Bragi

Bragi is the God of poetry in Norse mythology.  Bragi is associated with bragr, the Norse word for poetry.  He is occasionally known as the "Long-bearded one".  He is renowned for wisdom and most of all for fluency of speech and skill with words.  Bragi is regarded as a son of Odin and Frigg, and his wife is Idunn.  He can be appealed to for poets, writing, eloquence, peace, diplomats and music.  And can be befriended by helping starving musicians and writers.  Or by going to a musical or trying a new art type. 

As soon as Bragi was born in the stalactite-hung cave where Odin had won Gunlod's affections, the dwarfs presented him with a magical golden harp, and setting him on one of their own vessels they sent him out into the wide world.  As the boat gently passed out of subterranean darkness Bragi, who until then had shown no signs of life, suddenly sat up, and seizing the golden harp beside him, he began to sing the wondrous song of life.  Which rose at times to Asgard and then sank down to the realm of Helheim.

And this is just a snippet of what can be found in, 'Who Are Your Divine Friends?'.

Correspondences:

Color: orange, multi-colored

Day: Wednesday

Incense: sandalwood, storax

Plant: beech, fern, lily of the valley

Pronunciation: 'Bray-gee' (Bragi)

Rulership: arts, music, poetry, song

Runes: Ansuz, Gebo, Mannaz, Othala

Stone: agate, carnelian

Symbol: harp, book, poetry

Bragi

Lord of Poetry
Valhalla’s skald
Rune-Tongued Bard
Husband of Idunna

Speak your words
Sing the Songs
Spin the Sagas
Recite the Riddles
Tell the Tales

Long bearded God
Inspire the skalds
of this World

Grant them Clever wit
Grant them Wisdom
Grant them Knowledge

It is a new day for the folk

New Sagas need to be wrote
New Songs need to be sung
New Tales need to be told

The next generation needs to remember
Those who have come before them

~ Wolf Helser

Bragi's Gifts

He is the Giver of Inspiration to poets,
To writers and all those who work with words.
He is the gift of the One Right Word,
The phrase sharp as a spearpoint that goes
To the heart of the matter, that makes the eyes
Light up in the listener's face. He is the story
Told and told well, dancing in pictures

Through the minds of the audience. He is the music
That wends its way from mind to pen to paper,
And then to the fingers flying on strings,
The breath that blows through flute and pipe.
He is the wordless skill of the tune, the rhythm
That sets the body moving, the head nodding.
He is the breath, too, that flies over the crowd,
Given shape with speech, forcing men to listen,
To hear, to think, to act on those words.
As his sire is the in-breath, so he is the out-breath,
The exhalation that brings change to the world.

~ Raven Kaldera

Ode to Bragi

Skald Bragi, guide my instrument and make it sharp
Make my words cut deep and play the part
My fellow poet, help my kennings grow before me
Unleash my soul and set it free with beautiful poetry

In the name of Bragi I write such conflagration
It drips off the tongue like the best salutation
Squeezing my brain to get the very best result
Swinging the gates free to open the one true vault.

~ Skirar Silfrinlogi

Invoking Bragi’s Blessing Before Public Speaking

Hail to the Skald of Skalds!
Lend me your gift, O fair-speaker,
Lend me your confidence, O Poet,
Lend me your tongue, O talented one,
That I might do good in the world.

~ Raven Kaldera

In the Havamal, stanza 4, "When a guest comes, he will need food and drink.  Give a warm welcome, friendly speech, and listen to his tales."  If you were a host, it was considered polite to let your guest do most of the talking.  And as the guest, it was found to be rude not to do most of the talking.  For the Ancient Norse, talking was a way to get the news and hear about things going on beyond the village. 

All human interaction is framed in words.  The words we use to explain ourselves, the words that others use to define us, the stories we tell, and the values we pass on from generation to generation.  Words are magic so potent that the All-father Odin hung for nine days to bring the runic letters and stayed three days in captivity to bring us the mead of poetry.  We are our words, and we should always be mindful of the things we say, and how others will receive them.

Bragi is one of the few Gods who are welcome in any World by any type.  Rather than being a warrior, he is a speaker for peace and a diplomat.  He wanders the Nine Worlds, welcomed joyfully into the halls of Aesir, Vanir, Jotun, Duergar, Alfar both light and dark, and sometimes that of unaware humans.  Bragi doesn't show up in any of the major myths or even the myth of Ragnarok.

Bragi

Bragi

Divine Friends

Elements Table

Idunn

July

Poems

Sage

Sage God

There is Always a Way!

Who are your Divine Friends?