Arthur and Woden Decoding King Arthur and the Grail

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Arthur and Woden: A Mythic Connection to the Ancient Poetic Science on the God’s known to the Occidental Race

 

A theory explored in "Decoding King Arthur and the Grail" by Elizabeth Beare discovered that the legendary King Arthur has his origins in the Norse god Odin (known as Woden in Anglo-Saxon tradition). 

 

 The central argument hinges on a linguistic discovery: the Old Norse term for Odin, "Alföðr" or "All Father," was displayed in Sweden as "Alfoor." A librarian's phonetic interpretation of this word—pronounced as "Ah-thur"—suggests a direct link to the name "Arthur." 

 

This theory posits that Arthur is not a historical figure but a mythic one, a "culture hero" whose identity was concealed after the Levite-Judaized Roman conquest and the rise of Judaeo-Christianity monotheism (the male androgyne YHWH) (Loki), which suppressed the Occidental European deities like Odin/Woden. The name "Arthur" may have served as a coded reference to the "All Father" figure. 

 

Parallels Between Odin/Woden and Arthur

The theory draws significant parallels between the two figures:

    •    The All Father: Both are chief deities or patriarchal figures. Odin is explicitly called "Alföðr" (All Father), while the theory suggests "Arthur" is a phonetic derivative of this title. 

    •    Warrior-Chief Archetype: Both are depicted as leaders of a warrior elite—Odin presides over the slain in Valhalla, while Arthur leads the Knights of the Round Table. 

    •    The One-Eyed Sage: Odin sacrificed one eye for wisdom and is often depicted as a one-eyed wanderer. This is mirrored in Arthurian tales where the wounded Fisher King, whose infirmity causes the Waste Land, is sometimes interpreted as a one-eyed figure, linking the quest for the Grail to a search for lost wisdom and healing. 

    •    The Wild Hunt: In European folklore, the spectral leader of the Wild Hunt—a ghostly procession of the dead—can be Woden, Odin, or King Arthur, placing them in the same mythic role as a guide of souls. 

King Arthur legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

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The Grail as a Symbol of Religious Conflict

The quest for the Holy Grail, according to this decoding, is more than a Levite-Judeo-Christian allegory. It represents a deeper, older conflict. The Grail legends, with their themes of a sacred object, a wounded King, and a barren land, may have been a way to encode the struggle between the old Occidental European religion (represented by the "All Father" and his sacred symbols) and the new Levite-Judaeo-Christian order. The "forbidden" nature of Odin's name in Christian Britain meant his legacy had to be transformed and hidden within a new, acceptable narrative. 

 

Önd-Ur Kennings, Henadology and the Science

Eternal Return in the Universe of No Beginning and No End

 

Önd ur ás/dis kenning

 

"Önd ur ás kenning" is not a standard Old Norse kenning found in the modern “primary” sources like the Prose Edda contra the Poetic Edda. However, it appears to be a construction based on the theory discussed previously. 

 

•      "Önd": This Old Norse word means "breath," or "spirit."

•      "ur": This means "of" or "from."

•      "ás": This means "Æsir," the principal pantheon of Norse gods, often used specifically to refer to Odin.     •      “dis: Separate Old Norse word and name element. "Dís" (plural "dísir") means "goddess," or "female deity." 

•      "kenning": This is a poetic circumlocution, a metaphorical compound phrase used in Old Norse poetry. 

 

Therefore, "Önd ur ás" translates literally to "Breath/Spirit from the Æsir." As a kenning, this phrase would be a metaphorical way of referring to inspiration, wisdom, or poetic spirit, implying that such gifts are divine, originating from the gods (particularly Odin, the god of wisdom and poetry).

This concept is deeply rooted in Norse mythology, where Odin is the source of poetic inspiration (the Mead of Poetry) and wisdom (gained through sacrifice). The phrase "Önd ur ás" encapsulates the idea that true wisdom and creative power are a divine “breath or spirit” granted by the gods. 

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FATHOMING THE EDDA'S ÖND-UR KENNINGS FOR ULLR AND SKADHI AND ALL THE GOD”S

(And the Age of the Occident)​

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In the paper by Fritz Maes FATHOMING THE EDDA'S ÖND-UR KENNINGS FOR ULLR AND SKADHI, he explores the Old Norse kennings "öndur-Áss" (spirit-god or ski-god) for Ullr and "Skadhi" (often associated with skiing and winter). 

