Tales from the Ironwood

The following article was written between 30 May and 13 June 2020. It is a reminder that actions have consequences and that as Ásatrúars we believe in free will despite the eternal weaving of the Norns. ********* The news of the past few days –of rioting and looting across our country –in the aftermath of watching the killing of George Floyd on national TV has been particularly emotional for me. For some the nationwide protests turned riots may seem unique or yet another indication that 2020 seems to be a year that is particularly damned. But I have known of such turmoil for as long as I can recall. I have become quite cynical that anything will change anytime soon. There was the Newark riots of 1967 and other similar race riots throughout the ‘60s. In 1970 Asbury Park suffered from riots that left that New Jersey shore town in misery for the next thirty plus years.   While there were many riots in the years that followed –Los Angeles in 1992 when Rodney King was beaten by the LAPD...

This largely autobiographical piece was written on Memorial Day 2020 with minor edits performed on 28 May 2022 and 24 May 2024. As a preface to this article, it is useful to consider the etymology of the word memorial . Memorative was the Middle English word for "having to do with memory." It was derived from the Old French word memoratif which in turn came from the Latin memorativis . All suggest "of, or belonging to, memory." The Proto-Indo-European (PIE) term is *(s)mer- "to remember." ********* As I sit here on Memorial Day 2020, I’ve just read a report in The Sun that less than half of the American population knows the true meaning of Memorial Day. It is not really surprising, but it is certainly a sad statistic. While I never considered my family to be a military family, I was raised with a respect for those who served in the Armed Forces—even if the wars they fought were the result of some politician’s failures or foibles. Memorial Day always ...

This is an edited version of an article that I originally wrote in May of 2019. My thoughts on the  fractures within Ásatrú coalesced following a viewing of the Penny Lane documentary, Hail Satan? This 2019 film reminded me of the importance of  educating people about our religion, reducing irrational fears, addressing  defamation, and protecting the civil rights of Heathens. ********* Ásatrú has a public relations problem. Most people aren’t even aware that anyone practices the pre-Christian religion of Northern Europe. Those who have heard the news are likely to have a negative view since the vast majority of stories mentioning the subject do so in a pejorative way. Perhaps we Heathens should be used to it by now. The early Church persuaded many Europeans to adopt the new faith by recasting our gods as devils. Indeed polytheists have long been a persecuted minority –at least since the days of the witch trials and the obligatory burnings that followed. While such me...

This article appeared in nearly full-form in my dreams of the morning of Saturday 18 April 2020. I glanced up at the clock and it displayed 3:15. When works such as this appear to me, I am always confronted with the dilemma of whether to get out of bed and begin typing furiously at my computer or wait until the morning properly arrives. Having chosen the latter and having my effort limited to recollection and editing, I can only wonder if the final result is superior or inferior to the dream itself. ********* When someone comes home to Ásatrú from Christianity, as I did, it quickly becomes evident that the two represent entirely different ways of envisaging the world. Beyond that, there are stark differences in how one behaves and speaks about the religion that they practice. It certainly could be said, “In Ásatrú, there are no ‘Thou shalt nots.’” An important concept that is taught to each child in Sunday School is that of the Ten Commandments. Personally I don’t recollect learni...

Over the past couple of weeks, in light of the global pandemic of Coronavirus, I've been recommending that Ásatrúars celebrate Ostara in their homes and share photographs. Let all see that the world still turns, that life goes on, and indeed that Ostara returns. During this time, the current article began to take shape in my mind. I write these words while under a somewhat self-imposed quarantine, but otherwise quite comfortable in my home on the morning of 23 March 2020.  ********* Oddly enough, as I consider the holiday of Ostara this year, my mind returns to fond memories of the Christmases of my childhood. One special memory is that of my family gathering around our Zenith TV to watch the Dr. Seuss holiday special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas . Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel wrote a book by the same title and published it in 1957. I was unaware of the story however until it appeared in cartoon format in 1966. The cartoon, that was vastly superior to the various live-action r...

"Kvasir’s Blood" was written on 8 and 9 February 2020. With the article only halfway written on the 8th, I sipped Dansk Viking Blod mead in the evening. It served as a worthy and useful inspiration. May all find inspiration through Grimnir’s gift. ********* When Germanic Heathens gather, there is typically mead about. The newcomer to Ásatrú has likely read that mead plays a significant role in many of its rituals. It may be splashed with an evergreen sprig upon those gathered or it may be sipped or even quaffed from a hefty drinking horn. But what is this drink, sometimes called the oldest alcoholic beverage? Despite various reports about the growing popularity of mead, it can be somewhat difficult to find locally.[1] I recall walking into a fairly well-stocked liquor store and asking if they sold mead. “What is that, beer?” I was asked in response. I tried again in an upscale winery. With an air of snobbery, the proprietor replied, “Wine made from honey? Some people w...

"Becoming Odin" was written on 12 January 2020 although the key ideas have been forming in my mind over the past couple of years. I recall many of these thoughts taking shape while touring Columcille Megalith Park during the spring of 2018. ********* For Ásatrúars the two primary texts are Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda and the anonymous compilation known as The Poetic Edda . It has long been my contention that Snorri’s thirteenth-century work contains secret messages and meaning for those who understand or are able to decipher the text.[1] The first part of Snorri’s Edda contains the well-known Gylfaginning (“The Tricking of Gylfi”), one of the most important early accounts of the Norse gods. On the surface, Gylfaginning recounts the tale of a wondrous visit to Asgard (ON: Ásgarðr ) by King Gylfi of Sweden. Once in Asgard Gylfi poses a long series of questions to its rulers, High ( Har ), Just-as-high ( Jafnhar ), and Third ( Thrithi ) --three of the many names of O...