by Stephen A. McNallen
from The Runestone Spring 1999 #25

On December 12 of this last year, Dick Johnson shucked off an ailing, pain-ridden body and departed Midgard. He was 78 years old.

To all but a handful of you, this is not a statement that conveys a lot of meaning – another name, another death; it happens countless times a day. But there is a story here, one relevant to the history of Asatru in Vinland.

After returning from four years of active Army duty, in 1976, I had moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and was living in Berkeley. Upon returning Stateside, I thumbed through the card file of RUNESTONE readers, located a few people in the immediate area, and made tentative approaches toward a meeting.

Dick was the first to respond, and I remember well the day he walked into my upstairs apartment on Channing Way. In the years that followed, his insurance office at 1000 University Avenue became the focus for organized Asatru in the Bay Area. We offered blot in his back room, and met with a few other memorable renegades – people like Hal and Gerald and John – who dared remember the old Gods and Goddesses of our Folk. Sometimes we gathered in nearby Tilden Park, in the Berkeley hills; occasionally we would assemble at places like Rodeo Beach – but Dick was always a constant feature. he was there at the first public Odinblot in Codornices Park, and at the first Althing, in 1980.

It’s a cliche to say that a friend’s wife is charming and his daughters lovely, but in this case it is only the truth. Esther was always a warm hostess, and although Karen and Linda had their own llives and were seldom in evidence, I remember them as two very different, but very attractive, young women.

Dick moved from Berkeley to the nearby community of Richmond, then escaped the Bay Area entirely and took refuge in Klamath Falls Oregon. We didn’t see each other much after that, but we’d exchange the occasional phone call or letter, and I sent him THE RUNESTONE as a matter of course. I knew he was ill with parkinson’s Disease and severe anemia, and the maladies took their toll on him as the years went by.

When Esther’s note arrived to tell me that Dick had died, I was hardly surprised. But I was saddened, and knew that an era had died with him.

Fare well Dick. We’ll all follow you eventually, so save us a seat on the mead benches. The fight continues here, and we’ll be thirsty when we arrive.

Jarl Hakon is one of those rare men who, by the sheer force of will changed history. Hakon was a strong practitioner of the old ways and likely an Odinn’s man. After Hakon’s father was burned alive by the grandsons of Harald Fairhair he vowed revenge and set about seeing that those responsible would pay dearly. Hakon was able to kill the grandson responsible and also, with the aid of the king of Denmark, to gain the jarldom of western Norway. Immediately upon his gaining power in Norway, Hakon began rebuilding the old temples and holy sites and encouraged the worship of the Gods again undoing much of what Fairhair and his family had done for Christianity.

Eventually Hakon was called upon to come to the aid of his Danish ally against Emperor Otto II of Germany. The ensuing war did not go well for the Scandinavians and it happened that Hakon was forcibly baptized and ordered to convert Norway back to Christianity. He was given a ship to sail home filled with priests of the desert faith. Hakon sailed out away from the shore and forced every priest off his ship. From there he sailed to islands off the coast of Sweden and gave blot to Odinn as ravens flew overhead.

After this great omen Hakon returned to Norway and repelled the incoming invasion. Now he was able to rule in peace for some time and continue his revival of the ancestral ways unhindered by outside influences.

Men like Hakon are rare, but each of us has the ability to change our immediate surroundings or, at the very least, change our perception of those surroundings. Hakon took misfortune and turned it into fuel to drive him to achieve great things. We too have that ability, we can decide how we react to things and how we deal with things. We can rise to the occasion or we can slink off and hide in the shadows. As Asatruar I dare say the only real option for us is to rise up. Asatruar -real sons and daughters of the Gods- do not hide in the shadows or slink off anywhere! We, like Hakon, must always stand tall and proud.

Hail Jarl Hakon Sigurdsson!!!

The AFA is proud to welcome Katee Allen of Idaho as the newest member of our Folkbuilding team. We are very excited to see the growth of our Northwest region and to welcome the new members. Katee will be a great help to Joe and Johnny as we move forward. Thank you Katee for stepping up.

