Monday, March 30, 2015

Happy Spring

Recently, in preparation for a video taped interview, I was asked to read certain excerpts of my books; I had to decline. The fact is, I really suck at reading .... out loud. There is no reason that comes to my mind other than I just suck at reading anything out loud to any size audience. If you ever get the chance, ask my grandchildren. But that got me to thinking about one of the passages. I like it. Here it is for your reading enjoyment, without having to listen to me pause, stumble, and fumble with my own words (hey - I am getting new glasses!). This bit comes from In Defense of Paganism and Heathenry - The Old Ways, pages 12, 13, 14, and 15..... found in my last book, The View - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal.

Some folks consider Charlemagne to be one of the bloodiest rulers in recorded history. One of his targets of opportunity was the German Saxons. .................. In 782 CE, Charlemagne ordered the deaths of close to 4,500 Saxon prisoners. ......... One of these was a conversion law. The conquered had to convert to Christianity; noncompliance meant death. ..........

History is written and rewritten by the victors. Metals, peerage, and sainthood were awarded to the conquerors. In this case, the victors were right and the vanquished were not just wrong but eternally damned; Pagans and Heathens have been damned since day one of Monotheism in general.

The Pagans and Heathens of the past were extremely tolerant of strangers that came into their mist and of their religious beliefs. ........

Beliefs that all life is interconnected and that we are responsible for our words and deeds ( known to some as Wyrd and Orlog) are easier to accept than .............. Being held responsible for our words and deeds eliminates the need for excessive dogma. Reconnecting to the past ............... makes more sense than Christianity.

* In the past I have used the phrase, "Constantine's Choice" when referring to how Christianity received a much needed boost from politicians. I tried to keep it simple. But the truth is, it was not just Constantine but several emperors of Rome who helped to push things along. In February of 313 CE, Constantine, the western Roman Emperor, and Licinius, the eastern Roman Emperor met in Milan and issued a statement, usually referred to as the Edict of Milan. This move legitimized all sects of Christianity. ............. this led to the tremendous infighting among the various sects........ In 325 CE, Constantine was disturbed enough by this infighting that he ordered all the Bishops to meet in Nicaea and along with his royal presence, he hoped to hammer away at the differences. All that came out of the Council of Nicaea was the condemnation of Arius and his version of Christianity, and the Doctrine of the Trinity. ..................... In 380 CE, Emperor Theodosius I, along with three other heavy-hitting Roman politicians,issued what is known today as the Edict of Thessalonica. This document made Nicene Trinitarian Christianity the Roman state religion. It also banned/outlawed other forms of Christianity, and all forms of Paganism and Heathenry.

Havamal, verse 1 - When you venture out of your home, keep all of your wits sharp and ready. You never know where an aggressor hides.

Here are a few thoughts:

When the ice is thick enough, you too can walk on water.

When the spirits of thirst move you, change water into wine, mead, or beer.

Invite many folks over for a BBQ; you are feeding a multitude.

If it is your time, you will pass. If not, may the medics revive you so that you will rise from the dead.

An empty tomb is like an empty barrel - hollow but when beaten, it makes a lot of noise.

Happy Spring !!!

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Where For Art Thou, Frau Holle?

In our crazy, politically correct world where down is up and up is the new down, I cannot help but think that we need some "old, now new" stuff in our lives. It pains me to see real history trashed because it offends a certain group and then replaced by stuff that cannot even pass for fluff. Do you see how I use the word "stuff?" I could have used the word shit, but may the heavens forbid that I may offend you. But if I do, you really need to grow up. If I caught your attention and are still reading, let me tell you about a friend, ancestor, and Goddess: Frigg/Frigga/Frija.

She is the wife of All-Father Wodan and is the only one who has his permission sit in his High Seat. Not only can Frigg be referred to as All-Mother but she knows all that Wodan knows, but remains silent, in deference to her husband. In my opinion, in all ways, Frigg is the perfect balance to and for Wodan/Woden/Odin. In old Europe, before the Christian usurpation, we know that Mother Frigga had different aspects, or "appearances."

In northern Germania, including the Danish peninsula, a major aspect/character of Frigg was known as Frau Holle or Frau Holda. She was considered the protectress of women/motherhood, agriculture, fertility, rebirth, and the home/hearth (as is Frigg). Frau Holle loved Yuletide and it was considered a very big deal that if during Yule, she came and blessed your home. As for all the snow? That's just Frau Holle shaking out her feather mattress! Well, who would not want this kind of visitor? But Mother Frigg/Frau Holle has a dark aspect, one that nobody wanted as a "guest."

