Sagas



It is of course impossible to summarize the rich Frilandic mythology on one page, therefore only the two most important sagas will be treated here: the creation myth and the end of the world.

The creation myth ("Skapungsag")
At the beginning of time there was nothing but an empty space, containing the primeval giant Twider ("Hermaphrodite"). This "giant" is not seen as a creature like us, but as an entity that consisted of energy. The primeval giant Twider created out of himself a number of children, these were the giants. The oldest of these giants was called Twaița ("Second"), he and one of his sisters got a son named Man ("Human"). Man was different from the other giants; he had their power but was more "humane", although humans of course did not yet exist. The three sons that Man got were called Wodan, Wil and Wi. They descended from the giants but had the same character as their father; they were calmer and friendlier, not as destructive and unpredictable as the other giants.
        It didn't take long before conflicts arose between the giants and the sons of Man. Wodan, Wil and Wi decided to end the reign of the dangerous giants and their leader Twider; in an epic fight they managed to kill the primeval giant. From the energy of which his body consisted they created nine worlds: they drove off the giants to the outermost of these worlds (Utgard), the middle world (Medgard) became the universe in which we live. Medgard gave birth to many beings, including humans. Wodan, Wil and We themselves also lived in one of the nine worlds, which humans later called Ansgard ("World of the gods").
        Everything in the nine worlds possessed a soul, from the living creatures to the rocks, the stars and the planets. Most of these souls only wanted to exist and survive, but some of them were so good in nature that they protected the other souls and cared for them. In Frilandic mythology these souls are called Alban ("Elves/Nature spirits"): they grant fertility and help everyone who needs it. The most powerful amongst the Alban were just as strong as the gods and were also considered as such by the humans: they called the Alban and their leaders Wenan ("Vanir/Friends") and brought to them the same offerings they gave to the Ansan ("Aesir/Gods"). The Ansan, who at the time only consisted of Wodan, Wil and We, felt threatened by the increasing power of the Wenan and war broke out between both divine families. However, after a long struggle they made peace and allied themselves. Wodan, the oldest and most powerful of the three brothers and the leader of the Ansan, married to the earth goddess Fri, the most powerful amongst the Wenan. Most gods in the Frilandic pantheon are born from their marriage.
        The three sons of Man also visited the earth, where they begot offspring with human women. From this three tribal groups originated. The Frilandic sagas do not give their names, but the Roman writer Tacitus calls them the Ingaevones, Herminones and Istaevones. According to the legends the Frilanders descend from the first group.

Urald wesța tid
fan urțuris Twider
Țar wesțan sand ne sai,
ne kalda welan
Nihain werald, ne hemil
Stak gapauțin
en andlaus rek

Med ain storklap
daudțan gudan Twider
and skapțan sin magin
til mekil Medgard
Sternan warmțan stainan
and unsa erț gronța
 Ancient was the time
of primordial giant Twider
There were neither sand nor sea,
nor cold waves
No world, nor heaven
Just gaping emptiness
in endless darkness

With a huge clap
the gods killed Twider
and created its energy
into mighty Midgard
Stars warmed stones
and our earth turned green

(Aiț, Weitaginspa I 1-13)

The fate of the gods ("Raginrak")
The Ferna Sed religion is characterized by a fatalistic worldview; everything ends and even beautiful and good things will eventually disappear. It lies in the Frilandic national character to resist against this with all possible means to postpone the end as much as possible. In the mythology this is also reflected: to keep postponing the end of the universe indefinitely Wodan, the ruler of the gods, gathers as many warriors ("Ainharjars") around him as he can, with whom he manages to fight off the forces of decay time and time again. Many Frilandic legends speak of fights between gods and monstrous beings in the guise of a wolf or a snake, but also evil spirits, walking dead and of course the giants play an important role in the downfall of the nine worlds. In mythology most higher powers have a positive or negative stance towards the creation and will try to either protect or destroy it. While the people on earth are leading their lives, far from here a struggle takes place that is of such magnitude that it dwarfs all wars of all beings in the universe.
        The Ansan and the Wenan are on the side of the creation and are therefore worshipped and seen as allies by man. Especially Wodan's son, the god Țunar, is regarded as the protector of the universe. His enormous power is often symbolized by a hammer. However, there is nothing the gods can do to stop the catastrophe from happening: some day, far in the future or perhaps even tomorrow, the struggle will be lost and the universe will cease to exist. One of the things in which Germanic mythology (and thus the Frilandic one as well) distincts itself, is that the gods are not immortal but that even they do not have eternal life.
        In the more positive versions of the myth the universe will eventually be reborn and the creation and destruction of the universe are nothing more than cycles. Ferna Sed believers who take the legend less literally even see a reference to the changing of the seasons in it.