Questions

The Internet allows for modern poets to flourish. Blogs give poets unlimited space to flourish, all for the cost of a monthly Internet connection fee. Very rarely do websites charge bloggers anything to blog and bloggers can express themselves as fast as they can type their fingers. Websites like http://showmypro.com are full of poets in the purest sense. They write blog posts about whatever is on their minds.

User Zombie wrote a poem called “cluttered mind finds refuge.” The poem goes: “My imortality is only a fabricated lie./ my faith in eternity tampers with my willingness to die./ This soft shell is wearing thin, this body is fading…/ I close my eyes to see what could be…/ the dreams mold into reality, in time to save me./ This energy within me, is stretching out to break the line,/ blur illusion, reality, and time, to mold and to save,/ what’s rightfully mine./ Down the rabbit hole I go, chasing change…/ No white rabbit comes to greet me,/ Only the beast that feeds off rage./ Stuck in this dark hole,/ struggling to sort through the things I know./ struggling to fight for a life thats left me blind./ struggling to fight for a life that I’ve left behind…/ When all is well, and I can finally breathe…/ That’s when the demons come to taunt me./ Shadows swirling above this vessel, protecting nature, and life…/ Forcing me to shed light on something I could never ignite…/ I feel so numb, and dead inside…/ yet, I am still able to recognize,/ that you’re the safety line that’s kept me alive all this time.”

This great poem can be found on a blog located on an unassuming website. How many views did this poet get? Who knows? What I do know is that this great poet will likely get lost in the pits of the web. He will be drowned out by endless other poems. Yes, I know that not all blog posts are poems. But this poem just happened to be pushed down by another poem written by a young woman with the user name “addict.” This poem was called “internal warrior.” This poem went: “Flames are caressing your broken spirit in a condemning touch/ Agony brought on willingly, rather than to try and escape/

For escape is impossible, locked in this dungeon of hell/ Cry out silently, only the splash of tears make a sound/ Shiver from the bone chilling cold/ Burn from the scorching heat/

Never the happy middle, why can’t it stop/ Screaming in frustration, in pain, in agony/

So many factors in this melting pot of misery/ Fight it, control it, master this demon composed of fear/ You bind it tight, but yet it breaks free/ Its thunderous roar shaking the ground beneath your feet/ Run, run, run away./ One step and you’re back to the beginning./ Progress is a joke. You cannot break free./ An eagle toying with it’s food/

You’ll soon be devoured and forgotten./ Always forgotten, forgiven, excluded from the mind/ How can they push it away like it’s nothing/ And you’re tormented every breath you take./ Agony. Pain. Tearing your chest apart./ Want it to end, but won’t give up fighting/ The Warrior at heart refuses.”

Powerful. Who would ever think that poems like that could be found on blogs?


- Charles Pearson

For any anniversary whether it be for a friend, family member or partner the first thing you will need to purchase is a card. Although most cards will contain anniversary verses you may find it a struggle to find one suitable for the person in mind.

There are several paths you could take when trying to find suitable anniversary verses.

You may decide to write your own or even enlist the help of a poet that offers creating unique anniversary verses just for you.

If you do decide to write your own and you have never attempted this sort of thing before, it is well worth having a look around for some examples and ideas to help you along the way.

Some examples of anniversary verses would be:-

Ten years, one decade,

three thousand, 652 days.

After all this time I love you so,

and I love you in so many different ways.

My love is unconditional,

so unlike the setting sun,

because my heart will shine forever,

for me, you’ll always be the one.

The anniversary verses you choose or use as a guidance will of course be effected by the year, for example if you are trying to write anniversary verses for a first anniversary you may want something along the lines of

Happy Anniversary honey,

it’s been one year since I happily said yes,

it’s been a year full of joy and love,

a year full of pure happiness.

I ‘m so glad to be called your wife,

and share our remaining years together,

I want to walk across our universe arm-in-arm,

I want to be with you forever and ever.

If the anniversary poem or the verses you are looking for are for your parents, now is a good time to thank them for all they have done and tell them how much you care. An example of this would be

You have always been there for us,

have taught us right from wrong,

have taught us God’s word,

have taught us his song.

You are very special parents,

and could never have been cursed,

you’ve had five beautiful children,

and have always put them first.

But you have big and generous hearts,

and you are so unselfish and giving,

you make the world a better place,

you make life itself worth living.

And now I have my memories,

and my heart silently soars,

because my friends used to say:

“I wish I had parents like yours”

I would like to thank God,

because we have been truly blessed.

There is no other way of putting it:

You are simply the best !

Finding suitable anniversary verses may seem like a hard task but poetry is accessible via the internet as well as in books. The most important thing to remember is to choose something that is personal and will move the person who is reading it.


- Allen Jesson

Think Jane Austin. Think Ernest Hemingway. Think…Not! Okay, I know what you’re thinking. But I thought the same way too about writing. Hey, let’s face it. It’s one challenging cookie to crack. Anyone who’s ever ventured in this field, understood its demands and dedication. But don’t let it scare you. There are many tools to help you reach your writing goals and now more than ever is a great time to get started.

You can even earn while you learn. No, I’m not referring to the $3 per 500 word article offers you see swirling round the net. I’m talking real money, real clients, real pay, real..well you get the idea.

