What is Stav

Threll (Thrall or slave) - is the first, and a state that is considered part of childhood, although it is true that some people live most of their lives at this level, never taking responsibility for their own life and actions. It is really a state of mind that is full of negativity
Karl (Freeman) ‑ This mindset relates to working the land. This mindset is all about taking responsibility. It very much relates to the earth and the responsibility of the family. It is also relates to everyday practical matters and structural organization. This is where you usually fine the producers of goods and money, as well as craftsman. This is the class that the most people fit into
Herse (warrior), mindset does not just mean, a person who is a soldier or who practices a martial art. People of this mindset have natural physical aptitude and are mentality quick. Herse are leaders and they represent community in matters of, honor, integrity and justice. There natural physical ability and mental quickness easily allows them to control and manipulate situation
Jarl (priest, earl) mindset are generally somewhat detached from society. Jarls were traditionally the lords of the land and the people whom the rest of society would look to for guidance in matters relating to the good of the community as a whole. In there role as a priest they guided, the community in spiritual matters, and presided over and performed the rituals and rites. The mindset has a lot to with Psychology
Konge (king/cunning man) does not really have a place in society and so could be found just about anywhere. Konge represents complete consciousness and. so encompasses all classes but also transcends them.

These descriptions are very brief and In no way represent the complex understanding required to attain mastery in any aspect of Stav. It is just a very simple way of introducing the concepts to the mind so that it is possible to get some idea of what Is meant by the use of these terms.

Elementary theory

The Norse myths tell us that in the beginning there was nothing, a concept described as a Gap. This nothingness existed before time or physical manifestation of any kind, before gravity, the stars or life. At some point which cannot be measured in either physical or temporal distance (for such concepts had yet to have any basis) at either 'side' of this gap arose the worlds of Niflheimr and Muspelheimr, or more simply, Ice and Fire. These two twinned yet oppositional forces can be considered as similar to the Chinese conceptions of Yin and Yang - each is exactly what the other is not. Thus we can state that there is darkness and light, cold and heat, contraction and expansion and so on. This interplay of forces, from the two primal elements, lead in time to a combination and further interplay lead to other divisions such as earth and sky, female and male and so on. However, each element is not only separate from the other but is intimately bound ogether - there can be no light without darkness, no cold without heat - otherwise we would have no way of defining such things. More than this, in Ice we find the seed of Fire and in Fire we find the beginnings of Ice - Burning Ice and Frozen Flame. This basically binary method of looking at things is useful, but it does not tell the whole story. We can divide all existence into combinations of Fire and Ice, but to do so has a habit of obscuring things. All things could be said to be comprised of Fiery and Icy elements, but clearly when we have three (or more) things, this binary concept breaks down a little - a candle may be said to be fiery and a snowflake may be said to be icy, but what about water? Water may seem to be more icy than a candle but obviously less so than a snowflake, and so on. Obviously all things contain a mixture, and a further extension of this is the traditional concept of five elements to be found in Stáv.

The Five Elements : Earth, Water, Flame, Rime and Air

In Stáv, we have the concept of five elements which are normally referred to as Earth, Water, Fire, Ice and Air. Most people will be familiar with the classical concept of four elements used by the Greeks and their intellectual descendants - these being Fire, Water, Earth and Air. The classical sources also speak of a fifth element, a quintessence which sources argue over - some speaking of it as spirit or consciousness, others as a combination of the other four elements or as the one true element the other four derive from. To an extent all of these concepts have some relevance to Stáv. Some readers may well be familiar with the Chinese five-element theory, the oriental systems using Fire, Water, Earth, Wood and Metal as their basis. Likewise, Chinese theory explores the concept of four elements and one central element, often this is expressed as Earth containing Fire, Water, Wood and Metal. Again, there are similarities to the concepts found in Stáv, but it would be extremely foolish and naive to simply imagine one could translate either Greek or Chinese conceptions to those of the Gothonic peoples, or vice versa - to assume this is like assuming that someone who can read English must also be able to read Greek and Chinese, because all are languages and can be written down. While there are many similarities, and much that the whole of humanity can learn from its diverse parts, everyone is not the same and each culture has its own understandings - and none are more or less relevant than another, although the traditions of ones own culture are probably subjectively more important. In Stáv we also speak of five “elements” and most often these are named Earth, Water, Fire, Ice and Air (or Wind). This naturally can cause confusion, as there is a difference between the Primal Elements of Fire and Ice (as represented by Muspelheimr and Niflheimr) and the nature of Fire and Ice as two of the five elements. Personally I often choose to speak of Fire and Ice as the Primal Elements and name the Five Elements as Earth, Water, Flame, Rime and Air to distinguish the difference - but again, this is only my own usage. Unfortunately, there is simply not enough space in this text to fully explore the nature of the five elements but it should be stated that the tradition assigns various functions to them. There is a difference between the Galdra and Seiðr ways of viewing the elements, although both paths may employ the conception.

