TRADITIONAL HEATHENRY: A GUIDE TO SEDIAN BELIEF AND PRACTICE
I would like to begin this by explaining the purpose and reasoning behind this endeavor. Unlike the typical research books from The Norroena Society, this book aims to clarify the extensive works accumulated over many years of study, debates, and philosophical discussions among members of The Norroena Society and the broader Heathen community. The purpose […]
Heathen Tribalism: The Way Forward
Tribalism: The Way Forward It has become a trend in Heathenry to call one’s fellowship their “Tribe”. This is done in a sincere attempt to create strong bonds of fraternity within a tight knit religious community and is quite commendable in its aims. Yet, in order to move forward in authentically reconstructing the worldview and […]
Vetrnætr – Winter Nights
The first three nights of winter, called Winter Nights or Vetrnætr, are dedicated to Freyr and those connected with him. This is the festival of Vetr that Óðinn tells us to celebrate in Ynglingasaga ch. 8. We have a description of the Vetrnætr feast in several sources, including Gisla Saga ch. 10: Það var þá margra manna siður að […]
Proceedings of Þings
The Þing must have a defined structure for its proceedings, one that can expand in complexity over time but always preserves order, enables each person to speak in turn, and prevents the court from descending into chaos. Certain rules must be observed to ensure that everyone has a voice and that no grievance or […]
Types of Þings
Now we turn to how these clans sustained their representative governments through the hierarchy of the clan system. We begin with the House, or Hús, which corresponds to the immediate family. In ancient times, the Húsþing was a small council or assembly held by a king, jarl, or family-head (hǫfðingi) with his household or […]
Damnation
There has been a popular notion within the New Age movement that the concepts of morality and damnation in the afterlife are the inventions of Abrahamic religions and have nothing to do with ancient polytheist systems. When one examines these systems it is easy to discern the truth that most of the religions in the […]
Lawmen
The Lawmen (Lǫgmaðr) of ancient Heathenry were not merely those who upheld the law of the people; they were also the final bulwark against the rise of tyrannical kings. It is noteworthy that as European monarchs consolidated power under Christendom, the position of the Lawman was gradually dissolved. Having regional districts led by influential […]
The Þing
No legal system can effectively function without some authority to administer and interpret the laws therein. Any “law” created by people with no plan to reinforce it with a judiciary is useless, and the system is no better than anarchy. Laws must come with consequences, which must be applied justly and fairly by a court […]
War
War differs from peace in many ways. Most of the laws we have considered address peacetime and deal with wrongdoings at home. Yet war requires its own principles. There must be rules of conduct to keep soldiers disciplined and to govern how disputes are settled in combat. Humanity has long recognized the frenzy of battle, […]
FATE
The most striking feature of the Heathen warrior in our lore is their valiant acceptance of fate and destiny. They do not waste time lamenting their preordained lot by the Nornir; instead, they move forward with steadfast resolve, knowing that their ǫrlǫg guides them as it must. They do not merely endure it, […]