SOUTH EAST HEATHEN NEWSLETTER Vol. 1 Issue 2
©drawn by Christina Haynie
Hello Everyone! Welcome to our second issue of South East Heathen Newsletter. Newsletter. This issue will feature some new writers and some very useful concepts, but we could still use more participation. The newsletter can only be successful if you are willing to make it so. We would like to thank those who have taken time out of their lives to give us some great articles, art work, and poems. My co-editor and I would like to mention that we plan on running this newsletter for two years. If by that time we do not have more participation then we will cease running it. With that being said we would like to mention that we are opening up the newsletter to more editorial style articles. We realize that not everyone wants to write a scholarly essay. We would also like to remind everyone that this newsletter is for all heathens. We would love to have articles, poems, artwork, and event write ups from everyone. If you have a concept or a point of view you would like to put out there then send us your article. We want this newsletter to be useful to everyone. Do you have an event going on? Let us know! Would you like to make your heathen presence known so that other heathens near you may contact you? Let us know! Send us an email address. We don’t expect you to give out personal information, but a comfortable way you wouldn’t mind b eing contacted. We can only help build our heathen community if others can find us. We hope you enjoy reading the second issue of our newsletter. Let us know what you think. Give us feedback. This newsletter newsletter is for you. You can contact us and send submissions at
[email protected] [email protected].. The next n ext deadline is October st
1 for all submissions. Don’t be shy. Let’s get this show show on the road and some good discussions going! Thanks! Brooke Rawson Co-editor of the SEHN
May Day Celebration Celebration – Toby Bianchi Red Top Mountain State Park: May 1, 2011 Hearth Martin and the Atlanta Heathens It was a warm, sunny day when the Atlanta Heathens gathered in conjunction with Hearth Martin to host a May Day celebration at Red Top Mountain State Park outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia. We gathered to raise a maypole, to cook and feast, and welcome the coming of summer. The celebration was the end cap to a weekend dedicated to our Gods, our Ancestors, and the Wights. The Night before, we gathered in a private Walpurgisnacht celebration and stood watch through the night, welcoming Sunna in on May Day. Tired, we then made our way from Hearth Martin to the picnic site we reserved on Lake Alatoona, at Red Top Mountain State park. We commenced decorating the site, and stood a small tent to serve as a shrine, hosting idols of our Gods, to remind everyone why we gathered. We constructed a 10’ Maypole with a steel sunwheel at its apex, decorated with flowers and bright ribbons. We sunk it into the earth, and, while a bit wobbly, it stood long enough for us to hail our May Queen, Leah, and have her lead the Maypole dance. Afterward, it was time to eat, with hot dogs and hamburgers provided by Karl and Nicole Martin, as well as other foods brought by the other guests. There was roast corn, squash, and other vegetables, as well as salads and a large selection of deserts. Gathered amongst the guests were a diverse group of people, some heathen, some heathen friendly. One couple came down from Nashville, Tennessee to visit and learn more about our Folkway. After the feast and the the desert, there were some picnic games and good fellowship. Then it was time to leave. Later that day, on their way home, the Tennessean couple were run off the road by a negligent driver. J, the woman, was severely hurt. It says something about the Atlanta Heathens that every Heathen attending the May Day event pitched in money to help them during this dark time. The Martins and some of the Atlanta Heathens went to visit them in the hospital to deliver the gift, as well as to bring food and a friendly face. Special thanks should go to Karl and Nicole for organizing the event, as well as Darren Perlongo for the very thoughtful gift of a portable DVD player for J, as she was the worse injured and confined to a bed for an amount of time. So, even in the face of adversity, our folk remain Tru. Hail Hearth Martin! Hail Darren Perlongo! Hail the Atlanta Heathens!
