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Teutonic Magic: The Magical & Spiritual Practices of the Germanic Peoples
The theory and practice of Teutonic magick, a style of magick of particular interest to anyone of Northern European descent. The focus of the book is primarily on the Elder Furhark, the magickal rune alphabet. Gundarsson explains runic divination, rune magick, rituals for carving rune-tines and more.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 29, 2011
I had read this some time ago, and just acquired a new copy (with many thanks to my lovely wife) and re-read it. It remains a solid and trustworthy reference-guide to the practices of Teutonic mysticism and ritual. There's not a lot to say about the writing in of itself... it is delivered straight and organized well, more of a reference book than anything else. Indispensable to anyone interested in the subject matter and definitely something to have in your bookshelf for when the need arises.
December 12, 2008
A book that gives insight to the Asatru religion and culture and a companion to Teutonic Religion.
April 4, 2023
AN INTERESTING SUMMARY OF THE ‘OLD’ GERMANIC RELIGION
Author Kveldulf Gundarsson (born 1967) wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book, “The word ‘Teutonic,’ which once referred to the members of a specific Germanic tribe, has now come to encompass a heritage as large and varied as Northern Europe… If any of your ancestors came from Northern Europe, you yourself are probably heir to the old thoughts and ways of the Teutonic people, long forgotten though these may have been… It is up to those whose blood and souls ring with the old songs, who feel the secret might of the runes and hear the whispering of our ancient gods, to bring this treasure forth into the light of day again. The working of the magic and worshipping the gods of our ancestor are two of the most important first steps in requickening our hidden roots… This book contains both a practical guide to the working of Teutonic magic and some clarification of ways of thought… but which the mage who wills to reclaim the ancient might of our Teutonic ancestors must learn again.” (Pg. xi)
He explains, “In the life of the person who follows the old ways of the Teutonic people, there should be nothing unholy… Rather, you should be aware of the presence of the gods in everything… Rather than [an] extreme and absolutist view of good and evil, the Teutonic peoples viewed right as being that justice and correctness which maintains a living society, while wrong was injustice… or anything breaking the bonds of fairness and law on which society is founded… Related … is the dichotomy of WEAL-working and WOE-working… Simply stated, weal is that which works towards your welfare and the welfare of others; woe is that which harms yourself and/or others… There is nothing intrinsically evil in the Germanic legends; only creatures which cause harm and must therefore be slain or banished… the gods work woe as well as weal…” (Pg. xii-xiii)
He explains in the first chapter, “The Nine Worlds of the Teutonic cosmos are arranged in two major patterns: the horizontal and the vertical… the vertical model represents a refinement of the horizontal, which shows the traditional levels of being---the Overworld, the Earth, and the Underworld---passed through in the spiritual journey. The most significant aspect … is the emphasis on boundaries: the ocean which separates the world of humans from the worlds surrounding it, the second fence protecting Midgardhr (lit. ‘middle enclosure’)… and the inner circle of Asgardhr (‘enclosure of the gods’)… The term ‘Utgardhr’ refers to the entire area outside the ocean surrounding Midgardhe, in which a number of uncanny and often woe-working beings dwell.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The highest of the Nine Worlds is called Asgardhr… it requires either the aid of the valkyrja in crossing the bridge Bifrost or exceptional strength of purpose… the lowest of the Nine Worlds is Hel, ruled by … the mistress of the chthonic mysteries… the realm of Hel is described as horrible in parts… The central world of all is this earth, Midgardhr, also known as Middle-Earth… the earth of the Teutonic tradition also incorporates the workings of spirit as received directly from Asgardhr by way of Bifrost…” (Pg. 2-6)
He states, “Modern Western culture has absorbed the … concept of time as ‘past’ … ‘present’… and ‘future’… The Germanic time-sense is not threefold, but twofold: time is divided into ‘that-which-is,’ a concept encompassing everything that has ever happened… and ‘that-which-is-becoming,’ the active changing of the present…” (Pg. 7)
He asserts, “Fasting is useful only as an aid to meditation and vision; active magic requires your fullest energies… Vegetarianism is wholly outside of any Northern tradition; while a meatless diet that contains a full ration of protein and other nutrients will not be harmful to Teutonic workings, it will certainly not aid your spiritual growth n any special way as it would in most Eastern traditions Alcohol should be drunk in religious and inspirational rituals, but not before or during works of active magic where the vitki’s control needs to be at its fullest.” (Pg. 13-14)
He reports, “With the slow growth of Christianity n the north, the use of runes in magic was forced to diminish.” (Pg. 21) He continues, “Most of what is known today about the historical use of runes in magic is either reconstructed from the inscriptions on surviving items or from references in the sagas, which hold a number of useful descriptions of the method of practicing runic magic… [Some] inscriptions are wholly secret and cannot be understood except by considering the magical purpose of the individual runes.” (Pg. 24-25)
