The Old Ways Call
The old gods may be silent, but the landscape still speaks their language. Do you have the courage to listen?
Welcome to The Runic Trials—a challenge to capture the raw essence of ancient symbols through your lens. Four runes. Four trials. Four gateways to a new way of seeing. These trials are not for the casual observer, but for the creator who feels the pulse of the wild and is ready to translate myth into light and shadow.
The Vitkis' Path
Four paths to ancient wisdom await. Each trial is a key, unlocking a deeper way of seeing the world through your lens.
SjálsKógr: Rúnarheimr
Receive three sacred runes, each a key to photographic mastery. Wield your camera to capture their essence and prove your vision is ready for the path ahead.
The Runic Eye
Embark on a grand quest to find all 24 runes of the Elder Futhark hidden in the patterns of nature. See the world as the alphabet of creation.
Forn Saga
Become the Skald. Wield a single, powerful rune and forge its meaning into a visual saga—a complete story told through a series of photographs.
The Vitki's Trial
The ultimate trial of perception. Meditate on a riddle to unlock a hidden rune of pure emotion. Your challenge is to capture a feeling, not a form.
The Runic Photography Trials
The Four Rites of Runic Vision
Awaken Odin's Eye: The Runic Trials
The northern mountains whisper secrets. The gnarled roots of an ancient pine form a sacred symbol. The crack in a river stone tells a story. The landscape itself is a living manuscript, written in a language older than memory. But to read it, you must first learn to see.
This is the purpose of the Runic Challenge. It is not a competition or a simple photography project. It is an invitation to undertake a vision quest—to trade ordinary sight for the profound insight of Odin's Eye.
The Wisdom of a Second Sight
In myth, the god Odin traveled to the Well of Mímir, the source of all cosmic knowledge. To drink from it, he had to make a great sacrifice: he offered one of his eyes to the water. What he gained in return was not just knowledge, but wisdom—the ability to perceive the hidden connections, patterns, and meanings that flow beneath the surface of the world.
The Runic Challenge asks for a similar exchange. You are not asked to sacrifice an eye, but to sacrifice passive observation. You must trade the glance for the patient gaze, and in doing so, you will begin to see the world as Odin does: alive with meaning, power, and magic.
A Landscape Photography Quest
The Runic Challenge is a landscape photography quest designed to transform your relationship with the wild. It calls upon you to use your camera not merely as a tool for documentation, but as an instrument for seeing the unseen. Through your lens, you will seek out the secret alphabet of the earth and give form to its elemental whispers.
To begin, you must choose a path. Both will test your skill and intuition, but each follows a different current of wisdom.
The Tiers of Vision
Each trial marks a stage on the journey of sight. Understand your path:
Wanderer (Beginner): For those taking their first steps, learning the fundamental language of light.
Rune-Carver (Intermediate): For the seeker who actively finds and interprets the runes hidden in the world.
Skald (Advanced): For the proven storyteller who can weave a single rune into a powerful visual saga.
Vitki (Master): For the seer who perceives the abstract, capturing not just forms, but feelings.
Which Path Calls to You?
SjálsKógr: Rúnarheimr
The Rune-Home of the Soul-Forest
The Philosophy:
The journey of sight begins here, at the threshold of Rúnarheimr. This path teaches that the fundamental forces of the world are the true masters of light and shadow. Your camera is not merely a tool; it is the instrument through which you learn to translate the world's hidden language into a tangible vision.
The Trial:
You will be granted three sacred runes, each a key to unlocking a different aspect of photographic sight. These are not simple prompts, but echoes of ancient power that you must manifest through your craft. For example, a rune might challenge you to:
- Capture the fleeting soul of motion with a long exposure.
- Find vibrant life in the deepest shadows using a high ISO.
- Reveal the world from a serpent's view by shooting from the forest floor.
The Goal:
To submit a triptych of three photographs—one for each sacred rune. Each image must not only demonstrate the required technique but also powerfully capture the essence of its corresponding rune.
The Reward:
A true attunement of your senses to the world's hidden language. Success is a declaration that your eyes are open, proving you have taken the first step on your path and are now ready for the deeper sagas that await.
The Runic Eye
The Rune-Quest of Eyra
The Philosophy:
This path is for the explorer who seeks the raw truth written upon the world. The Runic Eye believes the 24 runes of the Elder Futhark are creation's alphabet, present everywhere for a keen eye to discover. This trial is a grand hunt for the tangible evidence of these foundational symbols.
The Trial:
Seek out and photograph all 24 runes of the Elder Futhark as they manifest in the patterns of nature. Find Fehu (ᚠ) in the veins of a leaf, Laguz (ᛚ) in the shape of a waterfall, or Dagaz (ᛞ) in the light between two trees. Examples include:
- A jagged mountain peak revealing Thurisaz (ᚦ), rune of power.
