and effort to learn new skills and hone existing ones. This is the level where the skald learns the tools and practices of his trade. Herse Level: This is the level where the skald gives of himself in service to his community. It is the ability to step onto the stage in front of the audience, even though they may not be on his side. This is the level where the skald puts his trade into practice. Jarl Level: This is the level where the skald goes beyond the everyday reality into the mystical world of inspiration. It is the act and ability to operate on a subtly different level than normal, and to bring back the stories and songs learned there. This is the level where the skald develops his trade. Trell and Konge Levels: The skald needs to combine all of the above, making each fully rounded, both as individual aspects, and as part of a greater whole. This is the Konge level. The Konge must also accept the possibility of failure and be able and prepared to push through it. Failure to do so is the Trell level of the skald. Failing to work with each part will be counterproductive: words without inspiration are empty; inspiration without skill is a mess; perfect words without ever expressing them is pointless. The Trell also refuses to push through, resulting in stage fright and a sense of utter devastation in the event of failure. As always with Stav, the Trell is the antithesis of the skald. Everyone will have greater skills in one or the other, but everyone is capable of improving all of them. This leads towards the Konge level with less interference from the Trell.
The Role of the Skald in the Modern Stav Community The study of the skaldic path, as we can see from above, can be a deep personal journey, but the skald needs to present his work and findings in order to fully account for them. Although we no longer have the need for wandering skalds to provide stories and news, the skald can still hold an important position in the modern day Stav community. The skald can, on one level, provide basic entertainment in a traditional manner, particularly at gatherings and camps in the form of story telling, music making and production of short dramas like mystery plays. On another level, though, the skald can be a significant player in the more spiritual aspects of Stav. He can help produce the mindset among the attendees at a festival, bringing them more into line with the purpose of the gathering. While they think they are being entertained, the skald can be informing them of the nature of the festival and preparing them for the more formal rituals to come. Whether on an entertainment level, or on a deeper spiritual level, the skald has much to offer the Stav community, and the wider community beyond. All it takes is to look out for, and listen to, the flow of inspiration to find new ways of doing so.
David Stone
Return to top of pageLammas Games 2005
Having first discovered Stav at the Lammas Games last year, I was keen to go back and take part in this year’s demonstration, so at 7.30pm on Friday evening, after a gruelling two and a half hour journey from Kent, I found myself in the peaceful surroundings of Braziers Park. Ice and Fire were playing a major role in the organisation this year and soon afterwards Graham and Mick joined me, and by 8.00pm the work had started! Having set up our guard tent at the gate, we then put up the gazebo that was to act as the bar and tea tent, to be ably manned by Darren, Summer and Dave. After placing the beer kegs on the makeshift bar we resisted the temptation to reward our efforts with a free sample, instead lighting lanterns, putting the kettle on and settling down for a well-earned tea break. Then it was back to work and by 11.30pm everything was in place and after stopping to chat with some of the other staff from the Druid Network, we retired to the guard tent for nightcap of Lindisfarne mead.
Saturday dawned cloudy but dry and by 8.00am Graham had the porridge on and we were soon putting the finishing touches to the bar area, making tables from trestles and some recently cut planks. All was going well until Graham, whilst trimming a plank, almost took the top off one of his fingers when the machete slipped! We were soon joined by Gareth, Dave, Darren and Summer and it was not long before beer and teas were flowing, runes were being read and the site security was well and truly taken care of, accompanied by the constant repeating of ‘Roger that’ as we got to grips with the hand held radios! Having finally worked out the various types of tickets, prices, green and black stamps and bits of red string we soon had the gate routine sorted, and Gareth, Mick and myself, resplendent in reflective tabards with Hagl motif’s were soon taking money from anyone who wandered too close to the entrance.
By lunchtime we had been joined by Kas, Helen and Tony and had somehow been roped into entering a Stav team in a five-a-side football tournament, against teams who actually knew how to play football! Our team comprised of Graham, Kas, Gareth and myself joined at various times during the match by either Tony or Fox or at times both which probably wasn’t strictly allowed! As you can imagine we were truly appalling and were beaten 10 -1, the only flash of brilliance being when I scored our only goal! Exhausted from our efforts we then did our Stav demonstration, comprising stances, basic staff exercises and exercises using the five principles. The assembled crowd then watched in awe as Gareth attempted various knife attacks, only to be repeatedly taken out by Kas armed with his newly fashioned shillelagh! A further treat was Graham and Fox duelling with steel swords and demonstrating sword versus spear, before we finished our second set of stances and lapped up the rapturous applause!
