Aegishjalmur

by Michael Kelly

  Given that the Ægishjálmur was borne upon the forehead, radiating its pall of terror from the visage of the wearer, this is reflected in the specific manner in which a Helmic bind rune is charged and sent.

  After designing the Helm, the Initiate should visualise it intensely or stare fixedly at a drawn or carved representation of it. Each rune in turn should be sung into its form. This may be supplemented by stadhagaldr if desired. The purpose of the Helm should be strongly concentrated upon throughout.

  The Initiate then draws in a very deep breath, imagining that he is breathing the visualised Helm into himself. The visualisation should be felt to sink right down through his body to the soles of the feet, blazing brightly in the imagination. It should be held there for several seconds, gathering power all the while. The Initiate then breathes forcefully out and the Helm rises along with the breath, passing up through the body until it reaches the brow, where it bursts into incandescent manifestation in the third eye region, between the eyes. The Initiate visualises it burning strongly here, radiating out from his brow into the world around, compelling it to change in response to his command. Whilst holding the Helm upon his brow, a short declaration of his purpose is chanted, in order to shape and fix the charge. The Helm is then 'let go', sending it forth like an arrow from the bow.

  Initiates familiar with Kundalini will note that the Helm follows the serpent path as it ascends the body to the brow.

  Fafnir's Galdrabók

  The Galdrabók (the book of galdor, or book of magic) is an old Icelandic grimoire of sorcery, which has been edited and published, along with others of its kind, by Dr Flowers in a book of that title (see Reading List at the end of this volume). It follows the basic pattern of many of the medieval sorcerous texts, presenting a list of spells, most of which have some sigil or other magical sign incorporated into their usage. The major distinction in these books of Icelandic sorcery is that alongside the names of various devils and demons which are familiar from other European grimoires of the time, there are also many spells which call upon the names of the Æsir, who had been demonised following the advent of Christianity. Also, many of the sigils feature runic influences and some have a similarity with the structure of the Ægishjálmur.

  The magic contained within the pages of the Galdrabók and its kindred has been described by Order Initiate Paul Fosterjohn as 'survival magic'. There are no high-faluting airs and graces here, these were spells geared to the essentials, to assist the sorcerer in simply surviving in an often hostile environment. Survival was very much key, since to be found in possession of one of these books of spells was certain death at the hands of the authorities.

  A few years ago, the Order of Apep instituted the Helm Project, a special research team to specifically study the sorceries of the North, and the Galdrabók and the Ægishjálmur in particular, since these were so closely tied to Northern Dragon lore. As the project proceeded, it occurred to me that it would be instructive to create a new, modern Galdrabók in order to explore and express the Mysteries of the Helm of Awe.

  The structure that such a project should take was obvious to me. Rather than simply compiling a random selection of spells, I would create eighteen seals and incantations as expressions of the eighteen mighty spells whose knowledge is recited in the Havamal 146-163 (these can be read in the Poetic Edda.) Thus, the following grimoire was devised.

  "I know those spells which a ruler's wife doesn't know,

  nor any man's son"

  - Havamal, 146

  I offer a few explanatory notes on each spell. The chants were written as they suggested themselves to me during the heat of the creative Workings. As such, they are bound to me and I am not interested in any perceived lack of poetic quality. The point was to devise words which would reawaken the necessary emotional charge within me whenever required.

  This grimoire is offered as an example of reviving and personalising a traditional method of sorcery. While I don't have a problem if anyone wants to use it as it stands, that's not what it's for. Such spells are strongest when forged from your own heightened consciousness, inflamed by the inspiration of the moment and informed by your prior learning. Initiates may wish to play with these to develop a familiarity with the process of working with the Helm of Awe, but your success will increase as you start to develop your own expressions of the sorcery of Fafnir.

  The First Spell: Help

  "Help one is called,

  and that will help you

  against accusations and sorrows

  and every sort of anxiety."

  "Thurisaz be a hammer against twisted words;

  Elhaz be a sword against sorrow;

  My soul is fortified and I am at peace."

  Comment: The arms of the helm are diagonal, since its emphasis is upon help for the user's anxieties rather than an objective result. Thurisaz is an active force within the objective world, demolishing and discrediting any badmouthing of the user as it occurs. The horizontal crossbar on each arm prevents the fallout from such clashes from affecting the user's subjective state. Elhaz establishes an active defence and guard within the psyche. The helm provides a sense of reassurance and security, but also has an active component which responds to threat.

  The Second Spell: Healing

  "I know a second one which the sons of men need,

  those who want to live as physicians."

  "When need is strong, I send forth vitality,

  to correct the crooked and shape the shifting."

