Baldr

Silence becomes the son of a prince,
To be silent, but brave in battle:
It befits a man to be merry and glad
Until the day of his death.

And so have I been this past month and more -- silent, but of a cheerful heart. My work with the mortals continues well, and I have seen such progress with them: a sense of purpose to replace the despair, a sense of belonging and comfort to ease the pain of their pasts. They grow strong and wise and good in my quiet hall, and their strength strengthens me. I am well pleased with this work, and I begin to see its fruit.

( Private to the Norse )

[Private to the Norse]

Fire is needed by the newcomer
Whose knees are frozen numb;
Meat and clean linen a man needs
Who has fared across the fells;

Water, too, that he may wash before eating,
Handcloths and a hearty welcome,
Courteous words, then courteous silence
That he may tell his tale.

There are many of us now in the city -- family, friends, kinsmen of the Aesir and Vanir and jötnar alike. My mother has offered her home so that we may gather together. I hope to see everyone there. Perhaps we may put aside old feuds, in the face of the difficulties that we all face in this new land. Perhaps this will be a time of greater peace and unity among the proud Norse than we have known.

We have all wandered far, seen much, done much, since we were last gathered together. I look forward to hearing all your tales.
[/Private]

( Private )

( Private to Frigg )

( Private to the Norse )

( Private to Jord )

The worst is over now. To those of you who offered your help to the poor ones of this city during this cold time, I thank you with all my heart. I counted four deaths, but that number would surely have been higher without the efforts of many helpful souls. The shelters are still in need of donations of time and supplies, as they ever are; if anyone would like information on how to help the unfortunate ones, I will gladly and gratefully provide it.

To the one who caused this unnatural storm, whoever you might be: shame.

( Jord )

( Private )

Trust not an acre early sown,
Nor praise a son too soon:
Weather rules the acre, wit the son;
Both are exposed to chance.

Or, put differently, "Don't count your chickens before they've hatched." I always do try. Sometimes it is more difficult than others.

Hope is a precious thing, but easily dashed.

( Private )

I haven't been so occupied, nor felt so fulfilled, in many years. My work with the IERC continues well, and between my visits to Washington and weekends spent at Friðrshöll with my poor ones, I find that I have hardly been in the city for more than a day at a time in the past weeks. It is a change, and a good one.

This evening I found the time to stop in a little corner park near my apartment here and just listen. Do you ever merely sit and listen to the wonders of this world? There can be nothing more beautiful than the sound of the green buds opening on the trees, the birds singing, the damp earth stretching beneath the rain. Soon it will be my time, the summer, but now I praise the ladies of spring with all my heart.

( Private to the Norse )

( Private to Eris )

A mortal poet once wrote that April is the cruelest month; it is not so for my people. The rains are cleansing, the winds are warm; the life that has been buried underground from this cold winter is stirring. Hope is still alive even in this land.

( Private to Jord )

A busy week, but a productive one, I think. Time will tell.

These few days are Ostara, the feast of spring and of the goddesses. To Ostara the white-clad, to Freyja the beautiful, to Frigg the beloved, to Jord the Earth-mother and the Life-giver, our people drink today. Joy and strength, goddesses.

( Private to the Norse )

( Private )

My new work goes well. I didn't realize that I'd missed it -- working for a purpose beyond the individual succor of my poor ones. Working for long-term change, working for justice in the laws... I should not have stayed away from this so long.

( Private to Jord )

( Private to the Norse )

I like this weather -- grey and warm, with good clean rain. It's good to know that spring is on the way. Despite the miseries of this winter, spring always brings hope.

Ostara, the Equinox, is coming. The nights are getting shorter and the days longer. Even my mortals can feel the new awareness of the sun's triumph, growing stronger each day. Spring will make things better.

Tomorrow the mortals who worship my kind remember Oliver and the martyrs, loyal and true men and women who were tortured and killed by the Christian Olaf Haraldson, the Lawbreaker, for holding to the old ways. I cannot take the time away from the ones who need me to join my group of believers, but I will drink to the steadfastness of mortals tonight. Their strength is more than we immortals imagine.

( Private )

( Private to Jord )

Runes. I feel them.

I can feel them. It's been so long since I felt anything like it. Since the All-Father whispered the Unknowable into my ear. Runes. I feel... alive.

Hail to the speaker,
Hail to the knower,
Joy to him who has understood,
Delight to those who have listened.

( Private to Jord )

The mortals I work with will celebrate the Christian saint Valentine's feast day tomorrow. For them, this middle day of February is a day for love and gifts of sweets and flowers.

It's strange to think how different it is among the folk who still owe troth to the gods of the North. Tomorrow is a holiday for our followers, too: they mark the feast of my brother Vali, who slew my brother Hodr to avenge the death of a son of the All-Father. Among the Ásatrú, as our followers call themselves in this place, it is a day to celebrate honor, loyalty, the love of family, and deeds of justice. They pour libations and give honor to the young gods: to me and my brothers, my son, my cousins, and the rest. They sustain us with their belief, and tomorrow I go to honor them in return.

How different it is with us.

( Private to Jord )

( Threads )

Plotting and backstory: please feel free to leave a comment here or e-mail me if you're interested in working something out! Baldr would especially like to reunite with:

Hel - backstory and possibly plot
Loki [if/when he gets here] - definitely backstory!

( application )