Megin

Tied to the concept of the Primal Elements, and the five elements, is Megin. Megin is an old Norse word which does not translate easily into modern English. We could best think of it as energy. Everything in the world has Megin; in fact the world is Megin. This Megin can take many forms; it can be the air that we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Megin can be found in matter and also be separate from it. Megin can have positive or negative effects on us. Our own bodies rely on Megin to keep us alive; it is our intrinsic energy, life itself.

For the purposes of healing and health, it is a good idea to think of our Megin as governing our immune system, although this does not explain Megin itself. If we are ill, then our Megin is affected. A disease has Megin, just as we do. When we try to "fight off" a disease, then our Megin comes into conflict with the Megin of that illness. The battle can basically be fought in one of two ways. Either we can simply attack the disease's Megin, which may in turn weaken our own, or we can strengthen our Megin to make it so powerful that the disease cannot compete. This is almost always the best way. Herbs and remedies, which strengthen our Megin, especially if they can also attack the Megin of the disease, are our best allies in this battle. This may seem to be a simple metaphor, but in fact we really are seeking to make an ally of the plant, herb or root that we use. Over a period of time, science has made us forget this symbiotic relationship that we share with the world around us, believing that artificial chemicals can do the job better. Most modern drugs are based on natural substances; Anti-biotic (e.g. penicillin) are based on mould, heart drugs on digitalis (foxglove), the birth control pill contains chemicals found in yams, Aspirin is contained in willow tree-bark (and was apparently used by the Druids) and so on. The difference is that a herb has its own natural Megin which can be allied to our own, whereas the Megin of an artificial chemical is quite likely to actually damage us. This is because one is a part of nature and the other is unnatural. Something which is unnatural may seem good, and even help us in the short term, but, like Loki, can never be fully trusted and will probably turn against us in the end. "Good" and "bad" tend to be relative concepts. Natural and unnatural are perhaps better ways of looking at things.

Megin is a basic concept that can be found the world over. It is known variously as Qi, Chi, Ki, Prana, Kundalini, and Pneuma etc. Western science has come close to identifying it as the "Quantum field" which ultimately exists outside time and simultaneously surrounds and permeates all things. If the universe is simply energy and matter (which are more or less one and the same) then we could see Megin as that which both forms this and binds it together.

One of the reasons that we perform the runic stances and the Galdr incantations (more on this later) is that this increases our supply of Megin. This is the first real step to health. You can be fit but still not have much Megin; very often athletes can be very strong yet prone to infections. can begin to change this. Many things in life deplete our Megin. Apart from actual disease, stress can make us weak because it saps our Megin. If we perform the rune-stances we can learn to relax and this encourages our Megin to flow and increase. An increase in Megin has many benefits in martial arts; if you have great levels of Megin then you simply become more alive, and this can make you very difficult to kill. Likewise, in everyday life, the more healthy you are, the more energy you have, the longer you will live and the better you feel. At times of great need, humans can often perform feats that they would never normally be able to achieve. This can be explained by a focusing of the Megin into a single activity.