After the demo it was time to grab a pint and settle down in the sunshine for the Eisteddfod. Graham did a rather amusing stand-up comedy routine comprising jokes and funny stories, mainly at the expense of Witches and the Welsh, followed by Kas with a brilliantly performed story which more than one member of the crowd said should have won. After the contest I returned to the gate and took over from Mick who had done a sterling job in our absence, and prepared a campfire. Meanwhile the entertainment continued into the evening with rituals and a play, but eventually everyone returned to the gate where we sat chatting long into the night, drinking mead and congratulating ourselves for taking over £700 on the gate, which added to the 70 or so tickets sold in advance, made the event a great success. On Sunday morning we helped clear up the site, safe in the knowledge that the event would not have happened if not for the work done by Graham and talked about next years event, which we decided would be even better if left to us to organise!
Simon
Return to top of pageInterview with Ivar Hafskjold
Interview - Ivar Hafskjold 23 - 4 - 05
TB: Can you tell me a bit about how you learned Stav, and who taught you?
IH: First basically, my main instructor, if you call it that, was my grand uncle Sven, my father's uncle, he and some of his brothers, they were doing Stav, they grew up with it. I saw it around from as long as I can remember. Maybe when I was about ten, or maybe eleven, I started training with them, but again, it was not like a formal training, you hang around and you were taught things, like you always do in a family situation. Like, the same as you're taught table manners, there are no classes in table manners, but you still learn it. Hopefully! These days, you might not, but that's another thing [laughter].
TB: Who in your family now practises Stav in some form?
IH: Well, apart from me, my son does; my daughter does some of the medical stuff. But because I - this was just after the war, so a lot people were not, even in the family, were not very interested. The Nazis had screwed up anything to do with runes. So it was not a thing that a lot of people did. A lot of my generation didn't find it interesting. Maybe one or two of my cousins did a little bit, but I was the one who did the most, also, because I would be the future head of the family, I was expected to learn it. So as I said, after then, I left Norway, so I haven't been able - I taught a couple of my nephews a little bit, and my son and daughter, but that's about it. My sister knows the medical, some of the medical stuff. I think most of what is done in the family now is the medical part of it.
TB: Is this the tein-seid?
IH: The tein-seid, yes. One branch of the family, that lives in Norway still, they have made a major business, they are now growing herbs and selling them. I remember last year when I talked to them, they have enormous greenhouses and they're selling this stuff... one of the women, she actually married into the family, but she learned from her mother in law a lot of the herbal knowledge; that's their main concern now.
TB: What about the lok-seid?
IH: The lok-seid [laughter] is basically a woman's thing. I know how to do the lok. But I can't - I don't go into that trance, I can't do it. I can teach people to do it but I can't do it myself, if that makes any sense.
TB: Sure. You learned this from your - great uncle - ?
IH: No, these I learned from some of my great aunts. By hanging around, listening to them. As I say, I've never done it, but I know the lok, but that's all I know about it really.
TB: The lok, the -
IH: Yes, the sound, how to get people into that trance, but it doesn't work on me. And it usually works mostly on women anyway, for some reason.
TB: The six annual festivals that are referred to in one of the books - how were these celebrations celebrated by your family, and are they now?
IH: Not just the family, they are quite common celebrations in Scandinavia. People still use them. Like Yule - we don't celebrate Christmas in Scandinavia, like you do, but we do celebrate Yule, and it's called Yule. Christmas has been tacked onto it. But it's not really - the only thing Christian thing is we tend to go to church on Christmas Eve, and that's it - and then the rest of the celebration is completely pagan, to be honest. Even in church, you can get the ljos [?], like straw goats, the Thor's goats, as decorations in churches in Scandinavia. Now they are called Yule goats. But they're still there. And there is a lot of, well these customs are now dying, a lot of them. They tend to do Midsummer, which is a very great thing in Scandinavia, with great fires, and people are out and about, and where I come from, it's actually, midsummer day, it's still an official holiday, well, it's not official, but no one works, any company would not expect anyone to come in on that day, for all practical purposes it's a bank holiday. And some of the other Winter and Summer festivals there were... when I was a child, they were much more common, they had the big fairs around the 1st of February and the 1st of August, there were always big country fairs, especially in the February ones, which was a really big one.
TB: And what sort of thing would happen there?
