Heathen Ethics And Values Some Frequently Asked Questions

Book: Heathen Ethics And Values Some Frequently Asked Questions by The Troth

Too often, the stereotype of Heathens is of an anarchic group of Viking raiders, with no ethical standards other than "might makes right." The truth is quite different.

Heathens do not believe in "original sin." We can and do choose to do right or wrong—but the idea that we are inherently flawed, and can only become worthy by humbly accepting divine grace that we can never truly deserve, makes no sense in a heathen context. Our Gods don’t rule us through our guilt—they don’t need to. Instead, we have the strength and ability—and also the duty—to act wisely, take responsibility for our actions, and become worthy of our Gods and ancestors. Our ethics are ultimately founded in personal responsibility, and in reciprocal obligations to one’s community. They are not a long list of "thou shalt nots" to be followed blindly. They are intended to help us grow in strength and wisdom. No less importantly, they are meant to guide us in forming strong relationships and strong communities, in frith and troth both among ourselves and with our Gods.

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The Arctic Home In The Vedas

Book: The Arctic Home In The Vedas by Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

On the occasion of the birth centenary of Lok. B. G. TILAK, we have the proud privilege to offer to the discriminating readers this 2nd reprint of his famous work “The Arctic Home In The Vedas,” published by the Author in 1903 and reprinted in 1925 (J. S. TILAK)

The present volume is a sequel to my Orion or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas, published in 1893. The estimate of Vedic antiquity then generally current amongst Vedic scholars was based on the assignment of arbitrary period of time to the different strata into which the Vedic literature is divided; and it was believed that the oldest of these strata could not, at the best, be older than 2400 B.C. In my Orion, however, I tried to show that all such estimates, besides being too modest, were vague and uncertain, and that the astronomical statements found in the Vedic literature supplied us with far more reliable data for correctly ascertaining the ages of the different periods of Vedic literature. These astronomical statements, it was further shown, unmistakably pointed out that the Vernal equinox was in the constellation of M?iga or Orion (about 4500 B.C.) during the period of the Vedic hymns, and that it had receded to the constellation of the K?ittikas, or the Pleiades (about 2500 B.C.) in the days of the Brahmanas. Naturally enough these results were, at first, received by scholars in a skeptical spirit. But my position was strengthened when it was found that Dr. Jacobi, of Bonn, had independently arrived at the same conclusion, and, soon after, scholars like Prof. Bloomfield, M. Barth, the late Dr. Bulher and others, more or less freely, acknowledged the force of my arguments.

Dr. Thibaut, the late Dr. Whitney and a few others were, however, of opinion that the evidence adduced by me was not conclusive. But the subsequent discovery, by my friend the late Mr. S. B. Dixit, of a passage in the Shatapatha Brahmana, plainly stating that the Kaittikas never swerved, in those days, from the due east i.e., the Vernal equinox, has served to dispel all lingering doubts regarding the age of the Brahmanas; while another Indian astronomer, Mr. V. B. Ketkar, in a recent number of the Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, has mathematically worked out the statement in the Taittiriya Brahmana (III, 1, 1, 5), that Boihaspati, or the planet Jupiter, was first discovered when confronting or nearly occulting the star Tishya, and shown that the observation was possible only at about 4650 B.C., thereby remarkably confirming my estimate of the oldest period of Vedic literature. After this, the high antiquity of the oldest Vedic period may, I think, be now taken as fairly established. (Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak)

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The Prose Edda Ver 2

Book: The Prose Edda Ver 2 by Snorri Sturlson

TRANLSATED FROM THE ICELANDIC WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ARTHUR GILCHRIST BRODEUR, Ph. D.

Instructor in English Philology in the University of California This Series of Scandinavian Classics is published by The American Scandinavian Foundation in the belief that great familiarity with the chief literary monuments of the North will help Americans to a better understanding of Scandinavians, and thus serve to stimulate their sympathetic cooperation to good ends NEW YORK THE AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION LONDON: HUMPHREY MILFORD OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1916,1923 C. S. Peterson, Regin Press, Chicago, U. S. A. TO WILLIAM HENRY SCHOFIELD WHO MADE THE WORK POSSIBLE THE TRANSLATOR RENDERS THE TRIBUTE OF THIS BOOK