Megin is the basis for health, and being healthy is the first step to being a healer. If you wish to heal others you will often find that when doing so, you yourself become weakened (a bit like giving blood). If you are healthy with a good supply of Megin (or blood), then this is not too great a problem. If you have little Megin (or are anaemic), then it can seriously harm you. It is always a good idea to have a good look at anyone who is going to try to heal you; if they seem less healthy than you, and then the chances are it's simply not a good idea. There is an expression, which says, "If you are bleeding, look for someone with scars". The figure of the shaman has often been described as a "wounded-healer" because of the ordeals they have survived. Often, people who have been ill but gone on to recover and become fully healthy can be the best healers - they have had personal experience. But the expression does not say "If you are bleeding, find some other bleeding person to help you".

Real help comes from the self and from those with experience and wisdom. Coming to terms with your self and thereby increasing your Megin is the first step to helping others, whether physically, psychologically, financially or spiritually (etc.). What we eat or drink effects our Megin. The same is true of what and how we breathe. This is one reason we practise the rune-stances. In the myths, Óðínn, Vili and Vé gave three gifts of life to humans. Óðínn’s gift was breath. Learning to make the most of your gifts is what Stáv (and life) is all about.

Örlög

Fate, destiny, karma

In this section I will try to briefly outline the concept of Örlög, which is not an easy task. I have earlier stated that Megin is the name we give to intrinsic energy and that Megin is the same as Qi or Prana. In the same way, the sun is still the sun no matter if it is viewed in Britain, India or China. However, the sun may well be viewed differently in each place, not only being given a different name but being thought of differently and utilised differently - to grow different crops, to set different time patterns and so on. While the sun stays the same, human thought will come to different conclusions about its behaviour from place to place and time to time - and who, in truth, can say they fully understand the sun itself rather than just its apparent, localised, effects upon the world? Just as in India the energy known as Kundalini may be likened to a serpent or in China Qi may be linked to the eight-states or Bangui, or in Northern Europe we may speak of Fire and Ice as forming Megin, yet still at the same time we may all find ourselves discussing the same thing, differently, so the same is true when we come to discussing Örlög.

We could say that Örlög is the name the Gothonic peoples gave to Karma or Fate, and in a limited sense this would be true - Örlög, Karma and Fate are all one and the same. However, the ways in which the Indians see Karma or the Greeks saw Fate are not identical to the Gothonic conceptions of Örlög, even if all are depictions of the same thing. Likewise, in India there are many teachings concerning the nature of Karma, and in Greece there were many philosophies concerning Fate - and by no means did all of these agree. So, in the Gothonic regions and in contemporary Stáv, there may have been many different understandings of Örlög. What I present here is simply my own interpretation of traditional teaching, not a Gospel or the one true understanding. Hopefully, the readers may find it useful in reaching their own conclusions.

What is Örlög?

The word 'Örlög' is comprised of two separate words - 'Or' and 'Log'. Without going too far into the etymology of these words, 'Or' stems from the same root as Urðr, the name of the Norn of the 'past' and is linked to words such as 'origin' and 'ore’, while ‘Log’ relates to terms such as ‘layer’, ‘record’ (as in a “Captain’s log”) and ‘law’. The term Örlög could therefore be translated variously as ‘Primal Layer’, “First Principle”, or “Natural Law”.

But it is important to realise that the ‘Original Law’ is not the same concept as 'law' in human terms, but rather is more akin to natural 'laws' such as the 'law' of gravity. If a person breaks a human 'law' then they may be punished by other humans (or they may get away with it) but this has little to do with Örlög in the most exact sense, it is simply a result of limited, localised effect. If an apple drops from a tree, it will fall downward - which has a lot to do with Örlög and very little to do with human concepts such as reward, punishment or morality - the apple will fall no matter whether it is thought to be a 'good' or a 'bad' apple.

So, Örlög is the law of the universe and humans feel its effects as the result of their place within the universe or the 'web' of Örlög, which binds all things together. Perhaps the biggest difference between the notion of Örlög and that of Karma is that generally Karma is seen as being linked in some way to morality - for example, if you lead a good life then in your next incarnation you may be rewarded whereas if you lead a bad life then next time round you will be less well off. The concept of Örlög has nothing to do with morality, and there is no belief within Stáv that an act of kindness is repaid, or cruelty punished, at a cosmic level. These are basically only concerns within the human realm and have little if anything to do with nature. If gravity drops an apple on someone's head causing an injury, then we might call this a bad thing but if the apple dropped into a hungry child's hand we might call it a good thing, but these are only concerns of the subjective individual - it hardly matters to the apple, which would probably decide whether its falling was good or bad based upon whether or not its seeds could germinate. The 'good' or 'bad' reaction is not Örlög, simply a subjective response to the effects of Örlög. The falling of the apple is the work of Örlög, the law of the universe.

Now, the reader may be thinking at this point that Stáv therefore advocates complete carelessness of behaviour toward others - why should you be kind to someone if you will not be rewarded? Why should you not harm someone if you will not be punished? Basically, things are not quite this simple. There are causes and effects, actions and reactions and each must be weighed against the other - but this is still not the same as a concept of a 'moral' universe.

The Web

The natural 'lines of force' can be expressed as the rune-staves, whether as carved symbols on a piece of wood (carving the symbols itself teaches the way of Örlög); as the stances we form with the body; or in a variety of other ways. However, before we discuss the runes, which can be seen as a part of Örlög, let us concentrate upon a representation of Örlög itself. In the Hávamál, a poem in the Elder or Poetic Edda, the god Óðínn is described as discovering the runes while hanging for nine days and nights upon the world tree Yggdrasil. We will examine this and other myths in detail later in the course but for now let us concentrate upon just one feature. Óðinn is described as looking down a perceiving the runes. Now the question is “what did Óðinn see?” Naturally enough, we don’t have Óðinn’s perspective on things and so those of us searching for understanding with both out eyes open are likely to only see half the picture; but the tradition of Stáv has something to say on what Óðínn may have seen. In my opinion, one of the problems arises from people confusing the rune-staves of the various futharks with the runes themselves. (*This will be discussed later*). When Óðínn gained his understanding of the runes, the mysteries of Örlög, he perceived and understood the nature of Örlög itself, not simply the visual or sonic methods of representing these mysteries. Perhaps Óðínn, or others, then invented the futhark or the individual symbols; perhaps these staves were already being used. Whatever the case, the staves themselves are not as important as most people imagine; they are like techniques in martial arts or specific herbs in healing - the technique or the herb is important but it is almost irrelevant when compared to the principles it relies upon. If a martial artist wishes to throw someone and knows sixteen different throws but cannot get into position to use them, then all these techniques are irrelevant. If a healer knows all the properties of twenty-four herbs but can't find any of them when a patient is ill, the knowledge is useless. However, if the martial artist understands the principles of controlling balance they can invent a new throw; if the healer understands the principles of healing such as increasing or reducing metabolic rate and so on, a substitute for the herb can be found. The same is true with the runes. In Stáv we use the sixteen rune-staves of the 'younger' futhark. Many people today are more familiar with the 24 rune 'elder' futhark, or some of the Anglo-Saxon 29 or 33 stave rune-rows. It would be easy to totally miss the point of Óðínn’s discovery and argue over which futhark he 'saw' when on Yggdrasil. Personally I think he saw them all, and many others. This is because he perceived Örlög itself from which any and all of the futharks can be drawn - along with countless other runes that are not part of any futhark. The Stáv tradition has preserved a symbol to represent Örlög itself. In modern Stáv we often refer to this diagram as 'the web' and describe it as a representation of Örlög or Wyrd (the Anglo-Saxon term for Örlög). This glyph is formed from nine lines and even a casual glance will show that it has seven Hagl runes within in. In addition any rune-stave from any futhark can be found within this diagram (it is a good exercise to see if you can find them). The symbol can teach a lot more than this but, as stated earlier, it is best to see what can be discovered for the self first, and then discuss this afterwards.

Stav Rune Law Course module 1 Version 1.2 © Shaun D. L. Brassfield-Thorpe 1997/98.