*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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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!
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.
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?
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. 🛡️🛡️🛡️🏳️⚧️🛡️🛡️🛡️
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.
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.
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 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.
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?
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.
Sounds like Ullr could take the place of Odin in times of crisis (absence of Odin) a little like roman dictatorship: a strong figure bound by oaths to exercise almost unlimited power and ferry the community beyond uncertaity. Therefore the link with cold (representing powerlessness), rings (oaths) and hunting (survival).
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!
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 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 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.
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! 👍💙💙💙🥰✌
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!
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!! 🏹🤙🐺🧙♂️🦊👍🏹
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.
I wish my husband's family would be willing to see and listen to this, particularly your portion about masculinity and healing. His brother and father constantly mock him for showing any kind of emotion, and believe he's not a "real" man because of it. But they're incredibly conservative Christians, so anything coming from dirty heathens like us is of the devil... I'm just glad my husband isn't like that.
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)
You know on the second watch through, you're explanation on regional pluralism is really helpful. It shows the gods weren't historically locked to a location or specific group of people.
Like Ratatoskr, I think sometimes people fall into the etymological fallacy instead of considering onomatopeia The hunting god is called Ullr because it sounds like an animal bugling.
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.
I know Iceland was just as fucked up as a lot of the nordic diaspora, but the way you described Iceland as a place that doesn't like kings made my anarchist brain go "ha ha anti monarchy lil island go brrrrrrr"
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 ⚡️
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
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
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. ❤❤
Any insight into a connection between Ullr and Yew trees? I seem to recall him being attributed to a dwelling called "Ydalir" perhaps meaning "Yew Dale", a valley of yews. Also, I thought I gathered somewhere that his name is the source of Yule, the winter solstice celebration. Can anyone confirm/deny? Thanx!
@@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 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’m an atheist but I’m happy I found this channel. I like learning about different religions even if I don’t believe in them, I think their practices are interesting and their stories are cool. Paganism is much more difficult to access than Christianity or Islam where there is a central text or Buddhism and Hinduism where there are foundational scriptures
This is most likely a consequence of how I was raised, and I’m 18 so it’s relatively fresh too, even though I know this isn’t healthy; I’m a woman but I feel like I have to carry myself like a man. The typical “womanhood” is a weak thing, typical “manhood” is how you “survive.” And as a consequence, if I start to feel stressed, I will loathe myself for it. I make myself feel worse because I shouldn’t be stressed at all, and other people have it harder. And I’m starting to hope Ullr could show me a less dumb way to feel about this. Disclaimer, this is a double standard I have for myself and I don’t make it a practice to shame other women whatsoever.
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! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
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.
Thank you, this was beautiful. Not a man (mostly female genderqueer something?), but have been raised to be strong. And with a tendency to repeat bad decisions over and over and once more for good luck - I can use some healing. To make some changes. You have given me lots to think about.
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.
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
"Ullevi" is also used, from more recent times, as the name of two separate large open air arenas in central Gothenburg, Sweden. Originally made for soccer, with the first version constructed in the 1910s, they were named "for the god of play and games." Whether there's any truth to that notion, if they found something suggesting as much, or if that's just another of those things nationalism made up whole cloth I cannot say.
The malicious negligence and condemnation of Christians as they recorded european mythologies is just staggering to me. They knew what they were doing, very well. And our lack of information is the intent of their works. Ocean pointing out the abnormality of the abrahamic religions and their denial of pluralism, which Id assume in Christianity in particular is part of the cultural hand downs of superiority and strong syncretism held by Greek and Roman cultures in their imperial structures.
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.
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.
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.
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. ❤
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 like to think of Ullr as an out going outdoors sportsman. A hunter, skier, and a surfer. And, due to these, he is very fit and active and so would people like him. Hence why he is good to call on for a one on one duel. He is strong like a shield. Protect others from bullies. A handy man you can rely on.
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
Also! Fun food for thought, with Pluralism n the such, the Romans had the fun trait of overlapping and claiming other deities were just theirs. One can possibly point out that this tradition is carried on with the establishment of christianity as its state religion.
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
At first I laughed out loud about the comparison with southern baptists, the pope and that other guy 😂. In the end when the video turned from a more historical perspective to a hope instilling sermon I was crying, in a positive way.
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 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
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.
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.
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 ❤️
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.
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!
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.
This was a fantastic analysis! I love the take on "masculinity" as something much more nuanced and imperfect - "The God of Survivors" resonated hard.
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
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.
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!
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.
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
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. 🛡️🛡️🛡️🏳️⚧️🛡️🛡️🛡️
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!!
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.
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 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.
Loved this video. I came here out of curiosity about little-known Ullr, but stayed for all the spicy truths.
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?
Pun time
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.
Wonderful video! Gives a lot to think about. I love the inclusion of trans men (or anyone) who might that healthy masculinity!
That pun made my face palm itself. Good to have you back, brother!
I really like the way you bring in the sources and archaeological evidence but emphasise how little we do actually know.
A dope ass bone covered with runes. My next tattoo idea!
Awesome video, in all seriousness
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.
Sounds like Ullr could take the place of Odin in times of crisis (absence of Odin) a little like roman dictatorship: a strong figure bound by oaths to exercise almost unlimited power and ferry the community beyond uncertaity. Therefore the link with cold (representing powerlessness), rings (oaths) and hunting (survival).
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!
Informative, entertaining, and relatable. As always, you nailed it Boss. Thanks again!
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.
Yay new video! 🎉
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've been waiting for this video for a long time. Thank you so much!
