On Making Offerings: What to Offer

To his friend
a man should be a friend,
and gifts with gifts requite.
Laughter with laughter
men should receive,
but leasing with lying.

...

Knowest thou how to grave them?
knowest thou how to expound them?
knowest thou how to depict them?
knowest thou how to prove them?
knowest thou how to pray?
knowest thou how to offer?
knowest thou how to send?
knowest thou how to consume?

Havamal v. 42, 146 (Thorpe translation)

The question of "proper offering" comes up from time to time in Northern religion discussions.  And I think this is a needful discussion, although some of the views expressed by various people have struck me as misguided if not a bit offensive.  So as always, here is my two pence-worth on the matter.

In secular America, it takes a good amount of work to "adopt the Heathen worldview".  It may well be that things that worked in the 5th century will not work in the 21st barring some major global crisis that divides us all into tribes using primitive technology.  And so it takes skill to figure out what was "proper Heathen practice", and then whether or not those attitudes and customs will carry over into today.  I believe for any faith to be relevant, it has to adapt to the times.  I believe that the Norsemen being a pragmatic lot would see many of the changes of today as being welcome, and some as being downright wrong.  Indeed to follow the Northern Tradition one has to take a critical look at society, go against the mainstream and embrace an entirely different way of life.

Part of that is of course to embrace the Gods of the Northlands, and to re-establish ties.  These Deities have not been actively worshipped by more than a handful of people for close to a millennia, and while They are intelligent enough to realize the times have changed, They are not happy with all of those changes, most of all that They have been forgotten and ignored as society "progresses".  Ergo, dealing with the Nordic Gods -- whether They are Aesir, Vanir, or Jotnar -- is a delicate and complicated procedure, similar to de-fusing a bomb.  You cannot just walk up to Odin and say, "Hey there I think You're really cool, now I demand that You bless me."  It doesn't work like that, yet the way many Neopagans go about dealing with Deities is very similar to this format.

So, there is the question of properly offering to Them, which is necessary to initiate and maintain relationships with Deities, as well as what is "right" if you are asking for something.  I believe that as the Gods intervene in our lives, we should hold to verse 146 in the Havamal which pertains not just to the proper use of runes, but also to the Gods who work Their magick.

Food and drink are always the best form of "you can't go wrong" hospitality to the Gods, especially if you value Them as friends and kin.  To me, cooking a tasty meal is work, involving not just the preparation of the food but the thought behind it as to making people happy when they eat it.  So I give the Gods food and drink.  The Gods can and will receive more than flesh and blood as offerings -- look at the gifts Loki gave the Gods, including Draupnir for Odin, Mjollnir for Thor, and Skidbladnir and Gullinbursti for Frey (yes, Frey got two, because He is that damn awesome).   Objects, therefore, "sacrificed" in terms of being given for that Deity's admiration only, are OK to offer.  I also find Them receptive to candles and incense, as a way of providing warmth and pleasant light, and enjoyable fragrance.  These two things may not be "historically accurate" but since the need-fire was a common part of elder Heathen practice, we can assume that if beeswax candles were readily available to the public 1500 years ago, they would be used, and herbs were often burned as part of an offering.

I have provided a list of offerings various Deities like, not as the end-all be-all of "proper offering" but as a springboard for what They might like if you want to establish a relationship with Them, or keep things on good terms.  As mentioned above, a gift demands a gift, so if you come to a Deity with a request it is wrong to not do *something* to make it worth Their while.  Also, you will notice that while many Nordic Deities are mentioned, I have not mentioned all of Them.  This is mainly due to the fact that while I have affinities for quite a few besides my patrons Frey and Gerda, there are also many who I don't have a relationship with, mostly for time constraints, sometimes for lack of compatibility, and so I have not presumed to speak on behalf of Deities who I don't work with on what They might like or dislike.  I think it's perfectly acceptable to be somewhat "narrow-minded" in having a core group of Deities you work with so long as it doesn't turn into an opportunity to snark on Deities you're not close to.  Loki is not everyone's horn of mead, for example, and He will make your life exceedingly interesting, but He can also be a valuable ally, and to say Loki has no redeeming qualities is to turn a blind eye (so to speak) at Odin's less-than-favorable characteristics.  You don't have to be close to Loki or even like Him very much, but to bash Loki is to bash Odin by extension, or at least be insulting to who Odin actually is.  None of the Deities are all benevolent or all evil, They are as complex as human beings but even more so.

