“Thorbjorg on Medicine Lake” Bring your Stav!

Sunday February 17, 1-3
Kari Tauring
http://runakari.blogspot.com/

Artshantyproject.org

After the Winter Solstice turned the wheel of the year from dark to light people look for all the illumination they can get. Our ancestors often invited spiritual leaders to come tell fortunes, predict weather for upcoming planting, cast charms, and bless the houses, animals, land and water (appeasing the elemental spirits therein). In Norse tradition, this was the Völva, the staff carrier. Thorbjorg, from Erik the Red's Saga, was one such visiting Völva!

Many cultures celebrate the mid point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. Groundhog’s and Valentine’s day are maintained in popular cultural memory.

Come celebrate the mid-point between Winter and Spring with this inter-active performance ritual for community building in the ways native to Scandinavia and Minnesota. By following the basic pattern of Thorbjorg’s visit at the colony on Greenland while being fully present in the modern day experience, we can create and educate about community and the season.

This “Discovering Origins/Building Traditions” process includes participation by every shanty, villager, and visitor who wants to draw a rune for the spring, create a birch bark charm, learn a song in the old tongue, dance pols around the perimeter, or listen to the stories of how these cold days were spent in the ancient times. Thorbjorg arrived in a sleigh, perhaps these days the cork truck would be her mode of travel!

The Community Fire: A cauldron fire will be lit in the center of the community where the visiting Spae Queen will sit. While Thorbjorg ate stew of hearts of all creatures available, this Spae Queen will enjoy hot dogs from the Art Car Taxi Station. Sharing food is at the root of ceremony.

Thorbjorg searched the village for a woman who knew the old vard songs for the magic to take place. I find it easier to teach people to do the magic on the spot. Everyone gathered will learn an old Norse chant and pols stav rhythm and a simple dance step.

Bring your stick or ski pole to help you walk on the ice as well as create rhythm for the ceremony.

Ritual Begins at 1:30. I will begin with a song then lead a snake dance from door to door of each shanty where I will prophesy, bless, and otherwise toast the members therein. The householder will draw a rune from the bucket or write their wish on a piece of birch bark. These pieces of bark will be burned in the community fire. We spiral outward as far as the perimeter of the village. We create a circle, jump and call to the directions asking for the blessing of the elementals (we are at their mercy). We ask the fish to leap from the holes. We honor the
spirit of the Dakota warrior lost in Mdewakan, "Lake of the Spirit." We bless the lake that supports our community in every way. Then in the same snake dance with a pols rhythm we spiral back to the center of the community fire where the birch bark blessings will go up in flame.

I will be available afterwards for conversation and private rune readings.