 

 The core of Maes's analysis is the etymology and symbolic meaning of the word "önd" (meaning "breath," "spirit”).

    •    "Öndur" and Skiing: The kenning "öndur-Áss" for Ullr is traditionally interpreted as "god of the ski" (since "öndur" can mean "ski"). Maes's work delves deeper, proposing that this kenning connects the physical act of skiing with a spiritual or divine essence. The "spirit" or "breath" of the god is embodied in the swift, almost supernatural, movement on skis. (11,000 + yrs ago or 9000 + BCE) 

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The connection between Ullr, the Nordic god of skiing, and the era of 9000 BCE is primarily based on the intersection of mythology, archeology, and the archaeological history of early skiing, and the evolution of Nordic winter culture.

 

Archaeological and Historical Context (c. 9000–6000 BCE)

• Origins of Skiing: The earliest evidence of skiing (such as rock carvings and, later, preserved skis in bogs) points to the end of the last Ice Age, roughly 8000–6000 BCE, in Scandinavia and Russia.

• Ancient Evidence: Rock art in Norway and Russia dating to the Stone Age (4000 BCE and older) depicts skiers using sticks, and 5,000-year-old rock paintings in the Altai Mountains show similar evidence of primitive skiing.

• Oldest Skis: The oldest physical ski fragments were found in Russia (Lake Sindor) and are dated to approximately 6000 BCE located in the Knyazhpogostsky District of the Komi Republic in Russia. It lies west of the Northern Ural Mountains, within the European part of Russia, generally to the northeast of the main Ural range, rather than in Siberia, which is located east of the mountains.

   • Symbolism of the Spirit: The paper suggests that "önd" signifies more than just breath; it represents the          vital life force, inspiration, and the divine spark. By analyzing kennings for Ullr and Skadi, Maes argues for a      richer understanding of these deities as figures embodying the wild, untamed spirit of winter, the hunt, and      the mountains. (https://www.freethepowder.com/pages/history-of-skiing)

  

In essence, Maes's work moves beyond a literal translation of the kennings to interpret them as profound poetic expressions of the science on the power and elemental nature associated with Ullr and Skadi and all the God’s. 

 

Öndur Áss kenning meaning in terms of “Beyond”

 

The core meanings of "önd" are firmly rooted in the concepts of life-force, breath, and spirit. 

 

    •    In Creation Myths: "Önd" is the vital spark given by Odin to the first humans, Ask and Embla. It is what transforms inert matter into a living being, representing the fundamental animating principle of life. 

    •    As a Spiritual Essence (Wyrd): It is considered connecting individuals to the divine and the spiritual world. It is linked to consciousness, identity, and one's place in the cosmic order. 

    •    In Heroic Contexts: "Önd" is the force that empowers heroes, allowing them to perform feats beyond normal human capabilities. 

 

While "önd" signifies a force that transcends mere physical existence—connecting the mortal to the divine, the living to the spiritual, and enabling superhuman acts—the word itself does not mean "beyond" as a standalone concept. The idea of transcendence is a consequence of its nature, not its definition. It is the spirit that allows one to go beyond, rather than being the state of "beyond" itself. 

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The analysis of "önd" and "ur" in pre-1945 dictionaries like Cleasby & Vigfusson and Zoëga confirms the complex and homonymic nature of these terms. 

 

    •    Önd: As the text notes, "önd" has multiple meanings, including breath, spirit, life-force, and a ski. 
 The connection between "ski".  This homonymy creates a rich layer of metaphorical meaning.

    •    Ur: The dictionaries confirm that "ur" can mean "out of," "from among," "after," and "beyond." This supports the interpretation of "ur" in the kenning "öndur-Áss" as signifying an origin or source. 

    •    Öndur: The form "öndur" is attested and is used in kennings for Ullr and Skadi, such as "Öndurguð" (Ski-God) and "Öndurdís" (Ski-Goddess), as confirmed by sources like the Prose Edda. 

