The Rökkr
can be described as the Nightside deities of northern
European mythology, primal beings who predate the more
familiar Aesir and Vanir pantheons. They are often the
spirits of primordial concepts such as fire, ice, death,
and the underworld, and can be compared to the Titans
of Greek mythology, or the Nephilim of Semetic myth. Included
in their number are Hela (goddess of death and the underworld),
Iormungand (the world serpent), Fenrir (kozmic wolf),
Loki (trickster god), Angrboda (mother goddess and teacher
of seidr), Surt (fire giant), and Nidhogg (tellurian dragon).
WHAT
DOES RÖKKR MEAN?
Rökkr:Twilight
Rökkr:Shadow
Rökkr:Darkness
RÖKKR
KOZMOLOGY
GRANDMOTHER
NAL: Considers
the significance of this polar goddess, the mother of
Loki, and the grandmother of Hela.
THE
KOZMIC GAME:
Understanding Rökkr kozmology
as encoded within various traditional European board games.
SOMEWHERE
OVER THE RAINBOW: As
well as being regarded as a classic of modern fairy tales,
the Wizard of Oz has certain elements of a distinctly
Rökkr nature.
CLASSIC
RÖKKR TEXTS
THE VOLUSPA:
The Voluspa is a prophecy recited
by Angrboda-Heid, which tells of both the creation of
the world, and its end. It is important not only because
it is given by Angrboda, the Rökkr mother goddess,
but because of its great age compared to some other Norse
texts.
THE
LOKASENNA: The
Lokasenna is an important Lokian work, in which Loki attends
a banquet of the gods and insults almost everyone in attendance.
His insults, though, are not empty menace, but contain
cutting truths.
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