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

From The Runestone Spring 1999 #25

The Asatru Folk Assembly has hosted dozens of local and regional events, but until now there has not been a national meeting specifically for the Asatru Folk Assembly. WELL, IT’s TIME!

June 24-27, in Northern California, we will hold the Gathering of the Tribes. This will not be “just another Asatru gathering;” it will be the beginning of a new phase in our movement’s history. If you are an AFA member or sympathizer, we hope you’ll be here!

The core of the Gathering of the Tribes, as the name indicates, is tribalism. It is time to form organic groupings of our Folk, and we will begin that undertaking during these four days. I have put a lot of preparation into some ideas which I hope will excite and inspire you as we carve our path into the next century.

We’ll also address intentional communities as the core of these evolving tribes, and take a long look at the social, political, and religious environments in which Asatru will operate in the coming century.

Other items on the agenda include a very relevant talk by Dr. James Russell, author of THE GERMANIZATION OF EARLY MEDIEVAL CHRISTIANITY, a class on y2k preperation by the Back to Basics Guild, a presentation on the challenges of forming intentional community by an expert in the field, and a traditional weapons demonstration by the Warrior Guild.

We’ve long felt that the women of Asatru needed to take a higher profile – so our GYTHJUR or priestesses will be more visible as we honor the Mighty Powers. Womanly wisdom will also express itself in seithwork or runecasting. There will be a blessing of children, as well.

As if this wasn’t enough, the Western Regional Thing of the Asatru Alliance will meet during the course of the Gathering – making this event especially attractive to members of Alliance kindreds, and setting new precedents for inter-organizational cooperation in Asatru.

Those who attended the Gathering of the Tribes will remember it always, as the time when “business as usual” and “status quo Asatru” were burned up on the fire of passion of forward movement. You will want to be here!

It is with Immense joy and pride that I announce that the AFA has established a Hof in honor of Asa-Thor in North Carolina. This is the Second Hof of the Asatru Folk Assembly, coming four and a half years after the establishment of Óðinshof in California. This hof comes after more than a year of effort, of trial and error, of excitement and heartache. We have the very best people in the AFA, and many devoted sons of the Aesir put their all into making this a reality.

I promised you all that once we paid off Óðinshof, we would immediately begin making the second hof, Þórshof, a reality. It took longer than I had anticipated but I swear to you that we did our best from January 1, 2019 to make good on that promise.

Sincere thanks are due to Gothar Coordinator Blaine Qualls, Folkbuilder Jason Gallagher, and Ryan Hanson for their efforts over and over to push the rock up the hill.

Special thanks go to Law Speaker Allen Turnage for his steady wisdom.

The greatest of all thanks and appreciation go to Gothi Svan Herul, Champion of Thor, this hof exists because of him and his family’s dedication to this holy purpose.

The AFA is overjoyed to establish this hof for the benefit of our AFA Family.

Most of all, the AFA proudly offers this hof as a testament to our worship and loyalty to the divine thunderer, Asa-Thor.

Hail the Folk!
Hail the AFA!

HAIL THOR!!!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly

I am pleased to announce Adam Hudak of Pennsylvania as the Asatru Folk Assembly’s newest Apprentice Folkbuilder. Adam will be working with Gythia Catie Erickson and me to build our AFA family in the Northeast North America region.

Adam is a valued member of the Lansdale Tru Folk kindred and we are thrilled to have him join our AFA leadership team. Adam has already hosted several Wotan on the Peaks hikes with AFA members and we look forward to seeing Adam’s continued efforts to bring all of our Folk back home.

Hail the Gods!
Hail Adam Hudak!
Hail the Asatru Folk Assembly!

Clifford J Erickson
Folkbuilder, Witan
Asatru Folk Assembly

by Stephen A. McNallen, Gothi
From The Runestone Spring 1998 #21

“Be all here blessed. May all ill be banished, all hatred cast out, and weal and well-being prevail, that we may listen to the wisdom within us and without us. In the sign of the Hammer, so may it be!”

