It is my pleasure to announce The Stonewall Kindred as a official Kindred of the Asatru Folk Assembly. Located in the Tri-state area of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. This Kindred is a spin-off of the Irongard Kindred in Virginia. Both Kindreds are made up of active and retired Military. This is a result of a growth spurt you could say. now there is another AFA Kindred in this region and more support for Þórshof.

Gaining Kindred recognition is not a easy thing, it takes dedication and loyalty and willingness to stand with our church and family.Thank you for stepping up!

Hail the Stonewall Kindred!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!!!

Jason Gallagher 
AFA Kindred Coordinator
[email protected]

On November 9^th, the Asatru Folk Assembly honors our noble Folk Heroine, Queen Sigrið of Sweden.

Widowed early in her marriage to Eric the Victorious of Sweden, her beauty and wealth led many to seek her hand in marriage, all of which she refused and punished the suitors she knew to be unworthy. Queen Sigrið eventually caught the eye of the King of Norway, Olaf Tryggvason, and accepted his proposal.

King Olaf, who had taken upon himself to convert all our Folk to Christianity (by force and devastation when necessary), met with his future queen to discuss the wedding arrangements. He demanded that Queen Sigrið give up her ancestral faith and accept Christ. Queen Sigrið refused and bravely told King Olaf that she would not abandon the faith she was raised in and that of her kinsmen before her. Outraged, King Olaf struck her on the cheek to which she calmly stated, “This may some day be thy death.” The wedding was called off and the two became sworn enemies.

Queen Sigrið eventually married Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark. Aligning Sweden and Denmark, the couple brought war upon the King of Norway ending in the death of Olaf Tryggvason at the Battle of Svolder.

Just as Queen Sigrið stood calm and strong in the face of adversity, we too must stand proud and courageous against those who would uproot us from our ancestral faith. Take time today to celebrate Queen Sigrið with your family and your Folk. Create bonds and traditions that will outlast those who wish to stop you.

Hail Queen Sigrið!
Hail the Folk!
Hail the AFA!

Brandy Callahan
Folkbuilder, Northern Plains

It is my honor to announce the Nordvestri Kindred of Seattle, Washington as a official Kindred of the Asatru Folk Assembly. The Northwest region has really picked up in the last year or so and continues to grow. This group has stepped up to represent our church and help bring our folk home. In an area that previously didn’t have much going on and is now taking off. Gaining Kindred recognition is not a easy thing, it takes dedication and loyalty and willingness to stand with our church and family. Thank you Nordvestri Kindred!

Hail the Nordvestri Kindred!
Hail the Kindreds of the AFA!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!!!

Jason Gallagher
AFA Kindred Coordinator
[email protected]

Please join us in welcoming William Migala of Tennessee as the newest Apprentice Folkbuilder of the AFA’s Upper South Region. We have watched this region swell with activity and enthusiasm in the last year and Will is joining a great team in the region led by Witan Svan Herul. Will has shown dedication and persistence thus far and we are excited for the great things he is poised to accomplish in the months and years to come.

Hail Will Migala!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

On 10/17/20, Daniel Young took his oath and became a full Folkbuilder and took his place as a member of our AFA Leadership. Daniel’s journey thus far has been impressive to say the least. Daniel has been on the front lines of a very tumultuous region, he has had people let him down and he has stepped up to carry the responsibilities that others dropped. Daniel rose to the challenge and continues to rise. The AFA Upper South and the AFA as a whole are well served with Daniel on the team.

Hail Daniel Young!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

On 10/17/2020, at the 9th AFA Winter Nights in the Poconos, Adam Hudak took his oath and officially joined the ranks of AFA Leadership as a full Folkbuilder. Adam has preformed at the head of the pack in his time as an apprentice. We have the highest hopes and greatest confidence that he will continue to build up his region (AFA Northeast) as well as the AFA, generally, in the months and years to come. We are honored to have Adam with us.

Hail Folkbuilder Adam Hudak!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

On this day, October 15th, we celebrate the birth of the founder of the Asatru Folk Assembly in 1948. Mr. McNallen was born in Breckenridge, Texas, later attending Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. After college he commissioned into the Army as a 2nd Leutenant and served as an army ranger. Mr. McNallen founded the viking brotherhood in 1970, which would later grow into the asatru free assembly, and later the Asatru Folk Assembly in 1995. All American asatruar are only asatruar because Mr. McNallen and his tireless promotion of our faith, without him American heathenry would look very different, if it would exist at all.Happy birthday to our founder and elder of our church, Steve McNallen!!

On the 9th day of October, we honor Meister Guido Von List of Austria, author of “The Secret of the Runes”, among other glorious works! 