Midsummer Event Report – Toby Biachi Tybee Island, Island, GA: GA: June 18 - 19, 2011 Atlanta Heathens This June, the Atlanta Heathens gathered a bit far from home to gather together and celebrate our Gods and our Folk. With the generous gift of lodging from Hearth Martin – the Atlanta Atlanta Heathens Heathens and South South East Kindred Kindred gathered gathered on Tybee Island Island to celebrate Midsummer. The previous day, we spent time relaxing on the beach, swimming, and enjoying the sand and surf. Some of us becoming a spectacular shade of red. That night, we were joined by guests and had a chance to talk, enjoy each other’s company, and listen to a true raconteur in the form of Bodi Mayo. Following that we then sat in Symbel and hailed our Gods, our ancestors, and our folk. The next day, at Sunna’s highest point in her travels across the sky, we gathered on the beach for a faining faining in her honor. During the faining, South East Kindred was kind enough to stand at the edge of innangard and guard our sacred space. Then we said our goodbyes to South East kindred, who had another event to attend, and sat to a true feast of a low country boil, the shrimp and crab provided generously by Darren Perlongo, Leah Turner, Toby Bianchi, and Brian Tolliver. It was a weekend of fellowship, worship, and above all relationship building. Hail the Atlanta Heathens!
Cordials Cordials for Healing and Ritual R itual By: Nicole Martin This article represents my personal ideas and is not intended to be a lore based article. Rather it is an idea of what one could do as an alternative to brewing, or buying, mead. Today, many modern herbalists herbalists use cordials for medicinal medicinal purposes. A cordial is very simple to make, and finishes finishes fairly quickly. Unlike mead which takes takes months/years to be palatable, a cordial can be ready in only a couple of weeks. This is a good option for those where space, knowledge or cost is a concern. My husband and I lived in a very small loft for many years and did not have the room to brew, however we were able to make cordials on our countertop. Cordials were not a thing thing unheard of in Medieval Europe. Europe. There are many surviving recipes of healing cordials. The following recipe is from “The Whole Whole Duty of a Woman”: You must take Raisins stoned two Pounds, Figs sliced half a Pound, Cinnamon Cinnamon two Ounces and and a half, Nutmegs one ounce, cloves half an Ounce, Mace half an Ounce, Liquorice three Ounces, Saffron half an ounce; bruise the Spices, slice the Liquorice, etc. and pull the Saffron in Pieces, and i nfuse them all in a Gallon of the best Brandy for seven or eight Days, ‘till the whole Virtues be extracted from them; then filter them, putting thereto a Quart of Canary wine, and half a Dram of Essence of Ambergrease, and 12 Leaves of Gold broken in Pieces, which reserve for Use. (London: 1737) As the above example of a cordial recipe goes, the basic ingredients are: flavoring, sweetener and liqueur. The simplicity can make the possibilities endless. Some say Frigga cares for our dead babies, stowing them away in strawberry fields to carry into her realm from this world. When I found the above above piece of lore it occurred to to me how lovely it would be to make Frigga a Strawberry cordial after the loss of a pregnancy/still birth. When faced with the sudden loss of a pregnancy a sweet healing cordial could could be used to soothe an aching aching body & spirit. The following, as a potential offering to Frigga to care for would be children in her realm, would be fitting.
A simple modern strawberry cordial recipe:
Ingredients: 3 cups ripe strawberries 1/2 cup sugar 1 quart vodka
Directions: Clean berries and quarter; set aside in tall half-gallon jar. Mix sugar with 1 cup water and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring mixture to boil b oil and set aside to cool. Mix cooled syrup syrup with vodka vodka and pour over over strawberries. Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place for 1 week. Pass liqueur through a fine mesh strainer Strain again through coffee filter into a bottle.
With potentially endless possibilities, a cordial is a good alternative for those who have limited space space or time. Does one of your ancestors have a favorite fruit, herb or liquor? Does a god have an affinity to an herb? Do your land wights like peaches? You can accommodate all the tastes tastes and likes of those those you honor simply, simply, quickly, quickly, and made with your own own hands – something something that no one can can deny makes the connection stronger.
Innangarths and Utangarths Bodi Mayo We see and use these terms all the time, because they are an integral part of understanding how we, as Heathens, relate to the world. But how well do we understand them? How many of us can point to the boundary between the two? Where is the dividing line? First, we need to define our terms. The Innangarth is that which is 'inside the fence', fence', and everything else is Utangarth, 'outside the fence'. In “We Are Our Deeds,” Eric Wodening tells us that for our ancestors, everything inside the fence was “that which is good, lawful” and everything that was outside it was, “evil, outside the law, unlawful.” So we see that there was a tangible difference difference in the minds and worldview of our ancestors as to who was w ho and what was what. In terms of good or evil, lawful or unlawful, in Hastrup's “Culture and Soc iety in Medieval Iceland,” she makes the distinction that, "the opposition between Innangarths and Utangarths Utangarths had important socio-legal implications." implications." So when we go a little further, we see that the difference between the two was not only a personal and familial consideration, but one that was actually a part of the law of the land, at that time. So how do we in the modern day apply this to our daily lives? I think that a good start would be a practical approach: we need to look at our interact ion with the rest of the world, and sort out who is who and what is what. This goes for all aspects of our lives, be it work, school, military, etc. It is a helpful and cathartic thing to do. Now you know. If you know, you can affect change. Given the diverse nature of living arrangements in our time, every single heathen's experience will be different, as not everyone has a homestead or a farmstead. For me and my family, our Innangarth I nnangarth (inner enclosure) starts at the head of the driveway that we share with my in-laws. It is from that point that I cross the boundary of “what is not good” to “that which is good, or holy.” A little ways down the driveway, there is an electrically-operated cattle gate that separates even the driveway from the rest of the property. I see that as a very real manifestation of the Innangarth/Utangarth principle. That gate is literally keeping the outside world out; it is a demarcation line that further defines what is “good, lawful, family or holy”, and what is not. This brings up another level for my family. Within what I like to c all the "family compound" are the divisions of property within the family. There is my mother and father-in-law's house and property, my brother-in-law and his wife's house/land, and then ours. Each one of these is an Innangarth with the larger Innangarth. We all have our own piece of the larger, but we are always conscious of the fact that each piece is but one part and sometimes the need arises to consider the big picture. So what is it t hat causes that feeling? Why do I feel better when I'm inside the gate, and on my own acreage? Because property/land that one can be on, free from any outside influence is a feeling of wholeness, of holiness. Even Even though the upkeep gets a little daunting daunting sometimes, I love it. I love every square inch of it. I feel a sense of belonging, of being right where I'm supposed to be. In his article, "Indo-European Culture, with Special Attention to to Religion," Edgar Polome states that “Inside his group, with his kith and kin, the Indo-European is safe; outside danger lurks. Inside his family, his clan, his tribe,
he enjoys all the rights and privileges that pertain to free members of the community.” community.” We all feel that way, deep down, whether we are continuously conscious of it or not. As a Germanic Heathen man, I am ever conscious of it. It informs and directs everything that I say and do. Inside my Innangarth, I am free to exercise the rights and privileges that my family and tribe have set forth in our customs and traditions. There are roles that I must fulfill, and there are proprieties that must be observed. At all times, the health and well-being of my family must be considered, as well as that of the land and all the creatures living on it. Outside my fence, out in the Utangarth, is another story altogether. Out there, things are different. I am held to a high standard inside my Innangarth, but I am held to just as high a standard, if not higher, when I'm outside in the Utangarth. That is because because I am representing not only myself, but my family, my ancestors, and in a larger sense, Heathenry itself. That leads me to another point: Just how much of the Utangarth do we allow inside the fence, and how much do we bring back with us? I feel this is a tricky question to pin down, since the dynamics for each of us will be slightly different, but I think I've c ome up with a few things that could be applicable to most folks:
Your house, your rules. Do not be afraid to enforce your household rules at any time to anyone. o
Tact, of course, is required to do this without being a jerk. The point is that the host/guest dynamic is a microcosm of the Innangarth/Utangarth interaction, and your thew is the law of the hall, which is, in heathen understanding, understanding, a sacrosanct place. All care should be taken to make your customs seemly, so as to never put your guest purposefully in a bad position. On the contrary, as a guest, you should always give your host a generous benefit of the doubt, within good reason.