So begins another public religious service of the Asatru Community Church, now in it’s fourth month of, bringing the Aesir and the Vanir to our community.

When the AFA first announced our “church services”, some muttered that we had sold out to Christianity – but as anyone who has attended our ceremonies can say, that’s not the case! Quite the contrary; the ACC honors the Aesir and vanir in ways entirely comfortable to the average Asatruar.

After the opening, we call on the Gods and Goddesses, asking them to give us their blessings, then I talk for a few minutes on some subject relevant to Asatru. This might be an exhortation to strive for higher spiritual development, or it might be a lesson on the nature of the Holy Powers. I tell a story from the myths. A reading, generally from one of the Eddas, concludes this part of the ceremony.

Up to this point we have dealt with the deities, so now we turn our attention to our human kin… “In the heart of each of us do the Holy Ones dwell, as we strive for the best. As in one, so in many, for we are a host, a people, a Folk vigilant and mighty.” We state our will to be strong and free, and to endure despite all hardship.

“Let the shining Sun ever find our Folk as it looks over the affairs of Midgard! Let our people be plentiful in the world, that all humankind knows of our greatness! Let the tongue of our Folk be always heard in the land that the Gods may rejoice in us! Let us not be an autumn without a spring, but rather a people ever-born and ever new, with mighty deeds on the loom of Fate. To this we bend our hearts and our wits, that we may live in the Gods, and they in us. By our ancestors, and by our descendants yet unborn, so be it done…”

Having honored the Folk, we call upon Odin in song and then and then transition into a blot honoring one of our deities. The structure now is more familiar, with the usual invocation and the filling of mead with might. I walk in a circle around the standing people, sprinkle them with the power-infused fluid to give to them the blessing of the God or Goddess.

After the blot is ended, I change into mundane clothes and we chat over coffee and cookies. Once again Asgard is honored, and the Folk affirmed…

So come join us, and see for yourself!

by Sheila McNallen
from The Runestone Winter 1997 #20

As one who attended the past three Althings, I’ve been impressed by the traditions which go back to those long-ago Althings of the first AFA. But each event is also a unique package of sights, smells, tastes, and sounds – encompassing wonderful meals, conversations, rituals, and evenings by firelight.

For Steve and I, this particular Althing had even greater significance, as we would pledge our troth in marriage before our Gods and the assembled Folk…

The small caravan of Calasa kindred made it’s way across the Great Salt Lake Desert in the wee hours of the morning. One more obstacle lay between us and Althing 17 – a ruddy-colored mountain range jutting up from the Utah floor. A few miles east of Ogden our vehicles climbed through a fissure bordered by sheer walls and waterfalls, to emerge on the other side in a Nordic-looking valley. It was green and gold with alfalfa and autumn flowering sunflowers, with rural farms spaced neatly as far as we could see. The road led us to a country park at the eastern end, where we dropped down to a rushing stream thickly bordered with willows and cottonwoods.

The first landmark was a rustic meeting lodge which would be the site for the mead tasting Saturday and Valgard’s famous spam breakfast on Sunday.

We were greeted by Eagle Kindred’s Hraesvelg who showed us to the camping areas hidden along the stream next to the road. At the opposite end of the park, the road merged with a large playing field which was ideally suited to Viking games and the “market place.” And hidden in the trees was a grove, a fairy glen of sorts, which would be the sumble and wedding site in the hours to come. Old friends arrived throughout the day – names from “Asatru-past,” from places far-away; all were greeted with handshakes or hugs.

Kindred banners were flying high when the procession, led by Valgard Murray and Hraelsvelg, reached the Thing meeting place Friday afternoon. Hraelsveg conducted the Tyr blot, honoring the God who rules the Thing and brings justice and order to the work at hand. This was followed by the Blessing of Weapon Steel by Valgard Murray, Secretary of the Asatru Alliance. Steve McNallen then did the Tyr invocation, officially opening the Thing. Esteemed guest from England, Heimgest of the Odinic Rite, assisted the other gothar during the ceremonies.

