The Odinist Anthology Selection From The Runestone

Book: The Odinist Anthology Selection From The Runestone by Asatru Free Assembly

This anthology represents some of the contents of THE Runestone over a span of more than ten Years, from issue number two almost to the Present. During this decade-long his tory of publication, THE RUNESTONE and the organization which 1 t represents underwent a mu1 t i tude of changes, becoming more so~histicated, broader in perspective, and more polished in Presentation with the Passage of time, Hopefully the reader will be able to trace this evolution.

This collections designed to Provide the Person new to Odinisml, or Asatru, with something beyond the single leaflets which may have been his or her introduction to the religion. It is by vo means comprehensive, but it will give the student of Asatru a wealth of information which will make it easier to Proceed on to other sources of greater depth and comlexity. In this respect It fills a gap which has long been an irritant to new asatruarar.

The Articles have been edited for gramnotical and typogra~hical errors, and in some cases they have been "tightened upn by deletion of irrelevancies, but the flavor of the original has been kept - blemishes and all. Our beginnings were humle, to say the least, and the first funbling atteists to Present our world-view seem a little pitiable from today's standpoint, But every venture has to begin somewhere, and we have come a long, long way from those early attemts to put thoughts to Paper, This slim volume is presented in the firm belief that gut- Jgurney has barely begun, and that THE RUNESTONE and the Asatru Free Assembly will attain heights which today cannot even be seen because of the clouds which obscure the summit of acconlishment.

I would like to thank the Authors of these selections for their support, along with Prudence, Maddy, and Ariel. I t couldn't have been done without them. (Stephen A. McNallen
Denaic California)

Download Asatru Free Assembly's eBook: The Odinist Anthology Selection From The Runestone

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Asatru Free Assembly - The Odinist Anthology Selection From The Runestone

Odin A Much Better God Than Jesus

The Norse god Odin is much more impressive a figure than Jesus.

Creation.

Here Odin takes the clear edge. Along with his brothers, Villi and Ve, Odin killed the giant Ymir. From his skin, Odin and his brothers made the Earth. From his blood, they made the oceans and the lakes. From other body parts, they made the mountains, the trees, and the rest of the world of humans. Jesus, on the other hand, had no role in creation. He did not even exist until well after the world began.

Sacrifice, the execution.

Here, the Christian thinks his god has the edge. After all, they claim, Jesus died for us all. Sadly they are mistaken. While the death of Jesus is not pleasant, being beaten then nailed to a cross until he died later that day, this sacrifice is made even weaker considering the omniscience of the Christian god. He knows that after a day of suffering, he will rise again then spend the next period in the splendorous perfection of heaven. it hardly holds a candle to the two sacrifices that Odin endured. Odin's first sacrifice involved plucking his own eyeball from his head. His second sacrifice involved hanging himself from a tree for nine days and impaling himself with his own spear. The shear level of sacrifice undergone by this god is way beyond that of Jesus.

Sacrifice, the results.

Odin's sacrifices gained a great deal, both for him and for his people. By plucking out his own eye, Odin was granted sight into the future. By hanging himself, he gained the secrets of the runes, bringing writing, poetry, and magic to the Norse people. On the surface, Jesus's sacrifice also gained an extraordinary amount, namely the redemption of all mankind (or, at least, all those who believe in him). However, this also portrays a major weakness of the Christian god. If he is all-powerful, why would a god need to sacrifice anything, let alone his own incarnate self, to himself to absolve mankind of transgressions against laws that he made? A god should be capable of simply forgiving transgressions against his own laws. By exposing this weakness of Christian logic, Jesus's sacrifice actually makes him look weaker.

Lessons for humanity.

Both gods teach lessons that include concepts like providing hospitality to strangers in a hostile environment, clearly a good lesson. However, the basis of each belief system could not be more different. Jesus, especially in the re-telling of mainstream modern Christianity, taught a message of meekness and humbleness. Odin taught a life of boldness and assurance. Jesus's followers are servants. Odin's are warriors. What this world needs are people who are willing to stand up for what they think is right, not those who will fawn in front of a throne. Nowhere is this difference more profound than at the end of life. The ultimate reward of Christianity comes to those who bend their knee and beg forgiveness will gain reward. Odin's followers sang out:

Catlle die, kinsmen die / Every man is mortal
I know one thing that never dies / The dead man's reputation

While we know that neither god is real, and that these mythologies are just the creations of ignorant cultures, it can be interesting to compare them and others. And sometimes it is more fun to engage the theists on their own turf, rather than in the real world.

