Heraldry for Vikings

Introduction

For many of us, the first images that come to mind when we think of tournaments and knights are brightly-coloured shields and devices on tents and banners. When the SCA was first founded, it was this high medieval ideal that inspired much of what was done. Each person wanted their own device, and for their shields to be recognized across the field. Towards that end, the SCA College of Heralds was formed and codified the rules which we use today for the registration of names, badges, and devices.

To go along with the Artuhrian high medieval ideals of chivalry and knights, the College decided upon the French rules of heraldry, which are the most common and widely used. This gave everyone a good basis to start with, and fit the needs of the majority of personas. With the passing of time, we have seen that sometimes the rules make it difficult for people to make a device that truly fits them. The good thing is that we allow a ton of artistic license for people who are creative enough to work within the rules to develop something that matches their persona. I have seen some really well done Japanese mon that were based on the blazon of European device. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing the best ways (in my opinion) to create a device that matches a Norse persona during the Viking Age.

Before getting into the nitty gritty of how to make a device, I would like to talk about the application process. As a Herald, I always tell applicants that a perfect application with no issues takes about nine months, but that a year is a reasonable timeline for one in which nothing is rejected. The reason for this long process is because every submission to the College of Heralds has to go through at least two different commentary stages, each of which is about a month long. The steps in your normal submission process are: application to your local or kingdom Herald, internal commentary (commentary from other Heralds within your Kingdom, which isn’t done every month, so it might take a little bit for yours to be commented on), external commentary (from all the Heralds in the Knowne World), and finally, if it has passed both of these steps, it will be placed to review by the College of Arms for final decision on the submission. Each of these steps can take 6-10 weeks.

You might ask why we go through so many steps and commentary periods. The answer is a short one: submissions can be very complicated, and no one Herald knows everything about everything. The commentary periods allows other Heralds to catch mistakes and conflicts that might otherwise have been missed. Each person’s device or name is important to them, and it is the job of the College to make sure that it is unique to them and follows the period patterns for the submission.

SCA Rules 101

I am not going to delve very far into the specifics of the SCA rules; this is just a quick review of things that you should know as you start your design process. A great introduction to the rules can be found in this primer https://heraldry.sca.org/armory/newprimer/h4f.shtml, and most local groups have a Herald as an officer that can help you with your questions. I am also happy to answer any questions you might have in the comments section below.

When creating a device, it is best to think of it as a photoshop project with multiple layers. This will help you understand some of the rules that we will discuss as we continue. For example your device can have a maximum of three layers. If you stack more than three things, it will automatically be

Alejandro de Leon
A great example of simple design that is recognizeable

returned to be redesigned.

Tinctures
Tinctures are the different colours that can be used in devices. We use the term ‘tincture” because we actually split the 7 that we use into 5 colours and 2 metals. The colours are Blue (Azure), Green (Vert), Purple (Purpure), Black (Sable), and Red (Gules). The Metals are White/Silver (Argent), and Yellow/Gold (Or). The reason for this split is to make it easy to create rules that will help create devices that have good contrast and visibility. Even modernly, these rules are followed in an unwritten sense by graphic designers and marketing gurus. Certain colours are just easier to see, or stand out more when paired with others.

This brings us to our next rule from what we call the instabounce list: when layering, you can not have a colour on a colour or a metal on a metal. This means that if the background of your device is a colour, then the charge you place upon it must be a metal and vice versa.

Charges
Charges can be best described as the objects you place upon the field of your device, which can be animals, shapes, or things. Usually when people think of a device, the first thing they picture is the charge. Whether it's the gold Fleur de Lis of France, the Lion of England, or the White Tree of Gondor, they tend to be the meat and potatoes of the device. Please check out the primer above for a good list of how charges can be placed on fields.

Alejandro's device above is a good example of charge groups. The primary charge is the red bar (called a bend sinister) and the white dots are the secondary charge (called plates).

