Ealdraed Wodensson

Nice to meet you all. I have been a lurking member here for a few months but haven't posted. I do cast spells and do magic. Anglo-Saxon Witchcraft differs somewhat from its Norse counterparts in that males could practice it without the worry of being branded with ergi (a Norse term for unmanliness). In Norse culture of the Viking era witchcraft (seidh) was considered a woman's art, although Odin himself practiced it as it was taught to him by Freyja. It is not known for certain if this was because magic seemed cowardly versus open physical combat, because the magician had to enter a passive/trance state, or if there may have been some undisclosed sexual components to its practice. This did not apply to Norse rune magic which was considered to be a man's art. Apparently, the Anglo-Saxons were influenced by their Irish and Welsh neighbors who regarded male magicians with esteem. The Celtic word "Druid" found its way into Anglo-Saxon and drymann (Druid man) and dryicge (female Druid) were terms sometimes used for sorcerers and sorceresses respectively. Anglo-Saxon Witchcraft (Englisc Wiccecraeft, as Stormbringer said) combines elements of rune magic (although Futhorc instead of Futhark) along with shamanic practices probably related to Norse seidh magic. Some of these practices include "faring forth" where the Wicca sends his spirit to the land of the Dead or to the realms of the Gods to speak with them on their own turf, like what some people call astral projection. Sometimes the sorcerer would send his spirit into an animal so that he could spy on others or direct the animal to attack someone. (The problem is that if the animal is injured while the sorcerer is possessing it, the sorcerer receives the same damage to his own body.) There are also elements of galdr, a magical practice which involves incantations, chanting, and singing. I may not be as well versed in specifically Norse topics (versus Anglo-Saxon) as others here, so Atwater Vitki and Stormbringer please chime in as needed .

Waes Hael, No, "Ic Beo Wicca" is not a new Wiccan tradition named after "Ic Beo;" Ic beo wicca is Anglo-Saxon for "I am a (male) Witch." I am just posting this to prevent any confusion in my future posts. I tend to refer to myself as a "wicca" but I am not Wiccan. I do not mean to suggest there is anything wrong with being a Wiccan, but I am not one. I use wicca in its original Anglo-Saxon meaning of a male witch or sorcerer (a female witch was a wicce, the plural form wiccan was used to denote a group of witches of either sex). An Anglo-Saxon wicca was a polytheist, not a duotheist, and he did not believe all goddesses were one goddess and all gods were one god. Each god was a discrete entity with is own personality. A wicca did not follow a Wiccan Rede or believe in the eastern notion of karma. He did have a moral code similar to other Germanic Heathens such as that represented by the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru. The cc in wicca was not a hard c sound as in the way Wiccans pronounce it. Wicca was pronounced "wi-cha" and is the origin of our modern English word witch. I sometimes do use the modern word witch as well, but again not meaning a Wiccan type of Witch. So If you are ever puzzled as to why I am a Wicca instead of a Wiccan, it is not because I can't spell of forgot the n .