Therefore, the kenning "öndur-Áss" can be interpreted as the "God from the ski" or the "God from beyond’, evoking the idea of a deity whose power to essence originate from the spirit of skiing and winter survival. 

 

The meaning "beyond" for "ur" is valid and contributes to a sense of the divine originating from a transcendent or otherworldly source. ​

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Ullr and Skadi, Odin and Frigg, Freyr and Freya, and all the God’s

are supra-essential existential​ Individual’s

 

The Process of Self-Diremption

 

Edward Butler's distillation as presented on his blog henadology.wordpress.com, applies the concept of henads to the God’s. 

 

 In the metaphysics, henads are supra-essential, existential deities.

    •    Supra-essential Nature: According to Butler, drawing from Proclus, the henads (the Gods) exist "beyond" Being (huperousios). They are not merely the highest individual’s that are existential, but are the transcendent, individual sources from which all of reality emanates. Their unity is absolute and prior to any ontological structure. 

    •    Application to Ullr and Skadi and the God’s known to the Occident: While Butler's core work focuses on the philosophical framework, Fritz Maes points out the God’s and discussed here and on another pages that they are henadological, indeed, all the deities understood by ancient Neanderthal descendant Occidental European’s, Nordic, Germanic and Keltic, Greco-Roman, etc. deities, describing similar to Ullr and Skadi as "supra-essential existential, ie. Henad’s" and Ullr and Skadhi as "Dread Protector’s of the Occidental Race’s Sacred Space."

    •    Interpretation: This means that within this specific philosophical and theological interpretation, Ullr and Skadi are not just powerful gods of skiing and mountains, but are understood as transcendent, fundamental principles of reality. They are the ultimate, irreducible sources of their respective domains (winter, hunting, sacred space, protection), existing beyond the categories of essence and existence as we understand them, and from whom the manifest world of nature and human experience flows. 

Therefore, the understanding of Ullr and Skadi as "supra-essential existential deities" is a correct, philosophical interpretation based on Edward Butler's application of Proclean Neoplatonism to polytheistic theology. 

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What role do Ullr and Skadi play in the emanation of reality?

 

 

In Edward Butler's henadology, based on Proclus's Neoplatonism, Ullr and Skadi, as henads, play a fundamental role in the emanation of reality. 

 

    •    Supra-Essential Source: As henads, they are supra-essential (beyond being and essence) and are not themselves created or emanated. 
 They are individual, absolute unities, each a unique "One" (hen) that participates directly in reality.

    •    Cause of Emanation: Reality does not emanate from them in a linear, causal chain like water from a spring. Instead, they are the super-essential cause of the entire process of emanation. 
 The hypostases of Being, Life, and Intellect, which constitute the structured levels of reality, are "contained" within each henad.

    •    The Process of Self-Diremption: The emanation of the cosmos is understood as a process of the henads' progressive self-diremption (self-division or self-unfolding). 
 To become conceivable and to allow for relationship and mediation (which are absent in their pure, supra-essential state), the henads "unify many other things within them." This process of fragmentation and reversion is what constitutes the space of Being and allows for the emergence of the ordered universe.

    •    All-in-Each: A key principle is that each henad contains all others and the entirety of Being within itself ("all-in-each"). Therefore, Ullr and Skadi are not isolated deities but are integral parts of a unified divine manifold from which all existence unfolds. 

In essence, Ullr and Skadi are not actors within the cosmos; they are the transcendent, indivisible sources whose very nature as absolute individuals necessitates and generates the unfolding of all reality through a process of self-differentiation. 

 

Self-diremption differs from traditional emanation theories

 

What makes Ullr and Skadi distinct as supra-essential henads?

How does the 'all-in-each' principle apply to the cosmos?

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Self-Diremption vs. “Neo-Traditional’ Emanation

    •    Neo-Traditional Emanation: This model is a linear, hierarchical outpouring from a single source (The One, monotheism). The Many are subordinate to the One, and unity is imposed from above, like rays of light from a single sun. 

