Most of us think of communication with the Gods as something very formal. And it is true that the prayers or bedes we say in worship are a way of communicating with them. But they are not the only way. Formal prayers seem to have followed a pattern. That pattern as shown by the meager examples of ancient bedes seemed to be: 1) A “wassailing” of the god or Gods, a prime example being the one in the Sigdrífumál which opens with “Hail to thee Dæg, hail ye Dæg’s sons” and proceeds to “wassail” the Gods. This was basically a greeting. 2) A boast of the god or Gods’ great deeds. The bede to Þunor in the Skaldskarpamál is just a simple list of ettins he has destroyed. Similarly, Cædmon’s Hymn boasts of the creation of the world. In addition, the deities were invoked through various hight names and by names as in the Æcer-bót. These boasts are akin to the gielps we do for ourselves in symbel and may operate on a similar principle. 3) A petition or request.

But prayers need not be so formal. While we have no examples in the lore to speak of, practical experience of many Heathens shows that one can simply talk to the Gods as you would anyone else. Again this need not be formal. It can be as simple as “Hey Frigga, I have been down in the dumps lately,” or “Thor, we really need some rain, and….” A song can be a way of communicating with the Gods as well, and need not follow the formal structure. There are other ways of communicating with the Gods that do not involve speech. Deeds, also can be a way of communicating with them. Building an altar, making a w&eaacute;oh or idol, or giving a gift can be seen as a way of communicating one’s respect, admiration, or love for the Gods. One should not limit themselves to the very formal structure of the prayers in worship, but indeed should try to use every way they can to communicate with the Gods. True, they probably will not speak back, or even send a sign they heard, but they do hear prayers if given.

How often one should pray is an issue in and of its self. If one goes by the example of sacrifice, then one can do it too often. Whether this is a good comparison or not cannot really be known. Judging by the sagas, prayer was fairly common place though in comparison to blot or other forms of giving. Therefore, one should be able to pray quite often, and not have to worry about annoying the Gods. Prayer is a way of connecting with the Gods, and can take many forms. One should therefore do it as often as they like in as many ways they like.