Uppsala

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Heilsa. I am Wayland Skallagrimsson. I am a member of the Asatru faith, and a priest of Odin. I have worked with the runes and with Odin in one way or another since I was sixteen. I have been involved in Norse style religion for decades. I have been practicing the berserkergang for over ten years.

Uppsala was a great heathen temple located in Sweden. While our heathen ancestors usually chose places of worship that were outdoors, such as groves or springs, towards the end of the paleopagan days they also built structures to hold great rituals in. When the temple at Uppsala became occupied by Christians in the twelfth century, it was the symbolic end of the old paleopagan faith.

I have created this website as a devotional act to my gods, in partial payment for all the many things they have done for me, and given to me. I provide within content concerning the history of the Asatru faith, and also a description of it in modern times. Holy days, and ancient practices associated with them are listed. An essay on my patron, Odin, is also within, as is a description of the practices, ancient and modern, of the Odinic mystery cult known as the Berserkergang. Other essays accompany them.

I have named this online temple Uppsala in honor of the temple that was, in honor of the time we find ourselves in now: the renaissance of our people. I hope you get some use from it, as well as some enjoyment.

Hail the Gods!

BOOKS BY WAYLAND SKALLAGRIMSSON
Heathenry: A Study of Asatru in the Modern World Price: $17.99 Paperback, 220 pages Published November 2013 ISBN: 1493706497 Available on Amazon.com Heathenry is a comprehensive look at Northern Tradition religions in the modern world. Intended as more than just another “Asatru 101” book, Heathenry delves into ancient history, specialist heathen paths, and the deeper issues surrounding religious devotion. Consideration is given to obscure aspects of gods both well-known and those almost unknown. The nine noble virtues are discussed in depth, as a set of values relevant to the modern world. The runes are uniquely approached as a native system of heathen spiritual development. A summary and concordance of the Eddas is provided, with a comprehensive list of every god, every significant story, every reference to old world religious practices, and where in the Eddas each one can be found.	New Edda Price: $10.79 Paperback, 110 pages Published December 2003 ISBN: 1594571139 Available on Amazon.com A collection of the myths, folklore, and folk tales of the ancient Norse and Germanic gods and spirits that have arisen since the Conversion. Presented in groups of stories, each group concerned with the doings of a particular god or spirit. Each story is retold from collections of folklorists from different countries, and supplementary information is pulled from scholarly works by such notables as H.R. Ellis Davidson.
Odin's Way in the Modern World Price: $11.99 Paperback, 88 pages Published October 2013 ISBN: 1493706675 Available on Amazon.com Odin’s Way in the Modern World is a meditation on the Odinic path from one who has been dedicated to this god for decades. Beginning with such topics as Odin’s heiti (or names), his relationship with women, and his never-ending quest for knowledge and power, the text delves into the hardships of serving Odin and the author’s own long-term personal relationship with this complex deity. Drawing on examples from history and saga, he examines what being an Odinist meant to the ancient heathens, and then suggests how those who worship him now must adapt these core values to modern times, just as the god himself has changed over time. The book concludes with a series of runic poems in honor of the many aspects of Odin.	Scientific Magic Price: $14.99 Paperback, 138 pages Published May 2014 ISBN: 1499247478 Available on Amazon.com Recent discoveries in the fields of neurobiology and psychology have opened up new avenues of exploration into and explanation of the practice of magic, a field hitherto resistant to scientific analysis, due to the highly subjective nature of its practices. Scientific Magic presents hypotheses to explain the particular claims made by magicians as to the effectiveness of their rituals, as well as why such practices continue even in rational, materialistic societies skeptical and dismissive of them. The author presents traditional magical lore side by side with scientific explanations for that lore, as well as analyses of relevant philosophical issues. The book also provides a course of instruction designed to take the student through basic initiation in the practices of magic and further to proficiency in them. Using his own experiences as well as those of other practicing magicians as a data pool, Skallagrimsson presents two traditional systems of magical practice – runic and cabalistic – from two rather different cultures, and compares them for the purpose of finding commonalities that would indicate the presence of real, analyzable phenomena, divorced from simple cultural prejudices and superstitions.
Putting on the Wolf Skin: The Berserkergang and Other Forms of Somafera Price: $17.99 Paperback, 182 pages Published December 2014 ISBN: 1505289718 Available on Amazon.com The berserkers are legendary: mad, hairy Viking warriors who fought like wild animals, giving no thought to fear or pain. How did they perform seemingly supernatural feats – and what did they have in common with ancient Greek women dancing to exhaustion in pursuit of their god, or Vodoun practitioners eating glass while possessed by spirits, or Pentecostal preachers speaking in tongues, or even mad scientists walking the fine line between inspiration and insanity? Although arising out of widely varying cultures and worldviews, all of these people used heavily altered states of consciousness to enhance the functioning of their bodies and brains. Today the berserkergang is being revived, drawing not only on ancient accounts, but on similar traditions around the world and throughout history. Together these practices are called somafera, “the body wild.” This book explores the many variants of somafera – including its martial, religious and intellectual applications – with a concentration on the berserkergang. The author shares his personal experiences as well as the results of decades of research. Both theory and practice are addressed, and examined from a unique combination of spiritual and scientific perspectives.	Does Not Play Well With Others: Memoir of a Berserker Price: $11.99 Paperback, 82 pages Published September 2016 ISBN: 1537304097 Available on Amazon.com This book, being an illustration of the difficult, stormy, yet often rewarding path of the berserker, is intended to assist young berserkers in the navigation of said path, by way of example. It contains a telling of the author's own life story, in regard to his berserker nature, accompanied by a number of anecdotes regarding the experiences of others. Some advice is offered, and not a few warnings as well.