![\"Nebraska](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/550\/2015\/08\/ppd3.jpg\")
<\/a>photo by N\u00e1f Andrewson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Today\u2019s article is a guest post written by my good friend N\u00e1f Andrewson of Three Wells Kindred, one of the founders of Nebraska Heathens United. He has been Heathen for twenty years, and focusing on the reconstructionist method for the past five; he also trained in firefighting and worked in corrections for five years as well. This past weekend, he stepped up to have a booth and present a workshop at Pagan Pride Day Omaha representing Heathenry and Nebraska Heathens United; I\u2019ll let him tell you about it!<\/p>\n
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Giving Heathens a voice at Pagan Pride Day Omaha<\/span><\/p>\n First I would like to thank Molly for allowing me to write this guest post to her blog. I write to a regional audience normally, so this is a first in addressing a wider, general audience. She and I do not always agree, and I have seen her grow into the Heathen worldview tremendously since we first met. I still feel that blogs, and \u2018online Heathenry\u2019 is not real \u2013 just an exchange for ideas and information and nothing more. When used correctly the internet is a great tool to learn data, and contact people to meet in person later. Unfortunately it is also full of bad information, both purposefully and unintentionally.<\/span><\/p>\n I ran the informational booth for Heathenry at Pagan Pride Day in Omaha on August 22nd, and did a talk about Heathenry, Bl<\/span>\u00f3<\/span>ts and Sumbel. This was my first experience doing so, and I admit to having a slight agenda in doing it. Schedule conflicts left me being the only full member of my kindred (Three Wells Kindred) able to attend, and extended members of our developing tribe, such as Molly and our friend, Isa were running their own booths or the event itself. I fell back on my experiences in firefighting training with public safety seminars, and training new correctional officers in corrections to interact with those with questions.<\/span><\/p>\n I attempted to keep my informational booth as generic as possible. Of my entire shelves of books on history, sagas, Eddas, postmodern cultural examinations, and books by Heathens I brought a scant few. I brought my own personal items such as my idols of the Gods \u2013 a post-modern, but not \u201cdungeons and dragons\u201d type often seen, that I keep all over the house (they make great bookends) and on occasion, my personal altar. Along with altar tools I have had, and used from time to time for Bl<\/span>\u00f3<\/span>ts and Fainings, and one of my many horns. A hammer made by a friend out of a hardware store hammer \u2013 \u00a0something that always makes me smile to myself when I see practical tools repurposed for an altar. I left the objects to venerate my ancestors \u2013 tools and instruments they used in their lives, and their pictures at home. I mentioned these to people, but feel displaying \u2018my heathenry\u2019 would distract from my purpose and these are highly personal.<\/span><\/p>\n The books I chose to display were important to me, as there have been a lot of what I have called \u201cUPG Tomes\u201d released on the topic, it is hard to suggest many. I kept them separated by Lore and practice. \u00a0For the Lore books I had a copy of Kevin Crossley\u2019s Norse Myths (personal favorite) Beowulf, Poetic Edda, Prose Edda, H.R. Ellis Davidson\u2019s Myths and Gods of Northern Europe \u2013 I brought my Nook with Road to Hel and Culture of the Teutons on it in case I needed to show it someone, but did not display them \u2013 though each person I spoke with I brought them up, and how they are free online. I have yet to buy printed editions for my own reasons, but I may relent on those. I left my book of Icelandic Sagas, Grimm\u2019s four volumes of Teutonic Mythology, Simek\u2019s A Dictionary of Northern Mythology and others at home. Lady with a Mead Cup is out on loan, along with a few others. The practice side was a bit harder for me as I feel most books written by Heathens tend to be too biased, inaccurate or have so many \u201cbut..\u201d when suggesting them. I examined what I had and kept more respected titles by other critical minds and my kindred. Our Troth Volume 1 (as well as volume 2 \u2013 it can argued over, but I felt fine with it), Gundarsson\u2019s Elves, Wights and Trolls, <\/span>Wodening\u2019s<\/span> We Are Our Deeds, A Practical Heathens Guide to Asatru by Patricia <\/span>Lafayllve <\/span>\u2013 a new book for me which I feel is one of the better 101 types of books around, she cites many sources in each chapter and emphasizes the worldview and reconstruction method ideas heavily, and is upfront with her own opinion on items. Words for Warriors as suggested by a few military Heathens and Pollington\u2019s Meadhall, whom my kindred had taken notes for our Sumbel from. All these items are from my personal collection, and though not complete I am working on obtaining more as time and funds become available.<\/span><\/p>\n When the Nebraska Heathens United project had started we had created a simple information brochure, one that I feel needs to be updated greatly after reviewing for print. On there we listed sources for beginners; Norse Mythology Blog, \u00d3\u00f0r\u0153rir\u00a0<\/span>Journal and a few other good beginning resources to the culture. I also included the TheTroth.org, as I admit to my bias, however for those transitioning from Paganism to Heathenry, I feel they are a easier and more gentle source of information. Full disclosure, I recently became Steward for Nebraska in the Troth and am in the Lore program as well.