Thing business focused in two areas. One was the introduction and formal application to the Asatru Alliance by new kindreds. Their representatives were well-received by the Althing delegates and several new kindreds are now aligned with the AA.

There was also a message of greeting by Osferth of the Odinic Rite Vinland. These stirring words were read to all assembled by AOR(V) kinsman, Hnikar,”…As the fully functioning Vinland branch of the Odinic Rite, we would like to let members of all the Asatru Alliance Kindreds as well as the members of the Asatru Folk Assembly know that we stand by their sides as comrades and friends and will work together toward the furtherance of Odinism in Vinland now and in the future…”

Perhaps the most significant event at the Althing was the official formation of the International Asatru Odinic Alliance (IAOA). Three international organizations, the Asatru Alliance, the Asatru Folk Assembly, and the Odinic Rite have agreed to support one another and honor our ancestral religion through a formal association. The document signed by a representative of each group includes a Preamble and Bylaw. As a tribute to Valgard’s dedication to making this a reality, he was chosen as the first leader. or Allsher-jargodhi. serving a term of three years. This was indeed a history-making event!

Hnikar’s description of the formal sumble conveys the power which manifests as the Folk come together in praise and ritual. “The highlights of the holy Sumble were many, too many to mention. Kevin’s dedication to the Kennewick Man, a union across nine thousand years, Annabel’s lyrical voice speaking of her loved one, something as ancient as our kind and as new as the newest love… but above all, one moment shines most… Michael Moynihan stepped toward the fire beneath the starry sky, when his horn was filled with the sacred mead by Valkyrie Karen Taylor, and sang. Drawn into the spirit of the ancient rite, all were filled with the fire of the faith. When we finished, the assembled roared their approval.”

Saturday afternoon while many were competing in the Viking games, several vendors, including Calasa Kindred, had tables and booths displaying wares. There was a fine array of edged weapons, jewelry, books, quilts, and hanmade clothing. Our kindred had a product line of carved stones with Celtic and Norse motifs which we made in the weeks preceding the Althing. To assist with the fine work of the Worldtree Outreach Program, we proudly donated a stone to the auction held that evening.

One one remarkable feature of this Althing was the great number of school age children. They seemed completely in their own element – little Tom Sawyers, Huck Finns, and Becky Thatchers, always running here or there, oblivious to the adults much of the time. The emphasis on “traditional family” was certainly conveyed by Eagle Kindred of Utah.

For the use of us in Calasa Kindred, the other special event was the Saturday evening wedding of Steve and myself. Although this was wedding number two as we had proceeded it with a civil ceremony, it was particularly important to say our vows in the company of our kin and the Mighty Powers. We had made tentative wedding plans before leaving California, but unforeseen circumstances kept some of the main participants from making the trip to Utah. Saturday afternoon was one of sunlight and shadow as thunder clouds made frequent sweeps across the sky. Should we-could we, go ahead with the ceremony? With Valgard’s counsel, we decided that this was indeed the right time and place.

The pattern which emerged was one which echoed from ancient times. We no longer measured time by clocks but by waning sunlight. With a small procession, I would walk to the grove in darkness where Steve would be waiting. Would there be a few friends? a few dozen? I became very self-conscious as I dressed in my bridal gown, but suddenly at my side, like women of old – were three who took charge, who allayed my fears and doubts. And outside my tent was a retinue of honor guards in full Viking costume, who pledged their honor for my safety and well-being – should anyone attempt to kidnap “the faire bryde”.

In darkness we assembled. Michael Moynihan took first steps and began a rhythm on his bodhran. I couldn’t see Valgard, who was next, but could sense his calm presence; then came the first two guards with spears pointed skyward. I recall the excitement of taking my first tentative steps towards the grove. Julie Tobin and her children were behind me, the odd sound of a stroller in this surreal setting. And bringing up the rear were two more Viking guards. All light disappeared as we walked beneath the canopy of trees – but new sounds emerged. Annabel’s fiddle came to us in the darkness and spires of fire sparkled through the trees.

