*Ocean drops a Jormungandr video*: "man, I should add Jormungandr to my hearth cult. *Ocean drops a Loki video*: "man, I should add Loki to my hearth cult." *Ocean drops an Ullr video*: "man, I should Ullr to my...wait a minute." Thank you for another great video! As someone with a close relationship with Skadhi, I feel like Ullr has a similar style: strong, capable, and self-assured. I will definitely be watching this one again!
Ocean, on the subject of healing. Given a little understanding of physiology, growing stronger is a product of healing. A muscle is worked, hard and long, and suffers micro tears that heal and the muscle grows both larger and stronger, generally. A broken bone heals with boney material in a stronger pattern than the one that broke. Generally, healing is growing stronger. Even this, can be taken to toxic levels. But even as we learn from our mistakes, our bodies learn from our injuries. It may take some work on our part. But what worth having doesn't?
Our kindred oaths to the chief and the group. But that’s only after a year of provisional membership at the minimum. We look at kindreds as a true tribe, a family. Once the oath is taken you are as good as blood kin. Of course there is a way to be released from oath. But saying oaths to tribe and chief is a negative I think is wrong.
Oh my! How are you feeling tonight, you're a fighter!!! For me, 2 years in with a wheelchair @60. I took to it well but pain! This man's work & great personality is appreciated for my ever advancing inner, mehopes😄 I'm going in, no matter what, no stopping me!!💪🏻 ❤ to you
The statement on masculinity actually resonated with me as a mom and military spouce. "When shit happens I'm just expected to deal with it" is the norm. Kid goes to the hospital, husband gets deployed, you can't establish a career cause you will move in a few years, whatever you just deal with it and if you complain you are critisize as a depentent who has it "easy" I found a sign at a local thrift store that said "I'm a military spouce I can handle anything." It seems toxic. Just keep sweeping it under the rug and deal with it all 90% on your own. Thank you for this introduction to Ullr 🙏
This comment makes me wonder if I got the same “I’m not strong if I don’t just deal with it” from being a military kid. Because my experience as a child was different than it would have been as a spouse, but the energy of “you just have to keep going, whatever is wrong” definitely reads right. Thanks for the brain food!
@@antihousewife Oh definitely! The suck it up and deal with it attitude seems to have diminished in more recent years for both enlisted and families, especially for kids, with allot more knowledge of emotional and mental health. Expecting kids to "just be ok" with relocating and the family seperation strains isn't expected as much now as I'm sure it would of been a decade or 2 ago. No one should expect kids to "just deal with it", I certainly don't expect mine to, and not all spouces should be expected to "handle anything". I can't immagine handling anything without talking about feelings, openly crying and having mental/emotional support.
As a single mom I agree. I have to be everything to my kids all the time and cope as best as I can and even though you're married I'm sure you're a solo parent every time your husband deploys. I hope you're able to have support in your life while your husband is away.
A video on the archery god! Yay! 🏹 As a person who does archery, I appreciate Ullr getting some love. Fun fact: Ullr’s hall was called Ýdalir, translated as “yew dales.” This goes back to the yew tree being an ideal wood for the making of bows. I like to think of his hall as surrounded by groves of very tall and old yew trees.
Okay, I wasn’t expecting to cry today, but I did at the end. That was beautifully said and hit me right in the feels. As a cis woman who presents and (for lack of a better word) functions masculinely, I too share in many of the struggles that men face. I am expected to stay in a constant state of heightened awareness/hypervigilance, always have to stay ready to handle whatever comes. And it seems that people subconsciously come to expect it of the masculine people in their lives, even if they don’t realize it. I am realizing that healing is something I need right now. Sometimes relying on our strength can only carry us so far before we have to come out of the cold, collapse next to the fire and accept that we need to rest. Man, this one hit me hard. May need to reach out to Ullr soon. I am seeing him in a way I hadn’t before. Awesome video Ocean! Tons of great information here. Hail Ullr!
As someone who is questioning Christianity and is feeling pulled towards the Gods of Norse Polytheism, to learn of them and knowing which of Them resonates the most because of your content. Thank you for doing what you do!
Watch wendigoon videos about biblically accurate angels there you will find your answears why Christianity is bleak now. I hope you all the best to your Heathen ways also which diety you feel pull towards the most?
Ullur really seems like that one laid back friend that goes in random adventures on a Tuesday afternoon, it can be hiking in the mountains or it can be surfing, everyone loves him but he isn’t always around to hear it.
It's funny that you mention Ullr's fire. My family has kept a story of Ull bringing fire to mankind during a particularly bleak and harsh winter where their harvest yielded no food. The original tongue is lost, but the story remains. Hail Ull, hunt god, ring god, Oath god. May he keep us and we keep him as survivors!
I knew this was gonna be good, but ya hit it out of the park here boss. Particularly loved the discussion of the localization of historical heathens and the section on Ullr as God of the Shield. I say it all the time but it bears repeating: too often people treat the few surviving myths we have as an absolute canon and just ignore all the other evidence we have to show this diversity of practice. This video demonstrates that variety in way that is thorough and easy to understand. Big ups my friend
I love how honest Ocean always is about what we actually know and don't know about the gods. And while he puts in his own extrapolations he can absolutely base it all in actual evidence and yet never makes me feel like I have to follow his take on anything.
Figured I’d post this here as an offering to the algorithm, You never fail to help me better understand my faith. I’ve not once prayed to Ullr because, as you said, I thought of him as some ambiguous Skadi-esque god. But this video gave him a new sense of depth that I hadn’t thought about or known about. I’ll be sure to leave an offering for the mighty hunter of the harsh winter. Hail Ullr!
I love how this community gives more obscure and less understood deities and entities the respect they deserve. And trans men ARE men. Thank you for being so inclusive and supportive. 🛡️🛡️🛡️🏳️⚧️🛡️🛡️🛡️
Wonderful video to add depth to my praxis: as my worship of Skaði has grown, I've treated Ullr as something of an afterthought. As winter draws to a close, I plan to make space on my altar to him and meditate on your words and all I have endured this season. Thanks as always, Ocean.
Ocean, that video was amazing. Especially the last 10 minutes. As someone in a leadership position and someone who is a leader over men, but a woman, this was so important to hear. I sometimes forget that my guys are going through it and I need to give them some grace. Thank you for the content.
