Asatru Update

Asatru, Ancestors, Descendants - Part Three

2009-07-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

The relationship between our ancestors, ourselves, and our descendants is illustrated by a man floating down a river in a boat.

He sees only his little stretch of the river, “the present.” The earlier part of his journey exists only in his memory, and he does not see the forking streams of his own possible futures that lie downriver.

But the river is there, anyway. A man in an airplane would look down at the man in the boat and see both his “past” and his “future.” The clan is like that: The stream of ancestors, ourselves, and descendants is one and omnipresent; only our limited perception makes it seem otherwise. We are truly one with our ancestors and those to whom we will pass the fire of life.

“Only when we realize we are a river will we stop drowning in puddles.”

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru, Ancestors, Descendants - Part Two

2009-07-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Thorgrun's observation in Part One, "To honor our ancestors is to honor our descendants," goes well with my own comment: “We are all ancestors in training.”

Someday we will be dead, whatever that means. Hopefully we have left sons and daughters - and grandsons and granddaughters! - to tell our stories and to pour libations on our graves. As the Havamal says - “Seldom are [memorial] stones erected on the wayside, save by kinsmen for kinsmen.”

How will you be remembered? Did you do deeds of worth? Were you true? Did you love much? Did you fight for what was right? Were you Awake, or did you live your life in trivialities?

If we lead good lives here in Midgard, we will be good ancestors.

“Only when we realize we are a river will we stop drowning in puddles.”

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru, Ancestors, Descendants - Part One

2009-07-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

My friend Thorgrun said it so well the other day -

“To honor our ancestors is to honor our descendants.”

So very true! The lineage is one, separated only by the subjective and malleable thing we call “time.”

“Only when we realize we are a river will we stop drowning in puddles.”

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru on the Fourth of July

2009-07-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sheila and I went to the local Fourth of July parade today, and spread the Asatru message to the rural, Main Street USA crowd lining the streets.

No, the AFA didn't have a float. Nor did we meander through the assembled multitudes with Asatru fliers. In fact, we didn't even mention our faith. But I feel we did good things for the Gods and the Folk.

We got involved with the Sons of Norway to support Northern European culture, and to build bridges to the local community. We haven't regretted it for an instant. In our very first meeting, it came out that we were Asatru. A conversation with some of the prominent members resulted...and we have very deliberately never mentioned it again. We weren't there to harangue these people, most of whom are senior citizens and lifelong Christians.

Instead, we just jumped in to be as helpful as we could. That's how Sheila and I ended up in fairly accurate Viking garb, following the (really neat!) Viking longboat constructed by the local chapter and whipping up the crowds.

So there I was, in my Kirby Wise spangenhelm, carrying a bearded axe, and Sheila alongside in Norse dress carrying a horn full of "mead" (water, actually, muchly needed due to the heat)from which I dramatically swilled when thirsty.

What was accomplished? People got to see what real Vikings looked like...and we furthered Northern European culture...and we consolidated our friendships in the SON. Remember, those senior citizens have friends, not to mention sons and daughters our age or younger. These are people who can vouch that we're not crazy, loutish, or evil because they know us.

I've already been asked to give a talk on the Norse roots of American freedom at a future meeting.

Every human being is either a possible AFA member, or a person who can refer someone else to us.

We also met some really nice people and had a lot of fun!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru and Awakening - Part Two

2009-07-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

Just as individuals can be asleep, so can entire peoples.

In my previous post, I described how, singly, we become absorbed in daydreams, memories, and thoughts of the future. When this happens, we forget that we exist as distinct selves. Our "I-ness" gets lost in the noise. I stated that our task, spiritually, is to awaken.

But we also fall asleep in another respect. We forget that we belong to organic groups defined by ancestry and tradition. When we do manage to acquire some sputtering, inconsistent sensations of selfhood, we still remain largely absorbed in trivia. Connection of our individual selves with the ancestors, with our Folk, is lost.

Men and women of European descent are asleep. We have forgotten who we are. Just as individuals are dulled into forgetfulness by daydreams, entire peoples are mesmerized by the media and by the messages built into what passes for popular culture. Our ancestors are “dead White males,” our culture one of “oppression." To question these assumptions, to protest that this is unfair, is...racist.

Nonsense. There is nothing racist about acknowledging who we are, and honoring that identity.