So you’re probably wondering, what can I write about. Writing does not just consist of books, magazines, and movie scripts. As a matter of fact, once you get some creative juices flowing, you’ll discover that writing encompasses just about everything. Kind of makes you think what the life would be like without the written word. Well, here are over 50 ideas to get you started. Happy writing.

1.   Blogging

2.   Newspaper Writing

3.   Magazine Writing

4.   Professional Letter Writing

5.   Grant Writing

6.   Book Writing

7.   Greeting Card Writer

8.   Text Book Writer

9.   Course Writer

10.  Film Script Writing

11.  Ghost Writing

12.   Resume Writer

13.   Play Writer

14.   Technical Writer

15.   Comedy Writer

16.   Trade Journals

17.   Write Commercials

18.   Brochures

19.   Radio Advertisements

20.   Freelance Articles

21.   Newsletters

22.   Catalogs

23.   Websites (Home, About Page, Product Page etc..)

24.   Community Entertainment Directory

25.   Jingle Writer

26.   Press Release Writer

27.   Proposal Writer

28.   Restaurant Menus

29.   E-Book Writer

30.   Product Review Writer

31.   Write Pamphlets

32.   Travel Writer

33.   Advice Column Writer

34.   Writing Competitions

35.    Annual Report Writer

36.   Training Video Writer

37.    Company History Writer

38.    Write and Sell Slogans

39.    Make Money Rewriting

40.   Legal Writing

41.   Write Press Releases

42.   Write Autobiographies

43.   Write How-To’s

44.   Lecture Summaries

45.   Eulogies

46.   Student Papers

47.   Memoirs

48.   Real Estate Ads

49.   Speech Writer

50.   Short Stories

51.   Poetry Writing

52.   Song Writing


- TinaLynnLove

 

When you are in love and want to express your feelings to your partner, we believe that the best way is through love poems. When the reason is love then every person is a poet. Just review your thoughts in your mind, each and every moment that you spent with your partner and the places you been together, will play a magic in your mind. When you put these thoughts on a peace of paper, it turns to a powerful love poem.

Love poems reflect the mental and the heart felt emotions that’s comes out from the core of the heart. Love poems are really touching because it tells about the person’s feelings; it can be any thing like- the first feeling of infatuation or it can say about the steady relation or even the sadness. Love poems are something which you can’t force yourself to write, it comes on its own, only you have to put your thoughts in a proper format.

Sometimes when a person expresses his/her feelings in a love poem it can be very flattering but then again it can also be exaggerated too. But if a person has lost his or her love or unhappy with the love life, then his thoughts will lead him towards negative feeling, which in turn will result in a sad love poems depicting frustration agony etc.

If you have ever truly loved some one then you must have written a love poem. Love poems are not always written to share with your partner. When you express your feelings on a peace of paper giving it a life, it makes you feel good from the core of your heart. All the feelings are not shared with your friends or your loved ones; something is always there that you need to keep it with yourself. The feeling that you can love someone so much can never be expressed.

If you are into writing love poems then you should know that there are variety of books available in the market which will help you out to understand how thoughts are structured to express the inner feelings. There are many other ways to explore the world of poetry like- Internet is a great source from where you can get lots of information by browsing the poetry websites. Really, if you have ever been in love with someone then you will be able to write great love poems. Remember, poems are all about your inner feelings.


- Jeff Young

For many people writing is a passion. On the internet, there are huge opportunities for writers to make money. Everywhere on the web, content is needed and webmasters and website developers are looking for people to write unique articles for their website. If you are ready to make money online and you are a passionate writer, then there are great opportunities for you to become a successful writer.

 

Every writer always wants to improve his or her writing and to do this you must know the best writing secrets. To write better, you have to choose the topics that you know. On the internet, you can find resources about various subjects and you can soon become an expert. You need to know where to find writing resources in order to improve your writing.

 

You should know writing secrets to captivate your readers. You want them to read whatever you present and you want them to cry out for more of your work. As a writer, you must never be satisfied with your writing skill. You have to always look for writing resources to improve your writing. With a positive attitude, you can easily gain readers for your writing. If you have people who like to read whatever you write, you will be automatically motivated to write more.

 

To impress your readers, you must present something of use for them. Never write on something that you don’t like or believe in. Only if you are confident of the subject you are writing, will you produce something people will enjoy.

 

The essential writing strategies dictate the way you present your knowledge to your readers. Every reader is unique and every one of them has different expectations. It is not possible to satisfy all the readers who read what you write. However, it is possible to get as many readers as possible if you know the writing strategies to impress them. Some of your readers may like to read facts and information. Some of them like to hear stories. You have to provide both of these for your readers. The better the balance, the bigger your target audience.

 

Experts who formulate essential writing strategies ask you to concentrate on one major point in each paragraph. Don’t focus on writing long paragraphs because no one has patience to read these, and they are unappealing to the eye. The article must concentrate on three to five major points. Validate each point with facts and information and also include stories. As a writer, you need to have your own style of writing. You can learn from experts, but you should never try to copy their writing style. No one in this world accepts duplicates when the originals are available.

 

Many writers on the internet form writing groups and these groups are great writing resources. The members of these groups are always ready to help those who want to choose writing as their career. You can join these groups and share your knowledge. Even an expert writer can get useful information and writing secrets from these groups.

