Pagan Shoes?

Within the 72 clauses of The Latin Rule, written by Saint Bernard de Clairvaux & Grandmaster Hugues de Payens, is one specific clause regarding footwear that was forbidden to The Knights Templar.

“We prohibit pointed shoes and shoe-laces and forbid any brother to wear them… For it is manifest and well known that these abominable things belong to pagans.”

Live your beliefs

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Priesthood in the Indo-European Tradition & the Anglo-Saxon Polytheistic Revival.

Part 14

There were many other restrictions, such as being forbidden from leaving Rome overnight, to sleep outside of his own bed for three nights in a row, to touch a horse, to touch iron or to even look upon an army outside of the City limits. They could also not take on the Consulship, but this was not enforced later on in the Republics history, the most famous violator of this being Julius Caesar himself. There were many more restrictions than this, but we will leave the Flamens for this article.

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A Light Unto Our Folk

Imagine where we would be in our belief if we didn’t have the distractions of this modern world. Imagine what we could accomplish in our relationship with the gods, the understanding of the universe, and all things within ourselves; to have balance. As it is, we live in this world, littered with strife and the darkness; the cause of our imbalance. Many have become accustomed, or conditioned, to the darkness, in that they no longer recognize it as such; it’s become normalized. Many do not recognize how far off balance they’ve been. A light needs to shine in the darkness and reveal it’s vast presence and restore order to the chaos. May we be that light, empowered by truth and walking in service to our folk.

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Priesthood in the Indo-European Tradition & the Anglo-Saxon Polytheistic Revival.

Part 15

As we have touched upon women it is time to look into the most famous priestesses in Western history; the Vestals. Like the Flamens, this institution was set up by the legendary King Numa, however the Vestals are reported to have their origins back to the time of Aeneas and his city of Lavinium. King Numa merely legitimised this by making it an established cult. The Vestals were the priestesses of the virgin goddess Vesta. Her domain was the hearth, the home and family.

To become a Vestal you had to be female. They were all picked before puberty, and like the Flamens being given immunity from the power of their father while in office, the Vestals were freed from all legal ties to their birth family. They answered directly to the Pontifex Maximus alone, and in the Imperial era this would transfer to the Emperor.

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Tréow (Loyalty)

Love, without limits, cannot form Tréow. Without discrimination, there is no actual love and one becomes untréowfæst (untrustworthy). Establishing Tréow is how we grow as a folk. This act of extending our trust, begins in infancy and continues until we cannot extend ourselves further, as the human psyche can only love, and therefore remain true, to a finite number of people (before love downgrades to care about and denigrates into indifference and tréow downgrades to hope they’ll be ok to the denigration of not my problem. The further someone gets from your inner circles of tréow, the less they exist within your actual concentric circles. It’s through the trusting of others that we build relationships, which in turn create traditions, and it’s our traditions that hold us together. May we remain steadfast in our tréow, always aware of the concentric circles and how they fit into your life.

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As some of you may know, this Yule historically does not start until January 6th.

While historically attested tradition is crucial to a pagan, evolving traditions are inherent to every culture. The modern celebration of Yule would place it’s beginning on the Winter Solstice, December 21st. Evolved traditions are important to uphold as well, if anything, to keep our culture alive.

Priesthood in the Indo-European Tradition & the Anglo-Saxon Polytheistic Revival.

Part 16

They were sworn to 30 years of chastity, to devote all time to studying and carrying out Vesta’s rites for the benefit of the Roman peoples. The key role was to observe Vesta’s hearth fire, and one Vestal had to always be observing the fire to ensure its flames never died out. To allow the flames to die out would result in being whipped, and to lose your virginity while under the vows would have you buried alive, surprisingly this had to be voluntary. This was rarely implemented, usually to set an example.

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Orlæġ & Luck

Luck is the strength of our ability to change our environment, or at least our perception of "changing it"

Fate is a concept that is described as being fixed. Luck however, is the strength of each thread (within the greater web of orlæġ).

Our Fylġestre, i.e. our Fylgja or Hamingja, when assigned to us at birth, may be connected to our Hama (Hamr), if not be our Hama itself.

Now, fixed is a relative term. A raft is on a fixed course flowing with the current, but one may still steer; although, this doesn't change the fact that the raft is still on a fixed course following the river’s current.

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"It is a deplorable fact that the religion of our forefathers seems to be but little cared for in this country. The mythologies of other nations every student manifests an interest for. He reads with the greatest zeal all the legends of Rome and Greece, of India and China. He is familiar with every room in the labyrinth of Crete, while when he is introduced to the shining halls of Valhal and Gladsheim he gropes his way like a blind man. He does not know that Idun, with her beautiful apples, might, if applied to, render even greater services than Ariadne with her wonderful thread. When we inquire whom Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday are named after, and press questions in reference to Tyr, Odin, Thor and Freyja, we get at best but a wise and knowing look. Are we, then, as a nation, like the ancient Jews, and do we bend the knee before the gods of foreign nations and forsake the altars of our own gods? What if we then should suffer the fate of that unhappy people—be scattered over all the world and lose our fatherland? In these Eddas our fathers have bequeathed unto us all their profoundest, all their sublimest, all their best thought. They are the concentrated result of their greatest intellectual and spiritual effort, and it behooves us to cherish this treasure and make it the fountain at which the whole American branch of the Yggdrasil ash may imbibe a united national sentiment. It is not enough to brush the dust off these gods and goddesses of our ancestors and put them up on pedestals as ornaments in our museums and libraries. These coins of the past are not to be laid away in numismatic collections. The grandson must use what he has inherited from his grandfather. If the coin is not intelligible, then it will have to be sent to the mint and stamped anew, in order that it may circulate freely. Our ancestral deities want a place in our hearts and in our songs."

Prof. Rasmus B Anderson - A Norwegian-American in 1879

The Yggdrasil Tree as Woden's Steed.

A common view is that the Yggdrasil is an Ash. This may be a very old word play as there are examples of the word 'Ash' being used as a name for horse. The (grand)son of Hengest was called Oeric. He used the title Oisc which was the same as Aesc, and means Ash. The names Hengest and Horsa (Stallion and Horse) were more likely war-titles and not real names, and it seems that Oeric (Ash) continued this tradition. The Horse gods of the Baltic lands are viewed as twins called the Ašvieniai, in Aryan-Hindu lore they are called the Ashwins. Both names derive from the word Ashva which means Horse. The word Ashva also cognates with the Germanic word Ehwaz (horse).

To some folk, the World Tree is seen as the Yew, however this can still means 'Horse'. The Anglo-Saxon word for horse was Eoh, whilst Ēoh meant Yew. Further to this the word 'yggia' comes from the root *igwja which means Yew-Tree. So it would seem regardless of whether the tree is an Ash or Yew - both can mean Horse.

Examples of pendants found in Guilton, Kent, England - dating from the 6th century.

The first item has been described as a club, but could be phallic?

Next is a Thunor's Hammer

Following two are Woden's spears

Next is unknown - though I see Frige's distaff maybe?

lastly - another hammer and spear.

Guilton is very close to a town called Ash, which takes its name from Æsc, the title of Hengest's son or grandson (Oeric).

The Sacred Stew-Season 2 Episode 11

Exploring The Yule Tradition In The Modern Age

James and Anthony discuss the yule tradition in this holiday inspired episode. What is the germanic yule tradition? How do we practice this holiday in our homes and how do we create a significant tradition that we can pass on to our children that has real meaning behind it? We discuss the solstice, the wild hunt, christmas trees and and the broader importance of the yule tradition itself. Listen now and take a deep dive into authentic germanic theology from the perspective of two modern heathens.

Listen Now On Youtube Here: https://youtu.be/SJE30pGmp9o

Or Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Player Here: https://anchor.fm/the-sacred-stew/episodes/Exploring-The-Yule-Tradition-In-The-Modern-Age-e1sma9s

ENJOY YOUR YULETIDE!!!

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Remember. You are the result of the perseverance of your ancestors. You're the product of 1000 loves and 10,000 hardships. You wake up tomorrow because of the sacrifice and determination of those who came before you. The glint in your children's eyes is the same one that's been seen on Christmas mornings for eons in your family. Your great grandmother saw it in your grandfathers eyes and he saw it in your father's eyes. Those in your house aren't the only ones with you. Thank them for their time. Their support. Their sacrifice. I wish all of you a safe and wonderful holiday.

Today is Boxing day here in England, a public holiday which was traditionally the first Monday after the 25th. It is also St Stephen's day but was once also called Wren day, a celebration observed across Ireland, Man and parts of Britain. The name survives in the folk dances and traditions of Hunting the Wren and the Wrenboys. The Irish name for Wren is dreoilín' derived from ‘dreán ‘or ‘draoi éan' meaning the ‘druid bird'.

Rīgaþula 1-5

Long ago they say that along the green paths, a powerful, mature, and knowledgeable god went walking, mighty and vigorous, Rig stepping along.

Then he walked on in the middle of the road, he came to a house, the door was in the mortice. In he stepped, there was a fire on the floor; a couple sat there, grey-haired, by the hearth, Great-grandfather, and Great-grandmother in an old-fashioned head-dress.

Rig was able to give them some advice; then he sat in the middle of the bench, with the couple of the household on either side.

Then Great-grandmother brought a coarse loaf, thick and heavy, stuffed with husks; and she set it among the bowls; broth was in the jug, she put it on the table; “calf had been boiled in it, the best of delicacies; he got up from there, made ready to sleep.

Rig was able to give them some advice; then he lay in the middle of the bed, with the couple of the household on either side

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Priesthood in the Indo-European Tradition & the Anglo-Saxon Polytheistic Revival.

Part 17

The most famous Roman religious institution was the position of Pontifex Maximus. The holder of this title was the High Priest of the Collegium Pontificum (College of Pontiffs), which included the Flamens & the Rex Sacrorum (strictly a political title always held by a Patrician, to take on the Kings religious duties after their expulsion) and the Vestals. The position is also traditionally attributed to the second King of Rome, Numa. They were the chief religious advisors to the Roman Kings & later Republic, until the title was subsumed by the Emperors.

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Rīgsþula 6-11

There he was for three nights together; then away he went in the middle of the path, nine months passed after that.

Great-grandmother had a baby, sprinkled him with water; dark-skinned, they called him Thrall.

He began to grow and to thrive well; on his hands there was wrinkled skin, knotted knuckles, thick fingers, he had an ugly face, a crooked back, long heels.

Then he began to use his strength, to bind bast-rope to make bundles; brushwood he carried home the whole day long.

Then there came to the farm a bandy-legged girl; she had mud on her soles, her arms were sunburned, her nose bent downwards, her name was Thrall-girl.

Then she sat in the middle of the bench; the son of the house sat next to her; they talked and they whispered, they went to bed together, Thrall and Thrall-girl, day after day.

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Priesthood in the Indo-European Tradition & the Anglo-Saxon Polytheistic Revival.

Part 18

The Pontifex Maximus primary roles were to protect the Pax Deorum (Peace of the Gods) Libri Pontificales (Pontifical books). The Pax Deorum would only be maintained with correct religious practice, to not ensure this (vitium) or to allow impiety would lead to divine punishment for the city.

The Libri Pontificales included a list of the many names of the Deities, and the Annales maximi, the record of all magistrate appointments and important events. No one outside of the College of Pontiffs was allowed to touch or consult these books.

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Woden in his role as Wish-Lord from 'The Saxons in England, Volume 1 by John Mitchell Kemble'

One of the names of Odin in the Old-Norse mythology is Osk, which by an etymological law is equivalent to the German Wunsch, the Anglo Saxon Wisc, and the English Wish. Grimm has shown in the most convincing manner that Wunsch may be considered as a name of Wuotan in Germany; and it is probable that Wúsc or Wísc may have had a similar power here. Among the names in the mythical genealogies we find Wúscfreá, the lord of the wish, and I am even inclined to the belief that Oisc, equivalent to Ésk, the founder of the Kentish line of kings, may be a Jutish name of Wóden in this form,—ésc, or in an earlier form óski, i. e. Wunsch, Wýsc. In Devonshire to this day all magical or supernatural dealings go under the common name of Wishtness: can this have any reference to Wóden’s name Wýsc? So again a bad or unfortunate day is a wisht day: perhaps a diabolical, heathen, accursed day. There are several places which appear to be compounded with this name; among them: Wishanger (Wíschangra or Wóden’s meadow), one, about four miles S.W. of Wanborough in Surrey, and another near Gloucester; Wisley (Wíscleáh) also in Surrey; Wisborough (probably Wíscbeorh) in Sussex; Wishford (probably Wíscford) in Wiltshire.

The Folcsida Ġerīmbōc: Observances (Part 45)

Herlaþing, or Herla’s Assembly (commonly known as the Wild Hunt (from the German Wilde Jagd)) takes place following the Winter Sunstead, when the nights are long & cold winter storms rage. It’s during this time when our forebears gathered to celebrate the lengthening of days, honor the gods, & seek their protection from harm, such as famine, misfortune, transgression, peril, war, spiritual concealment, poverty or hunger, infertility, & sickness or plague. With ghostly dogs, Herla (another name of Wōden) & his wife Erce (another name of Frīġe) would lead the Ése, Ylfe, & Anherġas on their holy ride, cleansing the air of evils, cp. Hávamál 155 “I know a tenth one if I see witches playing up in the air; I can bring it about that they wander astray from their shapes left at home, from their minds left at home”. Concluding on Yule, the folk gathered indoors during Herla’s Assembly, for seeing the Wild Hunt was thought to foreboding.

~ Folcweard