Editor’s Note:
Art has always enhanced our connection to the divine. A part of our spirit goes into what we create. Those who create Heathen European art are doing more to make our Odinist religion come alive than we might at first realize. Our native art is a real and tangible testimony to the rebirth of Odinism.
I myself have acquired some of Frau Williams beautiful items… a lovely Valkyrie pendant made of bone, and a marvelous lace raven altar cloth. When I use our raven altar cloth at Odinist services, it feels wonderful to be able to include ritual items made by Heathen artisans, such as Frau Williams, whose hearts were truly with our Gods when fashioning them. Not only are such goods more suited to us as Pagan people, but they are of the high quality that European- made goods are known for, and created by our own folk, whom we should always support whenever possible.
Frau Williams’ appreciation for the importance of our culture inspired me to write last year’s Walpurgis- Beltane- May Day article. She is the first female craftsperson featured here in FoxFire. Other European Heathen artisans who have written articles, or made items featured in articles, can be seen here and here.
The beautiful cloth is now used at some of our rituals. This artist seeks to maintain the connection between us and our ancestors and preserve the living traditions of our folk through her craftsmanship. Here she has taken some antique lace from 1910 and fitted it seamlessly to her own beautiful crocheted Odinist raven handiwork, which forms the centerpiece. Photo: Frau Williams
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My name is Crystal Williams and I am the artist at FolkHearth, where I create Heritage-Inspired Arts for the home. When I was asked to write an article for this edition of Foxfire, I was quite honored! And then I wondered what exactly I should say to introduce myself and convey my love of handcraft to you, the reader, and felt a little overwhelmed. Really, I am simply a learner and find a lot of joy in the process of learning about crafts and about my heritage and being a part of the history of expressing ourselves with the things we make. In using our hands to create, are connected to our ancestors.
I have always had a pencil or needle or some other creative device in my hands since I was small and I was also fortunate to have elders who encouraged me to use my hands and make the most of what was available. Growing up in a rural area, we used things longer and tried not to waste anything. Growing and preserving our own food and my mother sewing many of our clothes was a good introduction to the ideas of industriousness and self-reliance!
I recall that my great-grandmother had simple home remedies for most common ailments, and made beautiful quilts or rugs from any clothing that was too worn to keep wearing. My sister and I were taught to read at a young age and my father told us stories of our own family history and introduced us to cultures and ideas from other lands through books and local events such as the Scandinavian festival. He instilled a love of nature and understanding our place in it as well.
These days I love to continue learning about history and heritage through reading, movies, music, conversing with people in other places, and especially by using my hands to make crafts that connect me to my ancestors! One of my recent projects started out with a gift of some reclaimed pine boards that had previously been used for a print shop’s paper pallet. The wood was so nice that my friend saved the boards for me and I held onto them until an idea came along. One day, I was reading about the Oseberg Ship Burial and was inspired by the stave furniture, and decided to try my hand at translating the feeling to my own stave art.
The original photo from the Oseberg Ship Burial that inspired my stave project.
I started by outlining the measurements of my board-stave onto my art pad and sketching a similar shape within the boundaries, adding the details as I went. After tracing a paper pattern, I cut the basic shape and began refining and sanding edges.
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Initial stave shaping in progress with both power and hand tools. Photo Credit: Frau Williams
When I was satisfied with the shaping, I penciled in the areas that I planned to detail with wood-burning for the decoration, and then slowly worked with the hot tool one section at a time, taking care not to burn myself! I just used a simple soldering iron with a flat tip attached, going very slowly with curved areas.
Wood-burned decorative details on a stave after finishing. Photo Credit: Frau Williams
I decided to make my first stave with the Nine Noble Virtues, which are also burned into the stave, and then finished the wood with two coats of Danish Oil and a coat of hand-rubbed beeswax.
The completed stave, ready for display. Photo Credit: Frau Williams
The Noble Virtues were only one of many ideas that came to mind when doing this project, and I will definitely be making more staves in the future! There were so many points during this project that I felt connected to my ancestors in various times and ways – the memories of my father who worked as a carpenter when I was young, and the smell of the pine as it was being cut and sanded, and the feel of it in my hands…the feeling of expressing my values and honoring those who came before me by being inspired with their designs and ideals….the sense of my place in the timeline of history since the original object is from a burial of about 1,000 years ago, and now this new object is hanging in the room of a newborn child! You can see more of my work at folkhearthworkshop.etsy.com
I believe working with our hands is more than just passing the time or merely art for the sake of art – whether cooking, teaching, gardening, music or crafting, it can be our connection to our ancestral ways and the passing forward of our heritage!