IH: I think in many ways it would be like a country fair here. There was a carnival, basically. But they seem to have more or less died out now. The main ones in Scandinavia are Mayday, Midsummer and Yule. And we still have what you call Halloween, but it's completely different. These days, again, it comes in from America like it does here. But again it's not a big thing, and one difference between Yule and here - you know you have this trick and treat, that you have at Halloween? That in Norway, when I was a child, was done between Christmas day and New Years day, when people went trick or treating, and they were dressed up as goats [laughs].
TB: What it the significance of the goats?
IH: Thor's goats, we call them the Yule goats.
TB: And how instead do you celebrate the 1st of November festival.
IH: The 2nd of November. Basically, it's a festival of the dead, and it's the beginning of Winter, it's the first Winter day. Basically, we don't have Spring and Autumn. We go from Summer to Winter, from Winter to Summer. It's regarded as the start of Winter. Which is again, you're talking about the wild hunt, but it's not a big celebration, these days, even when I was a child. It was there but it wasn't actually done a lot.
TB: In what ways do you see that Stav has evolved from what you learned to what's being taught in classes and seminars.
IH: Well, one thing that has changed a lot is because it is taught now, as you say in classes and seminars, instead of having to be absorbed in daily life, where you don't even know you're being taught, so now basically, what you have to do, it's gradually developed a kind of curriculum where it's taught - basically, if you are taught Stav you're taught mostly the same way, while when I was brought up, you were taught individually, if anything, and what you needed, what you're interested in - basically, what it comes down to is that you were not taught. You were just there and you absorbed it, and it was a natural part of family life. Like my children - I never taught them, really, but they have watched me, and sometimes maybe a little bit here and there, sometimes five minutes doing the stances, there were no set classes, but now when you teach outside the family, you have to have set classes and seminars, which means you have to have some sort of structure. So it's a lot more structured than when I was a child.
TB: Have there been any other influences on the way Stav has evolved?
IH: Yes, of course there are influences, because Stav being a living art, it absorbs anything that's useful and obviously through my life I have had influences, things that influenced me when I was in Japan, there were things that I saw and thought, "Ah, this is useful," so it was absorbed, but it still stays Stav, because it's still just the principles of Stav. That's it basically, but, because it doesn't have any techniques - now we're talking about the martial art for instance - it does not have any techniques so we can use whatever you figure out for yourself, and incorporate it - because it uses the stances, and out of the stances you can draw any technique possible, with combinations. And sometimes it isn't clear to you what technique you can draw out of this, but you can see "Ah, right, this works with this stance; with these two stances combined we can do this technique," which is something you can see in other martial arts, but it doesn't mean it's not Stav any more, although it's changed. Do you understand?
TB: I understand, and that's commonplace, I don't know of any martial art that has gone unchanged.
IH: Well, some do, but then they are not martial arts any more, they are museum pieces, because the situation changes. Because obviously, from what I understand, when Stav first started, the martial part of it for instance, you were fighting people wearing armour, shields, helmets, they had swords, then you do not want to go up to them with a stick, but in this day and age, a stick is actually the most effective weapon you can have, because you can actually carry it, and you can use it. And it's principles are still there. So if for some weird reason swords were again commonly used, you could change over very quickly, with a little bit of specific training to get used to the different weight and balances.
TB: It's one of the things that intrigues me about Stav training. We often use these kind of weapons, we use the axe, we use the sword and as you say, we aren't in a society where this is -
IH: Originally what I was taught, I was taught the staff and the walking stick, that's it. And when I started training here, a lot of people asked "I'm interested in this weapon, have you tried that?" "OK basically, you develop this, you can do this with this weapon, that's fine, any weapon you pick up, that's alright." But originally, you learn the lines with staff, the staff is actually the best tool to learn it, because it's long enough to actually see that you're holding it in the right line. Whereas with a short weapon like a knife, you couldn't really see the line properly. And that's the important thing, that you actually use a weapon, a tool that shows the line, and once you understand the lines, you can use any weapon. Basically, we use the staff, and then you can branch out and then take any weapon that you like. And some weapons you can carry legally; a knife can be carried hidden if nothing else. A walking stick is a legal weapon - you can even carry it on an aeroplane. Everything comes from the lines, which are shown with a staff.
TB: It's said that the purpose of Stav is to see reality. How does Stav teach you to see reality?
