Heathen

Gods
A Collection of Essays
Concerning the Folkway
of Our People
by
Mark Ludwig Stinson
Chieftain of Jotuns !ane "indred
#e$ple of Our %eathen &ods
"ansas City Area

'ritten (uring )**+,)**-
First Edition
Heathen Gods: A Collection of Essays Concerning the Folkway of Our
People !""# $y %ark &tinson' All rights reser(ed) under a specific
Open *icense' +his $ook ,ay $e used) copied) distri$uted) and
trans,itted in any for, or $y any ,eans) as long as the contents of
the $ook re,ain intact and unchanged) including this copyright
infor,ation' -ndi(idual essays or sections of the $ook ,ay $e freely
syndicated in any for, and $y any ,eans) as long as credit is gi(en
using all of the following infor,ation .in /uotations0'''

.'ritten and Copyrighted in )**- by Mark Stinson/
0sed with Per$ission/ heathengods1co$12
Pu$lished $y 1otun2s 3ane 4indred
+e,ple of Our Heathen Gods
P'O' 3o5 678
*i$erty) %O 76"7#
http:99heathengods'co,
Table of Contents
Acknowledge$ents 3
4ntroduction )
Section 3 5 Essays for 6ew %eathens 7
:hat is a Heathen; 7
How <oes One :orship the Heathen Gods; =
>easons - a, Heathen ?!
>eligion (s' %agic ?@
Finding the Old Gods ?7
3eco,ing Heathen and 4eeping our Ad(ice +ru ?A
A, - Going to a Christian Hell; !"
3eating the Christian Addiction !!
*ong +i,e Heathens and Bew Heathens !6
<iffering Ciews within Heathenry !@
For,s of Co,,unication !=
H-BO2s: Heathen in Ba,e Only 8"
%o(ing fro, the Bew to the *asting 86
Section ) 5 !uilding a "indred or #ribe 8+
:hy &tart a 4indred; 8A
3reaking -nertia: -nternally and E5ternally 6!
&teps +oward For,ing a 4indred 68
&tarting a Heathen &tudy Group 6#
Holding Open E(ents @!
A Heathen Clu$ or a Heathen +ri$e @8
1u,pD&tarting a &tagnant Heathen Co,,unity @@
3ad 4indred E5periences Holding you 3ack; @=
3e the &park @A
Focus on &i,ilarities @#
+ypes of 4indreds 7?
Organic (s' %ethodical 78
Section 8 5 Maintaining a "indred or #ribe 9-
Protect what Eou are 3uilding ="
Outreach'''Gi(ing People a Choice =!
>eaching Out to Heathens Co,ing Ho,e =8
*eadership and <ecisionD%aking $y Consensus =7
4indred GrowingDPains are -ne(ita$le A?
3roken People A@
Achie(ers) :orkers) and +rolls AA
*ea(ing a 4indred Gracefully A#
4indreds 3eco,ing +ri$es #!
>oles within Our %odern +ri$es #8
+he Core of the 4indred and -ts Friends #@
Our Plans for a Hof) a Hall) and +ri$al *and #7
+ri$es and 4indreds as *egal Entities #A
>egional Growth: A Heartland +hing ?""
Section : 5 Li;ing a %eathen Life 3*:
*i(e a Full *ife ?"@
*ea(ing <eep >uts in the >oad ?"A
%en: PrioritiFe Eour Heathen *ife ??"
+he Be5t Generation of Asatru ??!
Our Heathen Children ??8
>ace and Ethnicity :ithin Heathenry ??6
<oes &kin Color %atter; ??@
+he Purpose of a Heathen *ife ??=
*ifeDE,$racing Heathenry ??A
A Heathen Guestion of :orth ?!?
:yrd and :orth ?!6
+he Fa,ilies we 3uild) the Oaths we %ake ?!=
Protecting Heathen Children fro, <i(orce ?!A
%aking and 4eeping Friends: Ha(a,al Ad(ice ?!#
-nnangarth (s' Htangarth ?8?
&ha,e Culture (s' Guilt Culture ?88
House and *and :ights ?8@
Section 7 5 Personal and Misc1 Essays 38<
+he House :ight and %y <aughter ?8#
%y Father Glen F' &tinson ?6"
Fearing a &traw <eath ?6!
GreatDGrandpa *udwig ?66
:hen - was a &treet Cop ?6@
EliFa$eth Getting to 4now her Grandfather ?6=
A Con(ersation with Frigga ?6A
How Can we $e ?""I that Heathenry is >eal; ?@"
Section 9 5 4celand #rip Journal 378
+he April !""# 1ourney to -celand ?@6
<ay Jero ?@6
<ay One in -celand ?@@
<ay +wo in -celand ?@7
<ay +hree in -celand ?7"
<ay Four in -celand ?76
<ay Fi(e in -celand ?="
<ay &i5 in -celand ?=!
<ay &e(en in -celand ?=#
<ay Eight in -celand ?A8
Section + 5 Poetry by Mark Ludwig Stinson 3<9
Call to the Folk ?A=
+he Ksland 1ourney ?AA
<oo,DEager Heathen ?A#
Be(er Forgotten ?#"
3ra(est in 3attle ?#?
Essay on 3ringing 3ack the Oral +radition ?#!
Lightning Across the Plains 3-:
#e$ple of Our %eathen &ods 'ebsite 3--
Mark Ludwig Stinson )**
Further =eading )*)
Mark at &ullfoss/ in 4celand
Acknowledgements
:ithout the patience and support of ,y wife) 1ennifer) this $ook would
not e5ist' &he is an a,aFing wo,an and we ha(e $uilt /uite a life
together' Eou ,ay not $e a$le to picture it) $ut ,y three kids are inD
$etweenDtheDlines of all of these essays' Hidden in the punctuation
and a,ong the paragraphs) are all the interruptions) the /uestions)
and the de,ands that - stop writing and go play with the,' +hough -
can honestly say - finished the $ook for the,) rather than despite
the,'
- owe ,uch to ,y tri$e) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred' >od *andreth) Craig
:inkler) and 1a,ie 4ing ha(e ser(ed ,e well as trusted friends' - a,
con(inced they are the $est people you will e(er find) and - ha(e the
*uck to ha(e the, with ,e on this life2s Lourney' - ,ust thank the
knowledgea$le :ill 3urris) who is always there right when you need
hi,' He ,ade our trip to -celand $oth possi$le and successful'
+hen there is 1ohnny Ha,ilton) Glen &te(eson) and &usan &te(eson
who represent hardDearnedDgrowth for our kindred) as we work to add
two new a,aFing fa,ilies to our we$ of oaths' Ale5) 4i,$erly) Paula)
Chien) and all the children are no less a part of what - ha(e learned
and what we ha(e acco,plished as a tri$e' Finally) there is 1ason
Grothe' 1ason is /uick to lend a hand and help keep things on track at
e(ery kindred e(ent' He generously helped ,e $y editing this $ook)
and it is a ,uch $etter $ook thanks to hi,'
- want to acknowledge ,y GreatDGrandfather and na,eDsake *udwig
&chweiger' %uch of ,y interest in all things Ger,anic and Borthern
European ca,e fro, ,y close connection with *udwig' %y
Grand,other and *udwig2s daughter) EliFa$eth &hoop) taught ,e to
drea,) laugh) and enLoy life' +he fact she was so nurturing towards
,e) while so unhappy on the inside) was co,pletely selfless on her
part' Co,pletely selfless'
First a,ong ,y Ancestors is ,y father) Glen F' &tinson' +his
collection of essays would not e5ist without hi,' He was not Heathen)
$ut the things he taught ,e a$out $eing a ,an and how to face this
life) were entirely Heathen' He was the $est of fathers) and - work
hard to pass Orlog to ,y children that is as good as the Orlog that ,y
father passed to ,e'
3
INTRODUCTION
+he essays in this collection were written in the years !""=) !""A) and
!""#' -n their original for,) they were written as $log notes) ,essage
$oard posts) and as answers to eD,ail /uestions - recei(ed' +hey
were ne(er ,eant to ser(e as a unified ,essage a$out Heathenry) and
there has $een no atte,pt here to tie the, together into a wellD
ordered or allDenco,passing (ision for the future of Heathenry' +he
essays collected here ha(e a con(ersational tone) like discussion you
,ight ha(e around a ca,pfire'''or o(er a cold pint of Guinness'
-n collecting the,) - ha(e atte,pted to put the, in an order that
,akes sense' +o further this effort) - ha(e also grouped the, into
categories' - ha(e reworked all of these essays) to (arying degrees'
&o,e re/uired /uite a $it of refining) while others re/uired (ery little'
:hat you2ll find within this collection is ,y approach to (arious topics
and issues within our Folkway M the Folkway that is the ancestral wayD
ofDlife of the Borthern European people' +he scope of these essays is
farDreaching) $ut this collection does not pro(ide a co,prehensi(e
e5a,ination of Heathenry' -f that is what you are seeking) you should
$uy Our +roth) Colu,es ? and !' +his collection does not ser(e as a
co,plete introduction to Heathenry) either' Essential Asatru) $y <iana
Pa5on) would $etter ser(e you as an introduction to our Folkway'
+he ways of our Ancestors (aried greatly fro, tri$e to tri$e) location to
location) century to century) and e(en a,ong (arious le(els of society'
+he sa,e situation e5ists today' +hese essays are not presented as
)
Most of Jotuns !ane "indred at Midwest #hing )**-
the only way things should $e done within Heathenry' +hey represent
one ,an2s approach M one tri$e2s approach M to these issues and
topics' -t is likely that e(ery reader will find things to $oth agree with
and disagree with in the contents of this $ook' -f nothing else) the
essays will hopefully get you thinking a$out these topics and
e5a,ining) or reDe5a,ining) your own approaches and pointsDofD(iew'
Eou will notice that these essays do not ha(e footnotes' +his collection
of essays is not a research paper' +here is nothing within these essays
that - would consider contrary to what we find in the *ore) as - read
and interpret it' 3ut the content) the purpose) and the tone of these
essays does not lend itself to a line $y line scholarly Lustification or
notes' -f you are seeking that) seek it elsewhere'
1otun2s 3ane 4indred draws fro, Borse) Ger,anic) AngloD&a5on) and
other Borthern European sources for its ways and traditions' For this
reason) there is a certain ,i5ing of ter,inology in the following
essays' :e do not restrict oursel(es to using only Borse ter,inology
or only AngloD&a5on ter,inology' -f a word or concept accurately
reflects what we are doing) then we use that word or concept'
+his collection is not an antiDChristian ,anifesto' -nstead the tone is
one of starting where our Ancestors left off) reclai,ing what was taken
fro, our people) and ,o(ing our religion forward into our ,odern
world' Our kindred and these essays focus on ,o(ing beyond
Christianity' 3ut this necessitates a few essays on shedding the fear
and indoctrination of the foreign religion under which so ,any of us
were raised'
An intelligent and practical ,an is always reDe5a,ining his $eliefs and
pointDofD(iew' -f so,ething works well) he keeps it' -f concepts or
ideas co,e along that work $etter) then the ,an adLusts' Heathens
are always reading) learning) and deepening their understanding of our
Folkway) and - a, no e5ception to this rule' &o) it is i,portant to
understand that these essays represent ,y opinions at this ti,e' -f
,y opinions change) future $ooks or future editions of this $ook will
reflect those changes'
1otun2s 3ane 4indred is an oathed tri$al kindred in the Heartland of
A,erica' :e are a Folkish kindred) at least $y our own esti,ation'
+hese essays reflect a tri$al approach to Heathenry' +hey reflect the
i,portance of kindreds with co,,itted and hardDworking leaders and
,e,$ers' A$o(e all) they reflect the i,portance of preser(ing)
gathering) and ad(ancing our Folk forward'
+his $ook would not e5ist if not for 1otun2s 3ane 4indred' :e are a
8
strong and growing tri$e' :e work to support and ad(ance each
other) and - would not $e the ,an - a, today) without the incredi$le
indi(iduals of worth that occupy ,y -nnangarth' +heir thoughts and
ideas run throughout these essays) culled fro, our discussions
together) and the lessons we ha(e learned working together as a tri$e'
+he goal of this collection of essays is not to ,ake ,oney' +he goal is
to share infor,ation' &o feel free to share or distri$ute this ,aterial
howe(er you wish) as long as you follow the restrictions descri$ed in
the Open *icense on the indicia page'
-f you wish to contact ,e in order to discuss or ask /uestions a$out
any of these writings) feel free to e,ail ,e at
,arkNheathengods'co,'
%ark *udwig &tinson
<ece,$er !""#
:
'ill !urris and Mark Stinson at #hing;ellir/ in 4celand
SECTION ONE
ESSAYS FOR
NEW HEATHENS
7
WHAT IS A HEATHEN
>'hat is a %eathen?>
- get that /uestion a lot' :e all do' &o) here2s a (ery short) si,ple)
generaliFed answer'''
Heathens honor the old Ger,anic Gods'''the Borthern European Gods)
they honor their Ancestors) and they respect and gi(e gifts to the
Caettir .spirits of the land) water) etc'0' -t is a reconstruction religion)
,eaning Heathens atte,pt to honor the Gods) Ancestors) and Caettir
in the sa,e ways that our
Ancestors honored the Gods) their
Ancestors) and the Caettir' -n
order to do this) Heathens look to
the *ore .old -celandic Poe,s and
&agas recording ,yth and tales
fro, preDChristian ti,es0)
conte,porary historical sources)
,odern historical writings)
folklore) and archeology' +he
goal is to continue the :ay of *ife
that our Ancestors followed prior
to Christianity $eing ,o(ed
Borthward into Borthern Europe
$y >o,e'
+he word OHeathenryO co,es
fro, the fact that the country
people .those li(ing on the
heath0) honored the old Gods for
centuries after those people li(ing
in the cities were already con(erted to Christianity' +hat is why the
word OHeathenO has negati(e ,eanings within Christianity' +he
,issionaries and preachers in the cities would rail against the
OHeathensO .those li(ing out in the heath0) that still honored the old
Gods' Another word co,,only used for Heathenry is Asatru) ,eaning
Oloyalty to the Gods'O +hough) Asatru is nor,ally used to refer to a
,ore -celandic9Bordic focused for, of Heathenry' +he word
Heathenry itself is a $roader ter, enco,passing those focusing on the
-celandic) the AngloD&a5on) the Frankish) etc'
For an e5cellent FAG on Heathenry) go to this we$site'''
http@AAheathengods1co$Ate$pleA$odulesABoopsfaCA
9
Odin
&o,eti,es people try to incorrectly lu,p Heathens in with :iccans'
Here2s a link to two essays that co,pare and contrast Heathenry and
:icca:
http@AAwww1heathengods1co$AlibraryAwiccaDco$parisonA
Heathenry is a pagan religion and a way of (iewing the world' -t is a
way of life) so,eti,es referred to as a Folkway) $ecause it is the
nati(e way of life for the People of Borthern Europe' -t is focused on
what a ,an or wo,an does in this life' -t is focused on <O-BG'
HOW DOES ONE WORSHI!
THE HEATHEN "ODS
Asatru is $ut one na,e for our Folkway' Eou will so,eti,es hear it
called the Borthern +radition) Odinis,) Forn &ed) Ger,anic Pagan
>econstructionis, or) si,ply) Heathenry' +he original Heathens were
the preDChristian Borthern Europeans who li(ed a thousand and ,ore
years ago in the lands around what is now called the Borth &ea'
+hese included the peoples of AngloD&a5on England) &candina(ia)
Ger,any) -celand) and Frisia'
+he $eginnings of our Folkway are lost in prehistory' +he origins of
Asatru go $ack thousands of years) though Asatru itself is a ,odern
reconstruction religion' +he spirit that Asatru .or Heathenry0
e5presses) though) is as ancient as the northern European peoples
the,sel(es M and strains of it can $e seen as far $ack as 6")""" years
ago' As a reconstruction religion) we look at conte,porary sources)
folklore) and archeology in an atte,pt to honor our Gods and
Ancestors) in a way as close as possi$le to the old ways'
So/ how does one worship the %eathen &ods?
+his (aried greatly throughout history' Heathenry e5isted for
thousands of years) with no written rules or codification' +here were
te,ples scattered a$out) $ut there was (ery little central authority
dictating rules and ,ethods' &o Heathenry (aried fro, region to
region) tri$e to tri$e) and century to century' 3ut there are so,e
co,,on worship techni/ues and the,es fro, the past that ha(e $een
+
reconstructed) and are used for the ,ost part throughout ,odern
Heathenry'
Hnderstand) that our ancestors did not $ow down to their Gods' +hey
honored their Gods) they respected their Gods) they sacrificed to their
Gods) and they prayed .co,,unicated0 with their Gods' 3ut their
Gods were seen as their kin M part of the Folk M or part of their (illage
or tri$e' +hey treated the Gods as ,entors) or elders in their tri$e'
%any saw the, and treated the Gods like honored Ancestors' +hey
saw the, as walking a,ong the, M and a part of their daily li(es'
+hey did not $lur their Gods together)
$ut rather saw the, as distinct and
powerful $eings) with likes and dislikes)
personalities) and a reality of their own'
+hey did not see the, as 1ungian
Archetypes) ,anD,ade +houghtDFor,s)
or /uaint personifications of forces of
nature' +hey saw the, as indi(iduals M
actual $eings with their own thoughts
and ,oti(ations'
- talk with the Gods' %ainly in ,y /uiet
,o,ents' <ri(ing to work' <ri(ing
ho,e fro, work' +he other night - was
waiting for so,eone to show up for an
appoint,ent) and - took the ?@ ,inutes
- was waiting to Lust con(erse with the
Gods' -n the ,iddle of the night while
at work M when nothing is going on M -2ll
speak with the Gods' +heir handiwork is all around us and - think they
listen'
:hen - do talk to the Gods) - do not ask the, to do little things for
,e) or ask the, to ,ake things happen for ,e' A s,all child ,ay ask
his ,other for the s,allest of things) $ut - a, not a s,all child' A
la,$ ,ay depend on his shepherd for direction in e(en the s,allest of
things) $ut - a, not a la,$' - a, an adult hu,an $eing) and the
Gods e5pect us to ,ake our own decisions) fight our own $attles) and
,ake things happen for oursel(es' +hey ga(e us life) $ut they aren2t
going to li(e it for us' &o what do - pray a$out;
Hsually - thank the, for what they do' +hor protects the world fro,
destructi(e forces and e(il) and he shows us that we should not treat
ene,ies as our friends M $ut instead as the ene,ies they truly are'
Odin sacrificed his own eye and went through great trials in order to
<
#hor
o$tain wisdo, and knowledge) and he showed us how to take
whate(er honora$le action we can to acco,plish a goal that is
i,portant to us' He also $rought artistic inspiration and the runes to
our world' +yr was so courageous that he knowingly sacrificed his own
hand so that the Gods could $ind a horri$le ,onster called the Fenris
:olf' He placed his hand in the creature2s ,outh) as part of a trick to
$ind the $east' +yr shows us that in order to help and protect our
fa,ilies and co,,unity) we should $e willing to ,ake great sacrifices)
if necessary'
- will tell Odin) OAs you sacrificed your eye for wisdo,) if - work hard
and ,ake e(ery effort to find other Heathens in ,y area M grant ,e
the wisdo, to e(entually find the,'O - do not ask hi, to find the, for
,e' - often say to +hor) OGi(e ,e the strength to protect ,y fa,ily
when - a, with the,) and watch and protect the, at ti,es that - a,
una$le to $e with the,'O 3ut there is a concept called Oa gift for a
gift'O +he Gods deser(e to $e treated with respect) and when you ask
for a gift or fa(or) you should offer a gift or fa(or in return' Perhaps
you pro,ise the, to take a certain course of action) to conduct a
Faining in the near future) or you pledge your loyalty to the,'
3esides talking with the Gods) there is also the ,ore for,al Faining' A
Faining is a structured cele$ration in honor of the Gods' A Faining is
si,ply a ritual' Bot a ,agical ritual in the :iccan sense of the word)
$ut instead a structured ,ethod of honoring the Gods) drinking ,ead
with the Gods) and then the Faining usually transitions into a
gathering) cele$ration) party) or festi(al' Fainings can $e loud
$oisterous) Loyful e(ents' 3ut so,eti,es they are (ery introspecti(e
and /uiet' -t depends on the circu,stances surrounding the
cele$ration' 3ut) to $e clear M a Faining is a religious act) and not
cere,onial ,agic'
-
(uring a Faining in %onor of the &od Frey
+here is also a religious e(ent called a &y,$el' +his e(ent consists of
the participants taking turns talking and $ragging) while ,aking toasts
usually with ,ead or ale' :hen it is your turn) you $rag a$out the
e5ploits of a God) a hero) an Ancestor of yours) or so,ething you ha(e
done and then you drink' +hen it is the ne5t person2s turn and they
follow suit' -t can $e (ery structured with the first round of $ragging
$eing li,ited to the Gods) second round to Heroes) the third round to
Ancestors) etc'''$ut it can also $e (ery unstructured' &y,$els are a
way to pass on and re,e,$er great deeds and stories) and a way to
get to know your friends and kin $etter' +he purpose is ne(er to
$eco,e drunk' -nto5ication) and acting foolish during &y,$el is seen
as dishonora$le'
3ut) it is i,portant to re,e,$er that Heathenry is not a set of rituals'
-t is not a ,agical for,ula' Heathenry is a way of life' :e are Our
<eeds' Heathenry is the ti,eDhonored way that our Ancestors
approached and honored the Gods' Heathenry teaches us the
i,portance of fa,ily) and $uilding the $est life in this world that we
can) so that our descendants will $enefit fro, our work' Heathenry is
a way to connect with our Ancestors and thank the, for their efforts
and sacrifices' And Heathenry is a way of (iewing the world and
interacting with the Caettir and wights M the often unseen spirits of the
forests) fields) lakes) rocks and other ele,ents of nature around us'
One of the $est ways that a Heathen can honor his Gods and
Ancestors) is $y li(ing a life of which his Gods and Ancestors can $e
proud' 3y reading the *ore M Eddic Poe,s with origins around the
year A"" A< M we can $egin to understand the (alues our Ancestors
held as i,portant in a person' +he (alues that should $e reflected in
3*
AleB =aises a %orn in Sy$bel
his9her life' -n Heathenry) these (alues are often referred to as the
Bine Bo$le Cirtues' +here are ,any (ersions of this list of (irtues) and
all of the, are of a ,odern origin' Bot all of the lists e(en ha(e nine
ite,s in the listP +his is one of ,y fa(orite (ersions) written $y
&tephen %cBallen of the Asatru Folk Asse,$ly) with e5planations of
each one'''
46(0S#=4O0S6ESS D 3e producti(ely engaged in life' A(oid
laFiness' &tri(e to acco,plish good things'
J0S#4CE D *et e/uity and fairness $e your hall,ark' +reat others in
accordance with what they deser(e) and gi(e each person a chance to
show his or her $est'
CO0=A&E D Fear is natural) $ut it can $e o(erco,e' +rain yourself to
do the things you fear) $oth physically and ,orally'
&E6E=OS4#E D An open hand and an open heart $ring happiness to
you and to others' +he ,iserly are ne(er happy'
%OSP4#AL4#E D -n ancient ti,es) tra(elers were greeted with food)
drink) and a war, place $y the fire' &ee that your guests ne(er want'
MO(E=A#4O6 D EnLoy all good things) $ut do not o(erindulge' Bo
one ad,ires a glutton or a person who cannot control his or her
appetites'
COMM064#E D Cooperate with kin and friends) do your fair share) and
re,e,$er your responsi$ilities to others'
46(4F4(0AL4#E D Although we $elong to a co,,unity) we are also
indi(iduals with distinct personalities and clearlyDdefined rights'
>espect the indi(iduality of others) and insist on the sa,e in return'
#=0#% D 3e honest and straightforward in all your dealings' A(oid
deceit and deception'
S#EA(FAS#6ESS D *earn to persist) to endure in the face of ad(ersity
without discourage,ent' <o not $e $lown a$out $y e(ery changing
wind'
LOEAL#E D 3e steadfast in your co,,it,ent to others and to
yourself' Ha(e a true heart'
'4S(OM D *earn fro, your e5periences' Grow in the understanding
of the world) and of the hu,an heart' Co,prehend as ,uch of the
33
uni(erse as you can in the years a(aila$le to you'
3y leading a life that reflects these (alues) one honors his Gods)
,akes his Ancestors proud) and is a$le to lead a life that will $enefit
his fa,ily and Folk' At the core of Heathenry) it is the sort of life one
leads that $est honors the Heathen Gods'
REASONS I am HEATHEN
:hat called ,e to the Heathen Gods; :hat $rought ,e $ack to our
nati(e Folkway;
+hat is a /uestion - a, asked fre/uently' -t is a natural /uestion to
ask M and - found ,yself gi(ing different reasons to different people)
$ecause there was really ,ore than one thing that called ,e to the
Heathen Gods' &o here2s ,y atte,pt to pro(ide a ,ore
co,prehensi(e answer'
- had $een agnostic for a long period of ti,e' O(er two decades)
actually' - thought ,y only choices were the (arious Christian
deno,inations) and possi$ly 3uddhis,' - had no attraction
whatsoe(er to $eco,ing %usli,) 1ewish) or Hindu) so - Lust figured -
was left with the re,aining two O$igO religions M neither of which
appealed to ,e' - had no passion for either Christianity or 3uddhis,)
though - studied and read a$out $oth' &o - re,ained agnostic for
years'
+hen - stu,$led across the :iccan co,,unity here in 4ansas City' -
spoke with the,) read a$out their religion) and witnessed one of their
rituals' - found - had no passion for :icca either' 3ut those
e5periences did open ,y eyes to the fact that there were other
religions that had e5isted prior to Christianity' Other options' &o) in
!""7 - $eca,e interested in Asatru M the ,odern reconstruction
religion and way of life focused on the Borthern Gods) our Ancestors)
and the Caettir' +he fact that this was the religion of ,y Ancestors
prior to Christianity had a serious appeal for ,e' 3ut - still did not
take the leap' - wasn2t ready yet'
+hen) in !""=) through 1une) 1uly) and August) - $egan reading and
studying) and learning a$out the Heathen Gods and what they ,eant
to the people that worshiped the,' - was definitely caught up in it' -t
Lust felt right' &o one ,orning) on the way ho,e fro, work' - Lust
3)
started talking to AsaD+hor on the way ho,e' - was looking at the
sunriseDlit clouds M this $eautiful sky M and - was thinking a$out what
+hor represented' -t Lust sort of clicked for ,e' -t was a (ery
personal e5perience) so fro, the outside it ,ight sound strange' 3ut
e5pressing ,yself to +hor that ,orning) it was the first ti,e - had
e(er felt listened to' +here was this connection'''this feeling' -t was
the first ti,e - had really e(er felt that' - had co,e ho,e'
Here are so,e other things - like a$out the Heathen Gods:
Q Odin) Frigga) +hor) FreyLa) +yr) and the rest are all ,ortal in a
sense' +hey are not the perfect Gods of other religions' +hey ,ust
eat -dunn2s apples to re,ain youthful) and ,ost of the, are doo,ed
to die in a final $attle with the forces of chaos'
Q +he Heathen Gods ,ake ,istakes' +hey get angry) Lealous)
prideful) and they are not perfect' +hey deser(e to $e honored) $ut
they do not de,and that we $end our knee to the, and $eg for
forgi(eness for our faults' +hey do not insist that we see oursel(es as
lower than dirt) undeser(ing of their attention and lo(e'
Q +hese are the Gods of ,y Ancestors' +hese are the Gods that were
worshiped for ?"""2s of years) until Christianity .originating in the
%iddleDEast0 pushed its way outward and northward) and destroyed
the pagan te,ples'
Q A Christian told ,e recently that Christianity was the OCorrectO
religion $ecause it had Owon'O - know that the horri$le things done in
38
#he &oddess FreyGa
the na,e of spreading Christianity and gaining Christian con(erts was
done centuries and centuries ago) so - do not $la,e current Christians
for those wrongs' 3ut - do not think the willingness to start religious
wars) co,,it ,urder) and $urn the holy te,ples of other religions
pro(es the OcorrectnessO of a religion'
Q - like the independence of Heathenry' +he Gods do not co,e and
sa(e you' +he Gods ,ight lend you the strength to sa(e yourself) or a
$it of *uck once you2(e worked hard for so,ething' +hrough their
li(es and ,yths) you ,ight learn so,e $it of wisdo, that helps you
,ake the right choice' 3ut Heathens are e5pected to take care of
the,sel(es and ,ake their own way'
Q +here is no central authority or codified dog,a used to control
$elie(ers) $uild religious power$ases) or fill church $ank accounts'
Heathenry) is a tri$al Folk religion) a Folkway) and this appeals to ,e'
-t feels right'
Q - like the focus away fro, the
afterlife) with ,ore of a focus on
li(ing this life to the fullest' +here
are afterlife possi$ilities that are
suggested or hinted at in
Heathenry) $ut they are not the
focus of the culture or the religion'
- want to li(e a good life now) not
suppress e(erything that is
enLoya$le in this life to earn so,e
$ig hypothetical reward later' -
want to li(e a life well re,e,$ered
$y those that co,e after ,e'
Q +he connection with Ancestors is appealing to ,e' :e should honor
our Ancestors) and look to the, for wisdo, and perhaps a $it of *uck
when we need it and ha(e earned it' :e should acknowledge the gifts
our Ancestors ha(e gi(en us M first and fore,ost our (ery e5istence'
Q - was a history ,aLor in college) so the whole scholarship side of our
Folkway appeals to ,e) as well' >ather than $eing BewDAge and a
co,pletely ,odern in(ention) Heathenry is a$out using historical
te5ts) ancient poe,s) and archeology to figure out what the ancient
Heathens $elie(ed) and how they li(ed and worshiped'
Q Finally) Heathenry works for ,e' -t has ,ade ,e a $etter ,an) a
$etter hus$and) and a $etter father' -t has ,ade ,y fa,ily stronger'
- ha(e acco,plished things in this life since $eco,ing Heathen that -
3:
%ugin and Munin
did not think possi$le' -t is a way of life that helps ,e focus on those
things - (alue ,ost M fa,ily and loyal friends' Eou can2t argue with
success'
+here are other reasons' +his list is Lust that M a list' As you e5plore
Heathenry) you ,ay share so,e of the sa,e reasons - ha(e on ,y
list' 3ut you will likely find so,e reasons of your own'
RE#I"ION $S% &A"IC
People are different'''their interests) their perceptions) their past
e5periences M e(en the way they think' &o it stands to reason that
e(eryone will approach Asatru or Heathenry fro, a different place and
in a differing way' For instance) so,e Heathens focus hea(ily on the
>unes and Borse %agic) while others do not'
Our kindred2s Godhi) >od *andreth) always laughs when - say this) $ut
- see ,yself as sort of a O$lueDcollar Heathen'O - a, sure there is a
$etter ter, for it) $ut $asically - co,e to Heathenry with really (ery
little interest in perfor,ing or $eing in(ol(ed with Borse %agic' - a,
,ore focused on the religious and cultural aspects of Heathenry' -
honor the Gods) - re,e,$er and co,,unicate with ,y Ancestors) -
respect and acknowledge the wights and Caettir) and - a, loyal to ,y
fa,ily and ,y 4indred'
O(er ti,e) - a, learning ,ore a$out the >unes) and - see their (alue
M $ut for now - a, not that interested in the ,agical aspects of the
runes) or in learning &eidhr9&pae work' - do not think that ,y
so,ewhat nonD,agical approach is superior or inferior to those that
are ,ore interested in ,agical runeDwork or &eidhr9&pae work' -
think that these ,ore ,agical aspects of Asatru ha(e their place for
so,e Heathens as Ogra(y)O once they ha(e ,astered the core
knowledge and $eliefs'
*ooking $ack at our Ancestors) it is clear that not all Heathens) nor
e(en a ,aLority of Heathens) used runes for ,agical work' &i,ilarly) a
,aLority of our Heathen Ancestors weren2t in(ol(ed in &eidhr9&pae
work' A s,all ,inority were in(ol(ed in these specialiFed O,agicalO
areas of our faith) and so as we reconstruct our religion) - Lust do not
find ,yself all that interested in practicing these for,s of ,agic'
37
For ,e there is ,agic enough in ,aking things happen that others
,ight see as i,pro$a$le or i,possi$le) with good old hard work and
deter,ination' -t is all a$out setting your ,ind to acco,plish
so,ething) doing your ho,ework) planning your attack) working
alongside your kindred or tri$e) and ,aking so,ething a,aFing
happen with pure $lood) sweat) and tears M and perhaps a healthy
dose of earned Heathen *uck' +hat for ,e is Heathen ,agic'

FINDIN" THE O#D "ODS
Perhaps you are curious how a ,odern ,an or wo,an could co,e to
know the Old Gods of Borthern Europe) and co,e to honor the,;
3elow) -2ll descri$e three $asic things a person can do to co,e to know
the Gods) and to then decide for hi,self9herself whether they are real
or not' Once a person co,es to know they are real) then the step
towards honoring the, is $oth a natural and an easy one'
31 >ead a$out the,' >ead
,ythological stories' >ead we$sites'
>ead the Coluspa' >ead the
Ha(a,al' >ead H'>' Ellis <a(idson'
>ead a$out the Gods' +he closer
you can go to the *ore) the $etter'
>eading the Poetic Edda itself is
$etter than reading a story$ook
$ased on the Poetic Edda' 3ut
really) read whate(er you enLoy the
,ost at first' -,,erse yourself in
the ,aterials) prefera$ly credi$le
,aterials) and do your ho,ework'
)1 Approach the Gods' &chedule or
find /uiet ti,es when you can Lust
talk to the,' Perhaps you ha(e a
8" ,inute co,,ute to work' *ook
at the sky) study the clouds) and
thank +hor for protecting our fa,ilies' +hank hi, for protecting the
world fro, illDintentioned giants and ,onsters' +hank hi, for showing
us how to treat our ene,ies' Perhaps you feel a connection with
another God or Goddess' +hen talk to that one' >e,e,$er the Gods
do not like $egging) gro(eling) or a lack of confidence' Co,e to the,
39
%ei$dall
as a ,an or wo,an) and co,e to the, fro, a position of strength'
Co,e to the, as a grandchild would co,e to his9her grandparents M
with honor and respect) $ut without the need to de$ase yourself as a
proud ,e,$er of their folk'
81 Contact) co,,unicate or ,eet with +ru Heathens' +his third one is
not ?""I necessary) $ut it is i,,ensely $eneficial' Heathenry is
a$out ,ore than the indi(idual' -t is a$out your fa,ily) your friends)
and your tri$e' +o fully understand Heathenry) one ,ust gather and
get to know other Heathens' After all) they already know the Gods' -f
you are new Heathen) it is likely that they went through the sa,e
process you are going through' Find Heathens that are +ru) and honor
the Gods in the old ways' -f you are interested in Heathenry) steer
clear of :iccans who clai, to work with the Borse Gods' +hey aren2t
$ad people) $ut they aren2t Heathens' +hey do not approach our Gods
in the ways that our Ancestors did'
- think if a new Heathen does these three $asic things) and they open
the,sel(es up to the Old Gods M the Old Gods will ,ake their
presence known' %ost likely not in physical for,' %ost likely not as a
$oo,ing (oice fro, the clouds' 3ut you will get a feeling) you will
recei(e a ,essage) or so,ething will let you know that they ha(e
heard you' Eou will know they are welco,ing you $ack to your nati(e
Folkway) and $ack into your Ancestral &trea,'
3+
An Open Pub$oot %osted by Jotuns !ane "indred
'ECO&IN" HEATHEN AND
(EE!IN" OUR AD$ICE TRU
How does one $eco,e Heathen;
&eriously' How does that happen; <oes a Heathen priest .Godhi0 ha(e
to gi(e you the nod; %ust you go through a pu$lic Oconfir,ationO or
Oprofession of faith;O %ust you $e certified $y a Bational Heathen
organiFation; &hould you open your pocket$ook and tithe ?"I to
so,e earth$ound organiFation ,ore concerned with power and politics
than with your spiritual strength and wellD$eing; How does one
$eco,e Heathen;
For ,e) - si,ply $egan talking to the Gods' -t felt like they were
listening) and that is the first ti,e - ha(e e5perienced that feeling' -
was reading the *ore) and it Lust felt right' -t felt like - was co,ing
ho,e to what - already was'''or what - should $e' &o during one of
,y con(ersations with +hor) - pro,ised to $uild a relationship with the
Gods' - pro,ised to find and look into Loining a kindred in ,y area) or
if - could not find a kindred in ,y area) - pro,ised to start a 4indred'
All of this took place in ,y car) dri(ing ho,e fro, work' All $y ,yself'
1ust ,e) talking to +hor' - re,e,$er the ,o,ent (ery well' +hat was
,y Oprofession)O - suppose' +hough for ,e) it was a personal oath
$etween ,e and the Gods'
&ince then -2(e li(ed Heathen' -2(e learned e(erything - could in the
ti,e -2(e had as a Heathen' - found other Heathens) - gathered with
the,) and we worked together to start a 4indred' :hen the 4indred
was e(entually for,ed) we took an oath to the Gods) to our Ancestors)
to the Caettir) and to each other' &ince the day - ,ade that personal
oath to the Gods) -2(e done e(erything - could to fulfill and li(e that
oath'
A Godhi did not annoint ,e a Heathen' A ritual did not ,ake ,e
Heathen' %y affiliation with a Bational OrganiFation did not ,ake ,e
Heathen' - did not pay ,oney to $eco,e Heathen' 3eco,ing
Heathen was a lot of work) $ut it was fairly si,ple' 3asically) - found
Heathenry' - then personally co,,itted to the Gods) and that - would
learn e(erything - could a$out the, and a$out the way ,y Ancestors
honored the,' Fro, there things naturally de(eloped'
:hat if a Onew$ieO transitioning to Heathenry wants a $ig pu$lic
cere,ony; Perhaps they would feel ,ore co,forta$le $eing tested)
3<
and confir,ed in so,e for,al fashion as a Heathen; Perhaps
,e,$ership in a national organiFation would ,ake the, feel O,oreO
Heathen; For ,e) these actions are not Heathen and co,pletely
unnecessary' +hey do not represent ,y (iew of Asatru' One is true to
the Aesir and co,,unicates directly with our Gods' Bo one stands
$etween us and our Elder 4in' +hey are our Gods) and they watch us
and listen'
&o) - think it is our o$ligation to e5plain to new Heathens or the
HeathenDcurious how we see Heathenry' -f they ask a$out so,ething
that we do not personally feel is Heathen or necessary) then we should
$e honest with the, and e5plain to the, what Heathenry is fro, our
perspecti(e' :e do not ha(e an o$ligation to feed into a perspecti(e
with which we do not agree' -f due to Christian $aggage they would
feel ,ore co,forta$le ha(ing a OChristianDstyleO confir,ation
cere,ony) then we should e5plain to the, why this is not Heathen)
and guide the, toward a personal relationship with the Gods) our
Ancestors) and the Caettir'
- do not $elie(e in
changing Heathenry to fit
the newlyDcon(erted
person2s $aggage or
ChristianD$ased needs'
+hey are co,ing to
Heathenry) not the other
way around' - see it as
slowing down their
transition and
de(elop,ent to a
HeathenD,indset) when
we pro(ide the, with
unnecessary crutches or
$andDaids to Oease the
transition'O :hen they ask
a /uestion that see,s to reflect a ,indset other than Heathenry) guide
the,' +each the,' E5plain to the, how a Heathen approaches that
situation' :e should $ase those answers on the *ore) and solid
reconstructed $eliefs as we understand the,'
>od *andreth) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred2s Godhi) once ad(ised so,eone
asking for ad(ice on a pu$lic profession of faith ritual'''
So if you want to publicly profess/ go out in your
backyard and state what is in your heart/ bones/ and
your balls1 Put your ha$$er on/ and start going about
3-
Jotuns !ane "indreds Oath =ing
being %eathen in all things1
+hat is how each of us in 1otun2s 3ane 4indred did it' - pro,ised ,y
loyalty to +hor and the Aesir in ,y car) dri(ing ho,e' Craig :inkler)
our +hyle) recei(ed a rather startling sign fro, Odin in his house one
day M sign that took hi, down the path of $eing a Heathen' 1a,ie
4ing had a powerful drea, and felt strongly drawn to our Folkway
while reading (arious $ooks a$out Heathenry' >od *andreth descri$ed
his own process of $eco,ing a Heathen'''
For $e when 4 understood that 4 had >co$e ho$e> to
$y folk way/ 4 said to $yself/ >4 a$ Asatru and now 4
will do $y best to follow its ways1> #hen 4 proceeded to
do it1 #hat was back in 3--81
Heathenry is a$out <O-BG' A Heathen is Heathen) $ecause they are
co,,itted to our Folkway) and their actions reflect this co,,it,ent'
%any kindred includes as part of our kindred oath a renunciation of
pre(iously held religious $eliefs and an oath of loyalty to the kindred)
its ,e,$ers) and our Gods' -n this essay) - a, not talking a$out this
sort of kindred oath' - a, talking (ery specifically a$out any person)
group) or organiFation standing $etween a Heathen and his or her
Gods' - a, talking a$out people recently con(erted fro, Christianity)
wishing to ha(e a Heathen Confir,ation cere,ony (ery si,ilar to
what you would see in a Christian church $efore they will consider
the,sel(es to $e truly Heathen' - find that way of thinking contrary to
how we approach our Gods'
A& I "OIN" TO
A CHRISTIAN HE##
:hen - was a ChristianDleaning agnostic) - was told innu,era$le ti,es
that - was going to Hell $ecause - was not attending Christian Church
each &unday' - was told - was going to Hell $ecause - was not O$ornD
again'O - was going to Hell $ecause - did not ha(e faith' - was going
to Hell $ecause - was not a 1eho(ah :itness) a %or,on) a 3aptist) or
a Catholic' - was going to Hell $ecause - did not tithe enough ,oney
to the church' - was going to Hell $ecause - watched the wrong
,o(ie) tuned into the wrong +C show) or listened to the wrong ,usic'
)*
-t see,ed like the only way to not go to Hell was to $elie(e the e5act
sa,e thing as the person who was passing Ludg,ent on ,e' O3elie(e
what - $elie(e or you are going to Hell'O +his is preached $y e(ery
Christian deno,ination in one for, or another' &o now that -2(e
e,$raced Heathenry) and ha(e decided to not honor the Christian
God) where do the Christians think - will go; Certainly) ,ore than
e(er'''straight to a fiery Hell'
+he old pagan religions allowed other people their own Gods' Each
culture had its own Gods M its own group of di(ine powers to honor
and respect' :hen it ca,e to fertility Gods) often each tri$e had its
own' :hile these pagans honored and re,ained loyal to their own
Gods) they did not clai, that all other Gods did not e5ist' +he
Christian God .in the 3i$le and in practical worship0 not only clai,s
that all other Gods do not e5ist) he threatens you with eternal
da,nation if you do not fall in line) gi(e up the Gods of your Folk) and
follow hi,'
+hat is Lust not (ery polite) nor generous) nor particularly endearing'
+he idea that a God would da,n his creations to eternal tor,ent) no
,atter what sort of life they led) or how ,any people they helped) or
what sort of ,ark they left on the world M Lust $ecause they did not
ha(e faith in hi, M see,s cruel and unfair' -f you do not accept Christ
as his son M you go to Hell' -f you aren2t $aptiFed M you go to Hell' -f
you were not a paying ,e,$er of a physical church M you go to Hell'
-t see,s to ,e that this way of thinking has ,ore to do with
recruit,ent and con(ersion than with actual theology' -t has ,ore to
do with keeping churchDgoers co,ing to church and ,aking their
donations) than with lo(e or respect descending fro, the <eity a$o(e'
- ,ean) why would lo(ing God create a place of eternal tor,ent) and
allow conditions and rules to e5ist where e(en one of his $elo(ed
creations is da,ned to go there fore(er; -t is so clearly a de(ice to
scare people into $elie(ing EOH> specific $rand of religion) that it is
sha,eful' &o if Hell e5ists) then - do not want to honor the God that
would do that to his creations' And if Hell does not e5ist) then what
)3
other Christian teachings are si,ply recruit,ent and con(ersion tools;
?"I of the,; @"I of the,; ?""I of the,; - do not know) really M
and - do not care'
&o if Christians want to conde,n ,e to their Hell for $elie(ing in
different Gods M Gods ,y Ancestors worshiped for ?"""2s of years
prior to Christianity M then - a, willing to accept that' - will not $e
$ullied into following their God) or their concept of God'
- suspect that after death) - will end up in Hel .one *0) sitting on a
$ench in ,y Ancestors hall' +he only fire will $e the cook fire for
roasting the pork' - a, not sure that is e5actly what the afterlife will
