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Chapter 5. The Underworld 131
often encountered. Much has been written about whether these beings are Norns
(the Weavers of Fate), Dísir (demi-goddess protectresses), women of the álfar 27 , or
ancestral spirits. Judging by the amount of confusion the concept presents, in all
likelihood, all these theories are correct to some degree and classification becomes
meaningless. If this part of the system is viewed simply as “luck” which pours forth
from the line of ancestors and which takes on a certain twist at the birth of an
individual, i.e. becomes personalized, there is at least some understanding of the
function or the role the being plays, in spite of the inability to classify the actual
being or beings.
Luck is sometimes thought of as being a fixed storehouse of power. However,
such an idea is not clearly indicated in the traditions of the ancient north as they
have been passed down to us either through written of oral traditions. The hamingja
did not seem to function as a “store-house” of personal power or luck as some would
have it, but appears to have had more to do with access to power. Luck changes as
times change. If a relative died, the hamingja or fylgjakona moved on to the next
in line often as a last wish of the deceased but also apparently at the whim of the
being itself.
Access to luck was also apparently closely related to action. If a taboo, laid
on the individual at birth (geis), was broken, the individual’s “access” to luck was
decreased or completely inhibited. This is occasionally described as the individual’s
losing “his power,” or having “his luck turn bad” or “his luck leave.” Davidson alludes
to this connection:
“The test of beliefs and practices was how far the individual who held
them proved lucky and successful, for a fortunate man or woman was felt
instinctively to be in tune with the powers governing the world, (my emphasis)
and it was prudent not to swim against the current.” 28
Gambling, which seems to have been a national pastime of our forebears, most likely
had its origin as a method for “testing” access to luck as it does among many North
and South American tribal people to this day.
Traditionally, the fylgja often took the form of an animal which was generally
representative of an individual’s personality. A Swedish folk-tale tells of a young
girl who instead of going into a dance one night decided, for whatever reason, to
27 There is some argument as to whether females existed among the álfar or not. The argument
seems pointless, however. What is really being discussed here is the idea that there was believed to
be some type of being which were 1) Otherworldly, 2) appeared to be more closely aligned with the
Gods (whether Vanir or Æsir), 3) and who seemed to have something to do with the assignment
or attachment of ¸orlög at or near birth. See Simek’s Dictionary of Northern Mythology p. 61-62
for a discussion of the term Dísir.
28 Ellis-Davidson, Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe, 1993 p.142.