Listen to the voices of the ancestors! Listen to those whose latest expressions we are, those without whom we would not be. They whisper to us and tell us: We are a people. Just as there is a spiritual duty to awaken as individuals, so there is also a duty to awaken to an awareness of our personal and collective lineage, our Folk.

When we awaken as individuals, we can see the beauty and wonder that surrounds us - the ongoing panorama of the natural world and our experiences in it. When we awaken to the Folk, we connect with the entire history of our people, all the travail and triumph of tens of thousands of years. We realize that we have been given a priceless gift by those who came before us, a gift which we must transmit to our descendants.

We gain...continuity.

“Only when we realize we are a river will we stop drowning in puddles.”

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru and Awakening - Part One

2009-06-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

I went out early in the pre-dawn to take out the garbage. Hardly a spiritual task, you might think. But as I walked out the door, I gazed up at the sky.

A pale, pale blue lit the east. A thin crescent of a moon, and two planets glowing like diamonds, decked the pre-dawn glory. As I watched, a bat made his erratic path across the scene, claiming one last insect before retiring for the day. All was silent.

We are asleep. The world goes on around us, but most of the time we are absorbed in a dull buzz of daydreams and plans, echoes of memories and images arising from phrases off the radio or television in the background. We are not even truly aware of ourselves as living, sovereign beings, much less cognizant of the ever-changing drama in the sky, or around the bird feeder in the garden.

Our sense of personal awareness, our ego, is only rudimentary. I believe it is our task to awaken, to become more aware that we exist, to build a permanent and enduring self that can assert its will in the world and, ultimately, to survive the miniature Ragnarok of the death experience in such a way that we have a high degree of consciousness and volition in the afterlife.

This, of course, it the exact opposite of all those philosophies that urge us to annihilate the self, to get rid of our ego.

Before we can know the Gods, before we can see the glory that surrounds us every moment, before we can even know ourselves, we must Awaken.

(Suggested reading: The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution by P.D. Ouspensky, Lecture One.)

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Germany Does It Again - World's Oldest Musical Instrument!

2009-06-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Late last month I posted news of the world's oldest sculpture, found in a cave in southern Germany.

Now, the same cave has yielded a 35,000 year-old bone flute, which archeologist Nicholas Conrad pronounced “unambiguously the oldest instrument in the world.”

Looks like the people in Germany were pretty innovative, even back then!

You can find an article on the flute at

http://tinyurl.com/molopz

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Asatru Folk Assembly Midsummer, 2009

2009-06-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

The AFA's “Midsummer in the Sierras” extended over an incredible four days and left an indelible mark on all who witnessed it.

What follows is only a summary of the gathering's high points. In between the items listed below, there were short workshops and rituals, much laughter, and many spiritual insights!

There were four intense blots, or rituals in honor of the Gods and Goddesses of Asatru. Two were given by students in the AFA Clergy program in fulfillment of their training requirements - one blot to Vidar by Johnny Hulsey, and another to Freya, by his wife Julia. Both were judged outstanding successes.

David James, Asatru elder and special guest, conducted the main Midsummer blot. His rite was the very first live performance of one of his original works. Finally, Steve McNallen, head of the AFA, led the folk in a late-night blot to Odin.

The attendees sat at sumbel twice during the event, passing the mead horn to bring the might of the ancestors into the present so it could be applied to our needs. One sumbel was formal, another was much more casual, but both helped us build deep fellowship, and raised much power from the past.

Birgit and Liz led one of the two principal workshops. Reading through the Eddic poem Voluspa in the Old Norse and in an original English translation, they brought the verses to life and immersed us in the Way of our Folk. A comparable session by David James gave us new thoughts on our identity as a Folk, and on how surrounding ourselves with art - in the broad sense of the term - can affirm and deepen that identification. David, active in the revival of Germanic religion for some forty years or more, was enthusiastically received by all who heard him speak or who talked with him in person.

Rites of passage played a very important role in this Midsummer. Johnny and Julia Hulsey took the AFA Clergy oath and were hailed as Gothi and Gythja respectively. Scott and Cynthia pledged their wedding vows in a ceremony combining the elegance and formality of a mainstream “church wedding” (tuxedos, flowing satin dresses, a cake-and-champagne reception) with the very essence of Asatru (calling on the Gods, a hammer-blessing of the bride, exchange of sword and keys).

Saturday night, The Blarney Band had young and not-so-young alike dancing on the grass. Live music has been an integral part of the AFA's annual gatherings for several years.

