The Ásatrú Alliance (AA) is an American Heathen group founded in 1988 by Michael J. Murray (a.k.a. Valgard Murray) of Arizona , a former vice-president of Else Christensen 's Odinist Fellowship . The establishment of the Alliance, as well as the establishment of The Troth , followed the disbanding of the Asatru Free Assembly ("old AFA") in 1986. The Ásatrú Alliance largely reconstituted the old AFA, is dominated by prior AFA members, and acts as a distributor of previously AFA publications.
175-751: Stephen McNallen founded the Asatru Folk Assembly ("new AFA") in 1994 as the successor organization to the Asatru Free Assembly. The Alliance and the Folk Assembly organizations have existed in parallel since, temporarily united within the International Asatru-Odinic Alliance (1997–2002). The group is typically classified by scholars as folkish based on their ethnocentrism and restricting of membership to those of specific ancestry. The AA defines Ásatrú as "the ethnic religion of
350-495: A cosmology based on that found in Norse mythology— Norse cosmology . As part of this framework, humanity's world—known as Midgard —is regarded as just one of Nine Worlds , all of which are associated with a cosmological world tree called Yggdrasil . Different types of being are believed to inhabit these different realms; for instance, humans live on Midgard, while dwarfs live on another realm, elves on another, jötnar on another, and
525-456: A gendered division of labor—in which men are viewed as providers and women seen as being responsible for home and children—is also widespread among Heathens in the U.S. Due to its focus on traditional attitudes to sex and gender—values perceived as socially conservative in Western nations—it has been argued that American Heathenry's ethical system is far closer to traditional Christian morals than
700-428: A pantheon of deities from pre-Christian Germanic Europe . It adopts cosmological views from these past societies, including an animistic view of the cosmos in which the natural world is imbued with spirits. The religion's deities and spirits are honored in sacrificial rites known as blóts in which food and libations are offered to them. These are often accompanied by symbel , the act of ceremonially toasting
875-586: A seiðr -worker sitting on a high seat while songs and chants are performed to invoke gods and wights. Drumming is then performed to induce an altered state of consciousness in the practitioner, who goes on a meditative journey in which they visualise travelling through the world tree to the realm of Hel . The assembled audience then provide questions for the seiðr -worker, with the latter offering replies based on information obtained in their trance-state. Some seiðr -practitioners make use of entheogenic substances as part of this practice; others explicitly oppose
1050-591: A "Neo- völkisch hate group" In October 2023, Stephen McNallen gave a speech about "Wotan's dual aspects of fury and wisdom, as noted by Dr. Carl Jung" and his recent book "The Spear" at the American Renaissance conference hosted by AmRen who makes the claim to be "America's foremost white advocacy publication." Calico described McNallen as having "a highly eclectic personality, fascinated by political, cultural, technological, and occult issues." He characterized him as "a genuinely charismatic man who commands
1225-416: A "new religion" or "modern invention" and thus prefer to depict theirs as a "traditional faith". Many practitioners avoid using the scholarly, etic term "reconstructionism" to describe their practices, preferring to characterize it as an " indigenous religion " with parallels to the traditional belief systems of the world's indigenous peoples . In identifying with indigeneity, some Heathens—particularly in
1400-463: A "small but growing" number of Heathen practitioners in the U.S. had begun performing animal sacrifice as a part of blót . Such Heathens conceive of the slaughtered animal as a gift to the gods, and sometimes also as a "traveller" who is taking a message to the deities. Groups who perform such sacrifices typically follow the procedure outlined in the Heimskringla : the throat of the sacrificial animal
1575-613: A "universalist" perspective, holding that the religion is open to all, irrespective of ethnic or racial background. While the term Heathenry is used widely to describe the religion as a whole, many groups prefer different designations, influenced by their regional focus and ideological preferences. Heathens focusing on Scandinavian sources sometimes use Ásatrú , Vanatrú , or Forn Sed ; practitioners focusing on Anglo-Saxon traditions use Fyrnsidu or Theodism ; those emphasising German traditions use Irminism ; and those Heathens who espouse folkish and far-right perspectives tend to favor
1750-552: A 1995 essay by McNallen on "what is Ásatrú", which concludes by summarizing the main goals as the practice of "courage, honor, the importance of the family and ancestral bonds, strength, freedom, the preservation of our kind, and joyful, vigorous life." The AA is currently headed by a board of directors composed of representatives appointed by their kindred, to speak on their behalf for any AA business. The AA held its 32nd annual Althing gathering in September 2012. Kaplan (1996) estimates
1925-618: A Caucasian presence in the prehistoric Americas. He believed that Caucasians had entered the Americas via the Bering Strait at around the same time as the ancestors of the Native Americans did, but that the Caucasians were subsequently wiped out; he warned that "that can happen to us too" and thus steps should be taken to preserve the existence of North America's European population. In 2000,
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#17328772229082100-721: A Facebook post responding to the sexual assault of white women by Arab men in Germany : "Germany — that is the German people, not sellout traitors like Merkel — deserve our full support... Where are the Freikorps when we need them?" The positive reference to the Freikorps , right-wing paramilitaries who carried out street violence and political assassinations between the World Wars, brought much criticism. Several months after McNallen's resignation from
2275-399: A Heathen setting food aside, sometimes without words, for gods or wights. Some Heathens perform such rituals daily, although for others it is a more occasional performance. Aside from honoring deities, communal blóts also serve as a form of group bonding. In Iron Age and Early Medieval northern Europe, the term blót was at times applied to a form of animal sacrifice performed to thank
2450-668: A broader, pan-European identity, stating that "European cultures are all unique — unique that is, as variants on the basic European pattern." He has sought to provide a theoretical basis for this Folkish Heathen belief, calling it "metagenetics". This is the belief that religious and cultural practices become encoded in DNA and are passed down the generations in this manner. He also ties this idea in with concepts drawn from Jungian psychology, arguing that archetypes are distinct to specific racial groups and are passed down genetically. While initially presenting this idea using scientific language during
2625-795: A cadet in the Reserve Officers Training Corps , and on completion received a degree in political science . After completing his college education he joined the United States Army , remaining with them for four years, volunteering for service in the Vietnam War before being stationed in West Germany . Although frustrated at what he described as the "authoritarian stupidity" of the army, it impacted his views on warrior ethics and warrior ideals. He retained his interest in Heathenry while
2800-585: A committee of AFA members, the Southern Heathen Leadership Conference, which issued a document declaring that new membership would be frozen, that AFA responsibilities would be divided more widely, and that McNallen and Hutter should take a vacation from their organizational chores. However, in 1987 McNallen shut down The Runestone and dissolved the AFA altogether, relocating to Northern California . However, according to Strmiska and Sigurvinsson,
2975-602: A dormant state—until a time that the gods deem propitious for the rebirth of the Norse/Germanic tradition." — Scholar of religious studies Jeffrey Kaplan. On his return to the United States in 1976 he transformed his Viking Brotherhood into the Asatrú Free Assembly (AFA). The sociologist of religion Jennifer Snook described it as "the first national Heathen organization in the United States", while according to
3150-501: A future stateless American confederacy based on ecologically sustainable, decentralized tribal groups. He has also expressed support for all ethnic separatist movements across the world, including those of the Tibetan , Igbo , Karen , and Afrikaner people. This has attracted criticism from the racial extremist wing of the Heathen community, who have claimed that it detracts from the focus on
3325-677: A global union of folkish Heathen groups, alongside Murray of the AA and Heimgest of the British Odinic Rite ; they were later joined by representatives of the French and German branches of the Odinic Rite, before the union terminated several years later. The alliance convened an international meeting, or Althing, every three years. In 1997, McNallen married Sheila Edlund at the seventeenth Althing, held in Utah ;
3500-472: A group of self-described "Homo-Heathens" marched in the 2008 Stockholm Pride carrying a statue of the god Freyr . In Anglophone countries, Heathen groups are typically called kindreds or hearths , or alternately sometimes as fellowships , tribes , or garths . These are small groups, often family units, and usually consist of between five and fifteen members. They are often bound together by oaths of loyalty, with strict screening procedures regulating