 

While the focus has been on freelance writing, what you have learned can be applied to any type of writing, be it short stories, novels, works of non-fiction or poetry.

 

 

 

 


- Perpetual Prose

Valentine cards messages usually have one mission; to express love. When you wish to express your affection, you might find that it is not as easy as it sounds. Words of love need to be heartfelt and sincere. When you are nervous about writing Valentine cards messages know that you are not alone. Your source of anxiety is the need to express yourself perfectly. We all fear that if we do not make the right impression, the people we love might not find us as interesting or loving. Therefore, do not feel too bad when you spend hours wondering what to write. However, others say that when you are in the right relationship, you will never lack the words to say. This is partly true but it is a fat that no one is ever really confident when it comes to expressing love. The following are helpful tips that will guide you overcome the fear and show you how you can write great messages without straining.

Valentine cards messages are first and foremost very personal. This is to say that they should come from deep within targeted to the person you love. For you to achieve this, you need to be sincere in all your expressions. With sincerity, you can never go wrong. It is necessary for both man and woman in the relationship. Valentine cards messages that are heartfelt and sincere will be known easily. This is because there is no much effort needed when it comes to describing the love inside. However, if you find yourself lost and without words, you need to consider whether you are feeling real love for the person. Apart from being sincere, you need to find some confidence within yourself. Love is one of those things that may disappear just like that and, if you are not bold enough to seize love, you will find yourself on the blink to losing the love. Be confident to express yourself in the right manner.

Valentine cards messages should be spicy. This is to say that your sincerity needs to be taken a step further where you make the words interesting and inspiring. For example, look for some poetic lines and add them to the messages. Also, you can come up with your very own poetry and substitute the words to make it a poem message. This helps to make the moment even more special. However, if you are not gifted in poetry, you do not have to worry because you can look for good phrases that will guide you and give you some ideas. Also, you need to write or present the messages in a special way. This is because you want it to be attractive. You can do this by playing with colors and even the calligraphy. Use and interesting ideas that come to you and, you will achieve all you want in regard to the messages. All in all, do not forget to have some fun by adding humor to your messages. Love is never serious and it is all about smiles and joy for each all from deep within.


- Francis Githinji

You may have the perfect program to help your community, but you won’t get anywhere if you can’t secure funding to get it started. One way to secure funding is to get a non profit grant from individuals, private companies, or the government. And to get a non profit grant, you have to write up a grant proposal. Here are a couple of tips to help you do just that:

Do see the big picture; don’t forget the small details

Your non profit grant proposal has to contain the solid information that it needs to do its job. However, do not forget to check the small details: grammar and spelling, punctuation marks, the salutations, the closings, the presentation of data and ideas, even the binder you put your proposal in will have an effect on the reader. It’s the attention to these small details that can show you’re really attentive of even the littlest things in your proposal

Do focus on the proposal; don’t forget the cover letter

The entire purpose of a non profit grant proposal is to convince a person or an entity to grant you funding for your program. This requires a well thought-out proposal that you’ll have to spend a lot of time and effort on. However, it’s your cover letter that will pique the interest of the reader long enough to actually reach the body of your proposal. Don’t forget to make your cover catch the attention and focus of the reader.

Do be comprehensive; don’t beat around the bush

When it comes to a proposal, brevity and clarity are the first things you must keep in mind. The fewer words used to convey the message, the more readable it is. You don’t want your reader to get strained by flooding the pages with incoherent babble.

Do keep the writing clean; don’t be poetic

You’re not writing prose or poetry when you’re writing up a non profit grant proposal. Be as professional as you can be. Use simple words that get to the point, and always remember to prioritize readability over flamboyancy.

Do ask for money; don’t beg for it

When writing a grant proposal, you’re definitely going to aim to secure some extra funding. However, you have to show your potential funder that you are more than capable of sustaining your program through other means of securing funding. Whether it’s charging some money for services, doing fundraisers, or securing multiple grants, you need to show that your program won’t fall and crumble within a few months.

Do stick to attainable goals; don’t aim for the impossible

Unless you’ve got a pretty good idea on how to turn water into wine, don’t even think of asking people for money to do it. Likewise for a non profit grant: no funder would consider a grant if he or she sees that your goals are too lofty to match the resources and methodology to reach them.


- Roger Carr

From the European Heritage Library

WWW.EUROHERITAGE.NET

This is an essay both giving a brief description and overview of the major gods of the Pantheon worshiped by the pre-Christian Germanic peoples (Scandinavians, Germans, Anglo-Saxon Britons, etc.), and also an investigation into the possible historical roots of each of these persons as legitimate figures in history. The unclear timeframe makes it impossible to reject or prove such historical theories, so this essay simply probes all possibilities. The word “euhemerism” in this article refers to the study or belief in the historical, legitimate roots of “mythological” (pre-Christian) religious beliefs. It is a major school of theological thought that brings to light the historical deification of kings, and thus the potential for factual links of mythological religion.