This is wonderful, definitely think that the healthly masculinity patt is awesome. Glad to know there's more Gods to add to the list of mental and physical strength and healing.
I remember you specifically requesting Ullr which inspired me to get this video out. You've been supportive in the comment section for years now. Appreciate you.
I have been dedicated to Ullr for many years now. I am from northern Minnesota. My life experiences are most reflected in Ullr. I have skied many marathons, hunted using a bow and rifle my whole life, have lived in the harshest cold of winter in North America for many years. Thanks for sharing this view on Ullr.
As a newish heathen I find your content superb and an inspiration as to how much knowledge you hold about the gods, I always refer back to you and how simple you break things down and make it easy to understand, thank you and keep making this amazing content
When I finally listened to the call of the gods and this faith I searched for a deity that made me feel safe and strong. When I learned of Ullr I felt what I was searching for immediately, I was disappointed that there was so little known but I have made offers to build that frith and have been rewarded with a few great hunts since. Thanks for making a video about him, I've been looking forward to it since you mentioned it a while back.
When I first started my heathen journey 11 years ago now, I felt an immediate call to Ullr that's never gone away. Even though I knew next to nothing about him, he was "my homie" for lack of a better term. I've always felt he was more than "the god of skiing" and hearing you put words to what I knew in my heart really solidifies him as my chosen patron.
Love the video. As a survivor of physical, mental, emotional abuse and molestation as a child the last part speaks to me. I am now considering welcoming Ullr to my hearth since these traumas still affect me today. I may of just started watching your videos, but I've appreciated every one of them. ❤❤
I am cis female but since a increadibly young age I had to care for my mother and older sister. Sadly my father, the role traditionally ment to protect us and provide for us, was the one causing us so much instability due to his addiction and caused really physical and emotional danger to all of us. Thusly I stepped into the much needed and unmaned role. I state this not for pitty but as a background, this was my lot in life and i grew up in accordance. I have been told I am the calm man in a storm dispite being a woman, I even now am sole income for my household as I have a young son and my husband is a wonderful homemaker. Much of what Ocean said resonated with me. I wish growing up I could have found heathens and Ullar to help me through. I will be adding him to my practice though part of my heart hopes that maybe he was looking out for me through all these years, and i may just be welcoming back an old friend.
I am just barely coming out of the cold myself and the talk of healing towards the end of this really resonates with me. Thank you for this. It really helped.
As a former member of a group that practiced that kind of abusive oath-taking, let me add my voice to yours in saying yes, get out. Run, and do not look back.
It's amazing to me that even the tiniest fragments of the old stories that we find are every bit as good as anything coming out of Hollywood today, and it seems like there's always something new to learn, I didn't even know about Ullr until this video
Thank you for another awesome educational video! Your insights into Ullr's importance and possible connections are fascinating. I don't know many people who could take a fairly unheard-of deity and be able to talk about them with real substance for over 15 minutes. I appreciate you also touching on important subjects, such as toxic manipulation in Heathen groups, and toxic masculinity in general. I think it is important to show that our faith and being a healthy community are not mutually exclusive, especially as a juxtaposition to some of the other Heathen groups out there. Keep up the great work!
Cis woman here married to a man - your commentary on masculinity resonated a lot with me as a Skaði devotee. In what ways am I expecting my husband to bear a shield and handle it when I'm in the same trenches and given so much more freedom for emotional expression? AND in what ways does the expectation of stoicism pushed on men so often also lead to the infantilization of women's struggles?
I just wanted to say that I include this video in a monthly tradition of listening to people speak about the gods I work with, as the repetition of oral traditions is a big part of the religious adherence of many. I just wanted to thank you for creating (imo) the best compilation of information on Ullr that is available on TH-cam. It's very much appreciated, and I will continue to honor your work as apart of my faith and teachings. Well met.
I am a woman, but I identified very strongly with what you said about masculinity. Our society tends to associate strength with masculinity, so, even though I am a woman, my desire to be seen as strong means that I am also under the pressure to just take whatever is thrown at me and deal with it. if you take time to rest and recover, you are seen as weak. Society doesn’t seem to really care whether you are a man or a woman when they are pushing this agenda on you, so, even though I am a woman who freely expresses my masculine side, and I am not expected to be strong, I still feel this pressure. I think women would benefit from exploring their masculinity, just as much as men would, because I do think that most of us do have at least a little bit of both masculine and feminine in who we are. I like the idea of looking into the spirituality of masculinity quite a bit and plan on doing some work with it myself. Plus that commentary on oathes, this was an absolute banger.
Society is not a person or entity, its a word. Individuals are too busy worrying about themselves just like you are the one putting pressure on yourself. Life is short and can be hard. Do you and stop worrying about concepts and what others think.
A very interesting production, indeed! As an avid archer..hunter, gatherer.. I have both of the mentioned entities in my life..n..have had for quite a while!! You, Ocean, are the very 1st to touch on any specifics,( as many as there may ,or, maynot be...) ,and make sense of the whole entity journey!! Thank you!! 🏹🤙🐺🧙♂️🦊👍🏹
Another brilliant video! The topic of Oaths should be it's own video, because you are SPOT ON, and also because it's such a deep topic. Thank you for this essay too, because good leaders to often get forgotten, while it's the flamboyant or bombastic ones who get passed on. (looking at you, odin)
First off: I tried explaining something similar to your thoughts on an oath to a few brothers of mine. I’m part of a group (many members are heathen but the group is not for that) that does take an oath. My opinions were all but shrugged off and it did indeed raise a red flag for me. Basically they wanted to make some minor changes to it and I told them it’s irrelevant in my eyes because my loyalty lies in the bigger picture. Not the “group”. Good on you for saying what needed to be said and thank you. Secondly: When you mentioned Tyr with Ullr as “Leadership” gods it got me thinking. Your comparison with the 800 car pile up was dead on, with that in mind, and the way you brought Tyr in and mentioned Thor, I wonder if somewhere in the lost stories and sagas that we don’t have there is more of a connection between the three of them. I’ve heard opinions from all over that vary drastically and some have even mention a possibility of Tyr and Odin being the same god. With Odin’s 5,000 nicknames and one even being “Veratyr” it makes for interesting ideas. We all know Thor was idolized as the protector of Midgard and mankind and Tyr is huge for self sacrifice because of the sagas bringing him and Fenrir together and gliepnir and all that. But I can’t help but wonder if Ullr may have been an old god that was later seen as Tyr and Thor and only separated as different gods due to some dispute between regions or clans and maybe that’s why we see so little about him? I don’t know. Food for thought. Haha! Great video. Got the brain juices going! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I loved this video. I never fully understood Ullr as a God but yet I'm still learning about Norse Spirituality. I think you have helped shed light on the definition that is Ullr the God of survival like you had put it. And I loved what you said about healing. How it's essential in "handling our shit" and that we need it to overcome. I don't think it's healing that removes our masculinity, but I think it's the way that people tell us to heal that challenges our masculinity. I think we all need to find our own way. As long as it works for you, who cares how you get there. Thanks for sharing this. Love your channel.
