Saturday: Family Adventure Day

Family are the key to building strong Ásatrú communities and bonds with the Gods and Goddesses. In the book  A Heathen Family Devotional: Odinism Begins at Home by Wyatt Kaldenberg he suggests ways in which o build strong family bonds that create strong bond within Ásatrú. One way he suggests is by making Saturday a family adventure day.

Take the day to spend time doing fun stuff with your family. Go for a bike ride, go on a hike, go to the zoo or a museum, have fun with them. You will find it helps to create bonds, communication, and a strong sense of family, self-worth, and love.

Ásatrú and Odinism

Is there a difference between Ásatrú and Odinism? Well I guess that depends on who you talk to. Like any religion there are sects or divisions with in the overall belief system. Take a look at christianity; within Christendom you have the two major divisions catholic and protestant. Then each of these has their own sects, protestantism having the most. Ásatrú has its own divisions, as it did throughout history. Like all religious divides these divisions have one thing in common, a central religious base. In our case Ásatrú encompasses all of Norse/Germanic Heathenry.

The ancients had no word for their religion, it just was. It was a part of their being and their every day life it was all around them. Using the term "Asatru" in reference to heathen ways is fairly recent in origin, as the Icelandic folk chose this term for their reconstructed religion in the 1970's. Ásatrú in modern Icelandic compound derived from Áss, which refers to the Æsir, an Old Norse term for the gods, and trú, literally "faith", roughly meaning "belief in the Gods".

Odinism is a sect of Ásatrú. Odinism has a slight difference in its ‘system’ of worship than other areas of Ásatrú but at its core it is the same. Odinists are hard core Ásatrúar. They, like many Ásatrúar, believe that the Gods and Goddesses are 100% real, they are their friends, and they are their allies. I am an Odinist but I am also an Ásatrúar.

The first time I heard the word Ásatrú was in the late 1990s. I never saw the word Ásatrú in any books on the subject of Heathenry until this point. However the claim is that the word was in use.  When I rediscovered my troth in the 1980s the term Odinism was used to describe my beliefs, then the word Teutonic appeared, followed by Ásatrú. I use the term Ásatrú as blanket coverage for Norse/Germanic Heathenry.

We named ourselves Yggdrasil Ásatrú Community because we view ourselves as our own little world tree with Ásatrú Halls upon its branches. YAC promotes the growth of Ásatrú no matter the sect. Our Halls represent Ásatrú with differences in their Ásatrú beliefs and traditions. Our members all come together as kinsmen to celebrate what is collectively known as Ásatrú.

Midsummer 2012

This is the longest day and the shortest night of the year: Now Sunna begins its ling decline, sliding into the darkness which will culminate six months from now at Yule. Identifying the sun with the brightness of Baldur, we celebrate in honor of both. Hold blot to Baldur and High Feast. This was the traditional time for holding the AlThing in ancient times.

Today we hold our Midsummer celebration. The cooking fires have been lit and the meat is smokes and cooks. Ale will flow and we shall hail the day, and Sunna's light. We will fest in the early evening and enjoy the day. As the sun sets we will light the fires, hold a Blot and Sumble.

We made a sun-wreath from flowers and grapevines, which we will burn in honor or Sunna and the Gods and Goddesses. This is a glorious day for or kinsmen.

Our Heathen Children

The welfare of our children is one of many reasons I am Heathen. What is more important than our children? Yet, you have these children out there that are completely ignored by their parents. The kids grow up alienated, alone, and with no guidance. Some of them become frustrated and self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. Some build bombs and stockpile guns in their own homes without their parents even noticing – a school shooting or murder spree just on the horizon. 

It is a sign of our decaying culture that parents have abandoned their own children. Yes, they clothe them and feed them, but emotionally they withhold time and attention to pursue their own selfish goals or entertainment.

We should share what is important to us with our children. We should go to parent- teacher conferences, ask our children how school went everyday, help with school parties if we can, or volunteer in their classroom. We should take them to museums, historic locations, sporting events, fairs, festivals and learning opportunities. We should share our faith with them, and teach them Heathen beliefs and Heathen values. We should hug them, and kiss them, and cuddle up with them to watch television now and again. We should take them to Heathen events and Heathen gatherings.

The most important thing in our lives should be our children. A house can burn down. We can lose our job. People can betray us. We can wreck a car, or suffer an injury. We can survive all that pretty well if forced to do so. But children hold a special place in our lives. They are our legacy. They are the future of our Folk. Heathenry is the answer to the widespread emotional abandonment of children within our failing culture, and our children are the future of our native Folkway.

From the book Heathen Families

“Written and Copyrighted in 2011 by Mark Stinson,
Used with Permission, heathengods.com.”
Published by Jotun's Bane Kindred
Temple of Our Heathen Gods
http://heathengods.com
http://www.heathenfables.com

Mead!

I have tried a lot of mead over the years and what I have found is that most of the commercially available mead is not very good. Some, such as the readily available Chaucer's Mead, are acceptable and now a days can be found in most liquor stores. Viking Blod is the best mead on the market, and priced as such. Let's face it good mead is going to cost more than mass-produced mead.  