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Wotan The Road To Valhalla

Book: Wotan The Road To Valhalla by Kveldulfr Hagan Gundarsson

This book could not have been written without those great skalds of the Viking Age who showed us the road to Valhalla: Eyvindr skaldaspillir, the Eiriksmal poet, and Egill Skalla-Grimsson. To them and their fellows I am endlessly grateful; also, to Snorri Sturluson, whose writings preserved so much of Wotan's lore. In more recent times, I owe special thanks to Hector Munro Chadwick and Jan de Vries, whose work has inspired much of my own. Great thanks are also due to those living folk who helped with the research and writing of this book. The thesis research on which Wotan is based could not have taken place without the kindness of those notable scholars, Professor Dr. Karl Hauck and Dr. H.R. Ellis-Davidson (to whose excellent book The Road to Hel the title of this work pays homage) and the assistance of my Cambridge supervisor Paul Bibire. In addition, I must thank Freya Aswynn, Diana Paxson, Jim Lovette, Melodi Lammond, Jennifer Holliman, William West, Garman Lord, and Mrs. Virginia Clarke, as well as all those modern-day followers of the Norse Gods with whom I have spoken and worshipped for the past twelve years, and Dr. Stephen Edred Flowers (Edred Thorsson), whose writings have been one of the chief forces leading to a revived interest in Wotan and the forgotten Treasures of native Scandinavian culture.

Finally, I must offer my own thanks to Wotan himself - Valhalla's lord, god of death and memory, who gives the mead's gold to his true thanes, that their staves be more lasting than the runes carven on memorial stones. May the Old Man continue to inspire us and show us the way between the worlds: the road to Valhalla.

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God Forsetti

Forsetti is fair and impartial, sitting as judge Among the Gods and Goddesses in issues of justice and law. He is the son of Balder and Nanna and can be counted on for Blessings in the settling of arguments.

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Oath Ring For Gothi

However, just as important to the Gothi, is the Oath Ring. The Book of Settlements, written in Iceland to describe the Godic Republic, says; "A Ring of a prescribed size should be placed on the altar in every Main Temple. The Gothi of that temple should carry that Ring on his wrist to all regular Things, where he should conduct the procedures. Before that he should wash the Ring in the blood of a bull he had sacrificed himself." Here we learn the importance of both the Ring and the Bowli. I might note here that a surviving 1,600 year old Ring of the Goths with runic inscription still survives, crafted in solid gold. The Ring is brought to all Kindred functions, and is worn by the Gothi at all Blots and Sumbels as a service to the Folk who may wish to take a sacred oath. I know that it may be impossible for some to procure a gold or silver Oath Ring, myself included, but some type of Ring must be used. Mine is made of brass and has served our Kindred for over ten years.

We know from the Myths, that Thorr blessed the funeral pyre of Baldur with his Hammer. We also know from the Sagas that Thorr's Hammer was used to bless brides, babies, and the Folk. A ritual sized Hammer is also a must. Mine was a gift from my foster father, and is hand carved from cherry wood. It has served me and the Folk well for twenty years. The Hammer is also used in some Blot is for the banishing ritual, and later to bless the Feast. I have seen some Gothis use a sledgehammer purchased from the hardware store, and I know of some prison Kindreds who use a rubber Hammer. Again, what is important here is the symbolism, and the power in the blessing projected by the Gothi. Improvise!

The last of the most important implements is the Stalli, Old Norse for altar. We have a stalli made of stone at our Hof, and I know of many who have constructed Stallis in their sacred groves. The Stalli, of course, is the focal point of the Blot, and holds the necessary implements used during the service. I have also used a simple folding camp table, which has served me well, both during the Blot, and the ritual Feast to follow.

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Becoming A Gothi

If you already belong to a Kindred, you're off to a good start. If not, you must found your own. Tough work, but again part of the job. You are fortunate, though, that there is an Alliance of Independent Kindreds who aid those like yourself in forming Kindreds. Contact us, let us know your intentions and little bit about yourself. Perhaps we can help you in finding others in your general area who are looking for Kindred contact, but don't quite have what it takes to take the initiative to actually form a Kindred. You must then use your Gods' given skills and talents to seek these people out and START that Kindred. I am not going to discuss how to form a Kindred in great detail at this time. It will be the subject of my next installment in this series of articles. For now, let's return to the subject of becoming a Gothi.

However noble the concept of a Gothar course may sound, it is a waste of time if you don't have instinctively what it takes. The world is full of people with Masters Degrees who were the best of students, but can't apply knowledge to the real world. So, although it is a must to learn all that you can about our Gods, Folk, Heritage, and Lore, if you are incapable or lack the people skills to form a Kindred, serve the Folk, and profess the faith of our ancestors to the world, you're in the same boat as the guy with the Masters Degree working at the convenience mart as a clerk. What good will be your certificate of graduation from the Gothar course be if no one respects you for such? The course is but one step in your personal evolution as a priest of the Folk. You must earn the respect of your Kindred and the Asatru Community. You must set an example for the Folk by living your life with honor and dignity. Responsibility and personal integrity are keys to earning that respect. As I said earlier in this article, you must be totally devoted, and live your life accordingly.

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