$e like) $ut that would $e enough for ,e' 3ut) - ha(e a life to
li(e'''and that is ,y focus right now' -2ll deal with the afterlife when -
get there'
'EATIN" THE
CHRISTIAN ADDICTION
-2(e seen se(eral Heathenry ?"? $ooklets and articles that ,ade a lot
of co,parisons $etween Heathenry and Christianity' +his $rings to
,ind the /uestion) O-sn2t Heathenry rich enough and co,plete enough
that we can descri$e it without ha(ing to co,pare and contrast it with
Christianity;O
- would strongly answer) Ees' Heathenry is an enor,ously rich way
of life) full of history) and *ore) and poetry) and ,eaning' -ts way of
(iewing the physical world is practical and lifeDe,$racing' -ts way of
(iewing our relationship with the Gods is positi(e and enriching' -ts
(iew of how we are connected with our Ancestors is war, and
,eaningful' -ts recognition of the Caettir is natural and healthy) and
gi(es us so,e perspecti(e a$out the world around us that ,ost people
are ,issing' +he (arious concepts within Heathenry gi(e us plenty to
,entally chew on' :yrd' Orlog' Oaths' *uck' &y,$els' Fainings'
+he Folk &oul' +he Bine :orlds' On and on'
&o) should so,eone lea(ing Christianity for Heathenry need a lot of
crutches and transitional ,echanis,s to ,ake the transition easier;
&hould we coddle the Christian $aggage the new person $rings with
the,) or should we guide the, through the process of a$andoning
))
that $aggage at the door; -s Christianity so Oaddicti(eO that the
transition process to Heathenry needs to $e difficult or Ohelped alongO
with transitional de(ices that are ai,ed ,ore at Christian $aggage
than at actual Heathen $eliefs; *et2s turn the /uestion in the first
paragraph on its head a little $it'''
>4snt %eathenry rich enough and co$plete enough that
we can transition to it without ha;ing to borrow beliefs
and practices fro$ Christianity?>
+o this /uestion - answer strongly) Ees) as $efore'
Christianity is so,ething ,any of us were indoctrinated with fro,
$irth' +his ,akes it difficult to shed all of our Christian thoughtD
processes and ha$its' - do not see Christianity as an addiction) as
,uch as a $ad pattern of thought and $eha(ior well worth $reaking'
Christianity is a crutch or weakness we need to grow $eyond'
&peaking with a friend) we
Loked that perhaps Christianity
is Bicotine gu,) and Heathenry
is that $ig $eautiful first
cigarette when you ha(e not
s,oked one in a while' Perhaps
Christianity is the aspirin for a
caffeineDheadache) while
Heathenry is that first iceDcold
CocaDCola or rich dark cup of
coffee when you2(e $een off the
stuff for awhile' Perhaps
Christianity is &plenda) and
Heathenry is that $ig ,oist
piece of chocolate cake you eat)
and all the wonderful feelings
that co,e afterward'
Essentially) once one feels the
strong ancestral connection with
our Folkway) Christianity takes
on an un,istaka$le hollow)
unnatural feeling'
For ,e personally) it was easy to transition fro, the ,ess that is
Christianity) with all its dog,atic guiltD,ongering and fearD$ased
$rainDwashing' -t was easy to lea(e $ehind the a$andon,ent of
physical enLoy,ent) the conde,nation of lifeDaffir,ing action) and all
the pathetic hypocrites hiding in e(ery church pew' Honestly) it is hard
)8
Eggdrasil
for ,e to see how transitioning fro, the utterly (acant soulDeating
darkness of Christianity to the (ital power) and +ru rightness of
Heathenry would $e that $ig a $urden for anyone'
- will not taint ,y Heathenry with Christian $aggage to aid others in
transitioning fro, that sad foreign religion that has afflicted our Folk
for o(er a ?)""" years' :e should spend ,ore ti,e teaching new$ies
all the a,aFing things a$out Heathenry) and less ti,e coddling their
Christian $aggage' *ea(e the $aggage at the door) and e,$race your
ancestral strea, wholeDheartedly' At least that is ,y way of thinking'
#ON" TI&E HEATHENS
AND NEW HEATHENS
- ha(e a lot of respect for those that ha(e $een Heathen longer than
,e'''as long as their deeds) acco,plish,ents) and9or knowledge
,atch the ti,e they2(e had to work on it' - tend to respect actions
and success) and not si,ply
words and the tenure that
co,es with si,ply ha(ing $een
Heathen a nu,$er of years'
*ongDti,e Heathens will often
see new Heathens) with fireDinD
theirD$elly) and feel the need to
tell the, to slow down'
+here is a tendency within
Heathenry for longDti,e
Heathens to sort of $eat new
Heathens o(er the head with
their newness' - a, not sure
if they feel threatened) or
perhaps they ha(e had so,e
disappoint,ents in their own
efforts) and want to warn the
new Heathens' - think longD
ti,e Heathens would $e $etter
ser(ed $y gi(ing new Heathens constructi(e ad(ice' Constructi(e
input' Constructi(e guidance' Heathenry has a lot to gain fro, $oth
the knowledge and wisdo, of e5perience) $ut it also has a lot to gain
):
Falkyries
fro, the energy and fire within new Heathens'
-f you are a new Heathen) listen to the ad(ice you recei(e fro, longD
ti,e Heathens' +hey ha(e $een there) and done that' +hey ha(e
tried things you ha(e not e(en thought of yet) and they can gi(e you
(alua$le input on what works and what doesn2t work' At the (ery
least) they can infor, you of the pitfalls to a(oid'
3ut new Heathens) re,e,$er that Heathens Ludge a ,an2s worth on
what he has <OBE' :hat are his deeds; Ad(ice fro, a longDti,e
Heathen with no kindred) no tri$e) no acco,plish,ents'''should $e
looked at closely' -s the ad(ice really so,ething worth following;
&o,eti,es it is M $ut so,eti,es their ad(ice represents the e5act
path that led the longDti,e heathen to ha(e no kindred) no tri$e) and
no real acco,plish,ents' +hat ,ay sound harsh to the ,odern
person) $ut it is the reality of the world'
DIFFERIN" $IEWS
WITHIN HEATHENRY
Our Ancestors held (aried $eliefs' :idely different $eliefs' +hese
$eliefs differed o(er ti,e) fro, region to region) and e(en (illage to
(illage' +hese $eliefs differed fro, social class to social class' :e
know there were core (alues) and core $eliefs that we can pull fro,
that great di(ersity M si,ilarities and parallels that can $e su$Lecti(ely
identified' 3ut there was no central authority) no allDenco,passing
OHoly 3ook with all the answers)O and no unifying dog,a to follow' At
least) not to the degree we see today with ,ost ,odern religions'
+oday) as we learn and study our Ancestors) and atte,pt to li(e as
Heathens'''we face the sa,e circu,stances' :e hold differing $eliefs'
+here are regional differences' +here are differences in what historical
ti,e period or what region we look to for our pri,ary influences M
differences in how we interpret the archeology and the *ore' For
,odern Heathenry there is no central authority) no allDenco,passing
OHoly 3ook with all the answers)O and no unifying dog,a to follow'
Bow) - a, not one of those O:hy can2t we all Lust get along)O type of
people' - a, pretty direct and do not ,ind a spirited e5change of
ideas' 3ut as -2(e ,ade contact with the other Heathens fro, around
)7
the country onDline) so,e of the, see, to ha(e a need for all
Heathens to $elie(e the sa,e things M and (iew Heathenry in the
sa,e way' Fre/uently) when two Heathens do not $elie(e the sa,e
things) their onDline con(ersations see, to descend into what appears
to $e disgust with each other'''anger and disgust' Bow - know this is
fairly typical for how hu,ans interact on the internet) $ut it is entirely
counterproducti(e'
- do not see this approach to religion as Heathen in its nature at all' -
see it as so,ething left o(er fro, the %iddleDEastern religions
.Christians) 1ews) %usli,s0) in that these religions conde,n those that
$elie(e differently) and put ,uch of their efforts into religious
con(ersion M either peacefully or $y force' -f we know that our
Ancestors $elie(ed in ,any (aried ways) then why would we not
accept other ,odern Heathens $elie(ing in ways that (ary fro, our
own;
Eou will see this issue co,e up in se(eral for,s' People will declare
that other people are not Heathen $ecause they do not $elie(e
e5actly as they do' People will so,eti,es call for a ,o(e,ent to
,ake all of our $eliefs and approaches to our Folkway ,ore
consistent' :hat is usually not ,entioned) is that when they say
,ore consistent) they usually ,ean ,ore consistent with how they
do things' +he person pushing for consistency usually has no real
interest in changing how they do things'''only in changing how you do
things' -t would $e ,y ad(ice to ,istrust those that declare others
not Heathen $ased on ,inutia and religious details) and to ,istrust
efforts to unify) consolidate) or ,ake our $elief syste, ,ore
consistent'
- go $ack to the first paragraph of this essay' Our Ancestors held
widely differing $eliefs) when it ca,e to the details' %odern Heathens
need to learn how to $e co,forta$le with the fact that the strength of
our way of life will not co,e fro, uni(ersal) nationDwide or worldDwide
consistency M $ut instead fro, strong tri$es esta$lishing local tri$al
$eliefs) traditions) and practices that work well for their own people'
:hile Heathenry can $enefit fro, so,e regional and e(en national
unityDofDpurpose'''there is no real $enefit to suppressing local tri$al
$eliefs) traditions) and practices in fa(or of an o(erDarching unifying
dog,a'
)9
FOR&S OF
CO&&UNICATION
*et2s $e clear' Eou will not find Oreal HeathenryO onDline' Heathenry is
a$out co,,unity) gathering as a people) shaking a ,an or wo,an2s
hand) looking the, in the eye) hearing their (oice) telling stories) and
getting to know each other' -t is letting your kids play together'
*etting your spouses get to know each other' -t is a$out laughing at
du,$ Lokes) and telling stories fro, your life' -t is a$out ,ingling
:yrd M and taking the ,easure of another person and finding the, of
worth'
3ut due to our few nu,$ers'''and due
to the OeaseO of using the internet)
,any are forced .or choose0 to fall
$ack on onDline Heathenry' OnDline
Heathenry consists of eDlists) ,essage
$oards) socialDnetworking sites) etc'
OnDline) other people are Lust pi5els on
the screen' +hey are toneless)
conte5tDa$sent words on a screen' Bo
eyeDcontact' Bo knowledge of the
person2s real life'''only their onDline
persona' OnDline Heathenry is not
Heathenry' -t is rife with trolls' >ife with fakes and decei(ers' -t does
not directly ad(ance our Folk' -t only ser(es to increase the nu,$er of
people sitting in front of co,puters staring at a screen'
Ees) the internet is an a,aFing co,,unication tool' -t ,akes sharing
infor,ation and finding people easier' -t is not $ad for staying in
touch) generally' 3ut the internet should $e used in support of face to
face relationships $etween Heathens) not replace those face to face
relationships'
&o) this see,s like co,,on sense'''$ut there is an order of priority for
the sorts of co,,unication you should seek with other Heathens:
31 FACE #O FACE D For all of the reasons listed a$o(e) you should
seek out face to face contact with other Heathens' Find a 4indred or
Heathen group with which to ,eet' -f there isn2t a group in your area
M start one' +ra(el to ,eet Heathens in neigh$oring co,,unities) or
contact the, and offer the, hospitality at your ho,e' <o e(erything
you can to co,,unicate directly with other Heathens $oth locally and
regionally'
)+
Face to face co,,unication ,akes people co,,unicate ,ore
honestly' %ore directly' And there is none of the OinternetD$ra(eryO
that see,s to occur when you put a person in front of a key$oard'
People consider their words and the i,pact of those words ,ore fully
when co,,unicating face to face' Plus) the $onds that tie people
together really only for, properly
when you co,,unicate face to
face'
-f so,eone does so,ething to
anger you or concern you) talking
to the, face to face a$out it
increases the chances that the
disagree,ent will not escalate or
grow into an o(erDinflated
pro$le,'
)1 O6,#%E,P%O6E D -f you
can2t talk to so,eone face to
face) pick up your phone and call
the,' On the phone) at least
there is an i,,ediate $ackDandD
forth to the co,,unication' %ost
of the OinternetD$ra(eryO that
,akes people type ,ean stupid
things is gone .though - suppose there is so,ething called OtelephoneD
$ra(ery'O0 Eou get to hear the tone of their (oice' Eou know when
they are serious) and you know when they are Lust O$usting your
$alls'O
-f so,eone does so,ething to anger or concern you) picking up the
phone is not as good as a face to face ,eeting' 3ut a phone call is a
?"" ti,es $etter than trying to resol(e the pro$le, using these ne5t
two for,s of co,,unication'''
81 E,MA4L D An eD,ail is /uick and easy' Eou type it up and fire it off'
3ut there is no $ackDandDforth to the co,,unication M at least not in
an i,,ediate way' +he only $ackDandDforth is in huge $locks of
infor,ation .the te5t of the the entire eD,ail0) not a $ackDandDforth
a$out indi(idual co,,ents or pieces of infor,ation'
ED,ails are $lind' +here is no face to look at' Bo (oice to listen to'
Bo tone) no laughter .O*O*O does not count) $ecause this can
so,eti,es denote sarcas,'0 ED,ails are great for O$usinessDorientedO
co,,unication' +hey are great for in(iting people to so,ething)
asking an infor,ational /uestion) or helping organiFe or plan an e(ent'
)<
3ut they work poorly for ,aking actual connections $etween people'
-f so,eone does so,ething to anger or concern you) an eD,ail is not
the proper way to addresses it' 3ut) at least a direct eD,ail is pri(ate'
At least you are not Ofla,ingO the person pu$licly .unless you CC or
3CC a $unch of people0' For these reasons) eD,ail is $etter M Lust
$arely M than our last for, of co,,unication''''
:1 MESSA&E !OA=(S H E,L4S#S D %essage $oards are pu$lic) $ut
they are farDre,o(ed fro, face to face co,,unication' Eou can2t
identify sarcas, on a ,essage $oard' +here are no (isual or auditory
clues as to what a person really ,eans or the tone of their post'
People can $e anything they want on the internet' +hey can $e a ?6D
yearDold pi,plyDfaced teenager sitting in his parents $ase,ent) $ut
atte,pting to co,e across as a 6"DyearDold scholar with a successful
Lo$ and a fa,ily' O3rokenO people can appear whole on the
internet'''at least for a little while'
-f so,eone does so,ething to anger or concern you) posting to the,
or a$out the, on a ,essage $oard or an eDlist is the worst for, of
co,,unication to use' Eou are Ofla,ingO the, in pu$lic' +hey usually
feel forced to Ofla,eO you right $ack' +he s,allest pro$le, can inflate
into a huge ,ess' Eou can $e assured that other people will (iew this
dra,a fro, the outside) and shake their heads in disgust' Other folks
will Lu,p in) ha(e their say) and take their shots M and the conflict will
grow'
OnDline Heathenry is not Heathenry' +he $est way to resol(e
pro$le,s) and to get to know and for, connections with another
person is face to face co,,unication'
So what about our website/ heathengods1co$?
:e ha(e worked hard to keep heathengods'co, a positi(e resource for
new Heathens to co,e and learn a$out Heathenry' -t is a place we
hope e5perienced Heathens will co,e) and discuss the *ore) our Gods)
their Ancestors) and Caettir) and their own local Heathen $eliefs' 3ut
we also espouse a (ery actionDoriented way of life'
:e tell people to find) Loin) or start 4indreds or Heathen groups' :e
encourage people to start their own groups) and use the we$site as a
resource in these realDlife efforts'
Heathengods'co, is not Heathenry' -t is not a su$stitute for face to
face local and regional gathering' - would $e (ery disappointed to
hear that $ecause so,eone regularly (isited and posted on our
)-
we$site) that they felt they did not need to $e in(ol(ed in
strengthening) or starting) their own local co,,unity'
Heathengods'co, is si,ply a resource to help people find their way
Oho,eO'''and a resource for those atte,pting to start and grow their
own local co,,unities' :e want to $e clear a$out the fact that e(en
our own we$site is not Heathenry'
HINO)S%%%
HEATHENS IN NA&E ON#Y
+here is a ter, for a >epu$lican politician) who holds (ery few
Conser(ati(e pointsDofD(iew' +hey are so,eti,es called >-BO2s for
>epu$lican in Ba,e Only' Al,ost always) they are called this as an
insult'
On se(eral occasions) - ha(e used the ter, H-BO on ,essage
$oards'''referring to Heathens who are Heathen in Ba,e Only' +his
essay will atte,pt to define the ter,'
First) let ,e say that - do not see the ter, as ha(ing anything to do
with Folkish or Hni(ersalist positions' - a, Folkish) $ut - a, not one
of those Heathens that says that Heathens that hold different pointsD
ofD(iew than - do are so,ehow Onot Heathen'O Our Ancestors held
8*
So$e of the %eathens at Midwest #hing in )**-
,any different pointsDofD(iew a$out life and how to honor the Gods)
their Ancestors) and the Caettir' -t is not up to ,e to declare so,eone
loyal to our Gods and their Ancestors) as Onot Heathen'O Hnless they
are doing so,ething truly against Heathen (alues or ways) it is Lust
not ,y role to say that a$out so,eone'
A Heathen in Ba,e Only) does (ery little $ut call hi,self9herself a
OHeathen'O +hey see, to like the sound of the la$el) or the OideaO of
$eing Heathen' 3ut when it co,es to
practicing our way of life) learning ,ore
a$out it) or gathering with other Heathens M
they do nothing' +hey literally do nothing
that is Heathen) e5cept for call the,sel(es
OHeathen'O
P=AC#4C46& O0= 'AE OF L4FE
A H-BO does not li(e $y the Bine Bo$le
Cirtues) or $y other Heathen (alues' +hey
forget that we are our deeds) and their
Heathenry takes the for, of words only'
+hey forget that when you inLure or hurt
so,eone else) you ,ust fi5 it or pay for it M
and instead they are constantly apologiFing
for $ad $eha(ior .often repeating the $ad
$eha(ior a short ti,e later0' +hey do not
understand the Heathen concept of :yrd
and carefully considering those you
associate with' +hey do not understand the
Heathen idea of a Gift for a Gift) and all that
entails'
A H-BO says they are loyal to our Gods) $ut
they rarely honor the, or gift the,' +hey
say they respect and honor their Ancestors)
$ut they ne(er take actions to show that
respect' +hey think (ery infre/uently) if at
all) a$out the Caettir) and do nothing to
connect with the, and for, relationships
with the,' +hey do not sy,$el' +hey do
not hold $lots or fainings' +hey do not gift
their Gods) Ancestors) or the Caettir'
A H-BO e5presses worry that teaching
Heathenry to their children ,ight not $e a
positi(e thing to do' +hey are all o(er the
83
internet calling the,sel(es OHeathen)O $ut al,ost no one that knows
the, in real life knows they are Heathen M regardless of how long they
ha(e clai,ed to $e OHeathen'O
LEA=646& A6( =EA(46&
A H-BO says he9she is OHeathen)O $ut ,any of the, ha(e ne(er read
the Poetic and Prose Eddas' E(en if they ha(e) they read (ery little
$eyond it' &o,e H-BO2s read nothing a$out Heathenry) and know
(ery little a$out Heathenry) $ut they2(e read ,any >une $ooks'''and
that see,s to $e the only part of our religion or way of life that they
acti(ely pursue'
:hen a H-BO is confronted with a Heathen topic they ha(e not learned
a$out yet) they fake their way through it or change the su$Lect' +hey
cling to their ignorance and ,isconceptions) $ecause it is easier than
reaching out and ,aking the effort to learn ,ore'
&A#%E=46& '4#% O#%E= %EA#%E6S
+here are people) li(ing ,ostly in rural areas of our country) with no
Heathens within hours and hours of the,' - understand why these
Heathens do not or cannot gather regularly with other Heathens' 3ut -
know good Heathens who li(e in rural areas who ha(e reached out
through national organiFations or eDlists) and found Heathens within 8
or 6 hours of the,' +hey then tra(el to (isit the, and get to know
the,' A H-BO would ne(er do that'
A H-BO will ha(e a 4indred within ?@ ,inutes of hi,9her) $ut the H-BO
ne(er goes to Open E(ents' +hey ne(er ,ake an effort to get off their
couch and take a chance at ,eeting other Heathens' +hey gather with
Heathens onDline only) and ne(er ,ake the effort to ,ake face to face
connections and e5perience Heathenry away fro, their co,puter'
EIAMPLES 46 M46(
- ha(e had so,e frustrating e5periences with people - think /ualify as
H-BO2s' O(er the first year of our 4indredDefforts in 4ansas City) - had
at least fi(e different people eD,ail ,e) saying $asically) O- a, so
thrilled to find other Heathens in 4ansas City'''this is a fulfill,ent of a
drea, for ,e' - cannot wait to ,eet you all) and $eco,e in(ol(ed'
+his has changed ,y life finding that there is a 4indred in ,y areaP -
wish - had found you soonerPO
- a, not e5aggerating the tone of their ,essages to ,e' +hen - ne(er
got to ,eet the,' - ne(er heard fro, the, again' - e,ailed the,
8)
$ack) and they either ,ade e5cuses for not showing up or did not
e,ail ,e $ackP +hey Lust disappeared off the face of the earth)
without e(er ha(ing wandered outside of their house'
3eyond these fi(e) there ha(e $een at least twenty ,ore OHeathensO in
our area) who Loined our %eetup or our ,essage $oard) e5pressing
their great interest in co,,itting the,sel(es ,ore fully to Heathenry)
and then they ne(er ,ade a ,o(e' +hey ne(er showed up' +hey also
Lust faded into the $ackground without e(er ha(ing shown up'
Bow) - know life is $usy M that is a co,,on e5cuse' 3ut ,y life is
$usy as well' - ha(e a fullDti,e Lo$) a !nd offDduty Lo$ for e5tra
,oney) a wife) threeDkids) and - a, (ery acti(e in acti(ities and
ho$$ies away fro, Heathenry' Co,ing to one e(ent M one ! or 8 hour
e(ent M is not going to crush anyone2s schedule' -t2s Lust not' +hat
e5cuse does not work with ,e'
'%A# S%O0L( EO0 (O?
Bow) if you read this essay) and you recogniFe yourself in so,e of
these words'''know that - was not speaking a$out EOH specifically'
3ut) if you do recogniFe yourself in so,e of these words) you ha(e a
choice:
31 Eou can get really ,ad and defensi(e that - would write such a
post' OHow dare he say thisPO Eou can Lustify why you are partially or
co,pletely in H-BO ,ode) and decide that - a, a ,ean Lerk who
doesn2t know what he2s talking a$out'''or that Ohe doesn2t understand
,y situation'O Or'''
88
%and,Car;ed #hors %a$$er111fro$ #iger 'ood
)1 Eou can start practicing what you preach' Honor and gift your
Gods) your Ancestors) and the Caettir' >ead and learn as ,uch as you
can a$out your chosen way of life' *ook for Heathens in your area
.e(en if it is only one other Heathen'''or e(en if you ha(e to dri(e a
few hours0) and gather with
the, now and again'
:hat you do) is up to you' -f
you choose to get ,ad and
defensi(e at what is said in
this essay) then that says
,uch ,ore a$out you than it
does a$out ,e' - ha(e $ig
shoulders'''- a, sure -2ll
sur(i(e your anger' -f you
choose to ,ore seriously
pursue Heathenry in a
dedicated fashion) then) really
M it is you that will $enefit the
,ost'

&O$IN" FRO& THE *NEW+
TO THE *#ASTIN"+
Bew Heathens .hereafter referred to as OBew$iesO0 often co,e to
Heathenry with a large a,ount of enthusias, and passion' Asatru is
new to the,' +hey feel the incredi$le e,otion of Oco,ing ho,e)O and
feeling like they ha(e finally found so,ething they can $elie(e in
wholeDheartedly' +hey ha(e found a way of life that finally ,akes all
the pieces fall into place' +hey Loin eDlists) they get in(ol(ed on
,essage $oards) they seek out or help start 4indreds' +hey are filled
with o(erwhel,ing energy for honoring their Gods) Ancestors) and the
Caettir'
3ut o(er ti,e) ,any of these Bew$ies lose that initial spark' +heir
enthusias, and passion $egin to wane' +he incredi$le e,otions
in(ol(ed in Oco,ing ho,eO see, to fade' +hey can $eco,e
disillusioned) disappointed) frustrated) and ,any fall away fro,
Asatru' &o,e of the, return to the faith of their up$ringing while
others ,o(e on to another Pagan religion) for which they show the
8:
sa,e initial enthusias, they showed for Asatru'
:hy does this happen;
- would liken it to ro,antic relationships' Early in a relationship) there
is a freshness to it D a newness M that lends itself to intense e,otion)
enthusias,) and passion' -n a new relationship) e(erything is e5citing'
+here is a honey,oon period where you can2t get enough of the other
person' Eou want to spend e(ery ,inute with the,) learn all a$out
the,) and i,press the,' Eou focus all of your attention and ti,e on
pleasing the,'
3ut o(er ti,e) lo(e ,atures) and there are two paths to go down:
+he first path is the path of a$andon,ent) in an unending chase for
that early passion' As the newness and e5cite,ent fades) rather than
$eco,ing co,forta$le and $uilding so,ething ,eaningful and lasting)
you walk away' Eou seek fresh relationships o(er and o(er with
different people) in an atte,pt to prolong or ,aintain a le(el of
$rilliant $ut shallow e5cite,ent M that feeling of newness' +his is the
selfish and i,,ature way to approach ro,antic relationships'
+he second path is the path to a lasting relationship' As the newness
fades) a co,fort and security should de(elop' Eou truly know the
other person) and you work at keeping and ,aintaining your $onds
with the,' Eou see (alue in the other person and your connection
with the,) and instead of $eing dri(en $y e5cite,ent and passion) the
relationship $eco,es ,ore co,ple5' Eou work at growing together)
rather than growing apart' +his is the ,ature way to approach
ro,antic relationships'
Bew$ies to Heathenry) ha(e
two paths to choose fro,
when their initial enthusias,
and passion $egin to fade'
+hey can either walk away) in
an unending chase for that
early passion so,ewhere
else) or they can ,ature into
a le(el of co,fort) $uilding
so,ething ,eaningful and
lasting' +hey can seek to
prolong or ,aintain a le(el of
$rilliant $ut shallow
e5cite,ent) $y skipping fro,
religion to religion) or they
87
Frigga
can work at it) and de(elop depth and co,ple5ity in their faith' +hey
can selfishly and childishly keep chasing the ne5t new thing) or they
can ,ature and grow within Heathenry'
:e li(e in a disposa$le society' Our popular culture has the attention
span of a ?@Dsecond sound $ite) or a 8"Dsecond co,,ercial' Friends
co,e and go' Co,,it,ents co,e and go' %arriages co,e and go'
1o$s and careers co,e and go' - think we see this sa,e attitude and
approach with those Bew$ies to Heathenry that co,e onto the scene
with the energy of a $urning sun) and Lust a year or two later M they
are gone'
- a, a relati(e Bew$ie at the ti,e - a, writing this) ha(ing first heard
a$out Asatru in 1une of !""7 and fully co,,itting to Asatru in 1une of
!""=' 3ut - know the path - a, going to take regarding ,y
in(ol(e,ent in Asatru and 1otun2s 3ane 4indred' -t is the sa,e path -
took with ,y ,arriage and the sa,e path - took with ,y career' - will
,ature in ,y faith' - will grow in depth and knowledge' As the
e5cite,ent and freshness of Oco,ing ho,eO fades) - will work to
replace it with ,oti(ations $ased on so,ething ,eaningful) deep) and
lasting'
-f you are a Bew$ie and reading this) which path will you take;
89
!rody/ Mark/ &unnar/ and Sarah
SECTION two
',-ld-ng a
k-nd.ed o. t.-be
8+
WHY START A (INDRED
Perhaps you are new to Heathenry) and you ha(e not gathered with
other Heathens $efore' Or you are a longDti,e Heathen) and you2(e
e5perienced failed 4indredD3uilding efforts in the past' -n order to
$uild a new 4indred) one has to ha(e a clear understanding of why you
are doing it' 3uilding a 4indred is e5tre,ely rewarding) $ut it takes a
lot of work and there will $e challenges' -f you are confident in why
you are starting the 4indred) your confidence will carry you through'
Confidence and deter,ination are contagious' Other Heathens you
contact and encounter during your 4indredD3uilding process will $e
drawn to your (ision and purpose' &o) let2s e5a,ine the (alue of the
Heathen 4indred'
ASA#=0 4S A!O0# COMM064#E
Heathenry is clearly focused on our Gods) our Ancestors) and the
Caettir' 3ut it is also a$out Fa,ily) Co,,unity) and our Folk'
:hen - say co,,unity) - do not ,ean
the strangers that li(e in accidental
pro5i,ity to us' - ,ean the OHeathen
Co,,unities)O including loosely the
indi(idual Heathens) Hearths)
4indreds) and +ri$es that surround us
in our local area' 3y pulling your local
Heathen co,,unity together) and
working to grow and strengthen it)
e(ery Heathen in that co,,unity will
$enefit' :hen you are a group rather
than an indi(idual) your *uck and
talents $eco,e ,ore than the su, of
your indi(idual efforts' +he group ,ingles :yrd and de(elops
collecti(e *uck and Gefrain' +he group $eco,es an engine of
,o(ing parts all working together to acco,plish so,ething greater
than what any indi(idual part could acco,plish on its own' -t is Lust a
si,ple fact that you get $etter results fro, your personal efforts and
the practice of your Folkway when you ha(e a group assisting and
supporting you'
O6,L46E %EA#%E6=E 4S 6O# %EA#%E6=E
+here are solitary Heathens that spend ,ore ti,e on eDlists) ,essage
$oards) and the internet than they do on trying to ,eet with other
Heathens face to face' +he pro$le, with is that you will not find Oreal
8<
#he 6orns
HeathenryO onDline' Heathenry is a$out co,,unity) gathering as a
people) shaking a ,an or wo,an2s hand) looking the, in the eye)
hearing their (oice) telling stories) getting to know each other' -t is
letting your kids play together' *etting your spouses get to know each
other' -t is a$out laughing at du,$ Lokes) and telling stories fro, your
life' -t is a$out learning together) co,paring notes) and collecti(e
effort' -t is a$out ,ingling :yrd'''and taking the ,easure of another
person) and finding the, of worth'
<ue to our few nu,$ers and also to the OeaseO of using the internet)
,any are forced M or choose M to fall $ack on soDcalled onDline
Heathenry) on the (arious eDlists and ,essage $oards' 3ut onDline)
other people are Lust pi5els on the screen' +he con(ersations are
,ade up of toneless) conte5tDa$sent words on a screen' Bo eyeD
contact' Bo knowledge of the person2s realDlife) only their onDline
persona' OnDline Heathenry is si,ply not Heathenry' -t is rife with
trolls' >ife with fakes and decei(ers' >ife with ,eaningless electronic
conflict' OnDline Heathenry does little to grow a healthy (i$rant
Heathen Folk' -t does howe(er increase the nu,$er of people sitting
in front of co,puters) staring at a screen'
Other than networking and sharing infor,ation) what does onDline
Heathenry acco,plish; :hat do long de$ates and argu,ents on an eD
list actually create; +he internet is an a,aFing way to e5change
infor,ation and find other Heathens' 3ut it is not) in and of itself) a
way to honor our Gods' -t is not a way to grow and ad(ance
Heathenry' -t is not a ,ethod $y which we can practice or sustain our
way of life'
SOL4#A=E/ !ECA0SE EO0 %AFE #O !E
Bow) it is true that so,e people are e5tre,ely intro(erted) and are
unco,forta$le in a group setting' 3ut this is an inclination that should
$e dealt with) and potentially o(erco,e' -t is e5tre,ely li,iting to go
it alone in this world' A solitary Heathen) to so,e degree) is una$le
to grow and ad(ance the cause of Heathenry'
-t is co,pletely understanda$le for a Heathen to $e solitary) as long as
they ha(e tried M and are continuing to try M to ,eet other Heathens
of worth in their area' 3ut settling for or choosing to $e a solitary
Heathen has a negati(e i,pact on $oth the indi(idual and the greater
Heathen co,,unity' +he $enefits of $eing an acti(e part of a Heathen
group) kindred) tri$e) or co,,unity are so powerful and co,pelling)
that the idea of settling for $eing solitary) or e(en deciding proacti(ely
to re,ain solitary) is al,ost inco,prehensi$le'
8-
+he indi(idual and co,,unity $enefits of learning and growing within
Heathenry are enor,ous and co,pelling' Associating) ,eeting with)
studying with) faining9$loting with) and holding sy,$el with other
Heathens facilitates faster learning and growth' Eou can co,pare
ideas) ha(e face to face con(ersations) socially interact with other
Heathens) all in a HeathenDfashion' +he tri$al aspects of getting
along) helping each other) and de(eloping local tradition are (ery
rewarding and instructi(e' :hat sounds good on paper) in a $ook) or
on a ,essage $oard can $e altogether different fro, what works in
practice'
+he collecti(e *uck of a group of +ru
Heathens is ,uch ,ore than the su, of
their indi(idual *uck' +hat *uck can
acco,plish al,ost anything when they
are interacting a,ong the,sel(es and
with the outside world in a +ru ,anner'
:hen they are working hard towards
their goals indi(idually and as a group)
al,ost nothing is out of reach' +he
things a s,all group of Heathens can
acco,plish is astounding'
Bothing $eats'''
'''knowing that the ,e,$ers of your
4indred ha(e your $ack'
'''watching your children play with other Heathen children'
'''gathering at a 4indred ,e,$er2s ho,e) and ,aking ,ead or
working on other crafts with a group of likeD,inded people'
'''getting together regularly to read fro, the Ha(a,al or Coluspa'''and
discussing the ,eaning of the *ore together'
'''ha(ing friends that know what a gift ,eans' Or the (alue of
hospitality'
'''gathering with these friends and lo(ed ones) and honoring the Gods
together as a group'
'''gathering with other Heathens for &y,$el) and ,ingling :yrd'
>aising a horn to your Gods) heroes) and Ancestors' 3oasting of your
acco,plish,ents and ,aking Oaths regarding what you are going to
work hard to acco,plish'
:*
0llr
'''ha(ing your children know and see for the,sel(es that there are
others that $elie(e as you do) and that you are not alone in your
loyalty to our Elder 4in'
'''$eing contacted $y a new Heathen) and helping the, find their way
$ack to our ancestral ways'
'''co,paring notes on so,e of the crafts you are in(ol(ed in) or
learning new crafts .,etal working) knitting) wood car(ing) wea(ing)
wood $urning) etc'0 fro, another 4indred ,e,$er'
'''gathering together to plan so,ething $ig' &o,ething that will ,ean
a lot for Heathenry in your region' Planning and working to ,ake that
happen) together'
As you read this) there are solitary Heathens that are working hard to
gather Heathens in their area' +hey ha(e not gi(en up) and will ne(er
gi(e up on the idea of esta$lishing and growing a Heathen co,,unity
in their area) e(en if it is a co,,unity ,ade up of only two Heathens'
+here are solitary Heathens that ha(e not $een a$le to find local
Heathens) so they tra(el to regional gatherings and ,oots) and this is
how they e5perience that face to face contact with other Heathens'
E(en with this regional contact) they continue to work at for,ing a
local co,,unity'
&o) if you are a solitary Heathen and reading this) think of the
possi$ilities' *et the seeds $e planted in your ,ind regarding the clear
$enefits of $eing an acti(e part of for,ing or i,pro(ing a local
Heathen co,,unity' -f you will not do it) who will;
:3
'REA(IN" INERTIA
INTERA##Y / E0TERNA##Y
+he hardest part of for,ing any group is o(erco,ing -BE>+-A M and
for those of us that did not pay enough attention in high school science
class M the definition:
4nertia@ A property of $atter that causes it to resist
changes in speed or direction J;elocityK1
People ha(e -nertia too' +hey ha(e ha$its) patterns of acti(ity) people
they are used to $eing around) places they are co,forta$le going) and
topics they are willing to talk a$out' -t is hard to change a person2s
Ospeed and direction'O 1ust like ,atter) people OresistO changes to what
they are doing and where they are headed'
&o) let2s esti,ate that there are a$out !" people in 4ansas City that
consider the,sel(es to $e OHeathenO or followers of the Asatru
religion' And let2s esti,ate that there are at least ?@" ,ore people
that are curious a$out the Borthern European Gods and ,ight $e
interested in Heathenry' Of all these people) there is a (ery s,all
,inority that will actually take steps in a new direction' And going to
,eetings) gathering with new people) and $eginning to $uild a
Heathen group or kindred /ualifies as a new direction'
Getting up off of your couch to go to a ,eeting is hard work' %eeting
and getting to know new people is not co,forta$le for ,any people'
For,ing new friendships takes ,ore trust than ,ost people are willing
to tentati(ely offer' And truly co,,itting to a $elief syste, or way of
life) e(en if you feel it is right for you) is a $ig deal'
&o the hardest part of for,ing) growing) and ,aintaining a kindred is
o(erco,ing -nertia' -t is sad) $ut ,any people ha(e personal -nertia
that keeps the, isolated) at ho,e) in front of the $oo$ tu$e) and not
fully co,,itted to their Gods) their Ancestors) and their Folk' 3ut) we
started with a s,all group of people that had o(erco,e that -nertia)
and who were willing to co,,it to each other within the $onds of a
4indred' :e hope that ser(es as a $eacon to those who are looking
for a way to co,,it to their Heathen $eliefs and are willing to accept a
Ochange in speed or directionO within their own life'
:)
STE!S TOWARDS
FOR&IN" A (INDRED
+here are ,any ways to start a new kindred or grow an e5isting one'
:e are not saying that the following steps are the only way to do so)
$ut they do represent what worked for us'
C=EA#E A 'E!S4#E O=
'E!,P=ESE6CE
Ha(ing a we$Dpresence is
(ery helpful in this day and
age' -t allows people to
find you' Eou can share
the purpose and details of
your effort on the internet
and ,ake e(ent
announce,ents to (isitors'
:ith eDlists) foru,s)
,essage $oards) and
socialDnetworking sites you
can generate con(ersations
and interest in what you
are trying to acco,plish' A
we$site does not) and
cannot) replace inDperson interaction $etween real people' 3ut it is a
key step in starting a group) kindred) or tri$e'

Our initial we$Dpresence was a %eetup'co, page' -t is a little
e5pensi(e at a$out R!" a ,onth) $ut it is easy and con(enient for
those that aren2t (ery we$Dsa((y' -t allows you to set up e(ents) add
an OA$outO page) and it sends out auto,ated re,inders for e(ents' -t
also ranks (ery high on Google and Eahoo searches' &o if a solitary
Heathen searches online for a group in their area) they are (ery likely
to find your %eetup'co, page' An additional $enefit is the fact that
there are usually Heathens in your area .or dri(ing distance0 waiting
for so,eone to start a %eetup'co, site' :hen - started ours) there
were ?A Heathens waiting for a %eetup'co, site here in 4ansas City'
<id they all show up at our first e(ent; <efinitely not' 3ut of the fi(e
initial ,e,$ers of our 4indred) three of the, found us through the
%eetup'co, site' Once our group was esta$lished) - pulled the
%eetup'co, page down) to sa(e ,oney' 3ut it ser(ed us well in the
$eginning'
:8
Facebook Page
-f we were starting our group today) - would likely ,ake a group on
Face$ook' Face$ook .at the ti,e of this writing0 has $eco,e the
predo,inant social networking we$site' For,ing a group on Face$ook
costs nothing and takes a$out ?" ,inutes' Hsing the (arious search
tools on Face$ook) and elsewhere you can $uild up the nu,$er of
,e,$ers of your Face$ook group) and send the, re,inders a$out
upco,ing e(ents) etc' Eou can also share photos) (ideo) and links
with the ,e,$ers of your group'
SE# 0P A F4=S# MEE#46&
:hen - decided to for, a kindred in 4ansas City) - did not know any
Heathens in ,y area and there was not an e5isting 4indred in ,y
area' -t took a lot of work on ,y part Lust to find one Heathen in ,y
area and get in touch with hi, $y e,ail' :e set our first ,eeting at
an Apple$ee2s) and - ,et with the one Heathen - had found a few
weeks $eforehand to discuss what we wanted to $uild and how we
wanted to $uild it' :e ,ade sure that first ,eeting was positi(e)
energetic) and organiFed' :e figured no one would co,e $ack if the
first ,eeting was $oring or disorganiFed'
Choosing the day) ti,e) and location of the first ,eeting is i,portant'
:e set ours on a &unday e(ening since this see,ed to $e ti,e of the
week when not ,uch was going on' :e chose a location with roo, for
e(eryone) and one that was /uiet enough that con(ersation could take
place easily' -f you choose a place that doesn2t ser(e food) then
pro(ide so,e food if possi$le' Eating a ,eal .or snacks0 together
helps $reak the ice'
P=OMO#E #%E MEE#46&
Eou ha(e to do ,ore than Lust set a ,eeting' Eou need to pro,ote it'
+o do this) set the ,eeting at least a ,onth in ad(ance' -f it is your
first ,eeting) there2s nothing wrong with setting it up to ! ,onths in
ad(ance' Put up signs at $ook stores and coffee shops) post a$out it
on eDlists) foru,s) ,essage $oards) and social networking sites where
you ,ight find interested parties' <o e(erything you can to let
e(eryone know' Eou ha(e nothing to lose) and e(erything to gain)
fro, getting creati(e with how you get the word out a$out your first
,eeting'
%ake it clear in your announce,ents and pro,otions e5actly what you
are looking for and what the ,eeting is a$out' -n all of our initial
pro,otional ,aterials we ,ade it clear we were looking for +ru
Heathens) and that this was not :icca or :iccaDtru' :e ,ade it clear
we wanted to honor the Borthern European Gods) our Ancestors) and
::
the Caettir in the ways our Ancestors honored the,' 3y letting
e(eryone know who you are atte,pting to gather at the ,eeting) you
ha(e a $etter chance of a(oiding conflicts and pro$le,s'
A# #%E MEE#46&
Eou know what they say a$out first i,pressions' +he first ,eeting will
$e a first i,pression situation for e(eryone' &o) co,,unicate clearly
and get e(erything across that you want to get across' Encourage a
tone at the ,eeting that will set the tone for the creation of your
group) kindred) or tri$e' %ake it clear where the group is headed) and
how deter,ined you are to get there' Pro(ide so,e useful infor,ation
and handouts a$out Asatru) in case people show up who are not
e5actly seasoned Heathens' A good thing to hand out is a list of
$ooks a$out Asatru that are good to read' Gather contact infor,ation
fro, e(eryone) including their na,e) phone nu,$er and address'
3efore the night is up) set or announce the date for the ne5t ,eeting'
:ork hard to ,ake sure e(eryone has fun) and has engaging
con(ersations a$out Asatru and the Gods'
A SEPA=A#E 'E!S4#E
:hile %eetup'co, or a Face$ook Group are great tools) we wanted our
own we$site' +his is so,ething you ,ight also want to consider as
things progress in your kindredD$uilding efforts' Eou want a we$site
that sets a tone for what you are working to $uild' Eou want a ,eans
to co,,unicate and share resources' *ook at other Asatru we$sites)
and write down so,e of the things you like' +hen o(er ti,e you can
$uild .or ha(e $uilt0 a we$site that is professional and infor,ati(e in
nature' -n the case of %eetup'co,) when you ,o(e to a con(entional
we$site you2ll $e sa(ing so,e ,oney ,aking that switch'
:7
Our First Sy$bel , Prior to For$ing J!"