I joked before about a Skyrim build but didn't yet have the words to convey how how ground shaking this video was. In the 5 months since it's posting I've gotten sober rekindled my masculinity and my commitment and oaths as a father, husband, protector and provider. With tears in my eyes and undescribable gratitude in my heart, I wanna thank you Ocean along side Ullr and Thor. I know the strength was always in me to be better but it was you who reminded me of it. Hail!
I find that I feel calls to the more unkown or potentially misunderstood deities. I am consistently edified by your work, where you collate the disparate accounts of these criminally undervalued vestiges of our faiths. I am able to see Ullr alongside my house's circle of guidance and trust based spirituality. I can definitely appreciate more positive leadership in it too.
This was beautiful. As a cis-woman who is a firm believer in positive disintegration, having everything challenged (and indeed die away like crops in winter) is necessary for regrowing and rebuilding. You’re absolutely spot on about healing - strength comes not through persistence in the face of a winter storm, but by allowing the storm to do its work. Then, we reflect, rebuild, and ensure what we rebuild is better than before, taking our lessons with us (in preparation for next winter) ❤
Thank you for helping me learn more of the gods. None of the countless books that i own speak of Ullr much. I find it so sad we have so little information on the gods. But Ullr is revealed to us all with your help
I've been watching for a long time I have been a heathen for a while you are the first person I ever came across to didn't give off toxic vibes I commend your hard work on trying to stay level-headed this was the first place of Refuge I ever found thank you
Hey Ocean, just wanted to say thank you for all that you do in edutainment and heathenry. I myself am now starting my journey into Heathenry, and you have played a major role in getting me interested into the subject. Thanks a lot man❤ Sending you Thor’s thunder from way down under ⚡️
So much of this, especially where you talk about Ullr being a deity of leadership, and survival, and protection, and most especially the betterment of oneself, really reminds me of my relationship with Tyr, as that’s the major role that he plays in my life. And that makes sense in regards to what you mentioned about them both being leadership-related deities just in different locations. I have no personal practice with Ullr currently, but so much of this still resonates! Great video as always c:
Ullr holds a high place in my practise, both as him and Skadi reprisents my home country of Norway with their connection to the mountians,skiing and winter. But also in my view being a god of overcomming hard times, since after all after the coldest winter comes the warmest summers. And i sorta exsplore my masculinity not in some spiritual way, but in more being help full to others. I have friends who struggle with mental issues and having a few family members who relies on me from assistance with tasks they cant do. And i find my masculinity in that, being a relieble back bone who lifts those weaker than me up.
A new video from my favorite heathen content creator after a hiatus, AND it's of my primary deity. Sweet. There is sooo much I can say about Ullr. I've made multiple dedicated essays about him and also of yew trees from a heathen perspective. But, I want to focus on on a specific aspect, which in this case is total UPG. Ullr's association with oaths and hunting. When oaths are made (in a healthy scenario) you make it in front of people you are closer with. Because you recognize your luck is tied with them. We are our deeds, and our deeds and luck contribute to the luck of those close to you. Your achievements are shared, and it's one of the reasons why merited boasts are not seen as taboo in heathenry. Just like the bounty of a lone hunter can be shared with the whole stead, your individual deeds can contribute to the luck of the group.
I really appreciate how much effort you put into these deep dives. Ullr has been a god I have always kinda been like, "Well he's there for....reasons?" Skadi seems to shoulder a lot of what he is associated with, and she has a couple of bad-ass moments in the myths. I really appreciate how you took the time to tease out the little bits and pieces of Ullr to at least make him approachable on the alter. The bits about oaths and masculinity are spot-fucking-on. Oaths should not be commanded but offered. It's funny, but the oaths I take seriously are made at the micro and macro level. By that, my cherished promises are to direct close friends, my wife, my daughter, etc. Or they are made in a larger way to a god or goddess. I'm not involved in any community, heathen or otherwise, where some sort of super-cereal promise to fall in line is required. One of the things I respect about the Hold is how the expectation is based on our deeds and beliefs of inclusivity and not on some random "by the arm ring of Odin, do you swear upon his ravens and the falcon cloak of Frig to...."whatever. I think masculinity gets twisted into being "tough". That can can part of it, but being tough doesn't mean suffering in silence. It means knowing when to admit defeat. It means knowing what it is like to be beaten to the point you don't think you can get up. However, toughness is finding a way to get through things. A "man" knows how to be tough and to endure. He also knows it's natural to react to pain and sorrow. He knows that weeping at happy times is not a sign of weakness. Masculinity is not the absence of femininity but an aspect that compliments it to the point that both meld and make each other stronger. Finally, I plan on bringing Ullr more into my practice. One of the ways that I view Thor is as tenacious. He is not a god where you see him going into great battles or offering strategic war tactics. Often times, he's who is called when something must be handled (and generally by "something" I mean Jotun, and by "handled" I mean "smashed with a hammer"). I see him as a god who I can ask to give me the strength to do what must be done to provide for my loved one. Now, I will bring in Ullr, the survivor, as not everything I am asked to do goes my way. There are days where I fail and am beaten. Tenacity took me to the fight, but it is important to work on surviving the failure. I think Ullr and his shield will be welcome on those dark and cold days.
Ocean, great pun😊, great video. And I, an old woman, loved the bits on masculinity. I've noticed the term 'toxic masculinity ' gets tossed around by young women today, too often. They don't even know it was coined, when I was young, in the 80s,by mens groups! 👍💙💙💙🥰✌
Ullr was the first god that appeared to me, so to speak. I was in a time of distress falling away from Christianity, and not sure of who I was and what I followed. Ullr spoke to my mind in a way that I couldn’t explain, not like a literal voice, but as soon as I learned about him it all just became clear. Thank you for this video.
