On April 9th we honour Haakon Sigurdarson, popularly known as Jarl Haakon. Haakon became the ruler of Norway in 975 and held rulership there until about 995. He was always a friend to the Gods and a staunch defender of the Ancestral traditions. In 975 he was forcefully converted to christianity by Harold Bluetooth in 
“repayment” for his loyalty and help in fighting Emperor Otto of the holy roman empire. Haakon did not take this treatment very well and when the time came to leave Denmark with the priests Bluetooth had forced on him, Haakon sailed out away from the shore and promptly ordered every priest overboard. He bade them swim or drown as they saw fit while he sailed on to his homeland of Norway. This rebuttal of the new faith made an enemy of Bluetooth, but allowed Norway to remain free of foreign taint and devoted to the elder ways for a number of years to come.
Haakon’s actions led to his people remaining true to their own Gods for a number of years….. often times we are faced with impossible decisions ourselves. Decisions that will definitely change the course of our future for the foreseeable future. In those times we would do well to remember Haakon and his actions and then weigh our own choices against what is ultimately good for the Folk and the future of the Folk. Each of us can greatly affect the future of Asatru with our choices….. Each of us can build Asatru with our choices. Let us always strive for the decision that will gain the most advantage for ourselves and our Folk. Let us always have the courage to make those hard choices, let us always have the courage of Jarl Haakon.

Hail Jarl Haakon!!!

Blaine Qualls
Gothar Coordinator

Yesterday was a very productive day at Odinshof. A dozen AFA volunteers and a half a dozen children opened the hof for our monthly food drive. 230 individuals and 85 family’s received food and some projects including our ritual area expansion and some floor work were done. Midsummer is right around the corner so we are busy getting everything ready!

Marc MacLeod
Folkbuilder Coordinator,
Asatru Folk Assembly

March was absolutely amazing.  AFA Ostara in the South was a smashing success.  Mandy and I were very glad to get the opportunity to see our Southern members and get to meet some of the best people we have in our AFA family.  Thank you so much to Folkbuilder Paul Hester and his lovely wife Kelly for hosting this event.  If you were unable to attend, please plan early and we would love to see you there next year.  

I am very excited for all the great things we are doing and will do in 2019.  Spring is a time of renewal and awakening of our energy and spirit, I hope you are all feeling charged up as well.  What are your plans for this year?  What do you want to achieve for your self? For your family? For our Church?  Lets go out and make it happen.

As you all may have noticed, we live in very interesting times.  The more we succeed and achieve, the more attention we attract, which is great and gains us more wonderful members and brings our folk home exponentially.  This same growth causes increased negativity from the decaying souls around us.  Through the good news and the bad, we would all do well to remember that we are Aryans, NOBLE people and we should hold our heads up and carry ourselves as such.  Havamal 15 tells us:

“The son of a king | shall be silent and wise,
And bold in battle as well;
Bravely and gladly | a man shall go,
Till the day of his death is come.”

As the year unfolds, I would remind you all of the last part, be brave but also, be glad.  Let us all remember to be GLAD because we get to live in the age of Asatru’s rebirth.  We get to live in a time where our folk are coming home and Hofs are being established.  We get to be apart of this amazing church and family that is the Asatru Folk Assembly, that makes me glad to my very bones.  Life is good and we are building the golden age right now.  In our hearts.  In our homes. In our church.

Hail the Gods!
Hail the Folk!
Hail the AFA!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi 
Asatru Folk Assembly

Ostara in the South was a tremendous success! I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the AFA members and families that came out and celebrated with us. I also wanted to thank all the volunteers that helped the event run smoothly and successfully. Last but not least, I want to thank Paul and Kelly Hester for hosting this event and making us all feel so at home. If you did not make it this year, make plans early and join us next Spring… you will NOT be disappointed.

Hail our AFA family!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

On Thursday April 4th I will be doing our third Facebook Live Q&A session. I hope you all are enjoying these as much as I am. There are a lot of exciting things to talk about. If you ask a question and I don’t see it during the live broadcast, no worries, I will go back and attempt to address all questions in the days following. I am looking forward to talking to my AFA Family. Tune in at 6 PM Pacific.

