Remember where you come from

 I have been playing around with rune carving over the past few months and I started drawing up some bind runes. Bind runes in heathenry are thought to have a magical effect and can be protective or detrimental. The first one I drew was a bind rune featuring Elder Futhark translated in to my surname. 

A friend of mine asked me what it meant and to be honest, I rarely think things through to the complete end because my brain is hyper enough to try and play out that equation in my head. Thanks ADHD. However, the meaning immediately popped in to my head. 

"Remember where you come from."

The name Mangus is an old name. At first glance, its very Scottish. The Mangus' were Strathclyde-Britons that moved in to the Grampian mountains of Scotland. They were there a long time in fact were likely pissing off Romans long before. 

Most kids around here growing up were assigned to look back through their familial history. My mother's side is cool and well-developed (I will write about this another time) but nothing mythic like this.  Before Mangus was the official surname. Magnus was the primary title (Man-joos) and before that Magni (Man-yee). In Norse mythology, Magni is the none other than the son of Thor, and a grand-son
to the All-father, Odin.

It is said that line of Magni survives Ragnarok and lays claim to wield Mjolnir. 

What does this all mean for me? Other than pride? Not much, right now I can't seem to summon lighting and thunder, or call a massive hammer to my hand at any time, but that's ok. Thor's real strength was his courage, his friendship, and of course, the story.

Little extra triva: there is strong etymological evidence with archaic eastern European languages connecting "Mangus" with the animal, "mongoose." 

 The Aesir gods, (Thor, Odin, Frigg) were said to have been warlords from Asia. That is what "Æsir" tends to translate as: Asian. So part of my story begins on the Eurasian Steppe. On the back of a horse, with a body that has been misshapen by a "Life in the saddle." Long in the limb, short in the torso, excellent for holding on to your horse during the night so you don't fall off.

 It is said that some Scottish folk were none other than wild Scythian folk from beyond the realms of men. In fact, there is a headless horseman character in Irish folklore called, the Dologhan. My great grandmother's maiden name was Dologhan (muahaha). There is another thing you can thank the Scots for. Terrorizing the Irish from horseback so much their names' are synonymous with supernatural characters. 

At the end of the day, I am a modern nomad, who has swapped their horse for a car, an apartment for a yurt, and instead of a sword. I use a pen.