Book: The Way of Wyrd

As we've seen in our last foray into a system, imagination can be akin to magic. Sometimes, it allows us to explain, or interact with things that couldn't be explained any other way; our simple brains couldn't comprehend it. That is the journey that Bryan Bates takes us on in his book, The Way of Wyrd.

The book tells the story of Wat Brand, a Christian scribe sent on a mission to learn about the pagan practices of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. His goal is to gather information about their customs and beliefs to assist the church in converting them.

During his journey, Wat is guided by Wulf, a sorcerer or "shaman" who teaches him about the Wyrd, an Anglo-Saxon concept of fate or interconnectedness that governs all life. As Wat learns about the mystical worldview of Wulf and his people, he is exposed to visions, magical rites, and the mysterious forces that shape their understanding of the world. Wat’s initial skepticism about paganism gradually transforms as he begins to question his Christian worldview and experiences deep personal change.

Just like Wat, I found it hard not to be changed after reading this book. The dance between reality and imagination is hypnotizing, and disorienting. It shows us a glimpse of a different way to see the world, a way that leaves us with more compassion and understanding for our ancient stories; a way that reignites our wonder...