EFE6#S111LO#S OF EFE6#S
&cheduled e(ents allow people to gather together) get to know each
other) and for, $onds' -f you are $uilding an oathed or co,,itted
kindred) then it is enor,ously i,portant that you get to know each
other well' Eou ha(e to talk to each other on the phone) eD,ail each
other) (isit each other2s ho,es) etc' >egularly scheduled e(ents are
another good way to ,ake sure the potential 4indred is getting
together fairly often' :e had Ha(a,al study groups' A &y,$el at a
park' A Faining at one of our ,e,$er2s ho,e' And we gathered
together for dinners and holidays' Honoring the Gods) our Ancestors)
and the Caettir are ,aLor parts of $eing a practicing Heathen' &o we
did this fre/uently) and still do'
As an esta$lished kindred) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred puts together its
schedule of e(ents a year in ad(ance' E(ery Bo(e,$er we gather
together) and plan the ne5t year2s e(ents' <oing this allows us to
approach the ne5t year in an organiFed fashion' :e include all of our
outDofDtown trips to (isit other kindreds in our region' :e include our
open e(ents .$oth pu$,oots and Fainings0) our study group sessions)
our Heathen ,o(ie nights) and our closed e(ents as well' -f planing a
year in ad(ance is too ,uch for you) then consider planning out 7
,onths in ad(ance'
OFFE= CLASSES A6(AO= 'O="S%OPS
%any people ha(e not heard of Asatru or Heathenry) or they ha(e a
,istaken or distorted (iew of what it is' 3y offering classes and
workshops on Asatru ?"?) the Gods) the Ancestors) the Caettir) and
the >unes) you can educate people a$out Asatru and raise interest in
Asatru in your area' +his can $e done $efore the for,ation of the
4indred to lay the groundwork and find potential 4indred ,e,$ers)
and it can also $e done once the 4indred is for,ed in order to grow
your 4indred and educate the pu$lic' +hese classes can $e offered at
local coffeeshops) newDage $ook stores) and e(en co,,unity colleges
in your area' Anywhere you can gather people together to listen and
learn'
46FOLFE EO0=SELF 46 EAC% O#%E=S L4FES
:e also in(ol(ed oursel(es in each others interests) fa,ilies) and li(es'
+his is a key step toward growing closer as a group and for,ing strong
$onds' *et2s say one of your ,e,$ers likes to hunt' &o,e or all of
the potential kindred ,e,$ers should go hunting or target shooting
with hi, or her' -f one of your ,e,$ers is the ,e,$er of a $and)
then potential ,e,$ers of your kindred should go to his9her shows) to
:9
show support' +he concept is si,ple' -f you like these people enough
to for, a Ofa,ilyO with the,) then you should $e willing to ,ake the
ti,e to hang out with the,) and learn a$out what interests the,'
+hey will in turn) learn a$out what interests you' O(er ti,e you2ll find
you ha(e a lot of co,,on interests) or de(elop a lot of co,,on
interests'
EL4M46A#E #%OSE EO0 CA6# CALL F=4E6(
+o for, a 4indred'''take Oaths) &y,$el together) and ,ingle your
:yrd'''you ha(e to see the other people that are in(ol(ed as
interesting) talented people of worth' -f they are O$rokenO people)
with $ad character) then ha(e the fortitude to e(entually eli,inate
the, fro, the picture' +his sounds harsh) $ut you are for,ing a
Ofa,ily'O A O$rokenO person ,ay $e the (ery thing that destroys your
efforts' +his isn2t a$out choosing people that are e5actly like you'''or
people that always agree with you' -t is a$out choosing to ally
yourself with Heathens that are worthy) dependa$le) and +ru'
#AL" A!O0# '%E=E EO0 S#A6(
+alk a$out where you stand on your $eliefs' E5plore each other2s
pointsDofD(iew on (arious topics) including contro(ersial topics' :hat
topics are you unwilling to co,pro,ise a$out; :hat topics $ring a$out
disagree,ent within your potential 4indred; :hat will the 4indred
stand for) and can e(eryone that is in(ol(ed support those (iews) or at
least tolerate the,; :hat are you going to Lust agree to disagree
a$out) and is e(eryone willing to accept that and ,ake it work; All of
:+
Our First Faining , Prior to For$ing J!"
these /uestions are i,portant to ask) $ecause you do not want
so,ething unspoken popping up si5 ,onths later and tearing a $ig
hole in your group'
(O 6O# =0S% 4#
+here will $e a te,ptation to rush into for,ing the 4indred' -f
Heathen new$ies are in(ol(ed) they are likely to $e the ones that want
to ,o(e too fast' &low it down' Get to know each other' %ake sure it
feels and works right' :e waited si5 ,onths to for, our 4indred' :e
thought that was a$out the right a,ount of ti,e for us' 3ut ,ake up
your own ,ind $ased on your situation) and the people in(ol(ed'
3uilding a kindred is i,portant work) so ,ake sure you are doing it
right'
=EA( #%E LO=E
As a 4indred we all read the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda during
the ti,e we were for,ing the 4indred' :e were all focused on the
*ore' +his was a good goal for the new$ies'''and encouraged the, to
get a good foundation set $y reading the *ore' %ost e(eryone read a
lot ,ore than Lust the *ore'''$ut that was the ,ini,u,'
:e ha(e continued this tradition' Our study group sessions focus on
the *ore' >egular study group sessions are a great idea for $oth a
$eginning or an esta$lished kindred' :e also re/uire our new
,e,$ers to read the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda during their
application process'
COME 0P '4#% A S#A#EME6# OF 06(E=S#A6(46&
:rite so,e things down' &o,e $asic rules' :ill decisions $e ,ade $y
a leader) $y a ,aLority (ote) or $y a consensus (ote; How will new
,e,$ers $e considered) ,entored) and e(entually accepted into the
4indred; :ill there $e positions of responsi$ility within the 4indred)
and what will these positions do; &o,e would call these sorts of
written rules or guidelines a set of 3yD*aws' - like calling these written
guidelines a &tate,ent of Hnderstanding' :hate(er you call it) writing
one and then co,ing to an agree,ent on its contents can a(oid
pro$le,s and conflicts later'
MA"E 4# %APPE6
Fro, day one) we said) O:e are going to do this) and nothing will
stand in our way'O +hat ser(ed us well' :hen road$locks popped up)
we worked around the, or dro(e right through the,' :e were not
:<
willing to accept failure) and this was i,portant to our success'
- a, sure there are other things you could try) and additional issues to
keep in ,ind' 3ut the steps a$o(e hit the highlights of what worked
for us'
STARTIN" A
HEATHEN STUDY "ROU!
*et2s say you are a solitary Heathen) in an area with one or two other
solitary Heathens' Or perhaps you are a solitary Heathen in a larger
town M with a $unch of Heathens that rarely gather together' *et2s say
you want so,ething ,ore'
Our way of life is tri$al' :e are $etter people'''and can get ,ore
done) when we know and work together with other Heathens of worth
in our area' 3ut starting a kindred sounds like an o(erwhel,ing task'
Or perhaps) the people in your area are reluctant to $e in(ol(ed in a
kindredD$uilding process'
One solution to all of these situations is to start a Heathen &tudy
Group'
:-
At a Study &roup Session
Eou set a date) a ,onth or ,ore in the future' Eou offer to host' Eou
talk with all the Heathens in your area) and in(ite the,' &peak to
the, of the hospitality you wish to offer' +ell the, you want to at
least know the, $etter) and you2d like to learn along side the,'
E5plain why co,ing to the &tudy Group would $e fun and educational'
Eou can e(en start a %eetup Group) or a Group on Face$ook) or a
Eahoo eDlist' Eou can hand out or hang up notices at the local pagan
$ook store' Honestly) you can pro,ote it as ,uch or as little as you
like) depending on who you want there'''and what you want out of it'
Pro,oting a Heathen &tudy Group is (ery si,ilar to the pro,otional
work you should do if you are atte,pting to start a kindred'
As far as the Heathen &tudy Group itself) it is (ery easy to organiFe' -
would start with the Ha(a,al' -t is (ery straightDforward) focuses on
how to O$e Heathen)O and inspires great discussions'
Ac/uire ,ultiple translations of the Ha(a,al' -f there are only two of
you that will $e participating in the study group) - would reco,,end
as ,any as four different translations' -f there will ,ore of you) use
,ore translations' Eou really can2t ha(e too ,any of the, to read and
co,pare' Eou can find = translations of the Ha(a,al onDline at this
link:
http@AAheathengods1co$Ate$pleA$odulesAarticles
- would reco,,end 3ellows) Hollander) Chishol,) and ,ay$e Auden S
+aylor2s' -f you ha(e *arrington in $ook for,at) that is another good
one) $ut isn2t a(aila$le onDline'
Ha(e the translations printed out for the first &tudy Group' *et
e(eryone attending know that they should read the first ?" or ?@
stanFas prior to the &tudy Group' &ince you are organiFing the e(ent)
,ake sure you read o(er the, too'''and put so,e thought into what
they ,ean to you'
On the day of the Heathen &tudy Group) ,ake sure you ha(e a place
where all of you can sit co,forta$ly' A place with enough light to read
fro, the translations' Ha(e so,e sodas or other drinks a(aila$le) and
also so,e snacks' Hospitality is (ery i,portant to Heathens) and
i,portant to for,ing connections $etween friends'
Greet e(eryone as they arri(e' -f you do not know their na,es) learn
the,' -ntroduce those attending) if they do not know each other'
Offer the, food and drink upon their arri(al) and ,ake sure they know
where the restroo, is in your ho,e' 3e a good host'
7*
Once e(eryone has arri(ed) hand out the translations' +hen go stanFa
$y stanFa) taking turns reading each translation of the stanFa you are
focusing on' For instance) take turns reading out loud the (arious
translations of the first stanFa' Once all the translations of the first
stanFa ha(e $een read) discuss what is different a$out the,'''$oth in
language and in ,eaning' <iscuss what each of you think the stanFa
,eans' <iscuss your indi(idual takes on each stanFa) and also what
the group generally thinks'
>e,e,$er) there are no OrightO
answers'''and do not get in argu,entsP
%ake sure e(eryone is allowed to share
their opinion' -f one participant is $eing
a little /uiet) ask the, their opinion'
%ake sure e(eryone feels welco,e and
(alued' After all) you are the host'
Once the first stanFa has $een fully
discussed) ,o(e on to the second stanFa)
and so on'
-n 1otun2s 3ane 4indred2s study groups
on the Ha(a,al) we tried to get through
?@ stanFas in a night' 3ut do not rush'
-f you only get through ?") that is fine'
Eou2re not trying to set a speed record'
Eou are atte,pting to learn) and think) and co,e to so,e shared
conclusions a$out what you agree on'''and perhaps what you do not
agree on'
As the host) ,ake sure the study groups are fun' Ha(e snacks) laugh
a lot $etween stanFas) and enLoy it' Offer s,oke $reaks if you ha(e
s,okers a,ong you' do not ,ake it into ho,ework) or so,ething you
dread' %ake it so,ething that people look forward to'''
Bow) as the Heathen &tudy Group continues) you can $egin rotating
where it is held) if so,eone else in the group see,s interested in
hosting as well' Perhaps ha(e a s,all faining .$lot0 $efore the study
group sessions) Lust so you are also practicing your religion) and not
Lust learning a$out it' Or perhaps ha(e a s,all Folk &y,$el
afterwards'
-f o(er ti,e) you find additional Heathens that you think ha(e worth)
then you can in(ite the, to a study group) and see how it goes' -f
so,eone in(ol(ed in the &tudy Group is always disrupting it) has no
worth) or ,akes the other ,e,$ers consistently uneasy) talk with
73
#he &od Freyr
the, a$out it' -f they will not change their $eha(ior) tell the, they
are no longer welco,e' do not let one $ad guest ruin it for e(eryone)
and possi$ly $reak up your &tudy Group'
O(er ti,e) the ,e,$ers of the &tudy Group will co,e to know each
other $etterT who they are) how they think) and how dependa$le they
are' Friendships will for,' O(er ti,e) the su$Lect of for,ing a
kindred or tri$e ,ay $e $rought up) either $y you or another
participant'
+his &tudy Group ,ethod would also work for an already esta$lished
kindred that wanted to do ,ore colla$orati(e study' -t would also
work for kindreds that include fa,ilies with teenagers) in order to get
the, ,ore in(ol(ed'
HO#DIN" O!EN E$ENTS
Part of what we do to Oreach outO to the pu$lic is to hold Pu$lic or
Open E(ents' Open Pu$,oots' Open Fainings' :ould it $e easier for
us to Lust shut the door) and co,pletely insulate oursel(es fro,
outsiders and those we do not know; Ees'''- guess in a sense it would
$e easier' %ore predicta$le' *ess work' 3ut would we $e li(ing up to
our o$ligations to our Gods and our Ancestors; Bo'''not in ,y opinion'
Hsually) a$out 8"" to a ?""" people hear a$out any one of our Open
E(ents) through our (arious postings and pro,otions of the e(ent' Of
that large group of people) ,ay$e 8 to ?" new people decide to ,ake
the ti,e and effort to show up' And of those 8 to ?" people who
co,e) ? to 8 return to learn ,ore' 3ut if our efforts help $ring one +ru
Heathen ho,e to his9her ancestral Gods) then our efforts ha(e $een
worth it'
-f o(er ti,e) our efforts lead to @'''then ?"'''then !"'''then scores of
people reawakening to the Gods of their Ancestors) then our efforts
should $e pleasing to our Elder 4in' &o we will continue to Oreach outO
to those that will hear the call of their Gods'''
7)
A HEATHEN C#U' OR
A HEATHEN TRI'E
%any local Heathen groups are $asically clu$s' Our code phrase for
this pheno,enon is O@ guys ,eeting in so,e$ody2s $ase,ent'O +hey
gather once or twice a ,onth at one of their ho,es' +hey like the
Gods) and honor the,' +hey ,ention their Ancestors' And that is
a$out the e5tent of it'
-n the Oclu$O ,odel) they gather for awhile' +hey really get nowhere'
+heir fa,ilies aren2t really in(ol(ed' +he guys sort of like each other)
$ut really) Heathenry is the thing they ,ost ha(e in co,,on' +heir
friends and coworkers ,ay not e(en know they are Heathen' After
awhile) so,e of the, wander off or get pissed off a$out so,ething)
and the clu$ stops ,eeting'
+he clu$ ,odel is not the future of Heathenry' Or $etter put) the
Oclu$O ,odel does not pro(ide Heathenry with a future'
A 4indred should $e a tri$e' -t should $e fa,ilies gathering together'
&pouses) children) ,en) and wo,en'''co,ing together as an e5tended
fa,ily' Caring for each other) looking out for each other2s interests)
co,ing to each other2s aid' <eep friendship9kinship should de(elop
78
'ill/ Mark/ Joshua/ and 6athan at Our #ribes Fe
$etween the ,e,$ers' +he children should see each other so often
that they co,e to see each as $rothers and sisters'
:hen so,eone ,o(es) e(eryone shows up and helps' -f a deck needs
$uilding) e(eryone shows up and helps' :hen a parent is sick)
another fa,ily should offer to take the kids for a $it' -f so,eone
needs a Lo$) e(eryone keeps their eye out for one and acti(ely helps
the, find one' %e,$ers of the kindred should $e talking al,ost e(ery
day' +hey should know what is going on in each other2s li(es' +hey
should $e the people we turn to when we want to laugh) or cry) or we
ha(e e5citing news to tell'
A 4indred should ha(e goals' +hey should $e acti(ely working to grow
a Heathen co,,unity) $oth within the tri$e) and around the tri$e'
+hey should $e pooling ,oney) with a goal to $uy land and esta$lish a
Hof' +hey should $e getting to know the Heathens in neigh$oring
co,,unities) through ,odern co,,unications'''and $y (isiting the,
face to face' +he 4indred should $e working to lea(e their children
with a ,ore sta$le and de(eloped Heathenry than we currently ha(e'
A 4indred should $e a tri$e) not a clu$' :e should see and treat it as
a Ochosen fa,ily' Gi(en a choice $etween O@ guys ,eeting in a
$ase,ent)O and a growing) fa,ilyDin(ol(ed) intensely dedicated) goalD
oriented tri$e'''there really is no choice' -2ll take the tri$al ,odel'
Bow so,e will say) - do not ha(e a tri$e in ,y area' Or they2ll say)
+here Lust aren2t enough interested Heathens in ,y area' :ell)
there2s really no e5cuse for accepting that condition as the status /uo'
One should work for it) and ne(er gi(e up' *ook for other Heathens in
e(ery way possi$le' Offer Heathen workshops' +alk to your friends
and fa,ily a$out your $eliefs' Accept nothing less than working
towards for,ing and growing a Heathen tri$e) and esta$lishing a Hof
in your area'
-t will not happen o(ernight' -t ,ight take ,any years' 3ut nothing
worthwhile happens o(ernight'
7:
1U&!2STARTIN"
A STA"NANT HEATHEN
CO&&UNITY
*et2s say you li(e in a city or town where there are a fair nu,$er of
Heathens .?@ to !@) or ,ore0' 3ut let2s say there has $een so,e $ad
history or $ad $lood a,ong so,e of the Heathens) and the co,,unity
rarely ,eets' And when it does ,eet) (ery few people show up' *et2s
say you wanted to Lu,pDstart that co,,unity'
+his was not the situation in 4ansas City when we started) and it is
certainly not the situation now' 3ut - was asked for so,e ad(ice
regarding another city in our region) and - thought this ad(ice would
pro$a$ly $e helpful anywhere a stagnant Heathen co,,unity needed
to $e Lu,pDstarted' Here2s what - would do in that situation'
- would set up an easyDtoDgetDto) easyDtoDparticipate in e(ent at a
central location' - would not ask people what sort of e(ent they
wanted) or ask for input' - would Lust go ahead and hold a
3lot9Faining with a potDluck dinner afterwards or a &y,$el with a potD
luck dinner $eforehand' +his $rings e(eryone together to do
so,ething Heathen and ,eaningful' -f it was the ,iddle of winter) -
would ha(e it at so,eone2s house to which ,ost of the ,e,$ers of
the co,,unity ha(e already $een' -f it was su,,er) - would ha(e it
in a $ig park'
- would set the date and ti,e in a way that - knew the ,ost people
would $e a$le to attend it' - would not ask pu$licly when to hold the
e(ent' - would Lust choose the date and ti,e $ased on what - already
know a$out the people in the co,,unity' Hsually weekends are $est)
and personally) - prefer &unday afternoons or e(enings' - would hold
off on announcing the e(ent) the date) and the ti,e until - had
contacted each ,e,$er of the co,,unity personally'
- would call each and e(ery person to in(ite the,' -f - did not know
their phone nu,$ers) - would get the, fro, so,eone who did) or -
would personally e,ail each person for which - did not ha(e a phone
nu,$er' - would tell the, specifically what - enLoyed a$out the,) and
why - would like to see the, at the gathering' -f they wanted to talk
to ,e a$out difficulties in the co,,unity) or anything negati(e) -
would steer the, away fro, it' - would tell the, that - understood
there were difficulties) $ut O- a, not really focused on that now' - a,
focused on putting together a great gathering for our co,,unity'O
77
+hen) after - had contacted e(eryone personally) - would announce the
3lot or &y,$el in as ,any ways and as ,any (enues as possi$le' +he
%eetup site if there is one' EDlists' %yspace' Face$ook' +ri$e'net'
AFA ,essage $oard' +he +roth ,essage $oard' Eou na,e it' %y
,essage a$out the $lot or sy,$el would $e positi(e) upD$eat) and it
would call to that Heathen spirit within e(ery person who reads it'
-f our first e(ent was a 3lot9Faining) - would hold a &y,$el for our
ne5t e(ent' -f the &y,$el was first) - would hold the 3lot9Faining
ne5t' - would continue to focus the first se(eral e(ents on so,ething
Heathen with plenty of ti,e $efore or afterwards for eating and
talking'
Once we were all together) - would ha(e so,e positi(e things to $ring
up to the group' Positi(e plans for ,o(ing ahead' - would not dwell
on the negati(e' As a ,atter of fact) - wouldn2t e(en $ring up the
negati(e' -f so,eone else $rought it up) - would say) O*et2s Lust enLoy
this gathering) and if people ha(e things to work out'''then they
should work the, out without dragging e(eryone else into the,' Our
co,,unity should $e our focus'O
-s doing this guaranteed to $ring ?@ to !@ Heathens together in
fellowship; Bo' -s doing this guaranteed to $ring together a nu,$er of
Heathens for what will likely $e a (ery ,eaningful and positi(e e(ent;
:ell) nothing is guaranteed' 3ut there2s a good chance it will work'
O(er ti,e'''a series of ,eaningful and positi(e e(ents will $ring so,e
of the standDoffish people along'
79
'AD (INDRED
E0!ERIENCES
HO#DIN" YOU 'AC(
-2(e lost track of how ,any Heathens ha(e told ,e that they are
dissuaded fro, starting a new kindred or trying to Lu,pDstart a
stagnant Heathen co,,unity) $ased on $ad e5periences they ha(e
had with kindreds in the past' +hey ha(e $een part of a kindredD
$uilding e5perience that failed' Or they were part of a kindred that
i,ploded' Or personal attacks were ,ade against the, within a
Heathen co,,unity'
E(eryone2s situation is different' +he $ad e5periences you ,ay ha(e
in this area ,ay ha(e $een enor,ously stressful) unLustified) and you
,ay still carry the scars' Howe(er you can2t let past $ad e5periences
stop you fro, doing what is right and +ru' Our Gods and Ancestors
watch us'''and they would e5pect you to ,o(e forward) learn fro, $ad
e5periences) and get $ack on the horse'
Ours is not a weak and pathetic way of life' +he $lood that runs
through our (eins is the $lood of hearty Borthern Europeans' +hey
struggled against the cold and won' +hey struggled against star(ation
and won' +hey struggled against the sea and won' Our Ancestors
were a strong and ,ighty people) and we carry their $lood and their
Orlog' &o) you ,ay ha(e suffered political and e,otional defeats
within a kindred or groupD$uilding efforts in the past) $ut honestly)
O3H+CH HPPO
Ees) you are going to run into so,e worthless people' &hitDstirrers)
trolls) key$oard cow$oys) naysayers) and those who thri(e on dra,a'
>esisting those that would disrupt your efforts is not easy' <oing the
right thing is not easy' *ife is not easy' *ife is a struggle to $e
relished) not so,ething we should run fro,'
&o) $e passionate $ased on your own confidence and your own sense
of what is +ru' Guit letting the reactions) Ludg,ents) and attitudes of
others di(ert your course fro, right action' Guit allowing the
e,otional pain or disappoint,ent you ,ay feel fro, past e5periences
di(ert your course fro, right action'
%y (iew of things) is that we get one life' One shot at this' :hat you
,ake of your life is what will $e re,e,$ered of you' &ure there are
people that will atte,pt to disrupt what you are trying to $uild' +his
7+
pro$le, has e5isted a,ong ,ankind fro, the ,o,ent hu,ans
gathered together for ,utual protection and collecti(e effort) and it
occurs within e(ery hu,an endea(or'
Confront pro$le,s' Fi5 the,) or circu,(ent the, on the way to your
goal' 3ut you shouldn2t gi(e up and pull away fro, any effort to $uild
co,,unities Lust $ecause it is difficult and so,eti,es pro$le,atic'
Again) that is ,y personal (iew' :e each ,ake our own choices
$ased on our own circu,stances' 3ut when our children and their
children write sagas of our li(es) gi(e the, a story and a life worth
writing a$out'
bE THE s!AR(
%ost Heathens that seek to interact and worship with other Heathens)
for, a 4indred with other likeD,inded Heathens' +his $rings to ,ind
the /uestion) O:hat is a 4indred;O
kinLdred/ n1 31 A group of related persons/ as a clan or
tribe1 )1 Jused with a pl1 ;erbK A
persons relati;esM kinfolk1
-n Heathen ter,s) a 4indred is ,ost often a group of indi(iduals
and9or fa,ilies that ha(e co,e together to e5press their religion in a
group setting' +o learn together) worship together) play together) and
stand together' -n ,any ways it is a fa,ily) and you are loyal to your
7<
Storytelling at Lightning Across the Plains
4indred and $ound to the,' - a, a fairly social person) so i,agine
,y disappoint,ent in !""= when - found out there were no 4indreds
in 4ansas City'
<uring a (ery si,ple faining to AsaD+hor) - was telling the Gods of ,y
lack of progress in finding a local 4indred' As - said the words a
realiFation hit ,e' -f - wanted to $e a part of a 4indred) - would ha(e
to start one' >ather than disappoint,ent or despair) - felt resol(e'
>ather than asking the Gods to do it for ,e) - ,ade an oath there and
then to work on starting a kindred in 4ansas City' After all) a city the
siFe of 4ansas City should ha(e a 4indred' -t Lust should' &o - ,ade
that oath'
At the ti,e - ,ade that oath) did - know e(erything there is to know
a$out Asatru; Bo' :as - a co,plete and utter Bew$ie at the ti,e;
<efinitely' 3ut) it only takes a spark to start a fire' E(en as a
$eginning Heathen) - knew that if you want so,ething you ha(e to
,ake it happen yourself' And the first step toward ,aking so,ething
happen) is resol(ing that a$solutely nothing will stand in your way'
-t is also i,portant to keep in ,ind that starting and $uilding a kindred
sounds like an o(erwhel,ing task at ti,es' 3ut it is not a one person
Lo$' Often oneDperson acts as the spark) gi(ing the kindredD$uilding
effort its initial push' Once other people are drawn to the effort M e(en
Lust one other person M the effort $eco,es a group effort' A collecti(e
struggle' And the task of kindredD$uilding is now so,ething shared'
&o) you do not know any Heathens near you; +here are no kindreds in
your area; Or ,ay$e there are Heathens near you) $ut they do not
gather together any,ore; :ell) if you aren2t the spark) then who will
$e;
Foc,s On S-m-la.-t-es
One of the ,ost difficult parts in all of this is finding OlikeD,indedO
Heathens' Heathenry is not a centraliFed religion' -t is a
reconstruction of the preDChristian religion of our Ancestors' 3ut keep
in ,ind the $eliefs of these Ancestors (aried $y region) (illage) and
e(en socioDecono,ic status' +hese $eliefs also (aried depending on
the ti,eDperiod) century) or e(en $y generation' As it was for our
Ancestors) ,odern Heathenry also has ,any differences of opinion
regarding O:hat is a +ru Heathen;O
7-
<oes our ethnic heritage play a role or not; <o we ha(e an identity as
a People) or Folk; &hould we focus on lore and historical fact) or should
we O,o(e forwardO with the religion and create ,odern de(elop,ents;
Are you Folkish or Hni(ersalist; Are you purely reconstruction oriented
or ,ore progressi(e; -t goes on and on'''$ecause indi(iduality is an
i,portant part of Heathenry' Heathens are not sheep' Heathens do
not get down on their knees to their Gods) let alone to a central
authority here on %idgard'
:ell) this independent nature) this indi(idualistic spirit) can seriously
affect the dyna,ics of a group' Choosing to $e a part of a group) and
to share a horn with so,eone is an i,portant decision for Heathens'
One ,ust protect one2s :yrd) and one ,ust $e true to his9her
relationship with our Gods'
At the sa,e ti,e) it is i,portant for Heathens to re,e,$er) that e(en
with all their differences) they are ,ore si,ilar to each other than to
anyone else' Eou will ne(er find two people) let alone two Heathens)
that ?""I agree on e(erything' &o it is i,portant for Heathens to
,aintain their hardDwon $eliefs and knowledge) while still re,aining
open to the fact that other Heathens should) and will) disagree with
the,' &o,eti,es these disagree,ents are a$out what see, like
so,e pretty $ig issues'
3ut ,e,$ers of the Aesir tri$e ,arried and had children with 1otuns'
+he Canir ,ade peace with the Aesir' +hor) and *oki) and Odin
associated with each together regularly) at least for a long while'
9*
#he Jotun &oddess Skadi
Heathens should $e careful not to close the,sel(es off too /uickly to
fellow Heathens) despite their differences of opinion'
:hat is truly ,ore i,portant; Good strong Heathens gathering their
fa,ilies together into tri$es M or so,e difference of opinion on an
issue or topic that ,any disagree on; Eour children playing with and
$onding with other Heathen children M or you a(oiding anyone who
doesn2t $elie(e e5actly what you $elie(e; +he $enefits you and your
fa,ily would get fro, gathering with other Heathens M or the $enefits
of insisting you are right and e(eryone else is wrong;
TY!ES OF (INDREDS
For starters) - feel that anyone thinking a$out starting a kindred has to
deter,ine e5actly what type of kindred they want to create' +his can
$e decided $y the one person that $egins .or sparks0 the kindredD
$uilding process or $y the group as it e(entually gathers together' -t is
a decision that ,ay ha(e to change or shift as the kindredD$uilding
process continues) depending on the dyna,ics of the group'
+here are $asically two categories into which ,ost kindreds fit M &ocial
4indreds and Co,,itted 4indreds'
SOC4AL "46(=E( M A loose group of people who honor the sa,e
Gods and enLoy each other2s co,pany' +his group has no for,al
$onds and no for,al definition of who $elongs to the group and who
does not' -n so,e of ,y essays) - refer to this as the clu$ ,odel of
kindred structure'

COMM4##E( "46(=E( M A defined group of people who honor the
sa,e Gods and operate ,ore as a fa,ily' +his group often for,aliFes
its $onds with oaths and has a clear definition of who $elongs to the
group and who does not'
A &ocial 4indred is so,ething that is easier to $uild and ,aintain in
the short ter,' People co,e and go' +he ,e,$ership shifts as
people2s interest shifts' +he tone and collecti(e $eliefs of this sort of
kindred shift fre/uently) as people co,e and go' &ince this is $asically
a social arrange,ent) it can go away or dis$and /uickly'
93
A Co,,itted 4indred ,ust $e e5tre,ely careful with their selection of
,e,$ers) and those ,e,$ers should $e in(ited only after the
relationship $etween new and e5isting ,e,$ers has already reached a
point where they feel like fa,ily' +his should create a sta$le and
continuous group of ,e,$ers) leading to the de(elop,ent of +hew)
collecti(e :yrd and *uck' %e,$ers
are nor,ally (ery co,,itted to
working through pro$le,s to help their
kindred re,ain healthy and strong'
A &ocial 4indred can see ,e,$ers
lea(e the kindred without too ,uch
pain' %e,$ership is so loosely
defined) that it is possi$le for so,e
,e,$ers to lea(e without it ha(ing
any real i,pact on the group at all'
A Co,,itted 4indred feels great pain
when a ,e,$er lea(es M pain si,ilar
to the pain you would feel losing a
$rother or sister of your own $lood'
+he fact that e(eryone in the group
closely ,ingles :yrd with the other
,e,$ers ,eans that e(eryone feels
the full i,pact of a ,e,$er lea(ing'
A &ocial 4indred can $e a wonderful)
fun e5perience to $e in(ol(ed with' -t is possi$le for a &ocial 4indred
to transition into a Co,,itted 4indred o(er ti,e) and ,any
Co,,itted 4indred do $egin as &ocial 4indreds'
A Co,,itted 4indred can $e a wonderful) fulfilling e5perience to $e
in(ol(ed with' -t takes a lot of work and effort to ,aintain a
Co,,itted 4indred) $ut it has a +ru feeling to it that you ne(er want
to lose once you2(e e5perienced it' Hntil you ha(e e5perienced the
collecti(e :yrd and *uck of a strong Co,,itted 4indred) you ha(e no
idea what you are ,issing'
-t is i,posi$le to i,agine a Co,,itted 4indred transitioning into a
&ocial 4indred' Once you ha(e $een closely $onded to another
person) and your fa,ilies $rought together for,ally with oaths) it is
(ery difficult to think you could return to $eing Lust fi(e guys in a
$ase,ent'
9)
#he &oddess %el
OR"ANIC $ERSUS
&ETHODICA#
+here are efforts to for, 4indreds and +ri$es in cities around the
Hnited &tates' Often these efforts ,eet with discouraging co,,ents
fro, longDti,e Heathens' +hose trying to for, 4indreds are told)
O:hy are you rushing things;O +hey are told they are Oshowing too
,uch energy'O +hey are told to /uit trying to Opush things'O
&o) this post will address this /uestion: &hould Heathen leaders work
at for,ing 4indreds in a ,ethodical organiFed way) or Lust let it
happen naturally and organically;
:hen we for,ed 1otun2s 3ane 4indred in 4ansas City) we took the
,ethodical organiFed path' 3ut) it is i,portant to understand a few
details a$out what we did'''
First) what was the situation $efore; +here had $een 4indreds in
4ansas City) se(eral of the,' 3ut they had not lasted' &o) at the ti,e
the Heathens here started ,eeting in !""=) there was no
4indred'''and no Heathen co,,unity here' Bothing' Bot a thing' -t
took ,e a couple of ,onths Lust to find one other Heathen in ,y areaP
:hen we $egan the %eetup) our goal was to $ring together as ,any
local Heathens as we could find'''with the intention of discussing the
for,ation of a 4indred' - had pro,ised the Gods that - would $uild
the heathengods'co, we$site and that - would ne(er stop trying to
gather Heathens in ,y area together' - wanted to for, a 4indred)
$ecause - knew it was possi$le) and - knew the $enefits to e(eryone
that would e(entually $e in(ol(ed) including ,e and ,y fa,ily' - felt it
would assist Greater Heathenry to ha(e a strong 4indred in our area of
the %idwest'
After ,eeting se(eral ti,es) we had gathered together fi(e +ru people
that all wanted to work toward for,ing a 4indred' :e set a si5D,onth
ti,efra,e with the following goals:
?' :e would all ,eet regularly) call each other) and $eco,e in(ol(ed
in each other2s li(es' :e would essentially learn e(erything we could
a$out each other) and learn each others strengths and flaws'
!' :e would all read the Poetic and Prose Edda o(er those si5 ,onths)
so that we would all ha(e that foundation to work fro,'
98
8' :e would learn a$out Heathenry together' :e would ha(e study
groups) fainings) and sy,$els'''and honor our Gods) our Ancestors)
and the Caettir in a group setting'
+hen) at the end of the si5D,onths) we would decide if we were ready
to oath as a kindred' -t wasn2t like setting a wedding date) where
co,e hell or high water we were going to oath' At the end of si5D
,onths) we would talk and decide as a group .$y ?""I consensus0 if
we wanted to for, the 4indred or not'
At the end of the si5 ,onths) it was clear to all in(ol(ed that we
wanted to oath) and that it was the right ti,e to oath' :e all Lust
see,ed to fit together well) and $y the
end of the si5 ,onths it was clear what
we should do'
&o what does that ,ean for other efforts
to for, a 4indred' Here2s a few
thoughts''''
MA==4A&E COMPA=E( #O "46(=E(
FO=M46&
As a $oy) as a teen) and as a young
adult) - knew - wanted to $e ,arried' -
knew - would ,eet lots of girls) date at
least a few) and hopefully - would find
one that would ,ake a wonderful wife
and $uild a life with ,e' - did not wring
,y hands a$out all the difficulties of that
M and steer clear of it $ecause it was
difficult to ,ake sure - had found the right person' - knew - wanted to
$e ,arried) and that was ,y goal' &o) - worked at finding the right
person) courting the,) and ,arrying the,' - ran into all sorts of
pitfalls) $ut - ne(er lost sight of what - wanted'
- certainly did not discourage others fro, ,arrying) Lust $ecause the
right person is hard to findP - did not tell others to steer clear of
dating) $ecause lots of potential partners are unworthy or $ad
,atches' - saw ,arriage as so,ething positi(e) and so - encouraged
,y friends who sought ,arriage to work at it and ,ake wise choices
3ut if that is what they wanted) then they should seek it'
- see 4indred for,ing in the sa,e way' Eou can2t wring your hands
a$out it) counting all the pitfalls and pointing to how difficult it ,ight
$e' 3eing the ,e,$er of a good 4indred is a powerful and positi(e
9:
Odin Statue
thing' -f - hear so,eone saying they want to $e in a 4indred) - ad(ise
the, to work at it' Gather Heathens' Get to know the,' &et so,e
ti,elines for progress'''and ,ake it happen'
:hy Lust Owait for it to happen;O :hy lea(e it to chance) or Lust hope
for it to happen; %A4E it happen' 3e wise a$out it' *earn e(erything
you can a$out the Heathens you ,eet that are of a likeD,ind) and
%A4E it happen' -f you do not like so,eone'''do not oath to the,' -f
you do not trust so,eone'''do not oath to the,' -f so,eone isn2t
+ru'''do not oath to the,' -f so,eone isn2t willing to contri$ute to the
effort or are too solitary to work within a group'''do not oath to the,'
3ut if you see or hear so,eone else saying) O- want to for, a 4indredO
or O- want to $elong to a 4indred)O for goodness sake M do not
discourage the,P
MA==4A&ES FA4L111A6( "46(=E(S %AFE FA4LE(
- do not talk a$out it ,uch) $ut - was ,arried once $efore) when - was
younger' - ,arried a wo,an who was younger than ,e'''she was !8
when we ,arried' -t see,ed like the right choice at the ti,e) $ut in
hindsight) it was a horri$le decision to ,arry her' &he was not ready
for ,arriage) and the ,arriage ended horri$ly and suddenly' -t was
one of the worst e5periences of ,y life' - had no control o(er the
,ess that ,arriage $eca,e'
- was a ,ess' %y dad and a fa,ily friend independently ga(e ,e the
sa,e ad(ice' +hey $oth told ,e that - a$solutely could not and should
not let that O$roken person)O and her actions ruin ,y life' +hat -
should $rush ,yself off) get ,y head straight) and seek the life -
wanted again' -f - wanted to $e ,arried and ha(e kids) and $uild a
wonderful fa,ily'''it was well within ,y reach' - could not let
so,eone else2s flaws derail ,y entire life' - had to ,o(e on and
e(entually try again' - had to learn fro, the failed ,arriage) and not
,ake the sa,e ,istakes again' -t was good ad(ice'
+here ,ay ha(e $een failed kindred in your area' Eou ,ay ha(e $een
in(ol(ed in the failed kindred' -t ,ay ha(e $een a real ,ess' +here
were failed 4indreds here in 4ansas City' +here ha(e $een failed
4indreds al,ost e(erywhere at so,e point' 3ut we can2t let the
failures co,pletely destroy our efforts towards our end goal' -f we
want 4indreds and tri$es) and for Heathenry to grow in a (i$rant and
powerful way) then we ha(e to $rush oursel(es off) and seek the life
we want' :e ha(e to ,o(e on and try again' :e ha(e to ,ake things
happen'''not $eco,e lost in the past' *et2s learn fro, our past
failures) and not ,ake the sa,e ,istakes again'
97
-f - let the e5perience of ,y first ,arriage destroy ,e or discourage
,e fro, trying again) - wouldn2t ha(e $een ,arried to 1ennifer since
?##A) and - wouldn2t ha(e three wonderful children'
#%E 'A=!A6( COMPA=E( #O "46(=E( FO=M46&
:e are in a fight for our li(es' -t is a spiritual fight) $ut it is a fight all
the sa,e' +here are Christian churches e(erywhere' %usli,s are on
the ,o(e' Hindu co,,unities are growing' :icca) with its Odo
whate(er you likeO philosophy is growing as well' 3ut Heathenry is a
relati(ely new Oway of lifeO or Oreligion'O -ts roots are deep'''$ut our
,odern reconstruction is new' -t is fledgling' -ts future is in our
hands'
&o do we sit $ack) and hope that Heathenry grows; <o we hope that
we for, $onds with so,e Heathens around us o(er ti,e; O> <O :E
:O>4 A+ -+; %y answer is that we need to work at it harder than the
desert faiths' :e need to work at it harder than anyone else' How do
we do that;
:e for, 4indreds' :e work at it' :e grow those 4indred fa,ilies into
local +ri$es' :e work at that too' :e ,ake connections $etween
+ri$es) share ideas) and grow our strength' Eou got it M ,ore work'
-ndi(iduals whose Heathenry consists of posting on ,essage $oards
and arguing on eDlists will not grow Heathenry' Only face to face
$onds'''strong oathed $onds'''will gi(e us the strength to $uild our
*uck and grow Heathenry'
99
Our (aughter EliNabeth
&o a 4indred is like a war$and in this spiritual fight' <id Cikings and
Ger,anic Chieftains let their war$ands for, OnaturallyO and
Oorganically)O or did they %A4E it happen; +hey ,ade it happen' +hey
recruited and chose the strongest a,ong the,' +hey chose those that
could contri$ute to the war$and) and they chose those they could
trust' -f they did not know so,eone'''they worked at getting to know
the,' +hey did what they could to siFe the, up) and they for,ed a
$ond with those they felt were worthy'
+hey did not wait for the war$and to for, on it is own' +hey ,ade it
happen'
%odern Heathenry needs leaders' -t needs people willing to light a
spark) and ,ake things happen' -t needs people that will not $e
discouraged $y the difficulty of the task' -t needs those that will work
at getting to know other Heathens) and those that are willing to ,ake
a plan) e5ecute the plan) and shape the possi$ilities of our future'
&OALS A6( #4ME,F=AMES (O 6O# EO0AL >=0S%46&>
:hy does ha(ing a ti,eDfra,e e/ual rushing in so,e people2s ,inds;
- ha(e heard this e(erywhere lately' :ithout goals and ti,eDfra,es)
how does anyone e5pect to ,ake anything happen; :e set ti,eD
fra,es in e(ery other part of our li(es' :hen we get ,arried) we2ll
often decide as a couple to wait two years to ha(e a child' Or engaged
couples will decide to wait until after college to ,arry' Or people in
de$t set ti,eDfra,es for paying off their de$ts' :riters set ti,eD
fra,es for co,pleting a no(el' Artists set ti,eDfra,es for co,pleting
enough work to fill a gallery for a show' -n our $usiness li(es and our
personal li(es) we set ti,eDfra,es' :hy is our spiritual life different;
-n !""A) an AFA ,e,$er was trying to for, a 4indred in a city within
dri(ing distance of 4ansas City' He stated pu$licly that his goal was to
for, a 4indred) $ut he wanted to ,ake sure that e(eryone in(ol(ed
got to know each other (ery well first' He wanted the, to $egin
,eeting) getting to know each other) studying together) and for the,
to e(entually decide whether to oath or not as a kindred' 3ut the
Heathen co,,unity in his area discouraged this AFA ,e,$er' +he
Heathens there were ,aking it sound like he wanted to oath
to,orrow) Lust $ecause he wanted to acti(ely work towards the goal of
for,ing a 4indred'
- do not get it' - Lust don2t' - ad(ised this AFA ,e,$er to find likeD
,inded people that would so,eday like to for, a 4indred with hi,)
and to $egin ,eeting with those people independently fro, those in
his co,,unity that did not wish to for, a 4indred' - ad(ised hi, not
9+
to separate the potential 4indred ,e,$ers co,pletely fro, the
greater co,,unity in his city) $ut to instead continue to ,eet with the
greater co,,unity) and get to know the,' Howe(er his ,ain efforts
should $e focused on those that wanted a 4indred' He should get to
know the,) study with the,) and talk with the, a$out what the
4indred ,ight look like in the future' - ad(ised hi, to for,) guide)
and shape that inner circle M and not let the, get discouraged' - still
$elie(e in this ad(ice'
&o) if you decide to start a kindred) - would gi(e you the sa,e ad(ice'
<ecide what it is that you want' Plan how to get there' And ,ake it
happen in a ,ethodical fashion' E(en if the e(entual 4indred for,ed
is only two) four) or si5 +ru Heathens M if they work at it) and ,ake it
happen'''they will ha(e a powerful 4indred' +hey will for, a ,ighty
collecti(e Orlog and the entire 4indred will $enefit fro, the *uck that
is $uilt' -f they ,aintain and work at what they ha(e $uilt) they will
grow into an unstoppa$le tri$e'
9<
Jotuns !ane "indreds !anner
SECTION t3.ee
ma-nta-n-ng a
(-nd.ed o. T.-be
9-
!ROTECT WHAT
YOU ARE 'UI#DIN"
+here is an inclination in our ,ainstrea, culture to Oinclude e(eryone)
and e5clude no one'O +his inclination is BO+ a Heathen ,indset' :hen
co,,unityD$uilding in Heathenry) one should $e discerning' One
should ,easure the worth of a person) $ased on the condition of their
life) their acco,plish,ents) and their deeds'
+here are $roken people) and people who are trollDlike) that prey
upon others' +hese people tend to $e all a$out words) and ne(er
a$out deeds' +hey do $ad things) and then apologiFe) e5pecting
second chances) third
chances) etc'''until you lose
track of the Ofresh startsO they
e5pect others to grant the,'
-n e(ery su$set of people)
there will $e a s,all ,inority
that atte,pt to drag down
and destroy e(erything
positi(e and constructi(e
a,ong the group of people'
&o,e of the, do it
unintentionally and so,e
intentionally' +heir $eha(ior
is often dri(en $y ,ental)
e,otional) or personality
pro$le,s'''and they are what
we so,eti,es refer to as
$roken people' +hey can2t see, to do anything without causing
chaos and dra,a in their wake) and it see,s like they always ,ake
e5actly the wrong choice) or take e5actly the wrong action'
-t is i,portant to re,ain (igilant for these $roken people' +hey will
not always appear $roken at first) $ut there will $e red flags
e(entually' -f you watch for these red flags carefully when ,eeting
and getting to know new people) you will see the tellDtale signs'
+hey can2t keep a Lo$ or switches Lo$s fre/uently without reason'
+hey neglect or skip out on rent) utilities) or other $ills'
<espite $illDpro$le,s) they are always spending ,oney unwisely'
+heir past is filled with stories of friends $etraying the,'
+heir ,arriage is in Leopardy) or ha(e had ,ultiple ,arriages'
+*
Asa,#hor
+hey ,iss ,eetings or e(ents they said they would attend'
+hey are always the (icti,'
Eou catch the, working friends against each other) or gossiping'
+hey want to $e the center of attention) e(en when inappropriate'
Eou catch the, under,ining the leadership of the kindred'
+hey speak of $eing ,entally ill) with a certain degree of pride'
-t is the Lo$ of the entire co,,unity to look for these disrupti(e
people) and then ensure that they are ne(er allowed to da,age the
kindred you ha(e $uilt' 3ut the leadership of the kindred has a special
role in defending the :yrd of the 4indred) and its collecti(e *uck' -t
falls to the leader) ,ore than any other person in a group) kindred) or
tri$e) to protect their -nnangarth fro, these disrupti(e influences'
*et2s think a$out this responsi$ility during the process of starting and
growing a kindred' +his is the ti,e the $rokenDpeople ,ost like to
insert the,sel(es into this situation) in order to get in on the ground
floor) so to speak' :ellDknown shitDstirrers) dra,aDkings) and selfish
liars enLoy approaching HeathenDnew$ies) $ecause they get a fresh
start with new people' All the oldDti,ers know e5actly who these trollD
like people are' 1ust one of these $rokenDpeople can disrupt an
entire group if allowed to do what they nor,ally do' &o) for a kindred
to $e growing and healthy) if often falls to the good strong Heathens
in(ol(ed in that effort to dri(e away the $rokenDpeople' 3ut so,e of
the, are persistent'
Occasionally) you will hear outDspoken $rokenDpeople calling for
tolerance and understanding for people like the,' +hey will write
a$out forgi(eness) as though this is Heathen trait' +hey will write
a$out tolerance) as though this is a Heathen trait' +hey will rail
against those that would choose carefully who to let into their
-nnangarth) though we know that protecting one2s -nnangarth is an
i,portant ,atter in our way of life' :hat these outDspoken trolls are
really doing is atte,pting to con(ince Heathens that they should act
,ore Christian towards the,) and accept and forgi(e the,)
regardless of their disrupti(e actions'
&o) if you are in(ol(ed in co,,unityD$uilding or 4indred for,ation)
gather as ,any of the folk as you can' 3ut as you identify the
$rokenDpeople) $e discerning and fir,) and separate the, fro, your
efforts' Following a politicallyDcorrect and inherently weak inclination
to $e allDinclusi(e) will destroy what you are working to $uild o(er
ti,e'
+3
OUTREACH%%%
"I$IN" !EO!#E A CHOICE
- was gi(en no choice' %y parents knew nothing of Heathenry when -
was $orn and raised' - knew nothing of Heathenry until 1une of !""7'
- knew of all the (arious types of Christians) 1ews) %usli,s) 3uddhists)
the ,any Bati(e A,erican $eliefs) etc' - saw $ooks on these religions
on the shel(es at the $ookstore' - knew actual people that held each
of these $eliefs' - learned a$out these $eliefs in ,y College theology
and philosophy classes' - saw the, portrayed in ,o(ies) saw their
$elie(ers on the news) and the ,ore - saw of all of the,'''the less
they all appealed to ,e'
Faced with a ?"" choices that - did not like) - settled into an agnostic
(iew of the world' - acknowledged so,e sort of greater power.s0) $ut
decided that ,an could ne(er truly know or understand these powers'
+his was a direct result of ne(er feeling any sort of attach,ent or
inspiration fro, any of the listed religions' +hey Lust did not appeal to
,e'
Heathenry was different' -t ,ade sense to ,e' -t sounded right) felt
right) and ,ade ,e feel like - had Oco,e ho,eO to what - was ,eant
to $elie(e' -t took ,e 8= years to find Heathenry'''$ut once - found it)
it i,,ediately appealed to ,e' For the first ti,e - had faith in a
specific di(ine answer' Bot the sort of faith where - felt - was correct)
and e(eryone else was wrong' Bo'''- ,ean the sort of faith where -
knew - had found so,ething that was correct for ,e'''and ,y fa,ily'
&o,ething ,eant for ,e) as one of the Borthern European Folk'
&o) once - had Heathenry as a choice'''- chose it' 3ut what of all the
+)
people out there that ha(e no knowledge of Heathery; All the people
like ,e who know nothing of our ancestral religion; All the people who
ha(e ne(er had a choice to Oco,e ho,e;O <o we allow the, to Lust
wander ai,lessly through their li(es) ne(er ha(ing $een e5posed to
the religion of their Ancestors;
&o while Heathenry is not an e(angelical $elief syste,) and we will not
$e spending any of our ti,e atte,pt to Ocon(ertO people to
Heathenry'''one of our ,issions will $e to educate people a$out
Heathenry' Our we$site will ser(e that purpose' Our Open Pu$,oots'
Our pu$lic appearances and workshops' And e(entually our ,edia
co(erage and pu$lications' +he purpose of these efforts at outreach
will $e twoDfold' .?'0 +o introduce people to who we are and what we
$elie(e' .!'0 3y introducing our $eliefs to people) we ,ay find others
that wish to Oco,e ho,eO to their ancestral strea,'
:hat will you do to ,ake sure Heathenry is a choice people know
a$out'''a choice people ha(e;
REACHIN" OUT TO
HEATHENS CO&IN" HO&E
-n !""= - was looking for other Heathens' - was interested in Asatru)
and - wanted to ,eet other Heathens or possi$ly an e5isting 4indred
in ,y area' One of the reasons - was on this search for other
Heathens) was to confir, that what - was thinking and feeling was
nor,al' :as - was ,aking the right choices) reading the right $ooks)
and shaping ,y religious $eliefs in a +ru ,anner'
3ut) as - searched for other Heathens'''- encountered the we$sites of
dead 4indreds) a few inacti(e Eahoo Groups) and when - went to the
+roth &teward Finder %ap) there was no one listed for 4ansas or
%issouri' 1ust a $ig $lank spot in the Heart of A,erica' +hat $lank
spot and all the dead we$sites - found) led ,e to $elie(e that Asatru
did not really e5ist in 4ansas and %issouri' -t lead ,e to falsely
$elie(e that Asatru and the +roth ha(e no presence whatDsoDe(er in
our two states'
:ell) it turned out there really was no acti(e 4indred in the 4ansas
City Area' E(entually - learned that if - wanted a 4indred to interact
+8
with) - was going to ha(e to find so,e likeD,inded Heathens and work
with the, to $uild our own 4indred' E(entually - found >od *andreth)
and he was willing to gi(e ,e ad(ice on what to do) and what not to
do) when for,ing a 4indred' E(entually - was persistent enough that -
found those likeD,inded Heathens) and we fought our way to where
we are now as a tri$e' 1otun2s 3ane 4indred'
3ut how ,any of our Folk) with the spark of Asatru for,ing in their
hearts run into road$locks) locked doors) and we$site gra(eyards on
their way $ack to their ancestral religion' How ,any of the, $eco,e
con(inced that Asatru has no presence in their area; How ,any of
the, are dissuaded fro, returning ho,e $y this lack of infor,ation)
support) and contact with other Heathens in their area;
:hy does it ha(e to $e so difficult for the, to find Heathens; -t is the
!?
