Religion: The Rune-Priests and the Rejection of Akara

 

The Old Gods: Religion in Torvaldsland

Introduction: The Schism of the Ice

On the planet Gor, religion is usually a matter of tangible reality rather than faith. In the civilized South, the "gods" are the Priest-Kings (the Sardar), mysterious alien entities who dwell in the Sardar Mountains. They are not merely worshipped; they are known to exist. Their technology monitors the planet, their Flame Death punishes those who violate their laws, and their Initiates (white-robed priests) enforce a complex theology of submission and ritual.

However, in the frozen North of Torvaldsland, the Priest-Kings are viewed very differently. Here, they are not gods to be revered, but "Trolls" or "Sorcerers" to be despised. The Northmen reject the "Maths" and liturgies of the southern Initiates. Instead, they hold to the "Old Gods"—Odin (the High One) and Thor. This religious schism is not just a theological difference; it is the fundamental cultural barrier that separates Torvaldsland from the rest of Gor. It is a spiritual independence that mirrors their political independence. This essay explores the unique religious landscape of the North, examining the role of the Rune-Priests, the rejection of "Akara" (the Sardar), and the fatalistic philosophy of Wyrd that drives the Northern warrior.

I. The Rejection of Akara: Why the North Hates the Priest-Kings

To understand the religion of Torvaldsland, one must first understand what it is not. It is an explicit rejection of the dominant Gorean religion.

1. The "Gods" as Trolls

In the South, the Priest-Kings are omnipotent deities. In the North, they are viewed with deep suspicion. The Torvaldslanders acknowledge the power of the Priest-Kings—they have seen the Flame Death—but they do not interpret it as divine. To the pragmatic mind of the North, a being that hides in a mountain and strikes from a distance is not a god; it is a coward.

They refer to the Sardar not as the "Holy Mountain" but as the "Home of the Trolls." This linguistic shift is crucial. In Northern mythology, trolls are powerful but malicious and ugly creatures. By framing the Priest-Kings as trolls, the Northmen deny them moral authority. They obey the laws of the Priest-Kings (like the ban on advanced weaponry) not out of piety, but out of a grudging respect for a superior enemy's firepower.

2. The Cultural Resistance

The rejection of the Priest-Kings is also a rejection of southern culture. The Initiates of the South are seen as parasites—men who do not work, do not fight, and who live off the alms of the superstitious. The Northman values labor and strength. A god who demands endless prayers and incense is a soft god for soft men. The Old Gods of the North, by contrast, demand courage and action. This makes the rejection of Akara a central pillar of Northern identity; to bow to the Sardar is to become a "Southern weakling."

II. The Rune-Priests: Shamans of the Wyrd

If the South has Initiates, the North has Rune-Priests. However, the two could not be more different in function and aesthetic.

1. The Blind Seers

The defining image of the Rune-Priest is physical imperfection. Many are blind, or ritually blinded, believing that the loss of physical sight opens the "Inner Eye" to the spirit world. They do not live in marble temples; they live in isolated huts, caves, or sacred groves. They are figures of awe and terror, existing on the fringes of the Jarl's hall.

Unlike the Initiates, who play politics in the high councils of Ar, the Rune-Priests are shamans. They deal in the primal forces of nature. Their power comes not from institutional hierarchy, but from their personal connection to the Runes.

2. Casting the Runes

The central ritual of Northern religion is the casting of the runes. These are small chips of wood or bone, carved with ancient symbols (the Futhark). The Rune-Priest casts them onto a cloth or the ground and interprets the pattern in which they fall.

This is not considered mere fortune-telling; it is a reading of the Wyrd (Fate). The Northmen believe that the timeline of a man’s life is woven by the Norns (Fates). The runes reveal the shape of the web. A Jarl will not launch a raid, plant his crops, or name a child without consulting the Rune-Priest. If the runes are bad, the fleet stays in the fjord, no matter how fair the wind.

3. The Oracle and the High Seat

In moments of great crisis, the Rune-Priest may perform the ritual of the High Seat (Seidr). This involves entering a trance state, often induced by fasting, chanting, or herbal concoctions. In this state, the priest is believed to channel the voices of the gods or the ancestors. It is a raw, visceral performance that reinforces the idea that the spiritual world is dangerous and close at hand.

III. The Old Gods: Thor and Odin on Counter-Earth

The theology of Torvaldsland is a preserved (and slightly mutated) version of ancient Earth Norse paganism, brought to Gor millennia ago.