We entered the clearing to a huge circle of wellwishers. It was like a scene from BRAVEHEART with firelight glinting off of helms and spears. Steve and I were duly blessed by Valgard in true Asatru fashion, using a ceremony written years ago for the Arizona Kindred. We made vows and exchanged gifts. The group roared it’s approval of our union as flashes of lightning lit up the grove. Several of us joined hands and danced to Annabel’s gift of more Celtic music. Then Annabel and Michael honored us with an Irish step-dance which brought back ancestral memories to many of us.

Hugs, kisses, champagne, and cake had been lavished on everyone when Mighty Thor told us it was time to end the show. With a swipe of his hammer, the shy let loose a downpour of rain. After parting wishes, people ran off to campfires or tents, or to the mead tasting … each carrying a memory of a wedding that transcended time.

With the golden gift of morning we packed our gear, then we feasted one last time with new and old friends. After a breakfast, Valgard, Steve, and Heimgest prepared for one more Asatru “first” by doing a radio interview with a station from Portland, Oregon. The Parker home in Ogden was made available for this outstanding piece of Asatru promotion.

Three special days which changed every one of us. New friends, closer alliances, connection with the Gods. That is the way with Asatru gatherings – for all times.

by Stephen McNallen, Gothi
from The Runestone Winter 1997 #20

A few weeks ago, The Asatru Community Church held it’s first service in Nevada City. A second followed – and then a third – and then more!

True, other groups have held open discussions, lectures, and rituals – but this was a full-fledged Church service, complete with sermon, singing, ritual, and even a church bulletin!

I deliberately made the event “visitor friendly” by patterning it after the kind of religious gathering with which most ordinary folk are familiar. “To take the Gods to the Folk, you have to go to where the Folk are at” – and that means “where they’re at” psychologically, more than physically!

Here’s how one of our typical services went: A Hammer-signing opened the meeting, followed by a short sermon of the Gods and Goddesses. I then made announcements from the bulletin and gave a talk (You could call it a sermon…) on the ancestors. Then we affirmed the virtues of Asatru in a call-and-response format, and I told the story of Thor’s visit to Utgard and used the tale to make a moral point. After Thorgrun read relevant verses from the Edda, the Folk-blot began.

With participation from the assembled people, we honored our folk and sang praises to the Gods. The core of the ritual was a Thor-blot. Altogether, we spent about forty-five minutes honoring the Mighty Powers.

The response was fantastic! Local newspaper reporters were present, and gave us a wonderful write-up.

More recently, we held a Frey-blot for Yule and welcomed the reborn sun. Twenty-three people showed up – most of them local folk who had never before been exposed to Asatru. They ranged from young children to one woman who must have been more than seventy years old! The entire crowd accompanied us to a local residence for stories from the myths, a potluck meal, and Asatru hospitality.

The Asatru Community Church meets every other week and already has already booked services through March. There has been no hostility from the local Christian churches. Once we’re established, we’ll hold a reception for local ministers, just to let them see we’re “for real”.

Will this work where YOU live? Maybe, or maybe not. Nevada County is a pretty exceptional place. Our goal is to become accepted here, to bring those who are ready to Asatru, and to become more recognized as a legitimate, if unusual, voice in the community.

Onward with our Gods and Folk!

On Saturday March 14th, at AFA Ostara in the South, Svan Herul was ordained as a Gothi of the Asatru Folk Assembly. In the presence of our holy Gods and the assembled Folk, Svan took his oath and was welcomed into the proud ranks of AFA Gothar. This comes after over a year of study and well over that of service to the Asatru Folk Assembly. We are proud to have Svan as a Gothi and we are fully confident in the service and leadership he will provide for our Folk.

Hail Gothi Svan Herul!

Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly