Wolffe's Ways

Freyr,of whom this rune is representative, is perhaps one of the most often called upon deities within the Vanic Pantheon, while also being one of the most hotly debated. There are those who will tell you that Freyr is nothing more than a fertility deity, and will try and use the structure of the rune itself in both the Norse form and the Anglo-Saxon form to prove their point. Citing that the Norse form is a ‘feminine derivative’ and that it indicates how much Freyr is focused on conjugal relations with his wife, Gerd, or even with having fun with his sister Freyja in the time before his marriage. There are others who will concentrate on the phallic nature of the Anglo-Saxon form, pointing out that this is how He ‘spreads his seed’ and that Freyr is not bound by the Sexual Mores of humanity. Others may even bring forth the concept of whether or not He is a hetro, or homo-sexual deity. But the fact of the matter is that though sexuality is a large part of the Vanic focus when it comes to bringing prosperity to the land and the people, it is not all that Freyr is about. Nor, is it all that this particular rune is about.

If one looks at the Norse form of the Ingwaz rune, you can see it as an entry point, through which an individual entered the burial mound, finding their way to the afterlife, and thus reunion with the ancestral spirits who waited for you. Freyr, as lord of the mound itself, and lord of light elf home (ljossalfheim) gave such union to many of those who were dedicated to the Vanes. The Alfar, (spirits of our male ancestors) were entrusted wholly into His care, as the Disir (spirits of the women of our line) were entrusted to his sister Freyja. If one looks at the Anglo-Saxon derivation of the Ingwaz rune, you can see that it looks not only phallic, but also like a DNA strand, which makes us think of the fact that Freyr was said to be the progenitor, of the royal house of Sweden, and that He is known as God of the World. It is through His sacrifice each year at Loaf Fest (also known as Lammas) that the earth is given sustenance and we are all fed. So we all take part of Him into us. This is not to say that sexuality, sacred or otherwise is not a large part of Freyr worship and consciousness, but it is not the end all be all of it.

The Ingwaz rune gives us a blueprint for the relationship(s) we should have with ourselves and those around us, showing us that we should honor those we embrace, who seeking understanding for ourselves as to what this means. And also defining sexuality for ourselves, That we should not let society be the dictator, forcing us to always decide that relationships should be based on sex and not quality. It tells us that sacrifices are necessary at times, but that in the end they are worth it. When we open ourselves to these truths we open ourselves to the potential that is out there as well as within.

Written by, Ayla Wolffe©2008