You can of course (and should) honor specific Deities through your deeds, that is, tasks done once you step away from the altar.  So I have also provided a list called "Activities" of deeds They would appreciate done in Their name, which by no means is the end-all be-all of everything They might like, but is a good starter.

Without further adieu:


FREY
FOOD: Pork, poultry, possibly fish.  Root vegetables such as potatoes and turnips, also garden vegetables such as squash and tomatoes.  Frey is also partial to cherries, and is very fond of homemade whole-grain bread.  Whole-grain crackers and "real" cheese are another good offering.  I found that He might be amused by giving Him some of the chocolate that bears His name.
DRINK: Dark beer, dark ale, stout.  For non-alcoholic beverages He will take apple cider, lemonade, vegetable juice, or cherry juice.  He might also be partial (or at least amused by) the wine that bears His name.
CANDLES: Frey likes golden-yellow or leaf-green candles, or white will suffice.
INCENSE: "Sensual" scents such as musk, sandalwood, and patchouli, but also "rain" is very much enjoyed.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Gold dollar coins, lucky pennies, green or honey amber stones, as well as figurines of boars, stallions, stags, and ships.  A cup or jar of whole-wheat flour, or barley.  A sheaf of wheat.  Antlers.  Your sexual fluids.  Essential oil (or essential oil mixed with your sexual fluids).  If you have the money, a torc or sword would also be a fine gift.
ACTIVITIES: Visit a farmer's market and support your local farmers.  Tend to a vegetable garden.  Cook a tasty meal for someone besides yourself.  Volunteer at a soup kitchen to feed the hungry.  Volunteer for a rape crisis hotline.  Do a presentation educating others on safer sex practices.  Have good sex with your partner, starting with a sensual massage.

GERDA
FOOD: Root vegetables like potatoes, turnips, seasoned well.  Gerda will pretty much eat anything Frey eats, although She is more partial to beef and lamb than poultry or fish.
DRINK: She's been given vodka and enjoys it, She will also take herbal tea.
CANDLES: Brown, purple, dark greens, grey.
INCENSE: Lavender, clove, cinnamon, anything herbal and woodsy.
OTHER OFFERINGS: A terra cotta pot painted with runes or a nice design.   A miniature tea set might also please Her.  Brooches.  A garden planted in Gerda's honor is a good consistent devotional practice.
ACTIVITIES: Tend to an herb garden.  Listen to someone who needs to vent -- just listen to them.  (Please note this is not the same thing as consistently inconveniencing yourself and being used as a dishrag.)  Be "the strong silent type" who supports someone doing something important, especially a duty you know you will never be getting public credit for.

FREYJA
FOOD: Chocolate is something She really likes, the darker and more expensive, the better.  Other types of candy are good, especially caramel.  She likes strawberries.  As far as "real food", She will eat shellfish and anything decadent and noted as an aphrodisiac.
DRINK: Champagne, sweet merlot, Kahlua in milk, peppermint schnapps in hot cocoa, egg nog with rum.  She will also take apple cider, lemonade, or "pink" ginger ale.
CANDLES: Red, deep pink, golden yellow, white.
INCENSE: Musk, sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, myrrh, amber, copal.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Amber stones (especially honey amber), real gold jewelry, figurines of cats or boars, fresh or well-dried flowers in a pretty vase, decorative boxes, pottery bowls.  Paper fans.  Hawk or falcon feathers.  Your sexual fluids.
ACTIVITIES: Donate items to an animal shelter and/or spend time with the cats there.  Volunteer at a rape crisis hotline, or a battered womens' shelter.  Make pretty jewelry for women you care about, or to donate to women who have lost everything (e.g. natural disaster) *or* are trying to have more professional attire to get a better place in life.  Clothes would be good, too.

LOKI
FOOD: Loki tends to like anything weird and/or bad for you.  Obviously He was not exposed to junk food in elder Heathen times, but has requested items out of Lokeans and Loki-friends that shouldn't be too surprising given His nature: He likes marshmallow Peeps, fireballs, cheese curls, hot chili peppers.
DRINK: Cinnamon schnapps, cheap beer (Loki is the only Deity who you can get away with giving cheap "pisswater" beer), Mountain Dew, Red Bull, Mountain Dew and Red Bull mixed...
CANDLES: Red, orange, black, or intense flame-blue, sometimes purple.
INCENSE: Spicy scents like cinnamon or clove, also dragon's blood, "opium".
OTHER OFFERINGS: The weirder and more frivolous, the better.
ACTIVITIES: Make others laugh, especially those who are in despair.  Subvert the dominant paradigm.

