In a previous post I gave myself as an example of how a Heathen expresses a Heathen ethic in their life. This hasn’t been the monthly or bimonthly blog I originally wanted it to be, but the new format of the site means that doesn’t matter all that much anyway. I am still out to collect and showcase examples of Asatruar/Heathen folk expressing their folkway in positive ways, and I am still aiming to do this to “demystify” and educate about what it means to be a Heathen for folks who might be curious.
Today I have two examples, submitted by folks when I put out a request. I am taking their words and rewriting them to fit my format, but aiming to keep the spirit and facts of their submission. Also it should be noted that this is a “non-sectarian” side project of mine, not directly related to the other writings that are my own take on Heathenry. The people I write about in AiA blogs can come from just about any corner of greater Heathenry, and their particular views can and probably will differ from my own, though this is still a useful exercise because Heathens tend to honor and support the same general themes. This is one of the thing that can be confounding for non-Heathens, our lack of standardized universal creed or cite-able authority. But, like I said, we do tend to gravitate toward similar ideas and pastimes. So without further ado:
Zachary from South Carolina writes to me of a particular virtue from the so-called Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), a list of virtues formalized by the Odinic Rite in the 1970s and used in one variation/incarnation or another by other formal groups and individual Heathens as a guideline for correct behavior. This is the perfect opportunity to discuss a little bit of “Heathen decentralism” and “national orgs”. There is no “Heathen Pope”, nor is there a “Heathen Bible”. That’s a shorthand way of saying that there is nothing that is universally accepted by Heathens as an earthly authority representing the divine, nor is there a universally accepted or acknowledged “revealed scripture/gnosis”. I’m planning on writing more in-depth on that later, but for now this paragraph will have to suffice; this is about individual Heathens expressing their ethics and values, after all.
Zachary acknowledges the “mixed feelings” that some Heathens have about the NNV, but believes that self reliance “is a value that our ancestors certainly would’ve expected” out of members of society. He expresses this virtue by being a full-time college student and working to support himself and his education at the same time. He is working toward a degree in Computer Science – Information Services, but that doesn’t mean he supports himself by spending all his hard earned money on prepackaged, processed food or at McRestaurants. Another way that Zachary embodies self reliance is in the kitchen:
As an addendum to “self reliance”, Zach could also add “frugality”, “creativity”, or “health conscious”. He is teaching himself how to cook, and not simply adding water to packages of powdered ingredients. Zachary purchases base ingredients in bulk quantities, things he can use to make food from scratch. Zach expresses a desire to know as many recipes that are as from scratch as possible. This interest in craft is something that can be found in probably the majority of Heathens in one way or another. There is in the stories of our ancestors a mystique to those who can do a useful or otherwise valuable thing. The process of creating a thing has a power, and its importance can also be seen in many of the surnames of native European folk. Heathenry is about doing more than believing, what the scholars describe as orthopraxic versus orthodoxic, so it is likely no accident that people and special items are named after that which they do most often or effectively.
Zachary makes his food, but doesn’t just gain the benefit of expressing an abstract interest in the power of creating. Zach reports that since he began to cook for himself he has lost weight, eaten healthier, and saved money. Heathens also value generosity and fellowship, so even though Zach did not mention these words specifically when he wrote to me they are safe to highlight since they describe what he does with his food: Zach often brings the fruit of his labor with him to school to share with his classmates. I know that I always appreciate when classmates bring tuck to distribute, so I can well imagine that his do too!
My next example is a nice young lady I have shared a horn with on occasion by the name of Kimberly. Kim describes herself as a “homesteading Heathen”, raising animals and gardening. To many newcomers to Heathenry, and to outsiders as well, there is a focus on the “warrior mentality”. Heathenry as a modern religious movement owes some of its beginning to the romanticism of the Dark Ages warrior ethos, probably as a reaction against modernism and middle class ennui, but this is but one dimension of the folkway. Indeed it is but one dimension of the pre-conversion Heathen, and any modern Heathen risks being just as one dimensional if they fail to explore the other virtues, ethics, philosophies and history of our folk that doesn’t include the glorification of raiding in longships.
Kimberley says, “I only raise a weapon so that I can ‘harvest’ an animal” and that she is, “a farmer at heart”. This is something that our ancestors would have understood and been proud of, I think, or at least valued highly. Everyone needs to eat, you know, which brings back the aforementioned power of being useful. Kim’s specific Heathen virtue is “industriousness”, which is coincidentally also on the Odinic Rite’s version of the NNV list. She enjoys her work with the animals and the earth, deriving pride in the accomplishments of this labor. Like Zachary she desires to start from scratch, planting seeds instead of buying immature plants from the store. This is less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle, as Kim is tied to the earth by these activities. The ducks, rabbits, and vegetables depend on her constant care. Beating sun or blanketing snow she is out there everyday to take care of her business, and she has to make special arrangements to be away for long. This is definitely something the ancestors would understand and be proud of!
Kimberly’s family proudly serves their country as well. Her husband is an active duty soldier in the U.S. Army, which if you add the stress of deployments and posting reassignments makes her homesteading efforts that much more admirable. In addition to the industriousness of her homesteading, Kimberly also comments on the Heathen fellowship built by trading the fruits of her labor with other Heathens. Trading gifts and bartering services was not just business to our ancestors, but practiced and sometimes ritualized just for that very fellowship building. In her own words, “bartering wine for meat has helped to build reputations and bring heathens together.”
These are great examples of Heathen ethics in practice. If any non-Heathen readers said to yourself something like, “that’s not just Heathens, my religion/folk do that too”, congratulations, you have just made your first step in finding common ground to better understand and appreciate a group of people you may have never heard of, or heard strange and suspect things about. We’re normal folk doing normal and positive things, and I hope this helps people understand that, or maybe even give a thought to “coming home” themselves!
Reviresco!