Complexity
Devices, as they are used in the SCA and as they were used in the 14c and 15c, are meant to be easily identifiable at a distance. They need to let people know who you are at a glance. Towards that end,

Beatrice Whitcombe

they can not be overly complicated otherwise the details get muddied. To facilitate this, the College of Heralds has the rule of complexity: no device can have a complexity higher than eight. Complexity is calculated by counting each tincture and different charge.

For example, my wife’s device is 3 bees on a gold field with a black border. She has two charge types (the bees and the border) and two tinctures (gold and black), which gives her a complexity of four.

Conflict
One of the main things being searched for throughout all those commentary periods is conflict. The Heralds are looking to make sure that your device is unique, and doesn’t conflict with any of the other devices that have been registered. A device is considered to be free of conflict if it doesn’t come within two steps of difference from another similar device. Conflict can be a very difficult thing to understand, since certain types of charges are considered to be close enough to conflict even if they are different. A good example is hounds, wolves, and foxes. These are all different animals, but at a distance they can be easily confused. As a good rule of thumb, minor differences are things like positions of charges, secondary charges, and tinctures, which can be used to differentiate between devices that are similar.

Norse it Up!

All these rules are great if you are looking to do a 14c or 15c persona along the style of a crusader or an English knight. The real question here is how do us pre-heraldry personas get to join the heraldry fun so people know who we are!

First off, it's important to know that your device -no matter how you design it- will have to be submitted in a 14c art style. Don’t be discouraged! You are allowed to change the art style after it has passed, as long as it is still recognizable as what you have blazoned. That is to say any changes you make to the art style are not so drastic as to change what the description of the image would be.  At the end of this section,I will share my device both as submitted and how I display it now.

Tullstorp Runestone showing a wolf.

Second, let's talk charges! Like I said before, it’s the meat and potatoes of the device and as a culture
that believes in the spirits of things, charges could be almost like a totem. This lets you have a good reason for rallying under a certain banner. When it comes to choosing a charge for a Viking Age device, first consider things that actually existed during this time period, and were important to them. Another good starting point is to look at the rune stones and other surviving art from the period to see what possible charges were depicted. For animals, the easy ones to think of are wolves, ravens, bears, and dragons, but don’t forget that the Norse were known for using kennings (poetic phrases used to describe people or places), which means that a small person could easily take a rabbit or squirrel as their device, with squirrels having the bonus of representing Ratatoskr who lives in the world tree. Large or slow people could take an aurochs or turtle. These are just some examples for how a device can be used to represent either a part of you, or a trait you wish to embody. This is different from later heraldry, where it tended to be passed down, and as such was more about the lineage and family rather than the individual.

Next step, art styles! We are fortunate that the runestones depict so many different things, and allow us a good look into the art styles of the time period. With a little research and creativity, you can take any charge you can think of and redraw it in an art style that would fit in during the Viking Age. Word of warning: not all knotwork is the same; there are differences between the Book of Kells and Runestone art. Both are beautiful, but they come from different cultures.

At last, you have done your research, designed both your submission and the Norse version, and it has passed! What do you with your awesome new piece of heraldry? Why, display it of course! There are tons of ways to use your new heraldry on camp that go just beyond painting it on your shield. In period, the sails of a ship were thought to have been used as canvas for tents, and what’s more intimidating than a ship with the device of the person that is coming to raid you prominently displayed on the sails?! You could also craft yourself a banner in the Norse style. Both of these are good ways to let people know who’s camp they are seeing. These types of touches also go a long way towards improving the overall period appearance of a campsite, and allow us all to dive a little deeper into the Dream.

Conclusion

As always, it is important to note that this is just how I do/see things. Heraldry is a part of the game, but it is not required for most aspects of the game. In the SCA, you can always participate as much or as little as you want. This is also my opinion on how to take something that would be out of period for most Nordic folks and bring it somewhat in line with their styles and appearance. You can do your heraldry any way you want; the most important part is that you are having fun and it looks good to you!