ODIN

The “High One” and leader of the pan-Germanic Pantheon. He is the grandson of Ymir, the first humanoid created of ice, and son of Borr and the frost giantess Bestla. With his two brothers Vi and Vili, Odin killed his grandfather (Ymir), and created the Nine Worlds from his felled body, including Midgard, the world of men. For doing so, he is called the Allfather. He is also known for having seeded Yggdrasil, the World Tree which supports the worlds. In his quest for knowledge, he sacrificed his eye, throwing it into the Well of Mimir to acquire complete and universal knowledge, as well as magical power. He also hung himself for nine days and nights from a tree, probably the World Tree itself, to advance his magical power and understanding of the world of the dead. He is also known for having created the first Germanic alphabet, Runic, in his experience whilst hanging from the tree as a writing system for his adherents. He is the father of the foremost famous of the German and Scandinavian Pantheon, including Thor, Baldur, and Tyr. He rides a typically 6-legged horse, Schleipnir, and hurls a spear Gungnir, impervious to failure and unable to stray from its target. Two ravens, Hunin and Munir, observe the world and return to his throne in Valhalla to report on the moral and cosmic condition of men and the worlds he had created from his grandfather’s dismembered body. He is revered as the god of poetry, war, the dead/afterlife, and will. “Wednesday” is named after Odin by the synonym Weden/Wedne during the importation of Christianity into the Germanic British Isles. As foreseen in the Voluspa chapter of the Edda, Odin is to be killed at Ragnaroek by the Fenris Wolf, Fenrir.

(Odin in his quest for knowledge, and the prediction of his death)

”Far have I fared, much afield have I been, have oft striven in strength with gods: what wight will end Allfather’s life, what draws near the dreaded doom?”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “Lokasenna”, pg.92)

“…Othin, is the god of war, and he provides man with courage in the face of his enemies…Othin they represent armed just as [the Christian world] usually portray Mars…To all their gods they have assigned priests to offer up the sacrifices of the people. If pestilence and famine threaten, a libation is made to the image of Thor, if war is immanent, one is made to Othin; if a marriage is performed, to Freyr.”

Adam of Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificus

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Odin is historically more so worshiped in Scandinavia than Germany and England as far as evidence is available today. The belief in Odin gradually worked to replace the more dominant worship of Tyr throughout the Germanic world shortly before the Christianization of the early German kingdoms (Gothic, Saxon, and Frankish), which occurred from the 5th century under Chlodwig to the 9th under Karl the Great (Charlemagne). This indicates that Odin was a more recent addition to German religion. This claim is reinforced by the fact that Odin is credited with having formulated the Runic alphabet, which appeared in inscriptions from the 2nd century onward. As the majority of Runic inscriptions and Runestones, as well as the greatest extent of worship of Odin appeared in Scandinavia and especially Sweden, this indicates that Odin was probably a prehistoric chieftain or warlord in Scandinavia around the time of the birth of Jesus, and quickly became accepted throughout Germany as Wotan and in England as Woden/Weden (Wednesday). Many dynasties in Norway and Sweden claim descent from Odin, especially under the mythological Yngling dynasty of Sweden, dating before the time of Christianization from the 7-9th centuries. The more advanced nature of Odin as a god of poetry, war, knowledge, and leadership in comparison with the previous belief in the very simple god of war and will (Tyr) implies that worship of Odin occurred only shortly before Christianization. There are many ancient wooden sculptures and statues of a one-eyed god in Germany, England, and Scandinavia predating the Roman Republic, but this mythological belief in a one-eyed, yet all-seeing god may or may not have been imported into the worship of the new historical chieftain Odin as an embodiment of this god of the sky.

TYR

The god of war in Germanic religion, he is considered among the wisest, foremost faithful, and loyal of the Pantheon under Odin, often called “Tyr the Wise”. Alternate spellings, including Tue, Tir, Tor, Tien, and Dien are also used. The English “Tuesday” and German “Dienstag” are named after Tyr upon being imported into the British Isles and the new German-created proto-English language. Very little is known of his origin and family. He is often considered the son of Odin, though it is never expressly stated in the Edda of Snorri Sturlusson in the Icelandic Skald literary circles. He is most famous for having only one arm, having sacrificed his right arm to chain the evil wolf Fenrir, bastard son or creation of Loki, in order to protect the Pantheon and the righteous of men. He is to be killed at Ragnaroek by the hell hound Garm. During the Third Reich, Tyr was once again placed in high esteem in the Schutzstaffel (SS). “Mystic” circles within the Third Reich promoted the use of the left hand for social use and writing instead of the dominant right in order to both honor Tyr and promote distinction of German ethnic civilization from other cultures.

(in reference to Tyr’s courageous sacrifice of his arm to subdue the [Fenris Wolf] for the gods’ defense)

“I lost my hand, Hrothvitnir (“Famous Wolf”) thou, a baleful loss to us both: in bondage now must bide his time the Wolf, till the world is doomed.” (The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “The Flyting of Loki” pg.98)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: as Tyr was traditionally the foremost worshiped of the ethnic Germans throughout England, Scandinavia, and Germany until the appearance of Odin (see the above entry of Odin), this indicates that Tyr existed much earlier either as a being or an upheld cult sky god. Taking into account the simplicity of war ritual in contrast to the more complex fields such as poetry and literacy for which Bragi and Odin are famous, as well as the fact that worship of Odin appeared much later en masse than worship of Tyr, it appears that Tyr was a very early prehistoric chieftain. As he was worshiped foremost in Germany, the probable birthplace of Tyr was in Germany or Denmark, where accounts of Roman origin depict German kingdoms, especially the Goths, as having torn arms from those assailants killed in battle, hanging them on trees as sacrifices to Tyr for having sacrificed his arm. Therefore, the period of Tyr’s life would in probability be before the birth of Jesus, the time in which the later faith in Odin became increasingly popular. One-armed statues of wood and stone appear in the Germanic world in the prehistorical period.