In the southern Alpine regions that included northern Italy, the darker aspect known as Perchta scared the pants off of young and old alike. Perchta could appear young and beautiful, and bestow the same blessings as Frau Holle. Then again, if you were particularly nasty, she took on the appearance of an old hag. And if you merited Perchta's ire, there was no forthcoming help for you. She would personally beat you with fresh cut switches, the kind that hurt the most, or for the more serious offenses, she would cut open the offender's belly, regardless of age, and then stuff the open cavity with straw. Ouch. Then we have Krampus who rids the world of rotten kids; he's another story.

What happens in the world when we take away the negative consequences of our actions? We have this crazy, politically correct world that we have to live in. Everyone is a winner and all get trophies, even if you finish dead last. A world where it's OK for one person to say something to another but it is not OK to respond in kind. A world where, if you do not like a certain kind of ethnic food, you are labeled racist. And a world where, if you are born of European descent, you are supposed to feel bad about it. Growing up, I remember that it was our mothers who nurtured, fed, protected, and when necessary, disciplined. And if that did not work, "just wait until your father gets home" scared the living shit out of you. Why? Because if you pissed off Mom that much that it warranted Dad's heavier hand, you deserved your ass to be kicked into next week. But we cannot do that today because the politically correct have that tagged as child abuse. Cough. Maybe it's time for Momma Frigg to unleash Perchta, and let Krampus tag along for shits and giggles. Rather than, I think, than having Momma Frigg yell out, "You just wait until All-Father gets Home!"

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Thoughts for Meditation

January 1st, 2015. Tradition. Roasted pork, with Bavarian kraut. German mashed potatoes. Root vegetables. German apple pie for dessert. German beer to wash all down. Tradition. We are nothing but plain vanilla without Tradition. It comes from our Culture and Heritage. Practice it, fight for it! Hail the New Year!!!

Havamal, verse 6 - You should not gloat about how smart you think you are but remain silent. By remaining silent, you can stay out of trouble. Page 158, from the One, the Only....THE VIEW - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal (Terry Unger, Author).

We are the sum total of our words, deeds, and personal aspirations. Not only does a man NOT move off his center without these three but his journey's end is determined by the same.

When a man is younger, he frequently boasts about his deeds. But the good man, as he ages, boasts less. He has gained the security of knowing his deeds are the things that brought him to his current place in the world.

Havamal, verse 10 - It is important to have a good head on your shoulders. When among strangers it can keep you from harm and during hard times, it will help you take care of yourself. Page 159, from the One, The Only....THE VIEW......

People who worry about their future miss the opportunity to make their present a good one.

When you give your best and get little response, it may be time to change your venue. These people either do not appreciate truth or your sense of humor.

Havamal, verse 70 - It is far better to be alive than dead. While living, you can enjoy your family, your family, your friends, and your wealth. And, opportunities still present themselves for all sorts of gain. A dead man enjoys nothing. Page 166, from the One, the Only....THE VIEW........

We face one grand certainty in life and that is death; waiting for it is foolhardy. As long as you can breathe, Live!!!

Some people are like a hot dog without roll or mustard - naked, made of scraps, and damned near tasteless.

Friday, February 6, 2015

More Religious Diversity - And This One Is Not Going Away

Below are two articles that appeared in this week's news. Being the lazy sod that I am, I copied and pasted them to this blog post. I personally want to thank Terrence McCoy of the Washington Post and Kimberly Winston of Religious News Service. Good Work Terrence and Kimberly!

Let me add this: It's not only happening in Iceland. All across the United States, from New Jersey to California, people are discovering Asatru; they are forming Kindreds and some are building Hofs, a place to hold events. The same is happening in Europe. Asatru, the modern term for the following of the old Gods of Northern Europe, is not just a Viking thing; they were the late comers on the historical scene. It is Proto Germanic/ Germanic in origin and pre-dates Christianity by at least two millennium.