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

On today, the Vernal Equinox, the Asatru Folk Assembly would like to wish all our Folk a bright and blessed Ostara. Ostara is a triumphant time. Named after the great Goddess of the dawn and of Spring, Ostara is the time that life and vitality return after the long winter. As our people always have done, so the dawn rolls from out of the east, conquering all before her. Light banishes darkness from the face of the land and clothes the barren and the desolate with beauty and abundance. Wherever we go, whatever we do, let us spread beauty, life, and vibrant abundance. This Goddess and her holy tide are so important to our Folk that her name has never left our lips and her symbols are still vibrant and alive, the hair, the lamb, the chick. Just like the dawn and the Spring, Ostara is unstoppable and irresistible. Ostara’s blessings to you and yours from the AFA!

Hail the radiant Goddess of Spring!
Hail Ostara!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

Today it is my honor to announce and welcome home The Vinland Volk Kindred of Vancouver ,British Columbia,Canada as an official kindred of the Asatru Folk Assembly. Gaining AFA affiliation is not an easy task.Kindreds must exemplify dedication, steadfastness and loyalty. They are the first AFA Kindred in North Vinland and have planted a seed that will sprout and blossom. These folks are very driven and active in their home area. It is beautiful to see our community grow and spread through out Midgard.Our children now have a future and are being raised in the ways of our Noble Ancestors.

Hail the Vinland Volk Kindred!
Hail the Kindreds of the AFA!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!!!

Jason Gallagher
Kindred Coordinator 
[email protected]

Today it is my honor to announce and welcome home The Southern Shire Kindred of South Carolina as an official kindred of the Asatru Folk Assembly. Gaining AFA affiliation is not an easy task. Kindreds must exemplify dedication, steadfastness and loyalty.It is beautiful to see our community grow and spread through out Midgard. Our children will have a future and be raised in the ways of our Noble Ancestors. Thank you for stepping up and building a foundation for our Folkish families and communities to grow.

Hail The Southern Shire Kindred!
Hail the Kindreds of the AFA!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!!!

Jason Gallagher
Kindred Coordinator 
[email protected]

It is on this day, March 9th, that we hold vigil in honor of the noble life of Oliver, his fellow Gothar, and congregants, whose lives were taken through cowardly treachery simply for wanting to hold strong to the faith of their forefathers, and rejecting the faith of Christianity that was spreading like a plague through all of Northern Europe.

In the year 1021, in the waxing tide of the coming Ostara celebrations; Oliver and eleven other Gothar, who had been organizing traditional feasts despite the decrees of its criminality, by the self-proclaimed King Olaf II, were beginning to make preparations for the Spring time sacrifices. The Folk of the interior of Trondheim region were to gather in the great hall at the village of Maerin.

Oliver was a bountiful farmer and the trusted head of a great family in the region. He had already managed, with sway and clever countenance, to diffuse two different court inquiries by “King” Olaf the Fat, who was bound and determined to wreak havoc on all his fellow countrymen that held troth to the Elder Gods.

Olaf the Fat’s appointed bailiff of the region, a man named Thoralde was summoned and with promise that his life and his family spared he revealed to Olaf the happenings within Trondheim and to coming celebrations that were soon to be held.

With that wretches confession, Olaf the Fat gathered a dastardly force of 300 men to descend upon the small village of Maerin’s great hall under the cover of darkness. Oliver of Eggja farm was captured there and ordered to be executed on sight. Many fought, or fled, and many were slain. Olaf the Fat stole all the provisions that were gathered for the feasts and pilfered all the Folk’s clothing, furniture, valuables and divided among his craven throng of followers.

It takes Folk of great devotion to the love and troth of the Gods of our people, like Oliver and his fellow congregants, to gather in tradition just as their forefathers. Even under the ever growing shadow of the perfidious King OLaf II.

We stand to take deep council in your tale Oliver the true martyr of Maerin. For your duty and devotion to tradition and piety and troth to the holiest Gods and Goddesses of our Folk! May your name forever be spoken with might and reverence.

Hail the Gods and Goddesses!
Hail the Ancestors!
Hail Oliver of Eggja!
Hail the Folk!
Hail the AFA!

Submitted by Gothar Program student Svan Herul

Today it is my honor to announce and welcome home The Asa-Odhinn Kindred of Italy as an official kindred of the Asatru Folk Assembly. Gaining AFA affiliation is not an easy task. Kindreds must exemplify dedication, steadfastness and loyalty. All across Europe our folk are coming home and gathering together and building community and becoming family. It is beautiful to see our community grow and spread through out Midgard.Our children now have a future and and are being raised in the ways of our Noble Ancestors.

Hail the Asa-Odhinn Kindred Hail the Kindreds of the AFA!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!!!

Jason Gallagher
Kindred Coordinator 
[email protected]