IH: Basically, what it does, this comes again, with all the basics of Stav, to the sixteen stances. If you don't do the sixteen stances, it doesn't matter what else you do, you're not doing Stav. If you do those, you are doing Stav, even if you do nothing else. With the sixteen stances, after a while, it acts as moving meditation. It's a way of stopping the brain from going into overdrive. All of the time, basically, we have a dialogue with ourself in the brain, we think "I must do this, I must do that, tomorrow I will do that...." It distracts you. You don't actually see what's going on around you. But once you learn to actually switch off that dialogue, you can actually notice what's happening around you. Complete reality is something we can't handle anyway, probably, but you're usually able to see a lot more of what's going on than the average person will do. And the more you see, the more you can actually use, and manipulate things. Which doesn't sound good, manipulating, but for good or bad, you can manipulate things for good too. But it does stop you from being handled, from being manipulated in many ways. In many ways, if you can compare it to something, probably the nearest thing is Buddhism. Which actually sprang out of a similar background to Stav. It sprang out of Hinduism, and Stav sprang out of what are now called Asatru, but that's a pretty modern way of looking at the old Scandinavian religion. With Stav, it's not a religion, it can be, but it's not, and the same with Buddhism, it's not a religion, but for many people it is. They are philosophies that are based on indigenous religions.
TB: The Norse gods are a part of Stav.
IH: They are part of Stav because they are part of the whole web, the fabric that makes up the sixteen stances, which makes up all the runes, which makes up anything, the lines, everything. They can be used; the concept of the gods can be used - it depends on yourself - some people regard them as gods, which is fair enough, others as - for instance, if you look at the old mythology, and you see certain reactions of certain types, and you learn about human nature, through the mythology, which again, helps you to learn to see reality. And that's a useful aspect about it. It's a teaching method, you can use mythology to teach, not as a religion. I think a lot of people misunderstand the old religion in many ways, they compare it to the received religions, in which, "This is the God, the word from on high, there's nothing more to discuss, this is it, it's written down."
TB: You're talking about ...
IH: Christianity, Muslims, Jewish, that's it, basically, there is nothing more to do there. You have been told what to do. And this is, "You just listen to us, and then, you will go to heaven, or vice versa, if you don't listen." While with the old religion, it's not actually a religion, it's a religion or it's a philosophy, it's a sort of mixture. You can see it was perfectly alright not to believe in the gods, no-one said anything about that, but you were supposed to support the Hovs, the temples, because that was part of the community, and if you didn't do that there was something odd. You were obviously outside of the community. Who would want to be outside of the community? There must be something odd there. So there's a difference there, but I think the way we live in Europe it's difficult for many people to see the difference. Religion has been defined in Europe by the church, and many of those who are in modern paganisms, they've actually taken the concepts of the church, and turned it around, and become more orthodox than the church in many ways, using different vehicles.
TB: Where do you see that Stav is moving?
IH: I don't think that Stav will ever be a mass movement. It is too personal in one way. There seems now to be gradually a concept that there is something called "Stav", and a few people will find it, and find someone who can actually teach them, and that's about it. Possibly what I would like to see is that those people again, basically, do it as a way of life, which means their children would absorb it naturally, and then it's a living thing again. Because it did almost die, I believe not that many, about a hundred years ago, it wasn't just my family, it was a very common thing, all over Scandinavia, you had double faith until the end of the nineteenth century, and it wasn't recognised as such. But you know, even so, still, on Christmas eve, you put out the porridge for the Christmas gnome. A lot of people still do, but not as many as there used to be. Fifty years ago, everyone did. And it's not a religion but it is a concept of a world that is not the rational world.
TB: It's not rational?
IH: Well, it's rational enough, but it's the concept that it is something else that you don't normally see. Do you understand? Basically, like the concept of fairy, that there is something there. It was a common thing until recently, and people were not aware that this was anything strange, it was just something you did.
