If you ask a norse shaman who his favorite god is it might stump him or he might be quite swift to answer. Now why would a shaman prefer a god when he should equally respect them all you ask? Well thats not entirely the best case to be making now is it? The idea for this article was entirely because i was having a quaint conversation with a friend of mine named Obfuskate i asked who her favorite god was and she was undecided she had named a few and finally said "you know i like them all but i can't really come to terms with which one i like the most". I told her i thought that we prefer norse gods by associating ourselves with the ones who we think are most similar to us in general. I wanted to know from you guys who are your favorite norse gods and why do you like them. Thank you for your time
Blessed Be
While a shaman, a Norse shaman in particular, might equally respect all of the Gods- there is usually a God or two that is closer to that person than the others. Which is simply how it goes in this practice. Usually a person has a handful of deities that they work closely with, but share an equal respect for all the others.
If you asked me who my favorite God was, I'd have a hard time too. I'd have to say I have about three or four deities that I view on equal "favorite" status for different reasons. Loki, primarily, as I've worked with him the longest. His nature, while it isn't easy to understand, is very lively and ever-changing. He brings vitality into my practice, keeps my work energized, and keeps me on my toes. I enjoy him because he is honest, brutally honest at times, and terribly witty. Working with him is much like working with a michevious older sibling, who sometimes gives you tough love.
Fenrir is a second favorite for me. The reason I enjoy him is a little more complicated. He's not a deity you can really do much work with, moreso one you can just stand back and appreciate. He's not complex at all, in fact he's very straightforward. He knows who he is, 100%, and is proud of the fact. He would never change himself, or who he is, for anyone or anything. That is encouragement for me to have believe in myself, and to never bend or change my practice or ways for anyone else. He teaches me a lot about the inner-self, self- development and my own personal strengths.
And of course, Mimir would have to be my third tie for favorite. He's the wittiest deity I've ever encountered. He has a lot to teach, but he doesn't just hand out answers- he makes you earn them. Working with him has been hard at times, and frustrating, especially when he isn't clear on what he means. But I've found that as I've struggled to understand him, I've come to learn more about my practice and myself than I had ever been able to learn on my own. Working with him has definitely improved my own wit and intelligence.
Although I am not a Norse Shaman, I do practice rune magick and have for literally half my life, I just realized that. I'm getting old =( So yes, 14 years. Going on, I love Odin because of it. He is, after all, the one that brought us the runes. My second favorite would be Loki. I love illusion and trickery even in my art (I am a surrealist). He embodies intellect over brute strength. And my third would be Skadi. I love Skadi because she demonstrated the virtues that the gods honor. Now that's power!
While I do not consider myself a shaman, I do have a few favorites (although these favorites are based on whom I've worked with and so I am biased).
Loki. It was Loki whom first introduced himself to me as a result of an issue with a friend. Previous to this, I had never spent much time wondering if he was real and could be communicated with, however when I went wandering to speak with him, he answered me (called me to him even). Since his help that time, he has involved himself in my life in several ways, and I am very devoted to him for what he has done. His personality reminds me not to take things too seriously, and he has a tendency to pull me out of my shell and force me to become more comfortable in who I am. He makes me laugh even when I want to throw sharp objects at him and he always tells me the truth, no matter how harsh it may be.
Angrboda. Angrboda is a favorite though some may be surprised (and many will realize what my name actually means). Loki introduced me to her as someone whom I would benefit from working with, and thus far it has been beneficial, painfully so. She makes me work, more than I would normally or have ever before. She pushes me to be better, to do better, to work harder, to be stronger. She doesn't take excuses and, unlike Loki, she won't allow me to not listen to her. She's very uncompromising, but she's not unwilling to compromise; by this I mean that if I have the means to meet her wishes, she expects me to meet them. Angrboda teaches me to be myself, my better self, and for that she will always be a favorite of mine.
I am not a shaman but my favourite(s) are considered dark (I'm not saying that to be cool but dark is what is unknown and feared it needs to be understood
Fenrir:
He is almost like an embodiment of honesty to me in that he is honest in what he is and who he is. Fenrir is angry but it's simply who he is and he embraces the "bad" parts of himself instead of burying them and hiding them from the world. It is the cold hard truth that everyone holds some evil and I like Fenrir's honesty that he has certain traits but he will proudly flaunt them.
Hela:
As a deity of death she is expected to be cruel and evil, but she isn't again, Hela doesn't dress up the concept of death it is what it is. She is like a guide and mother a stern one but sometimes the harshest medicines are best. And working with her has lead me to the conclusion that death is not a cruelty but a kindness, it is simply the next step and she is there to help, us to understand and move on.
I see them as honest almost painfully so, and I think that is what I like about these two
Loki is like a brother to me, he's been there when no one else has, helped me stand tall at times and has always been one to point out my faults. Or just.. Test me. He teaches me a lot, and I like a lot of things about him that I share with him.
My second closest would have to be Farbauti. Loki's father, he.. Helped iron me out. He helped teach me about strength and control. I learned a lot about him, etin in general, and myself. I view him as a uncle more than anything else.
My third would have to be Thor. Now you may wonder about why I am close to two of the Rokkr and one of the key Aesir deities. Well.. Thor and I both seek a challenge, the ultimate challenge, and my main goal is to make myself stronger and better. Besides, by working with Thor I learn more about myself, and others in general. My relationship with Thor is like.. A friendly rival situation.
