Holy Days Heathens follow the growing seasons as do most Pagan Traditions. Different Heathen raditions will celebrate most, but not necessarily all, these festivals, and dates may differ depending on specific history, location and emphasis of the Tradition. Disting - February Moon, sacred to the Disir Feast of Ostara - Spring Equinox, sacred to Ostara Walupurg Night - May Eve, sacred to Freyja Midyear Festival - Summer Solstice, sacred to Baldr Freyfest - August Eve, sacred to Freyr Winter Finding - Autumn Equinox, sacred to Odin Harvestfest - November Eve, sacred to the Alfar, disir and Frey. Beginning of the Wild Hunt Mothering Night - The night before Winter Solstice. First night of Yule, sacred to Frigga Feast of Yule - Winter solstice, sacred to Odin and Freyr, ending of the Wild Hunt 12th Night - Last night of Yule, sacred to the family Blot Blot is an Icelandic word meaning blessing. It is a ritual sharing of drink with the Gods and kin or fellowship. Blot is held on all Holy-days and whenever there is reason to give thanks.	Heathens Heathenry is the modern-day revival of the pre-Christian Faith of the Tribes of Northern Europe. Just as there were many different sub-cultures in those lands, there are many different flavours of Heathenry today. Some of the names are Asatru, Vanatru, Heithni, Odinism/Wodenism, Irminsul, Theodism, Forn Sed, Elder Trow or Troth, Germanic/Teutonic Paganism, Folkway and the Northern Way. Practices are based upon surviving literature, historical and archeological records. Heathenry is polytheistic, recognising many gods and spirits that all deserve respect. We beleive that following the Path of our Ancestors is intrinsically right. We don't dispute the gods or religions of other people, merely beleive they should be followed by those others to whom they belong. Sumbel Sumbel is ritual toasting. A horn of drink is shared and each participant makes a toast, a boast or an oath over the horn. Words spoken at Sumbel enter directly into the Well of Wyrd and echo throughout the Nine Worlds.	Gods and Other Races    The Heathen pantheon consists of several clans or races of peoples, each with their own realm connected to Yggdrasil. Asgard - realm of the Aesir, gods of civilisation Vanaheim - realm of the Vanir, gods of the agricultural world Alfheim - realm of the Light Elves Midgard - realm of Humanity Jotumheim - realm of the Giants Muspelheim - primal realm peopled by Fire Giants Niflheim - primal realm of Ice and Mists Svartalheim - realm of the Dwarves Hel - Realm of the Dead, ruled by Hela In addition, the Land itself is alive conscious. Mistreating it physically or spiritually can have tremendous repurcussions on the people who live there. The Disir are the (female) guardian-ancestors, they watch over family lines, rewardng and guiding, and sometimes punishing their descendants. Consider the different tribes as members of a multicultural community!
Values    Heathens strive to live up to a high moral standard. Gleaned from the Havamal and other ancient texts, Heathens adhere to a code of conduct that extolls the Nine Noble Virtues Courage Truth Honour Fidelity Discipline Hospitality Self Reliance Industriousness Perseverence Family First! The family is the foundation and bost basic unit in Heathenism, not the individual. Upholding the Hearth strengthens the Kindred, strengthening the Kindred will enrich the outer community, enriching the community will better the world. Frith The peace of the community. Upholding the honour and values of the Kindred and the well-being of the community is only proper. It requires true friendship, trust, responsibility and dependability.	We Are Our Deeds Heathens do not subscribe to the concept of sin. Rather, we bear personal responsibility for all of our actions now and in the future. Our world and experiences are defined by those actions. Everything we say and do is placed in the Well of Wyrd. Past actions lead to the present reality, present actions lead to the likeliest future. Troth Troth is loyalty, staying True to the Gods and ideals of Heathenism and the vows one makes to self and others. Oaths Oaths are sacred. Any promise made, whether to the Gods or to a child, is a solemn promise. Our words and deeds go into the Well of Wyrd, where Time, Life, and all the Worlds are connected and kept in Balance. Heathens Don't Worship Worship implies a level of subservience that the Gods don't require. Rather, we honour them as parents, grandparents, and ancestors right back to the gods themselves, because we are descended from the Gods. The Well of Wyrd Wyrd is the sum of all deeds. Our own, our ancestors, and all those to whom we have sworn or received oaths. Individuals, families, communities and even countries each have their own interconnected Wyrd. The waters of the Well of Wyrd feed Yggdrasil, the World Tree.	Yggdrasil The World Tree, also known as Irminsul, is the central pillar that connects all nine worlds and binds the Universe together. Yggdrasil and Wyrd together combined represent cosmic balance, order, personal power and growth, creativity and hidden knowledge. Ragnarok "Doom of the Gods" was foretold by our ancestors thousands of years ago. It will come to be that the Nine Worlds will be destroyed in cataclysmic events. There will be three years of winter, the seas will rise, kindred will fight each other. The Gods and Giants will do battle at the Rainbow Bridge and the world will end. But Yggdrasil will survive, and will harbour two humans through the disaster. They will repopulate the Earth, and with the surviving Gods will live in the coming golden age in prosperity and fruitfulness. Orlog Orlog is the natural process by which Wyrd is rebalanced. All deeds good and ill return in some form to the sender, or to their children if the debt is not repaid in this lifetime. We can affect our own orlog by voluntarily choosing to pay our own debts.

   This is a basic overview of the various Heathen religions. In no way is it to describe all Heathen Paths. Any discrepancies should be understood to be significant to specific Paths or systems. No offense was meant by any omissions or inclusions.  Compiled by Zolah Dia, Member of the Fraser Valley Wiccan Pagan information Network & Priestess of The Lilith Temple Society. 

This page was last updated: November 06, 2008

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