100% agree with you about the oaths. How anyone can argue otherwise boggles the mind. Wyrdly enough, I was thinking about Skadi and Ullr earlier today... always a pleasure to listen to your videos/thoughts. Be well
Gothi, that oath "hot take" hit just the right spot. I'm currently homeless, trying to find a state to base out of and a situation that won't kill me for existing, so vulnerability is written all over me. Ullr might get a hoot from me in all this. Thank you. ❤
Hey ocean, I've been watching your videos since I started my journey into heathenry (almost 5 years ago to the day as of writing!) And I wanted to say your diligence has been indispensable to my personal relationship with the gods. Thank you for doing what you do
I Believe that the silent god Vil may have a correlation with Ullr because Ullr's death is never mentioned and the silent god is also seldom mentioned until his accession to the throne of Asgard after killing the great wolf Fenrir.
Ocean, I always look forward to your latest videos to listen in while I'm on the road. Nothing makes for a more pleasant drive than your fresh and educated perspectives. Keep 'em coming brother! Much love and many blessings.
As and adult with high functioning autism, the statment at the end about masculinity really speaks to me. I have a very hard time healing from things and growing from them. The attitude in society of "you'll be ok but you're on your own" has been extremely prevalent in every step of my life. Not only am I a man that needs to "deal with things," I have a mental disability but i'm expected to behave like I don't, and perform nonetheless. Hearing this take on Ullr is very helpful to me and lets me remember to let myself heal. Thanks Ocean, great video as always!
@@OceanKeltoi You and me both friend, and thank you. Also my brain always forget a deity/entity named ‘Eir’ exists in both Germanic and Irish mythos so my brain just went: damn gonna have the entirety of the isle of ireland helping me (Éire is the primordial entity representing the island :) )
I don't always watch your videos, but everyone I watch I enjoy, and every so often you drop something absolutely fantastic in your videos that I wish more people would see/know. It was one small comment, but your simple words of acceptance to trans men speak volumes to you as a human. And I can only imagine what hearing the being called "brother" means to a trans man having to deal with the hate in the world right now. And your statement on oaths was just as clear and just as needed. I wish such statements would be standard, but sadly we do yet live in that world. If more people thought like you, and were not afraid to say so, we would get there a lot faster.
You are my absolute FAVORITE person to see a new video from on TH-cam. I have noticed you aren’t making as many? Or maybe I’ve just finally finished the whole catalog. Thanks for doing what you do.
What an amazing video this resonated so much as someone who's been through a lot and healed a lot, still more to go though. I'll definitely give offerings to Ullr from now on. Thank you again for the great information Ocean!
love watching these kinds of videos, soo intellectually stimulating when i think about oath of loyalty, it should be from the leader to their people, after all the leader is responsible for their people and any act that negatively effects the people should be seen as a violation of that oath as for masculinity, i agree, I'd go as far to say you are the weak one for not actually handling and keeping bottled up. strong people handle their shit and avoid it
Another great video. I must confess that I mostly turn to Skathi when hunting. I make an offering and give thanks for the opportunity and a safe return from the hunt.
My own experience of Ullr resonates with what you have presented. I like to describe him as the God of Going Outside, in the sense of the kind of discipline and skill you need to go outside the safety of your community and commune with the wild places. I believe there is something to be explored in the contrast of Ullr and Odin. There is an Apollo and Dionysus flavor to them in the sense of Dionysus (Odin) is the wine and Apollo (Ullr) is the vinegar. The both of them creating social liquidity in different ways.
Would it be appropriate to view Ullr as the God of "Trying again" as that is the only way anything/one gets better? Linking the leadership, community guardian, Winter and Games, I am getting "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" energy. For reasons, this felt like a needed message to both me personally and to the wider community. He also in his "keeper of oaths seems to me to be witness of "the struggle" the god that says, "I see that you tried and failed but points for trying....let's chill for a minute as you heal before trying again . Here are the dice..Let's roll!
*Ocean drops a Jormungandr video*: "man, I should add Jormungandr to my hearth cult.
*Ocean drops a Loki video*: "man, I should add Loki to my hearth cult."
*Ocean drops an Ullr video*: "man, I should Ullr to my...wait a minute."
Thank you for another great video! As someone with a close relationship with Skadhi, I feel like Ullr has a similar style: strong, capable, and self-assured. I will definitely be watching this one again!
Same here. I added so much to my practice thanks to Ocean
Ocean, on the subject of healing. Given a little understanding of physiology, growing stronger is a product of healing. A muscle is worked, hard and long, and suffers micro tears that heal and the muscle grows both larger and stronger, generally.
A broken bone heals with boney material in a stronger pattern than the one that broke.
Generally, healing is growing stronger. Even this, can be taken to toxic levels. But even as we learn from our mistakes, our bodies learn from our injuries. It may take some work on our part. But what worth having doesn't?
Time to add directly Ocean ❤
Aaand Hel...
Yup, in the same long-boat
That clear statement on oaths and loyalty alone should make this required viewing for every heathen. Incredible video.
Not only heathens could profit from this truth.
I physically reacted when he said that. It shouldn't be controversial at all!
That part would make an amazing reel to be able and just spread the message and passion behind it around.
Our kindred oaths to the chief and the group. But that’s only after a year of provisional membership at the minimum. We look at kindreds as a true tribe, a family. Once the oath is taken you are as good as blood kin. Of course there is a way to be released from oath. But saying oaths to tribe and chief is a negative I think is wrong.
My mental image of healthy masculinity will forever be shredded Santa Claus looking guy surfing the seven seas on a board of bone inscribed my runes.
You know you are by far the best creator in this category, right? Keep up the phenomenal work. Your information and insights DO make a difference.
omg thanks so much! This is incredible.
I've survived 11 strokes in the past 9 months, and I needed this today, Ocean, as I'm finding a way to keep going.Thank you. 💙
Champion. Praying to Eir for your healing.👏🏻
@@LiamMacD ❤️
Oh my! How are you feeling tonight, you're a fighter!!!
For me, 2 years in with a wheelchair @60. I took to it well but pain! This man's work & great personality is appreciated for my ever advancing inner, mehopes😄
I'm going in, no matter what, no stopping me!!💪🏻 ❤ to you
The statement on masculinity actually resonated with me as a mom and military spouce. "When shit happens I'm just expected to deal with it" is the norm. Kid goes to the hospital, husband gets deployed, you can't establish a career cause you will move in a few years, whatever you just deal with it and if you complain you are critisize as a depentent who has it "easy" I found a sign at a local thrift store that said "I'm a military spouce I can handle anything." It seems toxic. Just keep sweeping it under the rug and deal with it all 90% on your own. Thank you for this introduction to Ullr 🙏
Edited for typo
This comment makes me wonder if I got the same “I’m not strong if I don’t just deal with it” from being a military kid. Because my experience as a child was different than it would have been as a spouse, but the energy of “you just have to keep going, whatever is wrong” definitely reads right. Thanks for the brain food!
@@antihousewife Oh definitely! The suck it up and deal with it attitude seems to have diminished in more recent years for both enlisted and families, especially for kids, with allot more knowledge of emotional and mental health. Expecting kids to "just be ok" with relocating and the family seperation strains isn't expected as much now as I'm sure it would of been a decade or 2 ago. No one should expect kids to "just deal with it", I certainly don't expect mine to, and not all spouces should be expected to "handle anything". I can't immagine handling anything without talking about feelings, openly crying and having mental/emotional support.
As a single mom I agree. I have to be everything to my kids all the time and cope as best as I can and even though you're married I'm sure you're a solo parent every time your husband deploys. I hope you're able to have support in your life while your husband is away.
A video on the archery god! Yay! 🏹 As a person who does archery, I appreciate Ullr getting some love.
Fun fact: Ullr’s hall was called Ýdalir, translated as “yew dales.” This goes back to the yew tree being an ideal wood for the making of bows. I like to think of his hall as surrounded by groves of very tall and old yew trees.
Okay, I wasn’t expecting to cry today, but I did at the end. That was beautifully said and hit me right in the feels. As a cis woman who presents and (for lack of a better word) functions masculinely, I too share in many of the struggles that men face. I am expected to stay in a constant state of heightened awareness/hypervigilance, always have to stay ready to handle whatever comes. And it seems that people subconsciously come to expect it of the masculine people in their lives, even if they don’t realize it. I am realizing that healing is something I need right now. Sometimes relying on our strength can only carry us so far before we have to come out of the cold, collapse next to the fire and accept that we need to rest. Man, this one hit me hard. May need to reach out to Ullr soon. I am seeing him in a way I hadn’t before. Awesome video Ocean! Tons of great information here. Hail Ullr!
As someone who is questioning Christianity and is feeling pulled towards the Gods of Norse Polytheism, to learn of them and knowing which of Them resonates the most because of your content. Thank you for doing what you do!
Watch wendigoon videos about biblically accurate angels there you will find your answears why Christianity is bleak now. I hope you all the best to your Heathen ways also which diety you feel pull towards the most?
Odin was the initial pull, now I'm discovering more of which Gods I relate to the most Tyr, Ullr, and Freyr have become promenate as well.@@sybin4565
Ullur really seems like that one laid back friend that goes in random adventures on a Tuesday afternoon, it can be hiking in the mountains or it can be surfing, everyone loves him but he isn’t always around to hear it.
This was a fantastic analysis! I love the take on "masculinity" as something much more nuanced and imperfect - "The God of Survivors" resonated hard.
It's funny that you mention Ullr's fire. My family has kept a story of Ull bringing fire to mankind during a particularly bleak and harsh winter where their harvest yielded no food. The original tongue is lost, but the story remains.
Hail Ull, hunt god, ring god, Oath god. May he keep us and we keep him as survivors!
I knew this was gonna be good, but ya hit it out of the park here boss. Particularly loved the discussion of the localization of historical heathens and the section on Ullr as God of the Shield. I say it all the time but it bears repeating: too often people treat the few surviving myths we have as an absolute canon and just ignore all the other evidence we have to show this diversity of practice. This video demonstrates that variety in way that is thorough and easy to understand. Big ups my friend
I love how honest Ocean always is about what we actually know and don't know about the gods. And while he puts in his own extrapolations he can absolutely base it all in actual evidence and yet never makes me feel like I have to follow his take on anything.
Figured I’d post this here as an offering to the algorithm, You never fail to help me better understand my faith. I’ve not once prayed to Ullr because, as you said, I thought of him as some ambiguous Skadi-esque god. But this video gave him a new sense of depth that I hadn’t thought about or known about. I’ll be sure to leave an offering for the mighty hunter of the harsh winter. Hail Ullr!
I love how this community gives more obscure and less understood deities and entities the respect they deserve. And trans men ARE men. Thank you for being so inclusive and supportive. 🛡️🛡️🛡️🏳️⚧️🛡️🛡️🛡️
Wonderful video to add depth to my praxis: as my worship of Skaði has grown, I've treated Ullr as something of an afterthought. As winter draws to a close, I plan to make space on my altar to him and meditate on your words and all I have endured this season. Thanks as always, Ocean.
Ocean, that video was amazing. Especially the last 10 minutes. As someone in a leadership position and someone who is a leader over men, but a woman, this was so important to hear. I sometimes forget that my guys are going through it and I need to give them some grace. Thank you for the content.
This is wonderful, definitely think that the healthly masculinity patt is awesome. Glad to know there's more Gods to add to the list of mental and physical strength and healing.
Here Here!!
Loved this video. I came here out of curiosity about little-known Ullr, but stayed for all the spicy truths.
I really like the way you bring in the sources and archaeological evidence but emphasise how little we do actually know.
Ullr and Skadi are my two patrons, I’m happy beyond words for this video
I remember you specifically requesting Ullr which inspired me to get this video out. You've been supportive in the comment section for years now. Appreciate you.
Same.
I have been dedicated to Ullr for many years now. I am from northern Minnesota. My life experiences are most reflected in Ullr. I have skied many marathons, hunted using a bow and rifle my whole life, have lived in the harshest cold of winter in North America for many years. Thanks for sharing this view on Ullr.
I am very appreciative that you put the sources in the videos! It helps alot, thanks! ❤
That pun made my face palm itself. Good to have you back, brother!
As a newish heathen I find your content superb and an inspiration as to how much knowledge you hold about the gods, I always refer back to you and how simple you break things down and make it easy to understand, thank you and keep making this amazing content
Thank you so much! Thats exactly the goal
When I finally listened to the call of the gods and this faith I searched for a deity that made me feel safe and strong. When I learned of Ullr I felt what I was searching for immediately, I was disappointed that there was so little known but I have made offers to build that frith and have been rewarded with a few great hunts since. Thanks for making a video about him, I've been looking forward to it since you mentioned it a while back.
When I first started my heathen journey 11 years ago now, I felt an immediate call to Ullr that's never gone away. Even though I knew next to nothing about him, he was "my homie" for lack of a better term. I've always felt he was more than "the god of skiing" and hearing you put words to what I knew in my heart really solidifies him as my chosen patron.
I can't express how much I needed to see this today. Thank you, Ocean. Hail Ullr, may you guide me through the challenges ahead.
Love the video. As a survivor of physical, mental, emotional abuse and molestation as a child the last part speaks to me. I am now considering welcoming Ullr to my hearth since these traumas still affect me today. I may of just started watching your videos, but I've appreciated every one of them. ❤❤
I am cis female but since a increadibly young age I had to care for my mother and older sister. Sadly my father, the role traditionally ment to protect us and provide for us, was the one causing us so much instability due to his addiction and caused really physical and emotional danger to all of us. Thusly I stepped into the much needed and unmaned role. I state this not for pitty but as a background, this was my lot in life and i grew up in accordance. I have been told I am the calm man in a storm dispite being a woman, I even now am sole income for my household as I have a young son and my husband is a wonderful homemaker.
Much of what Ocean said resonated with me. I wish growing up I could have found heathens and Ullar to help me through. I will be adding him to my practice though part of my heart hopes that maybe he was looking out for me through all these years, and i may just be welcoming back an old friend.
I am just barely coming out of the cold myself and the talk of healing towards the end of this really resonates with me. Thank you for this. It really helped.
Man… that piece about resiliency in the heat of the moment and addressing healing really got at my soul.
As a former member of a group that practiced that kind of abusive oath-taking, let me add my voice to yours in saying yes, get out. Run, and do not look back.
It's amazing to me that even the tiniest fragments of the old stories that we find are every bit as good as anything coming out of Hollywood today, and it seems like there's always something new to learn, I didn't even know about Ullr until this video
"Speaking of other men out there, which includes our trans brothers..." this made me unexpectedly emotional. thanks for thinking of us
Thank you for another awesome educational video! Your insights into Ullr's importance and possible connections are fascinating. I don't know many people who could take a fairly unheard-of deity and be able to talk about them with real substance for over 15 minutes. I appreciate you also touching on important subjects, such as toxic manipulation in Heathen groups, and toxic masculinity in general. I think it is important to show that our faith and being a healthy community are not mutually exclusive, especially as a juxtaposition to some of the other Heathen groups out there. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Ocean for another fantastic video! Ullr has a much larger meaning for me now and I will be including him in my daily prayers and offering!
Cis woman here married to a man - your commentary on masculinity resonated a lot with me as a Skaði devotee. In what ways am I expecting my husband to bear a shield and handle it when I'm in the same trenches and given so much more freedom for emotional expression? AND in what ways does the expectation of stoicism pushed on men so often also lead to the infantilization of women's struggles?
I'm always all about being a better man, think I'll pray to Ullr during my next day of prayer. Thanks for ullrways keeping it real Ocean
I just wanted to say that I include this video in a monthly tradition of listening to people speak about the gods I work with, as the repetition of oral traditions is a big part of the religious adherence of many. I just wanted to thank you for creating (imo) the best compilation of information on Ullr that is available on TH-cam. It's very much appreciated, and I will continue to honor your work as apart of my faith and teachings. Well met.
I love all of this. There's so little information on Ullr and it's wonderful to hear your thoughts on him. Thanks for another awesome video, Ocean.
I am a woman, but I identified very strongly with what you said about masculinity. Our society tends to associate strength with masculinity, so, even though I am a woman, my desire to be seen as strong means that I am also under the pressure to just take whatever is thrown at me and deal with it. if you take time to rest and recover, you are seen as weak. Society doesn’t seem to really care whether you are a man or a woman when they are pushing this agenda on you, so, even though I am a woman who freely expresses my masculine side, and I am not expected to be strong, I still feel this pressure. I think women would benefit from exploring their masculinity, just as much as men would, because I do think that most of us do have at least a little bit of both masculine and feminine in who we are. I like the idea of looking into the spirituality of masculinity quite a bit and plan on doing some work with it myself. Plus that commentary on oathes, this was an absolute banger.
Society is not a person or entity, its a word. Individuals are too busy worrying about themselves just like you are the one putting pressure on yourself.
Life is short and can be hard. Do you and stop worrying about concepts and what others think.
A very interesting production, indeed!
As an avid archer..hunter, gatherer.. I have both of the mentioned entities in my life..n..have had for quite a while!! You,
Ocean, are the very 1st
to touch on any specifics,( as many as there may ,or, maynot be...) ,and make sense of the whole entity journey!! Thank you!!
🏹🤙🐺🧙♂️🦊👍🏹
As a man, I really appreciate this video and your perspective! I have a new appreciation for Ullr.
Another brilliant video!
The topic of Oaths should be it's own video, because you are SPOT ON, and also because it's such a deep topic.
Thank you for this essay too, because good leaders to often get forgotten, while it's the flamboyant or bombastic ones who get passed on. (looking at you, odin)
First off: I tried explaining something similar to your thoughts on an oath to a few brothers of mine. I’m part of a group (many members are heathen but the group is not for that) that does take an oath. My opinions were all but shrugged off and it did indeed raise a red flag for me. Basically they wanted to make some minor changes to it and I told them it’s irrelevant in my eyes because my loyalty lies in the bigger picture. Not the “group”. Good on you for saying what needed to be said and thank you.
Secondly: When you mentioned Tyr with Ullr as “Leadership” gods it got me thinking. Your comparison with the 800 car pile up was dead on, with that in mind, and the way you brought Tyr in and mentioned Thor, I wonder if somewhere in the lost stories and sagas that we don’t have there is more of a connection between the three of them. I’ve heard opinions from all over that vary drastically and some have even mention a possibility of Tyr and Odin being the same god. With Odin’s 5,000 nicknames and one even being “Veratyr” it makes for interesting ideas. We all know Thor was idolized as the protector of Midgard and mankind and Tyr is huge for self sacrifice because of the sagas bringing him and Fenrir together and gliepnir and all that. But I can’t help but wonder if Ullr may have been an old god that was later seen as Tyr and Thor and only separated as different gods due to some dispute between regions or clans and maybe that’s why we see so little about him? I don’t know. Food for thought. Haha!