He explains, “The goal in runic workings is to control the power of the runes so as to create the effect you want… The runes may be thought of as forces which come forth into being and shape it… There are many different ways… [to] use their might, but all of these come down to the drawing of these forces into yourself and guiding them forth to work your will.” (Pg. 27)
He observes, “Perthro is the rune of divination. The dice of the early Germanic tribes show this might in its crudest form---the same method is used for tossing the dice and casting the runes… Both dice and runes are tossed out of a cup… the act of casting the runes thus partakes of the magical law of sympathy.” (Pg. 107-108) Later, he adds, “There are two types of relationships between runes: structural and conceptual. Structural relationships are those determined by placement in the futhark order… Conceptual relationships are those in which the basic idea of a rune is closely tied to the basic idea of another… Because of the manner in which all of the runes are woven together, one may, and should try to, find an endless number of ties between them.” (Pg. 161)
He says, “The essential goal of ritual is to provide a focus by which the magician can most effectively raise and guide power… the many-sided being of the runes… requires firm and specific concentration on the side of a rune’s being and the result wished if you want to avoid unforeseen consequences. Control is of the greatest importance: a miscast or unguided spell is far, far more likely to cause woe than weal.” (Pg. 177)
He outlines, “Similarity and Contagion are the two most general laws of magic. Briefly, the Law of Similarity holds that things which seem alike, are alike; the Law of Contagion rules that things one in contact will remain in contact; and in both cases, whatever happens to one will happen to the other.” (Pg. 188)
He states, “Blood is, of course, the life-force of all animals; hence, by coloring the runes with your blood or with magically charged red pigment, which is equivalent to blood by the Law of Similarity and the power which the vitki has put into it, the vitki is filling the runes themselves with life. Alcohol may also be used in this manner, especially if the runes are to be scraped into a drink.” (Pg. 189)
He notes, “Herbs are a great part of Teutonic magical practice. They are often worked into charms or hung with red thread over the windows and doors of a house to ward it… A great deal of the deeper herblore of the Germanic peoples has been stamped out by Christianity, but echoes of it have remained in the folk names and traditions concerning some plants, and the keen eye which knows what to look for may find the traces that lead back to the workings of our ancestors.” (Pg. 203)
He summarizes, “The religion of the Teutonic peoples held within itself every possible level of spiritual consciousness and earthly practicality… The Teutonic belief is that humans are sibs to the gods… Thus we honor them as the parents and elders of our house who have brought us forth, who teach us… Teutonic worship is for those who are proud and strong---not sheep led by a shepherd but humans who can act on their own…” (Pg. 219)
This is an excellent summation of a contemporary interpretation of Teutonic religion.
Author Kveldulf Gundarsson (born 1967) wrote in the Introduction to this 1990 book, “The word ‘Teutonic,’ which once referred to the members of a specific Germanic tribe, has now come to encompass a heritage as large and varied as Northern Europe… If any of your ancestors came from Northern Europe, you yourself are probably heir to the old thoughts and ways of the Teutonic people, long forgotten though these may have been… It is up to those whose blood and souls ring with the old songs, who feel the secret might of the runes and hear the whispering of our ancient gods, to bring this treasure forth into the light of day again. The working of the magic and worshipping the gods of our ancestor are two of the most important first steps in requickening our hidden roots… This book contains both a practical guide to the working of Teutonic magic and some clarification of ways of thought… but which the mage who wills to reclaim the ancient might of our Teutonic ancestors must learn again.” (Pg. xi)
He explains, “In the life of the person who follows the old ways of the Teutonic people, there should be nothing unholy… Rather, you should be aware of the presence of the gods in everything… Rather than [an] extreme and absolutist view of good and evil, the Teutonic peoples viewed right as being that justice and correctness which maintains a living society, while wrong was injustice… or anything breaking the bonds of fairness and law on which society is founded… Related … is the dichotomy of WEAL-working and WOE-working… Simply stated, weal is that which works towards your welfare and the welfare of others; woe is that which harms yourself and/or others… There is nothing intrinsically evil in the Germanic legends; only creatures which cause harm and must therefore be slain or banished… the gods work woe as well as weal…” (Pg. xii-xiii)