3675-581: A homosexual attendee with a Mac-10. When the AFA folded, he and Robert Taylor of the Tribe of the Wulfings , began to create the Ásatrú Alliance in 1987, inviting other kindreds to a formational Althing in 1988. He was a representative of the Ásatrú Alliance, was on the board of the International Ásatrú-Odinic Alliance (IAOA) , and was chosen the first honorary IAOA Allsherjargoði for the three-year period. In 1988 he
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#17328772229083850-462: A juvenile corrections officer, where he had been employed for the previous five years. In 2015 he published Asatru: A Native European Spirituality ; it was reviewed by the religious studies scholar Jefferson Calico for The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies , in which he noted that the book was "an important moment" for the Heathen movement, being "comprehensive and expansive, touching thoughtfully on numerous important aspects of
4025-565: A member of the army, and circa 1974 adopted the belief that there was an intrinsic connection between the Norse gods and humans of Northern European descent. After his discharge from the Army in 1976, McNallen hitchhiked across the Sahara Desert before returning to Europe and then to the United States. There, he settled in Berkeley, California . "What makes metagenetics so difficult for many to accept
4200-446: A million or so readers to our beliefs in a newspaper article that was published coast-to-coast ... Nevertheless, we received exactly two inquiries as a result ... We must be content, for now, to grow slowly. We must seek quality rather than quantity." — Stephen McNallen. While the autonomous nature of different AFA-affiliated individuals and groups meant that McNallen and his wife Maddy Hutter had little power, they bore
4375-424: A more epic, anachronistic, and pure age of ancestors and heroes". The anthropologist Murphy Pizza suggests that Heathenry can be understood as an " invented tradition ". As the religious studies scholar Fredrik Gregorius states, despite the fact that "no real continuity" exists between Heathenry and the pre-Christian belief systems of Germanic Europe, Heathen practitioners often dislike being considered adherents of
4550-543: A newsletter, The Runestone , to promote a form of Heathenry that he called "Asatru". After spending four years in the United States Army , he transformed the Viking Brotherhood into the Asatrú Free Assembly (AFA), through which he promoted Heathenry within the American Pagan community. He espoused the belief, which he named "metagenetics", that religions are connected to genetic inheritance, thus arguing that Heathenry
4725-591: A novel, The Viking , by Edison Marshall , which generated his interest in the societies of pre-Christian Scandinavia. According to him, upon reading this book he "got hooked on the spirit of the North", being attracted to the Vikings by what he perceived as "their warlike nature, their will to power, and their assertion of self". In 1968 or 1969 he dedicated himself to the worship of the deities found in Norse mythology , and remained
4900-416: A presence" and who was also "a man of both vision and perseverance". He also noted that when McNallen was writing about himself (using the third person), he betrayed "the sort of narcissistic self-involvement that might characterize the psychology of a charismatic religious leader, the founder of a religious movement." "[McNallen's] vision all along has been that Asatru is the natural and native religion for
5075-407: A priest. In a few groups—particularly those of the early 20th century which operated as secret societies —the priesthood is modelled on an initiatory system of ascending degrees akin to Freemasonry . Heathen rites often take place in non-public spaces, particularly in a practitioner's home. In other cases, Heathen places of worship have been established on plots of land specifically purchased for
5250-480: A prophecy of a coming apocalypse in which the white race will overthrow who these Heathens perceive as their oppressors and establish a future society based on Heathen religion. The political scientist Jeffrey Kaplan believed that it was the "strongly millenarian and chiliastic overtones" of Ragnarök which helped convert white American racialists to the right wing of the Heathen movement. Some practitioners do not emphasize belief in an afterlife, instead stressing
5425-594: A racist, arguing that "racism" entails expressing a belief in racial superiority, a viewpoint he does not hold. He insists that his support for racial separatism does not necessitate a "dislike, much less hatred" for other racial groups. However, in May 2015, the magazine Vice published an article in which it accused McNallen of being a racist who manipulated ancient Norse beliefs "for his own hateful devices". The "American Heathen collective" Circle Ansuz issued articles in which they described McNallen as "an active participant in
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5600-564: A result of the religion's emphasis on honoring the land and its wights, many Heathens take an interest in ecological issues, with many considering their faith to be a nature religion . Heathen groups have participated in tree planting, raising money to purchase woodland, and campaigning against the construction of a railway between London and the Channel Tunnel in Southeastern England. Many Germanic Neopagans are also concerned with
5775-415: A rifle shot to the head to kill the animal swiftly, a decision made after they witnessed a blót in which the animal's throat was cut incorrectly and it slowly died in agony; they felt that such practices would have displeased the gods and accordingly brought harm upon those carrying out the sacrifice. Another common ritual in Heathenry is sumbel , also spelled symbel , a ritual drinking ceremony in which
5950-435: A solitary devotee of theirs for about two years. He later noted that on initially becoming a Heathen, he went through "a stridently anti-Christian phase", and that while he later mellowed in his opinion of Christianity and Christians, he still believed the religion to be "a faulty faith, a foreign imposition on European soil" which had eroded "our traditional culture" and "done us great damage". "The racial or ethnic end of it
6125-460: A specific deity, and for rites of need. These rites also serve as identity practices which mark the adherents out as Heathens. Strmiska noted that in Iceland, Heathen rituals had been deliberately constructed in an attempt to recreate or pay tribute to the ritual practices of pre-Christian Icelanders, although there was also space in which these rituals could reflect innovation, changing in order to suit
6300-956: A temple in a converted 16th-century chapel in Newark , Nottinghamshire . Heathens have also adopted archaeological sites as places of worship. For instance, British practitioners have assembled for rituals at the Nine Ladies stone circle in Derbyshire , the Rollright Stones in Warwickshire , and the White Horse Stone in Kent . Swedish Heathens have done the same at Gamla Uppsala , and Icelandic practitioners have met at Þingvellir . Heathen groups assemble for rituals in order to mark rites of passage , seasonal observances, oath takings, rites devoted to
6475-401: Is Mjölnir , or Thor's hammer, which is worn as a pendant, featured in Heathen art, and used as a gesture in ritual. It is sometimes used to express a particular affinity with the god Thor, however is also often used as a symbol of Heathenism as a whole, in particular representing the resilience and vitality of the religion. Another commonly used Heathen symbol is the valknut , used to represent
6650-421: Is animistic , with practitioners believing in nonhuman spirit persons commonly known as " wights " ( vættir ) that inhabit the world, each of whom is believed to have its own personality. Some of these are known as "land spirits" ( landvættir ) and inhabit different aspects of the landscape, living alongside humans, whom they can both help and hinder. Others are deemed to be household deities and live within
6825-490: Is a controversial figure in the Heathen and wider Pagan community. His espousal of right-wing ethnonationalist ideas and his insistence that Heathenry should be reserved for those of Northern European ancestry has resulted in accusations of racism from both Pagans and the mainstream media. Conversely, many on the extreme right of the Heathen movement have accused him of being a race traitor for his opposition to neo-Nazism and refusal to endorse white supremacism . McNallen
7000-418: Is also typically drunk, with offerings being given to deities, while fires, torches, or candles are often lit. There are also regional meetings of Heathens known as Things . At these, religious rites are performed, while workshops, stalls, feasts, and competitive games are also present. In the U.S., there are two national gatherings, Althing and Trothmoot. "Far from being a monolithic entity, [Heathenry] in
7175-492: Is an American proponent of Heathenry , a modern Pagan new religious movement . He founded the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA), which he led from 1994 until 2016, having previously been the founder of the Viking Brotherhood and the Asatrú Free Assembly. Born in Breckenridge , Texas , McNallen developed an interest in pre-Christian Scandinavia while in college. In 1969–70 he founded the Viking Brotherhood, through which he printed
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7350-407: Is another Heathen practice involving chanting or singing. As part of a galdr ceremony, runes or rune poems are also sometimes chanted, in order to create a communal mood and allow participants to enter into altered states of consciousness and request communication with deities. Some contemporary galdr chants and songs are influenced by Anglo-Saxon folk magical charms, such as Æcerbot and
7525-473: Is believed that an individual can navigate through the wyrd, and thus, the Heathen worldview oscillates between concepts of free will and fatalism . Heathens also believe in a personal form of wyrd known as örlög . This is connected to an emphasis on luck , with Heathens in North America often believing that luck can be earned, passed down through the generations, or lost. Various Heathen groups adopt
