The concept of karma existed not only in the south. The northerners had a similar concept, though more complex. The general principle of causality was expressed in two points:

• Magen
• Haminya

Magen

My favorite concept, which would not hurt to assimilate modern people.

The northerners believed that everyone can accumulate (and lose) energy under the name Megen. A lot of megen is good. People trust you more, the universe supports you, your will becomes stronger, you yourself are sick less often.

Little megen or loss of megen is bad. Will is like a deflated ball, you are not allowed into decent houses, apathy, depression, that’s all.

Moreover, if the gods had plans for a person or he drew their attention to himself, then the slightest loss of megen was punished by troubles, which the universe generously poured with its tender and caring hand.

So what is megen?

This, as mentioned above, is a kind of energy that is accumulated or lost depending on whether you keep your word and whether you do what is right, and not how it is beneficial.

That is, they made a promise and fulfilled it – a plus in the megen. They kept their word – plus sign in megen. We did it with clenched teeth, right – a plus in the megen.

He broke his word or lied, even if this word was given to himself (“I will go on a diet from Monday”) – minus from megen. And further in the same spirit. Magen was advised to save up.

Haminya

It has many meanings, but they all take their roots from one concept – this is a kind of luck that can be earned by your actions, and which directly depends on the public opinion of you.

It can be described as a favor of fate, and as “mojo” in the modern sense of the word, that is, something that can bring good luck.

Haminya can be possessed not only by a person, but also by an object. For example, there is more haminya in a gift than in an item you bought yourself, because the energy of good intentions and wishes of the giver is behind the gift.

Even more haminya is in a gift, if the former owner often used it or wore it on the body. And even more – for the same reason – in things that have passed through the hands of several generations and inherited you.

An unusually large amount of haminya is contained in the gifts that children make from the heart.

In the old days, it was believed that the bride brings a lot of haminya to the groom’s family, and the wife keeps the haminya of the whole house and household, because from the whole family she is the closest to the hearth, the center of the house.

If megen can be accumulated in solitude (although this is not as effective as in communicating with other people), then haminya is acquired only through social connections.

To accumulate a decent supply of this power, a person must be honored as a worthy and valuable member of the community.

Sometimes the supply of haminya can be replenished through the exchange of gifts or favors (but only if the gifts are given voluntarily and from a pure heart, otherwise the haminya will not be in them), but more often this requires working for the benefit of the community as a whole. The more people appreciate you, the more luck you have. “

Megen is consistent with karma as personal actions in relation to oneself and others, for the most part – the ability to keep the word and act truthfully.

Khaminya agrees with the concept of karma almost in the same way as megen, with the only difference that it is not a highly specialized ability to be ethical and not lie, as well as to benefit others (or harm).
The more of these energies, the easier it is to live (positive karma). The less – the more troubles there will be (working off karma).

True, the Scandinavians did not consider the troubles that happened as a way of working off, although they saw a direct connection between actions and consequences. What allows these two concepts to be called the principles of karma without any stretch.