Tony Brush
Return to top of pageUSA, November 2005
Breaking News: Englishman Discovers Vinland
Ok, not quite, but it was that exciting for me! I got my first hands-on introduction to Stav right here in my backyard in Virginia - literally my backyard! I’m not quite sure how it happened actually. There was a Stav-Web discussion about having Graham over here in the USA, and the next thing you know I’m picking him up at the airport! Sometimes good things are just part of our Wyrd - thankfully. Thanks to a few people who signed up and paid their money in advance, we were able to get Graham over to teach a weekend introduction to Stav, October 8-9’th, 2005. I had the additional pleasure of hosting Graham at my house. I believe we had a total of 5 people paid up, and unfortunately 2 people were not able to attend, but their tuition made it possible for Graham to come over, so thanks very much for the support - it wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Given the small audience, we decided to have the training in my backyard, which is about an acre, so plenty of space, and easy access to refreshments etc. We started the Saturday with an introduction to the Stances and moved on to the basic staff exercises, and followed that with a lecture on the health aspects of Stav. Sunday kicked off with stances, moved on to advanced staff exercises and the Karl Galdr version of the stances. We finished the afternoon with a Fylgia meditation, and then a lecture on the runes, and a reading - great stuff! During lunch breaks etc. we came into my house - I’m not sure if it was all the positive Megin, but my little Chihuahua just fell in love with Graham, and almost never left his lap, even while he was eating. She is now the official Ice & Fire USA Mascott Before and after the weekend course, Graham and I shot video footage of various components of Stav - mostly for my reference, but also for inclusion on the website, and possibly for wider distribution. We filmed the Trell Version of the rune stances, the basic & advanced staff exercises, as well as Axe and Sword drills. I have found these to be an invaluable tool for my personal training, and have also posted the basic rune stances video on the Ice & Fire USA website. That’s really about it for the course in a nutshell - small audience, very intensive and interactive, looking forward to the next session which is scheduled for April 06
Return to top of pageGaldrabok, book review
Magic by Nathan J Johnson and Robert J Wallis Published by Wykeham Press, 2005
This is a review I write because I like this book enormously. Written in what feels to me a very male Heathen way (clear, down to earth, without unnecessary creativity or emotion), the way in which the authors present their religious/spiritual path is beautiful practical. Devoid of poetic fluff, they manage to explain their vision as a rational and utilitarian system, and one that can guide the reader into a state of wakeful power that remains essentially grounded. They speak of the gods, giants, elves and runes without that implication too often heard that they are no more than tools of the human psyche, yet neither do they fall into the equally dishonourable place of drawing the reader into fantasy fairytales. Their fully animistic and intelligent perspective is of that consciously non-dualistic vision that warms my heart, giving me faith and courage in the future of British Paganism. At times I wondered whether the beginner would get lost, for there are gaps, inevitably so. Yet by the time I put the book down, I felt assured that anyone seriously committed to learning the Heathen's craft would be well resourced in terms of inspiration and guidance. The 29 runes are explored, but not enough to allow a student to feel satisfied, thus inspiring anyone to cast and explore further, finding their own personal understanding. The same is true of the gods, and of Heathen cosmology. For those who need more written guidance, what the authors omit is no doubt picked up in the extensive booklist. This may not feel to be a book that would interest someone journeying upon a path of British Paganism, focusing on Celtic, Welsh or Gaelic sources, or those who reach to the pre-Roman stories of our sacred lands. However, the spiritual and magical practices explored and described in this book are profoundly rooted - through Anglo-Saxon vision, yet also simply through the land itself. I would encourage anyone to read the book in order to breathe for a while the songs of a very significant part of our heritage. As to those who honour Freyja and Woden, who see Thunor in the storm clouds and feel the whisperings of elves in forest sunlight, of dwarfs in mountain mud, this book will make a worthy addition to your source-spring of inspiration.
Emma Restall Orr
September 2005 Paperback 404 pages (June 21, 2005) Publisher: The Wykeham Press ISBN: 0-9549609-0-4
Return to top of pageThe Staff
THE WEAPONS OF STÁV
The fourth in our series looking at the five main teaching weapons we use in Stáv, this issue we look at the weapon associated with the Jarl - the staff.
The staff (or stave as I shall refer to it, to clarify that we are talking about an item and not a workforce) is perhaps the most innocuous of weapons, for it really is little more than a stick, perhaps straightened and trimmed, with a piece mounted on the top. Or maybe it has just been cut from a tree or hedge, and is pretty much unmodified. Much like it’s shorter sibling the cudgel, the stave has an extremely practical use as a walking aid, and as such has probably been used since man first started walking upright. Yet as innocent as the humble stave may look, it is perhaps the most versatile of weapons, excepting possibly the spear, which we shall come to later. The very beauty of the stave lies in the fact that it is not a weapon at all, in the sense of a sword, for example. A sword is manufactured as a weapon, to cause respect, fear, death and everything in between; an axe is a tool, designed for practical purposes, but still manufactured and able to inflict huge damage if used offensively (or even accidentally), as discussed previously. The stave occupies the next stage down, as it were, as it is not necessarily manufactured, other than trimming off excess branches (although these days, most staves are bought in a shop, rather than cut by the user), and is primarily a walking aid - the newspapers have little time for a ‘mad stave murderer’, even if such a person existed. Part of the reason for this is that there is no mystique to the stave - an axe or a sword has a sharpened edge, can cut through clothing or armour, sever limbs, and leave dramatic results in the ensuing carnage, even in the hands of someone who has never trained. The stave takes a lot of skill to use effectively, and being blunt is more likely to cause sub-dermal damage, leaving little to show other than bruises. Like the cudgel, it must be very precisely placed to do any real damage, and then the trauma is likely to be to the face and head, where there is less flesh and muscle, and easily damageable areas like the nose, eyes and mouth, although like all weapons there is more to the use of the stave than merely striking.