st
CenturyP Finding other Heathens should $e easy'''and we should
do e(erything we can to ,ake it as si,ple as possi$le' +here are
Heathens in 4ansas City' Heathens in +opeka' Heathens in :ichita'
Heathens in southern %issouri' Heathens in &t' *ouis' +here are
Heathens in 4ansas and in %issouri' -f we want Heathenry to grow)
we need to knock down the road $locks and welco,e our Folk properly
as they return ho,e'
&o) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred is dedicated to ,aking that happen in our
area and in our region' - Loined the AFA and e(entually $eca,e the
AFA Folk$uilder for %issouri) 4ansas) Be$raska) -owa) Arkansas) and
&outhern -linois' -f so,eone is looking for Heathens in these states
and they go to the AFA we$site and contact ,e fro, there M - will help
+:
So$e of Jotuns !ane "indred at a &athering
the, find Heathens in their area' -f a Heathen anywhere in the world
contacts us at the heathengods'co, we$site) we gi(e the, links and
tips to help the, find near$y Heathens'
At a ti,e when alternati(e religions are growing) and Christianity is
losing its stranglehold on our culture) - would think we would all want
Asatru to $e positioned to find those new Heathens as they co,e
ho,e to Heathenry) and ,ake sure they get the support they need to
shake off centuries of social conditioning and indoctrination towards a
Christian way of (iewing the world'
&o) what so,e of us encountered when we $eca,e Heathen M that
$lank spot on the ,ap here in the Heartland M dri(es ,uch of what we
do' :hat - encountered when - went looking for Heathens shouldn2t
happen any,ore) to anyone' -t is so,ething we are dri(en to change)
$ecause it shouldn2t $e that way) and it doesn2t ha(e to $e that way)
and it not going to $e that way any,ore in our region'
:hether you are currently part of a kindred or not) it is worth
considering what you can do for those recently returned to our
ancestral ways' How can new Heathens in your area find you; :hat
can you do to ,ake it easier for the, to do so;
+7
Our Son Joshua %elping with a !ig #hor Statue
#EADERSHI! AND
DECISION2&A(IN" 'Y
CONSENSUS
+here are whole $ooks on group dyna,ics) how to structure a group)
decisionD,aking) etc' 3ut - wanted to address a particular style of
decisionD,aking and leadership in a Heathen conte5t'
LOEAL#E/ COLLEC#4FE L0C"/ A6( #=4!ES
:e ha(e discussed in the past) how ,uch one deter,ined Heathen
can acco,plish) if he or she is willing to stay focused) work hard) and
,ake things happen' One Heathen can spark the for,ation of a
kindred or gather together a Heathen co,,unity' One Heathen can
teach a class) write a $ook) or set an e5a,ple' One Heathen can
shape the world) essentially'
And that is Lust one deter,ined Heathen'
-f you ha(e two Heathens who like each other) trust each other) and
are co,pletely willing to work together and show a$solute loyalty to
one another) then the situation $eco,es ,ore than the su, of the
parts of the e/uation' +wo Heathens willing to face anything together
can acco,plish al,ost anything' +hey dri(e each other forward' +hey
inspire each other' +hey offer each other support in all things) and it
,ultiplies the effect of the, i,posing their indi(idual :ill2s upon the
world'
+wo loyal Heathens ,ingle and share :yrd' +hey $egin to $uild
collecti(e Orlog and collecti(e *uck' +his is the engine that allows
the, to acco,plish so ,uch together' +his collecti(e Orlog and
collecti(e *uck also spills o(er into their indi(idual li(es as well) ha(ing
a positi(e effect e(en on what they work on indi(idually'
-,agine the power of ha(ing three Heathens'''four Heathens'''eight
Heathens'''$ound together $y heartfelt oaths' Co,pletely loyal to one
another' Co,$ining and ,ultiplying their *uck) through working
together and supporting each other in all things' :illing to $rainstor,
together) work together) and work towards a collecti(e goal or goals'
-,agine what that sort of engine can acco,plish'
+his is why 1otun2s 3ane 4indred $elie(es that local kindreds and tri$es
are the future of Heathenry'
+9
Bot Heathen Oclu$s)O ,eeting in $ase,ents once a ,onth) where the
people ne(er really know full loyalty or $onds to one another'
Bot Heathen eDlists) where the people know each other as Opi5els on a
screen)O and they constantly $icker o(er s,all details and ne(er truly
know each other'
Bot Bational OrganiFations) where people pay R!@ a year for a
,e,$ership card) and there are only occasional gatherings attended
$y a s,all percentage of the ,e,$ership' Bational OrganiFations
ha(e their place) and their (alue) $ut they are not the future of
Heathenry'
+he future of Heathenry rests on the success of s,all oathed tri$es
and co,,unities M essentially chosen e5tended fa,ilies M where the
$est interests of fa,ily and co,,unity co,e $efore all else'
(EC4S4O6,MA"46& '4#%46 A
#=4!E
+here are (arious for,s of decisionD
,aking within a group) or in our case a
tri$e:
OP#4O6 3 D A group could ha(e one
or two strong ,e,$ers that ,ake
,ost of the decisions) and then the
rest of the tri$e is ,eant to follow the
course of action set $y the one or two
asserti(e ,e,$ers' +his for, of
decisionD,aking has its strengths' -t
can $e fairly focused) organiFed) and
the decisionD,aking process is
nor,ally (ery /uick' After all) there is
not ,uch discussion needed in this
for, of decisionD,aking' One or two
people ,ake a decision) let the other
,e,$ers of the group know a$out it)
and the decisionD,aking is done'
3ut there are great flaws to this for, of decisionD,aking' &ince there
is (ery little discussion or input) you do not draw on the knowledge)
ideas) and intelligence of all the ,e,$ers of the group' +he largest
pro$le, with this for, of decisionD,aking is that those not in on the
decisionD,aking .e(eryone e5cept the one or two strong decisionD
++
Sleipnir
,akers0 ha(e no in(est,ent in the decisions $eing ,ade' +hey ,ay
or ,ay not agree with those decisions' +his leads to ,e,$ers of the
group not fully agreeing with or supporting the direction of the group)
and this can lead to re$ellion or dissatisfaction' At the (ery least) it
di,inishes the i,pact of ha(ing a group of Heathens working together
towards so,ething in which they all $elie(e'
OP#4O6 ) D Another for, of decisionD,aking is co,pro,ise and
,aLority rule' Essentially) this for, of decisionD,aking in(ol(es
discussion of decisions to $e ,ade) and when there are
disagree,ents) ,e,$ers of the group atte,pt to reach a co,pro,ise
position that a ,aLority of the group will support' +his for, of
decisionD,aking does) at least) in(ol(e e(ery ,e,$er of the group in
discussions of the decisions to $e ,ade' -t is not /uite as fast as
Option U?) $ecause of this' And at least this for, of decision ,aking
does result in a course of action that a ,aLority of the group will
support'
3ut there are flaws here as well' At ti,es) in order to $uild ,aLority
support for a decision) co,pro,ise is used as a tool' -f there are 8
,inority positions) ! of those positions ,ay Loin their ideas in order to
i,pose a ,aLority o(er the re,aining ,inority' +his can lead to a
decision that literally BO OBE in the group fully supports' +he fact is
that there is al,ost always a ,inority of people in the group that end
up ha(ing little or no input in the course of action decided upon' +his
can also lead to re$ellion or dissatisfaction within the group and can
di,inish the i,pact of ha(ing a group of Heathens working together
towards so,ething in which they all $elie(e'
OP#4O6 8 D A third for, of decisionD,aking) and one that 1otun2s
3ane 4indred follows) is decisionD,aking $y consensus' 3efore a
decision is ,ade on an i,portant ,atter) e(eryone in the group ,ust
support that decision' E(ery single ,e,$er of the group'
+his can take ti,e' -t can take a lot of patience and long discussions'
3ut the $enefit of this for, of decisionD,aking is that once a decision
has $een ,ade) e(ery single ,e,$er of the group has had input into
the decision) and e(ery single ,e,$er of the group supports the
course of action that has $een decided upon' -n addition) the
decisions are naturally $etter $ecause they include the (ision) ideas)
knowledge) and intelligence of all of the group2s ,e,$ers' +he act of
reaching consensus within a group forces e(eryone to e5a,ine and
test their own ideas'''and to reconsider the, in light of what other
group ,e,$ers are $ringing to the ta$le'
+his is an incredi$ly strong for, of decisionD,aking) and it fully
+<
supports the i,pact of ha(ing a group of Heathens working together
towards so,ething in which they all $elie(e'
LEA(E=S%4P !E CO6SE6S0S
+here are different kinds of leaders) and there are ,any tools that
leaders can use to e5ercise their leadership' 3ut - $elie(e the ,ost
successful leaders lead $y consensus' A successful leader is a
consensusD$uilder a,ong his people'
A leader could dictate decisions .Option U?0) $ut this has all the flaws
,entioned a$o(e for this for, of decisionD,aking' A leader could
push for co,pro,ise and $uild ,aLorities .Option U!0) $ut this has all
the flaws ,entioned a$o(e for this for, of decisionD,aking' 3ut if a
leader knows his group well) is a$le to listen to the,) and help the,
co,$ine their collecti(e ideas) knowledge) insights) and intelligence
into a consensus that all within the group can support M then that
leader will ha(e a (ery successful group'
&o,e see leadership as e5ercising Opower)O or in co,,anding ,en to
do their $idding' 3ut this can only take a leader and his group so far'
At so,e point) he is likely to face dissatisfaction and re$ellion a,ong
portions of this group' *eadership $y co,,and and through the use
of OpowerO should $e reser(ed for ti,es of dire need) when a decision
is needed i,,ediately' +here is a place and a ti,e for this sort of
leadership' 3ut e(en in such cases) the leader should know his group
well enough to ,ake a decision that is $oth in the $est interests of his
group) and that will $e supported $y his people afterDtheDfact'
+-
Making =epairs After a #hurse Passed O;er Our %ouse
O(er ti,e) the relationship $etween a leader and his people de(elops
into a relationship of ,utual trust' +he leader knows the consensus of
the group without necessarily e(en needing to consult with the,' +his
is especially true of dayDtoDday decisions or decisions that are si,ilar
to decisions the group has ,ade in the past'
3ut on i,portant issues'''ones with a longDlasting i,pact on the
direction of the group) the group2s resources) or what the group will $e
working towards in the future'''consensus $uilding is the strongest
for, of leadership'
Again) so,e ,ay see leadership $y consensus as a kind of weakness)
or a lack of leadership' 3ut those that feel this way fail to understand
that there is a$solutely no lack of leadership in this ,odel' -f
decisions need to $e ,ade on the spot) the leader will ,ake those
decisions) and ,ake the, well' 3ut whene(er possi$le) a good leaderD
$yDconsensus anticipates pro$le,s and upco,ing decisions) and $uilds
consensus on these pro$le,s and decisions prior to the, $eco,ing
Oe,ergencyO decisions'
*eadership $y consensusD$uilding) also reflects the reciprocal
relationship $etween a leader and his people' A leader without people
is not a leader' People without a leader consistently acco,plish (ery
little' +hey are $oth i,portant parts of any successful group'
E&4LS SA&A
:hen - read Egil's Saga) - was surprised $y the nu,$er of ti,es that
(ery strong leaders were descri$ed as going to their ,en and $uilding
a consensus a,ong the, for a certain course of action' Prior to raids
or $efore supporting so,eone in a war) leaders within Egil's Saga are
descri$ed going to their ,en) proposing a course of action) e5plaining
the hardships) pro,ising the rewards) and then ,o(ing forward after
they had $uilt a consensus a,ong their ,en'
+he idea of leadership $y consensusD$uilding is not so,e newDage)
psycho$a$$le ,ethod of leadership' :hen consensusD$uilding is
possi$le) it is an ageDold for, of leadership that works' 3y $uilding
that consensus) the Heathen leader is a$le to acco,plish e5traordinary
things with the full support of his ,en'
#%46"46& 46 A #=4!AL FAS%4O6
- think we still ha(e a lot to learn and disco(er a$out e5isting as a
tri$e' :e are working hard on this) and our knowledge will e(ol(e
<*
o(er ti,e' A loose group of indi(iduals) with their own selfish interests
in ,ind) will ha(e difficulty working within a consensus ,odel of
decisionD,aking or leadership' :hen egos rule) and people are
looking out ,ainly for the,sel(es) rather than the tri$e) they fail to
see the (alue of reaching consensus' +hey want to Owin the
argu,ent)O rather than find a consensus answer that is $etter than
any one indi(idual2s approach to the pro$le, or decision'
-f we are to $uild successful tri$es) and $enefit fro, the incredi$le
power of collecti(e Orlog and co,$ined *uck) then we need to work at
redisco(ering our tri$al ways and put the, to work in our ,odern
world'
(INDRED "ROWIN" !AINS
ARE INE$ITA'#E
:hen you are starting) growing) and ,aintaining a kindred or tri$e) it
is ine(ita$le that there will $e growing pains' Pro$le,s to deal with'
&ituations you did not anticipate' People who end up disappointing
you' -t is a$solutely ine(ita$le) $ecause that is the way of the world'
*ife is a challenge' Anything worth doing is a challenge'
-t is not healthy to panic e(ery ti,e so,ething goes wrong' -t is not
an effecti(e strategy for facing down challenges' &o prepare yourself
and the people in(ol(ed with you in your kindredD$uilding effort for
so,e growing pains) so,e pro$le,s) and that so,e of the people
in(ol(ed in your effort ,ay fall short of e5pectations' +hese
<3
challenges are part of the process) and as you face the, and co,e
through the, successfully) ulti,ately they ,ake your group stronger'
-n 1otun2s 3ane 4indred) we look to the ,assi(e oak tree that we take
our oaths $eneath M the Old %an) Forn Halr M as our e5a,ple' He is
a thick and powerful oak) and it is i,possi$le to stand $eneath his
outstretched li,$s without respecting and acknowledging his strength
and endurance' He has outlasted all the old trees around hi,' He has
sur(i(ed a ?""" stor,s' 3ut this was not without so,e pain and loss
on his part' He wears the scars of his $attles' -n places he is gnarled
M li,$s ha(e $een lost M and he $ears the e(idence of his years of
li(ing and sur(i(ing'
&=O'46& PA46S
First) when you are starting or
$uilding so,ething new'''there
will $e growing pains' - would
define these circu,stances as
situations that you) another
indi(idual in your group) or the
group as a whole has ne(er
encountered $efore' :hen
$uilding a kindred) you are
$reaking new ground' Be(er
,ind that there are other
kindreds or tri$es already in
e5istence' Each tri$e is
different) with different
challenges) different
personalities) and different
traditions to de(elop' &o of
course there will $e growing pains'
*earn to look at growing pains as opportunities' Each one that you
o(erco,e represents growth' +alk a$out it within your group in this
way' :hen a pro$le, de(elops within the group) the ,easure of that
group and its leadership is not the fact there is a pro$le,' +he
,easure of that group and its leadership is how it deals with the
pro$le,' +he strategy it uses' +he answer it co,es up with to the
pro$le,' How well it faces and sol(es the pro$le,'
<id you identify the pro$le, /uickly or let it languish; <id you face
the pro$le, headDon and fi5 it) or try to dodge it in so,e passi(eD
aggressi(e fashion; <id the group co,e together and sol(e the
pro$le, as a group M or was there constant $ickering or politics
<)
Forn %alr , >#he Old Man>
in(ol(ed; :as the solution to the pro$le, effecti(e and lasting) or
Lust a $andDaid irresponsi$ly slapped o(er a festering wound; -s the
solution to the pro$le, so,ething the group as a whole is happy with;
All of these /uestions are i,portant to consider and ,uch ,ore
i,portant than fretting o(er the fact there was a pro$le, in the first
place' Of course there was a pro$le, M there will always $e pro$le,s'
+he real /uestion is always) how was the pro$le, addressed;
#%E O6LE OA#% EO0 CA6 "EEP 4S EO0= O'6
3esides growing pains) you will ha(e people within the group that will
disappoint you and the group' - a, not talking a$out the s,all
disappoint,ents .i'e' late paying their dues) ,issed an e(ent) not
a$le to contri$ute work for a few weeks) etc'0 that people $ring to a
group' Address and deal with the s,all disappoint,ents directly' +alk
a$out the,) work on the,) and stri(e for solutions that cause these
s,all disappoint,ents to happen less fre/uently) if at all' :hat - a,
actually talking a$out here are the $ig disappoint,ents) like the failure
to ,aintain or fulfill a kindred oath'
:hen we start an oathed kindred) or a kindred with a clearly defined
,e,$ership) we ,ake co,,it,ents to one another' +hese oaths and
co,,it,ents are at the heart of what ,akes a kindred strong and
(ia$le as a group' Eou can count on the other ,e,$ers to stick
together) work hard together) and acco,plish collecti(e goals as a
tri$e' +hese oaths also represent a co,,it,ent to ad(ance each
other indi(idually) and to ad(ance the group forward' -n a perfect
world) no oath will $e $roken' :e2d like to think that e(eryone we
oath to will keep their oath to us with the sa,e deter,ination that we
keep our own oaths to the,'
3ut this isn2t a perfect world) and you can2t control whether another
person keeps his9her oaths' Eou can2t force the, to keep their oaths'
Eou can2t ,ake the, $e so,eone they aren2t' Bo ,atter how hard
you work to get to know so,eone and ,ake sure they are a person
willing and a$le to faithfully keep their kindred oath M it is i,possi$le
to really know' *ook at the di(orce rate if you need an e5a,ple of
how hard it is to know if another person will keep their oath to you'
+he only thing we truly control is our own oath' :e ,ake our oath)
we ,ean our oath) and we li(e up to that oath' +hat is what we
control) and that is what is i,portant to focus on' +he world is not
perfect) and people will disappoint us' :hen they do) react in a wise
and prudent way) and protect yourself and your group fro, their
ina$ility to keep and fulfill their oath'
<8
=EC4P=OC4#E OF OA#%S
A kindred oath is a reciprocal oath' +hose taking the oath are
co,,itting to the group) and to the indi(idual ,e,$ers of that group'
-t is i,portant to understand that this esta$lishes a we$ of oaths'
+hese oaths are not oneDsided affairs' +hey are reciprocal in nature'
&o) if an oathed ,e,$er of a kindred
is acting in a way that hurts the
kindred) and all efforts ha(e $een
,ade to address this $eha(ior and
correct it'''and the oathed ,e,$er
continues to hurt the group'''then
steps ,ust $e taken to protect the
group' Cut your losses' Either
release the kindred oath) wiping it
away as so,ething that was not $eing
kept in a reciprocal fashion or) if
appropriate to the situation) declare
the oathed ,e,$er an oathD$reaker'
3ut the group itself'''the kindred'''the
tri$e'''it ,ust $e protected fro, those
that would hurt it through their own
selfish actions'
>eleasing an oath in this ,anner is a last resort) and e(ery effort
should $e ,ade to ,aintain the oath'''reinforce the oath'''and ,ake it
clear to the oathed ,e,$er e5actly what they are doing to LeopardiFe
their kindred oath' 3ut it is i,portant for the leadership of a tri$e) to
co,part,entaliFe this pro$le,D,e,$er as the situation de(elops'
For instance) if a ,e,$er of a kindred is not showing up for things)
failing in ,any of their o$ligations) and they are ,aking risky
decisions that are threatening their ,arriage) and a$out to $ring a fullD
$lown di(orce into the ,idst of a kindred'''this is clearly a pro$le,'
Eou do not entrust i,portant duties within the kindred to this pro$le,D
,e,$er' Eou do not assign the, i,portant responsi$ilities at a $ig
e(ent your kindred is hosting' Eou do not e5pose the softDunder$elly
of the kindred to this pro$le,D,e,$er' Eou do what you need in
order to co,part,entaliFe the potential da,age this pro$le,D,e,$er
,ight to do to the kindred) until such ti,e as that pro$le, has $een
resol(ed or until they ha(e $eha(ed so $adly that their oath ,ust $e
released'
+his is a co,ple5 issue) and we all hope to not go through it at all) or
at the (ery least) not (ery often' 3ut it happens' +hough you are
<:
oathed to so,eone) if so,eone is not $eing reciprocal in their
oath'''and are not holding up their end of the $argain'''there co,es a
ti,e when the tri$e is no longer o$ligated to ,aintain their end of the
$argain' :hen that ti,e co,es) release the oath and cut ties'
>e,o(e tri$al o$ligations owed to the ,e,$er who will not fulfill their
own o$ligations to the tri$e and its ,e,$ers'
'%E '=4#E #%4S ESSAE?
One of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred2s growing pains was working through
what you should do when a ,e,$er $reaks their oath to the kindred'
:e had to work through what to do when so,eone cannot or will not
fulfill their o$ligation to our tri$e' -t was difficult trying to $alance
holding to our own oaths while protecting our kindred fro, the
pro$le,D,e,$er2s actions and decisions' :hen we first encountered
this) we weren2t sure how the whole situation reflected on us as a
group' &o this was an essay written specifically for this collection'
+he $otto, line is this' All kindreds and tri$es will face growing pains)
disappoint,ents) and perhaps dra,a now and again' +he ,easure of
a strong and sta$le kindred is not the co,plete lack of these pro$le,s'
- $elie(e that to $e i,possi$le' +he ,easure of a strong and sta$le
kindred is how they deal with these ine(ita$le pro$le,s' How they
sol(e the,' How they protect their tri$e' How they learn fro, the
pro$le,s' How they continue to grow and ad(ance' +hat is the
,easure of a tri$e'
'RO(EN !EO!#E
- hadn2t really heard the ter, O3roken People)O until - heard >od
*andreth use it' 3ut) - was talking to hi, early on in our kindred2s
de(elop,ent a$out so,eone that Lust ga(e ,e a $ad feeling' +heir
life was chaos' +heir relationships were in disarray and had $een for
years' +heir Lo$ situation was in disarray and had $een for years'
+heir housing situation) de$t situation) and legal situation all were in
disarray) and had $een for years' :hen you talked to the person you
Lust got this negati(e gut feeling'
- used the ter, 3roken People in an earlier essay and discussed what
it ,eant $riefly' 3ut understanding there are 3roken People in the
world) who they are) and why they will har, your kindredD$uilding
<7
efforts is i,portant'
E(eryone so,eti,es has chaos in their li(es' E(eryone at so,e point
has relationship pro$le,s) Lo$ pro$le,s) housing pro$le,s) de$t
pro$le,s) legal pro$le,s' +hat is Lust life' *ife gets a little craFy at
ti,es'''and no one ,akes their way through life without pro$le,s'
3ut a 3roken Person is so,eone who see,s to ne(er $e a$le to escape
these pro$le,s'
A 3roken Person always see,s to ,ake e5actly the wrong choices'
A 3roken Person ne(er addresses the pro$le,s in a way that will sol(e
the,'''only in ways that delays the, for later) or ,akes the,
e(entually worse'
A 3roken Person will unload their pro$le,s on you within the first fi(e
,inutes you2(e ,et the,'
A 3roken Person is often searching for new friends or new groups of
allies to support the, through their pro$le,s) $ecause they2(e used
up all their old friends or ne(er had any in the first place'
A 3roken Person often feels all of their pro$le,s are so,eone else2s
fault) and ne(er see,s to own the,'
A 3roken Person is) well'''$roken'
&o what does this ,ean fro, a Heathen point of (iew; :yrd is a
powerful thing' -f you ,ingle :yrd with a 3roken Person) so,e of
that $rokenness is going to ru$ off on you' Eou will $e left picking up
the pieces of their latest crisis' Eou will $e put in the role of rescuer)
ti,e and again' :hate(er chaos they ha(e in their li(es will
e(entually influence your life' OEou lie down with dogs) you get up
with fleas)O is one of the ,ost Heathen sayings e(er' -t strikes at the
heart of what it ,eans to ,ingle :yrd with the wrong people'
&o what does this ,ean for either a new) growing 4indred or an
esta$lished 4indred; -f a 3roken Person is allowed into a 4indred) their
pro$le,s $eco,e the 4indred2s pro$le,s' :hen they are getting
e(icted) the 4indred ends up chipping in on the rent or gi(ing the
3roken Person a couch to sleep on' :hen the 3roken Person needs to
$e $onded out) the 4indred is there' :hen the 3roken Person gets in
fights with fa,ily or friends) the kindred2s ti,e and energy are spent
constantly consoling the 3roken Person or playing referee' +his is a
drain on ti,e) energy) and treasure that will ne(er end'
<9
A 4indred has collecti(e *uck' A 3roken Person has no *uck' +hey
contri$ute no *uck to the collecti(e effort' +hey $eco,e a $lack
hole) as the 4indred spends ti,e and energy tending to the 3roken
Person2s constant need for help and attention fro, the group' A
3roken Person does not $uild *uck M they tear it down'
3eing a 3roken Person is in the now' +here are people that ha(e all
sorts of $ad e(ents and $ad decisions in their past) that are li(ing their
li(es well and +ru in the present' +hey ,ay ha(e $een 3roken once)
$ut they ha(e turned that around' -t is rare) $ut with age and
,aturity) so,e people do escape the selfDdestructi(e cycle' 3ut others
ha(e $een 3roken People for so long that they will ne(er change or
i,pro(e'
As - ,eet new people) and as the 4indred attracts people who are
interested in Heathenry and possi$ly $eco,ing a part of the 4indred)
we look to their li(es and how they li(e the,' Are they responsi$le)
functioning) adults who know how to keep their relationships) keep a
Lo$) pay their $ills) and stay away fro, destructi(e $eha(ior; Or are
they 3roken; +his ,easure of their worth is a huge deciding factor on
whether - a, willing to ,ingle :yrd with the,) and whether the
4indred is interested in ha(ing the, around'
<+
!aldrs Funeral
ACHIE$ERS4 WOR(ERS4
AND TRO##S
At the police depart,ent) we say that ?"I of the e,ployees are selfD
,oti(ated) highDachie(ing) stellar e,ployees' +here are a$out A"I
that Lust co,e to work) do what they are told) and get $y' +he
re,aining ?"I are co,pletely worthless) do not do their work) and
are essentially pro$le, e,ployees' &o,ething close to this ?"9A"9?"
$reakdown pro$a$ly holds true for any su$Dset of the population'
For Heathenry) that ,eans there are likely ?"I .or less0 that are
going to truly ,ake things happen' +hese are the ?"I that will work
at gathering the Folk) holding open e(ents) organiFing groups)
4indreds) tri$es) and li(ing the Heathen ideal' +here are A"I that if
properly ,oti(ated) will co,e along and do what they can' +he
re,aining ?"I will ser(e as disruptors) trolls) and the people that tear
down anyone who is trying to achie(e so,ething positi(e'
- a, guessing that a,ong our Ancestors) things were not ,uch
different' :e atte,pt to li(e +ru) and according to Heathen (alues'
3ut during the Ciking Age and $efore) not e(eryone was a leader' Bot
e(eryone ,ade things happen' Bot e(eryone organiFed ,en) ac/uired
and e5panded their land holdings) etc' -t is likely there was a
?"9A"9?" split) or so,e (ariation) e(en then'
&o) - would challenge each of you to ask yourself these /uestions:
<o you want to $e a,ong the ?"I that ,ake things happen; +he
?"I that acti(ely shapes the world; +he ?"I that will grow the Folk)
and ,ake it possi$le for Heathenry to last and grow;
Or are you the A"I that will work hard when told; +he A"I that will
Loin 4indreds) and work at keeping the, healthy and ali(e; +he A"I
that support and push forward the cause) and those leading the cause;
Or are you the ?"I that will tear down e(erything good and positi(e;
+he ?"I that causes strife with e(eryone and e(erything you touch;
+he ?"I that is the e5a,ple of Owhat not to do;O
-f you ask yourself these /uestions) and do not like the answers) then
take steps to fi5 the pro$le,' :e are our deeds'
<<
#ea5-ng a (-nd.ed
".acef,ll6
+his see,s like an odd topic for an essay a$out Heathenry' 3ut life is
co,ple5' People are called up for acti(eDduty $y the ,ilitary' People
are offered $etter Lo$s that are in other cities and states' %arriages
$reakDup) and so,eti,es one ,ust ,o(e to stay close to one2s
children' +he circu,stances of one2s life can change) and this can
,ake staying with a kindred difficult) if not i,possi$le'
*et ,e first say that - would not lea(e
,y kindred' - was one of the
founding ,e,$ers of 1otun2s 3ane
4indred) and the for,ation of our
kindred was $ased on an oath - ,ade
directly to +hor and our Gods) prior to
,e personally knowing e(en one
other Heathen' +he for,ation of 134
was so,ething that - had to do' -t is
difficult to i,agine a situation that
could pull ,e away fro, ,y tri$e' -t
,eans too ,uch to ,e'
3ut there are ti,es when you will
ha(e to pull away fro, a group of
people for circu,stances $eyond your
control' -f you care at all a$out your
honor) your reputation .Gefrain0) and
your esta$lished friendships within
that group) there are things you
should do that will ,ake your e5it
fro, that group ,ore graceful and
less da,aging'
First) you should face the group in person and e5plain to the, the
circu,stances of why you ,ust lea(e' +his should happen at an
e5isting ,eeting or) if need $e) a special ,eeting of the group' An
e,ail to the group or the group2s leadership will not suffice' Actually)
an e,ail to the group or its leadership co,pletely lacks the directness)
the honesty) or the courage that we e5pect to see fro, +ru Heathens'
3reaking such news in an e,ail will cause anger and disgust $y the
group towards you' 3ut a face to face e5planation to the group allows
the, to all hear the facts at once) allows the, to see your e,otions
and attitude a$out lea(ing) and allows the, to ask /uestions and ha(e
<-
S$all Car;ed Odin
a con(ersation with you a$out it'
-f you ,ust lea(e i,,ediately) and a face to face ,eeting is
i,possi$le with the group'''then it is your o$ligation to call e(ery
,e,$er of that group) starting with the leadership) to e5plain to each
of the, that you are lea(ing) and why you ha(e to lea(e' Eou $egin
with the leadership of the group out of respect) and so they can $egin
,aking the adLust,ents that need to $e ,ade to li,it the da,age to
the group done $y your departure'
-f your reasons for lea(ing are good) and any reasona$le person can
see why you ,ust lea(e) telling the group that you are lea(ing will
likely $e e,otional $ut not confrontational'
-f you reasons for lea(ing are sort of sketchy) then e5pect to $e asked
so,e fairly serious /uestions a$out your reasoning and your
,oti(ations' +here is no o$ligation on the ,e,$ers of the group you
are lea(ing to auto,atically accept your reasons for lea(ing without
/uestion' After all) you are lea(ing the group M a group that you
co,,itted to' :hile you control whether you lea(e or not) the group
itself .and its ,e,$ers0 are in control of how they react to your
lea(ing' Eou ha(e no control o(er their reaction'
Bow) what -2(e e5plained a$o(e does not see, to $e what ,ost people
lea(ing a group see, to want to do' - tell you this fro, the standpoint
of ha(ing seen it in (arious types of groups during ,y lifeti,e)
including our Heathen tri$e' %any people see, incapa$le of facing the
group face to face and si,ply e5plaining why they ,ust lea(e' For
so,e reason) they can2t Lust co,e and say:
+his isn2t working out for ,e) -2d like to lea(e the group $ut
-2d like to re,ain friends with this kindred'
+his isn2t working out for ,e) -2d like to start ,y own kindred)
$ut - want to stay on friendly ter,s with this kindred'
- ha(e to ,o(e away for .insert reason0) $ut - want to stay in
touch and on friendly ter,s with this kindred'
-nstead) what ,ost people do is co,e up with Lustifications for their
lea(ing that in(ol(e $eing angry with the group' +hey fear the
reaction of the group to their lea(ing) so they $uild up anger and
e,otion towards the group' +hey $egin looking at the group as their
ene,y) $ased on the negati(e reaction they $elie(e they will get)
e(en though this reaction is pro$a$ly farthest fro, the truth' &o) this
frustration and anger $uilds) until they lash out at the group'
-*
Essentially) it is easier for the, to start so,e kind of fight with the
group) so that they can $la,e their lea(ing the group on the group
itself'
+hat sounds a little odd) $ut -2(e seen it o(er and o(er again' >ather
than Lust face the group) e5plain their reasons) and then pull away
with friendships and their honor intact) people will often take the
coward2s way out) cause a fight) and then run off' &o,ewhere in their
head) they feel this has shifted the $la,e and responsi$ility fro, their
shoulders) $ut it actually ,akes things worse' +hey actually cause
,ore da,age to the group and to the,sel(es $y lea(ing in this
,anner'
+o li,it this sort of da,age to your group) kindred) or tri$e) it is not a
$ad idea to address the su$Lect of how to lea(e the group in your
group2s $yDlaws' +alk a$out it with new ,e,$ers) so that they know
what is e5pected of the, should they e(er ha(e to lea(e' +his will not
co,pletely pre(ent people fro, lea(ing in the worst of ways) $ut it is
$etter than not addressing the topic at all'
-3
Odin =iding Sleipnir
(INDREDS
'ECO&IN" TRI'ES
- had a realiFation during the for,ation of our kindred a$out kindreds
$eco,ing tri$es' - ,ade a /uick note a$out the realiFation in the
following paragraph) and then the rest of this essay e5pands on the
idea'

O;er ti$e/ as $y fa$ily and other fa$ilies beco$e
$ore integrated into the "indred/ in $any ways it will
ha;e beco$e a >#ribe> and not a "indred1 A "indred is
of course a fa$ily111and as our "indred beco$es a
gathering of four or fi;e fa$ilies and so$e additional
indi;iduals111it will be $ore of a tribe than a "indred1
#hat is so$ething growing "indreds need to consider/
talk about/ and plan for1
:hen we first $egan $uilding 1otun2s 3ane 4indred) - saw the 4indred
as Lust fi(e indi(iduals oathed to each other as a Ofa,ily'O A tightDknit
group of Heathens) honoring the Gods together) studying together) and
looking out for each other as fa,ily should' - will not speak for the
others in 1otun2s 3ane 4indred) $ut that is how - had en(isioned it'
-t ne(er e(en occurred to ,e that our
fa,ilies would $eco,e such a $ig
part of what we do' As - e(aluated
and siFed up those ,aking the effort
with ,e early on) - thought to
,yself) O:ould - trust this person
with ,y children;O +hat was sort of a
lit,us test for ,e M a $ench,ark of
whether they were of worth or not'
3ut) at the ti,e - thought 4indred
e(ents would entail all of us lea(ing
our fa,ilies for a few hours a week)
co,ing together) and doing Okindred
stuffO as a group of indi(iduals'
- a, willing to ad,it) this was
so,ewhat shortDsighted'''and
co,pletely ,issed the point of what
Heathen 4indreds should work
towards $uilding'
-)
Joshua and Mark
Bow that our 4indred has for,ed) and e5isted o(er ti,e) we do not
Lust gather as a s,all group of indi(iduals' :e gather together as
%ark) ,y wife 1ennifer) and ,y three kids'''1a,ie'''>od and his
partner) 1ason''':ill'''Craig and his wife Paula) and his two kids'''Glen
and &usan'''and 1ohnny and his wife 4i,$erly) and their three kids'
:hen we gather for fainings or cele$rations) sy,$el) study groups)
Heathen ,o(ie nights) etc) it is fa,ilies that gather) not Lust indi(idual
4indred ,e,$ers'
- hadn2t thought of this at the $eginning) $ut seeing how things ha(e
progressed) - would encourage all 4indred2s to work towards including
their fa,ilies in e(erything they possi$ly can' >ather than $uilding
4indreds of indi(iduals) we should $e working to $uild +ri$es of
Heathen fa,ilies' Fa,ilies ensure the future of our traditions) our
culture) and our ways in a way that indi(iduals cannot'
RO#ES WITHIN OUR
&ODERN TRI'ES
&o,e should $e crafts,en'
&o,e should $e scholars'
&o,e should $e god,en'
&o,e should $e warriors'
&o,e should $e leaders'
&o,e should $e workers'
&o,e should $e skalds'
And ,ost will play se(eral shifting roles at once'
3ut we can2t e5pect e(ery single Heathen to $e a warrior' Or e(ery
single Heathen to $e a scholar' Or e(ery single Heathen to $e a
runester' Or e(ery single Heathen to $e interested in &pae'
+he (illages and tri$es of our Ancestors were filled with people who
-8
played (arious roles within that co,,unity' - a, sure there was
ne(er a (illage filled with ?"" scholars) and nothing else' Or ?""
crafts,en) and nothing else' +here e5isted within each (illage a wide
spectru, of skillDsets) interests) specialties) and roles'
&o) as we $ring our Folk $ack to our ancestral ways and $uild ,odern
tri$es we can2t e5pect to $uild a tri$e of !" scholars' Or !" skalds' Or
!" god,en' Or !" runesters' Or !" warriors'
For instance) if one ,e,$er of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred decided to take
on the challenge of learning Old Borse) - would encourage the,) help
the,) and support the,' 3ut) if so,eone suggested that e(ery
,e,$er of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred should learn Old Borse) - would say)
OH,'''no'O - would also say OnoO to a suggestion that e(ery ,e,$er of
our kindred ,ust $eco,e a Orunester'O Or e(ery ,e,$er of 134 ,ust
enter a clergy progra,'
-2(e seen kindreds $eco,e focused on one role) or one skillDset so
intensely) that they are essentially dysfunctional in e(ery other area)
lea(ing the, dysfunctional o(erall' +he whole kindred does one or two
things (ery well) and e(erything else is left undone'
As we $uild ,odern kindreds and tri$es) we should accept and
encourage ,e,$ers to take on a (ariety of roles and skillDsets within
our tri$es' <i(ersity a,ong these (arious roles ,akes for a stronger
tri$e) with ,ore possi$ility of success across a wider array of acti(ities
M and this is truer to the way our Ancestors li(ed within their tri$es'
-:
A Cedar %a$$er that 4 Car;ed
THE CORE OF THE (INDRED
AND ITS FRIENDS
-t is (ery difficult to grow a kindred $eyond around twenty people
without things $eginning to fracture and separate' +here is al,ost a
critical ,ass point that is reached within a traditional kindred structure
that li,its its siFe' 3ut there is a way to possi$ly grow $eyond this
siFe li,it without ha(ing to split into two) three) or four kindreds in
one area'
+hink of it as the oathed kindred or tri$e at the core of a larger
co,,unity) with the rest of the co,,unity in or$it around that core'
1otun2s 3ane 4indred in 4ansas City) at the ti,e of this writing) is @
oathed 4indred %e,$ers and 8 Applicant %e,$ers' :e hea(ily
in(ol(e our fa,ilies) so with spouses and children we ha(e a$out !?