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Asatru Kindred Activities

It is vital for the healthy growth and Development of the Kindred to have regular gatherings. The more frequent the gatherings, the better. I would encourage those who can to meet once a week. If that is not possible, try to get the Kindred together as often as possible. The Arizona Kindred meets every Wodensday. Now I realize that we have members in several states, and even within the state, some of us are separated by hundreds of miles. Some of us though only live a few miles from each other, so we meet once a week. We also have the seasonal Blots as well as other important gatherings throughout the year. We expect our members to attend all the gatherings that they can, with at least one a year being mandatory.

We have always expected our members to be self reliant, and one way to promote this is to have regular camp outs. In the Winter we camp in the desert, and in the Summer months we camp in the mountains. We encourage our members to procure suitable camping equipment, and to learn campcraft. Of course, for those new to camping in the great outdoors, we always have enough gear to share. If at all possible, schedule several camping trips a year. The Arizona Kindred meets this way about six times per year.

At our camp outs, we follow a usual routine. Those who can, arrive Friday afternoon to secure a campsite and to generally set up the camp. We usually have an informal meal that evening and just kick back and enjoy each others' company around the fire.

On Saturday morning we usually have some type of group activity. This could be going for a hike, a trip down to the swimming hole, or perhaps a firewood scrounging expedition. Sometimes we will have a seminar and discuss an important topic. By mid afternoon, we prepare for the Blot. Following the Blot, we have a formal Feast. This is usually a pot luck dinner, with everyone bringing Something to share with the Kindred. The Kindred usually supplies the meat for the cookout, and has a campstove available for those who need to cook their offering to the Feast. In the evening at dusk, we hold the Sumbel. We encourage our members to brew their own mead and bring it to share at the Sumbel. Following the Sumbel, we usually stay around the campfire and just enjoy each others' company.

On Sunnasday morning, as Gothi, I cook breakfast for the Kindred. This usually consists of hearty Spam sandwiches and berserker coffee. I have been known to cook breakfast for 30 people or more.

After breakfast, the whole Kindred should be engaged in cleaning the grounds, and as a last gesture, we make an offering to the Land Spirits. This sequence of events works well for the Kindred, and people learn to work with the schedule. Again, consistency is the key to successful outings.

At our weekly gatherings, being limited to a couple of hours at a time, we usually spend the first half hour or so just talking about our week, and sharing any news or ideas with the Kindred. Then we have an ongoing project that we work on. We have for the past year been studying the Runes. At first we concentrated on the basics, learning how to pronounce them, write them, know them, and later we carved them. We each made our own Gandr. Then as our knowledge progressed, we made our own Runes and started to cast them. At the same time, we read and studied the Rune Poems of the Eddas. Always working together as a group to learn all that we possibly can about the Runes. This work continues today. We also have studied the Havamal, and continue to do so. We are now comparing various Translations of the old Lays to learn even more. Lately we have started to study Old Norse for liturgical reasons and for everyday conversation. This is a work in progress.

Future plans are for brewing classes, wood carving, organic gardening, home disaster preparedness, and what ever else we decide to learn and to share with each other. Although all of this takes time, we look at this as all in a life's work. We will continue to meet and study as long as we draw breath.

This should give you some idea of Kindred activities. Remember the importance of meeting often, and having interesting activities for the Kindred to share.

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Asatru As A Modern Romantic Movement

Asatru also has a strong romantic aspect to it. There are many who elevate the culture of the past, the Symbolism of the Vikings or patterns of past agricultural lifestyles as paradigms to copy and re-Experience. Many of the aesthetic practices developed throughout the generations are recreated and made relevant to today.

Whether recreating the folklore of the past, Practicing the crafts of our ancestors, or recreating the dress and manner of our ancestors the common thread is romanticizing of that past culture and art. Although its easy to downplay the importance of these activities, they can be strong identity-developing undertakings which emphasize our unique cultural past and make it a guide for tomorrow. These activities sanctify our culture and religion and make us separate from those who don’t value them in the same way that we do. These activities raise our culture, art and folkways from the mundane to the spiritual.

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