Morning Mix

How thousands of Icelanders suddenly started worshiping the Norse gods again

By Terrence McCoy February 3

The story of how Christianity arrived in Iceland, according to Nordic lore, reads like a scene ripped from “Game of Thrones.” A millennium ago, Christianity had just taken over Norway. So the Norwegian king dispatched a mighty warrior missionary named Thangbrand to Iceland to spread the good news. Thangbrand did, along the way spearing dead a great many heathens. Then came a test that would decide whether the icy island would accept Christianity or stay faithful to Thor and the other Norse gods.

Thangbrand had discovered an Icelandic beast impervious to fire. So, hesaid, “we shall light three fires. I shall bless the first one, you heathens shall bless the second one, and the third one shall remain without a blessing. If [he] walks through your fire unharmed but is afraid of my fire, you must accept Christianity.” The beast galloped through the heathen fire — but reared before the Christian one.

That was in the year 1000. And from that day on, according to Icelandic texts translated by the University of Pittsburgh, Iceland was a Christian nation.

But now the old Norse gods have once again emerged from the clouds to claim a people once theirs. For the first time in more than 10 centuries, thousands of Icelanders soon will be able to worship Thor, Odin, Frigg and others at a temple on which construction begins this month. Not since the collapse of the Viking age has anyone overtly worshiped at the altar of a Norse god in Iceland, which banned such displays of reverence at the rise of Christianity.

The degree of religiosity among the church’s denizens, however, is a matter of debate. “I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet,” Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a high priest of the Norse god religious church, Asatruarfelagio, told Reuters. “We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology.”

That contention explains a shift in Iceland in the past four decades, as a small religious sect devoted to the Norse gods rose from obscurity. According to statistics kept by the Icelandic government, membership in the Asatru Association has exploded by Icelandic standards. Founded in 1972 as a means to preserve ancient ways, the church had a membership below 100 in its first two decades. Today, nearly 2,400 are in its ranks.

While not a large number on the international scale, it is for Iceland, which has a population of around 320,000. The church claims to be the largest non-Christian church in Iceland.

In most corners of the globe, Thor finds a home only in comic books, Hollywood movies and video games. But the rise of Asatru, which has doubled in size in five years, is neither extemporaneous nor inscrutable. According to research published in the Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, the church can thank both ancient economics and modern politics for its fast emergence.

The people of Iceland were never sold on Jesus. “From the time of Iceland’s formal adoption of Christianity as the official state religion in the year 1,000 C.E., Iceland has never been a fanatically Christian country nor particularly orthodox in its Christianity,” wrote scholar Michael Strmiska ofSUNY Orange. “A strong case can be made that the acceptance of Christianity was motivated more by economic and political considerations than authentic Christian fervor. … Good political and economic relations with Christian Europe depended on at least a semblance of Christian conversion, and so this semblance was achieved.”

Indeed, even as Christian governments authored increasingly restrictive measures on non-Christian faiths, the old ways glowed. Even today, when walking the streets of Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik, pedestrians will find many streets named after Norse gods. And “a very large number of Icelandic personal and surnames are formed from ‘Thor,’” wrote Strmiska.

In 1972, an Icelandic poet named Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson tapped into that residual fealty, launching a fresh religious organization that began as a scholarly pursuit, but quickly took on religious overtones. How? First, Beinteinsson and friends assumed the name of “Asatru,” which means “belief or faith in the ancient gods,” wrote Strmiska. But then, an act of nature took on grand significance. And what else would it be but a mighty thunderbolt?

It went down, probably apocryphally, like this: One day in the summer of 1972, as the movement battled with the government to establish its church, a “mighty lighting bolt flashed across the sky, struck a power station in the capital and plunged much of Reykjavik into darkness,” Strmiska found. “Such powerful electrical storms are almost unknown in Iceland…. Several of my Asatru informants rather gleefully interpreted this lightning storm as divine intervention on the part of the thunder-god Thor … [and] the government had a sudden change of heart, and soon decided to grant official recognition to Asatru.”

Several forces below the skies then took over. Leader Beinteinsson died, which brought national coverage to the church and boosted enrollment. Sexual harassment scandals drove away some members of the Lutheran church. A fierce atheism took hold in Iceland, which today has one of thehighest rates of nonbelievers in the world. And finally, a religion involving ancient thunder gods has an undeniable “cool” factor, according to Strmiska.

Many atheists took solace in the traditions of the Norse gods, though they didn’t necessarily believe in them. “I believe in nothing,” one member told Strmiska. The academic wrote: “What he did not ‘believe’ in was the literalreality of the gods or other such beings, accepting them only as metaphors and guiding figures in cautionary tales.”

