A sad but inspiring tale
Published: Mon, 06/08/15
As you will have gathered we saw a lot of rune stones while we were in Sweden. Apparently there are about 2500 known examples. Don’t worry, I didn’t photograph all of them. However I would like to share one more with you. This example is quite small (not much more than one metre tall) and is now located in the National Historic Museum. Hence the quality of the picture (you are not allowed to use flash in the galleries). As you will see if you go to http://www.iceandfire.org/sweden15.html Unna’s stone was raised in memory of her infant son. We usually think of rune stones being raised in memory of warriors, or adventurers such as Harald or people who did significant things for their communities. Building bridges seems to have been a notable activity.
I think raising stones to infants was quite unusual (I will tell you tomorrow if I get feedback contradicting my assumption). However it does remind us of the universal experience of death, loss and sorrow. The expedition to Serkland which I mentioned on Friday seems to have had a similar impact 1000 years ago as World War one did a century ago. The poignant inscription on this stone reminds us of the universal sadness and grief that a parent, particularly a mother, feels at the death of a child. Remember that few people could afford to raise a rune stone, even to the memory of a long and significant life. So there is a remarkable story behind this stone although we can only guess what the details were.
The main lesson I learned in visiting Sweden was to be more aware of my mental filters and be more willing to turn them off. If we are unconscious of the mental filters we have in place we assume that our experience and assumptions about the world are the limits of reality. Filtering experience on a day to day basis is necessary for our sanity. However we should do it consciously and not forget how deep and rich experience can be when we are open to really seeing clearly.
Stav training is not about living in the past. Stav is about living fully in the world today. Stav is about being aware of your web and appreciating being at the centre of your web in time and space. However the lines of your web connect you to the past and lead to possible futures. Seeing rune stones and other ancient objects gave me that sense of connection to our past and massively strengthened my sense of what I am learning, doing and seeking to teach here and now. Rune stones are also statements for the future. None of the rune masters who carved the stones we saw could know who would read their runes 1000 years hence. Even so they felt the need to reach forward in time. I find myself thinking of the first line of Stanza 144 ‘Do you know how to cut? Do you know how to read?” They did, I do, hence the runes reach out through the web of time for 1000 years.
I spoke to Ivar on Friday and we are both looking forward to the camp in Somerset on the 10th to the 12th of July. I am planning sessions which will enable Ivar to share as much of his knowledge, experience and wisdom as possible. You are still welcome to come if you can. If not, I will be recording the talks and training sessions and will make the material available on DVD after the camp. So if you cannot make it in person you can still support the event and have access to the teaching Ivar shares with us. http://www.stavcamp.org
regards
Graham