Author: vargr

This article originally appeared in Konton Magazine, Vernal Equinox 2006, issue 3.1.

Of late I have been studying the phenomenon of distributed processing of function over networks, and the emergence of a superorganism which can result from the collective efforts of numerous components which are themselves quite simplistic. In biological systems, such as ant colonies, a hive mind emerges which coordinates the efforts of all its parts in a non-hierarchical yet efficient way. It is this effect which has inspired engineers to create swarming machines.

I began to contemplate whether or not a similar effect would occur if an interconnected swarm of servitors were created which were not individually invested with a great deal of intent, and were collectively charged with a broad statement of purpose

The result was that I decided to create a cluster of 12 identical servitors, which I refer to as nodes, each charged with the task of gathering information that would be of interest or benefit to me, and funneling such information back to me by any convenient or available communication channel.

Collectively, the construct is designated as “Nexus 0xC”, roughly meaning “the connected 12.” I chose Hexadecimal, or base 16 to represent the numeric portion of the name in order to avoid the commonality of the everyday decimal numbering system. The individual component servitors are identically created from the same visualized seed which divides instantaneously into 12 equal parts. Upon the creation of the 12, each is intended to be self-aware, but is not yet connected to the others.

The symbol of the ultimate manifestation of Nexus 0xC is a dodecagon with an empty circle at each vertex. Each vertex is connected to every other in order to symbolize the network which exists between these servitors. In the center of the network is another empty circle which represents me. Twelve identical tokens were also created to represent the nodes of the nexus, and to be the foci for the individual servitors. By design, these tokens are indistinguishable from one another, to emphasize the uniformity of the members of the swarm.

These tokens were deployed in various locations around the city to symbolize the wide scope of this information gathering system. As this was done, the servitors were visualized to emerge from the tokens as coherent, invisible wave forms, and to begin gathering information. This was to be stored until all nodes had been distributed and connected.

The physical components of this operation are accompanied by a corresponding set of visualized counterparts. The virtual seed form of the cluster was visualized as liquid silver-white light coalescing from the void, accumulating into a mirrored, mercury-like sphere. Just as a larger glob of mercury accumulates smaller amounts into itself, increasing the volume of the sphere, the seed was allowed to develop in imaginal space. As each of the node servitors was released from its token, a portion of this energy was visualized to detach and emerge as the wave form of the servitor.

After the final token was distributed, the act of connecting them into the nexus was performed. The original dodecagon symbol was used as the focus for this operation. While focusing on the symbol, a state of excitatory gnosis was entered via a combination of sensory overload, mind-altering substances, and orgasm. At the moment immediately prior to white-out, I visualized a projection as emerging from the symbol as silver-white light, and spreading out to connect the individual nodes. At this moment, all of the nodes became joined through the myriad pathways into Nexus 0xC.

When I meditate and focus my thought on the Nexus symbol, I visualize myself as being within the center hub of the network. If the swarm of node servitors has any information to relay to me, they can then do so through the pathways. I have only recently completed this operation, so I cannot yet report any demonstrable results.

The possibility of a hyper-implementation of this network has also occurred to me, either as a group working, or in further iterations on my own. Additional clusters could be created, and then linked to the original in order to attain an even wider sensory array.

Vargr
February 16, 2006

As I went through notes and materials for the expanded and revised edition of Quantum Sorcery, I found this, which was intended to be my talk for the International Left Hand Path Consortium 2016 in Atlanta Ga. Unfortunately, due to a catastrophic injury, I was unable to attend. Here is the text of the talk:

Magical Mechanics: Spooky Action at a Distance

This presentation examines the relationship and parallels between the magical principles of Similarity and Contagion, and the scientific principles of Entanglement and Entrainment within a non-theistic system of sorcery. Methods of categorizing and overcoming barriers to achieving a mind state conducive to magical practice will also be discussed.

Magic is the name most commonly applied to the faculty of causing change in the phenomenal world via the exertion of will. The vast majority of ostensibly rational people in the western world hold that magic isn’t real. Some of us refute their assertion, and believe that magic is real, that it works, and that we can do it. We disagree on the mechanism, origin, and nature of this phenomenon, but on some level, we believe in it.

Belief is a loaded word in Chaos Magic. We use it as a tool, but try not to collapse into it. We believe that we make our own reality, and that belief is the kernel upon which magical practice is built. If you don’t believe that magic works, then it never will for you, plain and simple.

I practice sorcery. Down and dirty. Simple. Sometimes with tools and rituals, sometimes with sigils and servitors, sometimes with nothing but a picture in my head of how the world needs to be, my very magical wand, and my lovely assistant. I don’t call spirits, I don’t trouble whatever gods or entities might be out there in the ether for their assistance, other than the ones that I have myself created. I assert that Magical acts are transactions between me and the universe. So since we’ve established that I’m enough of an egotistical bastard to think that I can alter the world with a thought, let’s look at how I think I do it.

Fundamentally, everything that IS, is energy. Some of it has slowed down enough to become solid matter, some of it in phases and forms that we are still just discovering. Further, as Hermes Trismegistus observed in his Divine Pymander (pim-Ander), everything that exists is in motion. It is my position that magic originates when the mind of a magician interfaces with the fabric of the universe at the most fundamental level of existence. The perturbations caused by this influence then cascade upward from the subatomic level as movements of matter and energy, into the mesoscale world of human activity, and bring about the circumstances that I dictate. The process is analogous to tossing a pebble into a stream. The ripples are subsumed by the current, but they in turn affect the flow in a measurable way.

