Ask Me
~ William Stafford

Some time when the river is ice ask me
mistakes I have made. Ask me whether
what I have done is my life. Others
have come in their slow way into
my thought, and some have tried to help
or to hurt: ask me what difference
their strongest love or hate has made.
I will listen to what you say.
You and I can turn and look
at the silent river and wait. We know
the current is there, hidden; and there
are comings and goings from miles away
that hold the stillness exactly before us.
What the river says, that is what I say.

Somehow, on my travels around the internet, I landed on this page at The Dockyards, a Viking history site, which led me to this video on baking Viking bread from Archeosoup Productions.

I am fortunate to live in the land of Organic Grocery Stores Which Carry Non-Standard Grains, so I picked up the necessary ingredients last week, with the idea that I would make this bread on the weekend. Saturday, we had a heat wave (89 degrees Fahrenheit! ick!) (look, I know that’s not especially hot for a lot of you, but for those of us who live in a place where the average temperature is 68 degrees, 89 is hellish).

Anyway, it finally cooled off enough in the evening that the idea of turning on the oven wasn’t completely horrifying, so I gave it a whirl. And this was my result!

Viking Bread!

The recipe actually made six rounds, but I ate three of them before I remembered to take the photo. Oops!

The texture is crumbly, but since there’s no binder (egg, etc.) that’s to be expected. The barley and flax flavors are quite pronounced, so if you don’t care for either of those flavors, you can substitute another kind of flour in place of some or all of the barley flour, and/or omit the flax seeds.

I tried different toppings with it: butter, honey, butter and honey, almond butter, cashew butter, and Brie cheese. The cashew butter was terrific with it, but then again, I really like cashew butter on pretty much any bread-like substance. The butter and honey were quite good, and historically feasible. The Brie didn’t work as well; I want to try this again with both a milder cheese and a really intense cheese.

I agree with the video hosts—this is much better eaten warm than cold. It reheated fine in the toaster as well the next day.

I adapted the recipe a bit, and here’s what I came up with:

Viking Bread
The recipe is based on an analysis of Viking Age bread, found in Birka, Sweden, put together by the lovely folks at Archeosoup Productions and The Dockyards, and adapted by Anastasia Haysler.

About 150 g barley flour (6 ounces)
About 50 g wholemeal flour (2 ounces)
2 tsp crushed flax seeds
About 100 ml water (.42 cups)
2 tsp lard or butter
A pinch of salt

Mix dry ingredients. Work in lard/butter. (I used butter. I have been told I have a Dairy Problem.)

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and slowly add the water, until just mixed.

Let the dough rest cold for at least one hour, preferably longer. The video notes that “If left for longer, natural yeast in the atmosphere will start to work on the dough and add to the proving process.” Mine sat for 90 minutes, but I didn’t notice any particular change in the dough.

The original instructions are to “Knead gently until smooth and shape into round loaf. The flours are low in gluten, and don’t need much kneading.” I found that the dough was too crumbly to knead properly, so I skipped this step.

Shape the dough into flat cakes.

The Vikings cooked it on a flat griddle or stone over a fire. You can emulate this by baking them in a dry cast iron pan on the stove over medium heat, a few minutes on each side, or in the oven at 170 degrees C/350F, for 10—12 minutes. I went with baking them in the oven, and they needed an extra 3 minutes of cooking time to cook through to the center, even with the oven fully preheated.

Best eaten while warm.

Sincerely, The Sky
~ David Hernandez

Yes, I see you down there
looking up into my vastness.

What are you hoping
to find on my vacant face,

there within the margins
of telephone wires?

You should know I am only
bright blue now because of physics:

molecules break and scatter
my light from the sun

more than any other color.
You know my variations—

azure at noon, navy by midnight.
How often I find you

then on your patio, pajamaed
and distressed, head thrown

back so your eyes can pick apart
not the darker version of myself

but the carousel of stars.
To you I am merely background.

You barely hear my voice.
Remember I am most vibrant

when air breaks my light.
Do something with your brokenness.

Milky Way
Incredible Night Landscape Photography by Andre Brandt

A Different Reason
~ Anastasia Haysler

Dear God:
“Because I said so”
works as well on me
when You say it
as it does on my
three-year-old
when I say it.
So, with all due respect,
I am going to need
a different reason.

If you are new to working with bindrunes, I suggest you read the introductory bindrune post here, then return to this post to read about this specific bindrune. Remember that working with bindrunes, as with working with any kind of magic, does not carry guaranteed results, and may produce results quite different from what you expect.

No matter how much self-confidence you have, there are times when having a boundary booster is helpful—dealing with a difficult person, going into an unfamiliar and possibly threatening situation, or simply dealing with a crowd of people. (Each person’s definition of crowd will vary. I dislike crowds intensely, so the bar falls pretty low for me.) This bindrune will strengthen your boundaries and provide defense against others’ energies, so you can move through your day in a more centered and focused state.

Boundaries and Protection – Ior and Algiz

Ior (right tile, green in bindrune): Ior is linked with Jormundgand, the World Serpent, whose job is to keep Midgard safe from those who do not belong here. You can call on Ior, and Jormundgand, to create a protective circle around you.

Algiz (left tile, brown in bindrune): Algiz represents the protective powers of the elk’s horns, creating a clear space around you that suits your personal comfort. Algiz also calls in the elk-sedge, a razor-sharp grass that inflicts painful cuts on bare hands. Algiz emits a definite “thus far, and no closer” feel. Combined with the boundaries set by Ior, this rune can give you the physical and psychological space you need to deal with whatever the day may bring.

The bindrune on the left was done in colored pencil. The one on the right was done with fine point calligraphy markers. They are shown in two different media to give an idea of how the same bindrune looks different depending on how it is created.

You could put a drop of rosemary oil for strength and/or sage oil for clearing. You could also use your favorite oil on it to reinforce the energy with your personal scent. You can also use a magical oil, such as a hoodoo oil or other type of specially prepared oil.

Use this bindrune—and all bindrunes—entirely at your own risk.