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Germanic neopaganism
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Germanic neopaganism, also known as Heathenism, Ásatrú, Odinism, Forn Siðr, Wotanism, Theodism, and other names, is the contemporary revival of historical Germanic paganism.[2] Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Germany and Austria, and a second wave of revival began in the United States, Great Britain, Iceland, Australia, and other places in the late 1960s. Dedicated to the ancient gods and goddesses of the North,[3] the focus of Germanic neopagans varies considerably, from strictly historical polytheistic reconstructionism to syncretist (eclectic), pragmatic psychologist, occult or mysticist approaches. Germanic neopagan organizations cover a wide spectrum of belief and ideals.[4]
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Germanic Neopaganism (as opposed to Neopaganism in general) is often defined as reconstructionist. Adherents are mostly polytheists, having faith in a number of gods and goddesses.
Most Germanic traditions share a worldview informed by the concepts of Wyrd, Orlog, Rita and Yggdrasil (or Irminsul).[5] According to this understanding, the entire cosmos (the Nine Worlds), goes through a process of birth, death, and rebirth in the cycle of time. The cosmos is eternal, but at the same time it is perpetually changing. The Wyrd is the interconnectedness of all events and things, the wholeness of all nature.[6]
The Wyrd is sometimes described somewhat narrowly as "Fate";[7] it is not fatalistic, since it is being transformed constantly by the ongoing action, but the future is always shaped to a certain degree by wires of the past.[8] The Wyrd is the connexion of forces from the past, the present and the future, mythologically represented by the Norns (or Wyrdae, "Wyrds", the "Wyrd Sisters"), Urd (who is the Old Norse for "Wyrd" itself), Verdandi and Skuld.[5][6]
The pantheon comprehends various gods divided traditionally into three "races", the Æsir, the Vanir, and the Giants or Jötuns. Every Germanic neopagan tradition uses different names for the gods based on the particular ethnic culture they are drawing from. The Aesir mostly pertain to the sphere of human society, they govern the arts, force, law, wisdom, et cetera; on the other hand the Vanir embody elements and forces of nature, such as fertility, water, beauty. The Jotuns are the gigantic, elemental, primordial chaotic forces which the gods interact with and sublimate in their creative action of shaping reality.[5][9] The different divine races often overlap in domain and function.
Germanic Neopaganism has a strong leaning towards animism. This is most apparent in the worship of Álfar (or Elves), land-spirits, the various beings of folklore (Kobold, Huldufólk), and the belief that inanimate objects can have a fate of their own.
It is believed that Elves or land-spirits can inhabit natural objects such as trees or stones. These spirits can, and do, take sides in the affairs of the inhabitants of their land.[10] This is in imitation of historical Norse paganism, which had strong animistic tendencies, as reflected in sagas such as that of a wizard who goes to Iceland in whale-shape to see if it can be invaded, who is attacked by land-spirits while going on shore, and is forced to flee.[11]
It is believed by some Pagans that inanimate objects can have a soul of their own, or a fate, and therefore should be given a name, the most common cases being the naming of weapons like Gram. The objects are not "charged" before use, but have the fate or innate power within them a priori.
Ethics and soteriology[edit]
Ethics in Germanic Neopaganism are guided by a concept of personal ørlög or wyrd, encompassing the notions of both fate and luck. The belief in Wyrd — a concept of fatalism or determinism,[12] similar to some Graeco-Roman concepts of destiny is a commonly held belief amongst most Germanic Neopagans. People's personal destinies are shaped in part by what is past, in part by what they and others are now doing, by the vows they take and contracts they enter into. The Germanic Neopagan community is primarily bound together by common symbological and social concepts. Personal character and virtue is emphasized: truthfulness, self-reliance, and hospitality are important moral distinctions, underpinning an especially cherished notion of honour.
The Asatru Folk Assembly and the Odinic Rite encourages recognition of an ethical code, the Nine Noble Virtues, which are culled from various sources, including the Hávamál from the Poetic Edda. In addition to the Nine Noble Virtues there are other ethical axioms, such as the Nine Charges recognised mostly by the Odinic Rite members. Specific groups denominations may implement also their own sets of values, for example Fyrnsidu has the Twelve Great Thews and the Sidungas,[13][14] Urglaawe has additional nine "ancillary virtues" called "Newwereenheide": Generosity, Spirituality, Curiosity, Compassion, Introspection, Self-Improvement, Stewardship, Kinship, and Wisdom.[15]
Although Germanic Neo-pagans revere the forces of nature, Germanic Neo-paganism is not a "nature religion" in the sense of other currents often found in Neopaganism, and adherents oppose neither technology nor its material rewards. More mystical currents of Paganism may be critical of industrialization or modern society, but even such criticism will focus on decadence, lack of virtue or balance, rather than being a radical criticism of technology itself.[16]
Regarding afterlife, practitioners may hold different views. According to the lore, the soul is not a single entity, but a composite of parts both physical and metaphysical, a microcosm of the immense macrocosm.[17] The soul is typically thought to have nine to twelve parts, however some groups combine some of the soul parts. These beliefs makes sense since according to myths man was created by the gifts of three gods, Odin, Hoenir and Lodur.[17]
The most famous post-death destination[18] is Valhalla. The devotees of Odin who die heroic deaths will be his guests in Valhalla. The death-song of Ragnar Lodbrók describes this belief, so, too, does the poet of Eiríksmál. In Ynglinga Saga it is further said that all those who are cremated with their possessions after death will also go to Odin.[19]
A popular belief among Germanic Neo-pagans is reincarnation; this view of reincarnation is exposed in the concept of Apterburder contained in the Edda[clarification needed]. Edred Thorsson. Runecaster's Handbook: The Well of Wyrd. Red Wheel/Weiser, 1999. pp. 14–15. The Apterburder (roughly "rebirth") is the process whereby the essence of a man is handed down to his generations allowing him to be reborn later in the same kinship; in other words Heathens believe that reincarnation happens within the boundaries of a kinship, a genetic lineage — for example the grandson is the reincarnation of the grandfather or even earlier generations.
Rites and practices[edit]
The primary deities of Germanic Neo-paganism are those of the Germanic pantheons. Paganism also has a component of ancestor worship or veneration. In the simplest form of the adherent's personal practices, direct ancestors (sometimes referred to as Dis) are often praised and honoured during the rituals of sumble and blot. Animism or land veneration is most evident in the rituals dedicated to the Elves and Wights (spirits similar to the Shinto lesser Kami).[20]
Blót is the historical Norse term for sacrifice or ritual slaughter. The word blót actually translates to "blood." Historically, the ritual slaughter of a farm animal was central to the rite. Germanic Neopaganism does not usually include this practice. In Germanic Neopaganism, blóts are often celebrated outdoors in nature. A blót may be highly formalized, but the underlying intent resembles inviting and having an honoured guest or family member in for dinner. Food and drink may be offered. Most of this will be consumed by the participants, and some of the drink will be poured out onto the soil as a libation. Home-brewed mead as the "Germanic" drink par excellence is popular.[5][dead link][6][dead link]
Offerings during a blót usually involve mead or other alcohol, sometimes food, sometimes song or poetry, specially written for the occasion or for a particular deity, is delivered as an offering. The blót ritual may be based on historical example, scripted for the occasion or may be spontaneous. Certain Germanic Neopagan groups, most notably the Theodish, strictly adhere to historical formulaic ritual, while other groups may use modernized variants. Usual dress for a blót is whatever suits the seasons — many blóts are outdoors, sometimes at sacred sites. Some Germanic Neopagans, most notably the Theodish, wear clothing modeled on those of the Anglo-Saxon or Norse 'Viking' during ritual, while others eschew this practice.
When the rituals are communal, the officiant is normally a priest. "priests" are usually called godi or "godman/men", and priestesses are called gydia or "godwoman/women".[21] The proper plural of godi (or gothi) and gydia (or gythia) is godar (or gothar). Heathen places of worship can be ve, simply "sacred enclosures" which can be woods or natural shrines, and hofs or "hovs", temple buildings which can be constructed within a ve or not. Currently two hofs are planned for construction in Iceland, one in Reykjavík[22] and one in Akranes,[23] the latter designed by Heathen artist Haukur Halldórsson.
Sometimes, communal blots may include — or be part of — rites of passage. Examples of these last are the naming of newborn children to whom the parents give names of Germanic origin, a ceremony which takes place nine days after the birth, but also handfastings and funerals.[24][25]
Symbel (OE) and sumbel (ON) are terms for "feast, banquet, (social) gathering", occasionally used to refer to a special type of solemn drinking ritual attested in more or less comparable forms among various Germanic warrior elites. In such instances, symbel involved a formulaic ritual which was more solemn and serious than mere drinking or celebration. The primary elements of symbel are drinking ale or mead from a horn, speech making (which often included formulaic boasting and oaths), and gift giving.
According to the reconstruction by Bauschatz (1983), eating and feasting were specifically excluded from symbel, and no alcohol was set aside for the gods or other deities in the form of a sacrifice.[26]
The host of the symbel was called the symbelgifa. One of the officiants of symbel was the thyle (ON þulr), who challenged and questioned those who made boasts (gielp) or oaths (béot, bregofull), if necessary with taunts or mockery (flyting). Oaths said over the symbel-horn were seen as binding and affecting the luck and wyrd of all in attendance. The alcoholic drink was served by women or alekeepers (ealu bora "ale bearer"), the first round usually poured by the lady of the house.
The bragarfull "promise-cup" or bragafull "best cup" or "chieftain's cup" was in Norse culture a particular drinking from a cup or drinking horn on ceremonial occasions, often involving the swearing of oaths when the cup or horn was drunk by a chieftain or passed around and drunk by those assembled.