It might be easier said than done, but try your best to leave all the negativity and BS from the Utangarth outside your fence. o
If you don't bring it in, it can't affect your Innangarth. I say that sometimes the best offense is a good defense. defense. If I am mindful of clearing my thoughts and worries so as not to negatively affect the mood of my home, then we will enjoy our time better and be more productive as a family. The same goes for couples or single folk with roommates. It can also be said to be a lessening of personal luck to let things from the Utangarth drive you to poison your own well, so to speak.
Take the necessary steps to protect your Innangarth. o
As most heathen folk know, this all starts with the land taking. What about what comes after that? My first suggestion would be to own and be proficient with your firearm of choice. If you don't like owning guns, then make sure your physical fence is top notch, and/or that you have good security alarms. There are many arguments that can be made on this point and many “what if” tangents to take. My firm opinion is that while
authorities should be involved for propriety's sake, you ar e the first line of defense for your family, your home, and your property. Act accordingly. After all, your life and honor are at stake.
Do something each day or each week to strengthen the integrity of your Innangarth. o
Even if it's something small, like checking the batteries in the alarm box, or checking the tension on the fence wire, you're doing something. I like to walk the borders of my property whenever I can; it is good exercise, and it also functions as me re-emphasizing to the land wights that I am doing what I can to live peacefully and helpfully helpfully with them. Another benefit is that I am keeping myself mindful of the extent of my authority, as well as being up-to-date on the ever-changing nature of the land itself.
I would caution all of us to be conscious of anything – word, thought, or deed that could put our individual Innangarths or our greater community in danger. It is from our inner enclosure that we draw our strength, our purpose, and our meaning. It was the understanding of these relationships, this this interplay which guided and informed our ancestors’ lives. So should it be today. We could make a list a mile long on what to look out for, but that is a waste of time. If we are rooted in a firm understanding understanding of the fundamental concepts of Heathen belief and practice, the red flags will be easy to spot when they pop up. Lastly, I think it is wise to be aware of what we let out of our Innangarths, too. As the old saying goes, “discretion is the better part of valor”. Not everyone needs to know everything and while we have nothing to hide, all of what we say and do is not (and should not be) for public display. In this world of constant updates and over-sharing every aspect of our lives, we should endeavor to keep some things private. The more we understand, the more we internalize and the more we put these fundamental concepts into everyday practice, the stronger we’ll all be in the coming years.
Though it be little, better to live in a house you hold as your own; with just two goats, thin thatch for your roof, you're better off than begging. -Havamal 36 (Terry translation)
How about we actually do something? By: Justin Robson I cannot count the number of times that I have seen people complain about there being nothing going on around them via Facebook, forums, Heathen oriented news lists, and the like. There are also a large number of people that are all talk and little to no action. There is a difference between those that attempt to try but fail and those that cannot even gather up the self momentum to even get to the attempting stage. I am of the opinion that our ancestors 1
would find this detestable – and I will say this right now, now, this article has a large large potential to 2
offend some people. If you find it offensive, you might be part of the problem . Ideally, we would all have flourishing Kindreds that were shining examples of the bonds of family, our values and actions that would make our ancestors of a thousand years ago raise a horn in the ancestral halls. Notice I said ideally. Why ideally? Because that is not the reality which is seen when one looks looks at the Heathen community community at large – beyond all of our fracturing and differences. We do have groups of people that are doing these things and that is progress, but it is not enough to just let those already doing it, do it. We have to grow our community from the ground up, no one will do it for us. Forty years ago, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson did not wait for someone else to do something. Else Christensen, Valgard Murray, Murray, Steve McNallen, Rud Mills, Garman Lord and other founders didn’t either. They literally started something that we now take for granted – and I cannot speak to any of their personal opinions, opinions, but I bet they would be pleased as punch that Heathenry has taken off like it has. But why remain complacent where we are, when there is so much left to be done? Not by keyboard cowboys or cyber-vikings, cyber-vikings, but by those that get out there and build community. community. Period. Nothing is ever going to become realized in the material world that is only typed about from behind a screen. My proof? The fact that there was no internet when the founders started it, they wrote newsletters and articles, they put adds i n the back of magazines, they researched and applied the things that our ancestors lived for a thousand and more years ago. Bottom line: they acted. We need to revisit this, because we are losing the momentum in many parts of the country – not that we are a conversion machine, rather we are no longer building community. community. We are allowing ourselves, as a community, to fall to the ease of cyber communication in the 3
place of face to face gathering .
1
He should rise early who has few workers to see to his work himself. He lo ses much who sleeps in the morning. Half of wealth wealth is gotten gotten by initiative. initiative. (Havamal, 59 – Chisolm translation.) 2 This extends beyond only the getting together, it speaks to the larger problem of be complacent. 3 There is something to be said in the defense of those that can legitimately not get out to meet anyone whether for medical reasons, a legal minor, etc. The point is if there is any small fraction of possibility, it should be a reality.
“But I am the only one here” is the response that I almost unilaterally receive when people tell me that they don’t have a choice but to go it alone. That’s crap. I thought that I was the only one around too, both when I was stationed in Washington state and when I was later stationed in Jacksonville, Florida (where I reside, with many wonderful folk not terribly far 4
away ). I was wrong both times, I was just not looking in the right place. There is a large group of Heathens that were only two hours or south of Everett, WA and the entire year and change I was stationed there (minus a deployment) was spent without even knowing it. That’s so much additional time that I could have had involved in the community. That’s how our ancestors lived, in a community, dependent on one another for survival. When I arrived in Jacksonville I knew no one, didn’t know if any Heathens were around, and so I decided to start a community here after failing to find one. Big deal – pat myself on the back and move on. With a modicum of work and perseverance I was able to make something happen. I put this out as proof that I have been in the position that I believed to be alone here – instead of sitting around waiting for someone else to start something, I did. It makes the most sense, to do something instead of hoping that you will be brought into someone else’s group they started. If one looks around wholeheartedly and really tries, with no results either the group does not exist, does not want to be found or one is looking in the wrong place. You do not have to be an expert to get a community started; many that I know have started as study groups. It is an awesome place to start. There are many online communities that can be used as stepping stones to get in contact with others nearby and potentially get something started – the key is not being content with just the internet based connections connections we achieve. The internet is a wonderful tool and we would be borderline foolish to not take advantage of it, but it is neither the pinnacle of Heathen life nor what we should be complacent 5
with . Our complacency with the internet as a substitute may be a result of the society that we live in, the instant culture that is marked by the need to have things immediately. I honestly feel that many people give up because of the amount of time that it takes to really get things started with a strong foundation to ensure what grows will last. However, I am not a sociologist and do not have any support or evidence for this opinion – but this is something to think about. We are required to live in the society we find ourselves in, and given the chance most of us could do great things for it because of the different values that most of us share. We are supposed to have drive, dependability, courage and above all a desire to improve the situation for our descendants. That starts with us. 4
For me this is in an area of about 2.5 hours one way – we are not on every corner or in every town… we have to travel sometimes. Havamal 34, Thorpe: it's no distance to one who is dear though you travel many miles. 5 Young and alone on a long road, Once I lost my way: Rich I felt when I found a another; Man rejoices in man. Havamal, Havamal, 47 – Taylor Translati Translation. on.