  Comment: This spell's bind rune is not a helm, it simply didn't come to me like that. It contains uruz for vital energy; naudhiz in recognition of the patient's need; mannaz as the template for the whole, healthy human being whose restoration is invoked; ehwaz to cement the exchange between healer and patient; kenaz to assist in an informed and knowledgeable diagnosis; and perthro for a good dose of luck.

  The Third Spell: Fettering Foes

  "I know a third one which is very useful to me.

  which fetters my enemy;

  the edges of my foes I can blunt,

  neither weapon nor club will bite for them."

  "Spears shiver upon my shield,

  Swords slide off my mail,

  Darts fail to find their mark;

  My luck is strong, my foes are nought."

  Comment: This helm utilises the active, aggressive protective force of elhaz and the triple bars on each arm shield the magician from foes. As an active rather than passive defence, this helm not only nullifies an aggressor's attacks (whether physical, verbal or otherwise), but turns them around and strikes the foe back with equal force. This involves a measure of chance, so a final shield of four interlocked perthro runes surrounds the helm's core.

  The Fourth Spell: Breaking Bonds

  "I know a fourth one if men put

  chains upon my limbs;

  I can chant so that I can walk away,

  fetters spring from my feet

  and bonds from my hands."

  "Thrice spoken:

  chains are broken" (X3)

  Comment: A simple enough helm. Thurisaz represents the force (whether physical, moral or otherwise) necessary to break bonds or shatter accusations. Ansuz supplies the oratory skill to talk one's way out of trouble. The helm itself supplies the sense of awe to cow those who would detain you.

  The Fifth Spell: Dodging Arrows

  "I know a fifth if I see, shot in malice,

  a dart flying amid the army:

  it cannot fly so fast that I cannot stop it

  if I see it with my eyes."

  "I see them as they run

  glinting in the sun.

  Darts of evil mark

  fall into the dark."

  Comment: A simple helm for a simple protective spell. Note the specific and targeted nature of this spell: it is to be used against a known attack. It is specifically designed to precisely and accurately nullify specific enemy shots (whether literal or metaphorical). It is the best tool to use in
such specific circumstances, but is useless as a general protection, for that is not its intent. The elhaz runes are actively defensive and the four sowilos afford clear sight and perception.

  The Sixth Spell: Magical Conflict

  "I know a sixth one if a man wounds me

  with the roots of the sap-filled wood:

  and that man who conjured to harm me,

  the evil consumes him, not me."

  "Runes of wrath are returned

  upon the wrongful rister:

  My heart is whole and hale,

  no harm may harbour there."

  Comment: Another protective helm utilising elhaz, the purpose of this one is to return harm to an enemy magician. The implication is that the user has already suffered a wound from a magical attack. Elhaz and the three barriers prevent further harm, whilst thurisaz hurls the attack back with interest.

  The Seventh Spell: Putting Out Fires

  "I know a seventh one if I see towering flames

  in the hall about my companions:

  it can't burn so widely that I can't counteract it,

  I know the spells to chant."

  "Cold is my clear call,

  To calm the wild fire.

  Chill is my freezing chant,

  To chain and control the flames."

  Comment: The vertical and horizontal arms of this helm are barred to prevent the spread of fire, denying it fuel. The diagonal arms cross the vertical to form hagalaz, cooling with the power of ice and re-establishing order. Each diagonal arm bears a kenaz rune to assert control over fire. This rune is also invoked by alliteration in the chanted spell.

  The Eighth Spell: Settling Disputes

  "I know an eighth one, which is most useful

  for everyone to know;

  where hatred flares up between the sons of warriors,

  then I can quickly bring settlement."

  "When the whirling wheels of wilfulness

  rain hammer blows of hate,

  I heal the hurts, restore good hearth,

  wielding words of weal."

  Comment: A simple helm, utilising wunjo for social harmony and hagalaz for the restoration of order after disorder. Wunjo ensures that disputes are settled in a manner appropriate to the group, but hagalaz never denies the tensions that existed. Both runes are also invoked alliteratively in the chant. Problems and disputes can only be solved by addressing them and working through them, never by brushing them under the carpet.

  The Ninth Spell: Calming Weather

  "I know a ninth one if I am in need,

  if I must protect my ship at sea;

  the wind I can lull upon the wave

  and quieten all the sea to sleep."

  "A ship is a sturdy steed

  when steered upon still waters

  over the open sea,

  easy is its passage."

  Comment: This helm incorporates laguz for the water, othila for a safe enclosure and shelter and sowilo for good steerage and clarity. The latter two runes are also strongly alliterated in the chant.

  The Tenth Spell: Foiling Witches

  "I know a tenth one if I see witches

  playing up in the air;

  I can bring it about that they can't make their way back

  to their own shapes,

  to their own spirits."

  "Fallen is the eye of malice,

  bruised and broken on barren rocks,

  lost in a lonely place,

  bereft of sense and self."