7700-567: Is consciously inspired by the linguistically, culturally, and (in some definitions) ethnically 'Germanic' societies of Iron Age and early medieval Europe as they existed prior to Christianization", and as a "movement to revive and/or reinterpret for the present day the practices and worldviews of the pre-Christian cultures of northern Europe (or, more particularly, the Germanic speaking cultures)". Practitioners seek to revive these past belief systems by using surviving historical source materials. Among
7875-446: Is debatable. Contemporary seiðr developed during the 1990s out of the wider Neo-Shamanic movement , with some practitioners studying the use of trance-states in other faiths, such as Umbanda , first. A prominent form is high-seat or oracular seiðr , which is based on the account of Guðriðr in Eiríks saga . While such practices differ between groups, oracular seiðr typically involves
8050-511: Is its base assumption: the tradition (i.e., culture) is a matter of genetic inheritance, and it is for this reason that the compulsion to reawaken the Northern Way has come upon some but not others. Put another way, the reason that the gods choose to act through individuals of a particular national and racial stock is that the religious heritage that the gods personify never died, but rather has been handed down from generation to generation—albeit in
8225-431: Is referred to as the "Lore" and studying it is an important part of their religion. Some textual sources nevertheless remain problematic as a means of "reconstructing" pre-Christian belief systems, because they were written by Christians and only discuss pre-Christian religion in a fragmentary and biased manner. The anthropologist Jenny Blain characterises Heathenry as "a religion constructed from partial material", while
8400-430: Is slashed with a sharp knife, and the blood is collected in a bowl before being sprinkled onto both participants of the rite and statues of the gods. Animals used for this purpose have included poultry as well as larger mammals like sheep and pigs, with the meat then being consumed by those attending the rite. Some practitioners have made alterations to this procedure: Strmiska noted two American Heathens who decided to use
8575-435: Is the road to marginalization and extinction." According to Snook, McNallen's concerns reflect "white American resentment of a perceived loss of status and privilege in modern, multicultural society in particularly divisive political times." She added that a repeated element of his argument, the presentation of white people as victims, was common throughout white supremacist discourse. McNallen does not consider himself to be
8750-462: Is thus a strong individualist ethos focused around personal responsibility, and a common motto within the Heathen community is that "We are our deeds". Most Heathens reject the concept of sin and believe that guilt is a destructive rather than useful concept. Some Heathen communities have formalized such values into an ethical code, the Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), which is based largely on
8925-784: The Hávamál from the Poetic Edda . This was first developed by the founders of the UK-based Odinic Rite in the 1970s, although it has spread internationally, with 77% of respondents to a 2015 survey of Heathens reporting its use in some form. There are different forms of the NNV, with the number nine having symbolic associations in Norse mythology. Opinion is divided on the NNV; some practitioners deem them too dogmatic , while others eschew them for not having authentic roots in historical Germanic culture, negatively viewing them as an attempt to imitate
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#17328772229089100-568: The Nine Herbs Charm . These poems were originally written in a Christian context, although practitioners believe that they reflect themes present in pre-Christian, shamanistic religion, and thus re-appropriate and "Heathanise" them for contemporary usage. Some Heathens practice forms of divination using runes; as part of this, items with runic markings on them might be pulled out of a bag or bundle, and read accordingly. In some cases, different runes are associated with different deities, one of
9275-619: The Goths . Another name for the religion is the Icelandic Ásatrú , which translates as " Æsir belief", or "loyalty to the Æsir"—the Æsir being a sub-set of deities in Norse mythology . This is more commonly rendered as Asatru in North America, with practitioners being known as Asatruar . This term is favored by practitioners who focus on the Nordic deities of Scandinavia, however is problematic as many self-identified Asatruar worship entities other than
9450-518: The Jötnar , refer to their tradition as Rokkatru . Although restricted especially to Scandinavia, since the mid-2000s a term that has grown in popularity is Forn Siðr or Forn Sed ("the old way"); this is also a term reappropriated from Christian usage, having previously been used in a derogatory sense to describe pre-Christian religion in the Old Norse Heimskringla . Other terms used within
9625-607: The Ten Commandments . Their use is particularly unpopular in Nordic countries, and has been observed declining in the United States. Within the Heathen community of the United States, gender roles are based upon perceived ideals and norms found in Early Medieval northwestern Europe, in particular as they are presented in Old Norse sources. Among male American Heathens there is a trend toward hypermasculinized behaviour, while
9800-504: The pre-Christian religions adhered to by the Germanic peoples of the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages . In an attempt to reconstruct these past belief systems, Heathenry uses surviving historical, archaeological, and folkloric evidence as a basis, although approaches to this material vary considerably. Heathenry does not have a unified theology but is typically polytheistic , centering on
9975-520: The religious studies scholars Michael F. Strmiska and Baldur A. Sigurvinsson, the AFA "established many of the important organizational and ritual structures that remain operative" in American Heathenry into the 21st century. Initially meeting in the backroom of an insurance agency owned by group member Dick Johnson, the group later established a store-front office in Breckenridge, while through
10150-600: The "Nazi-Odinist identification", he has "expressed sympathy with what he sees as the "legitimate frustrations of white men who are concerned for their kind". "The spiritual descendants of the Aztecs are looking northward, coveting land which, they have convinced themselves, should be theirs–and, perhaps quite unconsciously, they are moving to conquer it by mass immigration, by language, by cultural influence. A dangerous few want to conquer it by force of arms. But then, they haven't reckoned with Odin and Thor, and Frey and Freya, or
10325-492: The "a-racist", "racial-religious", and "ethnicist" factions respectively. Exponents of the universalist, anti-racist approach believe that the deities of Germanic Europe can call anyone to their worship, regardless of ethnic background. This group rejects the folkish emphasis on race, believing that even if unintended, it can lead to the adoption of racist attitudes toward those of non-northern European ancestry. Universalist practitioners such as Stephan Grundy have emphasized
10500-559: The "torchbearer" for Folkish Heathenry in the United States. He added that McNallen's was the "one name associated with the birth, growth, and controversy of American Asatru" more than any other. Some U.S. Heathens regard him as the "father" of American Heathenry, although his place in the movement is disputed by many practitioners who reject his Folkish approach to the religion. Calico thought that "McNallen deserves to be noted as one of many American religious dissenters who, because of strong personal conviction and vision, stood their ground in
10675-415: The 1970s, such negative attitudes towards polytheism have changed. Today Heathenry is usually characterised as being polytheistic, exhibiting a theological structure which includes a pantheon of gods and goddesses, with adherents offering their allegiance and worship to some or all of them. Most practitioners are polytheistic realists, referring to themselves as "hard" or "true polytheists" and believing in
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#173287722290810850-407: The 1980s, Calico noted that McNallen's later discussions on the subject appeared more like "race mysticism". His motivation in devising "metagenetics" was, in part, to make his religion more appealing to a broader range of Americans and to distance his movement from neo-Nazi and other explicitly white supremacist movements who wanted to incorporate it into their ideas of race war . He has expressed
11025-569: The 19th- and early 20th-century Romanticism which glorified the pre-Christian societies of Germanic Europe. Völkisch groups actively venerating the deities of these societies appeared in Germany and Austria during the 1900s and 1910s, although they largely dissolved following Nazi Germany 's defeat in World War II . In the 1970s, new Heathen groups established in Europe and North America, developing into formalized organizations. A central division within
11200-507: The AA has between 500 and 1,000 members. World Tree Publications is the Ásatrú Alliance's publishing house. Valgard Murray (Michael J. Murray), born in 1950 in Iowa to a farming family, to Thomas and Marion Murray of Scottish, Lithuanian, Irish, and German descent. Murray later moved to Arizona and became an electrical engineer. Murray was involved with the American Nazi Party (ANP) into