It is in part this subtlety of use that connects the stave with the Jarl mindset and principles. If you have seen the second Lord of the Rings film - The Two Towers - then you may remember the scene where Gandalf walks into the hall of Theoden, king of the Rohan. When seen from the side, Gandalf is obviously carrying a stave, but when seen from the front (where the king and his advisor are sitting) the stave is almost invisible, as all you can see is the very tip, end-on. Leaving aside that in the film the angles are all wrong, this is a very useful thing to know with the stave, as it does render the stave almost invisible, and even if the person in front of you is aware of it, there is no way of knowing just how long the stave is. In the ‘original’ five stave movements that we use in Stav, those that were taught to Ivar by his family, this is exactly how the staff is carried in the starting position - for although it could be a simple walking staff, it could also be a ceremonial staff, an unstrung bow, a spear, or even a ski pole. It is carried very loosely in the hand, and hangs naturally in the correct position. From this position, it very easily moves to actively stop the opponent, one way or another (e.g. Karl, Herse and Konge movements); to cover the withdrawal whilst concealing the counterattack (Trel); or to provide a distraction while the defendant walks casually past the attacker (Jarl, although this is describing the movement a little simply). These five movements do actually teach the five mindsets in the most simple and profound ways of all weapons, too, which is not unconnected with the idea of the stave being the main teaching weapon of Stav, as it teaches the basics of all other weapons, and the Jarl class as being connected with teaching, right back to the mythology with the List of Rig.
The stave is one of the most sophisticated weapons, due to its subtlety, but the price for this is, as stated above, that it is very difficult to use effectively. Wildly swinging it may intimidate an inexperienced opponent, but unlike an edged weapon such as a sword, a stave is very easy to catch hold of, and then it is possible to take it off of your attacker. Even supposing that you connect with your opponent whilst wildly swinging your stave, there is a very good chance that you will do little damage, and just annoy your opponent.
It is important whilst training, and this is true with any weapon, to not get too attached to it the stave, as if it does become captured or entangled by your opponent, then you have to be ready to release the weapon or take it back. Being prepared to let go of your stave, or at least alter your grip, even reverse it end over end, may well mean that you can spin it out of your opponents grasp. But if they are equally aware, then they too can manipulate the stave, and so it turns into a very interesting situation. This is the point where, ideally, you should be able to say “well, if you want that stave badly enough, why don’t you have it!” This is where being able to let go of the stave - to not feel tied to it, that you need it to survive, that “it is mine! Give it back!” - really is an advantage. Whilst they are still fighting over it, you can let go and hit them with your fist, or whatever is available. But that is all assuming that you have let it develop that far, because if you are fighting over it, then you have probably closed distance, and are in body-to-body range, which presents other problems. But if, for example, your opponent manages to get hold of your stave, you have an immediate option, depending on whether they are gripping it loosely or tightly. This can be thought of as the opposites of hard and soft - phrases that are often used in the description of (Eastern) martial arts, usually to describe a style, e.g. ‘karate is a hard style, while tai chi is a soft style’, where hard = static and soft = flowing. Yet when looked at in depth, most styles can be seen to be ‘soft’, at least in their true/original forms. The concept of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ is much more subtle and variable, and this is also true of the Eastern arts, probably exemplified most obviously in the Chinese exercises of pushing/sticking hands, where both opponents are extremely relaxed and ‘soft’ until an opportunity presents itself. The underlying premise is that soft defeats hard, and hard defeats soft, and this is also true when it comes to a situation where an opponent has grabbed your stave. If they are gripping it tightly - gone hard - then you can go soft, which may entail moving up the stave and punching them on the nose. This is possible because they are focussing on holding the stave rigidly, and have probably tensed up to grip it strongly. This results in them not being able to move as quickly, or respond to the changing situation of you shifting to hand-to-hand, and as you are moving directly up their centre line, the movement is very swift indeed, and hard to see. If, on the other hand, they grip it firmly yet lightly, then you have a different opportunity, in that they have left room for the stave to move. Depending on how the stave has been grabbed, and other circumstances, the possibility is there to manoeuvre the stave into either trapping the opponent’s wrist(s), in the same way as a wristlock, to throw them if they are gripping it tightly enough, or to release it from their grasp, often as they try and prevent the first two things from happening.