How does one make ripples in reality?

Similarity and Contagion = Entanglement
Transmission of Will = Entrainment

The fundamental principles of sorcery are analogous to fundamental principles of energy and quantum behavior. Many of the seminal minds in Chaos Magic have reflected on this. Peter Carroll, Stephen Mace, and Dave Lee are just a few of the pioneers of this school of thought.

Entanglement

The principle of similarity is that of modeling. The representation of a thing is connected to that thing. This is the principle of the macrocosm and the microcosm. This is best exemplified in the words of the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus:

What is above is like what is below. What is below is like what is above.

This is the magic of poppets and cave paintings, fertility rites and visualization.

When a pair or a group of particles interact in such a way that that their quantum state can only be described as an aggregate sum, this is known as Entanglement. Einstein referred to this concept as “Spooky action at a distance.” The implication that information could violate relativity by travelling faster than the speed of light didn’t sit well with him. But where he saw a flawed theory, his student David Bohm saw the implication that reality had a hidden structure. Bohm called this The Implicate Order. In this framework, time and space are interpreted as crude surface phenomena that are artifacts of a deeper universal order.

A magician can take advantage of this point of view. In this theoretical sub-microscopic realm, where the true underlying principles are beyond any physical perception, the magical link between simulacra and reality occurs. Since this work takes place at an imperceptible level of existence, manipulation of symbols arises as the only valid mechanism of describing the system. Fortunately. we live in a world rich with symbols, ready to be subverted for nefarious purposes. Besides the more traditional magical and alchemical examples, I also use icons and formulae from mathematics, meteorology, circuit diagrams, and even road signs. Semiotic appropriation is your friend.

Contagion

For magical purposes, if you have a piece of something, you have influence over that thing. In this case, the link between fragment and whole is innate. Through this link, the whole can be made to react in kind to actions worked on the fragment. Again, the system of two entities constitute a single system, and is analogous to an entangled system.

Once the magical link is established, a mechanism must be used to change the state of the system to that which is desired.

Entrainment

Entrainment is the state that occurs when two oscillating systems enter into a relationship by which their frequencies synchronize with one another. When one of these systems compels the other to fall into phase with itself, this is known as forced entrainment. In the normal state of things, we as residents of physical reality fall into a state of entrainment with the world around us in which we are subsumed, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Within our own locality, if we can generate enough intensity, we can cause reverse this order. We can cause the reality around us to fall into the patterns that we dictate.

When in a state of entrainment, information is transferred between the participating systems. There are only two possible states. If you’re not transmitting then you are receiving and thus allowing the universe to have its way with you.

In order to bring reality around to your way of thinking, you must first set your mind with clarity of purpose.

Tuning the Magical Mind

An essential part of doing magic is achieving a mind state in which we are convinced that our workings can have an actual effect. To reach this state, there are several possible impediments that must be overcome. These impediments can be loosely grouped into those that are external to the self and those that are internal.

French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin coined the idea of the noosphere as the collective sphere of human thought that surrounds us. I refer to the collective constant press of mundane thought and mental noise in the noosphere as The Static. It is the antithesis of the state of gnosis, as the magical mind state is often referred to. The Static is the sum of randomly received signals of all varieties. It is mental white noise that constantly bombards us. There are various ways to suppress it, from meditation, to evocation and banishing, to entheogens.

On the other end of the spectrum of impediments are the internal ones, which are often more daunting. The best known instance of this type is what is often referred to as the Psychic Censor. It is that part of our subconscious mind which performs the essential function of keeping us operating within consensus reality rather than frolicking with the machine elves or following the magic mirror to a nearby star system. Unfortunately it also has the effect of nullifying magical operations by shutting them down via uncertainty and doubt like a disapproving parental figure:

“Magic isn’t real, you must be crazy! Do the neighbors know you think like that? Stop it.”

The Censor must also be subverted for magic to be successful. Ironically, many of the same methods can be used to counteract The Static and the Censor. Inhibitory or excitatory states can work equally well. Ultimately, how this is done is irrelevant, as long as it is done. Calm your mind or blow it. Either way, banish The Static, and shatter the barriers that stand between you and seeing your will manifest. This is the first and most essential act of magic.

Lastly, magic works with probabilities and possibilities. The difference between improbable and impossible is vast. Know the difference. Anticipate the possible outcomes, and give reality a nudge toward the one most favorable to you.

You are of the universe, but it is also of you.

Thanks for your time.

I’ve just made my first foray into promoting my books via YouTube:

Voidworking is now available at voidworking.com, or on Kindle.

I have just made the final approval for the content and cover art for Voidworking, my second book, and sent the signed contract to my publisher. It’s going to the printer.

Voidworking is a system of practical sorcery that draws upon the primordial state of being as a source of power and inspiration for performing acts of Will. This work examines various conceptions of the Void, from ancient religion to modern pop culture to gain a better understanding of how this realm of limitless potential can be embraced rather than feared. Magical techniques, including binding, banishing, evocation, scrying, and others are described that tap into a largely overlooked wellspring of energy that has long been thought to be the purview of divinity. A discussion of ritual tools and practices relevant to the Void is accompanied by meditation practices intended to lessen the intensity of the spurious boundary between the self and the greater Universe. These techniques may be used as a compete magical system on their own or incorporated into your own personal paradigm or practice. Through these methods, something can be made from nothing, and order brought forth from disorder.

