Apples and Glastonbury

 

The Cweorth-Rune is equivalent to the Celtic-Ogham 'quert', related to the Apple-Tree. Since the rune is related to Valhalla, then it is also related to Avalon - the Island of Apples. We can perhaps surmise that the Golden Apples of Idunn - the Apples of Immortality - are given out to the Einheriar in Valhalla, that they may fight the 'Everlasting Battle'. 

This alternative version shows a similarity between the arm-position and the leg-position of the 'Dancing Warriors' on the Sutton Hoo Helmet below -

Again, we can perhaps surmise that the posture used formed the basis for the shape of the rune, like the Peorth-Rune and the Taefl-Posture. The spears pointing to the heel and ball of the foot has to have some importance, but I have no idea what. 

It was Woden that brought Ritual Cremation to the Folk in the North, and that the ashes be laid in a Burial Mound of the Kings and AEthlingas. This is the Rune of Ritual Cremation, whence the physical is transmuted by fire into the spiritual - the spirit is released that it may travel to Valhalla. 

The Sword of Hengest is named 'Battle-Flame' (Hunlafing Hildeleoman) and is the 'Hun-Bequest', passed from AEtla to Hengest, from the 'Hun' to the 'Engel-Kin'. As  Sweorth this rune can be connected to the Sword of Hengest, since this is a Rune of Fire. Ingwe is a Sword-God, though this is not made clear in what little we have bout our own Divine Ancestor. We do know that Ingvi-Frey gave away his sword for the love of Gerda (Earth); and that he awoke the fire within Her in order to thaw the frozen ice that enchained her in the Ice-Ages. 

As the Fire-Twirl this is the means by which the worlds were 'whisked' into Creation by Waendal (Mundilfore). Waendal is the god that wields the 'Fire-Twirl', and an alternative rune-name gives us more hints of this role - TRIS. TRIS is the name SIRT spelled backwards, and Surt is the Fire-Giant who destroys the Nine Worlds in the Fires of Destruction, that a New Creation may begin. This is the Dance of Shiva, who has this stance which is most likely a Fylfot-Swastika when the symbol is spun around. 

The connection between the 'Island of Apples' (Avalon) and the Golden Apples of Immortality (Idunn) is rather obvious, and that Idunn has to give the Apples of Immortality to the Divine Heroes in Valhalla. Avalon became associated with King Arthur and Glastonbury Tor -

Whatever academia sees in the name 'Glastonbury' it translates literally as 'Glass-Ton-Burg' which relates to the Germanic concept of the 'Glass Mountain'. It is in the top of the 'Glass Mountain' that the Spear of Marduk is stuck fast, and when he rips it out he throws it to Earth for the Third Sargon to grasp and use to defeat the Powers of Evil. It is true to say that glass-working has been found at Glastonbury, but the name itself hardly points to this being the one and only meaning of the name of the place. 'Ton' means 'town', or originally a 'fortified place', and Burg means a 'fortified place', usually on a hill, for it relates to 'berg' meaning 'mountain'. 'Tor' is a Celtic word used for the hill, on top of which is an old decrepit chapel dedicated to St. Michael - a Dragon-Slayer. 

There is a connection to Woden here, through a legend that comes from a Celtic source whence the hill is said to be the home of Gwyn ap Nudd (White, Son of the Mist) who is the Wild Hunter-God in Welsh Lore. The site is in England and not Wales, and how and when this legend appeared I have no idea. The idea that King Arthur was buried there comes from a con-trick by monks of the Glastonbury Abbey who wished to make it a site of 'pilgrimage' - and no doubt make a 'bit on the side' in the process! These legends seem to be added on at a late date, so we have to strip them away to find the truth of the area - like Silbury Hill. 

In one Germanic Legend the Glass Mountain is associated with Siward - Sigurd - and the chapel dedicated to the Dragon-Slayer seems to suggest such a link here. Indeed, St. Michael is a typical 'Dragon-Slayer', though the symbol is used more of the later 'St. George'. There is no legend as far as I know of a 'dragon' here, but that does not mean that there has never been one. The area itself is full of old legends and full of ancient sites.

Many years ago, before I started out in Odinism in fact, I first (like many) came through the 'Celtic' side (which seems to be 'acceptable' to The System), and travelled from Leicester to Glastonbury to meet with a group on May Day. I made the journey and no-one turned up! I had no idea who they were but found them in a magazine, but after that I did not bother. However, to the more positive side; I used the day to look around the place, since I had never been there before. After a couple of pints in a local pub, and a good hot meal, I decided to camp at the foot of the Tor, so I made my way there.

I had only a sleeping-bag and a divvy-bag to crawl into, and slept beneath a large tree at the base of the hill. During the night I was sort of half-asleep and half-awake and felt something grip the back of my neck - hard. No panic, but felt very wary of what was happening! The grip came loose, and I got up to look around, no-one being there; but I had been sleeping on a tree-root - shades of Lord of the Rings. Anyway, I went back to sleep after some time, and awoke again just as it was getting light, to hear the sounds of a kind of monk's chorus. Getting up to see, I walked all around the Tor, and saw nothing. At a later time, whilst talking to Asbeorn when I was in the Scottish Highlands staying with him, and he said he had had similar experiences years before at the same place. Weird!