- The crossing of two branches forming Gebo (ᚷ), rune of gifts.
- The silhouette of a soaring bird echoing Algiz (ᛉ), rune of protection.
The Goal:
To build and submit a complete photographic portfolio of the Elder Futhark, demonstrating your ability to perceive the world’s fundamental patterns.
The Reward:
A deep, intuitive understanding of the world's hidden language and an unmatched eye for composition and detail.
Forn Saga
The Ancient Story
The Philosophy:
A photograph captures a moment, but a Skald weaves a saga. This path is for the storytellers who can see beyond the single image and craft a narrative with deeper meaning. It is the trial where you learn not just to see the language of light, but to speak it.
The Trial:
You will be entrusted with a single, potent rune—a seed of a story that only you can cultivate. Meditate on its meaning, let its history and power seep into your consciousness, and then venture out to create a visual narrative. This is a quest to find a beginning, a middle, and an end in the landscapes before you.
The Goal:
To present a minimum of four distinct photographs as a single, coherent story. The images must flow together, each a stanza in a larger poem that breathes life into the ancient symbol you were given.
The Reward:
Earning the title of Skald. You will have proven that you can do more than see the world's magic; you can interpret it, shape it, and share its wisdom with others. Your story will be etched into the legacy of SjálsKógr.
The Vitki's Trial
The Weaver of Visions
The Philosophy:
This path is for the mystic who listens for the landscape's hidden stories. The Vitki knows that the truest runes are not shapes, but feelings—elemental concepts too vast to be contained in a single form. They can only be found through inner exploration and creative interpretation.
The Trial:
A poetic riddle will be released periodically, hinting at an imaginative rune—a concept like "The Lake's Mirror" or "The Mountain's Silence." Your quest is to decipher the clues, journey to a place that embodies the rune's spirit, and capture its essence in a single photograph that tells its story without words.
The Goal:
To solve the riddle and submit a single, masterful photograph that captures the soul of an abstract feeling, proving you can see beyond mere form.
The Reward:
The gift of "second sight"—the ability to translate the abstract emotions and whispers of the landscape into tangible, evocative art.
Each seeker discovers a unique reflection in the Well of Wisdom.
Starting this journey requires a simple act of will.
Here's how you can begin to see:
How to Begin Your Vision Quest
1. Choose Your Path & Accept the Challenge:
Your quest begins when you decide it does. Open your mind to the possibility that the world is speaking to you.
2. Study the Runes:
Familiarize yourself with the shapes and meanings of the Elder Futhark. They are your key, the alphabet of the earth. You cannot find what you do not know. Visit the page: (The Runic Eye) to learn more about the runes.
3. Seek with Intention:
Go into nature—whether a vast national park, a local forest, or your backyard. Stroll. Look deeply. Don't just look at things; look for the shapes between them. Look for the patterns in water, stone, wood, and shadow.
4. Capture and Share Your Vision:
When a rune reveals itself to you, capture it with your camera. Share your photo on social media using the hashtag #OdinsEyeChallenge and tag [@YourSocialMediaHandle]. Most importantly, share your reflection: Why did you see this rune in this place? What story did the landscape tell you through it? You can also send your evidence to contact@sjalskog.com
The Archive & The Charter of Wisdom
This is more than a competition; it is a collective gathering of knowledge.
The Archive of Living Runes: Every photograph you return with is evidence of a discovered rune. This evidence will be collected in our Great Archive, a gallery celebrating the community's shared wisdom. Here, the true forms and meanings of the runes will be revealed, creating a resource for all seekers who follow.
The Charter of Acknowledged Wisdom: Those who complete their chosen path—be it the full Futhark of the Adventurer or a cycle of visions for the Skald—demonstrate a profound understanding of the living landscape. As an acknowledgement of this mastery, they will be awarded a professional, personalized Charter. This diploma is a testament to their journey and marks their entry into a circle of photographers who have truly learned to see with Odin's Eye.
What You Will Discover
There are no prizes of silver or gold at the end of this path. The reward is far greater.
You will find your relationship with nature transformed. A simple walk in the woods will become a conversation with the ancient world. You will develop a profound sense of place and connection. The world will cease to be a collection of objects and will instead become a web of stories, symbols, and synchronicities.
By sharing your findings, you will join a community of fellow "Seers," each contributing their unique vision to a collective tapestry of wisdom. You will see the world not only through your own eyes, but through the eyes of others who have also accepted the challenge.
A Scroll for Your Journey
A true quest is not bound to a single screen. The whispers of the runes will follow you into the wild places, far from the signal fires of the web. For the journey ahead, You may wish to carry the laws and lore of this challenge with you.
Claim Your Seeker's Scroll
The First Rune Awaits You.
The landscape holds its breath, ready to share its secrets. Are you prepared to listen?