He explains in the first chapter, “The Nine Worlds of the Teutonic cosmos are arranged in two major patterns: the horizontal and the vertical… the vertical model represents a refinement of the horizontal, which shows the traditional levels of being---the Overworld, the Earth, and the Underworld---passed through in the spiritual journey. The most significant aspect … is the emphasis on boundaries: the ocean which separates the world of humans from the worlds surrounding it, the second fence protecting Midgardhr (lit. ‘middle enclosure’)… and the inner circle of Asgardhr (‘enclosure of the gods’)… The term ‘Utgardhr’ refers to the entire area outside the ocean surrounding Midgardhe, in which a number of uncanny and often woe-working beings dwell.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “The highest of the Nine Worlds is called Asgardhr… it requires either the aid of the valkyrja in crossing the bridge Bifrost or exceptional strength of purpose… the lowest of the Nine Worlds is Hel, ruled by … the mistress of the chthonic mysteries… the realm of Hel is described as horrible in parts… The central world of all is this earth, Midgardhr, also known as Middle-Earth… the earth of the Teutonic tradition also incorporates the workings of spirit as received directly from Asgardhr by way of Bifrost…” (Pg. 2-6)
He states, “Modern Western culture has absorbed the … concept of time as ‘past’ … ‘present’… and ‘future’… The Germanic time-sense is not threefold, but twofold: time is divided into ‘that-which-is,’ a concept encompassing everything that has ever happened… and ‘that-which-is-becoming,’ the active changing of the present…” (Pg. 7)
He asserts, “Fasting is useful only as an aid to meditation and vision; active magic requires your fullest energies… Vegetarianism is wholly outside of any Northern tradition; while a meatless diet that contains a full ration of protein and other nutrients will not be harmful to Teutonic workings, it will certainly not aid your spiritual growth n any special way as it would in most Eastern traditions Alcohol should be drunk in religious and inspirational rituals, but not before or during works of active magic where the vitki’s control needs to be at its fullest.” (Pg. 13-14)
He reports, “With the slow growth of Christianity n the north, the use of runes in magic was forced to diminish.” (Pg. 21) He continues, “Most of what is known today about the historical use of runes in magic is either reconstructed from the inscriptions on surviving items or from references in the sagas, which hold a number of useful descriptions of the method of practicing runic magic… [Some] inscriptions are wholly secret and cannot be understood except by considering the magical purpose of the individual runes.” (Pg. 24-25)
He explains, “The goal in runic workings is to control the power of the runes so as to create the effect you want… The runes may be thought of as forces which come forth into being and shape it… There are many different ways… [to] use their might, but all of these come down to the drawing of these forces into yourself and guiding them forth to work your will.” (Pg. 27)
He observes, “Perthro is the rune of divination. The dice of the early Germanic tribes show this might in its crudest form---the same method is used for tossing the dice and casting the runes… Both dice and runes are tossed out of a cup… the act of casting the runes thus partakes of the magical law of sympathy.” (Pg. 107-108) Later, he adds, “There are two types of relationships between runes: structural and conceptual. Structural relationships are those determined by placement in the futhark order… Conceptual relationships are those in which the basic idea of a rune is closely tied to the basic idea of another… Because of the manner in which all of the runes are woven together, one may, and should try to, find an endless number of ties between them.” (Pg. 161)
He says, “The essential goal of ritual is to provide a focus by which the magician can most effectively raise and guide power… the many-sided being of the runes… requires firm and specific concentration on the side of a rune’s being and the result wished if you want to avoid unforeseen consequences. Control is of the greatest importance: a miscast or unguided spell is far, far more likely to cause woe than weal.” (Pg. 177)
He outlines, “Similarity and Contagion are the two most general laws of magic. Briefly, the Law of Similarity holds that things which seem alike, are alike; the Law of Contagion rules that things one in contact will remain in contact; and in both cases, whatever happens to one will happen to the other.” (Pg. 188)
He states, “Blood is, of course, the life-force of all animals; hence, by coloring the runes with your blood or with magically charged red pigment, which is equivalent to blood by the Law of Similarity and the power which the vitki has put into it, the vitki is filling the runes themselves with life. Alcohol may also be used in this manner, especially if the runes are to be scraped into a drink.” (Pg. 189)
He notes, “Herbs are a great part of Teutonic magical practice. They are often worked into charms or hung with red thread over the windows and doors of a house to ward it… A great deal of the deeper herblore of the Germanic peoples has been stamped out by Christianity, but echoes of it have remained in the folk names and traditions concerning some plants, and the keen eye which knows what to look for may find the traces that lead back to the workings of our ancestors.” (Pg. 203)
He summarizes, “The religion of the Teutonic peoples held within itself every possible level of spiritual consciousness and earthly practicality… The Teutonic belief is that humans are sibs to the gods… Thus we honor them as the parents and elders of our house who have brought us forth, who teach us… Teutonic worship is for those who are proud and strong---not sheep led by a shepherd but humans who can act on their own…” (Pg. 219)
This is an excellent summation of a contemporary interpretation of Teutonic religion.