So how do we go about bettering the future for our descendants, the Heathens that will carry on when we are gone and will call out our names over the horn and into the Well? There are a myriad of things we can do, almost all of them are incredibly simple. This is by no means a comprehensive list, rather an attempt to enumerate some very basic things to note. First off, get involved. Do something something – anything. Some forward forward progress is better than than none, even if it is only starting a pub moot that no one shows up to. That simple action provides at least the 6
opportunity for community growth . Secondly, don’t give up when things get hard, if it was so
easy everyone would be making the progress we are needing. My father has said, and countless others’ have probably probably said the same, “If it is easy, it is not worth worth it – if it is worth it, it is not easy.” Or, at least, something to that effect. We do not have the luxury of complacency when there is so much work left to be done. Lastly, do not be afraid to fail. It happens to everyone, it it is the effort behind our actions and the commitment that we apply to our obstacles that matter in the face of failure. We would all prefer to succeed, but trying your best when you fail is the closest you will get to success. It breeds experience and many times will provide the know how to succeed down the road – even if there are more failures before you get get there. Honestly, I do not expect many people to take this to heart, to listen or even become more active because of this article… but I am not afraid to fail. I see a problem. I know how I have overcome it personally. Sometimes it takes someone pointing out the elephant in the room to get people to notice it. I have become accustomed to making decisions and choosing actions with the mirror test: “Will I be able to look at myself as a proud man when I wake up tomorrow and look at myself in the mirror when I brush my teeth?” This article may rub people the wrong way and that is fine with me, because as I said earlier, it might because you realize you are part of the problem problem – that is a victory enough for me. I merely desire to help our community; I really do not want to upset people. Sometimes a frying pan is more effective than “kiddie gloves.” There is, in general too much fear of hurting someone’s feelings; maybe it was growing up on a farm, maybe it is the military experience I have, maybe it is something else – 7
but sometimes you have to in order to fix problems . Folks, this is a problem. To ask well, to answer rightly, Are the marks of a wise man: Men must speak of men's deeds, What happens may not be hidden. (Havamal 28, Taylor Trans.) 6
Granted, just deciding to host a pub moot and not putting the information out there is no t really doing much more than setting aside a time to go drink by yourself. This does not really fall under the idea of doing something. 7 This is not advocating a Machiavellia n way of making all decisions or dealing with people. However, sometimes we have to look to the greater good, the big picture or whatever means you use to describe that idea. We are still in the infancy of the Folkway and it is now that the foundations as laid for how we will act a hundred years from now – I would rather have a proactive community than those that just wait on 10% of the people to do 90% of the work.
SKALDS CORNER Folksoul
Ancestors
Wolf Helser
Wolf Helser
Across Time What has come to pass Across Space What is unfolding before us We are bonded We are connected to each other
Ancestors are family From days long past Maidens and Men Mothers and Fathers Grandmothers and Grandfathers Warriors, Farmers, Poets, and Priests Weavers, Tailors, Brewers, and Bricklayers
Our Ancestors to the Gods We to our Ancestors Our Descendants to us From generation to generation Through the land Through the blood Through the soul The great tapestry of Orlog Is woven and cut each day Each one of the folk A single strand of thread Their Wyrd warping and changing the weave
They lived in lands far, far away Feasts and Festivals on Midsummer’s Day They lived and died, as we all must do With each generation born to follow through And down through time we are connected still Blood to blood and the Gods will Close as a shadow shadow and yet forever apart Listen closely and you can hear their heart You may not know their names But rest assured, they know yours Watching over the family At the edge of Midgard’s shores
Seek within Good Heathen Folk For inside us all Folksoul
Wolf Helser is Chieftain and Minnesänger of Thrudr Frith Sigrun Kindred of the Tampa, Florida area. He and his wife enjoy attending events events in their area – Wolf generally hosts the Viking games of the South East Folk Moot.
