“We stand before our Gods, we do not kneel before them.” I do not know how many times I have heard something like that stated in Heathen circles. And most accept it as fact. The truth is, its history goes no farther back than the Viking Brotherhood in the early ’70s. If we were to go by the lore, we would see it is quite a different story.
![Out of curiosity.
Do you have some special blóts or celebrations/rituals/traditions that you think might be special to you, your region, your kindred, your family, your circumstances or whatever the case might be?
It is always interesting to see how the Heathen ways take form and adapt in ways that fit Heathens in very diverse living conditions and circumstances (as it always did).
The Heathen in a small student dorm with a bookshelf altar.
The Heathen on a farm with access to a hoegr and who takes animal husbandry for granted.
A Heathen in Alaska vs a Heathen in New South Wales.
Well, you get the picture.
After all, not all traditions, Nordic or otherwise, are a 1000 years old, and even when they are there are regional differences.
The Icelandic Thorrablót is from the 19th century ,and more and more Heathen Swedes are putting Thursday apart for “Thors Hallow”, a time for contemplation and family (a bit like the Jewish Shabbat/Shabbos).
I know there are US traditions uniquely their own (actually they might be spreading if people elsewhere find a need for them) that fills a function for them (such as Vali´s Blót?).
In Sweden Midsummer and Christmas have very Heathen elements even for those who are secular or Christian.
I think one of the strengths of Heathenry is that it is for the Heathen, not the other way around (among Swedish Heathens i sometimes hear “What is your Sed [Custom]”).
A language with many dialects, mutually intelligible, but all the way of communication with the mights that works where, when and for whom it works in any specific time and place.
I would love to hear about the times and ways that are meaningful to you and makes your Heathen identity grow.
What is your Sed?](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbmxvlocmS1qer9b0o1_500.png)
Out of curiosity.
Do you have some special blóts or celebrations/rituals/traditions that you think might be special to you, your region, your kindred, your family, your circumstances or whatever the case might be?
It is always interesting to see how the Heathen ways take form and adapt in ways that fit Heathens in very diverse living conditions and circumstances (as it always did).
The Heathen in a small student dorm with a bookshelf altar.
The Heathen on a farm with access to a hoegr and who takes animal husbandry for granted.
A Heathen in Alaska vs a Heathen in New South Wales.
Well, you get the picture.
After all, not all traditions, Nordic or otherwise, are a 1000 years old, and even when they are there are regional differences.
The Icelandic Thorrablót is from the 19th century ,and more and more Heathen Swedes are putting Thursday apart for “Thors Hallow”, a time for contemplation and family (a bit like the Jewish Shabbat/Shabbos).
I know there are US traditions uniquely their own (actually they might be spreading if people elsewhere find a need for them) that fills a function for them (such as Vali´s Blót?).
In Sweden Midsummer and Christmas have very Heathen elements even for those who are secular or Christian.
I think one of the strengths of Heathenry is that it is for the Heathen, not the other way around (among Swedish Heathens i sometimes hear “What is your Sed [Custom]”).
A language with many dialects, mutually intelligible, but all the way of communication with the mights that works where, when and for whom it works in any specific time and place.
I would love to hear about the times and ways that are meaningful to you and makes your Heathen identity grow.
What is your Sed?
Plough Charming Ceremony by ~Thorskegga
Photo of a Chiltern Kindred ‘Plough Charming’ ceremony marking the start of the agricultural year.
This one is for Lover’s Blot, the Heathen equivalent of Valentines Day.
The figures represent the god and goddess of love and fertility Frey and Freya. The other items are symbolic of love, the brass lovers’ lamp, a cup decorated with the tree of life, a ribbon symbolising partnership, red roses and a carved love spoon.
Perhaps one thing i can observe in Scandinavian Forn Sed (exept for the temporal, non emphasis on the “Viking Age”) is a perspective that is more Fennoscandic.
To a Swede it is only natural that both Finnish and Sámi influences are very present in our language and culture since long back.
This is a Heathen website, focused on the Asatru religion and honoring the Northern Gods.
We are based in the Kansas City area, on the border between Kansas and Missouri.
We have formed a Heathen Kindred in Kansas City dedicated to the Asatru Religion.
Our Kansas City Heathen Kindred is tribal in nature, and is called Jotun’s Bane Kindred.
We host a yearly heathen gathering called Lightning Across the Plains.
Since i have aired my frustration sometimes, and perhaps (unintentionally) in a way that might seem like i´m targeting whole groups rather than certain tendencies (some of them “fringe” but that might have bigger consequences in the long term) it feels only fair that i also open my mouth about some pros.
There are whole groups as well as very learned individuals within heathenry everywhere outside of Scandinavia and some basic things we do will be the same or similar,others might differ, and in my view that is how it should be.
Chieftain Mark Ludwig Stinson, kids and adults from the Jotuns Bane Kindred
I reblog this because i want to add a few recon and / or etnic religions.
Hope all links work.
Polytheistic reconstructionism (Reconstructionism) is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s. Reconstructionism attempts to re-establish historical polytheistic religions in the modern world, in contrast with syncreticmovements like Wicca, and “channeled” movements like Germanic mysticismor Theosophy.
Many practitioners of folk religions live outside of the original cultures and territories from which those historical religions arose, and reconstructonists consequently face the problem of understanding, and then implementing, the worldview of pre-modern rural societies in a modern, possibly urban environment.
1.
Celtic shrine
Asatru – Norse (Please keep in mind that some practices of Asatru differ between Scandinavia and America, partly since the custom never really left here butb stayed in traditions, folklore, placenames and so on. The actual FAITH is the same though).
http://www.asatru.ca/?page_id=3
Hellenismos – Greek
Religio Romana – Roman
http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/
Anglo – Saxon Heathenry – Anglo – Saxon
http://www.englatheod.org/anglosaxon.htm
Celtic Revivalism – Celtic
http://redbranchsociety.wikidot.com/celtic-revivalism
Natib Qadish – Caanaanite
http://canaanitepath.com/introduction.htm
Romuva – Lithuanian
Finnish Paganism – Finland
http://www.taivaannaula.org/finnish_paganism.php
Estonian Paganism – Estonia
http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=162063
Kemeticism – Egyptian
http://www.inkemetic.org/Library/kemeticism.htm
Slavic Paganism
http://www.circe-argent.com/slavic_paganism.htm
Chimariy Yüla ( Mari Traditional Religion- Finnic, Russia )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Traditional_Religion#Gods
Vattisen Yaly ( Chuvas Religion-Turcic, Russia )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vattisen_Yaly
Noaidevuohta (Sami-Norway,Sweden, Finland, Russia )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_religion
Romuva
These are only a few (the biggest) reconstructive religions out there, and dont forget that using terms like “Germanic, Celtic” or “Slavic” are simplifications.
There whyere several tribes of each of these larger ethnic groups and time and geography would mean variations. Even within what is now Sweden there where differences in cult.
The biggest reconstructive polytheistic religion last i checked was Asatru.
Hellenists
There are about a 100 000 Hellenists in Greece, a country that only recently gained religious freedom (ie it was forbidden to be a Hellenist) and a whole lot in the US
Though i agree with most of what the author says i would like to correct / expand on a few things (mainly historical):
I do agree that this must be adressed though.We live in a society of labels and terms.Personally i dont adhere to many of these labels as far as my custom goes but we are still defined and understodi by what we call ourselves (or others call us).
Having said that, Heathenry, like most European pre Christian religions is orthoprax, thus, what goes on in your mind, your exact beliefs, thoughts and emotions are your business.
But hey, if anything should be a Norse custom, rocking boats should be it. ;)
