The Asatru Folk Assembly is proud to announce that Josh Wilson of Kvasir’s Scholars has taken his oath as a Folkbuilder of the AFA. We have all been very happy to see the work Josh has done over the last year as an Apprentice Folkbuilder. We are excited to watch as Josh continues to progress and grow our AFA family in the Midwest region.
Hail Folkbuilder Josh Wilson!
Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly
The Asatru Folk Assembly would like to wish a happy and triumphant 70th birthday to our Founder Stephen McNallen. All who worship our holy Gods, all who gather to celebrate our noble folk owe this man an immeasurable debt. For all Steve has done, for all Steve will do, we say a hearty THANK YOU!
Happy Birthday Steve!
Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi,
Asatru Folk Assembly
”So now winter has come, the dark season now begun.
Days short, nights long, yet we sing no sad songs.
For gathered here have the young and old hearing tails of our Disir most bold.
We came together here for Blot where Frith and Kinship into memories were wrote.
We stood round fires howling at the moon and sung for our ancestors many a tune.
We honored mothers of our past and performed ritual for our woman folk so that our bloodlines may forever last.
We sweated, trained, exercised, and learned new skills watching growth right before our eyes.
We listened to how it all began and where we want it next to go, together we can make it so.
We raised horns with laughter, tears, pride, and joy.
We came together to give healing to one born with sickness at birth, for no life of our folk is without worth.
We witnessed oaths made to the Folk, to strengthen and grow our Volk.
All too soon it was time to go but this I now do know, the coming Winter won’t feel so alone or long as we sing another chapter of our Folk song.”
– Gray Will, Tru-Folk Kindred.
These days we are surrounded by a community of Asatruar. We have information available to us almost instantly and on demand. In the early days of our revival, this was not the case. It took years of research and thought to begin to rebuild, to lay the groundwork for what we have now. Guido von List was one of these early builders.
Von List grew up surrounded by the natural beauty of Austria, and spent many days exploring the lands of his ancestors. Throughout the years he channeled his love for his heritage and home into his written works, promoting the return to native cultures and customs to his countrymen.
While recovering from a cataract surgery that had temporarily left him blind, List turned his thoughts to the secrets of the runes. Diving into these ancient symbols and the mysteries surrounding them led von List to develop the Armanen Futhark. The publication of these works drew many back to their ancestral faith, and added to the momentum of our revival. List spent the rest of his life promoting and educating. His work has inspired many others to seek the truths that lie within our lore, our history, and ourselves. As we continue to grow as individuals as well as a community, it’s time that we gave Guido von List the credit he deserves!
Hail Guido von List!!!
Submitted by Gythia student, Anna Funk
Another successful food drive today! Fed 85 family’s and 225 individuals. Thanks to everyone that came out and made it happen.
Marc MacLeod
Folkbuilder Coordinator,
Asatru Folk Assembly
In 2015, the AFA made history and established our first Hof devoted to our Gods and to Asatru in Brownsville, California. The hard work and generous donations of our folk have made this possible. At Óðinshof we have built a tangible place in Midgard. We have a permanent sacred space. Óðinshof has hosted a wedding, baby namings, a funeral, record breaking Midsummer celebrations and monthly Blots and Sumbles. Óðinshof has become a force in the community, partnering with the Food Bank to feed hundreds of people in need. The dreams of generations are being realized and our people are coming home. We have a 30 year mortgage on this Hof, we intend to pay it off in 4. We can do this. We will do this. Now is the time to put us over the top and make it happen! Victory is within our grasp. We have more Hofs that need to manifest and it is time to charge forward with generosity and will. Please donate what you are able, please help us make this a reality. Let’s put our backs into it and own Óðinshof – First Hof of the Asatru Folk Assembly out right and from there let’s make AFA Hofs take shape throughout Midgard.
Please go to www.runestone.org and click on the donate icon.
Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi
Asatru Folk Assembly
[email protected]
Fallfest III was truly amazing! Gothar Coordinator Blaine Qualls and Folkbuilder Jason Gallagher hosted an absolutely wonderful event. Fallfest has become one of the highlights of the year and one that Mandy and I always look forward to. Thank you so much to our entire Northern Plains AFA family for all their hard work and overwhelming hospitality!
We started off this fall right with Fallfest and we are keeping that momentum rolling as we prepare for Winter Nights in the Poconos. Winter Nights is always a powerful event and the setting is stunningly beautiful. I look forward to seeing all of you there as we honor our Gods and the Disir in Pennsylvania this month.
This month we take time to honor the Disir as the veil between the world of the living and the land of the dead becomes thin. The Disir are those sacred mothers of our folk that watch over us in death with the same love and care that they showed us when they were here with us in the flesh. In the dark nights of fall and winter our ancestors are close to us and our families, they look on. Let us take the time to acknowledge the ancestors, welcoming them in, remembering them, speaking their names with love and respect. I wish you all a magical Winter Nights and I hope to see you all in Pennsylvania as we honor our Disir.
Matthew D. Flavel
Alsherjargothi
Asatru Folk Assembly
[email protected]
The Asatru Folk Assembly would like to wish all our folk a very special Winter Finding. May the chill in the air bring us closer to our friends, our families, and our Gods.
Today it is my pleasure to announce and welcome home The Three Rivers Kindred of California 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 watch our community grow with a boldness that honors our Gods, Ancestors and Folk!
Please give a warm welcome and a mighty Hailsa to The Three Rivers Kindred!
Hail the Three Rivers Kindred
Hail the AFA!
Marc MacLeod
Folkbuilder Coordinator,
Asatru Folk Assembly
Today we honor Hermann of the Cherusci . He is one of our greatest heroes from the distant past (approximately 17 bce-19ce). There are a few reasons why we take the time to remember Hermann der Cherusker, whose name is derived from Old High German ‘heri’ and ‘man’ meaning “Man of War.” He was the son of Sigimer, a Prince of the German Nation. He had lived in Rome as a youth where he was held captive but would later be educated and trained as a Roman soldier. Eventually he obtained Roman citizenship as well as a high honor status. Upon this he would be assigned the task of infiltrating Germania in order for Rome to take control of the area. He would ultimately reunite with his true folk, rally up German tribes and keep the Romans from conquering the land for many many years. In this Germania would continue to thrive and keep their traditions and culture from radically changing from foreign influences.
This brief glimpse into the deeds of Hermann is important because the vast majority of us have been virtually held captive by the interests of others who are not sympathetic to our Folk or our traditional values. Most of us are educated and trained in ways that would seek to destroy what had originally shaped us and gave us noble purpose. But, however, if we are able to tap into our true ancestral ways we are more likely to save ourselves from self-destruction. By rallying our Folk together for common purposes we become stronger and better equipped to take on the forces that wish to confuse our efforts of survival, frith and prosperity. To remain estranged from our Folk at this point is to leave our orlog in the hands of those who would have us surrender and deny ourselves for the establishment of a fate that we may never recover from. To unite is our only option if we are to recover from the battles waged against us. When we each make the effort to reach out to our Folk and build connections, when we turn to our lore for direction and determination, when we succeed in deeds that will shape our future in ways that are harmonious to us instead of those who aim to crush us, we come closer and closer to achieving what Hermann achieved all of those years ago.
So on the Ninth of September and during this month, ponder the actions you could make in honor of this concept and turn it into a reality. What can you DO to help your folk unite? In what ways can you challenge yourself to perform deeds that make a difference? How can you give your Folk hope and purpose to continue to work for our noble cause day in and day out, month after month, year after year? If we all do our part nothing can stop us from achieving our goals. Asking these questions of ourselves and following through with the answers we conceive show others that they can do the same. Help new members to get the fire of our purpose spreading within. Help those in your area make a difference that reflects the passion of our virtuous path. Be an example to the Folk at large that we are here, we are able, we are succeeding and being what our ancestors dreamed we could be if only we realized our potential. Others are still being educated and trained to be soldiers against their own well-being. We have lots of work to do to shake them out of it and guide them home. Those that seek to scatter our efforts for their own glory need to know that each day more and more of our Folk our waking up from this nightmare placed before us. Even more so we need to fully embrace this ourselves. Everyday we are actively getting more involved with each other, finding better ways to become all that we can be and not looking back. We our looking forward towards the guiding star of our ancestors, of the blooming of our folk in miraculous ways and to the successes of all our endeavors combined. We’ve seen progress and we seek to see more. So when you meet with your kindred, you speak with your fellow Ásatrúar, you make your next goal, know that we’re all in this together and we by uniting and persevering we can make each and every one of our sacrifices and deeds worth every second that we put into them.
HAIL the Folk!
HAIL the Doers!
HAIL the Memory of Hermann
and the Glory Ahead of Us!
Zach Cato, Midwest
Chieftain of Heimdall’s Midgard Kindred