The Niðstöng. A Pole of Scorn. In the Saxon and Viking Age, one of the harshest acts of hostility was the raising of a niðstöng, a “pole of scorn.” In Egil’s Saga, Egil Skalla-Grímsson sets a pole in the earth, fixes a horse’s head upon it, carves runes, and turns it toward his enemies’ land. He calls on the landvættir, land-wights, to drive them out and deny them peace. This was not something done slyly or on the quiet, it was very much an open magick. It was a public declar

Fire cider is a traditional kitchen remedy made by infusing roots, herbs and spice in raw apple cider vinegar. It’s taken in small doses to support digestion, circulation and immune resilience, particularly during winter. It’s sharp, warming and deliberately strong. Fire Cider, made in a 2-litre Kilner jar Fire cider is one of those old kitchen remedies that sits somewhere between the hedge and the kitchen cupboard. Sharp as fook when it's brewed properly and if you swig too

As It Was Told on the Downs... I was told this years ago, as it happened, not as a story meant to frighten, but as something that simply took place. It was told plainly, without embellishment, as a reminder to be careful of what you follow when you’re out on the open land alone. There was a man out hiking on the downs on a summer afternoon. As he crested a hill, he stopped beside an old, wind-blown hawthorn and looked out across the view. As he stood there, he became aware of

Mud Month, in old English, Solmonað. Solmonað , the Old English name for February. Pronounced SOHL-mo-nath (soft “th” as in that). Think of it as the Sun’s month, the time when winter still lingers but the days start slowly lengthening. The Anglo Saxons had a knack for calling things exactly what they were. February in Saxon England was the month when winter's grip began to loosen just enough to make a mess of things. If you find yourself in the old heartlands of Wessex this