SIGYN
FOOD: Sigyn likes candy, particularly peppermint swirls or fruit-flavor (strawberry or cherry) hard candies.  She will also take buttered bread, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, think "kid comfort food".
DRINK: Sigyn is not much of an alcohol consumer.  She likes the non-alcoholic Shirley Temples, will also take goat milk (especially warm and slightly sweetened with sugar), hot cocoa, Orange Julius.
CANDLES: Pink, pale yellow, pale purple, pale blue, green.
INCENSE: Floral scents, vanilla, cinnamon, apple.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Keys, decorative boxes, "fake" butterflies, and She is delighted by origami.  Dolls, teddy bears, and ponies are also a good bet.
ACTIVITIES: Become a Big Brother/Big Sister or a mentor to a minor "at risk".  Donate toys to poor families.

ODIN
FOOD: Beef, smoked salmon, leeks.  Good expensive bread and cheese sometimes.  Odin seems to be far less concerned with food than other Nordic Deities -- He may "eat" what you give Him, or He may give most of it to His wolves.
DRINK: Mead, dammit!  If you absolutely cannot drink alcohol, He *may* accept cider.  However, if you can't drink, He'd just as well get an entire bottle of mead to Himself.  Heh, heh, heh.  (Har, Har, Har?)
CANDLES: Blue, black, grey/silver.  Sometimes dark blood-red.
INCENSE: Dragon's blood, frankincense, myrrh, pine, sandalwood.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Runes, corvid feathers, animal pelts (*only if* trapped safely by a reputable person).  Visual puzzles, including those metal knots that nobody human and in their right mind can solve.  If you have the money, a spear would be a great offering.  Poetry written in His honor, or at least something really stirring, is something He appreciates very much (note this does not mean bad emo poetry that sounds like Nine Inch Nails lyrics ripped off, kthx).
ACTIVITIES: Writing of any kind, especially books or other mediums that other people can read and think about.  Volunteering or working at a local horse stable and spending time with the horses.  Helping endangered wolves.  Teaching or tutoring someone, especially language (e.g. ESL or literacy courses).

FRIGGA
FOOD: Fresh fruit, cottage cheese, regular cheese, and yogurt.  Homebaked pastries, especially scones with jam.  She will eat fowl, particularly goose or duck.
DRINK: Sweet wines (like plum), will also take herbal tea, coffee, and goat's milk.
CANDLES: White, blue, sometimes pale pink.
INCENSE: Vanilla, apple, honeysuckle, lavender.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Keys.  Yarn, cloth, thread.  A spindle.  Doilies.  Good china used only for Her offerings.  Pewter spoons.
ACTIVITIES: Hospitality, especially having guests in your home.  Hosting an event, especially a spiritual gathering, and making sure everyone feels included and has an enjoyable time.  Cleaning your home, or assisting someone who is elderly and disabled and needs help with their own home.  Donating non-ugly clothes to people who need it.  Knit, spin, crochet, embroider, sew, especially if it is something meant directly for Frigga or to gift someone as a "cheer me up" or something useful.

NJORD
FOOD: Seafood, of course, whether it's fish or shellfish.  Bread, cheese, salads.
DRINK: Ale, will also take rum mixed in Coke or something else.  He will graciously receive cider, lemonade, limeade, ginger ale, spring water -- anything fresh and clean-tasting.
CANDLES: Blue, aqua, green-blue, silver, white.
INCENSE: "Ocean", "rain".
OTHER OFFERINGS: Shells, rocks from the beach, sea glass.  Fish figurines, seals, swans.  Ships, especially an intricately designed ship-in-a-bottle.  Chalices, bowls.  A battle-axe if you can get it.
ACTIVITIES: Picking up trash at local beaches.  Donating to "clean up the sea" organizations such as my pet favorite, the Surfrider Foundation.  Studying marine biology and local ecology in general.