people at the core' :e ha(e pri(ate 4indred e(ents and planning
,eetings) talk to each other all the ti,e) spend ti,e at each other2s
ho,es) etc' :e are (ery in(ol(ed in each other2s li(es and closely
,ingle our :yrd'
3ut we ha(e Open Pu$,oots e(ery two ,onths' :e ha(e a (ery
acti(e pu$lic ,essage $oard that in(ol(es people outside of our
4indred' :e ha(e Open Fainings in our area' &o there are /uite a few
Heathens a$out that are not in the 4indred) $ut who are close Friends
of the 4indred' +hese people are in a sense) in or$it around us'''$ut
not directly a part of us'
-t is not two different groups) e5actly M as ,uch as a core and an
outer circle around the core' O(er ti,e) so,e of the ,e,$ers of the
Heathen co,,unity outside our kindred ha(e Loined the inner circle'
&o,e of the ,e,$ers of this Heathen co,,unity are closer to the
kindred than others' O(er ti,e) as the Heathen co,,unity around
our kindred grows) we do e5pect that at least one additional kindred
will grow out of this co,,unity'
As we get further into the effort to $uy hofDland) and $uilding a hof
and hall) it ,akes sense that the hofDland would $e ser(ing ,ore than
Lust the oathed kindred' A hof and hall would hold open e(ents for
Heathens in our area and region' &o this concept of $alancing the
oathed kindred with the Heathen co,,unity that surrounds it plays a
role down the road as well'
-7
OUR !#ANS
fo. A HOF4 a HA##4
AND TRI'A# #AND
1otun2s 3ane 4indred has $een for,ing plans to $uild a Hof since a$out
the ,iddle of !""A' 3ut we kept our thoughts and plans on the ,atter
pri(ate for nearly a year' :e wanted to $e ,ore sure of our plans
$efore we $egan discussing the, pu$licly'
&o,e people take the OHofVChurchO idea too far) in ,y ,ind' +hey
want their own Heathen church $uilding) so,ewhere on a street corner
or in the su$ur$s' +hey want a OcongregationO of Heathens to co,e to
the Hof) OtitheO to the church) and treat the Hof as if it were si,ply a
different kind of church' Put (ery si,ply) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred2s Hof
will not $e a Christian Church with a $ig ha,,er on the front of it'
Our Hof will ha(e land' *and to grow food and land to e(entually keep
li(estock' *and that kindred ,e,$ers will ha(e the opportunity to
,o(e onto in order to li(e in closer pro5i,ity to each other' +his will
support and reinforce our current tri$al structure) and take it further
along the road we wish to tra(el'
Our Hof $uilding will ha(e a Hall for feasting) sy,$els) and large
gatherings) as well as the for,al Hof itself' -t will also ser(e as a
cultural center) where we will offer classes on Heathenry) traditional
-9
'ill in Front of a %all in 4celand
crafts) etc' :e will also likely run a s,all $usiness .i'e' $ookstore)
coffee shop) craft store0 out of our HofD$uilding) though that has not
$een fully discussed'
:e are following a tri$al ,odel) and we wish to li(e ,ore like a tri$e'
:e will not $e withdrawing fro, the world) a$andoning all technology)
or li(ing in so,e sort of co,,une' Our goal is to esta$lish a place
where our 4indred can li(e' A place that Heathens in our area and in
the region can gather' A place that fulfills the goals of our kindred'
%aking this happen is going to $e a lot of work' 3ut when it co,es to
fruition) it will ha(e $een worth the work'
+his is work that needs to $e done' +hirty years of Asatru in the
Hnited &tates) and where are we at; 4ansas City is !)""")""" people
when you include the entire ,etro area' -n 1une !""= when -
dedicated ,yself to our Gods) - could not find one other Heathen in
4ansas City) despite ,uch effort on ,y part' -t took ,e two ,onths
to e(entually find >od *andreth) and fro, there we grew' +hirty years
of Heathenry) and where are our tri$es; :here are our Hofs;
A California AFA ,e,$er was telling ,e that a &ufi cultural center was
$uilt in his city' +he &ufi2s picked a spot) they all ,o(ed to ho,es
within $locks of that spot) they all worked their $utts off) sa(ed and
pooled their ,oney) and within fi(e years they had $uilt a large &ufi
cultural center) a place of worship) and a school for their children' And
that is with California land and $uilding pricesP
+hirty years of Heathenry) and where are our Hofs; -f &ufi2s can ,o(e
into a neigh$orhood and ,ake this happen'''then what stands in our
way; +he answer is si,ple' :e stand in our own way'
1otun2s 3ane 4indred seeks to create so,ething long lasting)
sustaina$le) useful) and so,ething that ,eets our needs and goals as
a tri$e' +his essay is ,eant to shine so,e light on why we are willing
to dedicate so ,uch of our ti,e) energy) and ,oney towards this goal'
:e hope that sharing this goal inspires other tri$es to grow and
esta$lish tri$al land) Hofs) and Halls of their own'
:e will certainly share what we learn fro, this process) as we learn it'
-+
TRI'ES AND (INDREDS
AS #E"A# ENTITIES
For a kindred or tri$e to own property as a tri$e) or to $uild a Hof as a
tri$e) they ,ust $e a legal entity' -n the &tate of %issouri) this
nor,ally re/uires four ,ain steps) each consisting of ,any s,aller
tasks' -n other &tates the steps) and the tasks e,$edded within each
step) will (ary so,ewhat'
?' +he tri$e ,ust ac/uire an E-B nu,$er fro, the Federal
Go(ern,ent to open a $ank account) file ta5es) etc' +his step takes
a$out ?" ,inutes) can $e done onDline) and it is free'
!' +he tri$e ,ust incorporate as a
legal entity in its ho,e state' -n
,ost states this is a one or two
page for,) and costs around R!@'
-f you take the for, and the ,oney
directly to one of the &ecretary of
&tate2s offices) you can hand it
directly to the,) and ten ,inutes
later they hand you a Certificate of
-ncorporation as a Heathen
OchurchO or religious organiFation
.depending on the the direction you
take when filling out the for,0'
3eing -ncorporated as a church)
allows you to ordain Heathen
clergy' :e2ll share ,ore
infor,ation on that in a future
essay'
8' +a5 e5e,pt status in your ho,e
state is a little $it ,ore in(ol(ed' -t
is free) $ut it in(ol(es a longer for,) your -ncorporation paperwork
.see step !0) your $ylaws) and other docu,ents showing that you are
entitled to $e ta5De5e,pt' +his will allow you to $uy things for the
kindred9tri$e without paying sales ta5'
6' Finally) there2s the issue of achie(ing @"?c8 status with the Federal
Go(ern,ent' -f you are -ncorporated as a Ochurch)O technically @"?c8
status is not re/uired for people to $e a$le to donate ,oney to you
and get a ta5 deduction' 3ut) ,ost churches go ahead and get their
-<
#hor &oing Fishing
@"?c8 status to a(oid pro$le,s and to pro(ide assurances to those
who donate to the, that the Federal Go(ern,ent will not /uestion
their ta5 deductions'
@"?c8 status is a R8"" fee'''and a lot of paperwork' 3ut if you do it
yourself) it will only cost you R8""' -f you hire an attorney to do it for
you) it can cost as ,uch as R!""") or e(en ,ore' - know se(eral
pagan co(ens and organiFations in the 4ansas City area that ha(e
done this paperwork on their own successfully) so that is the course we
are going to take as well'
3O++O% *-BE: A kindred9tri$e can -ncorporate as a Heathen Ochurch)O
$eco,e ta5De5e,pt in your state) ac/uire @"?c8 status fro, the
Federal Go(ern,ent) ha(e its own kindred $ank account) ordain your
own Heathen clergy) and e5ist as a legally recogniFed entity for a
grand total of R8!@ in %issouri'
-n other states) the only thing that will possi$ly (ary is the R!@
incorporation fee or the a,ount of paperwork' +he R8"" fee for @"?c8
status applications is standard across the @" states'
-n !""#) 1otun2s 3ane 4indred incorporated as a Heathen OchurchO in
the &tate of %issouri' :e ha(e a few ,ore legal steps to take) $ut
that was a $ig one toward the 4indred owning tri$al land'''and a Hof
and Hall of our own'
:e2ll pro(ide ,ore details on this as we ,o(e through the
process'''including e5a,ples of how we filled out our paperwork) etc'
%any thanks are owed to Aurora'''a wonderful pagan lady here in
4ansas City that took the ti,e to e5plain all of this to us) and share
e5a,ples with us' &he is a generous wo,an of worth'
--
=od Landreth and Mark Stinson
RE"IONA# "ROWTH%%%
A Hea.tland THIN"
-t is clear to ,e that the growth of Heathenry is so,ething that ,ust
happen at the grassroots le(el) and ,o(e upward'
"46(=E(S &=O'46&
-t starts with one or two Heathens' +hey find each other' Perhaps
they start a local studyDgroup' +hey 3lot or &y,$el at the study
groups' +hen a kindred naturally for,s fro, the $onds ,ade o(er
ti,e' +he kindred grows and ,atures into a tri$e of fa,ilies' And the
collecti(e :yrd) *uck) and Gefrain of that tri$e allows the, to
acco,plish great things' +hey sponsor Asatru classes and workshops)
hold open e(ents) and o(er ti,e for, a co,,unity around the,'
*ocal traditions and understanding of their way of life de(elops'''and
tri$al +hew' +hey $egin to tra(el) and ,eet other Heathens in near$y
cities and at regional gatherings''''
=E&4O6AL CO66EC#4O6S
As (arious tri$es $egin to (isit and co,,unicate with each other face
to face) this de(elops relationships and connections $etween tri$es'
+hey $egin sharing with each other what works and doesn2t work'
+rust de(elops $etween the,' +his allows tri$es to collecti(ely react
to threats to Heathenry) fro, within and without' -f a tri$e is hit hard
.tornado da,age) flooding) earth/uake) etc'0) other tri$es help that
tri$e deal with their local threat'
=E&4O6AL #%46&
O(er ti,e) the trust $etween tri$es and tri$al leaders $eco,es such)
that a ,ore for,al structure of +hing is put in place' +hose included
in the +hing all ha(e connections and so,e le(el of trust $etween
the,' All the tri$es represented are sta$le and of /uality' +he +hing
is a ,eeting of e/uals' +he location of the +hing rotates' +he role of
appointing a *awspeaker falls to the host tri$e' +he +hing rarely
addresses ,atters that are internal to any tri$e) as those are ,atters
$est left at the tri$al le(el' +he +hing addresses e5ternal ,atters)
co,,unication) coordination' and those things that ,ake Heathenry
in the region $etter M and stronger'
3**
+here is no O$ureaucracyO or ad,inistration of the +hing' +he strength
of the +hing is in the so(ereignty and strength of the indi(idual tri$es
in(ol(ed' +he +hing needs no we$site' +he +hing needs no e,ail
address) P'O' 3o5) $udget) staff) $oard) or anything else representing
a ,odern organiFation' -t is si,ply a way for strong) +ru tri$es to
co,e together) co,,unicate) coordinate) and address regional
concerns'
%O' 'O0L( A #%46& 'O="?
-f 4indred A is working on a $ook on 4indredD3uilding) they would
$ring the idea to +hing'''infor, e(eryone what they are doing) and
elicit support) suggestions) etc' +he +hing would not put out the $ook'
4indred A would'''with the support of the other kindreds'
-f 4indred 3 wanted to organiFe a su,,er ca,p for Heathen kids)
they would $ring the idea to +hing'''infor, e(eryone what they are
doing) and find out how ,any kids ,ight co,e fro, each kindred'
+hey would ask if anyone would $e a$le to attend and perhaps help
with it' +he +hing would not put on the su,,er ca,p' 4indred 3
would'''with the support of the other kindreds'
-f 4indred C and 4indred < had pro$le,s with so,e scu,$ag clai,ing
to $e Heathen'''and they felt this scu,$ag ,ight try so,ething si,ilar
with other kindreds) 4indred C or 4indred < would $ring this up in
+hing) and infor, the other kindreds' -t would $e talked a$out) and if
so,e action needed to $e taken'''then that would $e agreed upon'
-f 4indred E had achie(ed @"?c8 status) they would co,e to +hing and
e5plain how it was achie(ed' &hare ad(ice and paperwork) in order to
assist those kindreds who would also like @"?c8 status in getting it on
their own'
3*3
A Marker at the Law =ock at #hing;ellir
-f 4indred F had worked hard and gathered together enough ,oney to
$uy tri$al land and were working on $uilding a Hof'''they would $ring
this to +hing' E5plain how they had achie(ed this' Encourage other
kindreds to do the sa,e' &hare the pitfalls they ran into) and how
they a(oided the,' +hey would not ask the +hing to $uild the, a
Hof'''$ut instead descri$e how they planned to achie(e it) and ask for
ad(ice on the ,atter'
-f 4indred G was in a town that was le(eled $y a tornado) and ,any of
its ,e,$ers were now ho,eless) and this was a pro$le, the kindred
needed help with) they would turn to the kindreds in(ol(ed in the
+hing) and ask for assistance' +hose that could) would help in
whate(er way they could'
+he +hing would $e a place for coordination) co,,unication) and
facilitation of support for deeds of worth that kindreds are already
doing' +he +hing would not $e an organiFation to which people
$elonged' Bor would it $e an organiFation that does things on its own)
apart fro, what the in(ol(ed kindreds9tri$es were doing'
+he +hing would also work to encourage and assist people with
for,ing kindreds in areas where none e5ist' +hey would help $y
pro(iding ad(ice) suggestions) and whate(er support they could' -f a
kindred wanted to $eco,e a @"?c8) or $uy tri$al land) those kindreds
that already had @"?c8 status or tri$al land would help with ad(ice and
paperwork e5a,ples'
'%E 6O# A 6A#4O6AL O=&A64PA#4O6?
+here are currently a handful of Bational OrganiFations' &o,e ha(e
indi(idual ,e,$erships and so,e ha(e kindred ,e,$erships' +hey
ser(e a purpose M and - a, not saying they are without (alue' -
$elong to one) and work for one as a Folk$uilder' Other ,e,$ers of
,y kindred $elong to Bational OrganiFations' &o) let ,e $e clear that
- a, not saying Bational OrganiFations are without purpose'
3ut) they are topDdown' +hey tend to ha(e their own identity'
:e$sites' A post office $o5' %e,$ership fees' Bewsletters' Foru,s
or eDlists' A leader or leaders' A centraliFed purpose and goals)
decided upon $y that leadership'
Bational OrganiFations are Bational) $y their (ery nature' +hey are
not regional'''they are not grassroots' :hat we need is regional
co,,unication and coordination) allowing strong kindreds to work
together to support one another here in the %idwest'
3*)
:e do not need yet another Bational OrganiFation' +hat Lust di(ides
us further' :e do not need another ad,inistrati(e leader) setting the
goals and purposes of an organiFation) and ,aking day to day
decisions a$out its operations' :e do not need another $ureaucracy'
:e do not need any of these things' :e need strong kindreds in the
%idwest to co,,unicate and coordinate with each other) regarding the
a,aFing things they are currently acco,plishing) and the things they
plan to acco,plish'
Borse Heathens left Borway and went to -celand to escape a 4ing' A
central authority' +hey esta$lished a +hing'''a way for chieftains to
gather together) and decide regional issues' -t was a gathering of
strong e/uals' -t was uni/ue M and successful M $ecause there was no
king' *et us e,ulate that ,odel) and ,oderniFe it to our needs'
SO '%A# 4S 6EI# 46 #%E %EA=#LA6(?
:e are farther along in this process than one would think' :e ha(e
strong kindreds here in the Heartland' :e ha(e new) growing
kindreds here in the Heartland' %any of us ha(e talked) or are talking'
-n &epte,$er of !""# at *ightning Across the Plains) ?!" Heathens
gathered together in Frith to honor our Gods) our Ancestors) and the
Caettir of the land' Our fa,ilies ate) and played) and got to know each
other'
&epte,$er of !"?" will $e the !
nd
year for *ightning Across the Plains
M and there are other gatherings around the Heartland that 1otun2s
3ane 4indred will $e attending throughout the year' Around the fires)
issues are discussed' Future plans' +hings each kindred hopes to
acco,plish'''and what we can acco,plish as a >egion' And fro, this
a +hing will for,' :ill all kindreds in the Heartland $e in(ol(ed; Only
those that want to and those who ha(e ,ade those connections and
$uilt trust with the other kindreds in(ol(ed' Our first regional +hing
will $e held at *ightning Across the Plains !"?") and fro, there it will
grow steadily'
3*8
SECTION fo,.
l-5-ng a
3eat3en l-fe
3*:
#I$E A FU## #IFE
%ost people are only partially ali(e' +hey get up in the ,orning'
Check the weather or the news'''eat a few $ites'''and head off for
work' +hey work a Lo$ they do not lo(e' Actually) they ha(e co,e to
hate it in a sense' -t is not an art' -t is not a passion' -t is not a
craft' -t Lust pays the $ills' +hey ha(e work friends) $ut they aren2t
real friends' +hey are people they say good ,orning too and forward
stupid eD,ail Lokes to'
+hey dri(e ho,e) plop down) turn on the tele(ision' +hey enLoy an
e(ening of reality shows) processed snacks) and a for, of li(ing death'
+hey are so used to their spouse and the predicta$ility of each of their
li(es that there is nothing new to say' A few work stories'''perhaps
they discuss the latest dra,a on one of their tele(ision shows' +he
kids ha(e their own tele(isions) their own (ideo ga,es) their own
phones' Oh) yes'''there2s the e(ening news'''with its weather report)
the sports highlights) and a few
grueso,e deaths' Can2t forget those'
+hen off to $ed' &leep' :ake up'
>epeat steps a$o(e'
Politics; +hey $arely pay attention to
those' :hat attention they do pay is
surface le(el' Perhaps they follow the
politics they were taught $y their
parents' Perhaps they ha(e a fa(orite
co,,entator) $log site) or so,eone else
that for,s ,ost of their political thought'
>eligion; +hey are co,forta$le in their
church' -t is a $ig place' +he people do
not cause the, ,uch trou$le) and they
ha(e a few friends there they talk to on
&unday' Or perhaps they Lust stay
ho,e' >eligion takes a little too ,uch
thought and effort to really $other with' One thing is certain) they2(e
ne(er read the 3i$le'''not e(en large chunks of it' +hey $elie(e it is
the word of their God) $ut why read it; +hat is Lust pointless' +he
preacher tells the, all a$out God) or they learned all they were going
to learn as a kid'
<rea,s; 1ust $otherso,e things that interrupt their sleep M and if
they do not get good sleep) they2ll $e nodding off at their $oringDass
Lo$' &o) no ti,e to $other with re,e,$ering their drea,s or thinking
3*7
Fenris
a$out what their drea,s ,ight tell the,' <rea,s are so,ething they
had when they were a kid'
Hopes and goals; Oh) they had those once' 3ut they found a spouse'
Got into a house' +hey ha(e a sta$le Lo$ that pays the $ills'''Lust
$arely' And reality tele(ision takes up a lot of ti,e' -t is sort of hard
to find the energy or the ti,e to work toward any real goals' +o ,ake
anything real happen in this world' Plus) hopes and goals are a lu5ury
of youth' +hey ha(e a life now' -t is not like the hopes and drea,s
could $eco,e reality anyway' &o what is the point;
+hese are the li(ing dead' +he drones' +hey lead their s,all li(es'
+hey do not try too hard at work' +hey do not try too hard at ho,e'
:hen they die) they are $urned or $uried) and within a decade or two
M they are forgotten' +hey ha(e left no ,ark' +hey ha(e not li(ed'
:e get one shot at this life' :hate(er religion you are'''this is the
here and now' +his is the world we ha(e) the life we lead' %ake it
count'
<on2t like your Lo$; 3ored out of your ,ind with it; %o(e within your
co,pany' :ork your ass off to ad(ance and challenge yourself' -f that
is not going to work) acti(ely seek a new Lo$' &o,ething you drea,
of doing' %ay$e once you get it) it will not li(e up to those drea,s M
$ut at least you will ha(e done it and tried it'
+ele(ision; +urn that shit off' &ure) watch a ,o(ie' *earn so,ething
on the history channel' Or use tele(ision as $ackground noise when
you are doing so,ething that actually counts' 3ut do not sit there for
four or fi(e hours a night watching other people acco,plish things'
:hat does that do for you; -t Ooccupies your ti,eO and little else' -t is
,ental ,astur$ation that nu,$s your ,ind to how incredi$ly $ored
you really are with your life'
Feel disconnected fro, your spouse or your fa,ily; :ell then) it is
ti,e to work your ass off again' 3e honest' Co,,unicate with your
spouse or lo(ed ones what you want' :hat you e5pect' :hat you2d
like your life to $e' -nclude the, in that plan and ask for their help'
+ell the, you lo(e the,) and you do not want your life to pass you $y
without Loy) and passion) and energy) and dyna,ic action' Finally) tell
the, you want the, right there with you) li(ing life to its fullest'
Hopes and <rea,s; *isten to your drea,s' :ork towards your hopes'
Eou want to start a s,all $usiness; Educate yourself on how to do it'
Eou want to write a no(el; -t will not write itself' 3uy a $ook on no(el
writing' 3uy 6 of the,' >ead the,) and start writing' &et ti,e aside
3*9
e(ery day to write' :ant to $e an artist; +hen take classes' :ork on
your craft' %eet with other artists' +alk) watch) and learn' -n(ol(e
yourself in artistic circles' 3ored to death with religion) or ha(e not
found one that sings to your soul; +hen you ha(e not $othered looking
around' >ead' >ead' >ead' E5plore all the (aried approaches to the
di(ine /uestion) and find the one that sings to you' Bo followers of
that religion around you; +hen start a church) $uild a we$site) and
start gathering likeD,inded people'
Bo one is going to li(e your life for you' E(eryone around you will sit
and watch you fritter away your life'''without saying a word' Bo one is
going to ,ake you chase your drea,s' As a ,atter of fact) ,ost
people will /uietly) secretly discourage you' 3reak free' %ake
so,ething happen' *i(e your life so that when you are $urned or
$uried) you will ha(e ,ade so,ething special in this world'
SO %O' (OES #%4S APPLE #O %EA#%E6=E?
+here2s no 4indred in your area; &tart one'
Can2t find Heathens in your area; &tart a we$site' &tart a Face$ook
group' Go to the Asatru Alliance) Asatru Folk Asse,$ly) the +roth) or
do so,e google searches' &earch %y&pace' Find the,'
&till can2t find any Heathens; %ake
so,e' +each Asatru ?"? classes at
the local $ookstore' +alk to your
friends and fa,ily a$out the i,pact it
has had on your life' *i(e a life that
,akes others want to $e Heathen'
:hat if after all that you still can2t find
Heathens; +ra(el' Get in your car
and (isit a near$y kindred' Or tra(el
to one of the se(eral large regional or
national gatherings held each year'
+here are 4indreds in your area) $ut
you do not like how they do things;
&tart your own 4indred' Or speak
with the, openly and honestly a$out
your differences) and see if they are
as $ig as you think they are'
<on2t ha(e ti,e to read the *ore; %ake so,e ti,e' :hat is ,ore
i,portant than reLoining your ancestral strea, and honoring your Folk)
3*+
=an
your Ancestors) and your Gods'
Eou2re failing at one of your oaths; +hen work harder' Or pay your
shyld'
Eour 4indred is s,all) and your wish it was $igger; :ork at it' Hold
open ,eetDandDgreets' Pro,ote the,' +ell friends and fa,ily' Post
the, on eDlists) ,essage $oards) and hang fliers at coffee shops and
$ookstores'
+here are no regional Heathen gatherings in your area; +hen plan and
organiFe one' >each out to other Heathens and kindreds in your
region and ask the, what sort of gathering they would like' Ask if
they would like to partner with you in ,aking it happen' +hen ,ake it
happen'
Eour 4indred wishes it had a Hof; +hen start planning one' Find out
how ,uch land costs' Find out how ,uch a ,odest $uilding will cost'
&tart raising ,oney' Ha(e e(eryone in your 4indred set aside R@ or
R?" or ,ore a ,onth' +he Gods and this world will not Lust hand you
a Hof' Eou ,ust ,ake it happen' <o not Lust wish for it'
Essentially) anything you can i,agine'''you can work towards' -f you
work hard enough) long enough) you can attain it' +hat is a Heathen
,indDset' +hat is a Heathen way to li(e this life' :e ,ake our own
*uck' :e shape our world through decisi(eness and action' As
Heathens) we should know this $etter than anyone'''
#EA$IN" DEE! RUTS
IN THE ROAD
Christianity) -sla,) and 3uddhis,) and ,any other world religions are
lifeDdenying' Heathenry) and ,any Folk or tri$al religions are lifeD
affir,ing' +his distinction $etween lifeDdenying and lifeDaffir,ing
creates drastic differences in how one li(es their life'
- was raised Christian and went to >ockhurst College) a Catholic
&chool' Christianity teaches us there are physical te,ptations in this
world that need to $e a(oided' %an is tainted with Original &in'''and it
is only through turning to Christ that one can rise a$o(e the world and
3*<
enter hea(en' &e5) alcohol) dancing) wealth) success) worldly
acco,plish,ent) etc'''all of these things at one ti,e or another ha(e
$en targeted $y Christianity as e(il corrupting influences in the world'
Christians are told to focus on the ne5t world) and their reward
there'''and to a(oid the te,ptations of this world'
+here was a point of ti,e in ,y life where - read /uite a $it a$out
3uddhis,) and - found its point of (iew interesting' -f one can (iew
the world as illusion'''our indi(iduality as illusion'''wants and desires
as illusion'''then you can achie(e happiness' Ciewing the world in this
way allows you to see all the pain) disappoint,ent) and unfulfilled
desires of this world as illusion' +hrough denying these things) one
escapes the,'
3ut) this philosophy is a lot like co(ering
your head with a $lanket) and hoping all
the ills in the world pass away'''or pass
o(er you' -t feels like ,ore of a parlor
trick than a real solution to the pain of
this world'
As a Heathen) - see the world as real' -
see ,y indi(iduality as a gift fro, the
sons of 3ur' - see ,y wants and desires
as ,oti(ational tools) and part of that
gift of &oul) &ense) and 3eing fro, the
Gods' &o - want to e,$race the world' E,$race ,y indi(iduality'
E,$race ,y wants and desires' -nstead of pulling that $lanket o(er
,y head) - want to throw it off and co,e out swinging'
:hen - a, =") and ,y $ody2s failing) and - look $ack o(er ,y life M -
want to see struggle and toil' - want to see the great and difficult
things - acco,plished) along with the ru$$le of the great things - tried)
$ut was denied' - want ,y kids and grandkids to look at ,e as an
e5a,ple of so,eone who took care of his own) kept his word) and
took life for e(erything it had to offer' - want to lea(e deep ruts in the
road) so people know e5actly where - tra(eled' - will do this ,yself)
without asking a God or Gods to do it for ,e' +hese will $e ,y
(ictories and ,y defeats) and hopefully the Gods and Ancestors will $e
proud of ,y efforts here on %idgard'
And after this life is o(er) -2ll go drink a $ig frothy $eer with ,y dad in
Hel'''and he2ll tell ,e again all his $ad Lokes that - a, $eginning to
forget as the years go $y since he died'

3*-
&EN7 !RIORITI8E
YOUR HEATHEN #IFE
- wrote this essay after seeing an article talking a$out how ,en should
prioritiFe their life' :e ha(e all see the articles and lists purporting to
tell us what should $e ,ost i,portant in our li(es'
%any of these lists put OGodO or a Higher Power first on the list M and
so,e put the O&elfO (ery high on the list' 3ut fro, a Heathen
perspecti(e - would prioritiFe it differently' +he A$raha,ic religions
teach us to put OHigher PowerO $efore e(erything) $ut that is $ecause
the desert God is a Lealous needy God' Our e5tre,ely selfish
,ainstrea, culture would) of course) reco,,end putting the &elf
second) $efore Fa,ily' &o) here2s ,y atte,pt to cast this topic in a
HeathenDlight'''
FAM4LE F4=S# D - would put your spouse and children first' As a
unit' Eou are o$ligated $y oath and responsi$ility to do e(erything you
can to protect and support your spouse and children) and to keep your
i,,ediate fa,ily and the relationships within it healthy and (ital' +his
should $e a Heathen2s first priority) $ar none' >aising a fa,ily within
Heathenry) with Heathen (alues) is for ,e a part of ha(ing a healthy
fa,ily' Part of that o$ligation is to safeguard your own health and
strength so that you ,aintain your a$ility to support your fa,ily' +his
leads to our second priority'''
SELF SECO6( D *earning) e(ol(ing) i,pro(ing) and keeping yourself
,entally) physically) and spiritually growing and sta$le helps you to
protect and support your fa,ily) and stay focused on what you need
to do for the,' *i(ing +ru) taking right action) safeguarding your
:yrd) and ,aking your own *uck all play into this'
CA=EE=AJO! #%4=( D -f you can2t pay the $ills) this can $e one of
the ,ost stressful factors in $reaking up fa,ilies and ,arriages' +he
house or apart,ent needs to $e paid for) the food needs to $e in the
fridge) and the fa,ily needs to $e clothed' -t is not that your career
defines you) it is the fact that your career is necessary to support your
first priority'''your fa,ily' +his doesn2t ,ean one particular career
direction) or one particular Lo$' -t ,eans your own a$ility to pro(ide
for your fa,ily'
:ith the fa,ily supported) and kept healthy'''a Heathen ,an and
hus$and can turn to those outside his i,,ediate fa,ily'''
33*
466A6&A=#% FO0=#% D +hose friends and fa,ily you fully trust'
+he ones you know ha(e your $ack) and you ha(e theirs' For ,e) this
in(ol(es ,y oathed 4indred) and one or two of ,y e5tended
fa,ily'''and ,ay$e one or two friends' -n a sense) the support you
gi(e to your innangarth co,es $ack to you as support fro, your
innangarth' Gift for a gift) and the $onds that tie this tight inner circle
together allow for a collecti(e Orlog to de(elop and *uck to $e shared'
For ,e) growth of ,y local Heathen co,,unity fits within this
category' -t is fro, that local Heathen co,,unity that - will for, new
ties) and accept new ,e,$ers into ,y innangarth o(er ti,e' +he
growth of ,y local Heathen co,,unity is the $est way - know of to
ha(e a direct i,pact on the growth of our Folk'
0#A6&A=#% F4F#% D +his is e(eryone outside of your tight inner
circle' O:ork Friends)O friendly neigh$ors) or ac/uaintances) and all
those that we enLoy $eing around and ha(e fun with in social settings
.$ackyard neigh$orhood 33G2s) dou$leDdates with a neigh$or couple)
soft$all leagues) social ho$$ies0) $ut do not fully trust as part of your
inner circle'
For ,e) the growth of greater Heathenry fits into this category' :hile
- want to see ,ore of our lost Folk co,e ho,e to the ways of their
Ancestors) this has a lower priority for ,e than ,y local co,,unity'
As it should'
&=EA#E= 6O6,%EA#%E6 COMM064#E S4I#% D Charity work for
those you do not know is a good thing) $ut the priority le(el for
dedicating ti,e to those you do not know would $e lower than what
has already $een listed $efore'
DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
%O6O=46& O0= &O(S/ A6CESO=S/ A6( #%E FAE##4= D - did not
place our Gods and Ancestors on the priority list) $ecause - do not see
our religion as so,ething that can $e put $efore or after other parts of
our li(es' +hey are a part of us) and a part of our li(es' Heathenry is
a way of life) and our loyalty to the Gods and Ancestors is e5hi$ited
and reflected in our loyalty to our fa,ily) our own personal growth) our
hard (ocational work) and our focus on our innangarth' -n addition)
the way we lead our li(es is /uickly e(ident to those in our Htangarth
and the greater nonDHeathen co,,unity' :e li(e +ru in all the parts
of our life) as our (ery way of li(ing'
333
THE NE0T "ENERATION
OF ASATRU
- feel the ne5t generation of Heathens will $e our children) who we
ha(e raised to know our Gods and our Ancestors' 3ut what a$out the
nonDHeathen youth that feel drawn $ack to our Folkway;
:e need strong local groups and co,,unities) so when the nonD
Heathen young people in our co,,unities are drawn $ack to our
ways) $y Heathen ,usic) and $ooks) and e5posure to Heathenry on
the internet'''they ha(e +ru Heathens in their local area to turn to for
learning and guidance'
As our youth turn away fro, Christianity) we are losing ,any of the,
to foreign religions and neoDreligions .i'e') :icca0' :hy; One reason)
sadly) is that it is easier to find a 3uddhist) Hindu) %usli,) or :iccan
group in our local co,,unities than a Heathen one' :e need $eacons
in the darkness'''strong local Heathen co,,unities) to help these
young people find their way ho,e to their Elder 4in and their nati(e
Folkway'
For se(eral years prior to !""A) if a youth $eca,e interested in
Heathenry in 4ansas City) there was no local group to turn to for
infor,ation or support' %any co,,unities here in the Hnited &tates
are still in that condition' How can we e5pect the youth to find their
way $ack to their nati(e Folkway) when no Heathen groups are located
near the,; <epending on internetDHeathenry for this task is not
going to work' :e need real people'''real Heathens'''$uilding kindreds
and tri$es in e(ery ,ediu, to large siFed co,,unity here in the
Heartland'
<oes your co,,unity ha(e a local Heathen group that young people)
?AD!@ years of age) can turn to for support) infor,ation) and
fellowship; :hy not;
33)
OUR HEATHEN CHI#DREN
+he welfare of our children is one of ,any reasons - a, Heathen'
:hat is ,ore i,portant than our children; Eet) you ha(e these
children out there that are co,pletely ignored $y their parents' +he
kids grow up alienated) alone) and with no guidance' &o,e of the,
$eco,e frustrated and selfD,edicate with drugs and alcohol' &o,e
$uild $o,$s and stockpile guns in their own ho,es without their
parents e(en noticing M a school shooting or ,urder spree Lust on the
horiFon'
-t is a sign of our decaying culture that parents ha(e a$andoned their
own children' Ees) they clothe the, and feed the,) $ut e,otionally
they withhold ti,e and attention to pursue their own selfish goals or
entertain,ent'
:e should share what is i,portant to us with our children' :e should
go to parentD teacher conferences) ask our children how school went
e(eryday) help with school parties if we can) or (olunteer in their
classroo,' :e should take the, to ,useu,s) historic locations)
sporting e(ents) fairs) festi(als) and learning opportunities' :e should
share our faith with the,) and teach the, Heathen $eliefs and
Heathen (alues' :e should hug the,) and kiss the,) and cuddle up
with the, to watch tele(ision now and again' :e should take the, to
Heathen e(ents and Heathen gatherings'
+he ,ost i,portant thing in our li(es should $e our children' A house
can $urn down' :e can lose our Lo$' People can $etray us' :e can
wreck a car) or suffer an inLury' :e can sur(i(e all that pretty well if
forced to do so' 3ut children hold a special place in our li(es' +hey
are our legacy' +hey are the future of our Folk' Heathenry is the
answer to the widespread e,otional a$andon,ent of children within
our failing culture) and our children are the future of our nati(e
Folkway'
338
Mark/ 6athan/ and Jennifer
RACE AND ETHNICITY
WITHIN HEATHENRY
+here are a lot of ,isconceptions and a lot of ,isinfor,ation regarding
the topic of race) ethnicity) and culture within Asatru' %any
Asatru9Heathen we$sites feel the need to state outright) O:e are not
racist) nor do we tolerate racist $eliefs'O
+here are racists within e(ery religion' %ost 444 ,e,$ers for
instance) were traditionally Protestant southerners who) $esides $eing
(iolently racists) also held a deep hatred for those of the Catholic and
1ewish faiths' <oes this ,ean that all Protestant Christians are 444
,e,$ers or racist; Of course not' Bo one would e(en ask that
/uestion'
One e5cellent way to e5a,ine how race and ethnic heritage play a role
in Asatru $eliefs is the 1arnsa5a &cale' Go to this we$site to read an
article on the 1arnsa5a &cale'
http@AAheathengods1co$Ate$pleA$odulesAarticles
:hen - read through the &cale) - a, so,ewhere $etween a 8 and a 6'
-n order to state e5actly what it is that - $elie(e) - wrote the following
state,ent'
- $elie(e that our ties to the Aesir and the Canir are through
our Ancestors'''and that it would $e unusual) and e5tre,ely
rare) for so,eone of nonDBorthern European heritage to $e
WsatrX' - hesitate to say it is i,possi$le) only $ecause -
$elie(e the Gods and Goddesses ha(e the a$ility to call to
who,e(er they choose' -t is not ,y Lo$) nor place) to tell
so,eone that they ha(e no right to $e Heathen $ased on their
ethnicity or ancestry' 3ut - do feel it is of the greatest (alue to
follow the path of your own cultural and ethnic $ackground) as
these forces ha(e had a great i,pact on who you are'
E(ery Folk'''e(ery People'''has its own history) culture) and innate
connection with its own Gods' Asatru9Heathenry is the nati(e Folkway
of the Borthern European people' :hile - a, clearly loyal to ,y own
Folkway) - acknowledge and respect the (alidity of the Folkways of
other ethnicities and cultures' For that reason) - would $e willing to
worship with those who respect our Gods $ut are not of our ethnic
group) and - will certainly worship with any +ru ,an or wo,an'
33:
As a Heathen) - a, ,uch ,ore focused on a ,an or wo,an2s deeds'
:hat is their worth; :hat are they doing; <o they li(e their life in a
responsi$le) constructi(e) and sta$le fashion' +his is ,uch ,ore
i,portant to ,e than the cultural $ackground of their
Ancestors'''though the cultural $ackground of their Ancestors still
,eans so,ething to ,e'
<o not ,isinterpret what - ha(e said to ,ean that those with Borthern
European $ackgrounds are $etter or superior to others' - Lust $elie(e
there are differences $etween (arious groups of people) and each
person is $etter off seeking out the nati(e Gods of their own People'
Does Sk-n colo. matte.