Guido Karl Anton List was born in 1848, in Vienna, Austria, to a fairly wealthy family that worked in the leather industry. He was raised Catholic, but mentioned that his faith in the Æsir started at a young age. He was especially drawn to Wotan. 

During his young adult years, he made a living through leather work, just like his father before him. However, he spent much of his free time being an author and a painter, as well as climbing mountains, among other things. 

On one particular Midsummer expedition, he he was inspired enough to reject the foreign faith of Catholicism, and affirm his belief in Odin and the Gods of our Folk! This marked the beginning of Meister Von List’s journey into legend. 

When his father passed away in 1877, Von List made the decision to leave the leather business behind. Instead of following in his father’s footsteps, he chose to devote his time to work more fitting of a man of Wotan: writing, painting, and esoteric studies. For the next 25 years, his writing gained more and more attention, particularly in nationalist circles, as he slowly became a voice of the Volkisch movement in Germanic Europe. His popularity continued to rise, up until he made his great discovery of the Armanen runes in 1902. 

After being blinded for nearly an entire year due to cataract surgery, Von List spent a great deal of time with nothing but his thoughts to entertain him. While blinded, he discovered the Armanen runes, which he believed to be the original language of our Folk. These runes became the basis for his spiritual writings from that point forward, and are now the biggest part of his legacy. 

Von List passed away of old age not long after the Great War, in 1919. He left us with many great works: plays, manuscripts, novels, and of course, the Armanen runes. These writings reached many people even in his time, inspiring a group called the High Armanist Order, who dedicated themselves to the worship of Wotan. 

Meister Guido Von List is truly worthy of many a raised horn, as his invaluable work has inspired and awakened so many of our Folk. From the High Armanist Order, to Alexander Rud Mills, and even to the Asatru Folk Assembly in modern times, his work has made an astounding difference where there otherwise would have been no divergence from the spiritual path given to us by the Abrahamic faiths. 

Hail Guido Von List! 
Trent EastFolkbuilder, Deep SouthAsatru Folk [email protected]

from The Voice: November 2013

A Few Words From The Alsherjargothi:

As October ends, we can look back on an eventful month since our last issue. The high point, of course, was Winter Nights in the Poconos – the AFA’s major East Coast gathering. And what a gathering it was, as the articles and pictures in this issue will attest! Our joyous throng pretty much filled up Camp Netimus; any more people and we would have to have eaten in shifts! The event had a great balance of activity and relaxation …
one hand to Asatru elder David James, on the other! This was indeed a community of the Folk. David was sworn in as AFA Clergy, and the Folkbuilders likewise grew: Charlotte Hoxie advanced to Folkbuilder, and Dennis Boltenhouse renewed his Folkbuilder oath. We grew, in every sense. When I gave my opening presentation at Camp Netimus two weeks ago, I listed the things we had accomplished since we first gathered there last year. Some of these things I mentioned in the last Voice, like our awesome web site statistics. But there was so much more – AFA membership up 20% in the last year, numerous Freyfaxi and Winter Nights gatherings both large and small sponsored by Folkbuilders from one end of the continent to the other, our highly successful trip to Denmark, and more.

The AFA is doing very well – thanks to our excellent leaders who make my job infinitely easier (or for that matter, possible), and thanks to the support of men and women like you, our members. You have all accomplished great things!

In the months to come we can look forward to various Yule events held locally and regionally around the country … and it’s not to early to start thinking about coming out to California next June for our big West Coast event, Midsummer! 

Winter Nights In The Poconos – 2013

Jon Upsal blogs –

I had the very good fortune to spend Saturday in Pennsylvania attending the now-annual AFA Winternights event. Unfortunately, although I had originally planned to spend the whole weekend at the event, the world conspired to not make that possible. Still, I spent the day, and was able to bring my daughter. Gotta say it was a blast, as was last year’s … 
I could mention the excellent DAsabloat, and the Tyr bloat where various weapons were blessed, and the auction, and the talk by Steve McNallen on ritual and the nature of the Gods. All were superb as expected. But what I would like to mention is the simple act of hanging out with fellow Asatruar.

What I love about these sorts of events is that I come away feeling energized. It’s all too easy to live in a bubble, talking with the same folks day in and day out, and doing ritual with the same group of people, and even interacting with folks online.

But I find there is something incalculable about actually being on the same land with new people (and old people with whom one has not been in touch with in years, as I had the great good fortune to do). There’s something energizing about being in a ritual with people from all over the country (indeed, all over the world, in this particular case), who have come together to worship our Gods and honor our Folk. I, in particular, love to see the little variations in the way different people from different places do things. Whether it’s the blessing of the food before the meal, or the structure of the bloat itself, I love to see the various ways we all find to do things – different, yet recognizable.