Coming soon from Immanion Press.

Vargr, June, 2006

This was originally written to be included in Weaving the Fringe, an anthology that unfortunately never came together.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

– Arthur C. Clark’s Third Law of Prediction

It seems to be an innate human desire to seek to extend our awareness and perception of the environment around us, as well as expand our control over it.  Over previous millennia it has often been the purview of magic to achieve these goals, but as technology has developed, it has been moving into the niche in our personal spheres that used to belong to magic alone.  The encroachment of technology into this realm is not limited to individual space. It has also changed the way in which individuals interact and collaborate.

In place of the fetishes and charms carried by pre-industrial cultures, we now sport an array of electronic devices which allow us to communicate over long distances, capture the images and sounds of our environment, and store information in ways unimaginable to our ancestors.  We rely on them to feel safe.  They have become our talismans and amulets.  In a broader scope, we have also used technology to create new ways of storing and using information itself.  We have rendered the mnemonic methods of the orators and alchemists of the past obsolete with our new capabilities. 

Nowhere is magical technofetishism more pronounced in contemporary

culture, then in the ‘magick’ rituals practiced by technopagans.

– Amanda Fernbach, Fantasies of Fetishism

It is not an unusual thing that many magicians have begun to assimilate a wide range of technology into their practices.  Despite some appearances to the contrary, magic is an innately practical activity.  It seeks to instantiate the will of the magician in the phenomenal world, and in many traditions, the results are far more important than the methodology.  In both the physical and virtual worlds, we create and use tools in order to extend our capabilities.  The nature of these tools can range from physical artifacts to mathematical algorithms.  Whichever tools are the most effective, and produce the greatest return for the energy expended are the ones which will naturally be used.  It is not necessary to expend energy and time toward achieving results through esoteric means when the use of technology will accomplish the same ends.

The incorporation of technology into magic is by no means a 21^st-century phenomenon.  One of the most prolific, if often over-looked, chaos magicians of the 20^th century, William S. Burroughs, documented the incident in which he used audio tape recordings to project a desired reality upon his environment.  After receiving terrible service and treatment at a restaurant, he dubbed discordant sounds over an ambient base track he recorded on the street nearby.  He then played the composite tape outside of the restaurant, which resulted in it going out of business.[1] The techniques Burroughs used are still applicable today, but there is obviously a far wider array of technology available to execute them.

A prominent side-effect of the ubiquity of personal communications technology is the emergence of a vast human intelligence network.  The phenomenon of emergence itself has become an increasingly popular topic of study even as this has occurred.  Emergence, simply explained, is the effect which occurs when a number of discrete units of intelligence or capability interact with one another in a network in order to produce behavior or capabilities which exceed the predicted sum of the contributing units.  One of the best real-world examples of this is the bee hive.  The hive mind which results from the coordinated fashion in which bees work together is greater than the sum of its parts.   This super-organism is capable of feats of exploration, engineering, and memory that far exceed the capabilities of singular insects.  For example, the collective memory of a hive possesses a memory of three months.  This is twice as long as the life of an average bee[2]

The behavior of insects and their hives have also been studied in order to create swarming machines.  These relatively simple and autonomous machines are programmed to seek out and interact with others of their own kind.  This can produce a number of complex, unanticipated behaviors.

The human being is a machine.  An automated machine.

– Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth

The human intelligence network comprises a powerful parallel-processing supercomputer in which the brains of the human beings who contribute to it serve as the processors.  It is not synonymous with the Internet, though the Internet is often seen as the most prominent infrastructure upon which this network of human bio-computers interacts.  The problem-solving capacity of large numbers of human collaborators can be seen in a number of arenas, but one of the most interesting is the way in which players of alternate reality games (ARGs) cooperate via online message boards to quickly solve complex puzzles. 

The effectiveness with which this network can function across the arbitrary political boundaries which divide the earth into ultimately ephemeral sovereign nations is an illustration of its capability.  The joke goes that on the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog.  In reality, the capability of the network to obfuscate the nationality, gender, religion, and other demographic factors which frequently contribute to discrimination serve as an egalitarian force which levels the playing field between participants in the collective.  In this collaborative information space, the mental capability and unique life experience of each human node becomes more important than the physical form and location of that person in meat-space.

The capability to network effectively also leads to a greater production of information.  The rate at which humanity is creating information is growing exponentially.  Researchers at the University of California have predicted that humanity, assisted by the machines that we have created, will have created more new information between 2003 and 2006 than during the prior 300,000 years of human history.[3]  The availability of resources such as distributed computing over high-speed fiber-optic networks, particularly between computers which are composed themselves of numerous CPUs working in parallel, have given mankind the ability to model the workings of the physical universe at both ends of the scale of existence. 

I believe that the human intelligence network is merely a waypoint on the larger collective human journey toward some level of singularity.  This event has been proposed by a number of authors and philosophers under various names.  One interpretation of this concept is the Omega Point described by Jesuit philosopher Teilhard De Chardin which emphasizes a growing connection among humanity as our population increases:

Pushed one against the other by the growth of their number and by the proliferation of their connections, approached one to the other by the reawakening of a common force and by the feeling of a common anxiety, the future human kind will form nothing but an unified consciousness. [4]

A less spiritual, more mechanistic interpretation of this union is the Technological Singularity described by mathematician and science fiction author Vernor Vinge.  This scenario assumes the creation of artificial intelligence, which Vinge suggested would likely occur sometime between 2005 and 2030 in his 1993 essay The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-Human Era.[5]  This interpretation is based on the earlier work of physicist John Von Neumann, among others. 

Whichever is the preferred vision of the future of mankind, there seems to be a recurring undercurrent, that there will come some point in the future at which man, like so many other animals before us, will either embrace our potential or become extinct.  The argument as to whether or not our technology will ever be capable of creating artificial intelligence is still not settled.  Some researchers in the field have come to consider it an inevitable occurrence, while others have become disillusioned after so much work in the field has still not produced it, that they believe at this point that it will never happen.  If the principle of emergence does in fact apply to humanity as it does to other organisms and machines, then AI is not required for this to happen, and a purely biological state of unity may be our ultimate future as a race.

Ultimately, I believe that the attainment of human singularity, if it is to occur at all, will be through the use of technology rather than spiritualism.  In the real world, a human relationship with the divine is most often manifest through monolithic religions which are based upon rigidly codified dogma.  Regardless of their intents, the effect of these faiths is not to unify humanity as a species, but rather to fragment us into competing factions, each bent on spreading the tenets of that particular faith to as many others as possible.  The directive to engage in this dissemination is itself often a requirement of membership.  When several large religions which incorporate this belief come into conflict with each other, the results can be catastrophic. 

Technology can be customized and packaged differently in various regions in order to have broad appeal across demographic groups.  In addition to this fact, despite jokes to the contrary, brand loyalty is seldom a strong enough motivator to lead to holy war.  Communications protocols and broadly supported data standards are capable of uniting users into groups of global scope, crossing language and religious barriers in a way that allows an unacknowledged commonality to piggyback along with commercial motives like a remora on a shark.

“We may think we’re connected to the universe, we may well be in control of our personal space as a result of these technologies, we may think we’re networking, but it’s in a one-on-one system. It’s a fetishization of connectedness, an illusion.”

– Graeme Turner, University of Queensland

Ironically, the same technology which empowers us, extends us, and has the potential to unite us can also isolate and distract us.  The above quote is from an article which reviewed the 25^th anniversary of the Sony Walkman.[6]  I also think that it makes an appropriate introduction to an examination of the view which opposes the concept of singularity through technology.

The virtual personal space which is created by the use of headphones on portable music players has been lamented as being detrimental to social interaction since the introduction of the aforementioned Walkman.  This space does not invite interaction. A similar phenomenon is evident in the use of cell phones in public spaces.  Although communication is taking place, it does not leave the speaker open and approachable for interaction with others in their immediate environment.  The device which offers constant connectivity paradoxically also acts as a barrier to face to face conversation.

There are cultural factors other than religion and technology itself that will impact the possibility of attaining a human singularity of any type.  Whereas some cultures actively promote a sense of social solidarity among their citizens, others emphasize the sanctity of the rugged individual.  Besides a purely social force, this is also a side-effect of certain marketing practices which seek to instill in consumers a sense of isolation which can then be satisfied by the advertised product.  Besides these general factors, any number of special interests might have their own reasons for keeping the status quo and preventing humanity from achieving its apex.  A perusal of the wide range of conspiracy theories available online will provide a deep pool of potential spectres to fill this role.  Again in this matter there are no absolutes, as the commercial and governmental entities which may be perceived as opponents to unity have also invested a great deal of money in the creation of the most likely infrastructure through which it may occur.

References:

De Chardin, Teilhard. (cited in) “The Noosphere Concept.”

http://noosphere.cc/noosphere.html, accessed 6/22/06.

Kelly, Kevin. Out of Control. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 1994.

P-Orridge, Genesis Breyer. “Magic Squares and Future Beats.” in Richard Metzger ed.

Book of Lies. New York: The Disinformation Company Ltd. 2003.

Quill, Greg. “Walls of Walkman.” Toronto Star, Jul. 25, 2004.

Vinge, Vernor. “The Coming Technological Singularity: How to Survive in the Post-

Human Era”. http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/vinge/misc/singularity.html,

accessed 6/21/06.

Von Baeyer, Hans Christian. Information: The New Language of Science. Cambridge:

Harvard University Press. 2003.

---

[1] P-Orridge p. 106

[2] Kelly p. 12

[3] von Baeyer p. 4

[4] De Chardin,

[5] Vinge, 1993

[6] Quill, 2004.

I’ve been reading a great deal about pop magick lately. Richard Metzger’s Book of Lies from Disinformation press brought the topic up with me, and my subsequent readings of Grant Morrison’s writings have kept it active in my thoughts. I realized at some point in my reading that I had been employing a bit of pop magick myself for a number of years.

“Bitch, be cool!”

This magnificently concise and easy to comprehend command was spoken by Jules Winnfield (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson) in the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction.

It is also incredibly effective as a minor banishing. Take few moments of deep breathing to focus Chi, then speak the phrase in a short, sharp, directed burst of energy in the direction (if possible) of whatever it is that you wish to effect. Minor annoyances will abate completely, and greater manifestations will “dim their fire” and tend to leave off whatever it was that was vexing you

You might think this is a joke. It certainly reads like it could be, doesn’t it? But it’s not. It works. Whether the entities that it effects are real, and the focus and intent of your Will is assaulting them, or they are imagined, and the result is achieved simply by centering and focusing is irrelevant. Either way, you will be left in a better state of mind, and the resultant irony of having just used a piece of action film dialogue as an incantation will redirect your ambient mindset.
Vargr
03.18.04

This night is chilled by ghosts
And the woods are full of werewolves

• Enshrined in Crematoria, Cradle of Filth

I listen to a lot of Cradle of Filth, and sometimes I am driven to ponder the more esoteric (and silly) aspects of their lyrics. The above made me wonder: What does Dani mean by “full of werewolves?” What actually constitutes a forest full of werewolves? What is the size of their territory? Do they hunt in packs like wolves, or as solo predators? What kind of an ecosystem is necessary to support these werewolves? Do they dine primarily on villagers? On deer? Some of these questions I cannot answer, but there is one that I can take a stab at, so to speak.

A quick Google search reveals that a wolf’s territory can range from 13 – 2,400 mi². Let’s use this as a basis. I’ll take the extreme low in an attempt to maximize the number of werewolves in the woods. Too, the median wolf pack size seems to be 5, so we’ll use that too, and assume them to be pack hunters. If the pack spreads out to cover the maximum amount of area in their hunt, this will lead to a werewolf/ mi² value of 0.384615 (repeating, of course) werewolves per square mile.

I don’t know where exactly the song is set, so I’m going to assume it’s in Romania. The website http://www.fao.org asserts that 6.249 million ha of Romania is covered in forest. A hectare is equivalent to 0.00386102 square miles. That means that there are 24,285.8158‬ square miles of forest. Since we know how many werewolves per square mile there are, we can calculate that there are a total of 9,340 (rounded down) werewolves in the woods.

This article originally appeared in the Yule 1994 issue of Idunna, the journal of the Ring of Troth.
It was also submitted as the first research project in my Elder training in the Ring.

Of all the Aesir, Tyr is among the least understood. This is due to the scarcity of material from early pagan times, and due to the misconceptions and contradictions present in much of the material that is available.

From his beginnings as Tiwaz, the sky god of the early Indo-Europeans, to his remembrance as the Viking god of the thing and of warfare, to his place in Asatru today, this article will attempt to give a greater understanding of this enigmatic god.

The name Tiwaz, in Germanic, means “Shining One” or is also a generic term for “god” (Daly 1991). In Old High German, this became Zio, and in Old Norse, Tyr. The word Tiwaz is the cognate to the Sanskrit word “dyaus”, the Greek “Zeus”, and the Roman “Jupiter”. Each of these terms relates to a divinity which is the personification of the sky (Grimm 1882).

Under the name of Ziu, Tyr was the chief diety of the Suebians (Guerber 1895). The Suebians were an early Teutonic tribe, and were a part of the Alemanni who were a confederation of peoples of the Upper Rhine around the third century C.E. (Spence 1985). The modern German city of Augsburg was the Suebian capital, and was then called Ziusburg.

The wide-spread worship of Tyr throughout Northern Europe is indicated by the abundance of place-names (Tisvelde, Tysting, Tisdorf, Ziesburg etc.) and plant-names (Tyviër, Tyrhialm, Tysfiola, Tistbast etc.) which are found (Grimm 1882). These names can be found throughout the Rhine region, Upper Germany, North Germany, Saxony, and Scandinavia (MacCulloch 1930). It must be noted however, that the largest number of these place-names are concentrated in Denmark (Jones 1984).

His worship may have been even wider-spread than is indicated by these names, as other nations knew him by different names, many of which may now be lost. We do know that he was worshiped by the Saxons as Saxnot, or “Sword Companion”, and by the Cheruski under the name of Cheru. Other names under which he was worshiped include: Dings, Dis, Ear, Erias, Iertac, Ziumen, and Ziuwari (Sykes 1965). The Romans recorded his name as “Mars Thingsus”, which indicates that they perceived him as both a war god, and the god of the Thing, or assembly. This will be discussed shortly.

Probably the greatest indicator of his importance both in ancient, and even into modern times, is that one of the days of the week bears his name.

Some of what we know about the ancient importance of Tyr is contained in archaeological finds throughout Northern Europe. A set of golden runic horns were found in Gallehus, Denmark, which date to the early fifth century C.E.. These were destroyed by thieves during the 19th century, but they had been extensively studied before this occurred. Carvings on these horns depicted several figures, which have been interpreted to be either gods or godar. One of these is a one-handed man which some scholars have interpreted to be Tiwaz. Another find is a helmet plate from a Vendel grave in Sweden, which dates to the sixth or seventh century C.E.. This plate depicts a chained animal, which may represent the binding of Fenris (Davidson 1967). Proof that Tyr’s worship was carried abroad is found in the form of a Frisian altar found at Hadrian’s Wall in England in 1883 (Kauffmann 1903). The altar bears an inscription to Mars Thingsus, and was apparently used by Frisian mercenaries in service to Rome.

More reliable information than archaeological conjecture can be found in the written accounts of historians from that period, such as Cornelius Tacitus. Tacitus recorded much about the lives and religious practices of the Teutonic tribes in his Germania. The holy places of the early Germans were woods and groves (Tacitus 1970). The Suebians had a particularly holy grove in which human sacrifices were conducted. No man could enter the grove until he had been bound, to show his mortal inferiority. If someone fell while in the grove, they were not permitted to rise, but had to roll or crawl on the ground. This grove was considered to be the center of their entire religion.

By the time of the Viking era, Tyr’s importance had greatly diminished (Davidson 1988). In most areas, he was still considered to be one of the three primary gods, along with Odhinn and Thorr, but in some regions, especially Sweden, Freyr had superseded him in importance. He had come to be considered the son of either Odhinn, or the giant Hymir (Grant 1990). It is debated whether or not this was thought to literally be true, or to be simply an acknowledgment that Odhinn was now superior. It has been noted that Odhinn appears to be the successor of both the earlier Wodan, and Tiwaz, as he retained some of the qualities of both earlier dieties (Davidson 1964). The only other proposed origin for Tyr was that he was formed in Ymir’s sweat, along with the etins (Allardice 1991).

Even though his importance had diminished from earlier times, Tyr was still called on for help in battle. In the Prose Edda, (trans. Young 1954), we read:

He is the boldest and most courageous,
and he has the power over victory in
battle; it is good for brave men to
invoke him. …[he] is one-handed and
he is not called a peace-maker

Concerning the way in which he should be invoked, we find in the Lay of Sigrdrifa in the Poetic Edda (Hollander 1962):

Learn victory runes if thou victory wantest
and have them on thy sword’s hilt
on thy sword’s hilt some, on thy sword’s guard
some, and call twice upon Tyr.

This brings to mention the “T” rune that bears Tyr’s name. It was carved on weapons to insure their wielder victory. Its form has been interpreted to mean either a spearhead, or more esoterically, the vault of the heavens being supported by the universal world column (Thorsson 1984).

Besides being considered the god of battle, Tyr was also considered to be the god of law, order and justice (Davidson 1982). The dual attributes of battle and justice assigned to Tyr have caused much confusion. It is not until one considers that law transcends human definitions that this duality makes sense. In order to establish law and order within the cosmos, battle must be fought against the forces of chaos. By binding chaos, Tyr is seen as the bringer of order (Konung-Agnarsson 1994).

Understanding the transition from Tiwaz, the sky god, to Tyr, the war god, is easier when one considers that sky gods in general often have an aspect of war (De La Saussaye 1902). When one aspect of a god is removed, another will come to prominence. In this case, Odhinn and Thorr have taken over the aspect of sky god (Davidson 1982). This has left the warrior aspect as his primary role. Over time, all gods will change, depending on the attitudes and needs of their followers. This is how the law aspect came to be.

As previously mentioned, Tyr was known also as “Mars Thingsus”, or god of the Thing. The Thing was the assembly of men in which disputes were settled, laws were made, and all manner of matters decided upon. Tyr was connected with the Thing from the times of the earliest Germanic tribes. As Tacitus recorded, only the priests were allowed to mete out punishment, from floggings to death. These punishments were decided at the Thing, at first by the Godar, then in later times by the “holmganga” (trial-by- combat) (Davidson 1964). Both of these methods fall under the auspices of Tyr.

Few myths survive which tell of Tyr’s exploits. The most important of these is the binding of Fenris. For a very readable rendition of this, see _The Norse Myths_ by Kevin Crossley-Holland, or for the original, see the Prose Edda. To summarize, the gods decided that the great wolf Fenris, son of Loki, had to be bound, for fear that he would become too destructive. The gods played on Fenris’ pride, and challenged his strength to break various fetters. When the gods brought forth the magical bond Gleipnir, Fenris feared a trick, and would not let the gods place it on him until one of them placed his hand in the wolf’s mouth. Of all the gods, only Tyr was brave enough to do so. When Fenris could not break the bond, he bit off Tyr’s hand.
In the myth of Aegir’s cauldron, Tyr is no more than a straight man for Thor. For a decent rendition of this myth, see Green’s _Myths of the Norsemen_. From the myths of Ragnarok, we know what ultimate fate awaits Tyr:

Against strong Tyr leaps Garm, the fierce
wolfdog, and in dread conflict they engage;
and one by the other is wounded so that both
fall dead (MacKenzie 1985).

From the eddic sources, we see that Tyr’s actions benefit the common good. We also strengthen the concept of Tyr as a god of oaths and law. Although he broke his oath, he also willingly paid the price.

If comparatively little is known of Tyr, then almost nothing is known of Zisa, his consort. We know that she too was worshipped by the Suebians, and that a festival was held in her honor on September 28th (Grimm 1882). It is possible that Zisa is actually Isis, as Grimm draws a possible connection between the names, and Tacitus reported that Isis was revered by the Suebians. There is also possible archaeological evidence that Zisa may be a female counterpart to Tyr (Bainbridge 1993). In addition to Zisa, there is some evidence that Tyr may have been married to Angrboda, the mother of Fenris. In Loki’s Flytting (Lokasenna), Loki states: “With thy housewife I slept so a son she bore; nor did a penny didst get to pay thee back for this wrong thou wretch (Hollander 1962).”

It is necessary in a study of any depth to address the comparisons and similarities between Tyr and the gods of other folk. There are several gods that Tyr has been often compared to. The first of these is Nuada, the king of the Celtic Tuatha De Danann (MacCana 1983). There are several notable similarities between Tyr and Nuada. According to Celtic myth, Nuada lost his hand battling the Firbolgs at the first battle of Magh Tuiredh. Although the method in which each god lost his hand is different, in each case it was done to benefit the greater good of the folk. For further commentary on the nature of these losses, see _Death, War and Sacrifice_ by Bruce Lincoln.

Another point of similarity between these two are their swords. Nuada’s sword was considered to be among the greatest treasures of the Celtic gods. Similar to this is the early myth of the sword of Cheru (Tyr), which was said to have been made by the sons of Ivaldi. Cheru entrusted the keeping of his sword to his people, the Cheruski. While they held it, they believed themselves to be invincible. Legend holds that is was the sword of Cheru which Attila found and used in his conquests (Guerber 1895).

In addition to Nuada, Tyr has often been compared to Mithra, the multifaceted Indo-European god (Turville-Petre 1975). Mithra, also known as Mitra in Vedic sources, was a god of contracts and agreements, as well as serenity. It may seem to be a contradiction, but he was a peaceful god who was also capable of leading hosts to victory in battle (Comte 1991). It is also possible that the early Germans knew of Mithra, as his cult spread as far north as the Rhine, and survived into the fifth century C.E..

Works Consulted

Allardice, Pamela. Myths, Gods, and Fantasy ABC-CLIO, New York, 1991.
Bainbridge, Bill. “Tyr and Zisa” Our Troth ed. Kveldulf Gundarsson. Ring of Troth, Seattle, 1993.
Comte, Fernande. Chambers Encyclopedic guide: Mythology Chambers, Edinburgh, 1991
Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths Pantheon, New York, 1980.
Daly, Kathleen. Norse Mythology A to Z Facts on File, New York, 1991.
Davidson, H. R. E. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe Syracuse University Press, Syracuse, 1988.
—. Scandinavian Mythology Peter Bedrick, New York, 1982.
—. Pagan Scandinavia Praeger, New York, 1967.
—. Gods and Myths of Northern Europe Penguin, London, 1964.
De La Saussaye, P.D. The Religion of the Teutons Trans. B.J. Vos. Ginn, Boston, 1902.
Grant, John. An Introduction to Viking Mythology Chartwell, Secaucus, 1990.
Green, Roger L. Myths of the Norsemen Penguin, London, 1960.
Grimm, Jacob. Teutonic Mythology Trans. J.S. Stallybrass George Bell & Sons, Covent Garden, 1882.
Guerber, H. A. Myths of Northern Lands American Books, New York, 1895.
Hollander, Lee M. Trans. The Poetic Edda University of Texas Press, Austin, 1962.
Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1984.
Kauffman, Friedrich. Northern Mythology Trans. M. Smith Dent, London, 1903.
Konung-Agnarsson, Rig. “Tyrianism” Fjallabok May 1994: 5-7.
Lincoln, Bruce. Death, War, and Sacrifice University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1990(?).
MacCana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology Peter Bedrick, New York, 1983.
MacKenzie, Donald. German Myths and Legends Crown, New York, 1985.
McCulloch, John. The Mythology of All Races: Vol 2: Eddic Jones, Boston, 1930.
Spence, Lewis. Myths and Legends: Germany Bracken, London, 1985.
Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda Trans. Anthony Faulkes. Tuttle, Rutland, 1987.
—. The Prose Edda Trans. Jean Young. University of California Press, 1954.
Sykes, Egerton. Everyman’s Dictionary of Non-Classical Mythology Dent, London, 1965.
Tacitus, Cornelius. The Agricola and The Germania Trans. H. Mattingly. Penguin, London, 1970.
Thorsson, Edred. Futhark Samuel Weiser, York Beach, 1984.
Turville-Petre, E. O. G. Myth and Religion of the North Greenwood, New York, 1975.

Vargr
6/16/94

Here is another article that I wrote 14 years ago for the original SpikeVision website.

Vargr: The Institution of Outlawry

Dave Smith, 2004

 The institution of outlawry for punishment of severe crimes was practiced throughout the Viking age.  Further, the concept of outlaws being equivalent to or associated with wolves was widespread throughout northern Europe.   This article will briefly examine this practice, both from an historical and a literary standpoint.

 What was Outlawry?

 Although practiced throughout northern Europe, many of the best historical and literary accounts come from Iceland.  For this reason, many of the examples will be of Icelandic origin. Outlawry was a complex social and economic punishment, which could be imposed for a number of crimes, and which consisted of several components. The root of outlawry was banishment from the country.  In the case of lesser outlawry, or Fjörbaugsgarður, it was for the term of three years. In the case of greater outlawry, or Skóggangur, the banishment was for life, and after three months, the outlaw could be lawfully killed. (1)

 Often, rather than leaving the country, the outlawed man would take refuge in the heath or forest.  For this reason, such men were often known as forest-dwellers.

 The term of banishment could vary widely.  A man’s friends and family could petition the Thing for removal of the penalty, while the family of the slain could urge its extension.

 Grettir decided to go on to the Thing, and to the Thing he went. The matter was taken up by the heirs of the man slain. Thorkell gave his hand to pay the compensation and Grettir was to be banished for three years. (2)

 In fact, Grettir’s banishment lasted a total of twenty years.

 In 982 Eric the Red was outlawed for three years and used his period of banishment to organize an expedition and explore Greenland.

 The outlawed man could not petition the Thing, nor could he be named as a defendant.  If he was encountered in the land from which he was banished, he could be killed without fear of reprisal, for he was literally outside of the protection of the law.  It was common for the friends or family of a slain man to put a price on the head of the slayer.  In addition, the outlawed man lost all property.

 Though I use the term ‘outlawed man’ throughout this essay, there is evidence that a woman could also be punished in this manner.