If you have an example of an SCA-approved heraldry that has been converted to Norse, please share it in the comments!


Here are mine!

The original submission in a 14c style.
Yes, it is missing the roundel that was added later.

Edit: Two important things were pointed out to me.
1- The Viking Answer Lady has a great article where she goes very deep into the art and extant Viking Age shields. She also has a handy chart of charges. Check it out at: http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/vikheraldry.shtml

2- Many people want to put a shield boss on their device since their shield will have one. You make your device without the boss, and if you want design around the idea it will be there. However it makes no sense to try and add it to the actual art.

The design I currently use on my shields and banners.
Wolves based on the Tulstorp Runestone.

What is Asatru?

Introduction

First things first: disclaimer time! This post is about my beliefs and my spirituality. Part of what makes Asatru and most pagan/heathen traditions different than the large organized religions is that each person finds their own path. We each honour the gods, and our ancestors, in different ways. We might even disagree on certain core tenants. This post is to help me answer the questions that often get asked when people find out I am a heathen. The history of heathenry is accurate as I understand it, but the rest are my opinions on what it means to be a heathen, and how my clan and I follow the traditions of our ancestors.

History of Heathenry

Heathenry and Asatru is the modern worship of the ancient Norse/Germanic gods, which includes ancestor worship; the gods themselves are actually said to be the ancestors of humanity. There is proof of the ancient Germanic religion’s roots dating back to 1CE, but the stories at that time give the impression that it is much older. The proof we have from this time period are depictions of Wodanaz and Tiwaz, who would later develop into Odin and Tyr respectively. These traditions were followed as the primary religion of the Nordic people throughout the Iron Age, and what is called the Migration or Viking Era. The decline of the Viking Age begins with Harald Hadrada unifying the Northern Kingdoms, and it is considered to come to a close with Olaf Oathbreaker and the Christianization of the Nordic peoples in the 11c.

For 700 years, if anyone kept the old ways it was done in secret and hidden places to avoid the persecution of the Church. It isn’t until the 1700s that we see a resurgence of interest in ancient Norse/Germanic culture during the period of Germanic Romanticism, which led to renewed study of the faiths of that region. We see new groups pop up that research and honour the old gods. This is when the seeds of Folkism are planted, an era where much of the hate in Heathenry traces its roots to, people who used the old gods as an excuse to claim their heritage was pure and better than others. In the 1930s, these were the groups that created some of the culture of the Nazi party, and it is the reason many pagan symbols are associated so strongly with hate groups: runes like Othala were corrupted by the hateful ideologies of that time, and used on their banners.

Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson
First High Priest of the Ásatrúarfélagið

In the 1970s, we see a rebirth for nature-based religions throughout the Western world. Among those that return is Nordic Paganism, now called Heathenry, and in some groups Asatru. The word Asatru is a compound Norse word from “Asa” meaning god, and “Tru” meaning way: Way of the Gods. In the early days of the Neopagan movement, the divide between the Folkists and Universalist Asatru was already there. Some groups limited their members to only those who had the blood of the Northern Europeans, while others allowed anyone who would honour the gods and the traditions a seat in their hall. In Iceland, the old ways never fully died, and many cultural aspects had remained in place. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson was the founder of the Ásatrúarfélagið, the Asatru Association, in Iceland in 1972 and served as the High Priest for over 20 years. In Iceland, there are nearly 5000
people who call themselves Asatru, which represents 1.5% of the population and is the largest group per capita in the world. Today, it is estimated that there are between 8,000-20,000 Asatruar in the United States, but it’s difficult to get an accurate count due to the non-structured nature of the religion and the different terms people use to describe them.

How did I find my Way?