THOR

Son of Odin and Joerd, Thor is the most famous of the figures in German and Norse pre-Christian religion. He is the god of war, strength, thunder/lightning, and physical battle, most iconified for his use of Mjollnir (”Mee-ol-neer”), the mighty hammer capable of destroying any target with ease, supporting such magnificent strength that none but Thor himself may yield it, even then requiring magic-imbued gloves to prevent his own immolation. He is famous for his quests in fishing, hunting, and poaching the vaunted Jormungänger serpent, peril of the world of men (Midgard). At Ragnaroek, he is to die in combat with the serpent, mutually having released a fatal blow, with Thor poisoned. Also called Donar and Thur, he is the root of the German “Donarstag” and the English “Thursday” following the creation of the English language by the Germanic Anglo-Saxon of England.

(in reference to Thor’s Hammer, Mjollnir, in defense of the gods against Loki the Trickster)

“Hush thee, ill wight, or my hammer of might, Mjollnir, shall shut thy mouth: my right hand will hew thee with [Mjollnir], and break every bone in thy body.”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “The Flyting of Loki”, pg.103)

“In this temple, built entirely of gold, the people worship the statues of three gods. These images are arranged so that Thor, the most powerful, has his throne in the middle of the group of three…“Thor,” they say, “rules the heavens; he is the god of thunder, wind and rain, fair weather and the produce of the fields…To all their gods they have assigned priests to offer up the sacrifices of the people. If pestilence and famine threaten, a libation is made to the image of Thor…”

Adam of Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Thor is worshiped almost universally amongst the pre-Christian Germanic populations in Scandinavia, Germany, England, and the Baltic. A form of Thor as Ukko also appears in pre-Christian Finnish and Estonian religion, indicating a common ethnic origin argument as a possibility. Thor is a useful phenomenon as a way of investigating the Germanic ethnic heritage of Northern Europe, and to what to extent the Scandinavians and Baltic peoples are related to Germans versus Slavs or independent entities. Due to the ritual simplicity of the war phenomenon, as with Tyr, it is logical to suggest that both Tyr and Thor lived long before Odin (if they lived at all), as Odin was only adopted in worship long after these two figures shortly before the conversion of the Germans and Scandinavians to Christendom by Chlodwig I. Due to the nationalism and romanticism of the Skaldic poets under Snorri Sturlusson in Iceland in the 11th century, Thor probably falsely became affiliated as the son of Odin in promotion of Odin’s supremacy of the Pantheon. Thor may have been created later as a unified god of war for the various Germanic ethnic peoples in Scandinavia, Germany, and the Baltic, where there previously existed a faceless sky god for warfare that is today identified as Tyr. (see above). The thunder god is worshiped with cognate identities in the Baltic peoples (Latvians and Estonians) as Ukko or Taaraa. The blatant relation between power and thunder indicates that Thor was possibly a constructed god of war and power.

FREYJA

Sister of Freyjr and daughter of Njordr (god of wind and storms), Freyja is one of the most famous of the Pantheon of German religion. She is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, attraction, and relationships for women. “Fertility” is mutually applied to that of the field and harvest, as well as to that of virility for childrearing. Her name is also spelled as Freya, Frei, and Frea. There is much dispute over her connection with the goddess Frigg. The two are often considered distinct, and often the same as the wife of Odin. As such, it is uncertain whether the English “Friday” and German “Freitag” originate in Freyja or Frigg. Though her role in historical social and religious understanding of the natural sexual phenomenon is important, she is often rendered as the female opposite of Baldur as the symbol for moral purity of women.

(in defense of the Aesir [gods] in the face of insults by Loki the Trickster)

“Thy slanderous tongue, twill’ thy sorrow be, and still will work thee woe; wroth are the gods and goddesses, thoul’t fare sadly home from hence.”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “Lokasenna”, pg.97)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Freyja was worshiped throughout the Germanic world, with the greatest concentration in Scandinavia. It is probable that Freyja was actually a socio-religious creation to understand the natural phenomena of love and procreation as an act of nature. If Freyja did exist as a true historical figure, we may assume that she was simply the wife of the historical Odin, with the oral understanding of her life passed down as a separate goddess. Otherwise, she may be completely a social construction as a source of understanding for the phenomenon of creation of children.

FREYJR

Brother of Freyja, Freyjr (also called “Frey” or “Freyj”) is the male equivalent of Freyja for love, sexuality, fertility, relationships, and the harvest. He is the brother of Freyja and son of Njordr, god of the storms. As with Freyja, Freyjr is typically associated with historical cultural understanding of the natural phenomenon of fertility and birth, but also played a role in understanding male morality and justice. He maintains the thriving of agriculture and the overall development and cultivation of individuals. Fertility is defined in historical religion as the function of procreation and intercourse rather than pleasure and sex as we assume today. Freyjr is to die at Ragnaroek by the hand of Surt, the fire giant who is to rally the forces of the giants and of evil against the Pantheon (Aesir) in the final battle between the gods. It is unclear in which of the two siblings (Freyjr and Freyja) the English “Friday” and German “Freitag” root.