We all benefit not only from the cross-pollination of ideas, but also from the simple act of human contact. Get off the computer, get out of the rut of your usual group, and go honor the Gods with someone new. At the very least, you will have an opportunity to learn and share.

Embrace The Mystery … Create The Mystery 

Winter Nights in the Poconos was an amazing event. The event was beyond words, so I will let the people that attended and the photos speak for themselves.

Stefano Bertoli, member of Tears of Othila – What a great weekend, what a wonderful event, what a great concert.:. Many thanks to …

Suzanne Conkling – great time this weekend with everyone a€” thanks again to all my volunteers and zombies!!

Nicholas Ferreri – I would like to share an experience I had this weekend with you all, something that sums up how I feel about this weekend. On Saturday after the bands were playing and everyone was socializing in Birch Hall, I watched an amazing 
The big deal was that these six men, during all the noise and commotion of the moment held Sumbel. Amongst themselves in a crowded hall and remarkably, not a soul noticed. Well I did, everyone should have. It was Robert, Steve, Brad, Michael, Nicholas and Josh. Generations of our folks leaders, all together, lock together, as brother and not a soul noticed. So I watched the most powerful thing I have ever seen, these brothers locked in close, doing Sumbel and celebrating the fact that this may NEVER be together in this way again. Towards the end, Thor came to speak with his father Robert, and was pulled into this circle. I watched this and was made proud and humble by it. It reminded me of the theme of this weekend, Embrace the mystery. It also reminded me of what you can see if you just keep your eyes open and look. You might just be surprised by what you find.

Eirik Westcoat- Hail to another wonderful AFA event in the Northeast, and a big thank you to everyone who listened to my poetry.

Patricia L. Hall- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE! You give me purpose!

Stuart Sudekum- Another brilliant AFA event. Can’t think of a better way to cap off the honeymoon.

Tony Lester – It was a wonderful weekend of energy, wisdom and joy. Proper Heathenry at its best.

Clifford Erickson – Awesome event! Thank you everyone who put so much effort into making this a success.

from The Voice: October 2013
by Brad Taylor-Hicks 

I emerged from the burial chamber into the Danish sunlight. Those who know me will testify that l’m not often lost for words, but I was quiet as we drove away from the farmer’s field, still coming to terms with the experience I had inside that tomb, and trying to place it within the framework of all the various notions of death and rebirth. 

I walked into the room at the National Museum, and my eyes immediately focused on one object out of perhaps half a dozen, many of which were larger or more colorful. It was only about three feet tall, but to me it stood high above the others …

As many of you know, the Snoldelev runestone is of special interest to the AFA. The triple­horn motif which we adopted as our emblem appears on this monument, signifying the three containers of mead Odin drank to win the gift of wisdom, of the divine ecstatic… Our magical mystery tour continued (being truly magical and mysterious), and in short order we arrived at our next destination. If the burial chamber was the place of stasis and contemplation, then this was a place of action and abundance. The Trelleborg at Slagelse was a massive Viking age ring fort, used as a staging post for raids into other lands; it was built under the auspices of the King, Harald Bluetooth, son of Gorm. We were welcomed with the laughter of joyous children as we made our way past the museum’s playground, complete with miniature God poles, a felled tree in place of a climbing frame, and a miniature long house. 

The Long House (the full sized one) was something to behold, huge in its scale. Reconstructed in 1948, it stands as one of the earliest efforts to reconstruct our ancestral halls. Modern historians debate the reconstruction as new information has come to light, but that did not dim our pleasure as we took our lunch there, sitting like ancient kings under the high shingled roof. 

We crossed the bridge over the moat and started to make our way toward the entrance through the 16-foot-high dirt walls. Steve leapt up the wall charging as if into battle; I think a part of him wanted to know how it would have felt to have scaled the walls, sword in hand. And what a view greeted him from the top of the wall! Laid out in a sun wheel, the massive fortification was breathtaking. There were concrete markers that showed where the various houses would have stood and one could imagine the place filled with warriors where now there were only sheep grazing freely. Alongside the fort ran a river; perhaps there had been ships laden with goods, well earned or well won, their oars pulled by men coming home to a glad Jarl and a full horn. A more sobering place was near the exit where we walked past the numerous small burial mounds. We paid our respects to the 157 ancients who lay there; most had been Christianized, though some were buried with grave goods.

We drove again through the Danish countryside; this time our goal was the small village of … much larger stone in commemoration of the original, which now sits in the National Museum in Copenhagen…

We raised a horn in honor of Gunnvaldr, and it was impossible not to feel the connection made in that place, that sense of the old and new, of the carrying of that Gothi’s work into the future, of remembrance of our Gods and Kings, of honoring the strength of our people and pushing back against a thousand years of Christianity. I left a small gift at that site, a token of thanks: a round pin, with a tri-horn on it.