As a man, I really appreciate this video and your perspective! I have a new appreciation for Ullr.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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! 👍💙💙💙🥰✌
A wonderful video as always. The pun may not have been your best, but it definitely wasn't ullrful....
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!
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!!
🏹🤙🐺🧙♂️🦊👍🏹
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.
I wish my husband's family would be willing to see and listen to this, particularly your portion about masculinity and healing. His brother and father constantly mock him for showing any kind of emotion, and believe he's not a "real" man because of it. But they're incredibly conservative Christians, so anything coming from dirty heathens like us is of the devil... I'm just glad my husband isn't like that.
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)
❄️🛡Freaking Awesome🛡❄️
You know on the second watch through, you're explanation on regional pluralism is really helpful. It shows the gods weren't historically locked to a location or specific group of people.
Like Ratatoskr, I think sometimes people fall into the etymological fallacy instead of considering onomatopeia
The hunting god is called Ullr because it sounds like an animal bugling.
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.
I know Iceland was just as fucked up as a lot of the nordic diaspora, but the way you described Iceland as a place that doesn't like kings made my anarchist brain go "ha ha anti monarchy lil island go brrrrrrr"
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 ⚡️
Timely statement about oaths and loyalty.
The rest is excellent, too.
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
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
Got a statue of Ullr on my altar. Don’t see many people talking about him. Thank you!
I love your videos. Always listen on my hour ride to work. I really want to hear the video but know my Monday ride will be better if i wait 😂😂
I am very appreciative that you put the sources in the videos! It helps alot, thanks! ❤
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. ❤❤
Comforting thoughts. Glad to see you back
From a trans brother, thank you.
Great video as always, your content never disappoints.
Love the take on Oaths, well spoken
Any insight into a connection between Ullr and Yew trees? I seem to recall him being attributed to a dwelling called "Ydalir" perhaps meaning "Yew Dale", a valley of yews. Also, I thought I gathered somewhere that his name is the source of Yule, the winter solstice celebration. Can anyone confirm/deny? Thanx!
It may have connection with hunting as Yew trees are used to make bows.
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.
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.
Hahha very clever pun to start the video as always.
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
"Speaking of other men out there, which includes our trans brothers..." this made me unexpectedly emotional. thanks for thinking of us
I always appreciate, and thoroughly enjoy your videos and perspectives. Thanks Ocean for another outstanding video.
I’m an atheist but I’m happy I found this channel. I like learning about different religions even if I don’t believe in them, I think their practices are interesting and their stories are cool. Paganism is much more difficult to access than Christianity or Islam where there is a central text or Buddhism and Hinduism where there are foundational scriptures
This is most likely a consequence of how I was raised, and I’m 18 so it’s relatively fresh too, even though I know this isn’t healthy; I’m a woman but I feel like I have to carry myself like a man. The typical “womanhood” is a weak thing, typical “manhood” is how you “survive.” And as a consequence, if I start to feel stressed, I will loathe myself for it. I make myself feel worse because I shouldn’t be stressed at all, and other people have it harder. And I’m starting to hope Ullr could show me a less dumb way to feel about this. Disclaimer, this is a double standard I have for myself and I don’t make it a practice to shame other women whatsoever.
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! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Overcome failures .God of adversity. Will 2 overcome! Yes sir. Ullr 2 me,
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.
I missed you 😩😩. I hope you have refreshed and rested. It has been very well deserved
Thank you, this was beautiful. Not a man (mostly female genderqueer something?), but have been raised to be strong. And with a tendency to repeat bad decisions over and over and once more for good luck - I can use some healing. To make some changes. You have given me lots to think about.
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.
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
"Ullevi" is also used, from more recent times, as the name of two separate large open air arenas in central Gothenburg, Sweden. Originally made for soccer, with the first version constructed in the 1910s, they were named "for the god of play and games." Whether there's any truth to that notion, if they found something suggesting as much, or if that's just another of those things nationalism made up whole cloth I cannot say.
The malicious negligence and condemnation of Christians as they recorded european mythologies is just staggering to me. They knew what they were doing, very well. And our lack of information is the intent of their works.
Ocean pointing out the abnormality of the abrahamic religions and their denial of pluralism, which Id assume in Christianity in particular is part of the cultural hand downs of superiority and strong syncretism held by Greek and Roman cultures in their imperial structures.
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.
Great video man I absolutely loved it
As a transmasc nonbinary person, I agree with what you said about masculinity. It's the one thing I'm trying to leave behind. It feels toxic.
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.
God I've missed watching your videos so much. Fantastic as always! ❤️
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.
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. ❤
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 like to think of Ullr as an out going outdoors sportsman.
A hunter, skier, and a surfer. And, due to these, he is very fit and active and so would people like him. Hence why he is good to call on for a one on one duel. He is strong like a shield. Protect others from bullies.
A handy man you can rely on.
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
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
Also! Fun food for thought, with Pluralism n the such, the Romans had the fun trait of overlapping and claiming other deities were just theirs. One can possibly point out that this tradition is carried on with the establishment of christianity as its state religion.
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
At first I laughed out loud about the comparison with southern baptists, the pope and that other guy 😂. In the end when the video turned from a more historical perspective to a hope instilling sermon I was crying, in a positive way.
Yay oceans back
Now I knew who was the last to years by my side.
Thank you for showing that to me. Now I can say "thank you" to that big protectiv guy
Always happy to see that you've uploaded a new video, Ocean!
An absolutly great watch!
Wow brother
Thanks for the encouraging message I really needed it ❤
The analogy with Osteen and the Pope was priceless. Thank you for another great video.
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.