Wotcha,
Having finally plucked up the courage to join a pagan board, (something I haven't done in a few years), I've realised how woefully behind the times I am in terms of basic knowledge. I grew up in a swamp in the middle of nowhere with a basic craft tradition which consisted of solitary work.
As such, what magic I do practise is very basic, of the 'visualise, poke it with the stick, cover yourself in moss' variety, and I don't know what certain terms I hear mean.
There are few things I would really like to clarify to stop me feeling like the thickest shaman in the room, if you would?
What is a Wight? Is it like some kind of localised spirit? Or one that is bound to a particular person/place? (googling turns up fantasy gaming stuff)
What is a Fetch? Is this a spiritual manifestation of yourself for otherwyrdly bimbling, or like a familiar spirit that accompanies you or can seek out information on your behalf?
Thank you!
Hedgepig - the Bobbing for Apples regional finalist.
Full Version: Feeling Like An Absolute 'nana
Actually, just to edit that, the definitions I'm giving for both of those are just as simple as I can make them to gain better understanding, and don't mean to imply that the actual things are simple at all.
H.
H.
I have no idea about fetches, but I believe Esk, for one, knows a fair bit about them, so I'll prod her in this direction.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
Yep, that counts as a wight. 
The word is Anglo Saxon and was originally used pretty much as we do 'creature' - and used to cover humans, elves, gods and animals. modern Heathens tend to restrict the usage to the fayfolk and especially land or house spirits.
Land spirits come in all shapes and sizes (IME), and, as Val says, can be attached to a person, a house, a small area - or be whopping huge frightening buggers whose territory covers valleys or moors (or whatever). One of the most impressive I ever met 'owned' Durrington Walls and the surrounding area.
A fetch? Hmm, try this. Fylgja is the Old Norse word, and fetch (fæcce in Anglo Saxon, which is pronounced pretty much the same)the English one.
The word is Anglo Saxon and was originally used pretty much as we do 'creature' - and used to cover humans, elves, gods and animals. modern Heathens tend to restrict the usage to the fayfolk and especially land or house spirits.
Land spirits come in all shapes and sizes (IME), and, as Val says, can be attached to a person, a house, a small area - or be whopping huge frightening buggers whose territory covers valleys or moors (or whatever). One of the most impressive I ever met 'owned' Durrington Walls and the surrounding area.
A fetch? Hmm, try this. Fylgja is the Old Norse word, and fetch (fæcce in Anglo Saxon, which is pronounced pretty much the same)the English one.
QUOTE(Val Vengeance @ Nov 18 2008, 02:45 PM)
I have no idea about fetches, but I believe Esk, for one, knows a fair bit about them, so I'll prod her in this direction.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
if it does i must have one too,stuff gets moved in my house or disappears then sudennly returns,no one admits to it sooooo
i do give offering to the spirit of the land that my garden grows on,i have trees all around my garden and i give offerings to the spirit of the tree,im not sure if the spirit is pleased with my offerings buti have to sya i got some cracking strawberrie in the summer,its the first time ive got anything to grow
QUOTE(morbidia @ Nov 19 2008, 09:15 PM)
QUOTE(Val Vengeance @ Nov 18 2008, 02:45 PM)
I have no idea about fetches, but I believe Esk, for one, knows a fair bit about them, so I'll prod her in this direction.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
My grasp on wights is fairly elementary, but to me they are usually spirits or entities attached to a an area, yes. How big that area is is open for debate- some wights are attached to a particular house or even a particular room, but you might also encounter wights linked to a fairly large bit of the countryside.
I think people have talked in other threads about the possibility of wights or similar attached to a person rather than a geographical location. I appear to have collected something while living in France that has clung quite tenaciously to my writing room through two countries, four house moves and several computer upgrades, and still persists in hiding my USB leads. Whether this counts as a wight or not, I don;t know.
if it does i must have one too,stuff gets moved in my house or disappears then sudennly returns,no one admits to it sooooo
i do give offering to the spirit of the land that my garden grows on,i have trees all around my garden and i give offerings to the spirit of the tree,im not sure if the spirit is pleased with my offerings buti have to sya i got some cracking strawberrie in the summer,its the first time ive got anything to grow
oops sorry about all the typo's i must have been typing too fast for my brain
I am in a similar situation, I grew up learning all the rituals, how to do this, that and the...well, not the other, but you get the drift! I am now forty-two and still learning the correct names for things that every other Pagan I know seems to take for granted. I have noticed that there are regional variations in the names for spirits, feyfolk, familiars, etc. So each time I visit friends I have to re-set my brain for the local dialogue, which isn't easy when your brain doesn't work properly at the best of times! 
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