Greetings, and welcome to the 1 year anniversary of Wyrd Words.
Keeping the Thor in Thursdays, every other week here on Agora!
Wyrd Words has now been running for a solid YEAR, and nobody has put an end to our antics yet. This is both fantastic and, quite frankly, surprising. Looking back on my time here, it’s been an interesting year. We’ve covered a pretty wide variety of topics in this column, and it always fascinating to see which articles go viral for inexplicable reasons, and which ones end up gathering dust in the back of Agora’s proverbial closet. In a way, we can learn about ourselves as a community by exploring which topics seem to generate the most interest. Thus, in the spirit of exploration, I present the top 5 articles of the year!
#5 Faces of Odin – Soldier, Scholar, Skald, and Skeptic
Óðinn, as he is depicted by the Lore, is very complex and multidimensional. To simply label him as a “God of War” is not only an inadequate descriptor, it’s a disservice to the depth of his personality. The Allfather wears many faces, and all of them are important to the Sagas he weaves. [Read more…]
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This is one of my rare “theological” articles, and because of that I never expected it to do so well. I often focus on the “big picture” of our community and forget that so many of us are really just looking for our own connection with the gods. Missing the trees for the forest, so to speak.
#4 Pagan Relationships – Building a Lasting Community
In a recent article, I mentioned the relatively short lifespan of many of our kindreds, covens, and groves. I believe that the reason for this can be broken down into three major problems: size, distribution, and (most importantly) the types of relationships we build within our local communities. [Read more…]
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Our community is still young, and we spend a LOT of time trying to figure ourselves out. You can talk about herding cats all you want, but I have seen firsthand how much the majority of our community wants to see us achieve a real structure and stability.
#3 Drawing The Line – Heathens Against White Supremacists
There is a small segment of the modern Heathen community that co-opts our religion for racist purposes. I refuse to allow them to abuse and dishonor our faith, our community, and our gods. [Read more…]
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I don’t know if this article was the best thing I’ve ever written, but I believe it was by far the most IMPORTANT. I am ashamed that, in this day and age, this article still needed to be written. I am proud to be part of a community that so strongly stands up against bigotry and racism.
#2 Pointless Arguments (Part 1) – The Polytheism Debate
We could all argue about theology until we’re blue in the face, but in the end we’re only debating a matter of faith, as none of us has any objective evidence with which to support our case. This is a dilemma I like to call “Schrodinger’s God.” Read on for awesome stick figure illustrations. [Read more…]
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This was probably the most fun I’ve ever had writing a blog article. I learned two things about our community based on how this article was received. First, we are perfectly willing to admit our faults and point out when we’re being silly. Second, stickfigures are remarkably entertaining and can be surprisingly educational. *shrug* Who knew?
#1 10 Pieces of Practical Advice from the Hávamál (Part 2)
More practical advice from the Havamal: How to Party Like a Viking! Remember, the party’s no fun if you can’t remember enough of it to know where you put your pants! [Read more…]
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Coming in at #1: Practical advice from the Havamal. The fact that this piece is the MOST POPULAR THING I’VE EVER WRITTEN, is why I love this community. Say what you will about us, but we know how to laugh at ourselves!
It’s been a great year, and hopefully we have a great year to come!
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