Great video. Got the brain juices going! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I loved this video. I never fully understood Ullr as a God but yet I'm still learning about Norse Spirituality. I think you have helped shed light on the definition that is Ullr the God of survival like you had put it. And I loved what you said about healing. How it's essential in "handling our shit" and that we need it to overcome. I don't think it's healing that removes our masculinity, but I think it's the way that people tell us to heal that challenges our masculinity. I think we all need to find our own way. As long as it works for you, who cares how you get there. Thanks for sharing this. Love your channel.
Timely statement about oaths and loyalty.
The rest is excellent, too.
I joked before about a Skyrim build but didn't yet have the words to convey how how ground shaking this video was. In the 5 months since it's posting I've gotten sober rekindled my masculinity and my commitment and oaths as a father, husband, protector and provider. With tears in my eyes and undescribable gratitude in my heart, I wanna thank you Ocean along side Ullr and Thor. I know the strength was always in me to be better but it was you who reminded me of it. Hail!
I find that I feel calls to the more unkown or potentially misunderstood deities. I am consistently edified by your work, where you collate the disparate accounts of these criminally undervalued vestiges of our faiths. I am able to see Ullr alongside my house's circle of guidance and trust based spirituality. I can definitely appreciate more positive leadership in it too.
I missed you 😩😩. I hope you have refreshed and rested. It has been very well deserved
This was beautiful. As a cis-woman who is a firm believer in positive disintegration, having everything challenged (and indeed die away like crops in winter) is necessary for regrowing and rebuilding. You’re absolutely spot on about healing - strength comes not through persistence in the face of a winter storm, but by allowing the storm to do its work. Then, we reflect, rebuild, and ensure what we rebuild is better than before, taking our lessons with us (in preparation for next winter) ❤
Thank you for helping me learn more of the gods. None of the countless books that i own speak of Ullr much. I find it so sad we have so little information on the gods. But Ullr is revealed to us all with your help
I've been watching for a long time I have been a heathen for a while you are the first person I ever came across to didn't give off toxic vibes I commend your hard work on trying to stay level-headed this was the first place of Refuge I ever found thank you
Hey Ocean, just wanted to say thank you for all that you do in edutainment and heathenry. I myself am now starting my journey into Heathenry, and you have played a major role in getting me interested into the subject.
Thanks a lot man❤
Sending you Thor’s thunder from way down under ⚡️
So much of this, especially where you talk about Ullr being a deity of leadership, and survival, and protection, and most especially the betterment of oneself, really reminds me of my relationship with Tyr, as that’s the major role that he plays in my life. And that makes sense in regards to what you mentioned about them both being leadership-related deities just in different locations. I have no personal practice with Ullr currently, but so much of this still resonates! Great video as always c:
Ullr holds a high place in my practise, both as him and Skadi reprisents my home country of Norway with their connection to the mountians,skiing and winter.
But also in my view being a god of overcomming hard times, since after all after the coldest winter comes the warmest summers.
And i sorta exsplore my masculinity not in some spiritual way, but in more being help full to others. I have friends who struggle with mental issues and having a few family members who relies on me from assistance with tasks they cant do. And i find my masculinity in that, being a relieble back bone who lifts those weaker than me up.
A new video from my favorite heathen content creator after a hiatus, AND it's of my primary deity. Sweet.
There is sooo much I can say about Ullr. I've made multiple dedicated essays about him and also of yew trees from a heathen perspective. But, I want to focus on on a specific aspect, which in this case is total UPG.
Ullr's association with oaths and hunting. When oaths are made (in a healthy scenario) you make it in front of people you are closer with. Because you recognize your luck is tied with them. We are our deeds, and our deeds and luck contribute to the luck of those close to you. Your achievements are shared, and it's one of the reasons why merited boasts are not seen as taboo in heathenry.
Just like the bounty of a lone hunter can be shared with the whole stead, your individual deeds can contribute to the luck of the group.
I really appreciate how much effort you put into these deep dives. Ullr has been a god I have always kinda been like, "Well he's there for....reasons?" Skadi seems to shoulder a lot of what he is associated with, and she has a couple of bad-ass moments in the myths. I really appreciate how you took the time to tease out the little bits and pieces of Ullr to at least make him approachable on the alter.
The bits about oaths and masculinity are spot-fucking-on. Oaths should not be commanded but offered. It's funny, but the oaths I take seriously are made at the micro and macro level. By that, my cherished promises are to direct close friends, my wife, my daughter, etc. Or they are made in a larger way to a god or goddess. I'm not involved in any community, heathen or otherwise, where some sort of super-cereal promise to fall in line is required. One of the things I respect about the Hold is how the expectation is based on our deeds and beliefs of inclusivity and not on some random "by the arm ring of Odin, do you swear upon his ravens and the falcon cloak of Frig to...."whatever.
I think masculinity gets twisted into being "tough". That can can part of it, but being tough doesn't mean suffering in silence. It means knowing when to admit defeat. It means knowing what it is like to be beaten to the point you don't think you can get up. However, toughness is finding a way to get through things. A "man" knows how to be tough and to endure. He also knows it's natural to react to pain and sorrow. He knows that weeping at happy times is not a sign of weakness. Masculinity is not the absence of femininity but an aspect that compliments it to the point that both meld and make each other stronger.
Finally, I plan on bringing Ullr more into my practice. One of the ways that I view Thor is as tenacious. He is not a god where you see him going into great battles or offering strategic war tactics. Often times, he's who is called when something must be handled (and generally by "something" I mean Jotun, and by "handled" I mean "smashed with a hammer"). I see him as a god who I can ask to give me the strength to do what must be done to provide for my loved one. Now, I will bring in Ullr, the survivor, as not everything I am asked to do goes my way. There are days where I fail and am beaten. Tenacity took me to the fight, but it is important to work on surviving the failure. I think Ullr and his shield will be welcome on those dark and cold days.