11375-594: The AFA before denounced it. The AFA, in turn, called its critics " social justice warriors ". In March 2017, McNallen spoke out on the issue in a YouTube video; here, he claimed allegiance to the white race and to white nationalist politics, also expressing allegiance to the 14 Words , a prominent slogan in white supremacist circles. In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center added the Asatru Folk Assembly to its list of hate groups , describing it as
11550-708: The AFA filed a suit in the U.S. District Court of Portland to prevent Kennewick Man being given to the Native communities under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act ( NAGPRA ); the court ruled that the human remains were not "Native American" within the meaning of NAGPRA. McNallen expressed the view that Native American communities wanted to prevent forensic testing of the Kennewick Man's body because they feared that it would prove that he had been Caucasian, thus establishing that there had been
11725-642: The AFA had "planted seeds that would take strong root". As a replacement for the Assembly, Murray established the Asatru Alliance , which organised the eighth American Althing for Arizona in June 1988. In 1986–87, McNallen worked as a peace officer in Stephens County Texas sheriff's office jail and Sheila kept books for an oil company. In 1986, he and Sheila moved to the semi-deserted mining town of Forest in
11900-465: The AFA in 1994, this time calling it the Ásatrú Folk Assembly. This group based its headquarters in Grass Valley , and was structurally very similar to the old AFA, reviving McNallen's The Runestone publication, albeit in a yearbook format. The AFA served much the same constituency as the established AA, with religious studies scholar Jeffrey Kaplan believing that its purpose in the Heathen community
12075-408: The AFA leadership, the group posted a message online stating that: "The AFA would like to make it clear that we believe gender is not a social construct, it is a beautiful gift from the holy powers and from our ancestors. The AFA celebrates our feminine ladies, our masculine gentlemen, and, above all, our beautiful white children". The post brought accusations of racism; Heathens who had not commented on
12250-430: The AFA withdrew from its involvement in the Kennewick Man legal case, stating that it had run out of funds to continue. The publicity surrounding the case nevertheless brought the AFA to far greater attention. During the late 1990s, the AFA began promoting what it termed "tribalism", encouraging Heathens to form networks of extended families to help secure the religion's future. By mid-2001, McNallen and other figures in
12425-565: The AFA's website. McNallen and the AFA also appear to have cordial relations with the racial extremist Ron McVan , co-founder of Wotansvolk , publishing some of McVan's writings in Runestone . When in the 1990s, Christensen was arrested for drug smuggling, McNallen teamed up with Murray to form a defense fund for her. In September 1997 he was a signatory to the foundation of the International Asatru/Odinist Alliance (IAOA),
12600-565: The AFA, McNallen continued publishing Runestone and produced booklets on Asatru. He also began conducting religious ceremonies, or blóts , and lectured at Pagan events across the U.S. He established groups known as guilds within the AFA to focus on particular endeavours, such as the Mead Brewing Guild and the Warrior Guild. The latter published a quarterly, Wolf Age , in which McNallen displayed his fascination for warrior ethics. In
12775-656: The American neo-fascist radical traditionalist movement" and "an unapologetic advocate for white nationalism". Conversely, many in the extreme racialist wing of Heathenry have accused McNallen of being a race traitor because he has not unequivocally endorsed white supremacist and neo-Nazi perspectives; they have commented negatively on his "refusal to work for the survival of the Aryan race" and accused him of promoting "cowardly PC politics". The religious studies scholar Jeffrey Kaplan stated that McNallen's politics "fit comfortably into
12950-588: The Arizona Kindred became the first kindred certified as such by the Odinist Fellowship , which until then had only individual members. In 1984, the Arizona Kindred chose to affiliate with the Asatru Free Assembly (old AFA) instead. In 1986, he founded World Tree Publications, and in 1987, he served as general manager of the AFA. At the second Althing of the AFA, Murrary allegedly threatened to kill
13125-468: The British Odinic Rite . He brought greater attention to his group after they became involved in the debate surrounding the Kennewick Man , arguing that it constituted evidence for a European presence in prehistoric America. In the 21st century he became more politically active, becoming involved in both environmentalist campaigns and white nationalist groups linked to the alt-right movement. McNallen
13300-459: The British Odinshof, who utilise it in reference to their particular dedication to Odin. The historian of religion Mattias Gardell noted that there is "no unanimously accepted theology" within the Heathen movement. Several early Heathens like Guido von List found the polytheistic nature of pre-Christian religion embarrassing, and argued that in reality it had been monotheistic . Since
13475-625: The Brotherhood of Wolves, a Czech Heathen group, center their worship on the deity Fenrir . Similarly, many practitioners in the U.S. adopt a particular patron deity for themselves, taking an oath of dedication to them known as fulltrúi , and describe themselves as that entity's devotee using terms such as Thorsman or Odinsman . Heathen deities are not seen as perfect, omnipotent , or omnipresent , and are instead viewed as having their own strengths and weaknesses. Many practitioners believe that these deities will one day die, as did, for instance,
13650-574: The European American Issues Forum, a group devoted to advancing the rights of white Americans of which he had been a longstanding member. The group, a scholar of religion later noted, "rode the dangerous margins of racist politics." However, finding the job stressful and afflicted with colon cancer , he later resigned from the presidency. In 2009 McNallen was invited to the International Asatru Summer Camp, but this
13825-475: The Heathen movement emerged surrounding the issue of race. Older groups adopted a racialist attitude—often termed "folkish" within the community—by viewing Heathenry as an ethnic or racial religion with inherent links to a Germanic race . They believe it should be reserved for white people, particularly of northern European descent, and often combine the religion with far right-wing and white supremacist perspectives. A larger proportion of Heathens instead adopt
14000-488: The Norse apocalyptic myth of Ragnarök ; few view it as a literal prophecy of future events. Instead, it is often treated as a symbolic warning of the danger that humanity faces if it acts unwisely in relation to both itself and the natural world. The death of the gods at Ragnarök is often viewed as a reminder of the inevitability of death and the importance of living honorably and with integrity until one dies. Alternately, ethno-nationalist Heathens have interpreted Ragnarök as
14175-461: The Northern European peoples". The Ásatrú Alliance is recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit religious organization, or church. The AA was formed on June 19, 1988 by seven kindreds, which were members of the disbanded Ásatrú Free Assembly, who ratified on this day a set of by-laws to preserve and promote the beliefs of Ásatrú in the United States of America. As a definition of Ásatrú, AA cites
14350-539: The Troth, Edred Thorsson , developed forms of seiðr which involved sex magic utilizing sado-masochistic techniques, something which generated controversy in the community. Part of the discomfort that some Heathens feel toward seiðr surrounds the lack of any criteria by which the community can determine whether the seiðr -worker has genuinely received divine communication, and the fear that it will be used by some practitioners merely to bolster their own prestige. Galdr
14525-413: The United States is extremely diverse, with many distinct ideological variations and organizations with profoundly different opinions concerning what Asatrú/Odinism is all about. The key divisive issues are centered on race and for whom the Nordic path is intended." — Religious studies scholar Mattias Gardell The question of race represents a major source of division among Heathens, particularly in
14700-549: The United States. Within the Heathen community, one viewpoint holds that race is entirely a matter of biological heredity , while the opposing position is that race is a social construct rooted in cultural heritage. In U.S. Heathen discourse, these viewpoints are described as the folkish and the universalist positions, respectively. These two factions—which Kaplan termed the " racialist " and "nonracialist" camps—often clash. The universalist and folkish division has also spread to other countries, although has had less impact in
14875-463: The United States—attempt to frame themselves as the victims of Medieval Christian colonialism and imperialism . A 2015 survey of the Heathen community found equal numbers of practitioners (36%) regarding their religion as a reconstruction as those who regarded it as a direct continuation of ancient belief systems; only 22% acknowledged it to be modern but historically inspired, although this
15050-528: The Viking Brotherhood, issuing a "Viking Manifesto" in which he stated that the Brotherhood was "dedicated to preserving, promoting and practicing the Norse religion as it was epitomized during the Viking Age , and to further the moral and ethical values of courage, individualism, and independence which characterized the Viking way of life." While the group placed greater emphasis on promoting what McNallen perceived as