 “If a man slays a woman he shall be outlawed just as if he has slain a man. If a woman slays a man, she shall be outlawed, and her kinsmen shall remove her from the land” (3)

 Crimes

 There were a number of crimes and offenses for which a man could be made an outlaw.  These include:

 Murder (cited above)

 Theft:

“If a well-born woman steals, she shall be driven out of the land into another kingdom. (4)

 Harboring an outlaw:

 Grettir stayed but a few nights with Grim, for he did not want it to become known that he was about to travel North across the Heath. Grim told him to come back to visit him if he needed protection. “Yet,” he said, “I would gladly avoid the penalty of being outlawed for harbouring you.” (5)

 Grievously insulting another man:

 There are three words from maliced verse between men, which are punished with full outlawry. If a man calls a man ragr or stroðinn or sorðinn. And they shall be punished as fully slanderous words, and a man is given the right to kill for these words. (6)

 Going berserk (as stated in Christian law in 1123):

 If someone goes berserk, he is punished with lesser outlawry and the men who are present are also banished if they do not bind him. (7)

 Outlaws as wolves

 The association of outlaws and wolves is very strong in the Germanic cultures. The Old Norse word vargr (OSw: varghær, OHG: warg, OE: wearg ) has been translated in a number of ways, and several Indo-European root words have been claimed as its source. These include *wergh (“strangle”, via the Germanic *wargaz) (8) and  the Germanic “wacrer” (to wander).  The latter is the root for the modern English word vagrant.  From the fact that the major component of outlawry was banishment, this last option seems to be the most likely source.  Those who transgress against society are forced to wander from their homeland.

 After the Christianization of Northern Europe, an additional aspect of being outside of the faith as well:

 _Vargr_ is the same as _u-argr_, restless; _argr_ being the same as the Anglo-Saxon _earg_. _Vargr_ had its double signification in Norse. It signified a wolf, and also a godless man.(9)

 One author holds that the association between wolves and outlaws seems to be a later phenomenon particular to the Norse cultures:

 …it is only late, and mostly in Norse, that vargr (cognate with warg) acquires the meaning “wolf” along with “criminal.” In Old English, wearg means almost exclusively “criminal” or “accursed being.” (10)

 In Anglo-Saxon lands, the term “wolf’s-head” became an accepted term for criminals (11). This connection itself is not so simple as it may seem.  At first view, it seems to be made due to the similarity in temperament between wolves and criminals.  However, deeper meanings to this connection have been suggested.  Some authors have suggested that the condemnation of an outlaw as vargr is a symbolic pronouncement that the man is now a wolf, and is worthy of strangulation (12).

 Thus it is well seen that Sigi has slain the thrall and murdered him; so he is given forth to be a wolf in holy places , and may no more abide in the land with his father (13)

 Völundur, Egill and Slagfinnur, the third son of Ívaldi, chose to become outlaws, and travelled all the way to the northernmost edge of the world, to Úlfdalir (Wolf-dales), where Gods never go. (14)

 One author has suggested that there is also a symbolic connection between the transformation of men into wolves, and the feminization of men through the practice of Seidr magic and in playing the passive role in sodomy.  The term ergi, may have applied to both of these receptive roles (15).

 Conclusion

 Outlawry as a social institution allowed society to pass judgment and punish criminals while avoiding the authoritarian and logistical dilemma of incarceration.  In a family-based society without clearly defined leaders, it provided a social mandate for punishment that was well-suited to the temperament and attitudes of the people. The threat of being placed outside the bound of society’s protection and ejected from the homeland was a strong deterrent to discourage anti-social or destructive behavior.

 The association between wolves and outlaws is a complex one, which is not necessarily clarified by analysis of linguistic structures.  The relationship comes in part due to the temperament and unpredictability attributed to both entities, but also carries an aspect of unholiness.  As the wolf threatens the safety of the flock, so does the outlaw threaten the stability of society. Both were dwellers in the literal and metaphorical wild lands, or utangards.  Both were to be regarded with a sense of dread, as both were outside of the social construct of normal behavior.  The inability to predict the motives or actions of such protean beings would greatly unnerve members of a culture based on established social, familial and traditional patterns of conduct.

 References

 (1) ‘Ordered Anarchy: Evolution of the Decentralized Legal Order in the Icelandic Commonwealth’, Birgir T. Runolfsson Solvason, 1992.

(2) Grettir’s Saga, Section XVI, (14th c. A.D.) G. H. Hight trans.

(3)   The Earliest Norwegian Laws,  Lawrence M. Larson trans. 1935.

(4)   Ibid.

(5) Staðarhólsbók of Grágás, Selvårv Stigårð trans. 1999.

(5)   Grettir’s Saga, Section XLVII.

(7) The Viking Achievement, P.G. Foote & D.M. Wilson.

(8)   ‘Hellhounds, Werewolves, and the Germanic Underworld’, Alby Stone, 1994.

(9)   ‘The Book of Were-Wolves’, Sabine Baring-Gould, Project Gutenberg, 2002

(10) ‘Wolf and Werewolf’, Online Etymology Dictionary.

(11) ‘Bums in Brigantia: Sacred Gender-Variance in Ancient Germanic and Celtic Cultures’, Phil Hine.

(12) ‘Hellhounds, Werewolves, and the Germanic Underworld’, Alby Stone, 1994.

(13) Volsunga Saga, ch. 1 (13^th c A.D.) William Morris and Eirikr Magnusson trans.

(14) Rydberg’s Edda, ch. 43, 1889 trans.

(15) ‘Bums in Brigantia: Sacred Gender-Variance in Ancient Germanic and Celtic Cultures’, Phil Hine.