Ocean, great pun😊, great video. And I, an old woman, loved the bits on masculinity. I've noticed the term 'toxic masculinity ' gets tossed around by young women today, too often. They don't even know it was coined, when I was young, in the 80s,by mens groups! 👍💙💙💙🥰✌
Ullr was the first god that appeared to me, so to speak. I was in a time of distress falling away from Christianity, and not sure of who I was and what I followed. Ullr spoke to my mind in a way that I couldn’t explain, not like a literal voice, but as soon as I learned about him it all just became clear. Thank you for this video.
100% agree with you about the oaths. How anyone can argue otherwise boggles the mind. Wyrdly enough, I was thinking about Skadi and Ullr earlier today... always a pleasure to listen to your videos/thoughts. Be well
Gothi, that oath "hot take" hit just the right spot. I'm currently homeless, trying to find a state to base out of and a situation that won't kill me for existing, so vulnerability is written all over me. Ullr might get a hoot from me in all this. Thank you. ❤
Hey ocean, I've been watching your videos since I started my journey into heathenry (almost 5 years ago to the day as of writing!) And I wanted to say your diligence has been indispensable to my personal relationship with the gods. Thank you for doing what you do
I very much appreciate that ^_^
I Believe that the silent god Vil may have a correlation with Ullr because Ullr's death is never mentioned and the silent god is also seldom mentioned until his accession to the throne of Asgard after killing the great wolf Fenrir.
Ocean, I always look forward to your latest videos to listen in while I'm on the road. Nothing makes for a more pleasant drive than your fresh and educated perspectives. Keep 'em coming brother!
Much love and many blessings.
As and adult with high functioning autism, the statment at the end about masculinity really speaks to me. I have a very hard time healing from things and growing from them. The attitude in society of "you'll be ok but you're on your own" has been extremely prevalent in every step of my life. Not only am I a man that needs to "deal with things," I have a mental disability but i'm expected to behave like I don't, and perform nonetheless. Hearing this take on Ullr is very helpful to me and lets me remember to let myself heal. Thanks Ocean, great video as always!
An ocean video while im in the ER? Bout to make this more tolerable
goddamn! hope you're alright. Will light an offering to Eir for you.
@@OceanKeltoi You and me both friend, and thank you.
Also my brain always forget a deity/entity named ‘Eir’ exists in both Germanic and Irish mythos so my brain just went: damn gonna have the entirety of the isle of ireland helping me (Éire is the primordial entity representing the island :) )
@@OceanKeltoiturns out i got bronchitis.
Wee.
Ullr around, another fantastic video. I definitely need to sit down again with this one
I don't always watch your videos, but everyone I watch I enjoy, and every so often you drop something absolutely fantastic in your videos that I wish more people would see/know. It was one small comment, but your simple words of acceptance to trans men speak volumes to you as a human. And I can only imagine what hearing the being called "brother" means to a trans man having to deal with the hate in the world right now. And your statement on oaths was just as clear and just as needed. I wish such statements would be standard, but sadly we do yet live in that world. If more people thought like you, and were not afraid to say so, we would get there a lot faster.
Gods this was an unexpectedly beautiful and inspiring video thank you for your work.
Truly it is so inspiring to me and our shared faith
Informative, entertaining, and relatable. As always, you nailed it Boss. Thanks again!
Always happy to see that you've uploaded a new video, Ocean!
An absolutly great watch!
One of my favorite deities. You did him justice with your wonderful words, thank you
I have been waiting! I give thanks to Ullr ever hunt. I am able to provide for my family with wild game for the entire year.
I really needed this video, especially today. Thank you! Amazing video as always!
You and Jackson Crawford have helped me tremendously. Thank you sir.
You are my absolute FAVORITE person to see a new video from on TH-cam. I have noticed you aren’t making as many? Or maybe I’ve just finally finished the whole catalog. Thanks for doing what you do.
working on new ones, just chipping away.
I've been waiting for this video for a long time. Thank you so much!
Always excited to see another Ocean video with some great insight. Glad to see you ar ewell!
The analogy with Osteen and the Pope was priceless. Thank you for another great video.
What an amazing video this resonated so much as someone who's been through a lot and healed a lot, still more to go though. I'll definitely give offerings to Ullr from now on. Thank you again for the great information Ocean!
Yay new video! 🎉
Wow brother
Thanks for the encouraging message I really needed it ❤
I always appreciate, and thoroughly enjoy your videos and perspectives. Thanks Ocean for another outstanding video.
Love this, thank you for the information
love watching these kinds of videos, soo intellectually stimulating
when i think about oath of loyalty, it should be from the leader to their people, after all the leader is responsible for their people and any act that negatively effects the people should be seen as a violation of that oath
as for masculinity, i agree, I'd go as far to say you are the weak one for not actually handling and keeping bottled up. strong people handle their shit and avoid it
"A common extrapolation"-- I haven't heard or used that phrase, but that is a great description for much of what we think as "cannon"
Another great video. I must confess that I mostly turn to Skathi when hunting. I make an offering and give thanks for the opportunity and a safe return from the hunt.
Love the take on Oaths, well spoken
This Ullr sounds like a pretty chill guy.
Comforting thoughts. Glad to see you back
My kindred just did a blot to ullr last Saturday. What a fun coincidence, during it I was thinking I'd like to learn more about ullr
nice to see and hear after a long time. Great video once again!
I can't put it into words. But I needed to hear some of this. Thank you
My own experience of Ullr resonates with what you have presented. I like to describe him as the God of Going Outside, in the sense of the kind of discipline and skill you need to go outside the safety of your community and commune with the wild places. I believe there is something to be explored in the contrast of Ullr and Odin. There is an Apollo and Dionysus flavor to them in the sense of Dionysus (Odin) is the wine and Apollo (Ullr) is the vinegar. The both of them creating social liquidity in different ways.
Would it be appropriate to view Ullr as the God of "Trying again" as that is the only way anything/one gets better? Linking the leadership, community guardian, Winter and Games, I am getting "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take" energy. For reasons, this felt like a needed message to both me personally and to the wider community. He also in his "keeper of oaths seems to me to be witness of "the struggle" the god that says, "I see that you tried and failed but points for trying....let's chill for a minute as you heal before trying again . Here are the dice..Let's roll!
Good to have you back
God I've missed watching your videos so much. Fantastic as always! ❤️