15225-550: The Viking ideals — "courage, honor, and freedom" — rather than on explicitly religious goals, in 1972 they gained tax-exempt status as a religious organization from the Internal Revenue Service . In the winter of 1971–72 he began publishing a newsletter, The Runestone , using a typewriter and mimeograph machine; he gained his first eleven subscribers through an advert that he placed in Fate magazine. He initially used
15400-590: The admittance of new members. Prospective members may undergo a probationary period before they are fully accepted and welcomed into the group, while other groups remain closed to all new members. Heathen groups are largely independent and autonomous, although they typically network with other Heathen groups, particularly in their region. There are other followers of the religion who are not affiliated with such groups, operating as solitary practitioners, with these individuals often remaining in contact with other practitioners through social media . A 2015 survey found that
15575-509: The ancient religion of the Norse to be inscribed on the subconscious of those descended from ancient North Europeans. He regards Heathenry as belonging to all people descended from ancient northern Europeans and wants to make it as accessible as possible to this demographic, arguing that it is the religion best suited to fill the spiritual yearning of many white Americans. While typically linking Heathenry to peoples descended from ancient Northern Europeans, in some contexts, McNallen has referred to
15750-417: The average American of North European ancestry: it expresses the authentic ethnic or folk identity of white Americans... McNallen's basic argument in "Metagenetics" is simple: a people's group religious and cultural experience over thousands of years becomes encoded into their DNA. Not only physical characteristics but information usually considered cultural, such as religion, is stored in the organic database of
15925-452: The belief, taken from Norse mythology, that there are two sets of deities, the Æsir and the Vanir. Certain practitioners blend the different regions and times together, for instance using a mix of Old English and Old Norse names for the deities, while others keep them separate and only venerate deities from a particular region. Some groups focus their veneration on a particular deity; for instance,
16100-465: The brunt of the responsibility of running the Assembly and organizing its Althings. They were also impacted by a downturn in the Texan economy, with McNallen losing his job as a jail guard. Bankrupt and frustrated, McNallen and the other senior figures in the AFA found that they were unable to organise the group's seventh Althing for 1987. Seeking to ensure that it would continue regardless, McNallen assembled
16275-411: The ceremony was officiated by Murray. In 1999, the AFA purchased land in the higher Sierra of Northern California, there establishing a space where Heathen kindreds could meet together to practice their religion. In keeping with his ethnonationalist beliefs, McNallen endorsed a 1993 Declaration of War Against Exploiters of Lakota Spirituality , expressing the opinion that white people should resurrect
16450-423: The community it is often deemed taboo to provide offerings to them, however some practitioners still do so. Many Heathens also believe in and respect ancestral spirits, with ancestral veneration representing an important part of their religious practice. For Heathens, relationships with the ancestors are seen as grounding their own sense of identity and giving them strength from the past. Heathens commonly adopt
16625-499: The community to describe their religion are the Northern Tradition , Norse Paganism , and Saxon Paganism , while in the first third of the 20th century, commonly used terms were German , Nordic , or Germanic Faith . Within the United States, groups emphasising a German-orientation have used Irminism , while those focusing on an Anglo-Saxon approach have used Fyrnsidu or Theodism . Many racialist-oriented Heathens prefer
16800-492: The community. Some right-wing Heathen groups view homosexuality as being incompatible with a family-oriented ethos and thus censure same-sex sexual activity. Other groups legitimize openness toward LGBT practitioners by reference to the gender-bending actions of Thor and Odin in Norse mythology. There are, for instance, homosexual and transgender members of The Troth , a prominent U.S. Heathen organisation. Many Heathen groups in northern Europe perform same-sex marriages , and
16975-444: The concomitant demographic shift resulting in a decreased political influence for the country's white population. He claims that a lack of clear ethnic identity has left European-Americans in a socially disadvantaged position, claiming that: "The results are clear for all to see, more of us are dying than are being born, our children look to other peoples and cultures for their models, our heritage and history are steadily displaced. This
17150-417: The deities and gain their favor. Such sacrifices have generally proved impractical for most modern practitioners or altogether rejected, due in part to the fact that skills in animal slaughter are not widely taught, while the slaughter of animals is regulated by government in Western countries. The Icelandic group Ásatrúarfélagið for instance explicitly rejects animal sacrifice. In 2007 Strmiska noted that
17325-433: The deities are typically represented as godpoles - wooden shafts with anthropomorphic faces carved into them, as were used prior to Christianisation , although in other instances resin statues of the divinities are sometimes used. Many practitioners combine their polytheistic world-view with a pantheistic conception of the natural world as being sacred and imbued with a divine energy force permeating all life. Heathenry
17500-484: The divinities on two further realms. Most practitioners believe that this is a poetic or symbolic description of the cosmos, with the different levels representing higher realms beyond the material plane of existence. The world tree is also interpreted by some in the community as an icon for ecological and social engagement. Some Heathens, such as the psychologist Brian Bates , have adopted an approach to this cosmology rooted in analytical psychology , thereby interpreting
17675-421: The division. As a result of such changes, by the late 1970s there was a clear division between McNallen's AFA, which emphasized religious over racial political aims, and Christensen's Odinist Fellowship , which placed far greater emphasis on the latter. "One of the hardest-learned lessons from the old AFA ... was this: the time has not come for widespread public acceptance of Ásatrú. At one point we exposed
17850-412: The drinking horn contained apple juice , and the toasting accompanied the children taping pictures of apples to a poster of a tree that symbolized the apple tree of Iðunn from Norse mythology. One religious practice sometimes found in Heathenry is seiðr , which has been described as "a particular shamanic trance ritual complex", although the appropriateness of using " shamanism " to describe seiðr
18025-414: The early 1980s McNallen used The Runestone to promote his theory of "metagenetics"; the idea that spirituality or religion was encoded in genetic material and thus passed down to one's descendants. In formulating this concept he was influenced by his reading of Jungian psychology with its concept of archetypes existing within a collective unconscious. Accordingly, he described "Ásatrú as an expression of
18200-518: The eight festivals found in the Wheel of the Year , a tradition that they share with Wiccans and several other contemporary Pagan groups. Others celebrate only six of these festivals, as represented by a six-spoked Wheel of the Year. The use of such festivals is criticized by other practitioners, who highlight that this system is of mid-20th century origin and does not link with the original religious celebrations of
18375-500: The ethical systems espoused in many other Western Pagan religions such as Wicca . A 2015 survey of the Heathen community nevertheless found that a greater percentage of Heathens were opposed to traditional gender rules than in favor of them, with this being particularly the case in northern Europe. The sociologist Jennifer Snook noted that as with all religions, Heathenry is "intimately connected" to politics, with practitioners' political and religious beliefs influencing one another. As
18550-452: The face of hardship and opposition." A bibliography of McNallen's works have been provided on the AFA's website: Heathenry (new religious movement) Heathenry , also termed Heathenism , contemporary Germanic Paganism , or Germanic Neopaganism , is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement . Developed in Europe during the early 20th century, its practitioners model it on
18725-416: The fact that ancient northern Europeans were known to marry and have children with members of other ethnic groups, and that in Norse mythology the Æsir also did the same with Vanir, Jötun, and humans, thus using such points to critique the racialist view. Universalists welcome practitioners of Heathenry who are not of northern European ancestry; for instance, there are Jewish and African American members of
18900-432: The faith". Calico also noted that McNallen "clearly has his legacy in view throughout this book, apparent in the self-referential tone that occasionally surfaces." In 2016 McNallen stood down as head of the AFA, and was replaced by Matt Flavel, Allen Turnage, and Patricia Hall. He initially announced his desire to focus on new projects as a writer and religious leader. That year he angered many Universalist Heathens with
19075-474: The former term originated among Germanic languages, whereas pagan has its origins in Latin . Further terms used in some academic contexts are contemporary Germanic Paganism and Germanic Neopaganism , although the latter is an "artificial term" developed by scholars with little use within the Heathen community. Alternately, Blain suggested the use of North European Paganism as an overarching scholarly term for
19250-440: The genetic code." — Jefferson F. Calico. In an online video, McNallen insisted that "race is real. It is not a social construct", and has pointed to writers like Nicholas Wade in defense of this point. McNallen also believes in an integral link connecting one's genetic or racial heritage to one's religion. He thus considers the ancient religion of the Aztecs to be inscribed on the subconscious of contemporary Mexicans, and
19425-571: The god Baldr in Norse mythology. Heathens view their connection with their deities not as being that of a master and servant but rather as an interdependent relationship akin to that of a family. For them, these deities serve as both examples and role models whose behavior is to be imitated. Many practitioners believe that they can communicate with these deities, as well as negotiate, bargain, and argue with them, and hope that through venerating them, practitioners will gain wisdom, understanding, power, or visionary insights. In Heathen ritual practices,
19600-452: The god Odin or Woden. Practitioners also commonly decorate their material—and sometimes themselves, in the form of tattoos—with runes, the alphabet used by Early Medieval Germanic languages. The most important Heathen rite, blót , involves giving offerings to the gods. Blót typically takes place outdoors, and usually consists of an offering of mead contained within a bowl. The gods are invoked and requests expressed for their aid, as
19775-496: The gods are toasted . Sumbel often takes place following a blót . In the U.S., the sumbel commonly involves a drinking horn being filled with mead and passed among the assembled participants, who either drink from it directly, or pour some into their own drinking vessels to consume. During this process, toasts are made, as are verbal tributes to gods, heroes, and ancestors. Then, oaths and boasts (promises of future actions) might be made, both of which are considered binding on
19950-630: The gods with an alcoholic beverage. Some adherents also engage in rituals designed to induce an altered state of consciousness and visions, most notably seiðr and galdr , with the intent of gaining wisdom and advice from the deities . Many solitary adherents follow the religion by themselves. Other Heathens assemble in small groups, usually known as kindreds or hearths , to perform their rites outdoors or in specially constructed buildings. Heathen ethical systems emphasize honor, personal integrity, and loyalty, while beliefs about an afterlife vary and are rarely emphasized. Heathenry's origins lie in
20125-573: The historical sources used are Old Norse texts associated with Iceland such as the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda , Old English texts such as Beowulf , and Middle High German texts such as the Nibelungenlied . Some Heathens also adopt ideas from the archaeological evidence of pre-Christian northern Europe and folklore from later periods in European history. Among many Heathens, this material
20300-479: The home, where they can be propitiated with offerings of food. Some Heathens interact with these entities and provide offerings to them more often than they do with the gods and goddesses. Wights are often identified with various creatures from northwestern European folklore such as elves, dwarves, gnomes , and trolls . Some of these entities—such as the Jötunn of Norse mythology—are deemed to be baleful spirits; within
20475-407: The importance of behaviour and reputation in this world. In Icelandic Heathenry, there is no singular dogmatic belief about the afterlife. A common Heathen belief is that a human being has multiple souls, which are separate yet linked together. It is common to find a belief in four or five souls, two of which survive bodily death: one of these, the hugr , travels to the realm of the ancestors, while
20650-575: The late 1960s. and learned of Odinism/Asatru through Elton Hall. He later became the Arizona organizer of the ANP. He has also been the spokesperson for the Arizona-based outlaw brotherhood Iron Cross MC . In 1969, Murray worked with Else Christensen to found the Odinist Fellowship , and served as vice president. In the early 1970s Murray and Hall formed a kindred and made contact with Else Christensen . In 1976
20825-455: The latter's Being a Pagan on its website. "For years I had been a member of a group called the European American Issues Forum. The president of the organization resigned for health reasons, and I ended up filling his shoes. The EAIF was a great idea—a genuine, non-racist civil rights group for Americans of European descent—but in practice it was unworkable. The basic premise was simple: the social and political system could be made to respond to
21000-489: The leadership felt that they were again overworked and overstretched and so tried to reduce the group's hierarchical structure by abandoning the concept of membership. In the 21st century, the AFA made significant inroads online, establishing a homepage, blog, podcast, online radio, as well as accounts on Facebook and YouTube . Around the same time it began to promote the writings of Nouvelle Droite authors such as Alain de Benoist , selling an English-language translation of
21175-645: The literal existence of the deities as individual entities. Others express a psychological interpretation of the divinities, viewing them for instance as symbols, Jungian archetypes or racial archetypes, with some who adopt this position deeming themselves to be atheists . Heathenry's deities are adopted from the pre-Christian belief systems found in the various societies of Germanic Europe; they include divinities like Týr , Odin , Thor , Frigg and Freyja from Scandinavian sources, Wōden , Thunor and Ēostre from Anglo-Saxon sources, and figures such as Nehalennia from continental sources. Some practitioners adopt
21350-467: The majority of Heathens identified as solitary practitioners, with northern Europe constituting an exception to this; here, the majority of Heathens reported involvement in groups. Priests are often termed godhi , while priestesses are gydhja , adopting Old Norse terms meaning "god-man" and "god-woman" respectively, with the plural term being gothar . These individuals are rarely seen as intermediaries between practitioners and deities, instead having
21525-432: The more ethnically homogeneous Iceland. A 2015 survey revealed a greater number of Heathens subscribed to universalist ideas than folkish ones. Contrasting with this binary division, Gardell divides Heathenry in the United States into three groups according to their stances on race: the "anti-racist" group which denounces any association between the religion and racial identity, the "radical racist" faction which sees it as
21700-414: The mountains of California, and there he earned teaching credentials before teaching science and mathematics at a junior high school for six years. During his summer vacations he travelled abroad, during which he met with guerrilla groups active in various parts of the world, writing articles about them for magazines like Soldier of Fortune . He later related that this experience convinced him of
21875-459: The movement; Strmiska noted that this would also encompass those practitioners inspired by the belief systems of northeastern Europe's linguistically Finnic and Slavic societies. He favored Modern Nordic Paganism , but accepted that this term excluded those Heathens who are particularly inspired by the pre-Christian belief systems of non-Nordic Germanic societies, such as the Anglo-Saxons and
22050-446: The natural religion of the Aryan race that should be followed by members of no other racial group, and the "ethnic" faction which seeks a middle-path by acknowledging the religion's roots in northern Europe and its connection with those of northern European heritage. The religious studies scholar Stefanie von Schnurbein adopted Gardell's tripartite division, although referred to the groups as
22225-466: The need for ethnonationalism and ethnic separatism across the world. McNallen also joined the U.S. National Guard and was called up during the 1992 Los Angeles riots . In the mid-1990s, McNallen returned to an active involvement in the U.S. Pagan scene, aided by his new partner, Sheila Edlund. They established their own Heathen group, the Calasa Kindred, which they affiliated to Murray's AA. He
22400-434: The needs of European-Americans just as it had responded to the demands of other racial groups. It took me a while to realize that no amount of letter writing or protesting was going to win any concessions from our opponents until there was a massive change in consciousness." — Stephen McNallen, 2004. At the turn of the 21st century, McNallen decided to embark on more specifically political activity, becoming President of
22575-482: The neo-Nazis and other racial extremists from the group. In 1978 he demanded that AFA members be prohibited from wearing Nazi uniforms and insignia at their events. Among those who left the AFA as a result were Wyatt Kaldenberg —who was appalled by what he described as McNallen's "soft stance on race" and "middle of the road" politics—and the neo-Nazi Heathen Jost Turner, who was McNallen's brother-in-law. McNallen nevertheless remained close to Turner and his family after
22750-468: The neo-Nazis within the AFA —threatened to kill a fellow member of the Assembly because he was gay. McNallen did not share these Nazi sympathies, disapproving of the Nazi ideal of a centralized totalitarian state, which he believed was anathema to the Heathen ideal of freedom; he also wanted to keep his religion apart from become an adjunct to a specifically political movement. Accordingly, he sought to push out
22925-677: The nine realms, or aspects of life. It is common for Heathens to utilize the Common Germanic Futhark as a runic alphabet, although some practitioners instead adopt the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc or the Younger Futhark . Some non-Heathens also use runes for divinatory purposes, with books on the subject being common in New Age bookstores. Some Heathens practice magic , but this is not regarded as an intrinsic part of Heathenry because it
