Beneath the Surface

Hail to Sif! Shining one, gentle one, bride of Thor,
of dwarven gold your hair was forged, a treasure
of unparalleled worth, of might beyond telling.
Sif, kind-hearted goddess, provider of plenty,
of growth, of new green leaves on sun-warmed branches,
of sweet-scented roses, grapes thick on their vines,
of trees heavy with fruit, gardens rich with produce,
of the harvest's long days of labor, sweat repaid
with food enough to last throughout the winter.
Glorious Sif, home-loving one, defender of family,
of community, of bonds of love and friendship,
maintainer of precious frith, granter of great gifts,
we thank you for security, for steadfastness,
for safety and sufficiency. Bright-haired goddess,
clever one whose soft words and soothing voice
can still a storm of savagery, we thank you for
your many blessings, for your calming influence,
for your warmth and kindness to desperate hearts.
Sif, nourisher of body and soul, we honor you.

I've been looking (rather half-heartedly, as I was pretty sure the task was hopeless) for a pendant representing Sif. Well, unsurprisingly, there isn't one, not one that I've been able to locate in any case. But I did find one that works wonderfully--it's supposed to be Brigid, but you would never know it without someone telling you that was the artist's intent, and to me it looks like Sif--long braids turning into "Celtic" knotwork. Yep, happy me! :)

Hail to Thor, strong-armed wielder of Mjollnir,
whose might is well-known to friend and to foe,
who guards the lands of gods and men alike.
Great Thor, mightiest of all the Aesir;
friend Thor, who we turn to in time of need;
Thor, who joys in feasting and fellowship!
Thor we honor! Thor we praise! Hail to Thor!

Hail to Sif, golden-haired bride of red Thor,
whose beauty and goodness are known to all,
whose touch brings life to our cold northern lands.
Fair Sif, whose tales are yet unknown to us;
gentle Sif, provider of fruitfulness;
Sif, who holds the heart of red-bearded Thor!
Sif we honor! Sif we praise! Hail to Sif!


We decided that this year we would have each of us prepare something in honor of those gods we are particularly fond of. I'm looking forward to seeing what the other folks have come up with!