Chapter 109: Shift Happens

''Prior to the Norse Reformation, the ethno-religion of the Norse people was technically a folk religion with mixed shamanistic practices and no centralized doctrines. Lacking a canonical unifying text and relying primarily on oral transmission, the particulars of practice and belief differed from region to region, with some particular beliefs and practices being idiosyncratic in comparison to the whole of the religion—which was itself an offshoot of the archaic Germanic religion that had existed in central and western Europa during the prior eras. While pre-Reformation texts which are not from Berk and related tribes are comparatively rare, idiosyncratic differences can still be seen between what examples we do have. It was only later, with Berk's doctrinal canonization which overwrote a great deal of the variation in regional belief, that the Norse religion adopted a set of canonical texts.''

''One such example of a divergence in belief is that of Sif, Thor's wife. In eastern Norse beliefs, she was primarily an Earth fertility and farming goddess, with her golden hair being an allusion to fields of grain and her marriage to Thor being a symbolic bond between the earth and sky—especially that of life-giving rain on farmers' fields. ''

''In contrast, Sif's depictions are expanded in the beliefs of the Eirish Sea Norse which were eventually canonized by the Norse Reformation. Textual analysis and primary sources show the primary movers of the divergence being the Bog Burglar tribe, which began as a breakaway Sif and Freyja cult sometime in the 800s AD. Here, Sif is still a goddess of the fertility of the earth—a fertility which is enhanced by the blood spilled on the ground by killing attackers attempting to destroy her home, hearth and family. In these depictions, Sif's role is expanded to be similar to that of Freyja, as a deadly warrior woman. However, in contrast to Freyja's focus on the offensive aspects of warfare, Sif's focus is decidedly defensive, that of a mother protecting her children and standing her ground with a refusal to retreat, and a fertility goddess who is completely willing to use the blood and bones of the fallen to enrich her fields. ''

—The Second Flowering Of Yggdrasil: An Analysis Of The Norse Resurgence, 1710

Foreshadowing
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Epigraph Tie-In

 * The epigraph gives a brief origin of the Big Burglar tribe. The chapter shows them deciding their future.
 * The epigraph mentions that the Berk-endorsed Norse Canon on the goddess Sif originated from the Bog Burglar tribe. The chapter shows the Bog Burglars voting to join Berk, meaning their interpretation of Sif becomes more prominent.

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