1. Thor: The Everyman's God

Thor is the most popular deity in the North. He is the god of the Karls—the farmers and sailors. He is strong, simple, and protective. The "Stream of Torvald" (the warm current that makes life possible) is believed to be a gift from Thor to the legendary hero Torvald.

Thor is worshipped not through complex liturgy, but through emulation. To be strong, to be loyal to one's fellows, and to fight giants (Kurii or enemies) is to honor Thor. His symbol, the Hammer, is worn as an amulet by almost every man in Torvaldsland.

2. Odin: The God of the Jarls

Odin (the High One) is a darker, more complex figure. He is the god of wisdom, war, and death. He is the patron of the Jarls and the Rune-Priests. Worship of Odin involves sacrifice. The hanging of animals (and in dark times, humans) from trees is a ritual associated with Odin, echoing his own mythological hanging from Yggdrasil to gain wisdom.

Odin represents the ruthless pragmatism of the Northern leader. He is the god who sacrifices an eye for knowledge. This resonates with the Jarls, who must often make hard sacrifices for the survival of their people.

IV. Rituals of Blood and Iron

Northern religion is not abstract; it is visceral. The gods are fed with blood, and the earth is sanctified with iron.

1. The Blot (Sacrifice)

The primary religious ceremony is the Blot. This is a sacrificial feast held at key points in the year—Winter Nights, Yule, and the start of the Raiding Season. Livestock (pigs, horses, or goats) are slaughtered, and their blood is sprinkled on the altars, the walls of the temple, and the worshippers themselves using a bundle of twigs.

This act binds the community together. Sharing the meat of the sacrificed animal is a holy communion. It connects the people to the land and the gods. In the harsh environment of the North, the sacrifice of livestock is a significant economic cost, making the ritual deeply meaningful.

2. The Blood Eagle: Terror and Truth

Gorean lore often whispers of the "Blood Eagle," a horrific execution method ritualized as an offering to Odin. While rare, its existence in the cultural consciousness serves a purpose. It is the ultimate punishment for those who have violated the deepest codes of honor (such as patricide or oath-breaking). It reinforces the severity of Northern law—that spiritual and physical punishment are intertwined.

V. Fatalism: The Philosophy of Wyrd

Perhaps the most profound aspect of Northern religion is its fatalism. This is the psychological armor of the Torvaldslander.

1. The Day of Death is Fixed

The Northman believes that his day of death was written by the Norns at the moment of his birth. Nothing he does can change it. Therefore, there is no point in being a coward. If today is your day, you will die even if you hide in a hole. If it is not, you will survive the thickest battle.

This belief liberates the warrior from fear. It allows him to charge the shield-wall with a laugh. It creates the "Berserker" state—a religious frenzy where the warrior becomes a vessel of divine rage, indifferent to pain or survival.

2. The Straw Death vs. The Hero's Death

This fatalism leads to a deep contempt for the "Straw Death" (dying in bed of old age or sickness). The only good death is the "Weapon Death." To die with a sword in hand is the ticket to the Hall of Heroes. This belief system makes the Torvaldslanders incredibly aggressive, as they actively seek out dangerous situations to ensure they do not suffer the ignominy of a peaceful end.

VI. The Kurii and the Spiritual Void

In the later chronicles (such as Marauders of Gor), the religious distinctiveness of Torvaldsland becomes a geopolitical pivot point. The Kurii (the alien invaders) recognize that the North is the spiritual weak point of Gor.

Because the Northmen already hate the Priest-Kings, the Kurii try to step into the void. They present themselves not as conquerors, but as allies against the "Trolls" of the Sardar. They exploit the Northern desire for strength and the rejection of Southern weakness.

However, the Kurii fail to understand the true nature of Northern religion. They think the Northmen worship power, but the Northmen worship honor. The Kurii have no honor; they are soulless beasts. Ultimately, the Rune-Priests and the Jarls reject the Kurii because they realize that while the Priest-Kings are distant and arrogant, the Kurii are abominations against the natural order—enemies of the Wyrd itself.

Conclusion: The Anchor of the North

Religion in Torvaldsland is not a separate sphere of life; it is the atmosphere the people breathe. It is the reason they can endure the long, freezing nights. It is the reason they row into the teeth of the storm. The Rune-Priests, with their blinded eyes and bloody hands, are the guardians of a worldview that prioritizes endurance over comfort and fate over free will.

In rejecting the "civilized" gods of the South, the Northmen preserve their own humanity. They choose the hard path of the Old Gods, believing that it is better to stand alone in the cold with a true axe than to kneel in the warmth with a false prayer.