23100-558: The nine worlds and their inhabitants as maps of the human mind. According to a common Heathen belief based on references in Old Norse sources, three female entities known as the Norns sit at the end of the world tree's root. These figures spin wyrd , which refers to the actions and interrelationships of all beings throughout the cosmos. In the community, these three figures are sometimes termed "Past, Present and Future", "Being, Becoming, and Obligation" or "Initiation, Becoming, Unfolding". It
23275-449: The other mighty powers of Asgard and Vanaheim! Nor have they figured, in their calculus of conflict, on the spiritual will of those who follow them." — Stephen McNallen. For McNallen, white Americans are essentially Europeans because of their genetic ancestry. He has penned articles on what he fears is the coming extinction of the white race, arguing that in the United States, white people will be largely replaced by Hispanics , with
23450-509: The other, the fetch , undergoes a process of reincarnation into a new body. In Heathen belief, there are various realms that the hugr can enter, based in part on the worth of the individual's earthly life; these include the hall of Valhalla , ruled over by Odin, or Sessrúmnir , the hall of Freyja. Beliefs regarding reincarnation vary widely among Heathens, although one common belief is that individuals are reborn within their family or clan. In Heathenry, moral and ethical views are based on
23625-587: The pejorative term " Neo-Heathen ". Some Heathens seek out common elements found throughout Germanic Europe during the Iron Age and Early Middle Ages, using those as the basis for their contemporary beliefs and practices. Conversely, others draw inspiration from the beliefs and practices of a specific geographical area and chronological period within Germanic Europe, such as Anglo-Saxon England or Viking Age Iceland . Some adherents are deeply knowledgeable as to
23800-419: The perceived ethics of Iron Age and Early Medieval northwestern Europe, in particular the actions of heroic figures who appear in Old Norse sagas . Evoking a life-affirming ethos, Heathen ethics focus on the ideals of honor, courage, integrity, hospitality, and hard work, and strongly emphasize loyalty to family. It is common for practitioners to be expected to keep their word, particularly sworn oaths. There
23975-433: The pre-Christian Germanic world. Heathen festivals can be held on the same day each year, however are often celebrated by Heathen communities on the nearest available weekend, so that those practitioners who work during the week can attend. During these ceremonies, Heathens often recite poetry to honor the deities, which typically draw upon or imitate the Early Medieval poems written in Old Norse or Old English. Mead or ale
24150-423: The preservation of heritage sites, and some practitioners have expressed concern regarding archaeological excavation of prehistoric and Early Medieval burials, believing that it is disrespectful to the individuals interred, whom Heathens widely see as their ancestors. Ethical debates within the community also arise when some practitioners believe that the religious practices of certain co-religionists conflict with
24325-401: The priest uses a sprig or branch of an evergreen tree to sprinkle mead onto both deity statues and the assembled participants. This procedure might be scripted or largely improvised. Finally, the bowl of mead is poured onto a fire, or onto the earth, as a libation to the gods. A communal meal may be held afterward. In other instances, the blót is simpler and less ritualized, simply involving
24500-516: The purpose; these can represent either a hörg , which is a sanctified place within nature like a grove of trees, or a hof , which is a wooden temple . The Heathen community has made various attempts to construct hofs in different parts of the world. In 2014 the Ásaheimur Temple was opened in Efri Ás, Skagafjörður , Iceland, while in 2014 a British Heathen group called the Odinist Fellowship opened
24675-504: The religion have typically favoured the terms Heathenry and Heathenism to describe it, for the reason that these words are inclusive of all varieties of the movement. This term is the most commonly used option by practitioners in the United Kingdom , with growing usage in North America and elsewhere. These terms are based on the word heathen , attested as the Gothic haithn , which
24850-417: The religion's "conservative ideas of proper decorum". For instance, while many Heathens eschew worship of the Norse god Loki , deeming him a baleful wight, his gender-bending nature has made him attractive to many LGBT Heathens. Those who adopt the former perspective have thus criticized Lokeans as effeminate and sexually deviant. Views on homosexuality and LGBT rights remain a source of tension within
25025-408: The religion, while Asatru is used by more moderate Heathen groups, but no such clear division of these terms' usage exists in practice. Gregorius noted that Odinism was "highly problematic" because it implies that the god Odin —who is adopted from Norse mythology—is central to these groups' theology, which is often not the case. Moreover, the term is also used by at least one non-racialist group,
25200-484: The religions of their European ancestors rather than adopting the belief systems of Native Americans. However, he came into conflict with Native American communities over the discovery of Kennewick Man , a prehistoric skeleton unearthed in Washington State; while local Native communities viewed the body as one of their ancestors and sought its repatriation to them, McNallen argued that it was Caucasian. In October 1996
25375-600: The religious studies scholar Michael Strmiska describes its beliefs as being "riddled with uncertainty and historical confusion", thereby characterising it as a postmodern movement. The ways in which Heathens use this historical and archaeological material differ; some seek to reconstruct past beliefs and practices as accurately as possible, while others openly experiment with this material and embrace new innovations. Some, for instance, adapt their practices according to unverified personal gnosis (UPG) that they have gained through spiritual experiences. Others adopt concepts from
25550-451: The right wing of the political spectrum", although added that in the Heathen community McNallen "suddenly becomes very much the man of the centre – and is thus a legitimate target for both sides." The historian of religion Mattias Gardell characterized McNallen as a libertarian . McNallen rejects the descriptor " conservative ", expressing the view that there is little in modern Western society worthy of conserving. McNallen envisions
25725-428: The role of facilitating and leading group ceremonies and being learned in the lore and traditions of the religion. Many kindreds believe that anyone can take on the position of priest, with members sharing organisational duties and taking turns in leading the rites. In other groups, it is considered necessary for the individual to gain formal credentials from an accredited Heathen organisation in order to be recognised as
25900-470: The second marks Midwinter , and the last marks the beginning of summer . Additional festivals are also marked by Heathen practice throughout the year. These often include days which commemorate individuals who fought against the Christianization of northern Europe, or who led armies and settlers into new lands. Some Heathen groups hold festivals dedicated to a specific deity. Some Heathens celebrate
26075-550: The soul of our [Nordic] race", and thought that it was a "real mistake" for anyone not of Northern European ancestry to follow Heathenry. Not everyone in the AFA embraced this theory, with it being rejected for instance by prominent AFA member Robert Stine, although it would later be developed in new directions by the Heathen Edred Thorsson . Academic observers have characterised metagenetics as racist, and as pseudoscience . One commentator noted that AFA membership at
26250-507: The speakers due to the sacred context of the sumbel ceremony. According to Snook, the sumbel has a strong social role, representing "a game of politicking, of socializing, cementing bonds of peace and friendship and forming new relationships" within the Heathen community. During her ethnographic research, Pizza observed an example of a sumbel that took place in Minnesota in 2006 with the purpose of involving Heathen children; rather than mead,
26425-435: The specifics of northern European society in the Iron Age and Early Medieval periods; however for most practitioners their main source of information about the pre-Christian past is fictional literature and popular accounts of Norse mythology. Many express a romanticized view of this past, sometimes perpetuating misconceptions about it; the sociologist of religion Jennifer Snook noted that many practitioners "hearken back to
26600-603: The tastes and needs of contemporary practitioners. In addition to meeting for ritual practices, many Heathen kindreds also organize study sessions to meet and discuss Medieval texts pertaining to pre-Christian religion; among U.S. Heathens, it is common to refer to theirs as a "religion with homework". During religious ceremonies, many adherents choose to wear clothing that imitates the styles of dress worn in Iron Age and Early Medieval northern Europe , sometimes termed "garb". They also often wear symbols indicating their religious allegiance. The most commonly used sign among Heathens
26775-539: The term "Norse religion" to describe the Heathen religion that he was practicing, before later adopting the term "Odinism" from the work of Danish Heathen Else Christensen . He then changed it once again, this time to "Asatru", which he had discovered in Magnus Magnusson 's book, Hammer of the North , and subsequently popularized within the American Heathen community. During his college years, McNallen had been