Toward the end of our time together, we participated in an intense brainstorming session on new ways to bring the AFA message to a broader audience, especially young people. Detailed notes were taken and exact steps to accomplish our goals were established.

The date for the next “Midsummer in the Sierras” is June 25-27, 2010. All AFA members and friends are invited to begin making preparations now!

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

http://runestone.org

Back from Midsummer!

2009-06-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

Sheila and I, accompanied by Thorgrun and Katie Odden and our guest David James, rolled in from the Asatru Folk Assembly's Midsummer celebration a few hours ago.

The house is a wreck, and there are still more things to unload from the cars. As I write, David is sitting on the deck, refining and adapting the blot he did for us on Saturday.

And what a Midsummer it was! Four major blots, two sumbels. two detailed presentations, numerous shorter agenda items, and two fine AFA members who took the oath of Clergy. During all this we laughed, cried, danced to live music, told our worst and our best jokes, watched the stars come out over the Sierras - and more. Asatru at its best!

Tomorrow you'll get a detailed after-action report. Right now I'm going to go back downstairs, have a glass of wine on the deck, and watch the light change on the Sierras before getting back to work.

We've already set the date for the next Midsummer gathering, and reserved the site.

Will you be with us?

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Midsummer, Here We Come!

2009-06-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!

In another eight hours, AFA members will be arriving from across the country to celebrate the rites of Asatru.

David James, our special guest, arrived safely last night and is in good hands.

Sheila was up into the wee hours doing last minute packing.

We've made our lists, and we're checking them twice!

It's going to be frantic, frustrating, fun...fantastic. We will honor the Gods, and build the AFA ever stronger.

Stay tuned for our afer-action report!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Four Rules for Telling People About Asatru

2009-06-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

There are four rules to remember when telling people about Asatru, whether in casual conversation, or an email, or in a deliberate presentation:

1.Every message must be understandable to your audience. (No jargon, no unexplained concepts.)

2.Every message must be believable. (Don’t confuse mythology with history; i.e., don’t tell them Odin literally rides an eight-legged horse.)

3.Every message must be non-threatening. (Turn down the warrior imagery; put away the sword and axe.)

4.Every message must be relevant. (It must have direct application to life - that is, the life of a modern man or woman, not the life of a tenth-century Viking!)

If we in the AFA can remember these rules, we can change the world. And that is, after all, the idea!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Another Great Asatru Event!

2009-06-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Things are really hopping around here!

The Asatru Folk Assembly's Midsummer gathering is upon us, and all the signs are that this will be a spectacular event.

I've arranged for David James, our special guest, to give the Midsummer blot. Ritual has been one of his main focuses for - oh, the last forty years or so - and I am sure those of you who are coming will be more than a little impressed. David's quite the scholar, too, and his talks are going to be powerful. This will be a golden opportunity to meet a genuine Asatru elder!

We'll tape David's talk, and interview him as well.

A UPS truck pulled up in front of the house yesterday with a big box of T-shirts. These are blue, with the AFA logo outlined in white and the words "Asatru Folk Assembly - The Way of our Ancestors...Calling us home!" with "www.runestone.org" beneath. We'll be selling them at the Midsummer event, then offering them for sale on the website. You're going to love these!

Tonight we're meeting with Scott and Cynthia, the couple who will be getting married on Saturday night. We'll finalize the ceremony and just get to know each other a little.

I'm already getting stoked about my Odin-Blot, scheduled for late Saturday night! Add to that the fact that we've picked up another ten or twelve attendees in the last 24 hours, and it's getting really exciting.

It's all coming together, folks. This will be an event to remember!

Hail the Gods!
Hail the AFA!

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://www.runestone.org

What the Asatru Folk Assembly is All About!

2009-06-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the reason we're doing all this:

The mission of the Asatru Folk Assembly is to practice, promote, and further evolve the religion of Asatru, thus forging it into a powerful and effective tool for building a better world.

In short, we want to make a difference.

Check us out. If you like what you see - join us!

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

http://runestone.org

Ancient Europeans in Florida 13,500 Years Ago?

2009-06-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a story to watch! A newly-found sculpture may be evidence of ancient Europeans in southern Florida 13,500 years ago.

This small piece of bone with the image of a mastodon etched on it is causing a stir in anthropology.