The best mead I have ever had was handcrafted by a home-brewer. There is just something about a handcrafted brew made by a person who takes the time to carefully craft the perfect drink. This year year we will be crafting our own Yggdrasil mead. The honey will be from local farms and carefully selected. We hope that our first attempt at the crafting of mead will be a success.

The mead of poetry is a mythical beverage that whoever "drinks becomes a skald or scholar" to recite any information and solve any question. Mead is especially associated with Odin who gained the the Mead of Poetry through deception from Gunnlöð. Given this mead is used in many Ásatrú blóts and rituals.

Gunnlod sat me in the golden seat,

Poured me precious mead:

Ill reward she had from me for that,

For her proud and passionate heart,

Her brooding foreboding spirit.

What I won from her I have well used:

I have waxed in wisdom since I came back,

bringing to Asgard Odhroerir,

the sacred draught.

Hardly would I have come home alive

From the garth of the grim troll,

Had Gunnlod not helped me, the good woman,

Who wrapped her arms around me.

 

~Havamal

Preparing for Midsummer

Midsummer takes place at the Summer Solstice (around 21st June) and serves as the highpoint of the year.  Midsummer is the longest day of the year and the shortest night - a time to celebrate life and love before the nights begin to grow in length once more. It is a powerful night to perform magic to win love and is a night where many bonfires should be lit. Sometimes true folk who wish for a blessing leap over these fires. Modern heathens tend to dedicate their Midsummer festivals to Tyr (as God of the Irminsul), Balder the Shining God and Sunna the Sun. 

Some celebrate Midsummer by remaining awake all night to mark the shortest night of the year, then at sunrise perform a "Greeting of Sunna" and a blot to her. Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year. If fire would otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles for similar effect. It is also a time for general merriment and in the Scandinavian countries many of what we know as the traditional May Day rituals such as May Poles and Morris Dances were celebrated at Midsummer.

We mark this day as sacred to the Goddess Sunna, who is literally the sun.  We will spend the day preparing along with playing period games, and hold period competitions. Followed by our AlThing, blot, sumbel, feasting and drinking.

Day of Remembrance for Sigurd the Volsung June 9

Sigurd is the model Germanic hero. His wooing of the Valkyrie Brynhild, the winning of the treasure of the Nibelungs, and the constant theme of Odinic initiation that weaves itself throughout his story are priceless parts of our Ásatrú heritage, that provide endless material for contemplation and inspiration for action.

June 9^th is the heathen day of remembrance for Sigurd the Volsing, the great and noble Teutonic hero. Sigurd wooed the valkyrie Brynhild and won the treasure of the Nibelungs. He is noted for the constant theme of Odinic initiation that weaves itself throughout his story. His heroic lore is a valued element of Asatru heritage, provides cause for contemplation and inspiration for action-based life on this day.

Lindisfarne Day

Lindisfarne Day June 8 2012

"This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament. These tremendous tokens were soon followed by a great famine: and not long after, on the sixth day before the ides of January in the same year, the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy Island, by rapine and slaughter." 

The popularly accepted date for the Viking raid on Lindisfarne is June 8, a much more favorable time of year for a Viking sailing expedition. The AD 793 attack on Lindisfarne monastery was the first recorded Viking raid on the English coast and marked the beginning of the end of Northumbria’s Golden Age. 

On this day in the year 793 CE many heathens commemorate the three Viking ships that raided the Isle of Lindisfarne, officially opening what is the Viking Age. Toasts are made to the brave warriors who began the noble resistance of the alien invasion of the Northlands and sought rightful revenge for the slaughter of the Saxons by Charlamange.

There are many theories to why the Viking raiders chose Lindisfarne for this first attack. The most reasonable explanation is that it was unprotected and held great wealth. Under this theory we would have to assume that the Norsemen had some inside information about their target. As heathens we must always remember that in our celebration of this day the overall goal of our Viking brothers was to return home with treasure.

Gebo; a Gift for a Gift

The Rune of Gebo represents the act of "giving" in all its forms. Gebo represents a unification of two forces for the betterment of both parties, hence a gift for a gift. It is the gift that brings connections between people through exchange and represents the unity and honor that is created between those people when a gift exchange takes place.

The story of Brunhild is a good one to illustrate the meaning of this rune. According to legend, the hero Sigurd fought and killed a mighty dragon and took a ring from its hoard. Venturing onwards, he passed through a magical circle of fire where he found a sleeping warrior wearing shining armor. He cut through the armor and revealed Brunhild, a beautiful Valkyrie who had been kept there by Odin until a mortal man was brave enough to rescue her. Sigurd then gave her the ring and pledged his unending love to her.

Gebo also symbolizes the connection between the gods and people. This rune represents those places where our path intersects with the Gods, and allows us to begin to form conscious relationships. Such relationships are strengthened and sanctified by the exchange of gifts. Gifts in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity are indications of balance in all matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships. As Ásatrúar we have partnerships with our Gods, they are our friends, and our allies.

Just as we do with the Gods we should do with our family and friends. When we are invited to a friend’s home for dinner, a party, or other event we should return this gift with a gift. This act of giving strengthens the bonds of friendship and brings us all closer as a community.