- recei(ed a /uestion fro, a Heathen that had a ,other with Borthern
European Ancestors and a father fro, %e5ico) with &panish and -ndian
Ancestors' +he /uestion focused on the fact that this Heathen looked
%e5ican) $ut felt drawn to Asatru' +he Heathen was asking ,e what
- thought of that situation) as so,eone who identifies hi,self as
Folkish'
- ha(e ne(er) and will ne(er) suggest that the color or tone of one2s
skin has anything to do with one2s connection with the Borthern
European Gods .Odin) +hor) Frey) Freya) Frigg) -dunn) etc'0 or the
Heathen way of life' &kin color is a ,atter of pig,ent and an
indi(idual2s recent e5posure to the sun' &kin color) eye color) and hair
color are all a function of genetic ,arkers causing a person to look a
certain way' %y Heathenry is not $ased in science or genetics'
%y folkish (iewpoint is e5pressed thusly: +he Borthern European Gods
are the Gods of our Folk' +hey are our Elder 4in' +he Borthern
European people share a Folk &oul) that connects the, to these Gods
through their Ancestors' Parents pass Orlog to their children M it is
part of the Heathen soul co,ple5 M and those children pass Orlog to
their children' -t is all a$out our 3lood and Ancestors' +hrough this
connection) so,eone of Borthern European $lood is ,ore likely to feel
a connection with the Borthern European Gods) and for,ing that
connection is easier M due to these Gods $eing our Elder 4in'
- do not pin this on skin color' - do not pin this on science or genetics'
337
- $ase this way of thinking on the fact that Ancestors ,atter) and this
is our nati(e Folkway'
3ut as - ha(e stated in pre(ious essays) - also hold to the idea that our
Gods are indi(iduals' :ho a, - to tell the, who to for, a connection
with; :ho a, - to tell so,eone else they are not Asatru or Heathen
Lust $ecause -2(e decided they do not ha(e enough nati(e ancestry' -f
Odin wants to for, a connection with a ,an or wo,an with "I
Borthern European ancestry) then who a, - to tell that person they
are not Asatru;
- Ludge ,en and wo,en on their deeds' :hat is their worth; :hat
are they <O-BG; :hat sort of life do they lead; - feel the Gods Ludge
,en and wo,en $ased on this sa,e ,easure'
&o a Heathen2s ancestry is only a pro$le,) in ,y opinion) if they ,ake
it a pro$le,' -t is not ,y position to tell anyone that their skinDcolor is
too dark or that their ,i5ed ancestry is a pro$le,'
+here are (arying degrees of Folkish $elief' -t is a co,ple5 issue)
often forced into a false dichoto,y of Folkish (ersus Hni(ersalist'
Honesty) - think the whole discussion of race and ethnicity has $eco,e
distracting and counterDproducti(e within Heathenry''',ainly due to
this false dichoto,y'
339
Large 'ooden Statue of Odin 4 Car;ed
t3e !UR!OSE OF
A HEATHEN #IFE
First off) re,e,$er that the $elief syste, of these Ger,anic9Borthern
Gods spanned thousands of years) ne(er had a central authority or
structure) was ne(er put into writing .until Christians wrote it down0)
and (aried fro, (illage to (illage) person to person) and e(en year to
year' +here was no pope) no dog,a) no codified $elief syste,' -t was
different for each person) in ,any ways' E(en ,ore so than
centraliFed religions' &o) there is not Lust one way of looking at our
nati(e way of life'''our nati(e Folkway'
A Heathen li(es this life $ecause it is his
or hers to li(e) and lea(es whate(er ,ay
co,e in the ne5t life to the Gods' :e
ha(e heard of Odin2s Calhalla for the
warriors after death) and 3ilskirnir was
+hor2s feasting hall for the workers and
thralls after their death' Frigga had a
palace for ,arried lo(ers that had $een
especially dedicated to each other) so
that they could li(e together fore(er' 3ut
,any of these ,yths ca,e later) were
influenced to so,e degree $y
Christianity) and were not the central
purpose of the religion' Our Heathen
Ancestors did not li(e or ,ake choices in
this life $ased on a particular afterlife
they were working toward' Our Heathen
Ancestors focused on this life and what
they could ,ake of it'
&o our Ancestors focused on li(ing their life with honor) with strength)
and with independence'''dependent on no one e5cept their closest
fa,ily and friends' +hey respected and honored their Folk and their
Ancestors' And they li(ed their life in a way that they would $e
honored and respected as an Ancestor $y their descendants' +heirs
was a culture of oral co,,unication) and to $e re,e,$ered and li(e
fore(er) you had to li(e a life that people would re,e,$er and tell
stories a$out' +his sort of afterlife was ,uch ,ore their focus than a
supernatural one'
-f you took an oath) you kept it' -f offered hospitality) it was a great
insult not to accept it' :hen you were in a position to offer hospitality)
33+
#he &od #yr
you offered it' Hospitality) and knowing how to $e a good host and a
good guest) was a (ery i,portant skill' Feasting and toasting $rought
people together) and ser(ed $oth religious and social purposes' Eour
fa,ily) your kin) and your (illage were (ery i,portant) as well'
&o) a Heathen2s purpose in life was to li(e their life well' :ork hard)
fight hard) $e direct and honest) eat well) drink well) keep their oaths)
and take care of guests M and $y doing these things you would li(e an
independent honora$le life that was full and worth re,e,$ering' -n a
culture with (ery little written word) $eing re,e,$ered and continuing
your fa,ily were your only guarantees of any sort of i,,ortality'
-s it ,uch different for ,odern Heathens; -t need not $e' - work
hard to li(e ,y life with this sa,e purpose) and to teach ,y children
to do the sa,e'
#IFE E&'RACIN"
HEATHENRY
+he fact that Heathenry is lifeDe,$racing differentiates it fro, ,any
other religions of the world) ,any of which are lifeDdenying'
Christianity) in its ,any for,s and deno,inations) focuses on the
afterlife' :hat is the afterlife; How do we get there; :hat do we ha(e
to $elie(e in order to ,ake it into Hea(en; :hat sort of people ha(e it
easier getting into Hea(en; :e are told that if we follow Christianity2s
rules and turn to the :hite Christ for forgi(eness) then we earn a $ig
reward in the end' :e earn an e(erDlasting) Oe(erything you e(er
wanted $ut couldn2t ha(eO sort of reward' 3ut if you do not follow the
rules) then you are e5cluded fro, Hea(en M and in al,ost all for,s of
Christianity M conde,ned to so,e sort of eternal punish,ent'
:hat are Christianity2s rules; :ell) the physical life is $ase) and full of
te,ptations to $e a(oided' +he poor are $lessed) and it is a $it harder
for the rich and successful to ,ake it to Hea(en' For so,e
deno,inations) there2s no drinking) no dancing) no cussing' For
al,ost all the deno,inations) there can only $e physical lo(e within
the $onds of ,arriage' +he Christian ideal is to li(e ChristDlike M to
li(e si,ply and to deny pleasures of the flesh' +aken to its e5tre,e)
we ha(e priests and nuns who can2t ,arry and ,onks li(ing austere
33<
li(es of solitude' E5actly why are we asked to deny oursel(es success)
drinking) dancing) and li(ing life to its fullest; Christianity tells us we
deny oursel(es these things to earn a reward after our death'
Funda,entalist -sla, is) of course) e(en ,ore lifeDdenying than
Christianity' E(erything is done for what will co,e after life' +aken to
its e5tre,e) this can lead to al,ost a $elief syste, of death' -t leads
to people willing to $low the,sel(es up in order to earn the fa(or of
their God) and their glorious life in the afterworld'
E(en Eastern >eligions tend towards denying the reality of this world)
in fa(or of the reality and realiFation of the $etter life'''the perfect
Loining with life'''after death' 3uddhis, teaches that the physical
world is illusion) and only $y denying the pleasures and wants of this
world M as well as the hurts and pains M can we find oursel(es ready to
enter Bir(ana' +aken to its e5tre,e) this leads to a denial of this life in
fa(or of the ne5t' And they $elie(e they ,ust co,e $ack in life) o(er
and o(er again) until they learn this lesson'
Other religions tend to reLect this physical earthly life in order to
prepare for the ne5t life M a $etter life after this one'
3ut what of Heathenry; Heathenry e,$races life M +H-& life' +he life
we are li(ing now' +he life we know' Heathenry throughout history
had (arious $eliefs a$out the afterlife' +he wide (ariety of afterlife
$eliefs likely e5isted $ecause it was not the core of the religion' -t was
not the focus' Heathenry is a way of life' A ,ethod for dealing with
33-
#he First Fire in Our Fire Pit on My :*th !irthday
fa,ily) friends) and ene,ies' A way of interacting with the house
wights and *and(aettir .spirits0' A way of honoring the Gods as Elder
4in' A way of re,e,$ering our Ancestors and gi(ing the, their due'
Heathens $oast of their successes' +hey seek success in this life for
the,sel(es) for their fa,ily) and for their tri$e' Heathens seek to
learn what they can learn' +hey ,aster skills that will help the, in
this life' +hey focus on their relationships in this life' +hey work on
their connection with their Ancestors) and all of this is ,eant to ,ake
their life on %idgard a $etter life' +he afterlife is) in ,any ways) an
afterDthought for
Heathens' Eou will
so,eti,es hear
Heathens say)
O:here - go after -
die -2ll lea(e to the
Gods' +hey are the
only ones that truly
know'O
:e ha(e general
ideas and concepts
a$out the afterlife)
$ut it is not the
focus of what we do'
-t is not a OcarrotD
andDstickO syste, to
control us in return for a $ig reward after death' At the sa,e ti,e)
Heathenry does ha(e (ery strict rules a$out treating your fa,ily and
close friends in the correct and proper ways' 4eeping your oaths'
Preser(ing your fa,ily' *i(ing life as a strong) direct) honora$le ,an
or wo,an' 3ut you do these things to ,ake +H-& life $etter' +o ,ake
your relationships in +H-& life stronger' +o i,pro(e the li(es of your
children) and their children'
Heathens see +H-& life as difficult) $ut not e(il' +hey see +H-& life as
a great challenge) $ut ne(er as a trap) a test) nor a series of
te,ptations' Heathens see +H-& life as the one thing we can $e sure
of) and therefore we should do our $est to li(e right and li(e well while
we are here to enLoy it' +hese $eliefs are at the core of Heathenry2s
lifeDe,$racing nature'''
3)*
Asa,#hor
A HEATHEN
9UESTION OF WORTH
:ho decides if a ,an has worth; :hat if a ,an has done good things
and $ad things in his life;
First) the i,portant thing to re,e,$er is that the past is the past'
+his does not ,ean the past is uni,portant' Guite the contrary' -t
has already happened'''and cannot $e changed or erased' -t is
already Oin the well)O or already Opart of the tapestry'O +his is called
Orlog'
-t see,s o(ersi,plified to ha(e to point out that the past is the
past'''$ut it is an i,portant point) $ecause the Ger,anic ,indset is to
focus on the now) with an eye to the past' :hat are you now; :hat
are you doing now with your life; :hat is your :orth right now; Eour
past .Orlog0 plays a role in deter,ining your :orth) $ut when a ,an
has addressed past deficiencies and illDdeeds'''and has changed his life
for the $etter'''this change in direction $eco,es i,portant in
,easuring his :orth'
For instance) a ,an leads a $ad life for years' He uses drugs)
a$andons his fa,ily) co,,its cri,es) hurts people needlessly) spends
ti,e in prison) etc' +his ,an is of little worth' He is a co,plete ,ess)
and his Orlog is a tangled) ugly ,ess' +he ,an can2t change that
past' 3ut let2s say ?" years ago) the ,an gets out of prison) and
decides to change' He Loins a support group or gets counseling for his
drug a$use' He gets a Lo$' He works hard to for, sta$le
relationships' He re$uilds his fa,ily' For ?" years) he has $een clean)
cri,eDfree) working hard) and $uilding a life for his fa,ily' :ell) let2s
look at this OchangedO ,an fro, a Heathen perspecti(e'
:hen he was a cri,inal drugDaddict) his deeds showed hi, to ha(e
little or no worth'
:hen he was Lust getting out of prison and had decided to get clean
and turn his life around) he still had little or no worth' E(en though his
intentions are good'''he has not put it into action yet'
:hen he was a$out two ,onths into his new life) he was starting to
$uild worth'''$ut who in their right ,ind would $et that it would last;
-t is too recent'''and there is too ,uch da,aged Orlog for Lust two
worthy ,onths to wipe clean'
3)3
3ut 8 years) @ years) ?" years into his new life) we can see the life he
has $uilt and ,aintained'''and the ,an clearly has worth) despite the
,ess in his distant past'
Eou can2t change the past) $ut you can change the present' Eou can
fi5 the things you ha(e $roken' Eou can ,ake right the things you
ha(e done wrong' Eou can a(oid ,aking those sa,e ,istakes again'
E(eryone has a chance to start o(er) and $uild a $etter life starting
right now' 3ut it takes a lot of work to fi5 da,aged Orlog'
+he past does not go away $ecause you ask forgi(eness' +he past
does not go away $ecause you kneel down to the 1ewishDJo,$ieDonDaD
&tick' +he past does not go way $ecause of newlyD,ade pro,ises)
good intentions) or wishful
thinking' -t takes
work'''and it takes years of
right action and deeds of
worth' +hat is how one
repairs one2s Orlog) and
$eco,es a ,an of :orth'
Bow) who decides :orth;
Heathenry is (ery
co,,unity oriented' :e
do not get to decide our
own indi(idual worth'
+hose around us watch us)
know us) and decide our
worth' 3ased on our
deeds) they Ludge our worth'
+he people we interact with at work'''they ,easure our worth at work'
+hey know whether they can count on us' +hey know whether we are
dependa$le'''whether we will $e there for the long haul'''whether we
fi5 pro$le,s or cause pro$le,s'
At ho,e) our fa,ilies ,easure our worth' Are we pro(iding for the
fa,ily e,otionally and financially; Our fa,ilies know if we are a
rock'''if we are nurturing'''if we are dependa$le'
Our friends ,easure our worth' <o we keep our word; Are we there
for the, when they need us; <o we ha(e their $acks or not;
:ithin larger co,,unities this is true as well' O(er ti,e) as one
$eco,es a known /uantity in the greater Heathen co,,unity or
regionally'''other Heathens see one2s deeds) and decide one2s :orth'
3))
%ei$dall
+hat $rings us to the topic of Gefrain' One2s reputation' As ,ore and
,ore people ,easure a ,an2s worth'''and learn of his deeds) his
Gefrain grows' Gefrain is essentially how ,any people know of
you'''and how worthy they Ludge you to $e' Ha(ing good Gefrain can
affect one2s :yrd) *uck) and other aspects of your life'
Christianity is a (ery Guilt $ased culture' Heathenry is a &ha,e $ased
culture' -f one2s deeds do not ,easure up'''and people know of this)
they do not want to ,ingle :yrd with you' +hey see you as an
e5a,ple of Owhat not to $e)O and do not want to associate with you'
&o) how does this all work within a Heathen kindred or tri$e;
*et2s say a new person approaches the kindred and we get to know
the,' +hey ha(e a Lo$ and work hard at it' +hey ha(e a fa,ily) and
care a$out the, greatly and pro(ide well for the,' +hey read a$out
Heathenry) learn) and $eco,e knowledgea$le' +hey co,e to kindred
e(ents) and when they co,,it to so,ething they always follow
through' +hey are good to $e around) and act with >ight Good :ill'
+hey gift their friends) show hospitality as a host) and know how to $e
a good guest' +hey are sta$le) and are working to i,pro(e their
fa,ily2s lot in life' -f all these $estDcaseDscenarios are in place'''then)
o(er ti,e) we co,e to see they ha(e great :orth' +hey are a person
we would want to closely ,ingle :yrd with' Adding their Orlog and
their *uck to the tri$e2s collecti(e Orlog and *uck would assist and
grow the tri$e in $oth nu,$ers and strength' +his person is the $estD
caseDscenario to oath into the kindred'
3ut) let2s look at a different sort of new person approaching our
kindred' +hey can2t see, to keep a Lo$' +hey ha(e constant dra,a in
their life' +hey will not read the *ore and e5pect to $e spoonDfed'
+hey attend kindred e(ents infre/uently) and often they fall short on
their co,,it,ents' +hey are pro$le,atic to $e around) and see,
(ery political and di(isi(e' +hey are selfish and fail to show hospitality)
and are an e5a,ple of a $ad guest' +heir life is chaos) and they see,
to al,ost wallow in it' +his is the worstDcase scenario'''and) o(er
ti,e) we would conclude this person has (ery little :orth' +hey are a
person we would not want to ,ingle :yrd with at all) and we would
push the, away' Adding their Orlog and their *uck to the tri$e2s
collecti(e Orlog and *uck would hurt and $urden the tri$e' +his is the
last person on earth we would oath into the kindred'
-n $etween the $estDcaseDscenario and the worstDcaseDscenario person
is where all others fall' +o so,e degree it is a calculation' Bo one is
perfect' 3ut our tri$e needs to $e sta$le and strong' :e re/uire
3)8
/uality o(er /uantity' :e protect our Orlog and *uck) and do not want
to see it da,aged or lessened' &o) we carefully weigh things when we
are getting to know new people' &o,eti,es we conclude that
so,eone ,akes a good friend M $ut would not $e a (ery good oathed
,e,$er of our kindred' &o,eti,es we tell people to co,e to open
e(ents to get to know us $etter' :ork on your pro$le,s) get your life
together) and we2ll talk a$out this in the future'
- $ring this up $ecause our ,odern
,ainstrea, culture pushes us to accept
e(eryone) faults and all' Often apologies
are allowed to wipe clean years of
,isdeeds' Good intentions are Ludged
,ore i,portant than the actual
conse/uences of our actions' 3ut that is a
,odern culture that is upside down fro,
our Ger,anic heritage'
Growing Heathen kindreds and tri$es
,ust look for people of :orth to add to
their ranks' +hey will $e stronger for it'
+hey will endure $etter' +hey will get
,ore done' Guality o(er Guantity' 1ust
one person of little worth allowed into the
inner circle .-nnangarth0 of a kindred can
cause great da,age to their collecti(e
Orlog and *uck) stifle their growth) and
distract the, fro, their goals'
WYRD AND WORTH
<o the people one chooses to associate with ha(e an i,pact on the
/uality and condition of one2s life; -s this an i,portant thing to pay
attention to and focus on in one2s life; -s it so,ething a group should
pay attention to when considering adding new ,e,$ers; For those
who are Heathen the answers to these /uestions are yes) yes) and
yes'
Heathens $elie(e that all people ha(e so,ething called :yrd' +hink of
this as the circu,stances and e(ents that happen in our life) and our
choices and reactions toward the,' Our deeds and actions interact
3):
>#heodish &ift>
with the circu,stances of our life) and once perfor,ed) these deeds
and actions cannot $e erased' +hey are deposited in the :ell of :yrd
as layers'''and these layers in the :ell are collecti(ely called our
Orlog'
For the purposes of e5plaining this $etter) think of our li(es as a
tapestry we are constantly wea(ing' &trands of yarn co,e our
way'''and we can2t always predict what color) or te5ture) or condition
this yarn will $e' All we can do is react to these strands) and ,ake
choices) in an atte,pt to ,ake the $est) ,ost attracti(e tapestry that
we can' :e can think of $ad choices as knots or flaws in the tapestry'
Once you2(e put a knot in
the tapestry) you Lust ha(e
to keep wea(ing' Eou can2t
go $ack and re,o(e the
knot' -t is there' Eou can
try to ,ake up for what you
ha(e done) $ut si,ply
apologiFing for your $ad
choice does not ,agically
,ake the knot go away'
As we associate with people
and groups) we ,ingle
:yrd with the,' Our
tapestries $lend together) to
(arying degrees' -f you
associate with people with
,essy tapestries .li(es0)
then the tapestry you collecti(ely are working on is going to ha(e flaws
and knots' +hat is going to affect your tapestry .life0' Bo ,atter how
well you wea(e) if you are ,ingling :yrd with those that ,ake $ad
choices and perfor, ,isdeeds) then your tapestry is going to $e
affected'
-n (ery concrete ter,s) if - associate with so,eone who constantly
cheats on their wife) then this will e(entually affect ,y life as well'
+he cheater) li(ing his life in his ,essy way) will $ring pro$le,s into
,y life' %y wife ,ight see what he is doing and $egin to suspect ,e
as well' Or if - go out for a guysDnight with the cheater) he will (ery
likely put ,e in a co,pro,ising position' Or the cheater ,ight get
caught) and end up li(ing on ,y couch for a few ,onths' >egardless
of the specifics) if - a, trying to li(e life as a loyal hus$and) it is a $ad
idea for ,e to associate with or $efriend so,eone who cheats on their
wife'
3)7
#he 6orns 'ea;ing
E(en if - ne(er do drugs) if - associate with a drugDuser) then it will
e(entually affect ,y life' - ,ay get stopped $y the police with the
drugDuser in ,y car) and get caught up in his cri,inal trou$les' +he
drugDuser ,ay accidentally lea(e drugs at ,y house) and ,y kids
,ight find the,' +he drugDuser ,ay step out $ack to use drugs) and
,y kids ,ight see hi, using the,' >egardless of the specifics) if - a,
trying to li(e a clean life and teach ,y kids to lead one) it is a $ad idea
for ,e to associate with or $efriend so,eone who uses drugs'
-f so,eone - ,eet represents the opposite of what - hope for ,yself in
life) then it ,akes sense not to ,ingle :yrd with the,' +heir
tapestry) with its ,essy knots and flaws will corrupt ,y own'
E(entually) ,y tapestry will $e as ,essy as theirs' %y life will $e
affected negati(ely $y theirs' One of the ,ost i,portant choices a
Heathen can ,ake is who we allow into our innerDcircle .-nnangarth0'
:e ,ust safeguard our :yrd) and ensure that those we closely
associate ha(e sta$le li(es) with goals and (alues that are consistent
with our own' :hen choosing who, to associate with) we look for
people of :orth'
-s it alright to Ludge other people; :ho decides if a person has worth)
and how is that deter,ined;
Hu,an $eings ha(e a responsi$ility to the,sel(es and their fa,ilies to
$uild the ,ost producti(e) sta$le) healthy life possi$le' A ,aLor part
of doing so) is choosing who you let into your life' :ho you allow into
your innerDcircle .-nnangarth0' :ho - associate with and who - allow
to ha(e an i,pact on ,y fa,ily are so,e of the ,ost i,portant
decisions - will ,ake' +hese decisions ha(e a huge i,pact' &o)
yes'''of course - Ludge people' +he idea that we cannot Ludge other
people is entirely Christian' Our Heathen Ancestors took it for granted
that any ,an worth his salt would $e good at Ludging other people)
and discerning in choosing who, to associate with closely'
3)9
THE FA&I#IES WE 'UI#D4
THE OATHS WE &A(E
On the internet M in OonDlineO Heathenry) you2ll occasionally hear the
call for a ,o(e away fro, ,onoga,y) calling ,onoga,y so,e sort of
unnatural ,orality) or so,ething Othe Christians inflicted on us)O as if
,onoga,y represents Christian sla(e chains that we should throw off'
+his $others ,e' For ,e) personally) Heathery is a$out fa,ily and kin'
-t is a$out the oaths we ,ake' -t is a$out our Ancestors and a$out
our children' +he only OafterlifeO - a, certain of) are the ,e,ories
that ,y children and their children will carry of ,e' +hese
descendants will carry on ,y ,e,ory and) ,ore i,portantly) they will
carry on ,y legacy $y the choices and actions they ,ake in their own
li(es'
- ,ade an oath to ,y wife to $e faithful to her' %y children $enefit
fro, the sta$ility of one household) one set of parents) one set of
rules) and knowing that the two of us .,y wife and -0 will $e here for
the, no ,atter what' -n the ,odern world we can shelter our
children fro, hunger and horri$le weather) $ut the only shelter our
children ha(e fro, an upsideDdown) corrupt hu,an world) is the fa,ily
we $uild and ,aintain for the,' E(ery sociological study suggests
that a sta$le twoDparent fa,ily produces) on a(erage) ,ore wellD
adLusted) successful) and happy children'
Our Ancestors ,arried' - a, ,arried' %ust we turn e(erything
co,pletely on its head to ,o(e away fro, what we see as
Christianity; +urning Christianity on its head) and e(erything
Christianity stands for) is reactionary' -t has nothing to do with
reconstruction and $eing true to our Ancestors'
- do not care what these OonDline2 Heathens do in their life' - do not
really know any of the,' Bone of the, are ,y kin or kindred) and
frankly they can do what they want with their li(es) their fa,ilies) and
their children' 3ut - do not enLoy the idea of anyone using Heathenry
as an e5cuse for infidelity'''or a way out of an oath that they ha(e
already ,ade to a spouse or to their fa,ily'
-f they $reak their ,arriage oaths'''their *uck will wane'''and they will
likely $ring unnecessary and disrupti(e co,ple5ity and chaos into their
:yrd' +hey can li(e out the conse/uences'''$ut - want no part of it'
3)+
!ROTECTIN" HEATHEN
CHI#DREN FRO& DI$ORCE
:e can all agree that our children are our ,ost i,portant treasure'
:e would protect the, at all costs' :e would destroy anyone that
would threaten the,' +hey are our future' And we wish to pass good
Orlog to the,'''so their li(es can $e *ucky and of :orth'
Our choices a$out ,arriage and relationships can either $enefit our
children or threaten the, with dire conse/uences' &adly) if we do not
work hard at our ,arriages) we as parents can $eco,e one of the
,ost destructi(e forces in our
children2s li(es' :e are the only
ones that can protect our
children fro, this threat'
Children of $roken ho,es
statistically do worse in school)
are ,ore likely to drop out of
school) ha(e ,ore ,ental
pro$le,s) are less physically
healthy) are ,ore an5ious and
insecure) are ,ore likely to
co,,it suicide) ,ore likely to
end up in prison) ,ore likely to
ha(e pro$le,s in their future
relationships) ,ore likely to $e
,olested or the (icti, of a
(iolent cri,e) and ,ore likely to
ha(e a serious addiction when
they grow up) a,ong other
things'
&o) when things get a little
rough in a ,arriage) and your ,ind wanders to the idea of OescapingO
fro, it through di(orce) think a$out who is threatening your kids2
welfare now; :ho2s going to protect your kids fro, your decisionD
,aking;
Also consider the Oath that you took when you chose your spouse'
Eou took an oath to that person) and ,any ti,es you took that oath in
front of fa,ily and friends' -s this oath any less i,portant than the
oaths we take on our oath rings; -s this oath) if $roken) any less
3)<
Frigga
da,aging to our own *uck and :yrd; -s this oath) if $roken) any less
da,aging to our Heathen co,,unities) our kindreds) and our tri$es;
Bo) clearly it is one of the ,ost i,portant oaths that we take'
3ut so,e will say that a O$ad ,arriageO will da,age children' -n the
case of child or spousal a$use) se(ere drug and alcohol addiction) -
would agree with you' 3ut these are e5tre,e situations) and the (ast
,aLority of ,arital pro$le,s are BO+ this se(ere'
&o) honor your Oaths' Protect your :yrd' Preser(e your *uck' Pass
good Orlog onto your children' -f you find yourself ha(ing ,arital
pro$le,s) tackle the challenge like Heathens tackle any
challenge'''intelligently) fearlessly) generously) honora$ly) and with lots
of hard work'
<oing so will $enefit you) your fa,ily) and your tri$e'
&A(IN" AND
(EE!IN" FRIENDS7
3a5amal AD$ICE
%aking new friends' 3ringing new people into your life' Choosing who
will $e there alongside you through thick and thin' 1ust like ,arriage)
friendship takes a certain a,ount of work' &o,e friendships are
easier than others to for, and ,aintain' 3ut all friendships re/uire a
certain a,ount of reciprocal sacrifice and work in order to keep the,
healthy'
-n the Ha(a,al) an -celandic poe, containing what is said to $e the
wisdo, of Odin) there is so,e fairly clear ad(ice on how to for, and
,aintain friendships' +his wisdo, is $oth ageDold and co,pletely
rele(ant today''
8:1 Crooked and far is the road to a foe/
#hough his house on the highway beM
!ut wide and straight is the way to a friend/
#hough far away he fare1
3)-
:31 Friends shall gladden each other with ar$s and
gar$ents/
As each for hi$self can seeM
&ift,gi;ers friendships are longest found/
4f fair their fates $ay be1
::1 4f a friend thou hast who$ thou fully wilt trust/
And good fro$ hi$ wouldst get/
#hy thoughts with his $ingle/ and gifts shalt thou $ake/
And fare to find hi$ oft1
7)1 6o great thing needs a $an to gi;e/
Oft little will purchase praiseM
'ith half a loaf and a half,filled cup
A friend full fast 4 $ade1
33-1 4 rede thee/ LoddfafnirQ and hear thou $y rede/,,
Profit thou hast if thou hearest/
&reat thy gain if thou learnest@
4f a friend thou hast who$ thou fully wilt trust/
#hen fare to find hi$ oftM
For bra$bles grow and wa;ing grass
On the rarely trodden road1
>eally) the ad(ice is si,ple' Cisit your friends' &eek the, out often'
3e generous with your friends and accept their generosity in return'
&hare your thoughts and opinions) and listen to your friend2s thoughts
and opinions as well' &o,eti,es it is the s,all things that ,ake the
difference'''and so,eti,es it is the thought that counts' -f you do not
seek out and (isit a friend often) this can hurt the friendship'
3e generous' GiftDgi(ing for,s $onds) regardless the siFe of the gift'
-t is not a$out spending ,oney' -t is a$out showing so,eone you
ha(e thought of the, enough to gi(e the, a gift' GiftsO are not
always physical o$Lects or things you ha(e $ought' &o,e particularly
well thought out ad(ice can $e a gift' Checking in on the, when you
know they are in a stressful situation can $e a gift' etc'
Odin2s ad(ice also tells us that O,aking a friendO can $e a (ery
proacti(e process' For,ing friendships does not ha(e to $e an
accidental process' -f you ,eet a person of worth and see potential in
for,ing a friendship with the,) there is a clear for,ula for ,aking
that happen' :hy lea(e so,ething as i,portant as who your friends
are purely to chance; +here is nothing wrong with purposely working
hard to ,ake a new friend) and to for, $onds with that person) as
long as you are honest and co,,itted to ,aintaining the friendship'
38*
-f you follow this ad(ice and your friend reciprocates with (isits)
attention) gifting) generosity) con(ersation) thoughtDsharing'''then the
friendship grows and the $onds are for,ed' - know this all sounds like
co,,on sense) $ut in today2s ,odern world ,any people either ha(e
no co,,on sense) or are so caught up in the,sel(es) that they throw
away friendships like used tissue' +hey think the world re(ol(es
around the,) and they fail to understand that along with the $enefits
of friendship co,e work and o$ligation'

INNAN"ARTH $S%
UTAN"ARTH
Heathenry draws a clear line $etween those that are within your trust
and those that are outside your trust' :ithin Heathenry) e(eryone is
outside your trust until you ha(e accepted the, into that circle of
trust' And you only accept a person into your circle of trust when they
ha(e pro(en the,sel(es worthy of your trust'
+his is so,ething we run into a lot in our places of work' CoDworkers
work around us and with us) and there can $e a false sense of
friendship) or inti,acy with the people that we see e(eryday at work'
383
Ja$ie "ing and Jennifer Stinson
3ut not all of these work friends are truly our friends or worthy of
our trust) and this can get us into trou$le'
*et2s say we share our religious $eliefs' Or perhaps our opinions of
another religion' Or we speak freely a$out how we see the world or
how we see other people that we work with' -f you are talking in this
way with so,eone outside your trust .which is e(eryone who has not
earned your trust0) then it is likely that you will see your words) (iews)
and $eliefs used against you in so,e fashion' +his fact is the whole
reason for withholding trust until it is earned'
:hen we share inner thoughts and our inti,ate $eliefs with those that
ha(e not earned our trust) then we should not $e surprised when
those Ooutside our trustO $etray us or act $adly against us with the
infor,ation we ha(e shared' +hough it is a free country) and we ha(e
the freedo, to choose our religion'''we all ha(e an adult2s
understanding of Ohow ,ost people really are'O :e ha(e all
e5perienced the negati(e side of hu,an interaction at so,e point or
another'
- ha(e friends at work that ha(e earned ,y trust) and - do talk with
a$out ,y religion with the,' +he other ##I ha(e no reason to know
,y inner $eliefs or thoughts'''and - would not trust the, to know ,y
inner $eliefs or thoughts' +hey are outside ,y trust' :hen they ha(e
earned their way in M then we2ll talk a$out these things' -f they
learned ,y $eliefs through so,e other ,eans .the internet) for
instance) where - a, (ery open a$out ,y $eliefs0 - still ha(e no
o$ligation to discuss the, with anyone unless they are within ,y circle
of trust' -t is ,y choice who - share with and who - do not' -t is none
of their $usiness) unless - choose it to $e'
+his post represents how - see the Heathen approach to gi(ing trust)
and recogniFing who is within ,y trust and who is outside ,y trust' -
realiFe that other religions focus on $eing (ery trusting) (ery open)
sharing with others) and seeing no one as your ene,y' +his is si,ply
a false (iew of the world' :e do ha(e ene,ies and those that are
$eneath our trust' A failure to recogniFe that can $e selfDhar,ing'
38)
SHA&E CU#URE $S%
"UI#T CU#TURE
Christianity is Guilt Culture' A Christian can do horri$le things) $ut
once they ask forgi(eness'''other Christians are taught to forgi(e the,
and not to Ludge the,' +hat sin is $etween the, and their desert
God' +hey ha(e $ut to ask forgi(eness and ha(e good intentions) and
they start with a clean slate in the eyes of their God' +heir God sees
all) and no ,atter what you do that is $ad) whether you are caught or
not'''whether it really hurt anyone or not) you are to feel the guilt of
those actions until you ask forgi(eness'
Heathenry is &ha,e Culture' A ,an is his deeds' +he past does
,atter' :hat a ,an does is wo(en into his :yrd' His reputation is
affected) and the reputation of those that associate with hi,' >ight
action is not a ,atter that is only $etween an indi(idual and his Gods'
>ight action is seen $y fellow Heathens) and renown and reputation
are $uilt and earned' Asking forgi(eness or ha(ing good intentions
does not wipe away the past'
-f you had a $est friend who you respected and liked' And you found
out he had ,olested four little girls ten years $efore'''a few years
$efore you ,et hi,' +he girls were all under the age of ?"' +hat is a
part of that ,an' +hat is a part of his :yrd' 3y your friendship) you
ha(e ,ade hi, and his wrongs a part of your :yrd as well' How you
,ight ask; Eour friendship will change fore(er) and if it was i,portant
to you M then that is a loss' 4nowing what you now know will clearly
affect whether you let hi, near your own children' -t would ,ake you
worry a$out the ti,e he has already spent with your children' Perhaps
he has touched and har,ed your children in ways you did not know
a$out' -f he were arrested for the cri,e it would i,pact your own
reputation as well) depending on how well you were known to $e his
friend' :hat he had done would i,pact your ,arriage) if you wife felt
that you $rought this har,ful ,an into your fa,ily2s ho,e' -t would
,ake you /uestion your own a$ility to Ludge a person2s character and
worth' His past would da,age your *uck'
-f you had a wife who you found out was a hooker so,e years $efore)
and she had not told you'''her past would $e a $ig deal'''it would
affect your :yrd' Eou would worry a$out her attitudes a$out se5 and
loyalty within your ,arriage' +he fact she had not told you a$out her
past would affect your trust of her' Eou would worry what diseases
had $een $rought into your ho,e and into your own $ody' -f her past
$eca,e pu$lic it would affect the reputation of your fa,ily and
388
yourself' -f your children co,e to know of it) it will under,ine their
respect for their ,other'''and perhaps affect their own ideas and
attitudes a$out the dignity of their own $odies' Her past would
da,age your *uck' -f this past as a hooker was a long ti,e ago) and
she had li(ed a sta$le) healthy life for years since then'''it could
,itigate these negati(e affects to so,e degree' 3ut it is unlikely it
would ,itigate the, co,pletely'
-f you for,ed a 4indred) and four ,onths into its e5istence one of the
,e,$ers of your 4indred cheated on his wife) and their ,arriage
dissol(ed' this would affect your :yrd) and the :yrd of the collecti(e
group' +he ,an2s life would $e chaos and tur,oil) and the 4indred
would $e affected $y this distraction' +he ,an has $roken a serious
oath that he had taken to his wife' +he ,an has destroyed his own
fa,ily' +he ,an has done so,ething that will possi$ly scar his own
children2s a$ility to for, and ,aintain longDter, relationships' +he
,an will $e turning to the 4indred for help'''and depending on the
strength of the 4indred) this could da,age or destroy the 4indred' His
ina$ility to ,aintain his oath) his fa,ily) and his selfDcontrol would
affect the *uck of the 4indred'
&o) past actions ,atter' One can seek to change and i,pro(e' One
can seek to $e a $etter person' 3ut escaping your past actions is not
as easy as turning o(er a new leaf' Bot in a &ha,e Culture'''a
Heathen Culture'
-f a ,an or wo,an has great ,isdeeds in their past) there :yrd and
*uck are likely da,aged' +heir reputation is likely da,aged as well)
$ecause others usually know of these ,isdeeds'
-t is i,portant that people who are considering whether or not to
,ingle their :yrd with that person M considering whether to share a
horn with that person or whether to Fain with that person M should
know of $oth that person2s past ,isdeeds AB< their co,,it,ent to do
$etter' +hey should know the whole of a person .$oth positi(e and
negati(e0 prior to wea(ing that person into their :yrd'
-n the si5 ,onths 1otun2s 3ane 4indred was for,ing) when we were
getting to know each other) we e5plored $oth positi(e and negati(e
things a$out each other' - learned of the flaws of the other ,e,$ers
and they learned of ,ine' :e were an open $ook' 3ut none of those
flaws were so serious that they ,ade us apprehensi(e a$out ,ingling
our :yrd'''and for,ing a collecti(e :yrd through the for,ation of our
4indred' :ere we all perfect; Bo' <id we ha(e great sha,e in our
past; <efinitely not'
38:
Bot e(eryone has a laundry list of $ad $eha(ior that needs to $e
hidden or kept secret' Only so,e do' A large part of getting a fresh
start for so,eone with past ,isdeeds and a da,aged reputation)
would $e not trying to hide those past ,istakes fro, people you hope
to $uild relationships with'
:hat do you think reputation is; :hat do you think it is ,ade of;
3asically) it is what people think of you' -t is what people say a$out
you' -t is the tales that are told of you' -t is the ,e,ories you lea(e
with others' &o) if a,ong certain people) your reputation is not (ery
positi(e'''they will certainly talk' <o not apologiFe for your past
,isdeeds' Pay &hyld'''correct what you ha(e done' -f possi$le) fi5
what you ha(e $roken' <o not focus on people Otalking crap a$out
you'O Of course they are talking crap a$out you M that is the $ad
reputation you ha(e likely earned' Gossip is not gossip when it is true
and is $eing passed onto to a friend as a warning' -t is co,pletely
natural that people would want to warn their friends of the past
,isdeeds of so,eone they are getting to know'
HOUSE AND #AND WI"HTS

Pro$a$ly for as long as ,an has walked the planet) ,an has $een
aware of'''or $elie(ed in'''unseen $eings) creatures) and forces that
can affect our li(es for good or for ill' Hu,an Ghosts' &pirits of our
Ancestors' *and &pirits' &pirits within +rees) Fields) and Forests' And
Gods' All of these are unseen) and yet'''all cultures ha(e at so,e
point de(eloped a religion or philosophy that acknowledges their
e5istence) or at least their inclination to $elie(e in that e5istence'
-n our spirituallyDdecaying ,odern world) with its religion of science)
its ,athe,atical ,aterialistic philosophy) those that $elie(e in unseen
$eings not on the appro(ed list of unseen $eings .i'e') allDpowerful
God) a sacrificial ,anDGod and his (irgin ,other) ,anD,ade saints)
angels) de(ils and de,ons) etc'0 are relegated to the fringe as
delusional) wishful) or possi$ly craFy' &o it is natural) that ha(ing
grown up in that culture) cut off fro, nature in al,ost e(ery way) that
we would ha(e no knowledge of spirits and unseen creatures off the
appro(ed list' Ha(ing grown up in that culture) it is natural that we
would ha(e a fear or $ias against atte,pting to interact with such
creatures' E(en when we do ,ake our first atte,pts) we feel a $it
silly and selfDconscious a$out the whole thing'
387
3ut the proof is in the pudding' &et up a shrine or little ho,e for your
House :ight' Gi(e the wight shiny things'''gi(e it ite,s of i,portance
to you'''share ale and $eer with it'''so,e ,ilk) so,e cheese'''and
,ay$e so,e oats and honey' +alk to the House :ight' Ask it to help
keep things happy and orderly in your house' Ask the House :ight to
watch o(er your children' %ake your House :ight feel welco,e) and
let it know that you want to for, a relationship with hi,9her' -f you
feel a little silly doing it) work through it' :alk the walk) talk the talk)
and watch what happens'
%y daughter ca,e to ,e and told ,e that she had asked our House
:ight to help her find ! hairclips she had lost' *ater that day the !
hairclips were lying out in the open in a place that she had looked for
the, $efore' &he lost the, again .she was @DyearsDold at the ti,e0)
and she wanted to pay the House :ight coins for the help he had
already gi(en) and to pay the House :ight for helping her to find the
hairclips a second ti,e' :e ga(e the House :ight the coins she had
collected) and later that night one of the hairclips was lying in the
,iddle of the floor in a roo, we had $een in all day' &he asked why
the House :ight had only found one of her hairclips) and - told her it
was pro$a$ly to teach her a lesson for losing the, twice'
One day - was in a huge rush) and - needed a ru$$er $and' - was in a
panic' - was looking e(erywhere' :e do not ha(e a $ig $ag of ru$$er
$ands lying around) so - was looking e(erywhere for a stray ru$$er
$and'''our desk) the kitchen counter) and ,y shel(es in the $edroo,'
- was rushing around) and - really needed that ru$$er $and' - ca,e
$ack down the upstairs hallway) and there was a ru$$er $and lying on
the floor right $eneath the House :ight2s house' - picked it up) and -
thanked the House :ight for finding ,e one so /uickly' +here was
e5tra ale and so,e 3erenLaeger for the House :ight for a week after
that'
+here ha(e $een other s,all ,o,ents of help' *ittle things that
should $e lost) that are found at Lust the right ,o,ent M keys) a
phone) or a $ook that has $een ,issing' Bow the fully skeptical
a,ong us will chalk all this up to coincidence' +hat is how we are
taught to think' +he cynic would say we Lust o(erlooked the hairclips)
and ,anaged to spot the, later' -t is Lust coincidence that the only
ru$$er $and in the house showed up on the floor $eneath the House
:ight2s ho,e at the (ery ,o,ent - needed a ru$$er $and'
3ut what (alue do we get fro, $eing cynical in this case; :hat is the
$enefit of chalking e(ery strange e(ent up to coincidence; :hat is the
har, in rolling with it) and considering for a ,o,ent that there is an
389
unseen spirit in ,y house that looks after ,y children and lends a
helping hand now and again; -t costs ,e no ,oney to $elie(e this' -t
does no psychological har, to $elie(e this' -t does not negati(ely
i,pact ,e or ,y fa,ily to $elie(e these things'
-f anything) honoring ,y House :ight as ,y Ancestors did $rings
wonder to ,y life' -t connects ,e with those Heathens that ca,e
$efore ,e' -t connects ,e with the unseen world that science and
Christian dog,a ha(e done their $est to cut ,e off fro,' -t pro(ides
co,fort to ,y children' -f house wights do e5ist'''it connects ,e with
a wealful spirit) and deepens ,y connection with ,y faith'
House wights are (ery i,portant to atte,pt to interact with and
respect' %ost new Heathens tend to focus first on the Gods' +hen a
few ,onths later) we tend to disco(er our connection with our
Ancestors' +hese two steps are fairly easy' >econnecting with the
wights and the Caettir of the land usually co,es last'''and it can $e a
difficult step due to our up$ringing' -t felt a $it silly at first' Bow) - do
not feel silly at all a$out it' Once you know your House :ight) focus
on getting to know the land wights) or Caettir) on the land where you
li(e'
+he $est ,ethod for co,ing to know the wights is to di(e in head first'
E(en though it ,ay feel a $it strange or awkward at first) ,ake a place
in your ho,e to focus on the House :ight' Gi(e hi, or her gifts'
&peak with the House :ight and ,ake it feel welco,e' For, that
relationship) and then keep your eyes open for the s,all things that
will start happening' Once a collection of odd $ut helpful e(ents has
taken place) it $eco,es hard to ignore the positi(e i,pact the House
:ight has had on your ho,e and fa,ily'
38+
Our %ouse 'ight shrine1 #heres a hat gi;en to
$e by $y &odhi/ a gno$e/ one of EliNabeths
dolls/ coins/ ha$$ers/ a ho$e/ a s$all ;iking
ship gi;en to $e/ and a Skullsplitter beer1
SECTION f-5e
:e.sonal and
m-sc% essa6s
38<
THE HOUSE WI"HT
AND &Y DAU"HTER
%y @ yearDoldDdaughter ca,e to ,e and said that she had lost her
$unny hair clips again' &he infor,ed ,e that she had lost the, a few
days $efore) $ut had asked the House :ight to help her find the,'
&he told ,e that the $unny hair clips were out in plain (iew the day
after she asked for help'''$ut now they were lost AGA-BP
&o) ,y daughter told ,e she wanted to gi(e the House :ight coins for
helping her the day $efore) and then gi(e the House :ight additional
coins for so,e additional help finding the $unny hair clips again'
&o she went and found so,e /uarters' :e gifted the House :ight for
its prior help and then gifted it ,ore coins for so,e additional help'
%y daughter kept $ringing this topic up with ,e for the rest of the day)
and she kept asking if the House :ight was going to co,e through for
her' - told her to wait and see'
Anyhow) the ne5t day she found one of the $unny hair clips out in the
open) and she was pretty sure the House :ight found it for her' :hen
she asked ,e why the House :ight only found one of the $unny hair
clips) - told her the House :ight pro$a$ly found the, $oth) $ut
decided to keep one of the, to teach her a lesson for losing the, a
second ti,e' &he appeared to accept this as a reasona$le answer'
38-
EliNabeth
&Y FATHER
"#EN F% STINSON
%y dad) Glen &tinson) was one of si5 kids in a singleDparent .,o,0
household prior to :orld :ar --) during the depression' +hey canned
food fro, a garden M Lust to $e a$le to eat' All the kids worked as
soon as so,eone was willing to gi(e the, so,e shit Lo$ M Lust to $e
a$le to eat' A huge treat was when their ,o, would $ring ho,e a
single candy $ar) and they would cut it
into 7 pieces M one for each kid' +hat
was so,ething to cele$rate' +he few
toys they had would disappear in
Bo(e,$er) and would reappear as
Christ,as presents with a fresh coat of
paint' <ad li(ed in an attic roo, without
insulation'''when the wind $lew) snow
would $low in under the shingles and
dust his $ed' <ad said he would lure the
$ig dog into $ed with hi, to try to stay
war, under nu,erous /uilts and
$lanketsP
+hen <ad went off to :orld :ar --'''at the age of ?=' He ser(ed
a$oard a su$,arine' A third of our Bation2s su$,ariners were killed in
the war'''$ut luckily <ad was part of the twoDthirds that ca,e ho,e'
He had lots of funny stories a$out their e5ploits when on lea(e or away
fro, co,$at' 3ut he ne(er once told ,e a co,$at story M e(en when
- asked'
3:*
0SS Ente$edor
(ad and 4 in the Eear 3---
After the war) he ,arried' His first apart,ent with his wife had no
refrigerator) no o(en) and it was one roo,' +hey put food out on the
ledge in the winter to keep it fresh) until he could sa(e up for a s,all
fridge' :ell) you get the idea' E(en a generation or two ago) our
Ancestors had to really fight for their sur(i(al' :e see, to ha(e it so
easy co,pared to the,' +his is e5actly what they wanted' +hey
fought to sur(i(e) $ut they also consciously fought to gi(e us a $etter
world and $etter li(es' %y dad ga(e ,e a great childhood) a great
up$ringing) and a great start in life' He2s dead now) $ut his efforts are
clearly e(ident in ,y life and the life of ,y children'
+hinking a$out ,y dad) forces ,e to wonder how our descendants will
re,e,$er us' :ill they look $ack on our efforts) our fights) and Ludge
us lacking; Or will they look $ack with thanks and pride; +he answer
to that /uestion is up to us'
3:3
(ad and EliNabeth Shortly
!efore he (ied
(ad and !aby 6athan !ack in
the Eear )**3
FEARIN" A STRAW DEATH
Our Ancestors feared dying a Ostraw death'O +he idea of li(ing to old
age) and $eing sick) weak) and a $urden on your fa,ily and your tri$e
was so,ething to a(oid' Fro, the Ha(a,al'''
#he unwise $an thinks that he will li;e/
4f fro$ fighting he fleesM
!ut the ails and aches of old age dog hi$
#hough spears ha;e spared hi$1
%y dad) Glen &tinson) fought in ::--' He was a successful $usiness
e5ecuti(e and later a successful entrepreneur' He was acti(e his whole
life) and lo(ed to $uild things) work in the yard) and physically work
hard' &o as he got older) and was plagued $y a $ad heart and poor
health) he was understanda$ly upset $y it'
He li(ed to $e ==' :hen we were alone) he would say to ,e) O- hate
getting old'O O- a, weak'''- don2t feel good'''- can2t do the things -
used to $e a$le to do'O A$out a ,onth $efore he died) he had ,y wife
and - o(er for a cookout with ,y ,o, and hi,' He was at the old grill
cooking steaks) and he started to tip o(er $ackwards' - put ,y hand
on his $ack and steadied hi,' He thanked ,e) and said) O- hate this'O
A$out a week $efore he died) he was passing the torch of leadership in
a group that he had helped start'''a group in which he was the leader'
+here was a $ig cere,ony to pass the torch) and a $ig dinner
afterwards' He and - walked to the restroo,) and on the way $ack he
had to stop e(ery few steps and catch his $reath' - walked with hi,
holding his ar,' He apologiFed for $eing so weak) and - told hi, he
did not need to apologiFe) and stayed with hi, $ack to his seat' He
looked at ,e with appreciation and lo(e'
+wo nights $efore he died) he and - went to pick up piFFas for a fa,ily
gathering' :e were waiting for the piFFas) and we ordered a couple of
$eers' As we drank) he told ,e that he felt the doctors had finally
gotten his ,edicines right' He was feeling $etter than he had felt for
,onths''',ay$e years' He was in great spirits) and Lust wanted ,e to
know how good he felt' *ittle did either of us know) this was Lust the
cal, $efore the end'
On the day he died) he was dri(ing so,ewhere with ,y ,o, and his
$est friend' A hu$cap ca,e off the car) and they stopped' <ad got
out to go get the hu$cap) ,y ,o, calling out to hi, that she would
get it' <ad ignored her) and Logged across the road to retrie(e the
3:)
hu$cap) and he dropped dead' On the spot' +he police ca,e) then
the a,$ulance people) and they were all trying CP>' He went to one
hospital) and then another as they tried to re(i(e hi,' 3ut he was
gone'
<ad feared $eing a $urden' He feared $eing $edDridden) or
incapacitated' He feared that he would linger'''sick) tired) and a
shadow of the ,an he had $een' He felt weak as it was) and he
feared a straw death' He was not a ,an that feared anything else) $ut
he feared this one thing'
- a, a$solutely certain he2s glad he died without $eco,ing a $urden
on anyone'
3:8
(ad with 6athan
"REAT2"RAND!A #UDWI"
*udwig &chweiger was ,y Great Grandfather2s na,e' He was Ger,an
and he was a furnitureD,aker) in an era when they ,ade furniture $y
hand' He ca,e to the Hnited &tates fro, Hungary prior to :orld :ar
-'''so he was not in Europe during either of the two :orld :ars'
His wife was >ose) and he had two daughters) EliFa$eth and 4aye'
EliFa$eth was ,y ,other2s ,other' %y Hncle >ick2s ,iddle na,e was
O*ewis)O an A,ericaniFed (ersion of the na,e O*udwig'O 3ut ,y ,o,
wanted to gi(e ,e *udwig2s real na,e for ,y ,iddle na,e' &o - was
na,ed %ark *udwig &tinson'
*udwig died $efore - was $orn) so - did not know hi, in life'''and he
did not know ,e' 3ut - did hear stories a$out hi,' As *udwig got
older) he went $ald on top'''and he kept his hair (ery short' :hen -
started to lose ,y hair) - chose to cut ,y hair (ery short Lust like
*udwig appears in all of the photos - ha(e of hi,' -n the photos) he
appears to ha(e a $ig $arrel chest) and while he was not (ery tall) he
appears to $e a strong ,an'
He tended to spell e(erything in English e5actly as it sounded and he
see,ed to enLoy saying e(erything as it was spelled' &o when he said
the word OswordO for instance) he pronounced it with the OswO sound'
People would point his ,ispronunciations out to hi,) and he would
point out with a s,ile that he was si,ply saying the words as they
were spelled'
:hen he first got to the Hnited &tates and took a Lo$ in a furniture
factory) he knew a$solutely no English at all' &o an A,erican coD
worker told hi, that the proper way to address you $oss was to say)
OGood %orning) you &on of a 3itch'O &o he did as he was ad(ised) and
the $oss of course went off the handle' *uckily the $oss /uickly
figured out that ,y Great Grandfather had no idea what he had said)
and all was fine'
- ha(e *udwig2s upholstery ha,,er) and - keep it in with so,e of ,y
fa,ily heirloo,s' - did not know *udwig in life) $ut - carry his na,e
and - continue his fa,ily' - na,ed ,y youngest son) 1oshua *udwig
&tinson after his Great Great Grandfather'''and - hope that at least one
of ,y children carries on this tradition when they na,e their children'
Hail *udwigP
3::
WHEN I WAS A STREET CO!