Dr. Barbara Purdy, professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Florida, is on record as saying that the only comparable images are in European cave paintings. Now, it's hard to say just what she meant by that, but there is a growing body of evidence indicating that people from ancient Spain and France arrived in North America before the migration from Asia. This could be one more piece of the puzzle.

This little sculpture is simply "the oldest, most spectacular and rare work of art in the Americas," according Dr. Purdy.

No one involved has yet suggested a connection with ancient Europeans, but it sure fits a pattern!

Here's a link to the article:

http://tinyurl.com/lal8dj

To find out how Europeans made it to North America, check out the DVD Ice Age Columbus. Here's an Amazon link:

http://tinyurl.com/mlk4xf

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Communicating Asatru

2009-06-09T06:35:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what Asatru is, what do I tell them? My answer depends on who's asking. You have to reach people in terms that they’ll understand.

To steal a line from the leftists, “To take the revolution to the people, you have to go to where the people are at,” in terms of perceptions and understanding.

I almost never use the word “pagan,” because to the average American that means either a person without religion, or a New Age eclectic who mixes pantheons haphazardly and talks a lot about crystals and vibrations.

I almost never use the word “heathen,” because to most folks that’s an ignorant hick who has no religion.

I almost never mention the Vikings, except as additional information or as a “hook” to give them something on which they can hang the concept of Asatru. The Viking Age was about one tenth of Germanic history, and despite all the historical rehabilitation of the Norse, no one thinks of them as fonts of spiritual wisdom.

What you think the words “pagan” and “heathen” mean, or what you think about the Vikings, is not the point...the perceptions of your audience are what matters.

So what do I say in response to questions? “Asatru is a native European faith, comparable to Native American religion, native African religion, and other indigenous beliefs around the world. It’s what our ancestors did for the thousands of years before they were converted to Christianity.” Not too much information, just enough to get the message across.

Science fiction writer Robert Heinlein wrote that “Revolution is the art of communication.” And make no mistake, what we are proposing is nothing less than a spiritual revolution, a revolution in thought. We must become expert communicators!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

What America and the West Owe Asatru

2009-06-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here’s a quick list of twelve American institutions and traditions that have their origin in the tribal societies of pre-Christian Europe:

Trial by jury (dates back at least to the Vikings)

Right to bear arms (carried by all freemen)

Rights of women (declined drastically under Christianity)

Local democracy (local assemblies, or Things)

National representative republics (Iceland)

Anglo-Saxon Common Law (the “rights of Englishmen”)

System of “checks and balances” (structure of Germanic tribes included equivalent of an executive, a judicial, and a legislative branch)

Kings subject to law (common in pre-Christian times, before “divine right”)

Election of rulers (practiced by some tribes)

Resistance to tyrants (required under law in some cases)

Concept of free will (implied by Germanic concepts of time and causality)

Specific limits on the powers of kings and chiefs (by law)

Unfortunately, it can be argued that the pre-Christian Germanic heritage has been increasingly undermined with the passage of time as the power of government has grown at the expense of our rights.

Freedom, balanced with responsibility...It's a Teutonic thing!

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Growing in Asatru

2009-06-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

When I first discovered the Gods, I was in my testosterone-laden twenties. I thought our religion was all about warriors. Goddesses weren’t very important to me then, and I didn’t even have a name for our faith, other than “Norse paganism.” And, of course, the concept that there might be an innate connection between ethos and ethnos, between a distinct people and their Gods, never crossed my mind.

That may sound unbelievable to younger generations, but it really was different back then!

It took me about fifteen years to realize that warriors were a part of a society, not the whole...that the Goddesses were as holy and as essential as the Gods...that we could be called “Asatru” among other things...and that our religion, like all native religions, springs from the unique soul and the cumulative experience of a group of people bound by blood heritage.

We all learn. It may take time, but we do get older and (usually) wiser.

When you see someone who is new to the faith, help them, mentor them, encourage them. Be patient with our companions, and help them along the path.

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

The Oldest Sculpture in the World

2009-05-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

The oldest sculpture in the world - of a busty female figure - comes from southwestern Germany, and dates to 36,000 years ago. It beats the next-oldest known sample of representative art by about five thousand years.

Carvings have been found in Africa that are much earlier, but they consist of nothing more than cross-hatched lines.

Cambridge archeologist Paul Mellars notes that “The advent of fully representational, ‘figurative’ art seems to be a European phenomenon, without any documented parallels in Africa or elsewhere earlier than about thirty thousand years ago.”

“How far this ‘symbolic explosion’ associated with the origins and dispersal of our species reflects a major, mutation-driven reorganization in the cognitive capacities of the human brain - perhaps associated with a similar leap forward in the complexity of language - remains a fascinating and contentious issue,” he wrote.

http://tinyurl.com/oxfg3m

Steve McNallen

Asatru Folk Assembly

"Asatru - it's not just what we believe, it's who we are."

Asatru and the Flow of Life

2009-05-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Three deer are living under my porch. The oldest is a very pregnant mama deer. Two younger deer are keeping her company. Whenever I walk onto the porch, they go scattering with much bumping and thumping against the underside of the flooring.

The finches that made their nest in the corner of the porch have flown, but Sheila saw a female bird sitting there today. There are still loads of finches around, along with the woodpeckers and other birds, so it's possible we're going to get a second hatching this season.

PK (Porch Kitty) continues to make his rounds, freeloading off us softies and enjoying a bit of a relaxation in our “safe zone” - until the deer startle him and he dashes a few yards off to be sure they mean him no harm.

Finally, there are the lizards that live among the concrete blocks lining what would have been a flower bed, if the deer hadn’t eaten every plant that poked its head out of the soil. The lizards scurry about and do their funny little pushups …I never did figure out why lizards do that…

All this life in, over, around, and under twenty-five feet of porch! I love it!

The lore of Asatru paints our ancestors as unsentimental in their attitudes toward animals. (Don’t get me wrong, I’d eat “my” deer if I had to do so!) This seeming lack of empathy may or may not be accurate. In any case, we live in different times - we have pushed the environment to the brink, and are engaging in one of the most massive extermination of species since life emerged. For some of us, this has given us a new awareness of just how precious life is.
I know this: I will serve Life on this planet - and I will strive for the day that our Folk expand into the Galaxy and carry higher Life to worlds that have never known it.

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

Germans to Thrash Romans in Minnesota!

2009-05-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

This year marks the 2000th anniversary of the destruction of three Roman legions at the hands of a German tribal coalition led by Herman, known to the Romans as “Arminius.” This engagement, one of the “fifteen decisive battles” in world history, kept Germania from being overrun by the multicultural hordes of the late Roman Empire. In short, it saved the Germany, and the German people, that we know today.

The town of New Ulm, Minnesota will have a three-day festival on September 18-20 to honor their German heritage at their Hermann Monument. This will be a huge event complete with visiting foreign dignitaries, fireworks, a parade, a Roman encampment, and a recreation of that fateful September day in 9 AD.

On Saturday September 19, a 2000-year-old event in history will be revisited. Local historical reenactors and just plain citizens are invited to participate in the battle. Saturday afternoon at the Roman campsite, they can join one of the tribes: Hermann's Cherusci Auxiliaries, the Bructeri, Marsi, or a tribe of their own.. Hosts of the event will supply the face paint and some Cherusci Auxiliary uniforms.

The celebration is being sponsored by the town of New Ulm, the State of Minnesota, along with Legio XIIII Martia Victrix, and my group Legio X Equestris Veneria (Rome Chicago).

It's good to see this level of activism; in times past, funds couldn't be found even for routine maintenance of the monument. I hope this celebration will help put a little cash in their coffers. For all of us who follow Asatru, this event is a great opportunity.

Interested Romans and barbarians should contact kev.kmw@gmail.com or jkmake@gmail.com.

More information: http://hermannmonument.com

Petition to authorize Thor's Hammer on veterans' headstones!

2009-04-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Greetings, everyone -

Please take a moment and go to the Asatru Military Family Support Program's web site to sign our petition asking the Department of Veterans Affairs to authorize Thor's Hammer on headstones for veterans of the Asatru faith.

It's easy! Go to http://hammerproject.org ...then click on "Sign Petition" on the navigation bar...then at the bottom of the page that comes up, hit "Sign Petition!"

Feel free to leave (appropriate!) comments, especially if you are a veteran!

Please pass this on to everyone you know - regardless of religion, politics, pro- or anti-war - who might sign it.

Oh - enjoy the rest of the site while you're there, too!

Thank you!

Stephen A. McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
Veteran, United States Army

Thoughts on Ragnar's Death Song

2009-04-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ragnar Lodbrok was the legendary Norseman celebrated in the classic 1958 movie The Vikings, where he was played by (non-Viking) Ernest Borgnine. More authentically, Ragnar starred in his own saga, Ragnars saga lodbrokar. His life ended when he was thrown into a pit of serpents by King Ella, but he died calmly, singing a song celebrating the feats he had performed in a lifetime of warfare.

