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 Other Forms of Veneration

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Silver Wind
Aud Mon Ra
Silver Wind


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Join date : 2007-07-18
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PostSubject: Other Forms of Veneration   Other Forms of Veneration Icon_minitimeTue Jul 31, 2007 1:54 pm

In historical writings and texts we have been left several other forms of how acts of worship and veneration was, or may have, been performed. The use of procession, usually involving a wagon, is recorded amongst our Angle ancestors nearly two thousand years ago. The Angles, plus several other tribes, partook in such wagon processions in their veneration of the Earth Mother goddess Nerthus. The wagon was said to be located within a sacred grove on an island in the sea. Here it stood covered in a drape, and was regarded with such sacredness that only one priest was allowed to lay his hands upon it, which shows that the worship of Nerthus was a cult that contained within it specific taboo's of do's and don'ts. The Nerthus procession travelled through the lands of the tribes, and was a time so holy for the people and the goddess that all weapons were put away, no one went to war, and the only acts that were carried out were acts of celebration and festivity in the honour of Nerthus. After the procession the wagon was returned to her temple by the priest, after which, it and the image of the goddess herself, were bathed and washed by slaves. The slaves were then drowned within the lake to hide what they had witnessed. The drowning of the slaves may have been an act of human sacrifice, or as mentioned earlier concerning the taboo, may have been felt to be a necessary act.

This form of wagon procession in veneration of a god or goddess is so ancient in it's root, and was more than likely a form of veneration found amongst many of the Germanic peoples of Europe, as such a procession is recorded amongst the people of ancient Sweden. It's very possible, although not recorded, that when our Angle ancestors left their continental homeland to settle in Britain they brought with them such processions, as one only has to look at the modern May Day processions, which involve the parading of the May Queen through the streets of towns and villages, very similar to that of Nerthus. But one thing that is for sure is that the Angles brought to Britain their worship of Mother Earth. Her veneration in England, possibly under the name of Erce, is recorded in an Anglo-Saxon land charm, which also involves another form of veneration, that of offerings. After reciting part of the charm that contains the cry of Erce, Erce, Erce, mother of earth, the person, more than likely a farmer, performing the charm is asked to bake a loaf of bread which is to be buried within the first furrow of the field to be ploughed. Although the charm has been influenced by later Christianity, there is no doubt that the offering of the loaf of bread is an act of gift giving to Mother Earth. This is also strongly backed up by the writings of the English Historian St Bede in the 7th and 8th centuries. He tells us that the Anglo-Saxon Heathens referred to the second month of the year as 'the month of cakes', during which Bede tells us 'the English offered to their gods'. It seems that this was an act of 'a gift for a gift', the farmer in his offerings to the Earth Mother hopes in return that she will offer him and give him a successful harvest.

We don't even have to stray away from the land charm to be given a very sligh insight into another act of veneration, for within the charm we read the following instructions to be carried out, 'Then turn three times sun wise and stretch yourself along the ground full length and say the litany there...'. This act of turning sun wise and laying down could be in veneration of the Sky Father, and the whole charm is a bringing together of the Earth Mother Nerthus/Erce and the Sky Father Tiwaz/Tiw, to bless the performer of the charm with what he seeks, crops to provide food for himself, his family and his community.

http://www.homestead.com/englishheathenism/otherworship.html
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