<\/span><\/p>\n My purpose was simple; represent Heathenry at this event and make the distinct voice of all of Heathenry clear compared to other Pagan religions. Politely explain, how we do not see ourselves as another Pagan religion, but are different \u2013 though we share some similarities. Not project my own UPG in explaining Heathenry, and destroy the stereotypes of racism and radicalism some have of us in both Paganism and our over-culture. I attempted to be as informative and diplomatic as possible, but also light hearted and approachable as much as I could. I felt uncomfortable being at the event, as I personally cringe sometimes when I see or hear of other Heathens representing the worldview and end up making a mistake, or adding to stereotypes. (I did jokingly ask at the opening if I am allowed to loot and pillage the other booths, I was told no.)<\/span><\/p>\n Posting to my own social media that I was here, I had some Heathens I knew in the area come by to see and chat (I live over an hour away from Omaha). \u00a0They complimented me on my writings I have done for NHU, and knowing how staunch their kindred is I took this as a high praise. I made a joke I am just trying to be a good \u2018Heathen Diplomat\u2019 and discussed items I would go over in my scheduled talk. One member of their kindred was able to attend, and praised it as a good talk for a Pan-Pagan crowd.<\/span><\/p>\n I was also able to speak to local vendors on good titles to carry. Outside of the <\/span>Lafayllve<\/span> book, our Troth Vol 1, We are Our Deeds, and other more lore based books such as titles by Davidson, Culture of the Teutons and the Eddas\/Sagas. Only two titles I advised against, as they are themselves admitted to not being Heathen but \u201cNorthern Tradition Paganism\u201d and seem to be on shelves. There are many other reasons to not suggest them, but from a Heathen perspective these books are often despised in general. I controlled an outburst when a young lady showed me she had just recently purchased them.<\/span><\/p>\n When it came time to talk to the crowd, I was nervous. Molly Khan assisted me, as did Isa from NHU on my talking points if I lost track. I had not prepared very well for my workshop, I did not bring enough cider \u2013 as alcohol is not allowed in city parks \u2013 for all those who came to the talk. I made a quip that this was going to be a \u2018light sumbel\u2019, or a watered down sumbel compared to NHU\u2019s \u2018Open Sumbel\u2019 concept for demonstrative, informal \u00a0and participation and practice purposes. We were only able to do a single round with those who wished to participate. I was told later I had one of the largest crowds come for my workshop.<\/span><\/p>\n I will sum up my talk as briefly as I can. I went over the brief history of Asatru, and now Heathenry in America. Its influence from Iceland, and how from the beginning the early Asatru founders in America had borrowed heavily from their own backgrounds of Wicca and Catholicism. Items such as the Nine Noble Virtues, Hammer Rite, and a few others that fell out of favor recently. How what started as just Asatru has expanded to include other religions and approaches such as Theodism, Urglaawe, <\/span>Forn Si\u00f0r<\/span><\/i>, among others. \u00a0I spoke of the reconstructionist method, and how it was neglected for the first 30 years it seems, and recent journals such as \u00d3\u00f0r\u0153rir journal and a few writings by Bil Linzie have attempted to approach Heathenry with a scholarly, reconstructed view without the influence of other cultures, religions or ideas. I explained we seek a \u2018worldview\u2019, and do not consider ourselves Pagan. I used an analogy; of Judaism and Christianity \u2013 Heathenry, like Judaism is based on a specific culture, for a specific region, with specific traditions and ideas. Paganism much like Christianity, though similar in some areas, has additional ideas not found in the prior, and is opened \u2018universally\u2019 to all cultures. My notes were mere discussion points, and not written statements, so I didn\u2019t express this as well as I had hoped.<\/span><\/p>\n I went into topics such as a Kindred \u2013 a family like unit of oathed members, sometimes called a tribe, sometimes tribe is used for a network of Kindreds bonded by a cause or region. The roles often found within these Kindreds and tribes. The concepts of Thews, Frith vs Grith, topics heavily making the rounds on internet discussions. I spoke of the \u2018Lore\u2019 and its sources, \u00d8rl\u00f6g and Wyrd, wights, <\/span>Landv\u00e6ttir<\/span>, and the reconstruction method. I also went into UPG, CPG and MUS (Made up \u201cstuff\u201d), the frustration of early works by contributors and their UPG being injected into the \u2018Lore\u2019 which has caused many mixed messages, and turned into CPG. \u00a0How the reconstructionist method has been emphasized these past few years out of this frustration, and it is now considered tacky or tasteless to express one\u2019s own UPG outside of one\u2019s kindred or friends (sorry Molly). How MUS is a derogatory term for UPG, but I reserve it for dangerous ideas such as the radical racists. I joked if all Heathens were supposed to be racist, then I am not very good at it with a Puerto Rican best friend, half Japanese fiance, and my first on screen crush as a child being Tootie from Facts of Life. I advised we do have a Folkish view on Heathenry and by contrast a universalist view, and though Folkish in and of itself is not racist, sometimes those who are racist claim to be Folkish, but this, among many things is an inner debate Heathens seem to enjoy having. I spoke of how one does not convert or just become Heathen, but it is a process of adopting a worldview, how one matures into it. How often a Heathen will look back at what they said and did years ago and be embarrassed \u2013 or else they are not growing.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>
Photo by Amber Doty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n