I was looking for Ragnar's death song, known as the Krakumal, so I could include at least a few stanzas for the "faith book” the AFA is putting together for Asatru military personnel. I finally found some - not all - of the verses online in English, but it seems both Krakumal and Ragnar’s saga itself have been unavailable for a long time. This is a pity, and I plan on doing something about that, but that’s another story.

It is good to contemplate our deaths, because that in turn forces us to look at our lives - what we have accomplished, and what we have left undone. In Asatru we have a saying that “We are our deeds.” If this is true, reflection on our deeds is a valuable spiritual exercise - and summing up those deeds in the form of a climactic “death song” would be even better.

What would your song tell your children and their descendants about you? That you were true, or a scoundrel? Did you do great things, or was your life spent in front of the television? Did mighty passions move through your soul, or were you just another automaton fulfilling the command to produce, consume, and obey?

Live well, die well, become immortal. Hail Ragnar!

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

Great Time at the Northern Calfornia Asatru Meetup!

2009-04-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sheila has been driving down to Sacramento for the Asatru Meetup organized some months back by Rob Livingston. While it’s not an AFA-sponsored function, it’s definitely AFA-friendly and lots of us show up there.

Yesterday, I took a day off from work and drove down with Sheila to check out the scene for myself. I’m glad I did!

We met at Diane’s place and, after some initial socializing, gave blot to Ostara. I led into the ritual with a short talk on blot in general, emphasizing the exchange of blessings between humans and the Divine. I also made some general comments on Ostara. After an opening and a calling to Ostara, we passed a horn around the circle so each individual could place a hand on it and infuse the mead with his or her “might, and main, and troth.” This was offered to Ostara. A second horn was raised, and she was asked to pour her blessings into it. We then shared that might-infused mead by taking a drink from the horn, and by sprinkling it on the participants with a redwood sprig from the tree in the back yard.

Then we were off to the annual Bock Bier Fest at the Sacramento Turnverein. What a great time! The crowd was energetic, with lots of young faces that hadn’t been there on our previous visits. It seems the organization is reaching out to the local college students, who show up for cheap beer and - some of them at least - stay hooked by culture and heritage. For many of these young folk, it was probably their first exposure to German traditional dances and costumes.

We drove home and poured ourselves into bed at the stroke of midnight, feeling that our time had been well spent. I’ll definitely be there next year!

And if you live in the area, drop in on the Northern California Asatru Meetup! They get together monthly. Here’s a link. I understand they’re going to visit a meadery in the near future…

http://www.meetup.com/Northern-California-Asatru/

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly

http://runestone.org

Robert E. Howard Days, June 12-13

2009-04-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

When I was in my early teens, I discovered the writings of Robert E. Howard. They had a striking effect on my life.

Howard, for those (many) who don’t know, is the author of the original Conan stories, among other things. His writing is reminiscent of Jack London and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Toss in a bit of H.P. Lovecraft and the Saga of Harald Hardrada, and you’ve got a decent approximation of Howard.

Howard lived and wrote in Cross Plains, Texas. The town hosts the annual “Robert E. Howard Days.” This year, this event is set for June 12-13. If you live within driving distance, you might want to check it out by going to http://www.rehupa.com and scrolling down the page to see just what they’ll be doing.

So what does this have to do with Asatru? Believe it or not, Howard’s Conan sagas were a factor in bringing me to the Gods. These stories hooked me on a fiction genre known as “sword and sorcery,” and it was while looking for such material that I found a novel on the Vikings…and the rest is history. But beyond that, Conan is a politically-incorrect figure with courage, strength, and all-around hardiness that raises him far above the herd.

Philosphically, think of Howard’s stories as a mixture of Nietzsche and Darwin. But Conan, the character, is a man of action rather than a thinker. Read him and you’ll want to go lift weights!

Steve McNallen
Asatru Folk Assembly
http://runestone.org

Kensington Stone on Radio Sunday Night!

2009-03-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here’s an important update:

Sunday, March 29th

Ian Punnet welcomes geologist and researcher Scott Wolter, who’ll discuss the historic Kensington Runestone and how its discovery changes everything we know about America.

http://www/coasttocoastam.com/shows/schedule.html