Gnosis Diary: Life as a Heathen
My personal experiences, including religious and spiritual experiences, community interaction, general heathenry, and modern life on my heathen path, which is Asatru.
Steel for Steel
There is a local Asatru kindred in my area which has a custom about steel weapons that has a parallel among the Theodish. Theodish magical theory holds that it is bad luck to give a gift of living steel. Living steel is a steel weapon that has energy and perhaps personality. Among the Theodish, living steel can only be bought, even if it's bought for a token amount.
On Yule 2014, Tom and I attended sumbel with a local heathen kindred that is associated with a Renaissance Faire guild. Its leader has made some historical re-enactment weapons intended for combat sports.
There is a local custom called Steel for Steel. When someone gives a person steel, the person must give steel back. This makes it so it's not a gift but a trade.
Tom gave the hosts each a folding pocket knife from us and our host gave us back a battle axe he had made. This custom prevents bad luck, since it makes the gift into an exchange.
When we left, I said, “Now Tom has to drive the old battle axe home.”
Image: steel being forged, photo by blickpixel via pixabay
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