“The battle-bold Freyr rideth first on the golden-bristled barrow-boar to the bale-fire of Baldur, and leads the people.”

Húsdrápa, Lee M. Hollander translation

“In this temple, built entirely of gold, the people worship the statues of three gods. These images are arranged so that Thor, the most powerful, has his throne in the middle of the group of three. On either side of him sit Othin and Freyr…The third god is Freyr, who bestows peace and pleasure upon mortals.” Indeed they depict him as having a large phallus…To all their gods they have assigned priests to offer up the sacrifices of the people…if a marriage is performed, to Freyr.”

Adam of Bremen’s Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Like Freyja, Freyjr was worshiped almost universally across the Germanic populations, and was held as one of the highest gods. The ritual of the “Christmas ham” (or Jul Ham) was originally intended to reflect the sacrifice of a boar or pig to the god Freyjr, as described by Adam von Bremen, a key source of late pre-Christian Germanic religion. Considering how this Jul tradition is historically celebrated in every Germanic culture and region, this reinforces that the worship of Freyjr as a being or as a personality was deeply rooted in the history of German religion. As with Freyja, it appears most probable to assume that Freyjr was possibly only a socio-religious creation to understand natural phenomena such as procreation and marriage bonds. If he did exist, it is possible that he was simply the father-in-law of the historical Odin, and was later deified under nationalist and romanticist literary movements like those of Snorri Sturlusson and the Icelandic Skald-poets from the 10th to the 13th century. He may have simply been a king affiliated with Odin as a being highly revered for morality and strength as a paradigm for his adherents.

HEIMDALL

Often considered a son of Odin himself, Heimdall (also spelled “Heimdal” and “Heimdallr”) is the god representing vigilance, senses, perception, foresight/prediction, and readiness. He is the guardian and watchman of Valhalla and the Bifröst Bridge, the rainbow on which the members of the Pantheon are able to traverse between the worlds. He is to be the last to die of importance at Ragnaroek, the end of this world time, and is the one credited with having the task of finally slaying Loki himself, the trickster god of evil and lust. He alerts the adherents of the Pantheon, the Einherjar (dead soldiers in Valhalla), and the Nine Worlds using the Gjallarhorn, apparently a bull’s or buffalo’s horn which, when blown, is heard universally by the Germanic peoples of the world.

“…the downfall bodes when blares the gleaming old Gjallarhorn; loud blows Heimdall with horn aloft…”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “Voluspa”, pg.9)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: As with most of the Pantheon gods, it is equally as possible that Heimdall was a legitimate historical figure as it is that he was simply an ethnocultural invention, and is impossible to both prove or disprove. The appearance of Heimdall in worship appears almost exclusively in Scandinavia, and much less so if at all in Germany proper or its Low Countries. As the Scandinavian cultures were Christianized much later than the majority of Germany to the south (Germany from 300-800 by majority, Scandinavia from 700-1200), this implies that, in tandem with the romanticism of the Skaldic poets of Iceland, Heimdall could have been a later invention or later historical figure. Due to the fact that Heimdall is mostly associated with readiness and preparation in the face of a coming threat, it is possible to claim that he was a legitimate king or servant who resisted a coming threat shortly before the end of the Pantheon as a religious function (thus pre-Christian) in its original form. It could equally be possible to claim that Heimdall was invented as an idea to inspire the adherents of the old religion to remain ready in the face of foreign incursion (Christian missionaries).

BRAGI

Among the wisest and most knowledgeable of the gods of the Pantheon, Bragi is the god of poetry, writing and literacy, knowledge, and the transmission of the word of Odin and the Pantheon. He is often considered one of the sons of Odin, as with Thor, and is the husband of Idunn, the goddess of immortality and perfect moral purity, whose apples allow the gods to bear eternal life. Bragi is shown by Snorri Sturlusson’s sources (the Edda) to be the finest expression of a higher tongue, refined speech, and writing. He is thus associated with diplomacy, debate, and justice, and is often paralleled to Forseti, son of Baldur, the god of justice.

(in defense of the Aesir [gods] in the face of insults by Loki the Trickster)

”My sword and saddle horse, I beseech thee, Loki, take and eke mine arm ring lest to holy hosts thy hatred thou showest: beware of the gods’ anger!”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “Lokasenna”, pg.92)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Due to the complicated purposes and roles of Bragi as shown in the Edda, it is logical to claim that Bragi was either a very late addition to the Pantheon of worship as a historical figure or a conceptual representation. He is associated with the golden age of Germanic literature and poetry, specifically that of the Icelandic Skald-poets around the 13th century and the German writers like Wolfram von Eschenbach and Walter von der Vogelweide earlier. As widespread literacy, along with the use of the ancient Runic system of writing peaked near and shortly before the Viking era, this implies that Bragi was either a brilliant poet and writer just before Christianization, or simply an invention by the Skalds to represent the phenomena they were addressing in completely codifying the old religion of the German and Nordic world. He may have also been invented earlier by the priests and scholars of prehistoric Germanic culture as an embodiment of their quest for knowledge.

