Review of "The Huntress Within: Finding Skadhi"
by Galina Krasskova
I was recently surprised and pleased to find that
there is a Skadhi devotional available (and best of all one I didn’t
write! LOL). I believe that this is the first devotional dedicated
entirely to this Goddess, though I do know that prayers to Her have been
included in other works. Published by Gullinbursti Press, “The Huntress
Within: Finding Skadhi,” by Isa Frostdottir is a slender volume of
prayers, invocations, and the occasional article all centering around
Skadhi and the lessons She brings.
The
book opens with a piece titled ‘She Speaks.” It’s an evocative opening,
for it touches on Skadhi as both a member of three tribes of Gods by
either blood, adoption, or marriage. It speaks to Her power and Her
mercy in sparing the Aesir from Her vengeance, but more importantly, it
speaks of Her isolation and Her place as ‘Other’ even in the midst of
these connections. It defines Her most essential nature (as much as we
can ever catch a glimpse of such a thing with a Deity) and presents an
image of a Goddess who is implacable, keen-minded, and capable of
ruthless compassion when it suits Her. It is an apt introduction.
Right from the start, one of the things that I really liked about this book was the scattering of contemporary heiti
throughout: White She-Wolf, Lady of the Northern Mountains, Winterborn,
Winter Queen, God Bride, Winter’s Wrath as well as the more traditional
Ondurdis, Huntress, and Etin Bride. Each by-name is a path to the Deity
it represents. Each by-name is a unique way of making a connection,
creating a bond, and approaching One of the Holy Powers. That is
important, for it gives us a way to interact with Them, through ritual,
prayer, devotional work…however that connection plays out. We can engage
in some small way through the understanding given to us by Their heiti.
That’s no small thing at all to my mind. The use of different and very
evocative by-names is one of the first things that struck me about this
book. It’s the thing that I believe, even if nothing else in the book
resonates, may help someone find their way to Skadhi despite themselves.
Anyway, to continue, there’s an
excellent retelling of Skadhi’s story by Svartesol that discusses all of
Her appearances in lore. She also By placing this as close to the
beginning of the book as she did, the author provides a nice context for
the more experiential pieces that follow. Later, the Svartesol again
gives us a quirkily humorous retelling of the story of Skadhi and Njord,
giving us a meeting between Skadhi and Ullr that the reader will not
soon forget. There are numerous prayer-poems throughout the book, and
most of these are personal glimpses of the individual authors’ own
relationships with Skadhi. Still, they are lovely and open enough that
the general reader may find points of connection and comprehension as
well. I particularly liked the “Prayer for Winter” in which Skadhi is
petitioned as ‘Winter’s Wrath’ to treat us with kindness during the cold
months, and to temper the sting of Her ice and snow. It is a beautiful
and strangely moving prayer and one that I found myself moved to speak
as I looked out of my house the same morning I was first reading this
book to find my world covered with the biting kiss of hoarfrost.
There are several de rigueur
stories of how the various authors came to be devoted to Skadhi.
Despite the fact that this is almost mandatory in contemporary
devotionals, I do not in any way dismiss their importance. These are
usually the pieces that move readers the most, and allow them to
identify with the author’s process of growing in devotion and piety.
These are the pieces where the reader might catch a glimpse, not of the
public product: the Heathen man or woman fervently devoted to their Gods
seemingly without stumbling step, or wrenching emotion but of the
novice struggling and bumbling, stumbling and shedding many a tear along
the way as he or she found the God or Goddess (or sometimes Gods and/or
Goddesses) of the heart.
There is one
prayer that I found personally very moving. It speaks to Skadhi from
Loki’s point of view and is a strangely compelling and poignant piece
titled “To Skadhi, from Anonymous.” I also liked the references and
respect consistently given to Skadhi as a warrior Goddess throughout the
book. I’ve found that with many Goddesses this aspect of Their natures
is often downplayed or dismissed entirely, so this was refreshing. In no
way was Her martial skill glossed away.
Most
of all, reading through the prayers and poems in this devotional left
me with a feel of Skadhi’s presence. As I’ve said before, that is
precisely what a good devotional should do. For me, that is the litmus
test over and above the skill of the writer and the organizational
prowess of the book itself. A devotional should lead one into a greater
understanding of the Deity involved and more importantly, it should
summon the feel of Their presence. It’s a key to developing a greater
connectivity and awareness of the Holy Powers and if it doesn’t do that
then no matter how well written, it’s not a good devotional. I’m happy
to say that slender though this volume may be, it does what a devotional
should do. Is it great writing? No. But it summons Her presence. For
those interested in learning more about Skadhi, or who want to start
honoring Her but aren’t sure where to begin, I recommend this book.
All proceeds from “The Huntress Within: Finding Skadhi” go to benefit The International Wolf Center (http://www.wolf.org).
Gullinbursti Press: http://gullinburstipress.com/