This is a sentiment parroted by members of the modern church. Its new circular temple, according to Reuters, will be dug 13 feet deep into a hill and peer down upon Iceland’s capital. A dome atop it will allow sunlight to filter inside. “The sun changes with the seasons,” the church’s high priest said. “So we are in a way having the sun paint space for us.”

Terrence McCoy writes on foreign affairs for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Follow him on Twitter here.

(RNS) Thor, Odin and Freya are getting some new digs. A new temple is underway in Iceland, the first to honor these three Norse gods since the Vikings plowed the seas 1,000 years ago.

Show caption

A Norse mythology image from the 18th century Icelandic manuscript “SÁM 66,” now in the care of the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland.Photo courtesy of Wikimedia, Public Domain

This image is available for Web publication. For questions, contact Sally Morrow.

The construction of the new temple on a hill overlooking the capital city of Reykjavik was first reported by Reuters. It reflects a growing interest in Viking religion both in Iceland and beyond.

“I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet,” Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, a high priest of Asatru, as the worship of Norse gods is called, told Reuters.

“We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology.”

Icelandic followers of Asatru — or Asatruars — reached 2,400 out of a population of 330,000 last year, government statistics show. The new temple will be used for weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies — a big deal to the Vikings of yore and today. But don’t look for any animal sacrifices; contemporary Vikings make symbolic sacrifices instead and focus on values of hospitality, honesty, self-reliance and honor.

Belief in the Norse gods died out in Iceland and much of Europe about 1,000 years ago when Christianity swept through. But Asatru saw a revitalization in the early 1970s, when young people brought a renewed interest to many earth-based religions. It was recognized as a formal religion in Iceland in 1973.

There are now “kindreds” — communities of Asatru worshippers — in places the Vikings never saw, including Australia, New Zealand and at least 21 U.S. states, including Arizona, Mississippi and Idaho.

Stephen McNallen is considered by many to have fostered Asatru’s rebirth in the U.S. He is a founder of the Asatru Folk Assembly, one of several Asatru organizations in America, and he estimates there are as many as 20,000 U.S. practitioners.

People are drawn to Asatru for multiple reasons, he said.

“Some of it, I think, springs from a need to have spiritual autonomy in a world that is excessively complex and is inhibitive of individual freedom and expression,” he said in a phone interview from his home in the Sierra foothills of California. “Many people are looking for continuity beyond this little space and time. Another reason is some people feel the desire to get back to their ancestral roots.”

That last bit has caused some trouble for Asatru practitioners in the past. The Nazis borrowed some aspects of Asatru to justify their pursuit of a “pure Aryan race.” And today, some white supremacist groups claim Norse beliefs.

McNallen, however, said true Asatru has nothing to with racism.

“Like all native religions, Asatru is positive, it is life-affirming and it has no negative connotations towards any other groups,” he said.

There is no U.S. equivalent to the new Viking temple Iceland has planned, which will be very different from an actual place of Viking worship. Such a place would have been a long, rectangular wooden hall. The new temple will be circular and topped with a dome.

McNallen likes the design and sees it as something of a bridge between the worshippers of the past and present.

“What they have sounds very innovative,” he said. “It takes some people, especially the younger folks, a while to realize we are not Vikings. We are the spiritual descendants of Vikings and we have to have answers for real people in the 21st century. We can’t live in the past.”

KRE/MG END WINSTON

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Who Is Laughing.... Now ?

It is a beautiful day here on the Texas Gulf Coast. That's the weather report. Now let me tell you something: we need to laugh. It is a great stress reliever and a way to take an honest look at yourself/ourselves; you may find something repugnant or quite funny, and that response will be judged as prudish or just politically incorrect. But, I think our personal sense of humor, bawdy or otherwise, is directly tied to our self-image. I will use myself as an example. People have told me that I am a real tight ass; perish the thought! I just know that there is a right time and a wrong time for all things. Knowing this only adds to my positive self-image. Personally, I think that people who do not have a sense of humor, who cannot laugh at themselves or for that matter anything, are in sad shape. Here are a few thoughts on humor found in our everyday life. It all spells trouble.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TROUBLE WHEN ....

Your IRS refund check was revoked.

You go grocery shopping with your girlfriend and she spends a lot of time looking for the largest cucumber.

You run into a public restroom to take a dump and find the stall is out of shit tickets.

Social Security thinks that you are dead.

Your adult children want to move back in.

Your thirteen year old daughter is "going steady" with the leader of the local chapter of the Hell's Angels.

You go to an ATM to pull out a fast twenty and the screen reads "TILT."

Your daughter's boyfriend drinks all your beer.

Your doctor hired a high school drop out to diagnose your test results.

Somehow, someway, your vasectomy reversed itself.

If one of these does not, at the very least, make you smile, maybe you really need to relax and enjoy your life. Stress is a real killer - consider this as a public service announcement.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

The Privileges of Aging

Another blog post from the author of The Reluctant Hero Trilogy, THREE TALL TALES, and The View - One Man's Living Asatru With Help From The Havamal.

It is not unusual that as you age, younger folks will ask you questions about a variety of subjects (at least that's the case in Texas. In other, more politically correct regions of our country, some of these young people would just as well kick you to the curb). And it's amazing the conversations you get involved in while in a locker room (What? Because I'm older than you I can't work out? ).

On 10/27/2014, I had a full knee replacement - a negative outcome resulting from decades of running. My running days are over, save for that chance, fateful need to run out of a burning building. That said, I just went back to the gym. The rest of my body is still screaming at me like I was an unfaithful lover; that too shall pass. But when I was sitting there rubbing some sore muscles, I overheard an all to common conversation.

Two men, both younger than I, were debating where they thought "we all go" after we die. It was a depressing conversation; so many things not to do, based on their 'book." It seemed to me that there was not any "life" in their lives, just the avoidance of things that could block them from heaven. When dressed, I stepped around the locker wall and could not help myself; I opened my mouth and the words just fell out.

It was my standard litany about living life to its fullest and not worrying about any kind of afterlife. Added to that was this little gem: "Discovering and understanding the afterlife is like trying to find fly shit on a windshield," I said. "You think its there but you just cannot find it. When you die, you will discover this great mystery - for yourself. Until then, live a full and productive life." After I spoke those words, I removed my hat and ran my hand through my hair, just so those young men could tell by my silver gray I was older.

While I could see a spark of life in one man's eyes, the other almost jokingly but not threateningly asked me if I did not fear hell; the young fellow was not angry but sounded concerned. My answer, "Absolutely not," was followed by "Have a great day" as I exited the locker room.

Fear is a terrible thing to live with and it's a damned shame that Monotheism still uses it to control its masses. And remember, the religion of Abraham has three branches. Their doctrines and dogmas all sound like they are different, but they are not. In a nut shell, this is the absolute and only Truth. Accept it and believe it or you shall perish, one way or another pretty much covers all three. Happy is the man who is free of these things.

Copyright @Terry Unger 2015

Monday, January 19, 2015

War Is Hell and Other Observations

As the title reads, war truly is hell. For countless ages, men march off to war for many reasons and when they come home, they are changed; they've experienced hell on Earth at its' best. In our age like all others, some men and women are broken while others struggle to keep it together. My father and his brothers came home from Europe and the South Pacific after WWII and did their best to deal with PTSD and its' nasty cousins. But these men volunteered to serve their country and preserve our way of life. They did so without regret. And in this age, we have men like Chris Kyle and others who did and still do the same.

Fellow Texan Chris Kyle was a Navy Seal and a trained sniper who served four tours in Iraq. Chris is credited with being our best sniper - ever. He sure as hell was not a coward. Chris Kyle saved the lives of many Marines and Army Infantrymen, so that they could complete their missions, and go home. However, there are some who have a problem with this.

Clint Eastwood's movie, American Sniper, just may be his best. Eastwood does a great job with Bradley Cooper's Chris Kyle, revealing the personal human toll of war (and hats off to Bradley Cooper). But when Hollywood leftist cultural Marxist wackos like Micheal Moore and Seth Rogen condemn the film and refer to it as "fake Nazi propaganda," (Rogen), and men like Chris Kyle "cowards." (Moore), we have a problem, Houston.

People like Moore and Rogen frequently take advantage of our First Amendment rights and probably give no thought that men like Chris Kyle put their lives on the line to give them the right to do so; maybe Moore and Rogen think that they can talk our enemies to death. People like these two and their appalling statements should always be ignored, along with all of their pals who want a plain vanilla world.

Terry Unger - Author

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