Trúnaðarbók: The Loyalty Writings
The Norroena Society presents:
Trúnaðarbók: The Loyalty Writings
By Folcweard Lárġyfa
With Foreword by Mark Puryear
Using the illustration of concentric circles, Trúnaðarbók is a series of essays discussing how we define and prioritize our levels of loyalty
« The First Concentric Circle: The Self
Ancient Germanic virtues speak of honor, honesty, wisdom, piety, courage, loyalty, independence, generosity, and kindness. We, as our ancestors before us, and the Goðin before them, hold great meaning and value in our ability seek, achieve, and maintain high moral character.
Inherently born, we are a tribal folk, where the bonds of relationship, kith and kin, are not taken lightly nor disrespected, but sought after with earnest devotion and heartfelt longing. We seek others, to find common ground with which we build our lives upon. Our lives are not meant to be solo enterprises, as this modern world tell us, seeking only the self-pleasures and solace in the gratifications of endless materialism.
Trúnaðr, the Old Norse term meaning trust, allegiance, or good faith, is a term that we should become familiar with. Maintaining Trúnaðr, or roughly translated as (with its implied meaning), loyalty, is a foundational principle by which we base our lives upon to form the basis that holds our life together; preventing it from unraveling into the empty, chaotic, and lonely life of one who exists, but never truly lives.
When we’re born, we immediately bond with our parents for sustenance, protection, and love. As we grow, we bond with our siblings and/or cousins as we seek to establish common understanding with those similar to us. Growing older still, we seek friends who we can form kinship with; those who relate with us, while helping broaden our worldview outside the confines of our family. Further still, we seek a mate to share our mental, emotional, and physical intimacies with – he or she with which we can bring into our innermost circle of confidence to share that which no one else knows. As the intimate union grows, we have children and complete the cycle; providing sustenance for, and giving our love and protection to, that extension of ourselves and our ancestors.
This is the cycle of life, within the macro and micro of our existence. As a tribal Folk, we seek bonds of relationship, which can only stand the test of time, remaining strong and enduring, if with have, and maintain, a sense of loyalty. To uphold Trúnaðr, one must look to the Self as the first circle, within a series of concentric circles; for if we are not loyal to ourselves, we cannot be loyal to others.
Trúnaðr is a staple of being Folk-minded, yet it begins with the Self and the standard with which we hold ourselves accountable. That said however, focusing on the Self does not mean that we put ourselves before others; rather, it means that we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of respect and trust. To build this foundation, we must secure within ourselves a moral compass grounded in the virtues of honor, honesty, wisdom, piety, courage, loyalty, independence, generosity, and kindness.
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