Fylgja

The fylgja is considered a part of the Norse Heathen concept of the soul. The fylgja is an aspect of our cognition that’s best described as the seat of our instincts. Our instincts are not a set of rules that our minds follow during survival situations, but rather a living part of us that’s always watching, learning, and guarding us against danger. The features of the fylgja are actually confirmed by modern science: It’s associated with our midbrains and the structure known as the limbic system.

The way I’ve heard this described by Danish Heathen friend is that it’s “an ancestor, but not any one specific ancestor—it’s a part of you, but not necessarily you.” This describes how these instincts feel to us; ancestral and a part of us, but not necessarily our conscious minds. To be connected to our fylgja requires being connected to our instincts, which requires a degree of mindfulness (the ability to perceive our own thought-processes without trying to control them) and to accept that we have these sorts of instincts. Only then can we properly train them and guide them.

Old texts and sagas depict the fylgja as either as a woman or an animal, which are likely allegorical descriptions rather than literal ones. Descriptions of the fylgja as a woman potentially come from the fylgja’s protective qualities; it gives the type of protection associated with mothers, female ancestors, and family matriarchs. The second has to do with the fact our instincts are mammalian in nature; the fylgja feels like and operates like a guide-dog or animal companion. We can even give our fylgjur assignments, such as “spot all the yellow cars on the road” or my favorite, “find and bring me whimsical things and experiences,” and will do this in the background of our conscious awareness. The fylgja will look for any opportunities we assign to it and deliver them accordingly, or deliver us to them instead.

Just like a well-trained dog is a powerful ally for success, a well-trained fylgja is the same. When we train our fylgja well, we cultivate a force capable of bringing us the life and outcomes we desire, all without having to consciously manage those outcomes ourselves. This may be why fylgjur are also said to be associated with fate and fortune.

On top of bringing us opportunities, the fylgja can also signal dangerous situations to us. Whenever we get “weird vibes” about certain people or situations without knowing why, this is our fylgja calling to our attention a potential threat. This may also why it’s described as something that “goes ahead of us”—our fylgja’s aware of situations before our conscious minds are.

In Norse animism, our internal lives are in no way separate from our external ones. Interpreting these landscapes as one can give us a truly unique perception; the ability to “see” the fylgjur of other people. Someone attuned in this way can look at another person and know what kind of “animal” they are, even if that person’s trying to hide it.

Take care not to mistake the fylgja as “an animal we identify with,” for the fylgja is an expression of our experiences, rather than our identity. Whether someone’s fylgja is opportunistic or cautious, devious or conforming, has to do with what behaviors helped someone survive growing up.

When we train our fylgja, we must do so in accordance with the nature it has, not the nature we want it to have or the image we want to project of ourselves.

The fylgja and the hamr are said to have played an important role in the mystery traditions of Berserker warriors.