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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 1d

Heathenry, in itself, is open to all; can be the heritage of all, if they choose it; can be practiced alongside other traditions too.

Any bigotry is brought in from outside; a sick person's sickness - may it shrink so small, it becomes nothing, nothing at all.

Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 1d

Such bigotry that exists with modern Heathenry, I believe, has been brought in from outside. It is not natural to Heathenry. Our core myths include the honouring of women, of crossing between genders, & the integration of different tribes, to the benefit of all.

(a bit more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 1d

My own thought & feeling is that there is nothing innate in the lore that survives to support such bigotry. Sure, there is an erasing of women in the fragments recorded of the goddesses; but there is no such erasure in the groups I've known (often with majority women in them).

(more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 1d

I'm in the UK, so the Wyrd differs some... in that I've encountered very little bigotry in my own Heathen encounters (and this despite the earlier 'Odinist' iterations). All the groups I've had involvement with have been pushing back against racism, sexism, homophobia and more.

(more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 2d

Must remember this..

Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · Jul 5

Dream's a strong draw today,
A collection of hands wrapped
Around my back, shoulders, arms,
Adding weight, saying
'Stay here. We've work for you.
Work to be done to you.'

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 2d

'branches of phrasing' & 'branches of sound', or 'arrangements of letters' vs. 'arrangements of sounds'... distilling it to 'the words we use & the way we use them'?

Only realising belatedly that this was going towards Dróttkvaet specifically, with the other forms just tacked on at the end.

Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 2d

'distinguished by spelling'? etc.
Looking at the ON terms - 'Rétt ok breytt'. 'Tala ok grein'. 'Málsgrein ok hljóðgrein'. And wondering if I understood these better for having written in AV myself?
Not quite getting Snorri's use of terms, but thinking 'maybe he means...'

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 2d

This piece prompted by not knowing what was meant by Snorri, nor in the English translation (by Faulkes): '3 kinds of verse-form'? 'with rule, or licence, or forbidden'? Then, 'kinds of rule' being 'normal and varied'. Then, 'normal rule' consisting of 'number & distinction'? 'Meaning' being...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 5d

#PoetrySky #HeathenSky

Forgotten Ground Regained is the go-to Web space for all forms of alliterative verse.

The newest issue is just released, here. I've a couple of pieces there myself, & I'll share specific links later.

But in the meantime, do have a browse

alliteration.net/current-issue/

Current Issue: Fall 2025

Forgotten Ground Regained: A Quarterly Journal of Alliterative Verse

alliteration.net

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 6d

The beguiling of Gylfi... is Snorri's prose rendition of Norse Myth, written to explain to Christian Icelanders what their poetics meant.

I thought it'd be fun to render it into verse. The first part's here...

#HeathenSky

Paul Deane @rhunedhel.bsky.social · 6d

In the current issue of Forgotten Ground Regained, @mathjones.bsky.social has fun rewriting the opening of the Gylfaginning (part of the PROSE Edda!) as Viking verse.

alliteration.net/poetry/the-o... #alliterion #poetry #Norse #alliterative #Mythology #Viking #folklore #medievalsky #poetrylovers

The Opening of the Gylfaginning, by Math Jones

... His name is All-Father, / but others he's had / in the tongue of the Old-yard, / twelve in number ...

alliteration.net

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 9d

3/3

That mention of it turning to water, to flow away, always a hopeful thing.

I'm a big fan of the Old English Rune Poem.

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 9d

2/3

A translation might be:

Hail is the whitest kernel, wafted by heaven's lift,
Wheeled in wind's scouring (or shower...), wends it to water soon after.

A description of meteorology, obs.

But also of a mental state, an emotional state too.

more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 9d

#HeathenSky 1/3

hægl byth hwitust corna, hwyrft hit on heofones lyft
wealcað hit windes scura, weorðeð hit to wætera syþþan

[this from memory, may contain errors]

It's the verse in the Old English Rune Poem, for hægl / hail (pronounce that g as a y, & they sound practically the same).

more

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 13d

Thank you, @rhunedhel.bsky.social

As it goes, this was my very first #alliterative poem, & it followed a year of not writing at all, as I disengaged the clutch & changed gear from end-rhyme to head-rhyme.

Then, as is said, 'word followed word'

#PoetrySky #HeathenSky

Paul Deane @rhunedhel.bsky.social · 13d

Here's one of @mathjones.bsky.social's Norse-style poems about the gods of Asgard. Always, the mistletoe is waiting.

alliteration.net/poetry/hoders-song/ #alliterative #poetry #Norse #Viking #skaldic #alliterativeverse #poetrysky

Hoder's Song: An alliterative poem describing a scene from the Poetic Edda

... Our hostess sits, / Loki's daughter, lours at her guests, / the waifs and wanderers, the withered dead ...

alliteration.net

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 13d

A lot of alliterative verse in here, an array of articles, & not one but two settings out of the skaldic Drottkvæt form

#PoetrySky #AlliterativeVerse

Paul Deane @rhunedhel.bsky.social · 14d

The Fall issue features poems by Peter G. Epps, D.A. Cooper,
@jordanriverwrites.bsky.social Liz Kendall, Joshua Walker,
@frankcoffman.bsky.social, @dgplacenames.bsky.social,
@graywyvern.bsky.social, @mathjones.bsky.social, & Marcus Lindenberg, and articles by Rahul Gupta, myself, & Robert Rickard.

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 14d

It's also the case that for many (especially search engines) my name evokes numbers, arithmetic, mathematics...

...though, growing up in south London, UK, we always called that, 'Maffs' 🙂

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 14d

There's an Old English word also, pronounced the same: Mæþ

means, 'measure, degree, proportion; honour, respect & reverence; fitness, what is meet, right & proper; virtue & goodness'

Never used as part of a name, but were you to meet me, I hope you'd find it apt.

(little bit more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 14d

#PaganSky

'Math' is the name of a Welsh king, a wizard-prince of Gwynedd; Math ap Mathonwy, brother of the goddess, Don.

It is said to be a word for 'bear', which is apt for my size & shape.

I chose it as a Pagan name to honour that part of my heritage that is Welsh, British, Celtic.

more...

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 15d

So you know they were there at the first & will be at the last, & then at the new first again.

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Math Jones @mathjones.bsky.social · 15d

#PaganSky #HeathenSky

How do you write a goddess or god? In poetry or prose, how do you do it? So that they retain the intimacy of blood in your veins. So they go between like air into breath into air. So you see them there as tall as the sky, and you are too.

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