A close friend of ,ine asked ,e the following /uestion) and answering
the /uestion $rought up so,e ,e,ories for ,e'
'hy is it that $any police officers are attracted to the
religion/ or way,of,life/ of %eathenry?
- think police officers are attracted to Heathenry for so,e of the sa,e
reasons as people in prison are attracted to Heathenry' 3eing a police
officer in(ol(es ha(ing a warrior ,entality at ti,es' +here are people
who would like to kill you) people who try to kill you) and you ,ust
fight the,' - ha(e had assign,ents at the police depart,ent where -
was in a$out 8 to A fights e(ery work week' Often at least one fight or
physical struggle a night'
Police officers wear $ulletDproof (ests) carry guns) and there is the
constant threat of getting shot) hit $y cars) or getting in deadly car
wrecks' +here is a wall at e(ery police station with photos of the fallen
heroes' %en that ha(e gi(en their li(es M and cut short their ti,e on
earth with their wife and children M to ser(e their co,,unity' Bot
e(ery police officer is a warrior) or has a warrior ,entality' 3ut when
you are young) and working an innerDcity station'''you tend to think
that way'
:hen - was working the innerDcity) $ack $efore - was pro,oted) -
would load up ,y patrol car with gear and then stop for a ,o,ent in
the parking lot' - would take a deep $reath' - would think of ,y life)
,y lo(ed ones) the place where - li(ed) ,y parents) and - would say
good$ye to all these things' - would say to ,yself) - ,ay not see any
of those people or those things again'''$ut - will sell ,y life dearly' -
would think a$out protecting the good people li(ing in our patrol area'
Especially children' +hose people needed protecting) and if - died
protecting the, and arresting $ad guys) then - was O'4' with that'
+his whole thought process would ,ake ,e co,pletely cal,) and then
- would pull out of the parking lot and $egin work without fear'
- used to look at the wall of fallen police officers down at the police
acade,y) and - would read the s,all narrati(es under each picture'
+here would $e included there a special note a$out whether the dead
officer had $een a$le to return fire on his assailants or not' Also a
special note a$out whether he had killed or inLured any of his
assailants or not'
- would hope that if ,y photo was on that wall so,eday) it would say
3:7
that - had killed or inLured those that had taken ,y life' Eou did not
want to die with your gun in your holster or without fighting $ack with
e(erything you had' - know - was not uni/ue in thinking that way) for
we would all talk a$out it'
-t is i,portant to understand) police officers are taught to think
differently than regular people) and their Lo$ continues to shape their
thinking to $e different than regular people' -n ,any ways) that way
of thinking is ,uch ,ore geared towards Heathenry than towards the
Oforgi(eness) Olo(e thine ene,y) and turn the other cheekO ,entality
of Christianity' +hat is Lust ,y opinion M $ut the Bew +esta,ent is
really not focused on getting in $rawls) Oselling your life dearly)O and
,aking sure you kill the people who intend to kill you'
3:9
Falfather Odin
E#I8A'ETH "ETTIN" TO
(NOW HER "RANDFATHER
:hen ,y daughter EliFa$eth was si5DyearDold) she ca,e to ,e and
said she wanted to see photographs of ,y father) Glen &tinson' &he
knew that he died when she was notDyetDtwoDyearsDold) and she did
not re,e,$er hi,' - ha(e talked a$out hi, a lot) and she2s seen
,any photos of hi,) $ut she wanted to see the, again M and ,ore of
the,'
&o we got out the photo al$u,s) and - showed her ,ore pictures of
<ad' &he really enLoyed seeing hi,) and - pointed out how he and -
look alike) and how we do not look alike' And - pointed out to her that
she has his .and ,y0 s,ile and his .and ,y0 nose) to so,e degree'
:e talked a$out <ad2s sense of hu,or) and how strong and kind to ,e
he was'
&he wanted to see a photo of ,y <ad holding her' &he had seen lots
of photos of <ad holding our oldest son) Bathan'''and she was
insistent that - find a photo of <ad holding her' &o we looked and
looked' -t took awhile $ut we found se(eral' One of hi, holding her
as a newD$orn) one of hi, holding her and looking right into her face)
and one of her crying in his lap and hi, ,aking the sa,e face as her
pretending to $e crying as well' &he lo(ed the photos'
- did not tell her) $ut the photo of hi, pretending to $e crying Lust like
her was taken Lust two days $efore he died'
EliFa$eth had tears in her eyes) and she said) OBathan was
lucky'''$ecause he re,e,$ers your <ad' - don2t re,e,$er hi, and
he2s gone'O &o - assured her that while he was dead) he was
a$solutely not gone' - told her that he watches her all the ti,e'''and
that - know he is (ery proud of her' &he said) OOh yeah) he2s up in
hea(en and can watch us'O
- said) OBo'''he2s right here with us' He2s in this roo, right now
watching us look at these photos' He2s here right now seeing the tears
in your eyes' He was at your $ig dance recital' He watches you play
with your little $rother and teach your little $rother things' He
watches o(er you at night) to ensure you are safe' <ad a$solutely
adored you and Bathan) and - a, sure that he is around you al,ost all
the ti,e' He did not get to ,eet 1oshua when he was ali(e) $ut - a,
sure he watches 1oshua Lust as ,uch as he watches you guys'O
3:+
EliFa$eth asked where he was in the roo,' - said) OHe2s pro$a$ly right
ne5t to you'''right there on the couch looking o(er your shoulder at
the photos' Or he2s sitting o(er in that chair) watching the two of us
talk a$out hi,' 3ut he2s right here'''and he2s not going away e(er'O
- told her that <ad (isits ,e in drea,s) and that when she goes to $ed
that night) she should think of hi, and ask hi, to (isit her' - also told
her that she could talk to hi, whene(er she wanted to and that he
would listen) and ,ay$e so,eday when she really needed it) he ,ight
Lust answer'
- went to work that night) and 1ennifer told ,e later that EliFa$eth was
sitting in a near$y chair an hour or two after - left) and that she also
told 1ennifer that Bathan was lucky) $ecause he re,e,$ered dad'
&he had tears in her eyes again'
:ell the ne5t day) EliFa$eth ca,e to ,e and told ,e that she had
done what - said) and that she had had a drea, a$out <ad' - had
$een in the drea, as well' &he couldn2t re,e,$er what happened in
the drea,) $ut she was (ery e5cited that she had drea,ed of hi,'
&he ca,e to ,e the ne5t day was well) and said that she had drea,ed
of hi, a second ti,e'
- think of ,y three children) EliFa$eth is the one that ,ost connects
,ost with the unseen' &he see,s to ha(e a real connection with our
House :ight) one that has de(eloped independently of ,e' &he does
things with the House :ight that - do not e(en hear a$out until weeks
later and she see,s to $e de(eloping a strong connection with ,y
father' - could not $e prouder of her'''
A Con5e.sat-on
w-t3 F.-gga
- think ,ale Asatruers tend to talk a lot to Odin) +hor) +yr) Freyr) and
the other ,ale Gods' +hey are warlike) wise) and perhaps they appeal
to us $ecause they are strong) well defined) and they are the focus of
,any of the stories in the *ore' :e tend to honor the, ,ore) and not
pay enough attention to the Asyniur'
3ut) those of you with fa,ilies) wi(es) and children'''- would
3:<
encourage you to $egin talking with Frigga'''and offering her gifts'
Here is a Goddess who shares HlidskLalf) Odin2s high seat with her
hus$and' &he has the gift of prophecy) and yet carefully protects this
knowledge' -n a $attle of wits) she can go toeDtoDtoe with Odin) and in
at least one story fro, the *ore she co,es out on top'
-n this day and age of Odisposa$le ,arriagesO and Ote,porary
fa,ilies)O a Heathen hus$and should turn to Frigga for guidance' Gift
Frigga) and ask her to watch o(er your fa,ily' Pro,ise Frigga you will
do e(erything in your power to ,aintain the health of your ,arriage)
and e(en to i,pro(e it' +hen follow through on this co,,it,ent'
+ell Frigg why your fa,ily and your ,arriage are i,portant to you'
+ell her that you will sacrifice ,uch to ,aintain this treasured
relationship in your life) and then personally sacrifice whate(er it takes
to ,ake that ,arriage and fa,ily work' -f you are serious) and you
are working hard to $e a good hus$and and father) Frigg will see that
you are +ru'''
3:-
Frigga
HOW CAN WE 'E ;<<=
SURE HEATHENRY IS REA#
+his essay is for those of you that are or were agnostic or atheist at
so,e point' Or for those of you that so,eti,es struggle with the
/uestions) OHow >EA* is all of this;O OHow >EA* are the Gods;O OHow
do we know that Heathenry isn2t Lust wornDout ,ythology;O OHow can
- $e ?""I - a, not fooling ,yself;O
- was agnostic for pro$a$ly !@ or !7 years $efore finding Heathenry' -
thought there ,ight $e a God or Gods) $ut that it was i,possi$le for
anyone to 4BO: if God or Gods were really there; How would - know
what religion was Oright;O How could -) as a fleshy organis, on a $ig
$all of dirt in space) e(er $e confident that how - (iewed the di(ine)
would $e the correct way to (iew the di(ine;
- think e(eryone struggles with these sorts of dou$ts at so,e point'
1ust how literally are we to take the ,yths; -s +hor really so,e guy
with a $ig red $eard and a ha,,er $attling giants; -s Odin really a
oneDeyed God with ,any na,es who walks the earth and interacts
with ,ortal ,en; How literally are we supposed to take the Gods and
the stories of the Gods; How >EA* is Heathenry and the Heathen
worldD(iew;
&cience has its appeal' :e are taught science fro, an early age'
&cience is a cold) hard atte,pt to factually e5plain the world) and how
things work and interact' -t is $ased on o$ser(ations) e5peri,ents)
and things we ha(e pro(en'''or at least gone a long way towards
pro(ing' 3ut science is soulless' -t is ,ath) and ,easure,ents) and
charts and ta$les' :e see the factual truth in science) $ut for ,ost of
us it does not sing to our souls or inspire us to li(e our li(es $oldly'
Here2s a few thoughts on these dou$ts) and so,e of ,y own (iews on
the reality of the Gods and Goddesses) and Heathenry in general'
?' Heathenry is ,ultiDfaceted and co,ple5' -t is a$out culture
and a way of life) as ,uch as it is a$out the ,yths and Gods'
- a, not suggesting it is the $est route to go) $ut there is such
a thing as Oatheist Heathens'O +hey lo(e and follow the culture
and traditions) out of a connection and loyalty to their
Ancestors) $ut they do not (iew the Gods as necessarily Oreal'O
&o,e of these Oatheist HeathensO (iew the Gods as cle(er
stories' &o,e of the, (iew the Gods as 1ungian
Archetypes''',ore of a psychological approach' +he point of
37*
what - a, saying) is that there are ,any ways of (iewing and
en(isioning the Gods) and taking the, in a co,pletely literal
sense is not re/uired to li(e as a Heathen'
!' - think the Gods are a co,ple5 issue'''and $eyond our
co,prehension) in a sense' +hey are ,any things) not Lust
one thing' At ti,es they are literal' At ti,es they are
reflected or ,anifested in nature) weather) and the world
around us' &o,eti,es they are so,ething within our soul'
+rying to pin the, down to one thing) one (iew) and one
perspecti(e will ,ake you nuts' +he $est way to look at the,
is with an unfocused eye) and realiFe that to truly understand
the Gods) one has to ad,it that perhaps it is i,possi$le to
fully understand the,'
8' - see the Gods as our Elder 4in' For ,e) they are directly
tied to our Folk &oul' Our Folk &oul originated fro, the, and
at the sa,e ti,e) they were $orn fro, our Folk &oul' :e are
reflections of the,) and they are reflected in us'
6' At the sa,e ti,e) there are ti,es - do see the, in a (ery
literal sense' - $elie(e the Gods are real and distinct $eings)
with personalities) and likes and dislikes) and they do truly
e5ist' - think at ti,es they interact with us) and possi$ly
assist us' - think there is a connection ,ade with the, when
we honor the, and gift the,' - feel +hor did intercede and
fought the thurse .,anifested as a tornado0 that atte,pted to
destroy ,y neigh$orhood in !""A'
373
Asa,#hor
+here was a realiFation that $roke ,y !@ years of agnostic worldD(iew
a little o(er a year ago' - realiFed that - ,ay ne(er 4BO: that ,y
specific $eliefs or (iew of the di(ine is OcorrectO or +ruth .with a capital
O+O0' 3ut when - found Heathenry it spoke to ,e' -t felt right' -t
allowed a lot of pieces in ,y life to fall into place' - spoke to +hor) and
it felt to ,e like so,eone was listening' &o here2s the realiFation:
&ince we can ne(er 4BO: +ruth) or $e sure of which (ersion of reality
is the correct (ersion) there is great (alue in choosing a reality that
feels right and then rolling with it'
-f you find that Heathenry is the reality that works for you) and sings
to your soul' -f it is where you feel right) and where you feel
co,forta$le) then there is no har, in Lust letting go and rolling with it'
- feel Heathenry is +ruth' - ha(e co,e to see it as the e5planation of
how to li(e and what life should ,ean that works $est for ,e' &o -
roll with it' - ha(e reaped the $enefits of honoring ,y Gods and
Ancestors) respecting the Caettir) tending to ,y :yrd) and ,aking ,y
*uck'
-f it ends up - a, so,ehow OwrongO in the cos,ic sense) and the
whole thing is actually nonsenseD,u,$oDLu,$o) it will not really
,atter' - will ha(e followed ,y heart and followed ,y soul) and - will
ha(e li(ed a rich and ,eaningful life' - will ha(e followed the ways of
,y Ancestors) and passed on a way of life to ,y descendants that will
sing to their souls as well'

37)
Forn %alr , >#he Old Man>
SECTION s->
-celand t.-:
?o,.nal
378
THE A!RI# @<<A
1OURNEY TO ICE#AND
O4) - $rought a European powerD
adaptor with ,e to -celand) so
that - could use ,y laptop) and
share photos fro, -celand
e(eryday that - was in -celand'
3ut) it $asically ,elted down) and
so - had no LuiceP - ended up
typing ,y first Lournal entries on
this highly restricted we$Donly
co,puter at our hotel' +he
co,puter allowed ,e to type all
that - wanted) $ut - still couldn2t
share photos' - e(entually found and $ought a new adapter and we
were in $usiness'
- wrote the entire Lournal in $ulletDpoints) due to ti,e constraints) $ut
- think this for,at works well for what - wanted to con(ey'
DAY 8ERO
+hursday) April !nd) ,y wife
1ennifer dropped us off at the
airport in 4ansas City' :e were
supposed to fly to %ilwaukee)
then 3oston) then -celand'''$ut
the flight was delayed' +hey told
us that we ,ight not ,ake it to
our connecting flight) or our
luggage ,ight not ,ake it to
-celand' 3ut we trusted our *uck)
and in %ilwaukee the airline
switched our plane'''and we ,ade
it to -celand with our luggage right on ti,e' .7:!" A%0
37:
DAY ONE IN ICE#AND
At the airport we $ought so,e coffee and a snack) and got into a
long con(ersation with so,e $ored ca$Ddri(ers waiting for their ne5t
custo,er' +hey told us great places to go) restaurants to check out)
and told us all a$out the geography of -celand' -t turned out the Borth
is co(ered in snow and froFen this week) so they ad(ised us to stay
away fro, there' Cery nice guys'
:e rented a car) and dro(e to
>eykLa(ik'''and walked around
downtown' All the shops were
still closed) $ecause we were
there so early' :e went to the
CisitorYs Center) found out where
all the $est ,useu,s were) and
found out where the restaurants
were that the ca$ dri(ers had
reco,,ended' A couple of shops
opened) and we shopped a $it'
:e went to a restaurant right on the ocean called the &ea 3aron'
:e $ought the only hot food they were offering) *o$ster &oup) with
lots of $read and wonderful -celandic $utter' :e also tried dried
seaweed) haddock chips .dried chips ,ade fro, Haddock0) and we
tried dried fish with $utter spread on it' +he lady said it was dried 2Cat
Fish)2 $ut we think ,ay$e this was an error in translation' +he dried
fish was really tough) $ut with $utter on it) it was a,aFingly good' -Yd
say $etter than $eef Lerky'
:e stayed in a su$ur$ of >eykLa(ik) in the Ciking Hotel' +he roo,
had a $ig $ed and a day $ed) $ut
the roo, was (ery (ery s,all'
+he $athwater was geother,al)
so it s,elled of sulphur) $ut you
ne(er run out of hot water'
Be5t we went to the Pearl)
which is a huge do,e co,ple5
$uild on top of 7 hot water tanks
that help pro(ide hot geother,al
water to >eykLa(ik' +hey ha(e a
wa5 ,useu, there that tells the
377
story of the settle,ent of -celand) the con(ersion to Christianity) and
,ore' -t was (ery infor,ati(e) and the wa5 figures were (ery realistic'
+here is an o$ser(ation tower
on the Pearl) that o(erlooks all of
>eykLa(ik) and the wind was
$lowing 6" to @" ,ph up there'
3eautiful (iew) $ut hard to take
pictures) $ecause the wind kept
knocking us o(erP
Be5t we went grocery shopping'
3ought so,e of that -celandic
$utter and so,e Ger,an $read'
:e also $ought skyr) $oth in drink
for, and congealed' -t is (ery si,ilar to yogurt) e5cept its cultured
with the sa,e stuff they culture sourDdough $read with' -t is fla(ored)
and (ery good' :e also $ought candy' +hey ha(e so,e weird candies
o(er here) and they lo(e to co,$ine chocolate and $lack li/uorice' -t
is not $ad co,$ined) - Lust ne(er thought of it'
:e ate $ack at the hotel) and fell asleep'
DAY TWO IN ICE#AND
:e woke up) got ready) and ate
$reakfast here at the hotel' 3reakfast was
$read) cheese) ,eat) eggs) -celandic
$utter) skyr) and other stuff' Pretty good'
Be5t) we went shopping' :e went to
se(eral $ook stores) a store that sells
-celandic wool and other stuff' :e ate
PiFFa for lunch) and then'''
:e went to the Asatru ,eeting in
downtown >eykLa(ik' +he Asatru &ociety
has its own te,porary head/uarters
.while they wait to $uild their Hof down $y
the ocean0) and we ,et @ Asatruar at the
379
,eeting' +he leader for the day appeared to $e a Godhi na,ed
1ohanna Hardardottir) who was a (ery nice lady' &he in(ited us to her
ho,e on &unday) showing great Heathen hospitality'
+he ,eeting was ! hours long) and it was $asically a long discussion
of Asatru in our two countries) so,e of our practices) plans) and the
status of our respecti(e groups' -t was (ery interesting) and a (ery
(alua$le e5perience' Cery enLoya$le as well'
:e ga(e their group @ EnglishDlanguage $ooks they had not seen
$efore' A $ook on Frey) one on FreyLa) <ays in %idgard) El(es)
:ights) and +rolls) and the >unestone U? .the AFA 1ournal0) as gifts
fro, 1otunYs 3ane 4indred for their li$rary' +hey wrote our kindredYs
na,e in the front co(er of each $ook) and two of the, i,,ediately
$orrowed $ooks to take ho,e with the, and read' +hey had not seen
any of the @ $ooks we ga(e the,'
:e also passed onto the, gifts
fro, A,erican 4ari +auring'''$oth
a ,usic C< and a $ook on runes
4ari had coDwritten' +hey
i,,ediately popped the C< in and
$egan playing the ,usic' +hey
really liked it) and said they would
play it $efore a future $lot'
At the end of the ,eeting) one
of the ,e,$ers) Caldi,ar %elrakki Arnason) offered to dri(e us to see
their Heathen ce,etery' :e took hi, up on this wonderful offer of
hospitality) and - ha(e to ad,it) he dro(e like a ,ad,anP +he Heathen
37+
ce,etery was ne5t to a Christian ce,etery) and had only a few gra(es
in it' +here was a tree at its center) with rocks surrounding it) ,aking
the large shape of a ship'
After the ce,etery) Caldi,ar
took us to try so,e of the
traditional food'''a cooked sheep
Ys head' :e $ought it at a
restaurant in a large $us station'
-t was actually the right side of
the sheepYs head'''with the ear)
eye) skin) teeth) tongue) and
e(erything' :e ate the tongue
first' -t was (ery good actually'
+hen Caldi,ar cut out the eye)
and e(erything around it) and - ate that' +he thought of it was pretty
hard to deal with) $ut it tasted great' >eally great' &ort of (ery rich)
and (ery crea,y at the sa,e ti,e' :e then ate so,e of the skin fro,
the face) including the nostril' +he
skin was (ery fatty tasting) $ut
good' :ill ate the ,eat off the
$ack of the sheepYs head) which
he reported to $e pretty good' -
then ate the ear) which was
crunchy) $ut good' :ill and -
agree) that the strangest thing
a$out eating the sheepYs head
was that e(ery part you ate had a
different fla(or' - would eat
another one) to tell you the truth'
After the sheepYs head) Caldi,ar offered to dri(e us to see Geysir
and &trokkur'''two Geysers out in the country' He said they were
a$out an hour away) and he was
glad to dri(e us' :e dro(e
through snow and ice) rain and
dry spots'''all in a$out an hourD
andDaDhalf' &trokkur errupted for
us se(eral ti,es in the ?@ ,inutes
or so we were there' Geysir no
longer errupts on its own) due to
ta,pering $y ,ankind years and
years ago' :e were a$le to stand
a,aFing close to &trokkur as it
went off) and it was a,aFing'
37<
After the Geysers) Caldi,ar
offered to dri(e us to near$y
Gullfoss Falls' His hospitality was
unending) and we really
appreciated it' 2Gullfoss2 ,eans
2Gold Falls'2 :e had to walk on a
trail to get to Gullfoss) $ut it was
well worth it' -t is not a (ery high
waterfall) it is actually se(eral falls
in short order' +he first drops
a$out @" feet) and the ne5t a$out
!") and the ne5t we could not tell)
$ecause it drops into a huge cre(ice' A HHGE a,ount of water is
coursing o(er these falls) and we were a$le to stand right ne5t to) and
o(er the falls in se(eral places' %ist was e(erywhere in the air) and
the roar of the Falls was deafening'
Caldi,ar dro(e us $ack fro, these sightseeing e5cursions) and we
were a$le to talk a lot a$out where he grew up .as far Borth in -celand
as you can go0) and a$out his fa,ily) his Asatru $eliefs) and what
-celandic Asatru is all a$out' Great con(ersations) and - canYt think of
a $etter way to spend the e(ening'
3ack at >eykya(ic) Caldi,ar
dropped us off) and offered to
help ,e learn -celandic) if -
was interested' :e gifted
Caldi,ar a $ook $y H'>' Ellis
<a(idson) and a round
wooden pla/ue - had woodD
$urned with a Calknut) and
stained'
:ill and - found a !6Dhour
grocery store) which - think
was called Hauer$uak'''or
so,ething like that' :e
$ought so,e food) and
headed $ack for the hotel in
the dark) and in the rain'
3ack at the hotel) :ill and - ate) and then took turns on the hotel
co,puter' - a, going to write so,e postcards $efore - go to $ed'''
37-
DAY B -n Iceland
:e woke up) and got an early start towards 1ohanna2s ho,e'''a
godhi we had ,et at the Asatru &ociety ,eeting on &aturday) and who
had in(ited us to her ho,e' :e checked out of the Ciking Hotel and
headed north out of >eykLa(ik in our &troda Fa$ia' +he scenery was
a,aFing) and we took a lot of photos of ,ountains'''etc'
+o get to 1ohanna2s ho,e) we had to
tra(el through a 7 k, tunnel under
the fLord' +he tunnel was $lasted)
rather than drilled'''gi(ing it a uni/ue
craggy look on the inside' +he tunnel
descended steeply) and then acsended
steeply to the other side' -t was full
of car fu,esP Eou could see and s,ell
the s,og in the tunnel'
:e had trou$le finding 1ohanna2s
ho,e) $ecause it is out in the
country'''and so we ended up at the wrong house' A (ery elderly lady
who spoke no English shoo2ed us politely away) and we kept looking'
:e found 1ohanna2s house) and we knew it was hers i,,ediately'
+here were $lack ra(en cutout on the roof of her garage) and a special
$reed of -celandic chickens running a$out' +he house was $eautiful)
and it sat a$out ?@" ,eters fro, the shore of the fLord' +here were
,ountains on the other side of the water) and the (iew was a,aFing'
1ohanna in(ited us in) and we ,et her hus$and' First) she showed
us so,e of the horns that she decorates' &he also car(es $eautiful
wooden statues of the Gods' :e were a$le to co,pare oath rings with
her' &he was (ery gracious) and friendly'
:ill and - sat down with
1ohanna and her hus$and in their
dining area) and ate *u,,urs
.little sweet pancakes sprinkled
with sugar0 she had ,ade for us)
drank coffee and tea) and snacked
on crackers) -celandic $utter) and
tuna salad she had ,ade' +he
*u,,urs were addicti(e) and
1ohanna2s tuna salad had eggs in
it'''and it was a,aFing'
39*
At the dining ta$le we discussed Asatru in -celand) Asatru in the
Hnited &tates) our kindred) and a wide (ariety of topics' 1ohanna
speaks English nearly flawlessly) and she is Loyful and laughs a lot' :e
really enLoyed this ti,e with her
and her hus$and'
1ohanna is a freeDlance writer)
raises the special -celandic
chickens) and $reeds sheepdogs'
&e(eral ti,es the sheepdogs
ca,e into the ho,e) and they
were a Loy' +hey were usually
da,p fro, playing in the fLord)
$ut that Lust ,ade the whole
encounter ,ore entertaining'
1ohanna walked us down $y the fLord to where she has $uilt a Hof'
-t consists of a ring of earth) with four gaps for entering) and a large
central space for gathering' +here
is a ,etal fire $owl in the center
of the space) sitting atop stones'
+he ring of earth is co(ered in
sod'''and the whole structure is
(ery i,pressi(e and peaceful once
you enter it' -n the Hnited &tates
we would likely call this a OCe)O
since it is outdoors) $ut the ti,e
and effort that went into the
construction of this area was
a,aFing'
393
1ohanna /uietly prayed to +hor
and the old Gods when we
entered the Hof) and told us of the
weddings that ha(e $een held
there'''and the ,any gatherings
of Heathens' Once they fit ="
Heathens within the confines of
the Hof'
- ga(e to 1ohanna a large
car(ed wooden ha,,er on a
necklace) with the handle wrapped
in leather' -t is a ha,,er necklace - ,ade for ,yself) and had Loked -
would ne(er gi(e away' 3ut) the ,o,ent was right'''and - knew that
1ohanna was ,eant to ha(e that ha,,er' +he gift was (ery well
recei(ed) and 1ohanna said it was the $est gift she had e(er recei(ed
within her Hof'
:ill ga(e 1ohanna a huge $ag of
cashews) which she lo(ed'
1ohanna ga(e us wood) that was
woodD$urned with -celandic
sy,$ols $y her' +hey were
$eautiful) and - picked one that
had the Hel, of Awe on it' - kept
that in ,y pocket the rest of the
trip'
1ohanna told us we needed to
try rotten shark' On their $ack
porch) hanging fro, the light there) was a large chunk of fer,ented
shark ,eat) with a sheet of plastic co(ering it to protect it fro, the
rain and snow' 1ohanna retrie(ed a knife) and sliced :ill and - off
so,e chunks of the ,eat' -t
s,elled horri$le'''like
a,,onia'''and it looked a little
like a huge piece of raw
chicken'''with a yellow rind on it'
+he taste is indescri$a$le'''so -
will not e(en try' -t was (ery
strong) and - asked for !nds and
then 8rds' - actually sort of
enLoyed the strong taste' :ill did
not like it' - a, fairly sure ,ost
people would not like it'
39)
+he shark ,eat is rotten) $ecause you can2t eat it fresh' +here are
poisons in the ,eat that will kill you if you eat it fresh' &o the shark
,eat is soaked in special solutions) and left to sit for ,onths' +hen it
is hung in an open shed for ,onths' After this process) the poisons
are gone'''and you can eat it'''$ut it is a uni/ue fla(or to say the least'
1ohanna offered to take us to the &ettle,ent Center in
3orgarnes'''and we followed her the !" ,inutes to get there' +here
are two 8"D,inute e5hi$its at the center'''one on the settle,ent of
-celand and the other all a$out Egil2s &aga' 3oth ha(e a,aFing (isual
displays) and you wear headphones and it is an audio tour' :e
learned a lot at the &ettle,ent center'
1ohanna had coffee with us $etween e5hi$its) and we talked so,e
,ore a$out -celand'''and future plans for $ringing ,ore kindred
,e,$ers and our fa,ilies o(er to (isit' :e talked a$out indi(idual
kindred ,e,$ers) and our lo(ed ones with 1ohanna as well' &he was
an a,aFingly generous wo,an M and an e5cellent host' :e hope we
get to ,eet her again'
After 1ohanna had returned
ho,e) and we were done with the
e5hi$its .including a harsh $ut
hu,orous lesson $y the lady at
the &ettle,ent Center a$out how
OEgilO is actually pronounced) :ill
and - headed north fro,
3orgarnes'''through the town of
3ifrost) towards the hotel 1ohanna
had suggested to us'
-t was getting late) $ut prior to reaching the hotel) :ill and - spotted
a huge (olcanic cone near the road' &o we stopped and decided to
cli,$ it' -t was called Gra$rok' :e cli,$ed up the side of it) and into
the cone' - ran down into the
center and picked up a rock fro,
down there' +hen :ill and -
cli,$ed to the (ery top of the
cone edge) so we could get a (iew
of the surrounding
countryside'''and down into the
cone fro, a$o(e' -t was
$eautiful'
On the cli,$ down) we spotted
so,e old stone walls) and
398
in(estigated the,' *ater we found out that the stone walls were used
to sort the sheep' -n the su,,er sheep are allowed to wander and
graFe' -n the Fall) the sheep are all gathered up'''and sorted $y
special cuts and ,arks on their ears'''and each owner takes their own
sheep ho,e'
:e arri(ed at the hotel at around #:8" P%' -t was in the ,iddle of
nowhere) $ut it appeared to $e newly $uilt or re,odeled' +he young
lady at the hotel showed us to our roo,s) and offered to $ring
sandwiches and french fries up to us' :e ate) and then we went to
the outdoor hottu$ at the hotel' -t was pro$a$ly 6" degrees out'''so it
was a $it odd $eing in a hottu$ outside'
3y the ti,e we went to sleep on <ay 8) we were e5hausted'''
DAY C -n ICE#AND
:ill and - slept late) and then went downstairs for $reakfast at the
hotel' :e were the only guests at the hotel'''so it was Lust us in the
dining roo,' -t was the typical -celandic Hotel $reakfast of $reads)
,eats) cheese) cereals) -celandic $utter) orange Luice) apple Luice)
etc'''
:e then headed out for
+hing(ellir' :e decided to take a
shortDcut) and take a s,aller road
to get there the $ackDway'
Highway @! on the ,ap' &ingle
digit highways in -celand are the
$est) and well ,aintained' +wo
digit highways are a little rougher)
and not as well ,aintained'
Highways with an OFO are (ery
rough) and not ,aintained hardly
at all' :e were instructed $y the
car rental co,pany to not dri(e on OFO highways at all'''as insurance
will not co(er us on OFO highways' &o) Highway @! was a little $it of a
risk) $ut well within our li,itations'
:e saw an orange sign when we turned onto Highway @!) $ut it
went $y so fast that we couldn2t read it' -t said so,ething a$out O!@
39:
kilo,eters)O $ut we did not realiFe that it said that Highway @! was
O-,passi$le in !@ kilo,eters'O
Highway @! was horri$le' -t
went fro, pa(ed) to tar) to
(olcanic gra(el o(er a$out ?"
kilo,eters'''and was (olcanic
gra(el the rest of the way' +here
were little far,s and Osu,,er
housesO along the way''',any
oneDlane $ridges and $lind hills on
the singleDlane gra(el road' After
a$out !6 kilo,eters) we ca,e
across another O-,passi$leO sign)
$ut this ti,e we actually read it'
:e stopped) and then we decided to dri(e forward and see if it was
>EA**E Oi,passi$leO or Lust &O>+ OF Oi,passi$le'O &tupid A,ericans'
+he road got worse) $ut we were still ,aking good headway' :e
were slowing cli,$ing up a steep (alley $etween ,ountains' +here
was snow on the ground in ,any places' +he wind was whipping) and
the scenery was like nothing -2(e e(er seen' And that is when we
ca,e to the O-,passi$leO spot' *O*' :hen we ca,e to the top of the
ridge) and reached the place where we would $egin to descend) we
found that the east side of the ,ountain was co,pletely co(ered in
snow and ice' +he road was Lust gone' Our &troda Fa$ia was going no
further'
:e cli,$ed out of the car) and
e5plored the top of the ridge a
little $it) taking photos'''and
taking in the (iew of the (alleys
$eyond the ridge' -t was
$eautiful) and the wind was Lust
howling past us' After a $it) we
headed $ack down Highway @!)
the way we had co,e'''and we
realiFed we would not $e ,aking it
to +hing(ellir that day'
:e changed our plans for the day) and decided to go to Hraunfossar
and 3arnafoss'''a waterfall area that 1ohanna had reco,,ended we
,ust (isit' +his area is past >eykholt'''where &norri &turluson li(ed
and where he was killed' :e arri(ed at Hraunfossar) and were the
only ones there' -t is good to (isit -celand outside the Otourist
season'O
397
Hraunfossar is in the (alley a$o(e
>eykholt) and is caused $y a huge la(a
flow field that co(ers the whole (alley
floor' +he water seeps into the (olcanic
rock) and then co,es out at Hraunfossar)
causing doFens of waterfalls to pour into
the ri(er there' -t is loud) and $eautiful'
:e crossed a $ridge and cli,$ed up on
the rocks) and got a $ird2s eye (iew on
the falls' :e heard and saw 3arnafoss M
a raging gorge M with a powerful coursing
series of connected waterfalls shooting
through the rocks' -t was si,ply
a,aFing'
:e cli,$ed down a cliff) onto the huge rocks along the course of
3arnafoss'''and had to cli,$ fro, $oulder to $oulder'''and up and
down se(eral rocky cliffs' 3ut in
doing so) we were a$le to really
e5perience the power of
3arnafoss' -f you fell into the
ri(er) at any point'''3arnafoss
would co,pletely s,ash you and
tear you apart' -t is i,,ensely
powerful'
At one point) - crawled down a
cliff) and stood on so,e rocks
a$o(e part of 3arnafoss' +he ,ist
fro, the water was falling on
,e'''and it was so loud) - could not hear' -f e(er - encountered a
water Caettir face to face) it was at that ,o,ent' Eou could Lust feel
the power and spirit of 3arnafoss raging through the rocks' - spoke to
the Caettir and paid ,y respects M
and ga(e respect fro, our
kindred'
:ill and - cli,$ed down to
another location near 3arnafoss)
and watched it $lasting $y us'
%ist was e(erywhere in the air)
and occasionally) the water would
rush up onto the rocks and splash
us there' - really did not want to
lea(e 3arnafoss'''
399
On the way out) we read that 3arnafoss takes its na,e fro, two
children2s li(es folklore tells us it took' +he folklore says that there
was once a stone $ridge o(er 3arnafoss) and that two children were
crossing the $ridge and disappeared into the falls' +he ,other of the
children was so distraught) that she had the stone $ridge destroyed so
that 3arnafoss could take no ,ore li(es'
O3arnO ,eans child and OfossO ,eans
waterfall) and thus the na,e of the falls'
Be5t we headed $ack to >eykholt) to see
&norri2s pool and the ,useu, dedicated to
&nori &turluson) the author of the Prose
Edda' :e parked near a s,all OforestO of
trees' -celand has (ery few trees) so this
cluster of trees really did look like a Forest'
+he stand of trees was a gift fro, the 4ing
of Borway a couple of decades ago'
:e found a tall statue of &norri) standing
in front of a center dedicated to the study
of ,edie(al te5ts' :e took photos of the
statue) and then went $ehind the center to &norri2s Pool' &norri2s Pool
is a round pool of water) lined with stone'''the pool is fed fro, a
near$y hot spring' +he Pool has $een there .in (arious states of
repair0 since &norri2s ti,e' &norri used to sit in this pool' -t was
a,aFing standing ne5t to the pool) where &norri once rela5ed'
+here is a tunnel entrance near
the pool) that once led to the
$ase,ent of one of the $uildings
on &norri2s far,' +he tunnel is
co(ered with a s,all wooden
$uilding to protect it for further
archeological work' 3ut at one
ti,e) you could lea(e the pool)
enter the tunnel) and walk up
stairs into one of &norri2s
$uildings'
O(er the history of the location) ,any $uildings ha(e $een $uilt
there' &o) ,uch of the archeological infor,ation has $een lost'''or
destroyed o(er ti,e' 3ut they do know where &norri2s far, was
located) and where so,e of the $uildings were located' &norri was
killed $y soldiers sent to kill hi, $y the 4ing of Borway' -t is said he
heard the co,ing in the night and ran to the $ase,ent of one of his
$uildings' -t was there that the soldiers found hi, and cut hi, down'
39+
:e then e5plored the old
ce,etery there in >eykholt' +hey
$elie(e that &norri was $uried
there'''$ut they do not know
where' +here was a huge hole in
the ground) where an
archeological dig was going on
regarding an ancient church that
stood on the grounds' :e then
,ade our way o(er to the
&norrastofa Cultural Center) to
(iew the e5hi$itions regarding
&norri) ,edie(al te5ts) life in ,edie(al ti,es) etc'
+here were three e5hi$its at &norristofa' One on the archeology at
the site) one on &norri2s life and how people li(ed during &norri2s ti,e)
and another on the li(es of wo,en at the ti,e of &norri' :e learned a
lot at the e5hi$its'''too ,uch to recount here'
+he lady running the center
asked us if we wanted to see the
new church) that was attached to
the cultural center' 3oth :ill and -
did not want to (isit the Christian
Church) $ut when we politely said
no) she siaid) OEou si,ply ,ust see
the church'O :e said no again) $ut
she $ascially dragged us upstairs to
see the new church' &he was a
nice lady) and she was (ery proud
of the new church' *O*'
+he lady at the cultural center let us use the phone to call 1onina)
the Godhi of :est -celand' :e arranged to ,eet her at 3orgarnes) so
that we could follow her to her near$y ho,e'
1onina led us to her house $y the FLord' -t was a $eautiful house)
that 1onina and her hus$and are still finishing the inside of' -t is (ery
close to the FLord) and surrounded $y low $irch trees' -t has these
large windows on three sides of the li(ing roo,9dining area'''gi(ing
this !=" degree (iew of the shore of the FLord'
1onina ,ade us tea fro, -celandic plants she had gatherer herself $y
hand) and the tea was great' - drank it first with honey) and then
without'''and it was great $oth ways'
39<
:e talked with 1onina a$out our
kindred) Heathenry in the Hnited
&tates) Asatru in -celand) and the
details of our religious practice'
1onina2s hus$and arri(ed ho,e)
and Loined in on the con(ersation'
He had a dry wit) and - enLoyed
his hu,or /uite a $it' 1onina was
incredi$ly s,art and
knowledga$le'''and a Loy to speak
with'
1onina and her hus$and ,ade us dinner) which was so,ething we
were not e5pecting at all' -t was a crea,D$ased soup) two kinds of
$read with -celandic $utter or
O$rown cheese spreadO to put on
it) and s,oked +rout'
After dinner we talked with
1onina and her hus$and a$out
+hing(ellir) the structure of Asatru
in -celand) and we looked o(er the
Asatru &ociety2s we$site) which
1onina2s hus$and $uilt'''with
1onina2s help' :e looked at
photos on their site' :e then
showed the, the
heathengods'co, we$site) and spoke with the, a$out each ,e,$er
of our kindred'''showing the, photos fro, an oathing at Gaea
>etreat'
+his whole ti,e is was raining sideways) and then snowing' 1onina
told us) O-f you don2t like the weather in -celand) Lust wait @ ,inutes it
will change'O :e found this funny)
$ecause that is a so,ething we
say in 4ansas City as well'
- ga(e 1onina a triagleDshaped
wooden $o5) that - had woodD
$urnt a Calknut and runes on) and
stained' &he was (ery
appreciati(e of the gift' &he ga(e
us a C< of the Eddas $y
&e/uentia and two OnorseD
the,edO decks of cards' :e
39-
listened to that C< the rest of the trip in our car) and the decks of
cards were $eautiful' :e will share these gifts with the kindred when
we return to the Hnited &tates'
1onina spent ti,e writing down
three places we ,ight $e a$le to
find Oturtle $roachesO here in
-celand' &o,ething we greatly
appreciated'
At the end of the e(ening) 1onina
and her hus$and suggested we stay
at a hotel Lust down the road fro,
the,'''and we said our good$yes'
:e checked into the hotel around #:"" P%) and asked if they were
still ser(ing food' +he gentle,an running the place) cooked us up two
ha,$urgers and fries .e(en though - suspect the kitchen was
supposed to $e closed0' After that'''we went to the roo,) and were
asleep in a (ery short a,ount of ti,e'
DAY D -n ICE#AND
:e woke up late again .its hard to get up at A A%) $ecause $ack in
4ansas City'''that is actually 8 A%0) and ate $reakfast at the hotel near
3orgarnes' -t was the sa,e $reakfast all the hotels in -celand see, to
ser(er''''$read) ,eat) cheese) cereal) skyr) etc'''
:e dro(e south fro, 3orgarnes) and $ack through the 7 k, tunnel
under the FLord' :e stopped at a large ho,e) that was an earth
contact ho,e'''and trespassed a $it'''taking photos' -t was a (ery
uni/ue ho,e'''and worth the stop'
:e set our sites on finding a (oltage con(erter) so that we could use
,y laptop to talk to fa,ily and friends'''and $egin writing down what
we ha(e $een seeing and doing' :e found this electronics store that
put >adio &hack to sha,e' %y co,puter was $ack in $usinessP
:e stopped at the fa,ous O&un CoyagerO sculpture) and took photos
of it' -t really is an a,aFing scupture' :edged in the rocks $elow the
sculpture platfor,) :ill found a piece of wood that he kept'
3+*
:e went to a post office in downtown >eykyLa(ik) and ,ailed our
postcards ho,e' - ,ailed a postcard to 1en and each of ,y three
kids) Bathan) EliFa$eth) and 1oshua'
Be5t we went to the Bational %useu, of -celand' -t was pretty
incredi$le' :e were there for hours' +here were artifacts fro, the
&ettle,ent era) the Co,,onwealth era) and $eyond' :e saw swords)
Lewelry .turtle $roaches0) car(ed horns) a5es) tafl pieces) etc' +here
was also a lot of OChristianO stuff there) and :ill and - actually entered
a ,ockDchurch in the ,useu,
without $ursting into fla,es' *O*'
+here was a whole roo, dedicated
to childDla$or in -celand' -t was a
(ery co,ple5 e5hi$it on the
su$Lect) and took $oth sides of the
issue' ChildDla$or as e5ploiti(e
and childDla$or as a father sharing
with his son his work and his trade
M and passing on traditions' :e
pro$a$ly would ha(e stayed at the
,useu, longer) $ut they closed
the place on usP
Be5t) we went to the Cisitor2s Center in >eykLa(ik .a great resource
if you e(er co,e here0) and they helped us find a hotel with :iDFi that
was reasona$ly priced' +hat was not the first ti,e the Cisitor2s Center
helped us out'''$ut it is the first ti,e -2(e ,entioned it in these notes'
3+3
On the way to our car) we saw a hot dog
stand with a huge line out in front' :e had
noticed that e(eryti,e we went $y this
place) there was a line of people waiting for
a hot dog' &o we figured these ,ust $e
the $est hot dogs in the world' &o we
ordered a couple' +hey were BO+ the $est
hotdogs in the world' :hile we were at the
stand) a little girl ca,e up to ,e) and was
looking at the fact - was wearing
shorts'''and she asked ,e so,ething in
-celandic' Her father told ,e that she
asked) OAren2t you cold;O
:e dro(e to the hotel that we had
arranged in %osfell$aer'''and checked in'
-t is a $randDnew hotel) with wiDfi in e(ery roo,) and it was the
cheapest hotel we had stayed in so far' :e checked out a local
handicrafts store) $ut it was closed'''as was a knife,aker2s store' :e
then got so,e ice crea,) and dro(e around %osfell$aer) checking out
the sites'
3ack at the hotel) we finally had a co,puter with access to the
internet'''so we spent ,ost of the e(ening talking with fa,ily and
friends $ack ho,e) using &kype' :e ,o(ed all of our photos to the
co,puter' At that ti,e) we had o(er ?""" photos) and o(er 8" (ideos'
- then $egan catching up on these logs of our days in -celand'
DAY E IN ICE#AND
:ill and - went to a wonderful $akery in %osfell$aer) near our hotel'
- had donuts and a s,all sandwich on so,e great $read' :ill had a
sugarly peanut cake and a chocolate ,uffin' -t was a great $akery)
and we resol(ed to return there for $reakfast on <ay = as well'
Be5t we went to a $ig grocery store'''(ery si,ilar to one of our
grocery stores in the Hnited &tates' :e went to the $ank) and
con(erted a few ,ore dollars to kronas'
:e went to a li/uor store' :e were headed to +hing(ellir) and we
3+)
needed so,e ,ead or ale for our horns'''when we raised horns at
+hing(ellir' :e found an organic English Ale called Honey <ew' :e
did not ha(e a cooler) so - scooped up so,e snow fro, the ground and
put it in the plastic $ag with the $ottles of $eer'
+hen we headed for a shopping area near$y' First) we went to a
handicraft store) with a lot of wool) handDknitted products) and
-celandic sou(enirs' 3oth :ill and - $ought a few gifts for fa,ily and
friends $ack ho,e' - $ought a new hat .at this point - realiFed - had
lost ,y OGhost CigilO $ase$all hat so,ewhere in -celand'0
Be5t we went to a knife,aker2s store' :e stood at the door of the
store) and looked in'''and it looked like a large workshop'''and there
was no one around' -t was (ery industrial looking) with sawdust
e(erywhere) etc' - called out) and a ,an co,e up fro, downstairs
and told us to co,e in using fairly rough English' He was a tall ,an)
who looked like he was used to working (ery hard' :e descended the
steps into his showroo, area'''
+he knife,aker walked o(er to a drawer in the wall) and pulled it
out' -t had a$out ?@ kni(es laying in it' +hey ranged fro, R!"" to
R@""' +hey had $eautiful handDforged $lades'''and the handles were
,ade of e(ery (ariety of wood) whale $one) whale tooth) reindeer
antler) $uffalo horn) and other $eautiful ,aterials' :ill purchased
a$out the ,ost $eautiful knife - ha(e e(er seen' +he handle is an
actual whale tooth' A whole whale tooth) with the $lade set into it' -
would put it up against any knife - ha(e e(er seen' -t was /uite a find)
and hand,ade $y the knife,aker hi,self'
- found a +hor2s ha,,er at the knife,aker2s shop car(ed fro, a
whale tooth' -t is a $eautiful pearly white) with the different layers of
the tooth (isi$le in its shape' - had to ha(e it'''and it will $e ,y
personal sou(enir fro, -celand'
-t was a$out a 6@ ,inute dri(e to +hing(ellir' :hen we arri(ed) we
first went to the Cisitors and -nfor,ation Center on the plain a$o(e the
cliffs' +here we watched so,e ,ultiD,edia presentations on
+hing(ellir) and the i,portance of that area in the history of -celand'
Be5t we went out on a walkway that o(erlooks the +hing(ellir area
fro, up on the cliffs'
+hing(ellir is not like - pictured it at all' -t is actually a flat ri(er
plain) at the foot of a large stone cliff that e5tends for ,iles' +here
are s,all strea,s and ri(ers crissDcrossing the plain) until they reach a
large lake to the south' Gatherings were held at +hing(ellir fro, #="
CE until the ?Ath century'''and 7 large festi(als ha(e $een held there
3+8
in the !"th and !?st Centuries' 3ut) there is little known a$out
e5actly where e(erything was located during the Althings prior to ?"""