One of the most effective attacks/defences with a stave is the thrust, which can concentrate a lot of power into a very small area, and when used against the face (as in the ‘original’ Konge stave exercise) is very hard to see coming, as all that can be seen is the end of the stave getting bigger. But again, this has to be very precise to be able to work properly. If too obvious, it can be easily dodged/deflected, or even grabbed, leading to your opponent being able to make the ‘hard/soft’ techniques work against you. The other option for striking comes with the tip moving down a line into your opponent, generally looking at the line going through the temple, as it is a fragile area, and even if no lasting damage is done then the head being struck down that line will put the whole body off balance. If the head is moved to avoid the impact (as this line also threatens the eye), then the body will still be probably off balance.
The general image that people have when thinking of the stave as a weapon is of a Hollywood-esque image of Robin Hood and Little John battling it out on a log over the river. Ask the average person familiar with this image to hold a stave in a ready position, and very often they will grip it centrally, so that about one third of the stave is between their hands, with about one third sticking out either end. They will then proceed to strike with either end alternately, clacking stick ends together with their opponent, just like in the movies. While this can provide very quick strikes, with some power, the main disadvantage is that it places you within easy reach of your opponent, and thus takes away your main advantage - the ability to outreach your opponent. Though this is often people’s view of how you use a quarter-stave, this is in fact a ‘half-stave’ grip. The true quarter-stave is longer than the stave that we use in Stav (generally between six and eight feet in length, though sometimes longer, depending on several factors such as the size of the person wielding it, what method has been used to determine the length, etc.), and is so called because it is held with one quarter of the length of the stave protruding behind the wielder’s hands. The stave that we train with is generally considered to be a walking stave, which anyone could reasonably own and use. The quarter-stave is a weapon of war - while in itself a brutal and devastating weapon, it was used as training for other pole weapons such as the halberd and bill, and even the two-handed sword. Good on the battlefield, but awkward to carry around in peacetime, whereas the walking stave is very practical, and doesn’t attract quite the same attention...
As a brief aside, and to lead into next issue’s article, the stave can conceal more than just your intentions or the Line. It was not uncommon for the stave to have a cover over one end, of wood, leather or fabric, which concealed a blade, turning it into a spear. The ‘original’ five exercises actually do present the option in the movements to remove this cover, making the responses much more deadly than the attacker expects. As said earlier, these movements could equally apply to an unstrung bow, and indeed many bows of the period (and before/after) had knocking points (the bit where the string attaches) of horn or antler, coming to a hard, sharp point…
Return to top of pageThe Hardest Stance
THE HARDEST STANCE
One of the ways of keeping the stances fresh is to constantly find new ways of exploring the experience of them. So reflecting on rune associations, imagining lines extending from arms and legs into infinity and performing the stances at different speeds can all be valuable ways of deepening and enhancing the value of the ritual.
Furthermore, the simplest insights are often the most powerful. Those eureka moments, when our version of reality is significantly altered, usually consist of something simple and obvious, but which has escaped us up to that moment. Of course an apple falls, but Newton read a key sigificance into it. Of course water rises when displaced, but Pythagoras saw a fundamental implication.
In relation to the stances, one of the questions that may arise at some time is why do we take seven (or nine) breaths before beginning the first et and seven (or nine) breaths before bowing to complete? Without knowing what the ‘real’ answer is to this, one powerful response is that this is because the ready position is the hardest of the stances. We therefore need to practice this for many more breaths.
Deceptive in its simplicity (just stand and breathe?), not only is the Ready Position perhaps the hardest stance, but it is also the most important. Why? Because every other stance is a variation on the theme of the ready position.
Consciously recognising what on reflection may be blindingly obvious can provide a quantum leap in the performance and experience of stav. New level of depth can be found in the stances in the perfection of the Ready Position. For unless we are good at the Ready Position, our ability to carry out all of the other stances is compromised. Each stance emerges from the Ready Position and returns to it, and each stance relies on the centredness that the Ready Position teaches for its effect.
It is curious that the Ready Position is both so much harder than it seems and at the same time so much easier. Concentrate too hard on getting it right and the spirit goes, do it thoughtlessly and the spirit never arrives. So the challenge is to remain focused, yet aware of all around; rooted, yet ready to spring; solid, yet able to melt in an instant. Suspended between heaven and earth.