  Comment: 'Witches' in pre-Christian European lore may be of two types: human seers and sorceresses, or wholly supernatural entities assuming a human form. In either case, the spell seeks to confuse and bewilder those who would spy upon you in a disembodied fashion. This might be construed to include such modern versions of remote viewing as CCTV, invoking technical faults at desired moments. The helm is a simple affair: tiwaz for an upright victory; ingwaz to isolate the runer from the witchery, and crossbars to shut out the intrusive outside observer. The active bewildering charge of the rune is channeled through the arrow head of tiwaz. The alliterated runes: berkano, laguz and sowilo are more inward turning, isolating and nurturing the runer and assuring his own clarity of insight while the helm works its tangled spell on his adversary.

  The Eleventh Spell: Safety of Friends in Battle

  "I know an eleventh if I have to lead

  loyal friends into battle;

  under the shields I chant, and they journey inviolate,

  safely to the battle,

  safely from the battle,

  safely they come everywhere."

  "From far afield friends shall meet

  to face their foes together.

  Without exception each returns

  in honour to his home."

  Comment: The elhaz rune signifies both protection and a sword; ehwaz stresses the fellowship between soldiers. The chant alliterates fehu and hagalaz, invoking energy, reward and the restoration of order in a potentially ruinous situation.

  The Twelfth Spell: Necromancy

  "I know a twelfth one if I see, up in a tree,

  a dangling corpse in a noose:

  I can so carve and colour the runes

  that the man walks

  and talks with me."

  "Out of the depths I call you,

  out of dark dreams,

  to awaken and answer

  the questions I ask.

  Dead lips are loosened,

  the living shall listen."

  Comment: The runes incorporated are laguz, dagaz and ansuz, all of which are alliterated in the chant. Laguz represents the dark lake in which the deceased consciousness drifts, and its revivification. Dagaz heralds the return from the darkness to the daylight. Ansuz invokes consciousness directly, also Odin as the God of the slain. This echoes the fact that the corpse in the Havamal verse is a hanged one.

  The Thirteenth Spell: Coming of Age

  "I know a thirteenth if I shall pour water

  over a young warrior:

  he will not fall though he goes into battle,

  before swords he will not sink."

  "It is time to arise,

  to shake off childhood's shackles,

  to face the wide world as a (wo)man,

  to stake your claim on life."

  Comment: I have extended the meaning of this spell from simply 'first battle' (though it still covers that) to any major event marking the entry of a young person into adulthood. These days it will most likely serve as a charm for 'first job' rather than 'first battle', but the principle remains the same. This rite of passage is marked by laguz, reinforced by tiwaz and sowilo for success and strong guidance.

  The Fourteenth Spell: Otherworldly Wisdom

  "I know a fourteenth if I have to reckon up

  the gods before men:

  Æsir and elves, I know the difference between them,

  few who are not wise know that."

  "I know who rules in the heavens;

  I know how the world is woven;

  the knots of knowledge are mine to unravel

  and mine to bind anew."

  Comment: A spell to enhance the runer's Understanding of cosmological and psychological structure, meaning and purpose. The helm is built around two eihwaz runes, the great yew which spans all worlds. Multiple hagalaz runes (in both its forms) are structured around the centre, revealing the ordering of the cosmic patterns. Understanding is provided by Need, as alluded by the alliteration of naudhiz in the chant.

  The Fifteenth Spell: Wise Advice

  "I know a fifteenth, which the dwarf Thiodrerir

  chanted before Delling's doors:

  powerfully he sang for the AEsir and before the elves,

  wisdom to Sage."

  "The wisdom of my words

  shall win all hearts.

  My speech is my strength

  and is with gladness met."

  Comment: Where the previous helm sought wisdom and insight for the Init
iate, this one serves to make his wisdom heard and heeded among his fellows. Wunjo and ansuz invoke wise eloquence and fellowship. Wunjo is echoed in the chant, along with sowilo, ensuring that the advice given is true.

  The Sixteenth Spell: Seduction

  "I know a sixteenth if I want to have all

  a clever woman's heart and love play:

  I can turn the thoughts of the white-armed woman

  and change her mind entirely."

  "A woman's will accords with my wish;

  a woman's heart pants for my hunger;

  a woman's desire mounts at my demand;

  a woman's legs part for my lusts."

  Comment: The use of such spells is attested in the Eddas by such instances as Odin's winning of the poetic mead through his skills in sorcery and seduction. The helm invokes ehwaz for the union of two people and wunjo for joy and pleasure. A more specifically sexual charge is added by the balancing of thurisaz and berkano, along with elhaz in both upright and reverse forms, referencing the female and male genitals respectively. Naturally, since this spell was devised by me, it seeks to influence women. Female readers can be advised that males are much easier to seduce. The above model can assist you in devising a suitable charm.