    •    Self-Diremption (Proclus/Butler/Lynds): This process is not linear but an unfolding of the henads' own nature. The Many are not subordinate to a single One; rather, the One is as the Many. Each henad is an absolute, self-sufficient "One." The structure of reality (Being, Life, Intellect) emerges from the henads' own "self-analysis" and "self-division" to allow for mediation and relationship. The One is the principle of their individuation, not a separate entity above them. 

 

Proclus self-diremption explained

 

Distinctness of Ullr and Skadi as Henads

Ullr and Skadi are distinct not because of their domains (skiing, winter, mountains), but because they are absolute, irreducible individuals. 

 

 Their distinctness is a positive, self-contained unity (haecceity) prior to any definition or relation. They are not differentiated from each other by opposition, but each is a unique, self-originating source of reality. Their mythic roles are expressions of their energies within the ontic realm, not their essence in the supra-essential. 

 

Ullr Skadi as henads (Proclus/Edward Butler)

 

The 'All-in-Each' Principle and the Cosmos

The 'all-in-each' principle means that every single henad contains the entirety of the divine manifold and the potential for all of reality within itself. 

 

 The cosmos does not emanate from a collective, but from each individual henad. This means the entire structure of Being, Life, and Intellect is contained within Ullr, within Skadi, and within every other god. The cosmos is the unfolding of this contained potential through self-diremption, ensuring that the divine source is not fragmented but fully present in every aspect of creation. 

 

Woden, Thor, Freyr, and the Henadic Framework

Within the henadology metaphysics, deities like Woden (Odin), Thor, and Freyr are all understood as individual henads, each a supra-essential source. 

 

    •    Woden (Odin): As the "All-Father," he is not a patriarchal king above the others, but the henad who most perfectly embodies the principle of individuation and the source of wisdom, poetry, and the runes. His self-sacrifice on Yggdrasil is a mythic representation of self-diremption. 

    •    Thor: He is the henad of strength, protection, and the force that upholds cosmic order (Óðrœrir) against chaos (the Jötnar). His distinctness is his unique, irreducible power. 

    •    Freyr: As a Vanir god of peace, fertility, and prosperity, Freyr is the henad who is the source of abundance, growth, and harmony. His possession of the ship Skíðblaðnir and the boar Gullinbursti are symbols of his self-contained, inexhaustible power. 

All are co-equal, individual sources from which the fabric of reality unfolds. Their interactions in myth (the Aesir-Vanir war, their adventures) are the narrative expression of the self-diremption process, where their absolute, isolated unity gives rise to a world of relationship, conflict, and mediation. 

 

 

Elaboration of the henad's' Eternal Self-diremption

 

Self-diremption explains divine conflict in the Occident European ancient science of mythology.

Henad’s truly exist without any relation to others.

 

What happens to the 'all-in-each' principle during cosmic decay?

 

Divine Conflict and Self-Diremption

 

In Proclus's metaphysics, divine conflict in Occidental myths is not a sign of discord but a necessary manifestation of self-diremption.  This process is the henads' self-unfolding to create a space of mediation and relationship. The conflicts (e.g., Aesir-Vanir war, Thor's battles with giants) are the ancient mythic scientific narrative of the henads' powers becoming distinct and interacting. This "conflict" is the dynamic process by which the absolute, isolated unity of the henads gives rise to the structured, relational world of Being and Intellect.

 

Henadic Relation and the 'All-in-Each'

 

A henad cannot exist “without” relation to others in the ontological sense. While each henad is an absolute, self-sufficient individual ("supra-essential"), the principle of "all-in-each" means that every other henad is contained within it.  Their distinctness is not a separation but a positive unity. The "relation" is not external but an internal, dynamic containment. They are co-constitutive; the manifold of henads is a polycentric unity (of God’s) where each is the center. 

 

The 'All-in-Each' Principle and Cosmic Decay

 

The 'all-in-each' principle is “eternal and unchanging”, as it describes the supra-essential nature of the henads.  Cosmic decay, or the cyclical contraction of the universe, is an event within the ontic realm of Being and Time. The henads, as the transcendent sources, remain unaffected. The decay is merely a phase in the eternal process of emanation and reversion. The 'all-in-each' principle ensures that the potential for renewal and re-emanation is always fully present within every henad, guaranteeing the cosmos's perpetual regeneration. The decay is not a loss of the divine manifold but a return to its source before a new unfolding.