Honouring, exploring and working with the Ready Position can open up a whole new depth of experience. Genuinely moving from the Ready Position into each stance and genuinely returning to it before the next is in itself an extremely powerful and rewarding discipline. Then retaining the spirit of the Ready Position as we perform r (Rei), for example, can dramatically improve posture, while the stretch to Is can become truly eternal.
Beyond the stances, practice of the Ready Position flows into daily life, where it can become a powerful ally in enhancing our ability to respond to the people and events around us. With readiness, we act with centredness, strength and sensitivity. We say and do the right things. Worth working for!
David Orr
Return to top of pageThe Saxon Saviour, book review
The Saxon Saviour, The Germanic Transformation of the Gospel in the Ninth-Century Heliand
Murphy, G. R., 1989, Oxford University Press, 129pp
While the analysis of the poem known as the Heliand is the central theme of the book, the opening chapters give the context in which this poem was written. The recent Saxon history of that time was of bitter and bloody conflict with the Franks, under Charelemange, who imposed upon them a forced conversion to Christianity. Over the course of decades of warfare, the Saxons were gradually 'converted', even being baptised with 'swords at their backs'. Their temples were desecrated, as they were forced to look on impotently as holy trees that were shrines to their gods were hewn to the ground, the wood of at least one of these being used to build a church. The Holy Roman Empire demanded the imposition of a 'pure' Christianity, in contrast to the more paganised Christianity of the earlier Irish missionaries. Murphy portrays these events emotively, helping us to understand the spiritual condition of the Saxons - that of utter defeat.
He points to the Heliand as a Germanized version of the Gospels, and analyses this in the context of contemporary Christian writings. He draws especially from Tatian's works, which adhere closely to the Gospels. In contrast, the Heliand transports the geography, culture and theology into the homeland of the new subjects. Rome becomes 'fort Rome', Christ, 'Drohtin' or leige-lord, and his forty days in the desert are replaced with an utset (my choice of words) under a canopy of trees. The Germanic fates, Wurd and Metod, are subtly included in the text, without undermining the superiority allotted to the 'new god' in the poem. Some scenes within the Gospels are reduced or omitted, some expanded upon greatly. Overall, the transformation is seen as leaving the Heliand true to its Christian origin, while making it as palatable as possible to the Saxon sensibilities of the time.
Some of the changes are subtle yet remarkably effective. At one juncture, the conventional biblical mythos places a white dove above Christ. In the Heliand, the dove is moved to his shoulder, an almost subliminal shift, but one that would instantly bring to the Saxon mind the ravens perched on the shoulders of Woden.
Christ's disciples are transformed into his thanes or warrior knights; their desertion of him is treated in such a way that the defeated Saxon noblemen, many of whom would have been deserted, would be able to identify with him; similarly, when Peter strikes to defend Jesus, the single line of Gospel is enlarged to a gory verse that would be at home among the Viking sagas.
Most problematic are the Christian codes of peace and the necessity of their being treated in such a way as to be acceptable to the warrior culture of the Saxons; this, the Heliand's author achieves deftly. Sympathy is offered in the allusions to the Frankish destruction of Saxon tree-temples: "Do not think that I have come into this world because I wanted to destroy the old law, to chop it down amongst this people." Likewise, Christ's resurrection from a burial ground must be intended to soothe the Saxons whose traditional form of interment had become outlawed.
The book is very clear and easy to follow, without having much prior knowledge of the history involved, or the pre-Christian religion of the area, though these would help in some places. The texts referred to throughout are quoted in both English and their original language (be it Latin, High German or Old English), and comparisons are drawn with non-Christian literature of the time. The author demonstrates how the Heliand was an attempt by a sincere Christian at once to offer the new religion in an intelligible form, and to heal the wounds of the Saxon soul. Finally we are shown what impact it may have had on their recovery as a nation.
Tony Brush
Return to top of pageWarrior Camp
Warrior Camp Our August camp brought in people from several different countries, which was a first for us. We had participants from Denmark, Germany and Italy, as well as from all over the UK. Training covered all of the weapons that we train with in Oxford, from spear through to unarmed. Weather was hot, food was fantastic, and a good time was had by all - a complete write up can be found on the website. We have also been lucky enough to be invited back to teach at several festivals and events throughout the country, from a small group up in Hamsterley Forest near Newcastle, to Druid Camp in South Wales, to the Wessex Gathering near Swanage, all of which we hope to return to next year.
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