In American Ásatrú as developed by McNallen and Stine, the sumbel is a drinking-ritual in which a drinking horn full of mead or ale is passed around and a series of toasts are made, first to the Aesir, then to other supernatural beings, then to heroes or ancestors, and then to others. Participants may also make boasts of their own deeds, or oaths or promises of future actions. Words spoken during the sumbel are considered and consecrated, becoming part of the destiny of those assembled. The name sumbel (or symbel) is mainly derived from Anglo-Saxon sources. For this reason, the ritual is not known by this name among Icelandic Nordic pagans, who nevertheless practice a similar ritual as part of their blot.[27]
In Theodism and Fyrnsidu in particular, the symbel has a particularly high importance, considered "the highest and most important rite"[28] or "amongst the most holy rites" celebrated.[29] It is considered a fate-weaving ritual, a commitment to future evolution, a ritual conditioning the Wyrd of the community.[28] Each action of which the sumble is composed serves to strengthen the unity and interconnected luck between the participants.[28] In sumble, the Heathens are called to remember those past deeds which strengthened their luck and brought might to the group, and they are called to rise above unshining deeds.[28] The sumble reinforces the cohesiveness of the community setting each person not only in the active flow of Wyrd, but bringing them in alignment with the wisdom of their collective ancestry.[28] It reaffirms the ethnic identity of a group.[28]
Seiðr and Spae are forms of "sorcery" or "witchcraft", the latter having aspects of prophecy and shamanism. Seid and spae are not common rituals, and are not engaged in by many adherents of Germanic Neopaganism. Usually seid or spae rituals are modeled after the ritual detailed in the Saga of Eric the Red: a seiðkona dressed in traditional garb will sit on a high-seat or platform and prophesy in a formulaic manner as women sing or chant galdr around her. In the UK, seidr relies less on formal ritual and more informal practices of healing (Blain, 2002b), protection, and for developing links with land and ancestors. It may be related — in past and present — to alterations of consciousness and negotiations with otherworld beings.
The berserkergangr may be described as a sort of religious ecstasy, associated with Odin, and thus a masculine variant of the 'effeminate' ecstasy of Seid.[7]
Romanticist Germanic mysticism[edit]
The first modern attempt at revival of ancient Germanic religion took place in the 19th century during the late Romantic Period amidst a general resurgence of interest in traditional Germanic culture, in particular in connection with romantic nationalism in Scandinavia and the related Viking revival in Victorian era Britain—the latter having associations with earlier Romanticism. Germanic mysticism is an occultist current loosely inspired by "Germanic" topics, notably runes, which has its beginnings in the early 20th century (Guido von List's "Armanism", Karl Maria Wiligut's "Irminism" etc.) The last traditional pagan sacrifices in Scandinavia, at Trollkyrka, appear to date to about this time.
Organized Germanic pagan or occult groups such as the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft emerged in Germany in the early 20th century. The connections of this movement to historical Germanic paganism are tenuous at best, with emphasis lying on the esoteric as taught by the likes of Julius Evola, Guido von List and Karl Maria Wiligut.
In the first two decades of the twentieth century an overtly heathen movement known as "heroic vitalism" became mainstream in Australian art. It had no connection with isolated Continental thinkers like von List. Most leading Australian painters, sculptors and poets of that generation, such as Norman Lindsay, Rayner Hoff and Kenneth Slessor, pioneered this movement. In the 1930s Odinism became an established faith in Australia, led by such people as Rud Mills, Evelyn Price and Annie Lennon.
Nazi period and World War II[edit]
Several early members of the Nazi Party belonged to the Thule Society, a study group for German antiquity. While it is postulated (by Louis Pauwels and Jacques Bergier in The Morning of the Magicians in 1960 and by Gerald Suster in Hitler and the Age of Horus in 1981) that occult elements played an important role in the formative phase of Nazism, and of the SS in particular, after his rise to power Adolf Hitler discouraged such pursuits. Point 24 of the National Socialist Program stated that the party endorsed "positive Christianity".[30]
The eclectic German Faith Movement (Deutsche Glaubensbewegung), founded by the Sanskrit scholar Jakob Wilhelm Hauer, enjoyed a degree of popularity during the Nazi period.[31] Some Germanic mysticists were victimized by the Nazis: Friedrich Bernhard Marby spent 99 months in KZ Dachau, and Siegfried Adolf Kummer's fate is unknown.[32]
Several books published by the Nazi party - including Die Gestaltung der Feste im Jahres- und Lebenslauf in der SS-Familie (The Celebrations in the Life of the SS Family) by Fritz Weitzel, as well as the SS Tante Friede - illustrate how the National Socialists regarded traditional Germanic heathenry as primitive superstition which needed reworking to better serve the state. Celebrating the traditional festivals like Jul and Sommersonnenwende were encouraged and recast into veneration of the Nazi state and Führer.[33]
The appropriation of "Germanic antiquity" by the Nazis was at first regarded with skepticism and sarcasm by British Scandophiles. W. H. Auden in his Letters from Iceland (1936) makes fun of the idea of Iceland as an "Aryan vestige",[34] but with the outbreak of World War II, Nordic romanticism in Britain became too much associated with the enemy's ideology to remain palatable, to the point that J. R. R. Tolkien, an ardent Septentrionalist, in 1941 found himself moved to state that he had a "burning private grudge ... against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler" for "ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making for ever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light."[35]
Meanwhile, in Australia, there was a thriving Odinist movement quite independent of anything that was happening in Germany. They anticipated the entry of Japan into World War Two, and several leading Odinists (including Rud Mills and Les Cahill) were imprisoned for advocating that Australian troops should be withdrawn from Europe to Australia to defend that country against Japanese aggression and for their political associations. Their formal religious organisation, the Anglecyn Church of Odin, was dissolved and went underground (1942).[36] In time, older members of the Australian Odinist movement tutored a later generation, which formed the Odinic Rite of Australia in 1994.
Second revival, 1960s to present[edit]
Another revival, this time based on folklore and historical research rather than on mysticist speculation, took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In Iceland, Ásatrúarfélagið, led by farmer Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson, was recognized as a religious organization by the Icelandic government in 1973. In the United States, around the same period, Else Christensen began publishing "The Odinist" newsletter and Stephen McNallen began publishing a newsletter titled The Runestone. McNallen formed an organization called the Asatru Free Assembly, which was later renamed the Ásatrú Folk Assembly (AFA).[37] The AFA fractured in 1987-88, resulting in the creation of the Ásatrú Alliance, headed by Valgard Murray, publisher of the "Vor Tru" newsletter. Around the same time, the Ring of Troth (now simply The Troth) was founded by other former members of the AFA.
In 1972 the spiritual descendants of Mills' Odinist movement in Australia obtained from the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia a written undertaking that open profession of Odinism in Australia would not be persecuted. The Odinic Rite of Australia subsequently obtained tax deductible status from the Australian Tax Office. The ATO accepts this as the definition of Odinism: "the continuation of ... the organic spiritual beliefs and religion of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe as embodied in the Edda and as they have found expression in the wisdom and in the historical experience of these peoples".
The Odinic Rite was established in England in 1972, and in the 1990s expanded to include chapters or kindred bodies in Germany (1995), Australia (1995) and North America (1997) and later (2006) to the Netherlands. In 1992, The Odin Brotherhood by Mark Mirabello contained claims of a surviving Odinist "secret society", allegedly founded in 1421 to pagan tradition from Christian persecution, comparable to the Witch-cult hypothesis forwarded by Gerald Gardner (1954).[38] Neopagan groups calling themselves the Odin Brotherhood based on Mirabello's account have since been listed in the 8th edition of the The Encyclopedia of American Religions.[39]
In Germany, the Heidnische Gemeinschaft (HG) founded by Géza von Neményi in 1985. In 1991 the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft (GGG), led by von Neményi, split off from the HG. In 1997 the Nornirs Ætt was founded as part of the Rabenclan and in 2000 the Eldaring was founded. The Eldaring is affiliated with the US based Troth.
In Scandinavia, the Swedish Asatru Society formed in 1994, and in Norway the Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996 and Foreningen Forn Sed formed in 1999. They have been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious society, allowing them to perform "legally binding civil ceremonies" (i. e. marriages). In Denmark Forn Siðr also formed in 1999 (and was recognized by the state in 2003) and in Sweden Nätverket Gimle formed in 2001, as an informal community for individual heathens. Nätverket Forn Sed formed in 2004, and has a network consisting of local groups (blotlag) from all over the Sweden.
Terminology and groupings[edit]
Heathen (Old English hæðen, Old Norse heiðinn, Old High German heidan) was coined as a translation of Latin paganus, in the Christian sense of "non-Abrahamic faith".
In the Sagas, the terms heiðni and kristni (Heathenry and Christianity) are used as polar terms to describe the older and newer faiths. Historically, the term was influenced by the Gothic term *haiþi, appearing as haiþno in Ulfilas' bible for translating gunē Hellēnis, "Greek (i.e. gentile) woman" of Mark 7:26, probably with an original meaning "dwelling on the heath", but it was also suggested by Jacob Grimm in his Deutsche Mythologie (Teutonic Mythology) that it was chosen because of its similarity to Greek ethne "gentile" or even that it is not related to "heath" at all, but rather a loan from Armenian hethanos, itself loaned from Greek ethnos.
Ásatrú (pronounced [auːsatruː] in Icelandic, [aːsatruː] in Old Norse) is a modern Icelandic compound derived from Áss, which refers to the Æsir, an Old Norse term for the Gods, and trú, literally "faith". Thus, Ásatrú is the "faith in the Æsir". The term is the Icelandic translation of Asetro, a neologism coined in the context of 19th century romantic nationalism, used by Edvard Grieg in his 1870 opera Olaf Trygvason[citation needed]. Ásatrúar, sometimes used as a plural in English, is properly the genitive of Ásatrú.
Modern Scandinavian forms of the term, Norwegian Åsatru, Swedish Asatro, Danish Asetro (Ēsatrēowð in Anglo-Saxon), were introduced in Neopaganism in Scandinavia in the 1990s.
In Germany, the terms Asatru and Odinism were borrowed from the Anglosphere in the 1990s, with a chapter of Odinic Rite formed in 1995 and the Eldaring as a partner organization of The Troth formed in 2000. Eldaring takes Asatru as a synonym of Germanic neopaganism in general, following usage by The Troth. Other organizations avoid Asatru in favour of Germanisches Heidentum ("Germanic Heathenry"). Eldaring is the only pagan organization at the national level in Germany self-described as Asatru.
The term Vanatru is coined after Ásatrú, implying a focus on the family of the Gods within the Æsir known as the Vanir. After that, the word Røkkatru was coined to imply a focus on the Røkkr or the twilight entities in opposition to the Norse Gods, such as Loki.
Forn Siðr[edit]
Old Norse Forn Siðr, Anglo-Saxon Fyrnsidu, Old High German Firner situ and its modern Scandinavian (Forn Sed) and modern German (Firne Sitte) analogues, all meaning "old custom", is used as a term for pre-Christian Germanic culture in general, and for Germanic Neopaganism in particular, mostly by groups in Scandinavia and Germany. Old Norse forn "old" is cognate to Sanskrit purana, English (be)fore and far. Old Norse siðr "custom", Anglo-Saxon sidu, seodu "custom", cognate to Greek ethos, in the sense of "traditional law, way of life, proper behaviour". In meaning, the term corresponds closely to Sanskrit sanātana dharma, a term coined as a "native" equivalent of Hinduism in Hindu revivalism. In contradistinction to Ásatrú, inn forni siðr is actually attested in Old Norse, contrasting with inn nýi siðr "the new custom", and similarly Heiðinn siðr, contrasting with Kristinn siðr, and í fornum sið "in old (heathen) times".[42] Forn Siðr is also the name of the largest Danish pagan society, which since 2003 is recognized as a religion by the Danish government, meaning they have the right to conduct weddings and funerals.
The term Odinism was coined by Orestes Brownson in his 1848 Letter to Protestants.[43] The term was re-introduced in the late 1930s by Alexander Rud Mills in Australia with his First Anglecyn Church of Odin and his book The Call of Our Ancient Nordic Religion.[44] In the 1960s and early 1970s, Else Christensen's Odinist Study Group and later the Odinist Fellowship brought the term into usage in North America. In the UK, Odinic Rite has specifically identified themselves as "Odinists" since the 1970s, and is the largest group to do so.
The term "Odinism" is sometimes associated with racialist Nordic ideology, as opposed to "Asatru" which may or may not refer to racialist or "folkish" ideals. As defined by Goodrick-Clarke (2002), Nordic racial paganism is synonymous with the Odinist movement (including some who identify as Wotanist). He describes it as a "spiritual rediscovery of the Aryan ancestral gods...intended to embed the white races in a sacred worldview that supports their tribal feeling", and expressed in "imaginative forms of ritual magic and ceremonial forms of fraternal fellowship".[45]
According to the Odinist Fellowship, "Odinism is a polytheistic religion. We believe in and honour the life-giving and bountiful gods and goddesses of the Odinic pantheon, whom we refer to collectively as the High Gods of Asgarth, or as the Æsir and Vanir. Our gods are true gods, divine, living, spiritual entities, endowed with power and intelligence, able and willing to intervene in the course of Nature and of human lives. It behoves us to seek their goodwill and succour through prayer and sacrifice. But the gods do not require us to abase and humble ourselves; they do not seek to make of us craven slaves. Odinists therefore do not bow or kneel or kow-tow to the gods, but address them proudly like free, upstanding men and women. Odinists regard our gods, not as our masters, but as firm friends and powerful allies."[46]
In more recent times, the Odinist community in Australia has endorsed the "Melbourne Creed" of Odinism, which is a 9-point statement of belief, "An Odinist Creed."[47]
Theodism, or Þéodisc Geléafa originally sought to reconstruct the beliefs and practices of the Anglo-Saxon tribes which settled in England. þéodisc is the adjective of þéod "people, tribe", cognate to deutsch. As it evolved, the Theodish community moved past solely Anglo-Saxon forms and other Germanic tribal groups were also being reconstituted; Theodism, in this larger sense, now encompass groups practicing tribal beliefs from Scandinavia and the Continent, following in the model set forth by the Anglo Saxon theods founded in the 1970s. The term Theodism now encompasses Norman, Frisian, Angle, Saxon, Jutish, Gothic, Alemannic, Thuringian, Swedish and Danish tribal cultures. This relaxing of the original term "Theodism" functionally identifies Germanic Neopagans who practice or advocate Neo-Tribalism. [8][dead link]
Main Article on Pennsylvania German Wikipedia: Urglaawe
Urglaawe ("primal faith" in Deitsch) is a North American tradition within Heathenry and bears some affinity with other traditions related to historical Continental Germanic paganism.[48] It derives its core from the Deitsch healing practice of Braucherei, from Deitsch folklore and customs, and from other Germanic and Scandinavian sources. Urglaawe uses both the English and Deitsch languages.
As with other Teutonic religious and philosophical traditions, adherents of Urglaawe may have differing beliefs in worldview and theological view. One of the main deities Urglaawers worship is Holle, an ancient Germanic mother goddess passed down in the Deitsch folklore.[48]
The term "Wotanism"[49][50] distinguishes a form of Heathenry with political overtones. Wotanism is the name of a white supremacist current initiated by David Lane.[51] It is based on the essay entitled Wotan by Carl Jung. Unlike other Heathens, most Wotanists emphasize dualism and view the gods as Jungian archetypes.[52][53] Wotanists consider the Havamal to be their holiest text.
Distribution of adherents[edit]
Today, Germanic Neopaganism is practiced throughout the world. Scandinavia, Germany, Britain, North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand all have numerous Germanic Neopagan organizations. Groups and practitioners also exist in other parts of Europe and in Latin America.
The exact number of adherents worldwide is unknown, partly because of the lack of a clear definition separating Asatru (or Odinism) from other similar religions. There are perhaps a few thousand practitioners in North America (10,000 to 20,000 according to McNallen[54]), about 1950[55] in Iceland, a thousand or so in Melbourne, Australia, and 350 organized Asatru in Germany, with other groups scattered world wide. These figures, however, do not include the many thousands of Germanic heathens in Russia (see below).
North America[edit]
As of 2001, the City University of New York estimated that some 360,000 people in the USA self-identify as "Pagan"[56] (excluding Wiccan (134,000), New Age (68,000), Druid (33,000), Spiritualist (116,000) and aboriginal religions (4,000)). The total number of Neopagans worldwide has been estimated at roughly three million[57][58] and according to these findings, a third each are located in the UK, the USA, and over the rest of the world.
In Canada according to the 2001 Census 21,080 people identified as Pagan, a 381% increase from 5,530 in 1991.[59] It is unclear how many of these are "Heathens."
The Odinic Rite (OR) was founded in 1973 under the influence of Else Christensen's Odinist Study Group. On 24 February 1988 the Rite became the first polytheistic religious organisation to be granted "Registered Charity" status in the UK.[60] This led to some controversy that the Rite had presented Odinism as a monotheistic religion in order to gain acceptance by the Charity Commission.[61] In 1990 a split occurred in the Rite. Two organisations were formed from the schism,[62] initially each claiming the same name and therefore known by their postal addresses. "BCM Runic" is now known as the Odinic Rite with the motto "Faith, Folk and Family".[63] "BM Edda", now known as the Odinist Fellowship,[64] is the part of the organisation which retains charitable status.[65]
An annual gathering of Heathens in the UK called Heathenfest has been held at Peterborough since 2005, it is organised by Woden's Hearth. Past speakers have included Pete Jennings, Jenny Blain, Thorskegga Thorn and Stephen Pollington.[66]
The 2001 UK Census figures did not allow an accurate breakdown of traditions that might fall within the Pagan/Neopagan heading, as a campaign by the Pagan Federation before the census encouraged Wiccans, Heathens, Druids and others all to use the same write-in term 'Pagan' in order to maximise the numbers reported. The 2011 census however made it possible to describe oneself as Pagan-Heathen (or any other chosen subgroup). The figures for England and Wales show 1,958 people self-identifying as Heathen. A further 251 described themselves as Reconstructionist and may include some people reconstructing Germanic paganism. The comparable figures for the UK as a whole in 2001 were 278 Heathen and 92 Asatru:[67]
Ásatrúarfélagið was recognized as an official religion by the Icelandic government in 1973. For its first 20 years it was led by farmer & poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. As of 2008, it had 1,270 members, corresponding to 0.4% of the Icelandic population.
In Sweden, the Swedish Forn Sed Assembly (Samfundet Forn Sed Sverige) was formed in 1994 under the name Swedish AsatruSociety (Sveriges asatrosamfund) and is since 2007 recognized as a religious organization by the Swedish government. In the spring 2010, on the "year-ting", the Communion changed its name to the current name.
In Denmark Forn Siðr was formed in 1999, and was officially recognized in 2003[68]
The Norwegian Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost was formed in 1996; as of 2011, the fellowship has some 300 members. Foreningen Forn Sed was formed in 1999, and has been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious organization.
Continental Europe[edit]
Interest in Germanic neopaganism in particular becomes apparent in Germany in the later 1990s, based on inspiration from the English speaking world rather than historical Deutschgläubig groups, foundation of the Rabenclan (1994), a German chapter of Odinic Rite in 1995, followed by Nornirs Ætt in 1997 and the Eldaring as a chapter of the US The Troth in 2000.
Werkgroep Traditie is a Flemish (Belgian) group founded by Koenraad Logghe in the 1990s. In Russia the many neo-pagan groups venerate the "Golden Age of the pre-Christian Rus" (the Rus being early Scandinavian settlers in Russia), and "In general, Neo-pagan newspapers ... appear irregularly in editions ranging from 10–50,000 copies, or more rarely, as many as 500,000 copies".[69]
Structure and subgroupings[edit]
Solitary practice, or practice in small circles of friends or family is common. These are often called kindreds or hearths, although often they are not formal.[9][dead link] Germanic Neopagan organizations have been active since the 1970s, but most of these larger groups are loose federations and do not require committed membership comparable to a church. Consequently, there is no central authority, and associations remain in a state of fluidity as factions form and break up.[10][dead link] [11]
There are several possibilities to analyse Germanic Neopaganism into individual currents or subgroupings.
One common approach is the classification by notions of ethnicity ("folk"). This may range from ethnic nationalist (völkisch) attitudes with far right tendencies on one hand (the Nouvelle Droite of Alain de Benoist notably has ties to such currents of Neopaganism) to moderate "tribalist" notions of ethnicity as based in tradition and culture, and to "universalist" approaches which de-emphasize differences between ethnic traditions (e.g. Seax Wicca).
Another classification is by approach to historicity and historical accuracy. On one hand, there are reconstructionists who aim to understand the pre-Christian Germanic religion based on academic research and implement these reconstructed . Contrasting with this is the "traditionalist" or "folklorist", in Scandinavia known as Folketro or Funtrad (short for Fundamentalistisk Traditionalisme) approach which emphasizes living local tradition as central.
Traditionalists will not reconstruct, but base their rituals on intimate knowledge of regional folklore. Proponents of traditionalism include the Norwegian Foreningen Forn Sed and the Swedish Samfälligheten för Nordisk Sed. Both religions reject the ideas of Romanticist or New Age currents as reflected in Asatru.
At the other end of this scale are syncretist or eclectic approaches which merge innovation or "personal gnosis" into historical or folkloristic tradition.
Note that this scale is largely independent of the approaches to "ethnicity" outlined above. Both ethnocentric and universalist Neopagans may de-emphasize historical tradition in favour of "personal gnosis", albeit for different reasons. "Folkish" currents may rely on postulated racial memory ("metagenetics") as rendering historical tradition superfluous, while universalists may welcome ahistorical input as ultimately of the same universal validity as historical tradition.
Political ideologies[edit]
Despite a common Norse or Germanic cosmology and belief system, adherents of Germanic neopaganism hold a wide spectrum of political beliefs from left to right and green.
Mattias Gardell, reader for religious history at the University of Stockholm, categorizes Germanic neopaganism (particularly in North America) into "militant racist," "ethnic," and "nonracist." In the militant racist position, Asatru is an expression of the "Aryan racial soul". The ethnic position is that of "tribalism", ethnocentric but opposed to the militant racist position. According to Gardell, the militant racist faction has grown significantly in North America during the early 2000s, estimating that, as of 2005, it accounts for 40-50% of North American Odinists or Asatruar with the other two factions at close to 30% each.[70]
Germanic Neopagan groups are generally organized into democratic and republican forms of church government, as inspired by the parliamentary Things of the Viking era and subsequent parliamentary systems of Britain and the Scandinavian countries. They promote individual rights and freedom of speech reminiscent of the free jarls of Norse saga. In the USA, early Germanic Neopagan groups such as Else Christensen's Odinist Fellowship held National Socialist philosophies, but later dropped these associations.
Currently, the three largest Germanic Neopagan groups in the USA specifically denounce racism and National Socialism.[71] There is an antagonistic relationship between many neo-Nazis and the membership of most Ásatrú organizations in the USA, who view "national socialism as an unwanted totalitarian philosophy incompatible with freedom-loving Norse paganism".[72]
Germanic Neopaganism and Racism[edit]
Odalism (a philosophy of Social Darwinism) and Wotanism (a racist / neo-Nazi position held by e.g. David Lane[70]) are two terms primarily focused on politics rather than religion.[citation needed] On his homepage, Varg Vikernes, notorious Black Metal musician and proponent of Odalism, explains his understanding of 'Paganism' with explicit racist referencing.[73]
Kaplan (1996)[74] documents the growth of Odinism in the United States and its link with the American Neo-Nazi scene. He notes that there is a division between Odinists embracing Nazi ideology and others without racist motivations responding to "childhood memories". The tensions between racist and non-racist Odinists are cast into the "folkish" ("traditional Ásatrú") vs. "universalist" ("New Age Ásatrú") debate.[75] It was these tensions that led to the demise of the Ásatrú Free Assembly in 1986 and the emergence of two separate movements, the Ásatrú Alliance and The Troth in the following year.[76]
Two groups, The Troth and the Asatru Alliance, explicitly denounce racism. The homepage of The Troth states that 'The Troth does not support any misuse of Germanic religion and culture to advance causes of racism, white supremacy, or any other form of discrimination'.[77] The Asatru Alliance webpage states that, "The Asatru Alliance promotes the native culture of the Northern European peoples. However, we do not practice, preach, or promote hatred, bigotry, or racism."[78] In addition, prominent figures in Ásatrú today such as Steven McNallen and Freya Aswynn have expressed their distaste for the racist connotations of some of the more radical practitioners of Ásatrú.
When the FBI identified potential threats towards the domestic security of the USA related to the turn of the Millennium in 2000 in the Project Megiddo report,[79] it stated that: "Without question, this initiative [i.e. Project Megiddo itself] has revealed indicators of potential violent activity on the part of extremists in this country. Militias, adherents of racist belief systems such as Christian Identity and Odinism, and other radical domestic extremists are clearly focusing on the millennium as a time of action." [Emphasis added]. The report also states that 'the Project Megiddo intelligence initiative has identified very few indications of specific threats to domestic security'.[79] This report, published in 1999, describes 'threats', however since the turn of the millennium no terrorist activities have been attributed to any Odinist group.
Notable organizations[edit]
- Anglosphere
- Scandinavia
- German-speaking Europe
- Netherlands, Flanders, South Africa
- Latin Europe
- Italy
- Comunità Odinista (Northern Italy)
- Spain
- Italy
See also[edit]
- Baltic neopaganism
- Celtic Neopaganism
- Celtic polytheism
- Neopaganism
- Neopaganism in German-speaking Europe
- Neopaganism in Scandinavia
- Norse mythology
- Norse paganism
- Polytheistic reconstructionism
- Slavic neopaganism
- ^ a b George Waring, Ceramic Art in Remote Ages; John B. Day, London; 1874. p. 12
- ^ *Rommel, Gundula E., Asgard in America: Inventing European Ethnic Identity in a Post-Industrial Pluralist Culture, 2011, ISBN 978-3-640-94603-7.
- ^ Brian Morris. Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge University Press. 2005. pgs 291-3 ISBN 0521617790
- ^ *Strmiska, M. and Sigurvinsson, B. A., "Asatru: Nordic Paganism in Iceland and America" in: Strmiska (ed.), Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives (2005), ISBN 978-1-85109-608-4, 127-180.
- ^ a b c Robin Artisson. Orlog: The Procession of the Ages of the World. A Suggested Schema for Understanding the Becoming, Perishing, and Re-Becoming of the Nine World System Based on Voluspa and Gylfaginning. 2008. Retrieved 3rd August 2011.
- ^ a b Eric Wodening. The Web of Wyrd. Wednesbury Shire of the White Marsh Theod. Retrieved 3rd August 2011.
- ^ Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites and Celebrations from the Norse, German and Anglo-Saxon Traditions. New Page Books, 2005. pp. 121-125.
- ^ Wyrd. Wednesbury Shire of the White Marsh Theod. Retrieved 3rd August 2011.
- ^ John Lindow. Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs. Oxford University Press, 2002, page 121 ISBN 0-19-515382-0 .
- ^ Gunndarsson, Kveldulf, 2006 "Álfs, Dwarves, Land-Wights, and Huldfolk" in Our Troth. BookSurge Publishing
- ^ Snorri Sturluson, Heimskringla, History of the Kings of Norway, transl. Lee M. Hollander, University of Texas Press, Heimskringla
- ^ Winterbourne, Anthony (2004). When the Norns Have Spoken: Time and Fate in Germanic Paganism. Rosemont Publishing & Printing Corp. ISBN 0-8386-4048-6.
- ^ Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring The Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites and Celebrations From the Norse, German And Anglo-Saxon Traditions. New Page Books , 2005. pp. 141-146.
- ^ Geferræden Fyrnsida. Ethics. Retrieved 4th August 2011.
- ^ Schreiwer, Robert L., and Ammerili Eckhart, 2012. A Dictionary of Urglaawe Terminology, p 51. Bristol, PA: Lulu.com.
- ^ Coulter, Hjuka (2003). Germanic Heathenry. Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4107-6585-7.
- ^ a b Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites and Celebrations from the Norse, German and Anglo-Saxon Traditions. New Page Books , 2005. pp. 127-138.
- ^ For an extensive historical discussion, see Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson. The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature. Cambridge University Press. 1943. ISBN 0-8371-0070-4
- ^ Osred. Odinism: Present, Past and Future. 2011. p. 67 ff. ISBN 1-4457-6816-X
- ^ Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites and Celebrations from the Norse, German and Anglo-Saxon Traditions. New Page Books, 2005. pp. 147-155.
- ^ Introduction to Heathenry. The Modern Heathen, 14 April 2009. Retrieved 6th August 2011.
- ^ Hof Project of the of the Architecture & Urban Design Bureau.
- ^ Asatru temple in Akranes?. Asatru _ News, Views and Musings from a 21st Century Heathen. 2003.
- ^ Heathenry. The Pagan Federation. Retrieved 6th August 2011.
- ^ Thorskegga Thorn. Naming Ceremomy. Thorshof.org. Retrieved 6th August 2011.
- ^ *Bauschatz, Paul C. The Well and the Tree: World and Time in Early Germanic Culture. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1983. ISBN 0-87023-352-1, pp. 74-75
- ^ Michael Strmiska, Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives, P ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 978-1-85109-608-4, pp. 129, 165.
- ^ a b c d e f Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring the Northern Tradition: A Guide to the Gods, Lore, Rites and Celebrations from the Norse, German and Anglo-Saxon Traditions. New Page Books, 2005. pp. 159-169.
- ^ Symbel. White Marsh Theod. Retrieved 5th August 2011.
- ^ The point demanded "freedom of religion for all religious denominations ... so long as they do not endanger its existence or oppose the moral senses of the Germanic race.... The Party advocates ... a Positive Christianity without binding itself confessionally to any one denomination." Alfred Rosenberg, in The Myth of the Twentieth Century, defined "positive" Christianity as Germanic against the Etruscan-Syrian-Jewish-African "negative" Christianity, with positive Christianity carrying on the spirit of Nordic paganism, tossing out the Old Testament as well as the "Jew" Paul. Positive Christianity, so conceived, was essentially a sleight-of-hand repudiation of orthodoxy. See generally Chapter 12, "Nazi Religion versus Christian Religion," in Peter Viereck, Metapolitics: from Wagner and the German Romantics to Hitler, Transaction Publishers, 2004, ISBN 0-7658-0510-3. See also Rev. Thomas D. Schwartz. "The National Socialist Stand on Christianity," The Barnes Review, Nov./Dec. 1999, pp. 55-57, available online here. Naturally, the Party's supposed "liberal" views on freedom of religion did not extend to Judaism. The Nazi efforts to "coordinate" German Protestantism (see Gleichschaltung) moderated after the notorious November 1933 Berlin Sportpalast speech at a "positive" Christian rally attacked the Old Testament and the "Rabbi Paul" and called for the need for a more "heroic" Jesus.
- ^ Carl Jung mentions this movement in his 1936 essay "Wotan". Jung, Carl G. (1970); Collected Works, Volume 10; Routledge & Kegan Paul, London; ISBN 0-7100-1640-9; pp. 190-91.
- ^ Lange, Hans-Jürgen (1998). Weisthor: Karl Maria Wiligut - Himmlers Rasputin und seine Erben.
- ^ Goodrick-Clarke, Nicholas (1993). The Occult Roots of Nazism: Secret Aryan Cults and Their Influence on Nazi Ideology. NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-3060-4.
- ^ My name occurs in several of the sagas, Is common over Iceland still. Down under Where Das Volk order sausages and lagers I ought to be the prize, the living wonder, The really pure from any Rassenschänder, In fact I am the great big white barbarian, The Nordic type, the too too truly Aryan. "Letter to Lord Byron IV." This whole section of the poem was dropped from Auden's later collected editions, but appears in The English Auden, ed. by Edward Mendelson (Faber and Faber, 1977), p. 189.
- ^ Letters, p. 55f.
- ^ Compare Introvigne, Massimo (2001). Massimo Introvigne, Centro studi sulle nuove religioni, ed. Enciclopedia delle religioni in Italia [Encyclopedia of religions in Italy]. Religioni e movimenti (in Italian) 51. Elledici. p. 705. ISBN 978-88-01-01596-6. Retrieved 2011-12-19. "[...] la First Anglecyn Church of Odin, dell'avvocato Alexander Rudd-Mills (1885-1967), fondata a Melbourne - nello Stato australiano di Victoria -, attiva dal 1929 fino al 1942 [...]"
- ^ The official Asatru Folk Assembly website can be found here
- ^ 5th edition 2003, Mandrake of Oxford, ISBN 1-869928-71-7. See Charlotte Hardman, Graham Harvey, Paganism Today (1995), p. 61.
- ^ Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions, 8th ed., Gale Cengage (2009), ISBN 0-7876-9696-X, p. 861f.
- ^ 5 articles linked on the importance of the Swastika within Odinism and here and another here, and here. Also see the books Creed of Iron, Temple of Wotan, Wotan's Holy Rites & Ritual: Book of Blotar, Odinic Mythology part 1 and 2
- ^ Jameson, Osred; 'Odinism: Present, Past and Future', 2010. Page 192. ISBN: 978-1-4457-6816-8
- ^ Geir T. Zoëga. A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic. Dover. 2011.
- ^ The Works of Orestes A. Brownson: Containing the Second Part of the Political Writings, ed. Henry Francis Brownson, T. Nourse (1884), p. 257
- ^ http://www.odinic-rite.org/ruddmills.html[dead link]
- ^ Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke (2002). Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism and the Politics of Identity. New York University Press. ISBN 0-8147-3124-4. (Paperback, 2003. ISBN 0-8147-3155-4.) p. 257.
- ^ See http://www.odinistfellowship.co.uk/
- ^ The Creed may be read at at: Odinist Creed
- ^ a b Schreiwer, Robert L., 2009. A Brief Introduction to Urglaawe. Bristol, PA: Deitscherei.com, LLC.
- ^ Ron McVan. Creed of Iron - Wotansvolk Wisdom. Fourteen Word Press, 1997. ISBN 0-9678123-0-5
- ^ David Lane. Victory Or Valhalla: The Final Compilation Of Writings. CreateSpace, 2008. ISBN 1-4382-8581-7
- ^ Wotanism (Odinism) - By David Lane (available here)
- ^ See the Gambanreidi Statement; Wotanism by Professor Carl Gustav Jung.
- ^ Gardell, Mattias (2003). Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism. Duke University Press. ISBN 0-8223-3071-7
- ^ FOXNews.com - Viking Mythology Grows As Religion for Inmates - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
- ^ According to Statistics Iceland
- ^ Per the city University of New York website
- ^ According to Adherents.com
- ^ According to the Covenant of the Goddess "Pagan/Wiccan" 2000 webpoll website:[1]
- ^ "Religion (95A), Age Groups (7A) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas 1 and Census Agglomerations, 1991 and 2001 Censuses - 20% Sample Data,". Canada Census 2001. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ Michael York (1997), Paganism and the British Charity Commission, paper given at the The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion 1997 Annual Meeting - San Diego
- ^ Polly Toynbee (1996). "A being that works in mysterious ways," The Independent, 15 July 1996
- ^ York (1997)
- ^ The Odinic Rite website, accessed 27 November 2011
- ^ The Odinist Fellowship website accessed 27 November 2011
- ^ Charity Commission website, accessed 27 November 2011.
- ^ "Heathenfest". Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Office for National Statistics, 11 December 2012, 2011 Census, Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales. Accessed 12 December 2012.
- ^ Forklaring til Forn Siðr´s ansøgning om godkendelse som trossamfund.
- ^ Russian Neo-pagan Myths and Antisemitism.
- ^ a b Gardell, Matthias (2003). Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism. Duke University Press. pp. 269–283. ISBN 0-8223-3071-7.
- ^ The positions of the AA, the AFA and the Troth:
- From the Asatru Alliance's Bylaws: "The Alliance is apolitical; it is not a front for, nor shall it promote any political views of the 'Right' or 'Left'. Our Sacred temples, groves and Moots shall remain free of any political manifestations." [2]
- From the Asatru Folk Assembly's Bylaws: "The belief that spirituality and ancestral heritage are related has nothing to do with notions of superiority. Asatru is not an excuse to look down on, much less to hate, members of any other race. On the contrary, we recognize the uniqueness and the value of all the different pieces that make up the human mosaic." [3]
- From the Troth's Bylaws: "Discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation shall not be practiced by the Troth or any affiliated group, whether in membership decisions or in conducting any of its activities." [4]
- ^ Gardell, p.276. Referring to Stephen McNallen, Valgard Murray and Edred Thorsson; the respective founders of the AFA, the AA and the Troth, which are the three largest Ásatrú groups in the USA.
- ^ www.burzum.org: Paganism: Part I - The Ancient Religion
- ^ Kaplan, Jeffrey. 1996. "The Reconstruction of the Asatru and Odinist Traditions ." In Magical Religion and Modern Witchcraft, edited by James R. Lewis, State University of New York Press.
- ^ Helen A. Berger, Evan A. Leach, Leigh S. Shaffer, "Voices from the Pagan Census: A National Survey of Witches and Neo-Pagans in the United States," Studies in Comparative Religion (2003), ISBN 978-1-57003-488-6, p. 16.
- ^ Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Black Sun (2002), p. 262.
- ^ www.thetroth.org
- ^ www.asatru.org
- ^ a b Full text of the F.B.I.'s 'Project Megiddo' report
- Blain, Jenny, 2002a. Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic: Ecstasy and neo-Shamanism in North European Paganism. London: Routledge.
- Blain, Jenny, 2002b. 'Magic, healing or death? Issues of seidr, 'balance" and morality in past and present'. In P. A. Baker and G Carr (eds) Practitioners, Practices and Patients: New Approaches to Medical Archaeology and Anthropology pp 161–171. London: Routledge
- Blain, Jenny, 2006. 'Heathenry, the past, and sacred sites in today's Britain'. In Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives ed. M. Strmiska. ABC-Clio. Available as e-book from http://ebooks.abc-clio.com .
- Blain, Jenny and Robert J. Wallis, 2002. 'Contemporary Paganism and Archaeology: Irreconcilable?' Paper given at conference on Archaeology in the Public Domain, Sheffield, 9 March 2002. Online: available http://www.sacredsites.org.uk/papers/aypublic.html
- Coulter, Hjuka (2003). Germanic Heathenry. Authorhouse. ISBN 1-4107-6585-7.
- Dubois, Thomas Andrew (1999). Nordic Religions in the Viking Age. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-3511-8
- Gardell, Matthias (2003). Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism. Duke University Press. pp. 269–283. ISBN 0-8223-3071-7.
- Gunndarsson, Kveldulf (2006). "Alfs, Dwarves, Land-Wights, and Huldfolk" in "Our Troth". BookSurge Publishing
- Hunt-Anschutz, Arlea (2002). 'Heathenry'. In The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism, Ed. S. Rabinovitch and J. Lewis, p. 126-7. New York: Citadel Press.
- Johnson, Nathan J. and Robert J. Wallis, 2005. Galdrbok: Practical Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism and Magic. Winchester: Wykeham Press.
- Price, Neil (2002). The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia. Uppsala: Uppsala University Press.
- Strmiska, Michael (2006). "Heathenry, the past, and sacred sites in today's Britain by Jenny Blain". Modern Paganism in World Cultures: Comparative Perspectives. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 1-85109-608-6.
- Wodening, Swain (2003). Hammer of the Gods: Anglo-Saxon Paganism in Modern Times. Global Book Publisher. ISBN 1-59457-006-X.
External links[edit]
- BBC Article on heathenry written by members of the Association of Polytheist Traditions


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subset: commoncrawl


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We strive to bring about a progressive society where being good without a god is an accepted way to live life.
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Darwin Day is a global celebration of science and reason held on or around Feb. 12, the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin.
On this website you can find all sorts of information about Charles Darwin and the International Darwin Day Foundation. If you are hosting a Darwin Day event, you can post information about it on our events listing. You can also locate Darwin Day programs near you by searching our events section.
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Christian conservatives are either ignorant of the pluralistic society in which we live, or they simply disrespect others as they aim to make their way the only way.By Roy Speckhardt, November 04,…Continue
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The following is a statement from American Humanist Association Board of Directors concerning a sensible approach to Islam.A Sensible Approach to IslamIslam and the Politics of ViolenceOver a long…Continue
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Mary Anne Farah, author of the Humanist Press ebook Pepper's Special Wings - A Story About Natural Selection, was a recent guest on Canada's Rogers TV program "Daytime" to talk about the book, which was written to teach evolution to kids.
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In the latest Humanist Hour podcast, Todd and Jes speak with Cecil Bothwell about his experience as an atheist politician in Asheville, North Carolina.
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(Washington, DC, January 7, 2013)—The American Humanist Association (AHA) is pleased to announce the recent election of Rebecca Hale, co-owner of EvolveFISH.com in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as president. In addition to Hale's new role, she will also serve as a member on the AHA board of directors.
Hale is the 20th president, and the 4th woman, to serve in the organization's history. She will preside over the current AHA board of directors, which is comprised of six women and six men. The last female president of the AHA was Suzanne Paul of Farmington, Michigan, whose term completed in 1992.
Hale has been an advocate for secularism and humanism for many years as co-owner of EvolveFISH.com, the largest online store of freethought merchandise. She is also the co-founder of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs, a local affiliate of the American Humanist Association, and serves on its board of directors. She is a Humanist Celebrant certified by the Humanist Society of the American Humanist Association.
"I am proud to continue the American Humanist Association's long tradition of representing humanists, atheists and the non-religious in the United States," said Hale.
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What Thomas Jefferson did for the Bible, the American Humanist Association did for the world's other major religious texts—in Jefferson's words, separated "the gold from the dross."
A Jefferson Bible for the Twenty-First Century includes Jefferson's famously edited version of Christianity's holy text, but this updated offering also includes similarly edited versions of the Hebrew Bible, the Qur'an, the Bhagavadgîtâ, the Buddhist Sutras, and the Book of Mormon. In addition, selections of the "dross" have been included alongside the "gold" for each.
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Recently, the Orleans Parish School Board in Louisiana banned schoolbooks that teach creationism or intelligent design as science or scientific theories, mandated that history books not include revisionist propaganda promoted by the Religious Right, and forbade teachers in its school district from teaching any aspect of religious faith, creationism or intelligent design as science in science classes.
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(Washington, DC – Dec. 18, 2012) – A Christian nativity scene has been joined by a HumanLight display on the grounds of the Wabash County Indiana courthouse. County officials approved it on Dec. 3 following an inquiry made by the American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center.
HumanLight is a non-religious alternative to Christmas or other December holidays. Observed on December 23rd, HumanLight celebrates positive, secular values such as reason, compassion, humanity and hope.
Attorneys from the Appignani Humanist Legal Center worked with a local Wabash resident who inquired in November about a Christian display on government property. Research showed that the county has an "open forum" policy for the courthouse property, meaning other displays can also be erected. In response to a previous inquiry in 2010, officials wrote that the county "allows anyone to use the Courthouse lawn for expressive purposes as long as the activity does not violate local ordinances, or state or federal laws, is not disruptive to traffic . . . and does not create unreasonable safety risks, and as long as any expression is not obscene or defamatory, and does not promote violence, physical harm, or lawless action."
"When it comes to church-state separation issues, the best choice is to keep government property free of all religious displays," said Appignani Humanist Legal Center Director Bill Burgess. "But if a local government defends a nativity scene display by claiming that it is private speech, they must allow other private speakers, including secular ones, to participate in the forum on the same terms. They cannot discriminate against speech because of its humanist or atheist viewpoint."
The American Humanist Association (www.AmericanHumanist.org) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, DC, its work is extended through more than 150 local chapters and affiliates across America. Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity.
Special thanks to the Louis J. Appignani Foundation and The Herb Block Foundation for their support of the Appignani Humanist Legal Center.
Politicians are working themselves into a frenzy trying to prevent the much feared "fiscal cliff," a term used to describe a bundle of momentous federal tax increases and spending cuts that will happen later this year if government officials fail to act. But as the White House and Congress consider ending middle-class tax breaks like the payroll tax cut while also reducing valued programs like Medicare, they may be missing an opportunity to level the playing field among religious and philosophically-based organizations in a way that would also have a big impact on our nation's ability to return to fiscal solvency.
It's time to reconsider the huge tax benefits and government subsidies that are provided to government-recognized religions in this country. Beyond the obvious constitutional issues of the state giving preferential treatment to religious organizations, it just makes sense that in these times of budget tightening, the government can no longer afford to subsidize religious groups, their leaders, or their programs.
To read the rest of this Huffington Post article from AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.
The effort to get AHA board member Herb Silverman appointed to fill an open S.C. US Senate seat is getting attention. A Charleston newspaper notes the support of Richard Dawkins and has started an online poll where Herb is way ahead!
Consider adding your vote, and S.C. residents can use our Action Alert system to send a message to Gov. Haley asking her to choose Herb for the post: http://action.americanhumanist.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=...
HumanLight is about celebrating and expressing what fills our lives with love and meaning.
By Roy Speckhardt, December 09, 2012
The winter holiday season is a great time for families and friends to get together and enjoy each other's company. It's among the few times each year that those close to us join to reflect, celebrate, and perhaps eat a bit too much fattening food.
From a humanist perspective, one of the most enriching things we can do is strengthen the connections we share with other human beings, and this time often provides us just such an opportunity. Unfortunately, most of these holidays also have deep religious connections. And depending on how nontheists came to exclude an intervening god from their worldview, some would rather forget those religious connections, and others even find them to be unpalatable.
Most humanists, freethinkers, and other nontheists came to their rational understanding of the world gradually, finding flaws in the faith they were raised in and eventually deciding for themselves on alternatives to the supernatural. Some others were already there, having been raised in secular ethical traditions. But some came to their nontheism more abruptly, as a response to harm experienced from within traditional religions. This could be something dramatic, like the tens of thousands of kids who were molested by Catholic priests, probably only a small portion of whom have sought justice in recent years. It might also be less dramatic, but still significant, like discovering all of a sudden just how ineffective prayer can be.
To read the rest of this Patheos article by American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt, click here.
Posted by Unseen on June 19, 2013 at 1:26pm 10 Comments 0 Likes
Check out our new mobile/tablet version of Think Atheist! www.ThinkAtheist.com/m
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ELECTRICIANS WANT TO WORK FOR AN INDUSTRY LEADER? FIND OUT WHY WE LEAD AND OTHERS FOLLOW... Growi More info |
FOREMAN/MECHANICS needed for piping/ Sheetmetal/ Plumbing experience required. For more info and app More info |
POSITIONS AVAILABLE AT JAMES SPRUNT COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR - ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING (9 MO More info |
THE TOWN OF APEX is currently recruiting for the following positions: Community Center Aide Electr More info |
LOCAL, FULL SERVICE LANDSCAPE COMPANY searching for Landscape Technician(s) with great customer serv More info |
ELECTRICIANS Starr Electric Co., Inc is accepting application for Electricians and Apprentices. 4 y More info |
Service Tech position available. Company vehicle provided. Must have 5 yrs. exp., clean driving reco More info |
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DRYWALL HANGERS AND FINISHERS w/ exper needed. Must have own hanging and finishing tools. Must be ab More info |


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NEW - Daily Siena walking tour
€30 per person
Meet your guide at 11am for the start of your walking tour in Siena's central Piazza del Campo (near the fountain).
Explore Read more
Upcoming Tours
Fri - 21 June 2013
- San Gimignano and Volterra sightseeing tour
Sat - 22 June 2013
- Chianti and Villages wine tour
Mon - 24 June 2013
- Pienza and Montepulciano sightseeing tour
Based in Siena, in southern Tuscany, Tuscan Escapes offers tours and activities for your unforgettable vacation
Enjoy tours of Siena's varied surroundings with activities which open a window onto the Tuscan way of life, its delicious food and wine and the history, traditions and art which have shaped this world-renown region.
Wine lovers can learn about the Tuscan wine making ways and find plenty of great wines for their palates on the Brunello and Chianti Wine Tours
Sight-seers and art lovers can feast on the abundance of art and architecture in the historic city centres of Tuscany, with walking city guided tours and sight-seeing tours of the hill towns
Walkers and cyclists will be enchanted by the variety and abundance that this carefully tended land offers
Get expert advice on planning your vacation and transportation services to get the most out of your stay in Italy
All inclusive vacations aimed at bringing you closer to various aspects of Tuscan culture. The towns rich with art and history, Its nature and the tasty Tuscan food and famous wines.
Airport pick ups, transfer tours, driver service and gran turismo bus hire. Receive help with your Hotel and Villa bookings, museum and restaurant reservations and public transportation time tables as well as general advice for your visit to central Tuscany On location assistance with all the phases of planning events in Tuscany for large or small groups |


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Financial stability is a difficult thing in this day and age. Here are some tips to employ to your finances. read more
All Stories in Men
Page 36 of 56
7 Ideas For Parents Who Travel Often
Jeff Lawrence, founder and pastor of Redemption Church in Edmond, Okla., has seven tips for fathers who travel constantly. read more
Men, Get Off the Couch!
If you want to lose weight, you have to pay the price and work through the sweat and tears. The good news is that the reward is surely great. read more
Establish an All-Inclusive Ministry at Your Church
No matter the setting, try to maximize the kingdom impact of every interaction with every man. read more
5 Ways to Make the Second Half of Your Life Count
There is absolutely no reason, regardless of exactly when the second half of your life begins, for you to fail to live with godly enthusiasm, resolve, and passion. read more
How to Develop Strong Prayer Habits
There are many valid explanations for an ineffective prayer life. Christians don't have to live that way.
Kenny Luck: Reject Broken Male Culture
Men have their own role in God's culture. We've seen the results of the absence of men, but that tide is turning. read more


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>> Home >> Local Healing Rooms >> Heartland Healing Rooms >> Testimonies
Page 1 2 3 | |
Testimonies: Feet/Legs |
"For a long time in my lower legs and and ankles were enlarged & swollen- My left side, where the heart is was also paintful and I suffered with a recurring planter wart. My doctor told me I had an internal infection causing the swelling in my legs & prescribed some heavy antibiotics-$93.00 worth. My income being much limited. I decided to trust Jesus for my healing & went to the Healing Rooms on Thursday November 11th.In just fifteen minutesI was in and out that night and the very next day I noticed after my bath,that the planter wart was gone. I also witnessed my chest pain was gone and the swelling on my legs and ankles had DISAPPEARED!! ALL PRAISE TO OUR LORD JESUS." - Ingrid W. on November 24th, 2010 | |
"God told me He would give me the key to unlock the burden/weight I've carried & haven't been able to lose, before we left Portland. Today I was healed of; arthritis in hands, head trauma, left knee cartilage worn out, neck & back stiffness, and hip pain. This was all a result of 38 years ago in a car accident without a seat belt in a head on collision with a concrete culvert. In the collision, my hands went through the windshield which resulted in numbness and arthritis off and on. (Tonight I felt heat and no more pain). I received a head trauma which resulted in foggyness and memory loss. Recently this has been much worse, but tonight it feels very clear as I felt something lift off. My knee was hurting during the speaker and now I have no pain or stiffness. My neck and back now feels relaxed with no pain. My hips would normally hurt with standing for more than 15 minutes and my outer thighs would go numb. Tonight I felt my pelvis shift and adjust & my stomach lift." - Marilyn I. on January 5th, 2012 | |
"Written by Linda, Roy's wife wrote: On Feb. 25th, 2010 Roy was body surfing in Mexico. He was slammed into the beach, head first, and injured his spinal cord at C3 and C4. He was paralyzed from the neck down, face down in the ocean. Eventually he took in water and suffered cardiac arrest. After an undetermined amount of time he was drug out of the surf without a pulse or breath. He had blue legs and arms. There is so much more to Roy's story, but the most important thing is that God was on the beach that day and brought Roy back to life and restored his spinal cord. Written by Roy: Neck injury. Central cord and right cord syndrome that led to tetra paralysis, mostly affecting right side (hand and arm). There has been considerable numbness in hands and feet. After prayer numbness is mostly eliminated in hands by at least 90%. Feet are much less numb, still tingling." - Roy J. on September 9th, 2011 | |
"Healed of sleepy feet syndom after prayer. Completely left him" - Ryan R. on April 13th, 2011 | |
"Word of knowledge (6/27/08) given for nerve damage on left leg. After a surgery 3 years ago-nerve in left hip was irritated and hurt anytime I laid and slept on my left side. Since I was prayed for-I have not experienced any pain when I wake from sleeping on left side. " - Rachel H. on July 4th, 2008 | |
Page 1 2 3 Testimonies Per Page: (5) [10] [25] [50] [ALL] |


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Gang Contest: RARITY'S ROUGHNECKS [WINNER!]
Guess what time it is daaaaaaaaaahlings?
Welcome to the contest made for the most fashionable of forum members! In order for you to participate, you must have a status symbol that shows off how you're a member every forum member should know! The crème de la crème! A Rarity's Roughneck! If you do not have one, then be off, as this is for the elite to attend!
Faaaaaaaaaabulous prizes!
The winner gets to choose the fabulous vintage 2011 look-at-my-hair version (right) or the exciting new 2012 I'm-a-proud-diva version (left)!
Like the Faithful Students' contest that is so yesterday, this contest will feature three qualifying stages. What they're going to be I won't reveal until you get there, but they will be different from the last contest and will themed accordingly. This time, however, I ask that if you want to enter this contest, I ask that you please commit! Dropping out of a contest made for your favorite character is so much a disgrace that if anyone thinks of doing so, I will be taking away their Rarity's Roughneck gangtag!
Don't be a flop!
Anyway, should you choose to compete in our fun contest and show some Rarity pride and are okay with not dropping out, then I would love for you to join! Only and all Rarity's Roughnecks are allowed to post in here whether you're in the contest or not, but I ask please that only eligible contestants post with entries. If you are not competing, don't post joke entries or how much better you think you could have done. It makes it a lot easier for me to read and prevents saturation of ideas. So remember, anybody who breaks these rules are subject to a GENEROUS ban!
THE FIRST STAGE: I love you, Rarity.
If you're sure about joining in, choose a position on the grid to place your jewel (post a coordinate).
Yep, that's all you have to do. Once I've put up your number, there is no changing it. And as always, I'm giving a chance for gangtag-less people to earn a Rarity's Roughneck tag as well! Be advised that if you earn a gangtag here, you are also committing yourself to the contest. That said, your task would be more difficult than anything I'm putting the contest goers through: you must draw Rarity being fashionable! This does not need to be a super high-effort fanart; heck, I can even accept MSPaint entries. However, I want it to be more than a stick-figure/nondescript blob scribble job and I want Rarity showing off at least one piece of clothing or accessory. It'll be up to my discretion if your art is worthy or horrid!
For all these things, you have until Sunday, June 10th, 11:59pm PST to enter or submit an art! Now be off!
Dogs are also cool. - Joined: Feb 14, 2011


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The SoundPoint® Pro SE-225 and SE-220 have been discontinued and is no longer available for purchase. Support for the product will be available until 05/15/2016.


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88%(30 ratings)
Customer Reviews
Great times at this place! The owner, legendary Manny Dume is such an iconic figure and really great guy. He has tons of stories to tell. The hostel is really cool cause it's a big house, cozy and you feel more in touch with the other people staying there. Good location close to airport, Universal parks and City Center (average 10-20min car drive to anywhere of these places). It also has a pool when it's hot/sunny good fun. Really recommended for everyone who's looking a good place on a budget. GABRIEL, from Brazil ~ 27th Mar 2013
Muito bom Hostel, adorei as pessoas, o proprietário, o preço.....enfim, voltarei outras vezes se precisar. João Paulo, from Brazil ~ 22nd Mar 2013
평균 등급
(30 Ratings)
88% (30 Ratings)
Security: 86%
Location: 84%
Staff: 92%
Atmosphere: 93%
Cleanliness: 85%
Value For Money: 90%
Facilities: 89%
Booking is not well-organized. I booked the female dorm, they tried to put me in a room with two men, but I was able to get them to switch me. The atmosphere is super casual and friendly, which is nice, but it also meant people were playing drinking games until 3 or 4 a.m. in the common room that shares a wall with one of the dorms. I don't think the place is air-conditioned (fan in female dorm was broken), so you might want to stay somewhere else in the summer. Ellison, from USA ~ 22nd Mar 2013
Don't go there! Not a real hostel. Just an apartment with not enough rooms and only one bathroom. We had to sleep on the sofa because the hostel was overbooked. The manager and the Asian intern also slept on the couch and it was very strange. All in all a very sketchy situation. Better spend a little more money for a real hostel/hotel! Isabelle, from Germany ~ 18th Mar 2013
I have never felt more at home than when I was there, it wasn't like being in a hostel, seemed to stay at some friend of yours house, Just great!!! The hostel is in a quite good position to get any where but not walking distance, and public transportation in Orlando sucks big time,you should really rent a car.. Tatiana, from Italy ~ 11th Mar 2013
This was by far the best hostel I've stayed at in quite awhile good staff and excellent service. I give a personal shout out to Manny Dume who made this trip to my old haunts of FL particularly enjoyable and Bryant who interned here and without reservation showed me and my good friend a great time with a top notch tour of Orlando and its eateries. 100% doesn't begin to describe the amount of joy I felt in this place. Don't listen to the negative comments this place rocked ass! chadd, from USA ~ 11th Mar 2013
Friendly people. Got to know many international people. Bryant, from China ~ 18th Feb 2013
I stayed here for 4 days. I met many good international friends. Orlando is good place to visit. Staff is nice and tris to give good time as well service. Yuran, from South Korea ~ 5th Feb 2013
Amazing place!! Victor, from Brazil ~ 23rd Jan 2013
Please keep in mind this is more of a guest house thanhostel. Great place to stay. Manny is a great guy. Very friendly and very helpful :) Buckman, from USA ~ 14th Jan 2013


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View the 2013 Induction Ceremony here.
The Board of Directors of The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame would like to thank all of the guests who attended our Twenty-Fifth Annual Dinner and Induction Ceremony.
The video tributes to our 2013 inductees have been posted with their Inductee Profiles. Please click their names below for the links.
2013 Inductees
Charles E. Fipke
Gerald W. Grandey
Pierre Lassonde
James C. O'Rourke
The Canadian Mining Hall of Fame would like to thank the generous sponsors of our 2013 CMHF Induction Dinner:


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From the well known peplum top pattern this ensemble made in navy lace with satin.
i addapted the same back peplum top piece to the skirt!!! just genious!!!
Dec 12, 2012, 10.38 AMby MademoiselleP
This is one of the most elegant version I have seen, congratulation! I love the fabric and the flounce at the back of the skirt.
Dec 12, 2012, 03.30 PMby milkyway
Thank you very much you are very kind!!
Dec 11, 2012, 05.34 PMby shaesews
It looks great!!
Dec 12, 2012, 03.31 PMby milkyway
Thanks a lot
Dec 11, 2012, 03.41 PMby neveenkarnes
It looks great!!! Well done made with love :)
Dec 12, 2012, 03.32 PMby milkyway
sure lots of love !!! thanks
Dec 8, 2012, 10.42 PMby smallone
oh everything you make is just lovely….this included!!
Dec 12, 2012, 03.31 PMby milkyway
you are very kind thank you so much!!
Dec 8, 2012, 10.19 AMby chula123
very nice !! Love the fabric (and the shoes) :-))
Dec 8, 2012, 02.50 PMby milkyway
Thank you, you can find them on nelly.com ; )
Dec 8, 2012, 07.52 AMby Irina Schwab
I love this, it looks great. Are you saying that you have two peplums on top each other?
Dec 8, 2012, 09.24 AMby milkyway
Hi, no the top has one just as the pattern,
And the skirt has a back peplum. I used the back peplum of the top and addapted to the skirt,
Dec 7, 2012, 10.13 PMby Ruth Meiland
great job!!
Dec 8, 2012, 09.24 AMby milkyway
Thank you very much
Dec 7, 2012, 10.12 PMby Mary Athey
Beautiful fabric and its lovely on you xx
Dec 8, 2012, 09.24 AMby milkyway
Thank you very much
Dec 7, 2012, 08.46 PMby tejka
very feminime and sweet!
Dec 8, 2012, 09.24 AMby milkyway
Thanks a lot
Dec 7, 2012, 07.13 PMby lbell
Well done you, once again another fine job, loving the fabric.
Dec 8, 2012, 09.25 AMby milkyway
Thank you
Dec 7, 2012, 05.00 PMby chillwear
Beautiful, well done!
Dec 8, 2012, 09.25 AMby milkyway
Member Project of the Week
Check out Jessica Abbot's version of our High Waist Trousers in summer-ready lightweight denim.
DIY to Try
Make a new pair of chic shorts for summer!
Editors' Pick
This collection is filled with beautiful gowns that are so elegant!
In addition to getting the pattern, learn step-by-step how to construct it beautifully
Pattern of the Week
This cute sheath dress has a sweetheart neckline and a bustier style top!


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Gibbs, a dental assistant of five years, has worked in the Ringgold community for the past four years before joining Clark's team in June.
"Heather is the most talented assistant I have ever had the privilege of working with," Clark said. "We feel very fortunate to have Heather as part of our team."
Gibbs is a registered dental assistant who also serves on the Dental Board with Chattanooga College. She is married to Jason Gibbs of Rocky Face, and the couple have three children, McKenzie, Henson, and Maddie Grace.
Aside from her children, Heather says that she enjoys the beach, spending time on the lake, cooking and fishing.
Gibbs and her family currently attend Cross Pointe Church in Dalton, Ga.
Dr. Clark's office is always accepting new patients and invites both patients new and old who have not yet met Heather to drop by the office and introduce themselves.
Clark's office is located at 7102 Nashville St. in Ringgold.


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Coffee and Espresso Grinders »
The most integral piece of coffee brewing equipment isn't found in anything you brew with — it's your grinder. Filtered water brought to a near-boil, when combined with fresh, quality coffee, has the potential to unlock all sorts of flavors and aromas that will tantalize the palate. But if that coffee is ground improperly those delicate and robust characteristics will become muted or completely washed out. Our conical and flat burr coffee and espresso grinders will provide a consistent grind for a superior brew.
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We've looked long and hard for a scale that we can recommend for our avid manual brewing friends. The scale needed to have a high weight capacity, fast response time and precision calculations, and the ability to disable the auto-off feature to ensure the scale would not shut off mid-brew. The Jennings CJ4000 is the first scale we have offered that meets all of these requirements. With a 4000 gram capacity, accuracy to .5 gram, and the ability to disable the auto-off feature, the Jennings scale is the perfect companion to manual brewing.
As the interest in specialty coffee continues to increase, so does the interest in brewing methods that best compliment the quality and ideals of specialty coffee. Up until this point there have been limited options when it comes to pour over brewing devices that offer both a small learning curve as well as excellent results. Garnering praise for both their calculated design and ease of use, the Kalita line of pour over brewers are helping that small list of brewers grow. The Kalita Wave Dripper is being offered in both small (1-2 people) and large (1-4 people). The small size is offered in both glass and stainless steel while the large size is offered in glass, stainless steel, and ceramic. For an overview of the unique style the Kalita Wave Dripper brings to the pour over method, a feature chart that overviews the design, technique, and advantage can be found below.
Hario's stainless steel water kettle, the V60 Buono, has been spotted popping up in coffee houses and the kitchens of baristas for some time now. A detailed search on the web will reveal, for the moment at least, that the Buono seems to be widely accepted as the most useful pouring kettle available. What makes this kettle so popular amongst pour-over enthusiasts? Several reasons stand out.
First, the thin pouring spout enables greater pouring precision as well as a slower, more consistent and controlled rate of pour, both of which are very helpful in achieving a precise, prolonged extraction.
Second, the stainless steel construction and large 1 liter capacity contribute toward keeping up the brew temperature for the duration of the entire brew cycle.
Third, the ergonomics involved in the design of the kettle help to make using it much easier. This may not seem like much, but if you're brewing large batches of coffee and pouring for three or more minutes per batch, doing several batches of coffee will quickly become a chore if your kettle doesn't cooperate with you.
Combine all of these facets with the fact that the Buono is manufactured by Hario, a very popular name in the coffee-brewing community, and the kettle's popularity is easily understood. For best results, combine the Buono with a V60 Dripper or Chemex to get a truly exceptional cup of coffee.


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What is Triamterene?
Triamterene is a potassium-sparing diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt and keeps your potassium levels from getting too low.
Triamterene is used to treat fluid retention (edema) in people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis of the liver, or a kidney condition called nephrotic syndrome.
Triamterene is also used to treat edema caused by having too much aldosterone in your body. Aldosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands to help regulate the salt and water balance in your body.
Triamterene may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
In This Section:
What is the most important information I should know about Triamterene?
Do not use this medication if you have kidney disease, urination problems, severe liver disease, or high levels of potassium in your blood. Do not use potassium supplements or other diuretics while you are taking triamterene.
Before using this medication, tell your doctor if you have heart or liver disease, diabetes, gout, or a history of kidney stones. Tell your doctor if you are using another diuretic.
Avoid drinking alcohol, which can increase some of the side effects of triamterene.
Avoid a diet high in salt. Too much salt will cause your body to retain water and can make this medication less effective.
Do not use salt substitutes or low-sodium milk products that contain potassium. These products could cause your potassium levels to get too high while you are taking triamterene.
Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Follow your doctor's instructions about the type and amount of liquids you should drink. In some cases, drinking too much liquid can be as unsafe as not drinking enough.
This medication can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Triamterene?
Do not use this medication if you have:
- kidney disease or are unable to urinate
- severe liver disease
- high potassium levels (hyperkalemia); or
- if you are taking potassium supplements, or another potassium-sparing diuretic such as Dyazide, Maxzide, amiloride (Midamor, Moduretic), or spironolactone (Aldactone, Aldactazide)
Before using triamterene, tell your doctor if you have:
- diabetes
- heart disease
- liver disease
- gout
- a history of kidney stones; or
- if you are using another diuretic
If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to use triamterene, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special tests during treatment.
FDA pregnancy category C. This medication may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Triamterene may pass into breast milk and could cause harm to a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
What conditions might Triamterene treat?
Condition | Ratings and Reviews |
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- Thanks to James Monaco for posting!
LONG ISLAND NATURAL HISTORY CONFERENCE Nov. 16 & 17
The first Long Island Natural History Conference will take place Friday, November 16, and Saturday, November 17. The Friday session in Berkner auditorium at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY will comprise a dozen presentations by leading Long Island wildlife biologists and naturalists and a keynote presentation by Peter Alden, author of the Audubon Society's regional field guide series.
The conference promises to be the largest regional forum for researchers, natural resource managers, students, and naturalists to present and exchange current information on the varied aspects of applied field biology (freshwater, marine, and terrestrial) and natural history of Long Island. It will serve as a premier venue to identify research and management needs, foster friendships and collegial relationships, and encourage a greater region-wide interest in Long Island's natural history by bringing together people with diverse backgrounds.
The conference is a project of the newly formed Long Island Nature Organization, committed to promoting nature studies on Long Island by sponsoring specific projects, providing opportunities like the Conference to increase communication, and building a web-based clearing house for Long Island Natural History information.
According to one of the organizers, Mike Bottini,
"Long Island is the largest island in the continental U.S. and a unique biogeographical region located at the northern limits of many southern species of flora and fauna and at the southern limits of many northern species. These features contribute to rich species diversity: some of the island's preserved areas contain the highest number of rare species per area in New York State.
"Being an island, having the New York City metropolitan area located on its western end closest to the mainland, and the island's development patterns all pose many challenges for managing and conserving the island's rich natural resources. My interest in organizing this conference is to enlist the support of the many knowledgeable naturalists that reside here in one or more of our many conservation and monitoring research projects."
The Steering Committee for the conference includes Mike Bottini, John Turner, Melissa Griffiths, Don Riepe, Tim Green, and Jody DeMeyere.
Sponsors include: Adirondack Mountain Club Long Island Chapter, American Littoral Society, Brookhaven National Laboratory, East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, Foundation for Ecological Research in the Northeast, Friends of the Bay, Friends of Wertheim, Group for the East End, Harbor Electronic Publishing, The Nature Conservancy, North Fork Audubon, Peconic Bay Keeper, South Fork Natural History Museum.
2012 Long Island Natural History Conference Schedule[NOTE: sessions 1-6 each have two concurrent presentations.]
8:30 – 9:00 am Registration and Refreshment
9:15 - 10:00 am Session 1 A Long Island's River OttersMike BottiniB Natural History of Brookhaven National Laboratory Tim Green
10:00 - 10:45 am Session 2 A Thirty Years of Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Around Long IslandRob DiGiovanniB Biodiversity and Ecological Potential of Plum Island, NY Matt Schlesinger
10:45 - 11:30 am Session 3 A Strange Times for Jamaica Bay TerrapinsRussell BurkeB Horseshoe Crab Monitoring in New York State's Marine District and Interactions with Migratory Shorebirds in Moriches BayMatt Sclafani
11:30 - 12:15 am Keynote AddressChanges to Our Flora and FaunaPeter Alden
12:15 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 2:15 pm Session 4 A Jamaica Bay: An Urban National ParkDon RiepeB Bird Migration on Long IslandShai Mitra
2:15 - 3:00 pm Session 5 A Lifestyles of East Coast ButterfliesRich CechB Atlantic White Cedar: Its Historical and Current Status on Long IslandJohn Turner
3:00 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 4:15 pm Session 6 A The Long Island Alewife: Biology, Ecology and RestorationByron YoungB A Frog's Tale: The Story of a Long Island Extinction and Its Unexpected Role in the Discovery of a New Species of Leopard Frog (Anura ranidae) in the Urban Northeast Jeremy Feinberg
4:15 – 5:00 pm Open Discussion and Closing Remarks
5:00 pm Wine & Cheese Reception
Saturday Field Trips
Mike Bottini: Surveying for River Otters.
We will visit several otter sites on the north shore of Nassau County to learn how to find and identify "signs" of these reclusive creatures. 9 am – 11 am. Contact Mike at 631 267 5228 email@example.com for meeting place and directions.
John Turner: Atlantic White Cedars.
Meet in the dirt parking lot of the Suffolk County Cranberry Bog Nature Preserve at 9 am to view up close the Atlantic White Cedar Stands growing in this beautiful park in the Pine Barrens. We will then move on to Sears-Bellows County Park to take a look at the unique population of "dwarf" white cedars found growing in some of the coastal plain ponds. Contact John at 516 695 1490 or email@example.com.
Don Riepe: Winter Waterfowl Workshop.
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Meet 10 am at the visitor center and learn about waterfowl behavior & biology. See many species of ducks and geese, including snow geese. Contact Don at718 318 9344 or email@example.com.
More information about the speakers and their presentations is available at LongIslandNature.org
Contacts: James Monaco Mike Bottini 631 725 9513 631 267 5228 email@example.com email@example.com


text:
HealthWise KnowledgeBase
Symptoms of Depression
Topic Overview
You may be depressed if you have at least five of these symptoms for 2 weeks or longer, and one of the symptoms is either sadness or loss of interest.
- You feel sad or hopeless.
- You lose interest in or stop getting pleasure from most daily activities.
- You lose or gain a lot of weight because of changes in how hungry you feel.
- You sleep too much or too little.
- You feel restless and unable to sit still, or you sit quietly and feel that moving takes great effort.
- You feel tired all the time.
- You feel unworthy or guilty for no reason. You may worry that people don't like you.
- You find it hard to focus, remember things, or make decisions.
A serious symptom of depression is thinking about death and suicide. If you or someone you care about talks about suicide or feeling hopeless, get help right away.
Learn the Reference warning signs of suicide, which include talking a lot about death, giving things away, or using a lot of alcohol or drugs or both. If you see these signs in yourself or a loved one, get help.
By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference January 12, 2011 |
Medical Review: | Reference Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Reference Lisa S. Weinstock, MD - Psychiatry |
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.