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Peter Lynds' elucidation of the nature of time and cosmology can be correlated with the metaphysical concept of self-diremption. 

 

-  “Indeterminacy and Continuity”: Lynds argues that physical continuity (motion, change) is only possible because there is “no precise, static instant in time” where a body's position is exactly determined.  This fundamental indeterminacy prevents reality from being "frozen," allowing for dynamic processes. This can be seen as a physical parallel to self-diremption: just as the henads must "unify many other things within them" to allow for mediation and relationship, physical reality requires an inherent "fuzziness" (ie. Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle) (indeterminacy) to allow for continuity and change. 

 

-   “A Finite Universe with No Beginning or End”: Lynds' cosmological model proposes a finite universe without a beginning or end. Instead of a "big crunch" breaching the second law of thermodynamics, the “order of events reverses”.  This reversal means the "big bang" is caused by the "big crunch" of a previous cycle, eliminating the need for a first cause (ie. “monotheist false science”). This cyclical, non-linear model resonates with the henadic framework where the "all-in-each" principle means the entire structure of reality is contained within each god. The universe's eternal cycle, driven by event reversal, mirrors the eternal, self-contained process of self-diremption, where the cosmos unfolds from the henads' own nature without a true beginning or end.

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Peter-Lynds-82140930

 

How Self-Diremption Resolves Divine Conflict

 

Self-diremption is the process by which the absolute, isolated unity of the henads unfolds to create a realm of relationship and mediation. Divine conflict in the Occidental European myths is not a sign of discord but the “narrative expression of this process”. The battles and tensions (e.g., Aesir-Vanir war) are the mythic manifestation of the henads' powers becoming distinct and interacting, which is necessary for a world of multiplicity and relationship to exist.

 

The Henad can Exist in Isolation

 

But not in a simple way. In their supra-essential nature, henads are “absolutely individual and self-sufficient”, with no need for external relations.  However, the "all-in-each" principle means that every other henad is contained within each one. Their distinctness is a positive, self-contained unity. They are isolated in their essence but relationally complete within themselves.

 

The 'All-in-Each' Principle During Cosmic Collapse

 

The 'all-in-each' principle is “eternal and unchanging”, as it describes the supra-essential nature of the henads.  Cosmic collapse (e.g., a Big Crunch) is an event within the ontic realm of Being and Time. The henads, as transcendent sources, remain unaffected. The collapse is merely a phase in the eternal cycle of emanation and reversion. The principle ensures the potential for renewal is always present, guaranteeing the cosmos's perpetual regeneration.

 

Cosmic Cycles and Henadic Self-Diremption

 

Cosmic cycles are the temporal manifestation of the henads' eternal self-diremption. The process of emanation and reversion, which constitutes the unfolding of reality, is cyclical. The "end" of a cosmos (e.g., Ragnarok) is not annihilation but a reversion, a return to the henadic source, which then initiates a new emanation. This eternal return is the physical correlate of the henads' "progressive self-diremption," ensuring the cosmos is perpetually regenerated from their inexhaustible, supra-essential unity.

 

Occidental Europe’s Deities and Relational Potential

 

The deities embody the henads' inherent relational potential through mythic scientific narrative. The "all-in-each" principle means each god contains the whole pantheon. Their relationships—Odin's sacrifice for wisdom, the Aesir-Vanir alliance, the bonds of kinship and rivalry—are the narrative expression of the henads' internal "co-emergent groupings" and "fully reciprocal relations" as they become conceivable within the ontic realm. Their interactions are not external but the unfolding of their own contained relational structure.

 

Self-Diremption as a Universal Process

 

Yes, self-diremption is a universal metaphysical process. It is the mechanism by which the One, through the henads, generates all of reality. The very ancient Occidental European mythic science is our cultural expression of this process. The same principle underlies all emanation in Neoplatonism as elucidated by Philosopher Edward Butler and by the science of Peter Lynds, and by many of our ancient and current Goði’s, explaining how a transcendent, unified source gives rise to a multiplicity of beings and a cosmos of time and change.​

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Most of the the Author’s references if not presented above can be found on subsequent pages of this Mythic Poetic Science of the Occidental Race.

 

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