January 11, 2014
Back in the day this was the go to book on germanic spirituality. Still a pretty good book to peruse from time to time.
May 6, 2024
Written by a doctor of English, Germanic and Celtic oral and recorded history, Gundarsson's academic expertise as a torch bearer of knowledge truly shines through! Along with his personal investment in the material, as a vitki (magician), goði (spiritual leader) and heathen, you can feel the author's passion for preserving this belief system and practices! His own prose, written for meditations, is almost indistinguishable from the poetry of the incantations that (I assume) he has had translated from Old German, Norse, and English! I would absolutely recommend reading up on Norse Mythology, if you do not have at least passing knowledge of its pantheon, as the author must make certain references to it, and expand upon some of its more metaphysical and abstract concepts. If you have that familiarity, though, this makes a wonderful beginners' book for learning runes!
November 18, 2020
What makes this worth a read is the collection of runic meditations. One for each of the Elder Futhark. Highly sensual with powerful symbolic elements that will take the reader deep into the rune. I would love to have these in audio form.
June 6, 2016
I wish I had found this book when I was first discovering my path. It's a fantastic introduction to Asatru/Heathenism/Northern European Paganism especially for people who know nothing about the Edda or Norse mythology. This is also a great refresher if you currently follow this path. Gundarsson is heavily influenced by Edred Thorsson. The chapters are very short, but include much detail.
Covers differences between fylgja, hamingja, spirit, etc which is something I haven't read or seen before in a book. As well as actually discussing in depth about the Elder, Younger, and Anglo-Saxon futhark. Minus points for including the joke that is the Armanen "futhark". The section on the Elder Futhark was very informative even for an experienced person like myself. Gundarsson also includes chapters about magickal symbols, herbology, seidh-magick. All subjects that I am interested in, but not much information is found on them if at all. The last section in this book includes section on deities and animals. The book also comes with illustrations and charts.
I like that the Gundarsson believes in taking responsibility for your actions and a lot of mention of blood ties and ancestor magick. The disrespect of trees and other life forms is a bit upsetting especially on how to make your own runes. I think it's rude to go to a tree and just hack it's limbs off, but that's just me. I also wouldn't call this "Teutontic Magic " and would have just called it Heathenry or Northern European Magic because I didn't see anything about German Paganism. German deities have different spelling of names, roles, and lore. While the hatred of Loki is not included in this book, they don't discuss him either other than to name drop. Lastly some of the information included is too superstitious or ridiculous for my liking. That said this book is still worth reading.
Covers differences between fylgja, hamingja, spirit, etc which is something I haven't read or seen before in a book. As well as actually discussing in depth about the Elder, Younger, and Anglo-Saxon futhark. Minus points for including the joke that is the Armanen "futhark". The section on the Elder Futhark was very informative even for an experienced person like myself. Gundarsson also includes chapters about magickal symbols, herbology, seidh-magick. All subjects that I am interested in, but not much information is found on them if at all. The last section in this book includes section on deities and animals. The book also comes with illustrations and charts.
I like that the Gundarsson believes in taking responsibility for your actions and a lot of mention of blood ties and ancestor magick. The disrespect of trees and other life forms is a bit upsetting especially on how to make your own runes. I think it's rude to go to a tree and just hack it's limbs off, but that's just me. I also wouldn't call this "Teutontic Magic " and would have just called it Heathenry or Northern European Magic because I didn't see anything about German Paganism. German deities have different spelling of names, roles, and lore. While the hatred of Loki is not included in this book, they don't discuss him either other than to name drop. Lastly some of the information included is too superstitious or ridiculous for my liking. That said this book is still worth reading.
September 6, 2012
This was a good, solid work. This is definitely a book to reccomend to seeking Asatruar.
November 25, 2013
Great book! It contains great insight into lore and magical properties of the runes.
October 5, 2016
A fair book, although Gundarsson never reaches the heights of some of his contemporaries in the field and the work seems well researched, yet without practical experience perhaps.
February 26, 2018
Good beginner's reference.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews