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 […]
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, […]
Law Man
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 individuals […]
The Herdrengr
The warrior is the man of action. He is the one who protects the people and sees to it that all are safe. He embodies the strength and courage needed to uphold his family and his folk’s honor and survival. This was not a role reserved for a specific class, or warrior class, of […]
Minjar
The word used in the ancient Norse tongue for a relic is minja (pl. minjar), which is defined as a remembrance, perhaps denoting the idea that the symbol laid upon an altar reminds us of our traditions and lore within the Heathen faith. Later, Christians also employed this term to refer to their own relics, […]
Rétta
The Old Norse term rétt signified a right or a claim to something. When a wrong or harm had been done, the aggrieved party could make a claim (rétt) against the wrongdoer. The offender, in turn, was obligated to perform rétta, literally “to make right” or “to straighten out” the situation. In practical terms, this […]