A<'
:ill and - took a road down to
the floor of the Calley) and we
walked toward the location where
they $elie(e the *aw &peaker
would stand'''the *aw >ock' 3ut
prior to arri(ing at the *aw >ock)
we ca,e to the <rowning Pool'
Prior to the con(ersion to
Christianity punish,ents at the
Althing usually a,ounted to 8D
yearD$anish,ents at their worst'
Capital Punish,ent was (ery rare'
3ut after the con(ersion) punish,ents $eca,e harsher' ?A wo,en
were tied up in sacks for cri,es they had co,,itted and drowned in
the pool of water near the *aw >ock' +hat is why they call it the
drowning pool' At the ?"""th anni(ersary of the con(ersion to
Christianity) a wreath was layed $y the drowning pool in respect for
the ?A drowned wo,en' As :ill said) OA lot of good putting that
wreath there hundreds of years later actually does'O
:e ,o(ed on to the location where the *aw &peaker used to stand'
+his was called the *aw >ock) and it was up on a large hill9cliff
o(erlooking a large flat area in the (alley' +hey ha(e placed a flagpole
in the location where they $elie(e the *aw &peaker stood'''and $y
Lu,ping a wooden fence) you can stand in
that spot' -t goes without saying that we
Lu,ped that fence and stood in that spot'
Fro, the *aw >ock) - looked out o(er
the (alley $elow' Eou could al,ost picture
Ciking tents standing for as far as the eye
could see) as the chieftains and their ,en
had gathered for the Althing' ?""2s of
,en would stand gathered $elow) and the
*aw &peaker would recite the *aws for all
to hear' Bew laws would $e discussed)
and so,e disputes handled' :e were
standing in the $est esti,ation of where
that took place o(er a ?""" years ago' -t
was an a,aFing feeling'
+here was also a legislati(e $ody at the Althing) that would ,eet in a
3+:
ring in the (alley $elow' +hey ha(e really no idea where this was
located in the Calley $elow prior to the year ?"""' %any disputes) new
laws) etc' were decided $y this legistlati(e $ody'''and not at the *aw
>ock' +he Althing was ,uch ,ore co,ple5 than - had i,agined) and
it (aried e5tre,ely widely o(er the years'''as to how it was structured)
where things were set up) and how it worked'
:ill and - had co,e to +hing(ellir with a nu,$er of things we
wanted to acco,plish' +here is a sheltered area $etween two sets of
cliffs that e5ists directly $ehind the *aw >ock' -t is a place people do
not often go) as it is off the $eaten trail' - a, not sure you are e(en
supposed to go $ack there' :ill lost his footing) and his leg fell into a
cre(ice in the ground up to his knee'''and he fell $ackwards' - had to
scra,$le o(er and help hi, out'
Once we found a place on the rocks where we could sit) we filled our
drinking horns with the Ale we had $rought with us' :e also pulled
out s,all gifts we wished to $ring $ack to our 4indred and friends'''so
that these s,all gifts would $e present with us at +hing(ellir' :e
raised our horns) and in a loud (oice - said .paraphrasing0'''
O- raise this horn to the old Gods' +hor' Odin' Frey' Frigg' Freya'
+yr' Hei,dal' And all of the Aesir and Canir' Eou are our Gods) and
we honor you this day' Eou are re,e,$ered and lo(ed as our Elder
4in' :e ha(e co,e fro, Cinland'''fro, a city at the center of that
great land) to this place'''to pay our respect to you' :e are ,e,$ers
of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred'''and we ask that you watch what we
acco,plish' +hat you watch what we $uild' :e follow the old ways'
:e honor you' :e work to ,ake our Ancestors proud of us) and we
3+7
respect the Caettirs of land) water) and air' :e are working to grow a
strong Heathen tri$e and we work to re,ind our Folk of their ancestral
ways' Hail the GodsPO
:ill and - drank fro, our horns) and then we were /uiet for a $it' -t
was an i,portant ,o,ent' E(erything was as we had pictured it
really'
Be5t we looked for a place to
lea(e our 4indred ha,,er' One
of the for,al $rass ha,,ers that
Craig ,akes for us' He had gi(en
us one to lea(e at +hing(ellir'''so
that this o$Lect representing us
would $e present fore(er at this
ancient place that was so
i,portant to our Heathen
Ancestors' - will not say ,uch
pu$licly a$out where we left it M
$ut it will re,ain (ery near the
law rock fore(er' -t took ,uch effort) and so,e pain to hide it) and it
will ne(er $e found'
:e raised our horns once again) and - said .paraphrasing0'''
OCaettir of this land) we ha(e left a part of our 4indred here in your
care' Our ha,,er represents the respect 1otun2s 3ane 4indred has
for your strength and power) and we wish you to know of us and our
efforts' Please protect our gift to you'''keep it safe'''and keep it
hidden' &o so,e part of us can re,ain here near the *aw >ock at
+hing(ellir' Our tri$e is ,ade of ,any good Heathens' %ark' :ill'
>od' Craig' 1a,ie' Ada,' +racy' Ale5' And &arah has tra(eled with
us' :e ha(e ,any lo(ed ones' 1ennifer' 1ason' Bathan' EliFa$eth'
1oshua' 3odhi' *ance' Jane' Chien' Paula' 4now our kindred and
tri$e) and know that we work to
re,ind our folk of the old
ways'''and the old Gods' Hail and
GodsP Hail our AncestorsP Hail the
CaettirPO
:ill and - drank fro, our horns'
+here was this sense of
/uiet'''and peace' :e sat there
for /uite awhile' EnLoying the
feeling of ha(ing acco,plished
what we ca,e there to do' +hat
3+9
peace stayed with us the rest of the day and e(ening'
:e packed up our stuff) and
walked down the hill into the
(alley $elow' +here are walkways
down there) and we walked across
the s,all islands $etween the
strea,s that crissDcross the
(alley' :e talked a$out i,agining
(iking tents as far as the eye can
see'''spread out across the (alley'
:hat it ,ust ha(e $een like to
co,e to Althing) and stand in the
Calley'''listening to the *aw
&peaker recite the laws fro, atop the *aw >ock'
Be5t we $oth gathered up so,e rocks to gi(e as gifts' - reached
into a hole under a $ig rock) and started pulling out s,all rocks' -
then pulled out ! $ones' Fairly
$ig $ones' - put the, in ,y $ag)
along with the rocks' :e looked
at the, later) and - think the
$ones are fro, sheep' +he $ones
appear to $e cut) so they are
pro$a$ly fro, a sheep that was
eaten'
:ill and - left +hing(ellir) and
headed east in our car' :e ca,e
across a huge rift in the ground'
-t stretched away fro, us in $oth
directions as far as you could see'''and was a$out ?" feet wide) and as
,uch as 6" feet deep in places' - threw a rock down into the
darkness) and there is water at the $otto, of it'
:e stopped $y the large lake to
the south of +hing(ellir) and ate
$read and -celandic $utter $y the
shore of the lake' - skipped so,e
stones) and we looked around for
a little while' :e were in the
,iddle of nowhere) sitting on an
old la(a flow) with ,ountains all
around' 3eautiful scenery'
+hen we were dri(ing $y an
3++
-celandic Horse far,) and decided to stop' :hen we got out of the
car) the horses all $egan walking o(er towards us' Pro$a$ly thinking
we had so,e treats for the, .- wish we had so,e0' :e petted the
horses) and they would lick our coats and occasionally nip or $ite at
us' As if they wondered how we tasted' +hey were s,aller than our
horses) $ut stout M and co(ered with thick wooly hair' +heir ,anes
and tails are e5tre,ely long) and thick' Getting to stop there) and
actually pet so ,any horses was one of ,any highlights of the trip'
Be5t we stopped at a hydroDelectric plant along the ri(er) Lust to look
at the water coursing $y it' 3asically all of the electricity in -celand is
generated $y geoDther,al power or hydroDelectric plants' Eou stu,$le
across /uite a few of the, dri(ing around on the $ackDhighways'
Be5t we stopped at 4erid'''a (olcanic crater with a lake of water at
its $otto,' -t is (ery deep) and its walls are (ery steep' -t was
caused $y a collapsing ,ag,a
cha,$er) at the end of a
(olcanic erruption' +here were
two other crater near$y) and :ill
and - walked to the, and looked
down inside the,' - walked
down the inside walls of one)
and down to its $otto,' +his
crater was not filled with
water'''$ut instead had think
grass growing on its walls'
3eing down in that crater was an
a,aFing feeling'''and - took a
3+<
large rock fro, there so that - ,ay re,e,$er that ,o,ent'
On the way $ack to %osfell$aer) we stopped at a coffee
shop9$an/uet hall that was $uilt like Ciking longDhouse' 3ut it was
closed' :e approached an elderly gentle,an that was working on his
car out $ack) and found that he spoke no English at all' 3ut we were
a$le to figure out that an earth/uake had da,aged the longDhouse
se(erely) and it would $e closed until %ay' How we figured this out)
considering he spoke no English'''- a, not e(en sureP
+he elderly gentle,an was
clearly (ery proud of his longD
house) $ecause he offered to
show us around' He took us
inside' +he concrete floor was
$uckled' &o,e of the $ea,s were
cracked and split' +here was a lot
of repairs to $e ,ade' He was a
char,ing guy) and e(en though
we do not know -celandic) and he
did not know English) - think we
got along fairly well' :e saw one
large wooden $ea, car(ed with Odin2s face) and another car(ed with
Frigga2s face'
:e ran into /uite a $it of snow on the way $ack to >eykya(ik) and
then to %osfell$aer' :hen we got $ack to the hotel) we were
e5hausted fro, a (ery long day' :e spent the rest of the e(ening
talking with fa,ily and friends on &kype) transferring photos to ,y
co,puter) and writing these daily logs of our trip'''
:ell) - a, pretty ,uch caught up' - ha(e not written a$out today
yet'''$ut - a, pro$a$ly going to go to $ed) and do that on the plane
to,orrow'''to,orrow is our last day) and we are spending it in
>eykya(ik'''
Da6 Se5en -n Iceland
:e had set aside <ay &e(en in -celand to (isit and hopefully see
%ount Helka) a huge (olcano in -celand' +his was so,ething :ill was
really e5cited to see) and we had planned out our trip that day so that
3+-
we could see %ount Hekla) and a lot of other sites along the way'
:ill and - went $ack to the wonderful $akery in %osfell$aer) near our
hotel' :e had eaten there on <ay 7) and had resol(ed to return there
again' :e each had $ig sandwiches) and :ill had a $rownie as well'
:e then filled up the rental car
with gasoline) and at the
con(enience store - asked if
they sold to$acco' +hey had
so,e snuff to$acco'''a large
container of it) and - purchased
it' %any snuff to$acco2s ha(e
fragrance or fla(ors added to
the,) so that when you sniff
the, up your nose'''there is a
special scent to the, .i'e'
>asp$erry) etc'0 +he snuff -
$ought in -celand was not ground as fine as ,ost snuff2s -2(e seen)
and it had no fla(or or scent added to it'
:e headed east across the southern portion of -celand' Along the
way there was a spur to the road that cli,$ed upwards $ehind a huge
hill' +here was a picnic ta$le up there'''and an a,aFing (iew of the
landscape $elow fro, up there' +he wind was whipping) and we took
so,e photos there' - was te,pted to cli,$ up a near$y hill'''a long
cli,$ up rock and dirt) to get an e(en $etter (iew' 3ut - knew we had
a long day ahead of us) and decided to wait'
On the way to see %ount Hekla) we were stopping along the way to
check out so,e of the s,aller sites' :e stopped at HLZlparfoss) a
dou$le waterfall that pours into a large $asin surrounded $y tall $lack
$asalt colu,ns' :e had
to dri(e offDroad on a
gra(el and ,ud road to
reach it) and then cli,$
down a huge set of
washed out stairs' Once
we were near the $asin) -
couldn2t resist cli,$ing
one of the tall stone
colu,ns' -t was difficult
going with ,y Achilles
tendon se(ered) $ut -
cli,$ed all the way to the
top'
3<*
:e had not seen ,any sheep in
-celand) which see,ed strange to
us) $ecause we had read that
there were a lot of sheep'
*ea(ing the waterfall at
HLZlparfoss) we saw so,e sheep
finally'''and went to great lengths
to try to get photographs of the,'
+he sheep were ha(ing none of
it'''and kept running away fro,
us'
:e then ,o(ed on to a ,odern reconstruction of a Ciking
longhouse) at +hLod(eldis$aer' -t was a $eautiful place) and its
construction and design was $ased on an historical longhouse) the
ruins of which were found se(eral ,iles away' Hnfortunately the
longhouse was closed) so we couldn2t see the inside of it' 3ut we
walked all around the outside of it and took a lot of photos'
:e then atte,pted to (isit the ruins of the ancient longhouse
near$y) $ut the road to it was too rough and too ,uddy to tra(el in
our rentDaDcar' :e actually ,ade it a$out a [ ,ile down the road)
and then realiFed we needed to turn $ack'
Be5t we tra(eled across (ast la(a flows) in order to reach %ount
Hekla' :e were not prepared to hike or cli,$ %ount Hekla) $ut we
wanted to see her' +he landscape around the (olcano was ,oonDlike
in ,any ways' +he (arious la(a flows o(er the years had ,ade the
land fairly $arren for ,iles and ,iles' +he clouds around %ount Hekla
,ade it i,possi$le for us to see the top of the (olcano'''and
throughout our tra(els that day) all we e(er saw was her $ase' :e
dro(e across those la(a flows for what see,ed like hours and hours'
3<3
:e ca,e to a %ount Hekla
,useu, e(entually) and
decided to (isit it' +he
,useu, had displays
regarding (olcanoes) and a lot
of specific infor,ation a$out
%ount Hekla' +he type of
(olcano she was) the history
of the (olcano) and lots of
photographs and (ideo of past
erruptions' :ill had really
wanted to see %ount Hekla for
hi,self) and - a, pretty sure
the ,useu, did not ?""I
,akeDup for hi, not getting to see the (olcano with his own eyes'
After the ,useu, and
a long day of dri(ing)
:ill and - were pretty
hungry' &o we stopped
at the town of Hella on
the way $ack to our
hotel) and we decided to
eat at the WrhXs Cafe'
WrhXs ,eans) >i(erD
House' - was thrilled to
see that they had horse
,eat on their ,enu'
+his was so,ething -
had wanted to try while
in -celand) and here it
was on the ,enuP +he horse steak was seared on $oth sides) so that
it had this a,aFing tasting crispy outside'''perfectly spiced and
fla(ored' +he ,eat inside was red and Luicy) and had a sweetness to it
that $eef Lust doesn2t ha(e' -t was an a,aFing steak) and - sa(ored
e(ery s,all $ite of it'
On the way out of &udurland) and headed $ack to %osfell$aer) we
dro(e through a snowDstor,' -t co(ered the road and the land in a
soft $lanket of white) and $lotted out the already setting sun' 3ut'''we
dro(e out the other side of the stor, as we left &udurland'
3<)
Da6 E-g3t -n Iceland
:ill and - woke up to our last day in -celand feeling like we had
acco,plished e(erything that we ca,e to do' :e had seen the
locations we wanted to see) ,et the people we wanted to ,eet) and
done the things we wanted to do' 3ut it was still sad knowing that this
was our last day'
:e packed our suitcases) atte,pting to fit in all the new stuff we
had ac/uired during our tripT statues) $ooks) Lewelry) kni(es) clothes)
rocks .lots of rocks0)and a wideDrange of sou(enirs that had to fit in
our luggage along with e(erything we had $rought with us in the first
place' -t was hard work getting e(erything
to fit) and yet we knew we had so,e ,ore
sou(enirs to $uy yetP
:e headed to the downtown $usiness
district in >eykLa(ik to $uy so,e of the
sou(enirs we still needed to get' :e
picked up ite,s in se(eral shops) and ate
so,e PiFFa at PiFFa Pronto' &o,e of the
shops were closed) and in order to get a
few of the ite,s we needed to get for
people $ack ho,e) it was a ,ad scra,$le'
-n a central s/uare downtown) there was
an auto,ated :ater Closet) the kind you
ha(e to pay for' After e(ery use) it closes
down and co,pletely selfDcleans itself' - had heard of these sorts of
pu$lic toilets) $ut ne(er actually seen
one' - waited in line to use it'''$ut there
were se(eral older people in front of ,e
in line) and a$out ?@ ,inutes later - ga(e
up and sought out a less gla,orous
restroo,'
:e left >eykLa(ik and headed south
towards the -nternational Airport' :e
had so,e ti,e $efore we had to catch
our flight) so we followed the ha$it we
had followed throughout the trip) and
stopped anywhere that looked interesting
along the way'
:e pulled of the ,ain highway) and
3<8
dro(e through a s,all co,,unity along the coast' :e saw a house
with two wightDhouses in the yard' +he wightDhouses were (ery wellD
,ade and attracti(e) and any landDwight would $e glad to ha(e one as
a ho,e'
:e stopped and e5a,ined one of the ,any deep cracks in the land'
+his one was a$out @ to ?" feet across) and at least 6" feet deep in
places' &tanding on the edge of one of these cracks is a little
worriso,e) $ecause if you did fall into it) you2re not confident at all as
to when or if so,eone would $e a$le to pull you out of it' Ha(ing a
se(ered Achilles tendon did not help at all) $ecause it left ,e fairly
unsta$le and offD$alance'
Our last stop prior to the
airport) was at the 3lue *agoon'
+he 3lue *agoon is the ,ostD
(isited tourist location in all of
-celand' -t is a spa and hot
lagoon for swi,,ing and soaking
in the uni/ue ,ineral waters' :ill
and - did not pay to go swi,,ing)
or for any of the spa acti(ities'
:e Lust wanted to see the place'
+he ,ineral waters lea(e a hard
white coating on the (olcanic rock
of the lagoon' +his has a (ery strange look to it' +he water has a
,ilky $lue coloring to it) and stea, rises off of it' +he air was (ery
chilly that afternoon) $ut there were at least a ?"" people there
swi,,ing in the waters'
:ill and - arri(ed at the airport) returned the rental car) and ,ade
the long walk to the airport ter,inal' %y suitcase was a little $it o(er
the weight li,it) $ut the clerk $ehind the counter was a (ery nice
lady'''and let ,e slide without ha(ing to pay e5tra'
After checking in and checking our luggage) we headed for the dutyD
free store' +hey had e(erything you can i,agine in the dutyDfree
store) $ut - focused on candy' - wanted to take -celandic candy $ack
to ,y fa,ily) so they could try it' :e then traded in ,uch of our
re,aining -celandic ,oney for H& currency' +hen we turned in all of
our /ualified receipts for ta5 refunds' -celand gi(es tourists refunds on
salesDta5 on certain ite,s you $uy while you are in -celand' +hen we
got so,e coffee and ,ade our way to the plane'
On the trip ho,e) - wrote a poe, called +he Ksland 1ourney) and
read fro, Egil2s &aga' - ,ay ha(e slept a $it as well' :ill and - were
3<:
glad to $e ho,e when we arri(ed $ack in 4ansas City) and happy to
see our lo(ed ones again' 3ut - look forward to a day when - can
return to -celand) and take ,y wife and children with ,e'

3<7
SECTION se5en
:oet.6 b6
&a.k #,dw-g
St-nson
3<9
CA## TO THE FO#(
At the $eginning of $lot or faining) there is usually a call to the Folk)
asking the, to gather' -t can $e a si,ple) OO4) e(ery$ody) let2s get
started)O for a s,all casual faining' Or it can $e a phrase or poe, that
let2s e(eryone know it is ti,e to start'
- wrote this call to the Folk) $orrowing the first two lines fro, the first
two lines of Hollander2s translation of the Coluspa' -n writing the third
and fourth lines) - atte,pted to work in alliteration'''and ,ake the
entire stanFa consistent'
%ear $e now/ ye hallowed beings/
!oth high and low of %ei$dalls children1
&ather the Folk in friendship and frith/
So we $ay honor our holy &ods111
+his ne5t Call to the Folk was written at *ightning Across the Plains
!""#) for the $eginning of the &aturday Bight Faining' - wanted the
Call to recogniFe that Heathens had co,e great distances to gather
together'''
Call now the Folk fro$ far and wide1
Fierce %eathen tribes and growing fa$ilies1
Friendships are for$ed/ and Frith $aintained/
'e gather together to honor our &ods1
3<+
THE S#AND 1OURNEY
+his is another poe, that is ,eant to $e read aloud' -n April of !""#)
:ill 3urris and - tra(eled to -celand to (isit sites held dear $y
Heathens) and to ,eet with -celandic Heathens there' - wrote this
poe, on the plane $ack fro, -celand'''
Of a fearless fa$ily , two faithful $en
#o Rsland tra;eled , for tribute and trial1
O;er 'arders Mothers , they $ade their way
On wind fro$ Finland , to the western shore1
&efrain to grow , and gifts to gi;e1
&athered with %eathens , and greeted proud &odhar1
&ood tidings they ga;e , of their great tribe1
%ealthy bonds forged , with generous hosts1
Frith was wo;en , and friendship won1
(ear gifts were shared , as Chieftains should1
#hese sons of Finland , to #hing;ellir went
'ith a %a$$er of #hor , their #hyle had $ade1
%orns they raised , to their %oly &ods1
#heir Folk they na$ed , their frithful tribe1
%onor was gi;en , and great oaths $ade1
#hese $en could see , spirits of land1
=espect was paid , to raging falls1
'ide rough earth , war$ed their way1
Sharp rocks $ade safe , courageous cli$bs1
"nown as %eathen , by heartless wind1
'ith knowledge gained , and greedy for ho$e/
'ith tribute earned , and treasure in hand/
'eary and worn , though Luck,rich and #rS/
#o fa$ily and friends , their frithful tribe/
#wo faithful $en , toward hearth wind,rode1
Hail 1otun2s 3ane 4indredP
Hail the Our Folk in the HeartlandP
3<<
DOO&2EA"ER HEATHEN
-n early !""#) a friend of our kindred had $een called up $y the
,ilitary) and was soon to $e headed for desert lands' - co,posed this
poetry for ,y friend'''
O;er wide white sands , lay the warriors way1
Fed ra;ens and wol;es , results of his labor1
!reathes fire and lead , no weapon can bite hi$1
&reat honor and fa$e , a$ong fa$ily and friends1
Swarthy weak $en , trade in waste and fear/
(oo$,eager %eathen , desires their deaths1
!roken dark $ounds , run ri;ers of blood1
&reat Gu$bled gore , their Jihad repaid1
&reat ha$$ers strike , spear flies o;er host1
A s$ile he wears , and trods reddened sand1
!ra;ely and boldly , he cli$bs battle piles/
=une,gi;er he ;alues , but Falhalla shall wait1
3<-
NE$ER FOR"OTTEN
+he Old Borse poe,s in the Poetic Edda were written with alliteration'
- wrote this poe, for a friend of our kindred who is o(er in -ra/' <o
not read this poe, silently' >ead it out loud'''
Far fro$ his ho$e/ on far,stretched sand1
#he burning sun doth scorch and shine1
#he horror of e$pty hours hu$bles hi$1
Oh to fight/ to kill/ and feed ones rageQ
!ut diligently/ he drones away at his duties1
#o fight for fa$e/ is not e;ery $ans fate1
%e reads/ and writes/ and kinfolk re$e$bers/
Oh to hug/ to hold/ his fa$ily at ho$eQ
%is wife and children $iss hi$ and $ourn1
#heyre aware always of his long absence/
And await his return with unreser;ed hope1
Longing for the $an and father they lo;e1
Alone in the desert/ a land dry and dead/
%is &ods and Ancestors/ his unseen guards1
#he %eathens heart re$ains strong and hale1
%e is ne;er forgotten by his faithful friends1
3-*
'RA$EST IN 'ATT#E
+his poe, was written for Gary) a friend of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred'
Another friend of our kindred was in -ra/ at the ti,e this poe, was
written) so it really hit ho,e for us' <o not read this poe, silently'
>ead it out loud'''
!ra;est in battle , ga$bling his blood1
#i$e te$pered ar$s , his $ettle tested1
=a;ens friend and , Fenris,"in feeder1
%e ne;er wearies , of waging Gust war1
Fighting for fa$ily , he ne;er forgets/
#hose he kills , would kill his kin1
%is Chieftains co$$ands , he co$$its to deeds/
6either desiring death , nor dreading it $uch1
'hen $en first fell , so$e fled in fear1
Others faltered and froNe , as if fettered fast1
!ut %erGans $an , $ade right for the $elee/
%is sword seeking , its rightful sheath1
#he old $an watches , with one eye wide/
%is $aidens riding o;er , reddened battlefields1
%is chosen few taken , at a ti$e of his choosing/
Swelling the ranks , as =agnarok nears1
&reat are the gifts , of the warriors gra;e1
Sing songs of the , battle bra;es sacrifice1
Fell for their fa$ily , for you and for $e1
Li;e they in our hearts , and in Falhalla heightQ
%A4LQ
- wrote and learned the poe,) and recited it aloud at our 4indred2s
%idsu,,er Faining in !""#' - think we need to work on reclai,ing
this part of our heritage' +he oralDstorytelling and skaldic tradition'''
3-3
'RIN"IN" 'AC( THE
ORA# sto.62tell-ng
TRADITION
- read on the AFA ,essage $oard a call for a return to an oral
tradition' A call for so,e select Heathens to learn the lore) and $e
a$le to recite it' Bot reading fro, the page out loud) $ut instead orally
presenting the *ore fro, ,e,ory' +his would represent a return to
the oral tradition of our Ancestors'
>od *andreth wrote a$out this idea:
#o $e$oriNe an entire Eddic poe$ would be a great and
worthy task1 One would gain Cuite a bit of gefrain and
honour for doing so/ especially if it was part of an oath1
4 know a few $usicians that ha;e done it using the
$usic to help the$ along1 4 would go with Chisol$ or
e;en %ollander because of the poetic,ness of his
translation1
- felt it would $e a,aFing to $e a$le to speak the Coluspa around a
ca,pfire at night' +o $e a$le to dra,aticly present it in that setting'
Or to tell it to ,y children at night) as they lay in $ed' &i,ply ha(ing
that poe, within you M within your ,ind and not Lust on the written
page M would $e an a,aFing thing'
&o) - looked o(er the Hollander translation) and it sounded $eautiful' -
$egan ,e,oriFing the poe, at little at a ti,e) and a year later -
recited the entire Coluspa fro, ,e,ory at $oth %idwest +hing and
during High &y,$el at *ightning Across the Plains in &epte,$er of
!""#'
-f anyone reading this would like to try learning to recite one of the
poe,s fro, the *ore) here are a few ,ethods that helped ,e:
?' - created .in ,y co,puter0) a s,all $ooklet of the
poe,'''with all the stanFas in it) and printed it out so - could
carry it around in ,y wallet and ha(e the poe, with ,e
always' -f - a, waiting for an hour for ,y oil to $e changed) -
can pull out the poe, and work on it'
!' - printed the $ooklet) so that there were @ full stanFas on
each page' +hen) - $asically learned the poe, @ stanFas .a
3-)
page0 at a ti,e' +his helped group things together) and $reak
the poe, down into s,aller pieces'
8' - would read a stanFa while looking at it' +hen a line at a
ti,e) - would try saying it without looking at it' - would allow
,yself to peek) $ut o(er ti,e) - would peek less and less) until
- wasn2t peeking at all' +hen ,o(e onto the ne5t stanFa'
6' After co,pleting each @ stanFa grouping - learned) - would
practice saying the whole poe, .well) as ,uch as - knew at
that particular point0) o(er and o(er again' 1ust to ce,ent the
@ stanFa groupings together) and help ,e re,e,$er how they
fit together'
@' - would say the stanFa out loud .if possi$le0' - would
so,eti,es whisper the,) so,eti,e screa, the,) so,eti,es
say the, in a funny (oice' :hate(er it took for ,e to
re,e,$er the, $etter' -
found if - played with the
stanFas a little'''saying the,
in an o(erDdra,atic (oice
.after all) - a, practicing
alone) so no need to $e
e,$arrassed0 it helped ,e
re,e,$er the,'
7' -f you forget so,ething)
go $ack' +here were ti,es
that - would get $usy) and not
practice for a ,onth' - would
forget things' 3ut) going $ack
and relearning things - forgot
was (ery easy'''and the words
ca,e $ack to ,e (ery /uickly'
=' >ecite what you know so far for friends' At &y,$el'''or at
an e(ent) recite what you know so far' &aying it alone and
saying it in front of people are two co,pletely different things)
so practicing saying it in front of people is i,portant'''and will
gi(e you ,oti(ation to learn it ,ore /uickly'
+hat is a$out it really' Other than that) it Lust takes a co,,it,ent of
ti,e'
3-8
#-g3tn-ng ac.oss
t3e :la-ns
Heat3en
gat3e.-ng
3-:
tHE l-g3tn-ng
aCROSS t3e !la-ns
Heat3en "at3e.-ng
Heathenry is about community, gathering as a people, shaking a man or
woman's hand, looking them in the eye, hearing their voice, telling stories, getting
to know each other. It is letting your kids play together. Letting your spouses get
to know each other. It is about laughing at dumb jokes, and telling stories from
your life. It is about mingling Wyrd...and taking the measure of another person,
and finding them of worth.
very !eptember, Heathens from across the
Heartland and beyond gather for " days and #
nights camping at Gaea Retreat, a campground $%
minutes outside of &ansas 'ity.
(inners )rovided on *riday + !aturday
!ymbels *riday and !aturday ,ight
- .lot/*aining on !aturday vening
-satru + 'raft Workshops all Weekend
0iking 1ames !aturday -fternoon
'hildren's 1ames and -ctivities
- Heathen -uction on !unday 2orning
REGISTRATION FEES & METHODS
3egistration fees include all camping fees and dinner on *riday and !aturday
night. We keep these fees as reasonable as possible, and with a focus on
keeping the gathering affordable for both individuals and families to attend. In
#%4% individual registration was $4! w"ile #a$il% registration was $&'
*amily registration includes a ma5imum of # adults and " children. 6ou can learn
more about the event and register for this year's Lightning -cross the )lains at7
"tt()**www'lig"tninga+rosst"e (lains'+o$
3-7
A,TI-ITIES AT .AT/
very Lightning -cross the )lains is
packed with activities in which you can
participate and enjoy.
Workshops on heathen topics,
traditional crafts, historical
information about our ancestors,
modern kindred building, tribal
structure and thew, etc.
3eligious activities, including
several *ainings, two !ymbels,
visiting our outdoor 0e, and at
every Lightning -cross the )lains,
a small Hof is established.
8here are children's game and
activities throughout the
event...with children activities
scheduled at the same time as all
adult workshops and many of
adult activities. Hikes, sword9
fighting lessons, a large foam9
sword battle, storytelling, a class
on the runes, heathen craft
projects, etc.
- heathen auction, where
everyone bids on objects donated
by those attending Lightning
-cross the )lains. 8here are
always ama:ing heathen objects
3-9
in the auction, and the money collected goes to support the L-8) event
and to the Heartland Hof and Hall fund.
0iking games, including hammer9toss, kindred tug9of9war, and a little
game we like to call, ;!teal the Wench.< 8he hammer9toss involves
throwing a large hammer made by 'raig Winkler called ;!kull9!plitter.<
8he kindred who wins the kindred tug9of9war gets to take home the
hammer9trophy for that year, and then come back the ne5t year and
defend their title.
TENTING IN,.0DED! 10T ,A1INS A-AI.A1.E
8he registration fees for Lightning -cross the )lains cover the tent camping fees
at 1aea 3etreat for both nights of the gathering. 'abins are also available for a
small fee, and can be reserved directly with the staff of 1aea 3etreat. (etails on
how to do this can be found in the registration packet at the L-8) website.
3-+
A REGIONA. THING IN THE HEART.AND
We feel the growth of Heathenry is something that must happen...can only
happen...at the grassroots level. Heathens find each other in their local area.
&indreds form, and grow. 3egionally, kindreds begin to gather together and face
to face connections and relationships form. =ver time, the trust between tribes
and tribal leaders becomes such, that the formal structure of a 3egional 8hing is
put into place. Here in the Heartland, we're reached that point.
!trong kindreds from across the Heartland gather at Lightning -cross the )lains
to hold our annual 3egional 8hing. &indred 'hieftains, leaders, and
representatives meet together to discuss regional issues and goals. 8hose
attending Lightning -cross the )lains can bring matters before the 8hing for
consideration and advice. 8his is a process that is developing, and will continue
to develop for some time.
ATTENDING .IGHTNING A,ROSS THE /.AINS
If you are a long9time Heathen, a new Heathen, or someone curious about
Heathenry...you are welcome at Lightning -cross the )lains. If you are part of a
strong Heathen tribe, or a small hearth, or you are a solitary Heathen wanting
more...you are welcome at Lightning -cross the )lains. If you have been to
do:ens of gatherings, or never been to even one...you are welcome at Lighting
-cross the )lains. While this is a Heathen gathering focused on the those living
here in the Heartland, all Heathens are welcome. 'ome and gather with your
*olk. Honor our 1ods, our -ncestors, and the 0aettir of the land with other tribes
and other Heathens of our region. 6ou can learn more about the event and
register for this year's Lightning -cross the )lains at7
"tt()**www'lig"tninga+rosst"e (lains'+o$
3-<
TE&!#E OF OUR
HEATHEN "ODS Webs-te
Please (isit the +e,ple of Our Heathen Gods resource we$site for
Heathens' -t features an e5tensi(e onDline li$rary of $ooks related to
Heathenry) an Asatru artwork archi(e) Heathen related articles) %ark
&tinson2s $log) and a ,essage $oard acti(e with interesting
discussions' heathengods1co$
3--
&a.k #,dw-g St-nson
%ark &tinson li(es with his wife and three kids in 4ansas City) %issouri'
%ark earned 3achelor of Arts <egrees in History) Political &cience) and
Philosophy fro, >ockhurst) a 1esuit Hni(ersity in 4ansas City' He has
worked as a police officer since ?##8 and has $een a &ergeant for the
4ansas City %issouri Police <epart,ent since !""?'
%ark disco(ered Heathenry in 1une of !""7' A year later) in 1une of
!""= %ark co,,itted hi,self to Heathenry and to practicing the
Asatru religion' &eeking to honor the Heathen Gods in the old ways)
%ark $egan looking for an e5isting 4indred in the 4ansas City Area'
:hen he disco(ered that there were no 4indreds in his area) he
dedicated hi,self to finding likeD,inded Heathens in order to for, a
new 4indred'
%ark enLoys researching the history of the Asatru religion) and
traditional Heathenry' %ark honors all of the Borthern Gods) $ut has a
special affinity for AsaD+hor) $ecause +hor protects us fro, the
,onsters of this world) sets an e5a,ple for how we should confront
e(il) and was a god for the Oworking classO and the thralls' 3ut %ark
has great respect for Odin'''and his sacrifices and wisdo, as well as
+yr2s courage'
%ark ser(es as the Chieftain of 1otun2s 3ane 4indred' +he title of
OChieftainO denotes the leader of a tri$e' 1otun2s 3ane is an egalitarian
)**
At #hing;ellir
organiFation) and i,portant decisions are $ased on a consensus of its
,e,$ers' 3ut the title of Chieftain reflects %ark2s role as an
organiFer) consensusD$uilder) and leader) and the fact that his *uck has
had a positi(e i,pact on the success of the 4indred'
%ark2s ,iddle na,e is *udwig) a fa,ily
na,e that descended to hi, fro, his
Great Grandfather) a furnitureD,aker who
i,,igrated to the Hnited &tates fro,
Austria' %ark2s Father was Glen F'
&tinson) a :orld :ar -- su$,arine
(eteran' :hile Glen &tinson was not
Heathen) he taught %ark (alues and a way
of approaching the world that ,ade %ark2s
transition to Heathenry ,uch si,pler than
it could ha(e $een otherwise'
%ark is (ery focused on his Fa,ily) and
$uilding a solid Heathen 4indred that will
stand through ti,e and ad(ersity'
%ark ser(es as a Folk$uilder
for the Asatru Folk Asse,$ly
for %issouri) 4ansas)
Be$raska) -owa) Arkansas)
and &outhern -llinois)
encouraging the creation and
growth of local Heathen
co,,unities in the %idwest'
+o contact %ark) e,ail hi, at
,arkNheathengods'co,'
)*3
f,.t3e. REad-ng
Heathenry is so,eti,es called the religion with ho,ework' +here is
a process of enculturation that ,ust take place when a person returns
to their Folkway' +o return to the worldD(iew and wayDofDlife of our
ancestors) one ,ust read and study) and $egin putting what they
learning into practice' +he pro$le, of course) is ,aking sure that you
are accessing the right resources' %uch of the infor,ation a$out
heathenry you find on the internet or in $ooks is ,isleading or Lust
wrong'
%ost heathens will reco,,end going to your pri,ary sources first'
+hese consist of the Poetic Edda) the Prose Edda) the -celandic &agas)
3eowulf) and other conte,porary source ,aterial' +hen there are
wellDresearched secondary sources that can $e (alua$le in fleshing out
your understanding' And there are tertiary sources) such as storyD
$ooks retelling the stories in the *ore) $ooks of ,odern heathen
poetry) etc' 3elow is a list of $ooks worth reading'
&o,e of the following $ooks can $e read and downloaded for free fro,
the +e,ple *i$rary at heathengods1co$' %any of the others can $e
ordered onDline or at your local $ookstore' O(er ti,e) so,e of these
$ooks will $e a(aila$le fro, the +e,ple *i$rary Collection' &o,e of
these will $e a challenge to find) $ut well worth it'
#he Poetic Edda M +his is a(aila$le in (arious translations'
*arrington2s is the easiest to understand) $ut one of the least
poetic' Hollander2s is one of the ,ost poetic) $ut so,eti,e
difficult to understand' 3ellow2s translation is a pretty fair
$alance of clarity and a poetic sense' *arrington and
Hollander2s translations co,e in one (olu,e) while 3ellow2s
translation is split into two (olu,es'
#he Prose Edda $y &norri &turluson M +his is also a(aila$le in (arious
translations' +he 3yock) Faulkes) and Eoung translations are
all fairly good'
Essential Asatru $y <iana Pa5on
Our #roth@ %istory and Lore .Colu,e ?0 $y 4(eldulf Gundarsson
Our #roth@ Li;ing the #roth .Colu,e !0 $y 4(eldulf Gundarsson
El;es/ 'ights/ and #rolls $y 4(eldulf Gundarsson
!eowulf trans' $y &ea,us Heaney .- strongly suggested this trans'0
)*)
#he Sagas of 4celanders .Penguin Classics <elu5e Edition0
#he Saga %oard/ Folu$es 3,8 .+e,ple *i$rary Collection0
Egils Saga and 6Gals Saga
#he Saga of the Folsungs translated $y 1esse 3yock
#he Sagas of =agnar Lodbrok translated $y 3en :aggoner
#he Sagas of FridthGof the !old translated $y 3en :aggoner
#he 6ibelungenlied
#he Agricola and &er$ania $y +acitus .a(aila$le in (arious trans'0
%ei$skringla $y &norri &turluson .a(aila$le in (arious trans'0
#he %istory of the (anes/ !ooks 4,4I $y &a5o Gra,,aticus
Ecclesiastical %istory of the English 6ation $y the Cenera$le 3ede
#he Culture of the #eutons .Colu,es ? and !0 $y Cilhel, Gr\n$ech
Collected into one $ook fro, the +e,ple *i$rary Collection'
&ods and Myths of the Fiking Age $y H'>' Ellis <a(idson
#he =oad to %el $y H'>' Ellis <a(idson
Myths and Sy$bols in Pagan Europe $y H'>' Ellis <a(idson
#he 'ell and the #ree $y Paul C' 3auschatF .hard to find0
#he Mead %all $y &tephen Pollington .hard to find0
#he 6orse Myths@ &ods of the Fikings $y 4e(in CrossleyDHolland
#he Children of Odin $y $y Padraic Colu,
(Aulaires !ook of 6orse Myths $y -ngri and Edgar <2Aulaire
#rue %earth $y 1a,es Allen Chishol,
'ay of the %eathen $y Gar,an *ord
AFA !ook of !lotar and =itual
#he !ook of #roth $y Edred +horsson
#he =une Pri$er $y &weyn Plowright
On !eing a Pagan $y Alain de 3enoist
)*8