SKADHI
FOOD: Meat, preferably venison or at least something well-smoked.
DRINK: Vodka, mead, peppermint schnapps.  She will receive spring water if you have nothing else.
CANDLES: White, silver, grey.  (It should be noted that Skadhi is perhaps less keen on candles than other Deities of the Northern tradition.  The reasons for this should be painfully obvious.)
INCENSE: Pine, dragon's blood.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Animal pelts (again, only if trapped safely), animal hides (ditto), animal bones/skulls (ditto), arrowheads, snowshoes.  Also likes evergreen sprigs, crystals shaped like snowflakes.
ACTIVITIES: Practicing martial arts, *or* (especially) teaching martial arts to others.  Hunting, but responsibly.  (Example: taking "at risk" youth on a hunting trip and making sure you're not killing an endangered species and the animal and local ecology is respected, etc.)  Helping to protect endangered species of any kind, such as donating to respectable organizations.

EIR
FOOD: Generally Eir will only take organic fruit or vegetables.  If you at all serve Her meat or fish you better damn well make sure it was organic and free-range.
DRINK: Herbal tea.  Eir is not much for alcohol.  In fact alcohol should probably not be given to Eir if at possible.
CANDLES: Green, blue, purple.
INCENSE: Lavender, pine, sage, copal.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Stones for healing, herbs intended for medicinal use, bowls, cups, She also likes mandalas if you've colored them yourself.
ACTIVITIES: Volunteering in a hospital, nursing home, or hospice to cheer up the patients/residents therein.  Learning about herbalism, Reiki, other forms of alternative medicine, and perhaps offering Reiki attunements or treatments to others (at non-exorbitant prices).  Being more mindful of your own health.

ANGRBODA
FOOD: Meat, preferably cooked to the rare side.  Venison.  You get extra points if you killed it and butchered it yourself (done respectfully of course, and not an endangered species or out of season).
DRINK: Vodka, especially mixed with some of your own blood.  She will accept spring water, again if a bit of your blood is in it.
CANDLES: Black, grey, red.
INCENSE: Pine.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Animal pelts (as above), bone, blood, things made of iron (including nails).
ACTIVITIES: Helping with legal support for parents whose children were wrongly taken away from them (as in, do your research first), speaking out against any kind of injustice and intolerance.

HELA
FOOD: No.
DRINK: Very dry red wine, but She would prefer to drink your own blood.  Of course I don't encourage regular self-cutting, but the occasional finger stick and wiping it into a small bowl will suffice.  (Notice: menstrual blood doesn't do it unless your menses give you a lot of pain.)
CANDLES: Black, red, white.
INCENSE: "Opium", myrrh, frankincense, dragon's blood.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Bones, things made of bone, dead and dried roses, and (weirdly enough) dead skin shavings (as in peeling sunburn or eczema), toenail clippings.  Lost teeth.  Ash.
ACTIVITIES: Working in or volunteering at a hospice (where people are dying), giving counsel to grieving families.  Remembering the dead, especially those who were killed "by accident" in an abuse situation or were victims of hate crimes.  Making a compost pile.  Practicing compassion, especially on those with you feel do not deserve it.

HOLDA
FOOD: Homebaked pastries: cookies and pie, Black Forest Cake especially.  If you are giving Her something else, make sure it is some serious good-quality home-cooked food (e.g. meatloaf, potatoes).
DRINK: Elderberry wine, herbal tea, sweetened coffee, goat's milk.
CANDLES: Blue.
INCENSE: Floral scents, vanilla, cinnamon.
OTHER OFFERINGS: A broom, a cauldron, flax flowers and/or seeds.  Sea salt.  Cleaning your house really well (and I mean *really*).
ACTIVITIES: Teaching Witchcraft to others who are worthy of and mature enough to handle the knowledge, passing down family traditions even if you do not have children, growing flax.  Spinning, sewing.  Learning and practicing herblore, especially in the context of womens' health issues.

NERTHUS
FOOD: Beef, fish.  Root vegetables, anything leafy.
DRINK: Stout, strong beer.  Goat's or cow's milk will also do, as will real fruit or vegetable juice.
CANDLES: Brown, aqua, white.
INCENSE: Pine, "ocean", "rain", myrrh, musk.
OTHER OFFERINGS: Embroidered cloth that could be used as a veil, shells, semiprecious stones, sand, bones esp. that of cattle, skulls, evergreen sprigs.
ACTIVITIES: Picking up litter, volunteering with or giving money to organizations that help the environment and ecology, being mindful of any substances going into one's body and how they affect you and the others around you.


I hope this information helps, and feel free to test for yourself what the Gods like and dislike, preferably giving Them more "likes" than dislikes.  :)


(C) 2008 Sigrun Freyskona.