FORSETI

The Germanic god of peace, diplomacy, truth, knowledge, and justice, Forseti is one of the less famous of the German and Nordic Pantheonic gods. He is the grandson of Odin, and son of Baldur — god of moral purity and innocence — and his wife Nanna. Like his father, he is portrayed as a wise, moral, and just member of the Pantheon bearing an incomparable, radiant light of purity and flawlessness. By his hand oaths were traditionally sworn between kings as the highest sign of truth, obedience, and justice. He is seen as the god assigned to the maintenance of the laws of Odin upon men, the symbol of truth, legitimacy, and goodness. Besides his wise and praised name and importance as a son of one of the highest gods (Baldur, son of Odin), he is seldom noted throughout the Edda, and did not appear at Ragnaroek. Thus, it can be assumed that he was one of the few survivors of the Armageddon affair, or was killed beforehand.

Shining the tenth, which with gold is propped, and is shingled with shining silver; there Forseti unflaggingly sits, the god that stills all strife.”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “The Lay of Grimnir”, pg.57)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: Though relatively uncommon and unmentioned throughout the Edda, evidence of intense worship of Forseti has appeared throughout the Germanic world, primarily in Germany proper and its Low Countries of the modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, etc. The greatest concentration of worship appears within the German Frisian (Friesen) culture of the modern-day northern Netherlands. It is said that his historical place of foremost worship is the island of Heligoland, a small island of under 3,000 inhabitants off the northern coast of Germany and the Netherlands. This island, whose root words translate to “Holy Land” (heiliges Land), is said to imply that it is the holy site of Forseti’s kingdom or place of residence. Considering the great deal of concentrated worship in a specific area, it would appear that he was once a legitimate historical king or wise man who mediated warring powers during the pre-Christian period. It is also possible to claim that the infamous role of Forseti in forging alliances, ensuring bonds of trust, and reinforcing stability may have legitimately rooted in the formation of the unified Scandinavian kingdoms or those of the Anglo-Saxons in England or Germans in Germany proper, whose first kings had been non-Christian, in which Forseti may have played a large role. It is equally possible that Forseti may have simply been a social and religious creation to symbolize the bond of trust, faith, and duty between loving partners, military alliances, and vassal kings throughout the German cultures.

BALDUR

Along with Thor, Baldur is considered the most majestic and magnificent of the sons of Odin and thus the Pantheon. Also called Baldr, Balder, and Baldir, he is the god of moral purity, justice, peace, innocence, chastity, and flawlessness. He is portrayed with a radiant glowing white light, and thus the flower “Baldur’s Brow” is named after him due to its bright white hue. He is the most loved of those in Valhalla under Odin, the most wondrous and flawless of all his sons. He is credited with building the most massive and advanced ship ever built, eventually to be used for his funeral in the traditional method of burning German and Scandinavian kings at sea via fire. He is the primary indicator of the coming end of this world, the Ragnaroek, via his death at the hands of his own brother, Hoedr. The blind Hoedr had been tricked by the wicked and immoral Loki to fire an arrow at the invincible god Baldur, killed by one of his own kin. This death and thus the funeral by fire included his wife Nanna, whose loyalty was so intense that she died of grief and willing suicide with his funeral pyre.

(in reference to the death of Baldur by the mistletoe poison-tipped arrow of Hoedir)

“I saw for Baldur, the blessed god, Ygg’s (Odin’s) greatest son, what doom is hidden: green and glossy, there grew aloft, the trees among, the mistletoe.”

(The Poetic Edda, translated by Lee M. Hollander, “Lokasenna”, pg.92)

Euhemeristic Interpretation: It is possible to suggest that Baldur was a socio-religious invention to understand or promote the cultural call for Germanic moral purity and chastity, a trait quite admired by the Roman historian Tacticus, in whose documentary “Germania” he adulated on the exclusive piety, faith, and moral strength of the Germanic peoples. He may also have simply been created as a cultural and religious ideal. If not a false or conceptual invention, it is possible to postulate that Baldur existed simply as the son of the historic Odin, himself revered as a limitlessly holy and wise god, which thus propagated to his son Baldur upon his successive deification and worship. Otherwise, it is also possible to claim that he was simply a revered pre-historical figure who embodied social morality and purity of chastity, innocence, and goodness, and was later deified and romanticized under the Skald-poets as a son of Odin himself due to his importance and discipline. In the ancient English epic Beowulf, Baldur is portrayed as a Swedish prince who is killed by his brother on accident. The myths of early Germanic England as common with those in Sweden implies a common ethnic awareness among Germanic peoples in terms of religion.

From the European Heritage Library

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Articles, maps, videos, and photos of European history, culture, religion, languages, and the controversial issue of Islam in Europe.


- Hans Mayfield

Weddings are getting more and more personal. From the choice of location to the food, couples these days seem intent on making the day a personal celebration of their pairing rather than walking in the footprints of couples of yesterday. The traditional wedding vows of yesteryear to are making way for personalized wedding vows written by the bride and groom to be read out to each other at the altar. Conventional wedding vows tend to follow a stiff fill-in-the-blanks kind of format. Modern wedding vows on the other hand can range from stunning poetry, to simple and heartfelt declarations of love and loyalty. If the task of writing your own vows makes you quake in your boots, take solace. You’re not the only one. Keep these pointers in mind to draft the most meaningful and heartfelt vows for your special day.

