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An in progress
view of some of my thinking...
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The Eddas, Sagas, folktales, histories and
such, tell of Gods and men, places and deeds, dooms and deemings. They
are a horde of words and a hoard of knowledge and wisdom. I have a
passing familiarity with this lore, from reading it, and conversing with
others about it.
Still, I am an unlearned man.
I spend little time mulling over the ideas and lessons from the elder poems
and prose. I take them in, and they become part of me, like my kinship
to the Æsir and Vanir.
Thus, I also say that I practice no religion, but AM Asatrú.
Asatrú: a new name for elder, nameless faithways. At its simplest
level, meaning faith in, trust in, or loyalty to the Gods. The tales
of the birth, growth and fullness of the ancient beliefs and faithways are
largely lost to our grasp. They come to us in the small bits and obscure
snippets saved by the Church scribes, and their sympathizers, to serve the
purposes of the conquerors.
These remnants of a vast, rich and full oral tradition, form a base from
which to build.
The northern tribes, be they Goth, Angle, Jute, Dane, Saxon, Frisian, Rugian,
Lombard, Vandal or other, were far faring folk. In this movement
across the face of Midgard, they were born of older peoples, and were shaped
anew. In their travels they shaped others, and spread across the
world, to an extent still largely unknown in the fullness of time.
They left to us: their words, their works, their bones and their children.
If any of these folk had a name for their faithways, we have it not.
Names can be fragile things, mutable and forgotten if not used. These
names for the elder troth may not even have existed, for many think that the
elder kin did not think of faithways as being a separate part of their
lives. This is unlike today where "God" is for many an
entity they visit for an hour on Sunday in a boxlike building.
Some today use Asatrú as a name for who and what they are, to set their
minds for how they worship. Others use differing names for a similar
troth with that which is holy: Heathen, Norse-Pagan, Heiðni, Elder Troth,
Forn Sed, Vor Trú, Théodism, Odinism, Wotanism, Vanatrú and so
forth. Many, who might be called "Hidden Folk," live in
troth and faith, and have no name.
To a lesser or greater degree, importance is put on descent from, or
re-forming, the elder tribes. Long and long have been the discussions
over "Blood and Bone." Suffice to say; I believe that those
of European ancestry are most likely to have the Kinlore and Orlóg from
which to draw strength of Troth. Does this preclude others?
Maybe, but only the Gods truly know.
What do I think and believe is held in common across modern heathenry?
I believe that all but a very small segment will agree that the tales of the
Æsir and Vanir are present only in the northern lore, that horde and hoard
I heretofore described. This small storehouse contains much about a
few numinous beings, a little about some and almost nothing about
many. They combine to tell us, the Sagas especially, about the elder
approach to life, ethics and faith. They are a rich mother lode; an
ever-fresh source of gold (and dross) to each miner no matter how deep they
delve.
I also believe we are feeling our way in the murk towards rediscovering,
reforming and rebuilding the True richness of our forebears' community
ways. We call our groupings: Hearths, Kindreds, Hofs, Houses,
Fellowships, Tribes and so forth. We have: Nine Noble Virtues,
Community Thews, Hold Oaths, Law and such. I believe this speaks to
our deep seated want to form up with others of like mind, and to regain
those forms of beinggness which speaks across the Well and through the
Years.
As, with the Forebears, this variety of social thought sometimes leads to
dispute, whether over verbiage or intellectual territory, this too is in our
nature. We strive, because we must. We test, because we
must. We go forward, because we must. No harm in this: just our
Trúness in Action, our Becoming in Deeds.
Also, as Asatrú is ever new as we live each day, I think we must add to the
horde and hoard. We must write new Eddas and Sagas, folktales and
histories. We must leave the kinlore of this new day to our children
and theirs and on.
We must control Our Words and be Our Skalds and Scribes.
--
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In Frith under Troth, may the Gods see you!
- Piparskeggr skjaldberi Ullar
AFA - AA - ORV - VTA
Builder for the Future and Traveler along the Folkway
Willing to work with all who advance Our Faith and Folkways.
River Wood Samfélag - Vinlandisc Folkvegr
Ældorman and Steward
http://www.river-wood-samfelag.org
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