SAGA
Second only to Frigg in the Norse pantheon, Saga is a goddess of recorded knowledge and storytelling. She is often depicted holding a cup and/or jug, and sharing a drink with Odin, the All Father. The drink is said to both inspire and immortalize.
To truly appreciate the power and energy of Saga, we must first understand her domain. Saga makes her home in So¨kkvabekk, a place described as vast and watery, though she does not actually live in water. It is hard to tell whether the waters of So¨kkvabekk flow overhead as a river, down like a waterfall, or if her home is actually the Well of Urd – which seems the most likely.
The Well of Urd lies beneath Yggdrasil (Norse World Tree) and is a reservoir of knowledge and actions – past, present, and future – that nourishes the roots of the World Tree and influences the growth of the world. Connected to the Norns (three Norse goddesses of fate), the Well of Urd is also the Well of Fate, and it is here that the Norse gods hold their council meetings ensuring all decisions and actions are done with as much knowledge as possible.
As the cup bearer and custodian of the Well of Urd, Saga is the medium through which collective knowledge flows, pouring out the source of poetry, story, and song. Even Odin visits daily to fuel his continued connection with the great collective – memory, history, knowledge, and magic.
Ironically for a goddess of recorded knowledge and history, Saga’s genealogy is unknown or lost. However, we do know her name stems from Proto-Germanic and Old Norse roots meaning “to say or tell”, implying Saga’s name means “seeress” or “omniscience”. Her name is also connected to the Norse word for history and is used in English to describe an epic story.
The etymology reaffirms Saga’s position as a goddess of storytelling, but also confirms the non-linear nature of time, with Saga (through the Well of Urd) accessing knowledge and understanding in all directions – history, story, and prophecy.
It is not possible for humans to physically experience all times and all places, so stories are the closest we can get. Sharing our stories facilitates community and engenders the bonds that sustain humanity. We were born of a sacred story, and the end is in our sacred story. So drink of Saga’s cup and share your stories for they are the true path to immortality.