Decide on your Vows

This is where the two of you sit down and have a heart to heart about what you want to say in your vows. Decide on whether you want to have a single vow to be used by the both of you or two personalized vows. Make sure you’re on the same page regarding the length. You don’t want a situation where your fiancé has come up with a literary masterpiece while you’ve barely managed a few paltry lines. Now’s also the time to decide on the wording of the vows. Some words like “love” and “loyalty” are timeless, and can easily be used by anyone. Others like obedience, may hit a raw nerve. Also make sure you both agree on the tone of the vows. If you want to get creative and go with a free spirited vow, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure your fiancée is in on it too.

Get specific

Once the two of you have decided on a common format that works for the both of you, now its time for you to decide on the matter that you are going to include in your vow. This is where the “personalized “part of writing your own wedding vows kicks in. Answer the following questions honestly:

* What is the one great quality that makes your fiancé the man of your dreams?

* When in your relationship did you realize he was the one for you?

* What changes has your fiancé helped bring into your life?

* What do you see for your future as a couple?

Work on it

Once you have a draft ready, comes the next part - using all the mushy material that you have and selecting the best points that you’ll include in your vow. Remember this will be a lengthy time consuming process that may stretch out over days. Read through love poetry and literature, or other people’s vows and pick up an idea or a quote from them to begin fleshing out your own vows. Begin with a personal endearment like “my darling.” Although it’s not necessary that you have to begin with an endearment - if you want to start with each other’s names that’s perfectly fine too. The whole idea of personalized vows is that there are no hard and fast rules that apply. End, preferably with a promise or a vow that you make to your fiancé.

Once you’re done with a first draft, put it away and keep working at it over the next few days till it finally evolves into a statement of love that’s yours and yours alone.

Find many more wedding articles like this provided by Truly Wedding Favors by visiting our directory, Articles By Yours Truly.


- Melissa Ingram

Do you think you need to be a prolific writer to be able to create information product?

Truth is, you don’t need to. In fact, you can even have your own best-selling product without even writing a single word!

Having said that, you’ll still have to put in some effort to get product created.

Listed below are five ways anyone can use to easily and quickly create information product to sell…and profit from.

#1: Compilation Method

Get the experts in your target market to provide content for you. Approach these experts and request for their contributions of ready-content that you can use. 

Explain the benefit they’ll get out of it. 

With all the contents provided, all you need to do is compile them and create an attractive package that’ll get people interested in the product.

The added advantage of using this method is, the information product you created is guaranteed to be filled with high quality content as you’re getting the market experts to provide it for you. 

Another lazy method I’ve seen some marketers do is, they search for free videos online, eg. in Youtube and compile all the links in a short report and sell it for a low price. 

What they’re doing is making life easier for others by doing all the research and work done to provide their buyers with direct links to the helpful and informative videos.

That’s how simple it can be to create information product.

#2: Expert Interview Method

As in the above method, you’ll get the experts to provide you with the content. The difference this time is here you’ll do interviews with them.

If you can talk, then you can use this method to quickly and easily create a product. 

You may interview just one expert or a bunch of them. If you’ve one question, then it’s appropriate to just get one expert to give a detailed answer to it. 

Likewise, if you’ve multiple questions to ask which cover different angles, and if there’s no one expert enough to cover it all, then it’s just right to get a few experts to provide you with the solutions.

These are ideas you can use but definitely not cast in stone. Use your own creativity to plan out how you’d like your information product to be created and packaged.

#3: Using PLR Method

So what is PLR? PLR stands for Private Label Rights, which basically hand you the right to alter a product any way you want. Yes, even put your name as the product author. 

There are many sites now offering PLR products. Some even providing products every month on their membership sites. 

In the event that a product you’d like to have doesn’t come with PLR rights to it, simply contact the product owner and state your intention to purchase it. 

#4: Public Domain Method

Before I go any further, it’s better if I explain what Public Domain is. As a general guideline, Public Domain is anything that’s not protected by copyright law…meaning, you’re free to use Public Domain works in any way you like. You don’t need permission from anyone for it.

Beside books, Public Domain works includes music, poetry, lyrics and more!

Now, how you be sure if something is in Public Domain?

Works published before 1923 is definitely in Public Domain, that’s a fact. Example is a popular book published in 1910, “The Science of Getting Rich”.

There are also some other ways to identify if a work is in Public Domain. 

But what I wish to imply here is, you can take a Public Domain product, repackage it and sell to your target market. 

#5: Outsourcing Method

If you’d like a totally unique product to sell, unlike PLR product where there are others who’re selling the same stuff, then outsourcing your product creation task is the best way to go.

All you need is look for product creator who’ve the expertise to create information product for you for a fee. 

Any product can easily be outsourced, eg. ebook, article, video, audio, software, etc and there are sites online offering all these services and more.Example of sites you can go to include elance.com and workaholics4hire.com.

This method is best if you’d like to have more done in quick time or if you don’t have the expertise or knowledge to create the information product yourself.

There’s no reason for anyone not to have a product to sell…now that you’ve seen it’s possible to create information product without having to write anything at all.

Look, it’s either you trade your time or money. If you’ve the time, then you may want to create your own product…and if you’re more money, then it’s fine to just get someone to do it for you.

So go ahead and create your best-selling information product now.


- Zekimann