26950-488: The terms Odinism or Wotanism to describe their religion. The England-based racialist group Woden's Folk favored Wodenism and Woden Folk-Religion , while another racialist group, the Heathen Front , favored the term Odalism , coined by Varg Vikernes , in reference to the odal rune . There is thus a general view that all those who use Odinism adopt an explicitly political, right-wing and racialist interpretation of
27125-474: The terms Odinism , Wotanism , Wodenism , or Odalism . Scholarly estimates put the number of Heathens at no more than 20,000 worldwide, with communities of practitioners active in Europe, the Americas, and Australasia. Scholars of religious studies classify Heathenry as a new religious movement , and more specifically as a reconstructionist form of modern Paganism . Heathenry has been defined as "a broad contemporary Pagan new religious movement (NRM) that
27300-485: The time was largely a mix of hippies and neo-Nazis . As membership of the AFA grew, there were an increased number of internal conflicts, often along ideological lines. This was exacerbated by the fact that all affiliated groups, known as kindreds , were autonomous, while the AFA promoted an individualistic ethos which allowed for a diversity of opinions. This generated conflicts at the AFA's annual meetings, or Althings , for instance when Michael "Valgard" Murray—one of
27475-485: The use of any mind-altering drugs. Not all Heathens practice seiðr ; given its associations with both the ambiguity of sexuality and gender and the gods Odin and Loki in their unreliable trickster forms, many on the Heathen movement's right wing disapprove of it. While there are heterosexual male practitioners, seiðr is largely associated with women and gay men, and a 2015 survey of Heathens found that women were more likely to have engaged in it than men. One member of
27650-460: The view that his AFA exhibits the "middle ground on racial issues. On the one hand we were proud of our European heritage, and we actively espoused the interests of European-descended peoples. On the other hand we opposed totalitarianism and racial hatred, convinced that decency and honor required us to treat individuals of all racial groups with respect." According to a 1998 Southern Poverty Law Center article, although McNallen has attempted to evade
27825-494: The white or Aryan struggle against other racial groups. According to Katja Lane, co-founder of the extreme racialist Wotansvolk, McNallen is "promoting everything BUT the Aryan cause." However, in writings and YouTube videos, Stephen McNallen has spoken favorably of Wotanism and the Fourteen Words of David Lane , networking with Red Ice TV , a social media outlet of the alt-right . Calico noted that McNallen represented
28000-508: The word itself is not plural, it just means faith in God. And, it does of course mean, in the old way, respect in honouring the old gods and goddesses of the Northern European people." Murray remained the Allsherjargoði of the Ásatrú Alliance of Independent Kindreds, Inc. until entering a semi-retirement in 2015. Stephen McNallen Stephen Anthony McNallen (born October 15, 1948)
28175-547: The world as a military journalist, writing articles for Soldier of Fortune magazine. Concerned by what he saw as the growth of liberal , universalist ideas in Heathenry, he returned to active involvement in the Heathen movement in the mid-1990s, establishing the Asatrú Folk Assembly, which was headquartered in Grass Valley, California . In 1997 he was involved in the establishment of the International Asatru/Odinist Alliance alongside Valgard Murray's Ásatrú Alliance and
28350-442: The world's surviving ethnic religions as well as modern polytheistic traditions such as Hinduism and Afro-American religions , believing that doing so helps to construct spiritual world-views akin to those that existed in Europe prior to Christianization . Some practitioners who emphasize an approach that relies exclusively on historical and archaeological sources criticize such attitudes, denigrating those who practice them using
28525-498: The Æsir, such as the Vanir , valkyries , elves , and dwarfs . Although initially a popular term of designation among practitioners and academics, usage of Ásatrú has declined as the religion has aged. Other practitioners term their religion Vanatrú , meaning "those who honor the Vanir", or Dísitrú , meaning "those who honor the goddesses", depending on their particular theological emphasis. A small group of practitioners who venerate
28700-526: Was adopted by Gothic Arian missionaries as the equivalent of both the Greek words Hellenis (Hellene, Greek) and ethnikós —"of a (foreign) people". The word was used by Early Medieval Christian writers in Germanic Europe to describe non-Christians; by using it, practitioners seek to reappropriate it from the Christians as a form of self-designation. Many practitioners favor the term Heathen over pagan because
28875-659: Was an attempt to recruit members. After this incident was publicized it resulted in accusations of racism being levelled against McNallen and the AFA from various parts of the Pagan blogosphere. In December 2012, McNallen created the Facebook page Green Asatru to promote environmental ideas within Heathenry. In June 2013 McNallen started the non-profit organization, Forever Elephants, to combat ivory poaching in Africa, using Facebook to promote this cause. In 2014, he retired from his profession as
29050-475: Was born in the rural town of Breckenridge , Texas on October 15, 1948, to a family of practicing Roman Catholics . After high school, he attended Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas . While there, he began to investigate alternative religions , reading about the modern Pagan religion of Wicca and the writings of the occultist Aleister Crowley . In his freshman year of college he read
29225-647: Was elected the Alsherjargothi of the Ásatrú Alliance. In 2013, Murray commented on the killing of Colorado Department of Corrections head Tom Clements as the alleged murderer "practiced a controversial form of religion behind bars" which was Asatru. In 2014, Murray was interviewed in a three-part series by George Whitehurst Berry on the Sedona Dreams Show . During this interview, Murray stated that Asatru means, "faith in God." Asked if it actually refers to gods and goddesses, he responds, "Well, yes it did, but
29400-478: Was featured alongside articles by other white nationalists like Jared Taylor and Kevin B. MacDonald . Spencer noted that the initial articles for this website represented "the first stage" of the alt-right movement. In 2011, the AFA sent a contingent to the annual conference of a Spencer's white nationalist organization, the National Policy Institute , in what some figures close to McNallen revealed
29575-446: Was not a common feature of pre-Christian rituals in Iron Age and Early Medieval Germanic Europe. Different Heathen groups celebrate different festivals according to their cultural and religious focus. The most widely observed Heathen festivals are Winter Nights , Yule , and Sigrblót , all of which were listed in his Heimskringla and are thus of ancient origin. The first of these marks the start of winter in northern Europe, while
29750-469: Was not immediately apparent to me. I think many people first get involved in racial politics, and then later decide that maybe Odinism or Asatrú attracts them. With me, it was quite the reverse as I was attracted to the religion first, simply for its own value, and it was only later, that I began to realize that there's an inherent connection between one's ethnicity and the religion that they follow." — Stephen McNallen. In 1969–70, McNallen founded
29925-478: Was only suitable for those of Northern European ancestry. A growing membership generated internal conflict within the AFA, resulting in McNallen's decision to expel those with neo-Nazi and racial extremist views from the organisation. Under increasing personal strain, in 1987 he disbanded the Assembly. Moving to Northern California , McNallen began a career as a school teacher; during the summer vacations he travelled
30100-494: Was opposed by many of the groups attending, who argued that he should not be invited because of what they perceived as his racist views; a number of European Heathen groups, such as Norway's Bifrost and the Swedish SAS, threatened to boycott the event as a result of McNallen's invite. In 2010, he contributed an article to the newly founded webzine AlternativeRight.com , founded by the white nationalist Richard B. Spencer , which
30275-491: Was the dominant interpretation among practitioners in Nordic countries. No central religious authority exists to impose a particular terminological designation on all practitioners. Hence, different Heathen groups have used different words to describe both their religion and themselves, with these terms often conveying meaning about their socio-political beliefs as well as the particular Germanic region of pre-Christian Europe from which they draw inspiration. Academics studying
30450-506: Was therefore largely superfluous. Seeking to promote Heathenry to a wider audience, McNallen also established the Ásatrú Community Church, which held Sunday services twice a month in the community room of the Nevada County Library ; he later acknowledged that it was not particularly successful. During the 1990s, McNallen befriended the prominent Heathen Michael Moynihan , later recommending and selling Moynihan's journal Tyr on
30625-444: Was upset by the growth of The Troth , a universalist Heathen group that welcomed members regardless of ethnic or racial background. He later referred to this as "a corrupt faction" that "denied the innate connection of Germanic religions and Germanic people", expressing anger at the increasing domination of Heathenry by "liberals, affirmative-action Asatrúers, black goðar, and New Agers". In response to this, he decided to re-establish
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