Fish Stories

Heimgest, the head of the Odinic Rite, a Heathen organization that originated in England, is also not called Allsherjargothi.

The other high title from historical Heathenry, Lawspeaker, will take you on a similar journey through Google. But in this time of legally Free Speech and Religion and financially almost-Free Media, just about anyone can say just about anything to just about everybody, and they do. I'm not really complaining about that, but distinguishing the big fish from the little fish from the pond scum will require some effort.

Along with the organization leaders, there are other big fish, such as Stefn Thorsman, Mark Stinson, and Diana Paxson. These energetic people, and others like them across the country, are instrumental in making Ásatrú work closer to home. They often have the title Gothi or Gythja, but not always. They often have the support of one of the organizations mentioned above, but not always. They just get in and do the work, bringing people together to honor our gods and strengthen our community, each in their own distinctive ways.

So how do you really know if someone is a big fish in the Ásatrú/Heathen community? There is no easy answer. For example, there are people who are well-known as Gythja or Gothi. Some have legal certification as clergy, while others do not. The piece of paper helps in some circumstances, but anyone can say they are a Gothi, and some actually are, independent of their legal status.

Some people, especially enthusiastic new Heathens, say they want to be a Gothi and ask what that will entail. Eventually, they discover the real criterion. Let's call it the Laugh Test, and it isn't a pretty thing to fail. Do others accept you as their Gothi, or do you just have an empty title? Do you have a track record of understanding what the title means and of doing the work that it entails? Are you really a big fish in our small but growing pond? Or are you simply someone who likes to tell fish stories about yourself?