I was very young when I saw that Christianity wasn’t for me. I was raised in a Catholic family, but my grandmother taught me to ask questions, which caused issues: there were so many things that didn’t make sense, or went against what I felt in the core of me. The final straw came at a sleep-away camp when I was around 8 or 9 years old: we were in our circle group, and the Youth Leader went around asking if people had questions. My cousin, who also attended the camp, knew I wasn't a devout Catholic and suggested that I ask and see if it helped any. Bad idea. Standing up, I asked the leader if animals went to heaven, something important to me as my dog had recently passed and I was very close to her. The Leader took a moment to think on my question and then answered that since animals don't have souls, they couldn’t go to heaven. He went on to say that Jesus Christ had died for our sins, so the Kingdom of God was promised only to his followers, and that an animal can’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. This shook me to the core —the idea that living and feeling creatures were believed to not have a spirit that would be preserved beyond death— and it was the end of my association with the Christian faith in all its many flavours. I still occasionally go to events at the Church since my family is Catholic, and I want to make it clear that I don't hate Christianity or the Abrahamic faiths, they just aren’t my faith.

Common symbols associated with Asatru
Odins Ravens and Wolves. The Tree of Life. Mimirs
Well.

This started a 15 year long journey during which I studied different belief systems and read voraciously, trying to find an answer that felt good in my heart. In the early years, I called myself agnostic (yeah I was a weird kid), because I had no exposure to non-Abrahamic faiths. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe there was a god, just that the one I had been shown wasn't mine (#notmygod). I did try out Judaism and even attended classes with my cousin preparing for her Batmitzvah, but it didn’t quite fit. Finally when I was 14 or 15, I found paganism: at first, generic Wicca and then, Celtic Druidism. Each of these called to my spirit in different ways, but the basis in nature was crucial. I also had strong feelings about warrior cultures and the idea of a strong code of behavior based on that. This lead to me calling myself a Druid throughout my late teens and early 20s. It still didn't fit perfectly, but it was very close. I focused my worship on Cuchulain, the Morrigan, and Herne, the deities that called out to me the most. The idea of a polythiestic religion appealed to me, because at my core I am a pantheonist. All gods are the same god, and we use representations of them to be able to better commune with the facets of this supreme being that best correlate to who we are and what lessons we are working on learning. Finally in my early 20’s I reconnected with an old friend, Sergio (currently the clan’s Goði) who had found Asatru, and it clicked on all facets. A strong martial tradition, with a pantheon of deities, mythologies as a teaching tool, shamanistic roots, it resonated within me and I knew that at last my search was at an end. Now began the actual study!

Who are the gods?

In ancient times and in modern Asatru, there are two tribes of gods:  the Vanir and the Aesir. There are also countless spirits and other beings that make up the mythologies and the world of the gods. In this post, I am not going to go into heavy detail on any of the gods, or the cosmology of the worlds, because that can be several separate blog posts by themselves. The basic idea is that, in the time before history, there was a war in the realms between the Aesir and the Vanir, which ended when the Vanir surrendered and gave the Aesir two fosterlings as hostages. Since that time, there has been peace,  but the Aesir are the principal deities of the Norse faith.

The Aesir

The Aesir are the clan of Odin the All Father, the warrior deities. They encompass a wide range of portfolios and belief systems, and are typically the most well-known of the Norse deities.

Odin- The All Father, the principal of the Aesir. Odin is known as the god of War, Wisdom, Magic, and Secrets. He sits upon his throne and looks out over the world using his ravens, Hugin and Munin, to learn all that is happening. He spends his days preparing for Ragnarok and the end of the cycle.

Frigga- The All Mother, wife of Odin. Frigga is the goddess of the Home and Hearth. Prayed to by wives and mothers, she is known for her spinning and as a powerful seeress. Like all Norse women, it is Frigga who runs the house of the gods and among her symbols are keys.

Thor- The Red Bearded Thunderer. Wielder of Mjolnir, Thor is the protector of Asgard. He is physically the strongest of the gods, but is often seen to be of short temper and easily fooled because of it. He rides a chariot pulled by two goats, Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder, who can be eaten and brought back to life.

Tyr- The One Handed God. Tyr is the god of sacrifice and justice. He is the impartial one who does whatever is necessary for the good of all. It was he who sacrificed his hand to bind Fenris until the time of Ragnarok. He is looked to by warriors and those who must sacrifice for the good of others.

There are many other Aesir, but this gives a good idea of some of them. Among the others are Baldr the Beautiful One, Forsetti the God of Judges, Idunna the Keeper of the Golden Apples, and many more, each with their own myths and legends.

Statues of some of the Gods

The Vanir

The Vanir are the second clan of the gods. During the War, their leader was Mimir, the Wise One or the Rememberer. At the end of the War, he was decapitated and his head was placed alongside Mímisbrunnr, the well of wisdom from which Odin drank after sacrificing his eye.

Freyja- The Lady of the Slain. Freyja is the most well known of the Vanir, and along with her brother, were the two fosterlings sent to Asgard at the end of the War. She is the goddess of Magic, Sex, Fertility, Love, and the Slain. It is her Valkyries that bring the honoured dead to Odin, but only after Freyja gets first pick!

Freyr- Lord of the Harvest. Freyr, brother of Freyja is also a fertility god, but of the fields. He is also known as the god of prosperity and the land. He is associated with horses and is a great warrior in his own right, defeating Jottuns even after giving up his sword, a magical blade that could fight on its own.

Njord-  Lord of the Fishers- Njord is the Norse god of the Sea, although in my readings it seems he is the god of the sea close to the shores: those seas that are friendly and welcoming, where the bounty of fish feed the people. He was married to Skadi, the Goddess of Winter and Wolves. Often they are called upon for a peaceful divorce. Njord rules over his hall, Nóatún.

Ullr- Guardian of Skiers- Ullr is a hunter god, patron of skiers and archers. He is the son of Sif, and stepson of Thor. He is often associated with Skadi, Njord’s ex-wife, the goddess of winter.

As with the Aesir, this is only a small list of deities that I find interesting to share with you guys. If you want to know more about either of the tribes, let me know, and perhaps I can start doing some regular posts speaking about individual gods and spirits.

The Ancestors

There is one more parallel aspect to Asatru: worship and honouring of the ancestors. In ancient Norse culture, who you were and where you came from was enormously important. This is a tradition that is kept alive even today in the continuing use of patronymics by some Nordic people. A patronymic is a name that says who your father, and sometimes mother, is. Ex: Hafthor Bjornsson’s father is named Bjorn. Part of the reason for this is that it was believed that your ancestors watched over and guided you in life, much in the same way the gods might. This means it is important to also bring honour and glory to your line and behave in a manner that would respect those who came before you. It also means that those that come after you have to deal with your legacy —positive or negative— and so you have a duty to them as well.



Vincent Enlund (Heathen Artist, Owner of http://longshipstudio.com/) wrote:
My name is not my own,

It is borrowed from my ancestors,
I must return it unstained.

My honor is not my own,
It is on loan from my descendants,
I must give it to them unbroken.

Our blood is not our own,
it is a gift to generations yet unborn,
We should carry it with responsibility.


I think this sums up the idea of the spirit of our line stretching back to the dawn of time, and forward

Comic from Humon Comics(They are great!)
showing traditional clothing for Godi.

to the end of time perfectly. These familial ties are part of the reason that Asatruar as so community-oriented: we are all in this together, and if you go by blood, we are tied back to the gods.

Traditions

Each person makes their own traditions, their own way to interact with the gods, the ancestors, and the world around them. Sometimes, those traditions grow into a group of people who practice the same way, and sometimes one remains an individual practitioner. Neither way is better than the other, they each have their benefits.

Personally, I have a large group of chosen family who, while many aren't Asatruar or even pagan, they join me when I follow my traditions, whether at Yule feast or the ceremony for my marriage. I am very fortunate to have my clan.

For the sake of space, I am only going to give two examples of my personal traditions, and without much detail. The two major holy days that I celebrate are Yule (the Winter Solstice), and the Feast of the Einherjar. I did a blog post years ago on the Feast of the Einherjar (https://ulfhedinnjourney.blogspot.com/2013/11/we-raise-horn-to-einherjar.html) that goes a little bit into what it means to me and what we do for it. Yule is actually going to be a future blog post (probably around Yule!), but the basic idea is a large feast where we gather as a clan and celebrate our victories over the last year and boast of our deeds for the coming year. We also play games and compete to see who will be the champions for the new year. These two events, I think, are really endemic of what Asatruar rituals are like. They involve food and merriment, but also honouring the gods and traditions of old. We also work hard to build up the members of the clan so that everyone can move forward.

Several times in this post, I have discussed worshiping or honouring deities or ancestors: how does that work for Asatruar? It depends on each individual person. For me, I honour the gods and the ancestors with my actions and trying to live my life based on the lessons they have taught me. I will also make a sacrifice on holy days to them (a drink or a plate of food), as a thank-you for the guidance and strength that they give me throughout my life. This isn’t too different from Christian worship; the main difference is typically Asatruar don’t ask the gods for something: instead, we ask the gods for the capacity to acquire it. Our faith teaches us that we must be self-reliant and that we must hold ourselves up. In fact, hard work and self-responsibility are two of the Nine Noble Virtues, traits that were codified from the Havamal and other works when Asatru first emerged in the 70s. Here is my post about them in specific. (https://ulfhedinnjourney.blogspot.com/2013/11/nine-noble-virtues.html)

Asatru and the SCA

Oddly enough one of the things that confuse people the most when they meet me is that they think the SCA and my faith are intertwined, that everyone in the SCA is Asatruar, or that my religion is part of the reenactment.

To me, the SCA serves several purposes. First, it allows me to meet people with similar interests in history and Western Martial Arts. Second, it allows me a path way for my research into the lifestyles of the ancient Norse; I use this research to better understand and honour the Ancestors. Finally, the SCA allows me to hang out with my friends and family in what I consider a very positive atmosphere where people respect honour, chivalry, and loyalty, virtues which often feel like they have started to die out in the world.

So, the SCA is not part of being Asatruar, but I feel like it does help me become better, both in my religion and in my day-to-day life.

People have tried to turn Asatru into a bastion of white supremecy
we arent going to allow that.

A Warning Against Folkism

There are many people in the Asatruar community who say that they follow the path of the gods, but then hate on those that are different from them; who use the colour of someone else’s skin or their ancestry as a means to block others from joining this community. This is bullshit. It’s prejudiced, it’s hateful, and it doesn't follow anything that we know about the ancient Norse. Our ancestors travelled the world, they interbred and interacted with cultures as far east as India, and as far west as North America. Along the way, they met and traded with many people. We have no records anywhere, in any of the massive tomes of history from this period, that says they had issues with people of different races. Erik the Red had a Black viking on his crew called Thorhall the Hunter, and this is just an example we can find easily in the sagas. Asatru has no place for racism. If you see a group acting in a questionably racist matter, do not feel like you need to just accept it because it's part of the religion: it is not, and never should be.

Where can I learn more about Asatru?

There are tons of resources out there for people to learn more about Asatru. We live in a time when there is a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips.

Here are some helpful links to get you started on your journey.

The Asatru Community- http://www.theasatrucommunity.org/intro-to-heathenry
Asatru Alliance- https://www.asatru.org/aboutasatru.php
Essential Asatru- https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Asatru-Walking-Norse-Paganism/dp/080654029X/ref=asc_df_080654029X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=266178720949&hvpos=1o14&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16760556980759262997&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051839&hvtargid=pla-594717014608&psc=1

Conclusion

Hopefully, this has addressed some of your questions the modern rebirth of an ancient religion and why I follow it. If you have any other questions at all, please feel free to ask me directly, or ask in the comments below. I am happy to answer anything I can, or point you in the direction of someone who can. Also, if you have any topics you'd like to see me cover in the future, let me know! I am always looking for new things to delve into with my research.