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The Official Telegram Channel of the Norrœna Society www.norroena.org https://the-norroena-society.myspreadshop.com/
Just got done sauteening the 9 sacred herbs for one of my newest meads.
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Rebuttals to Blótklæði colors counter arguments
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Tradition is Not Democracy
In response to objections against the red and white ritual color structure, we often hear things like. “We wear a particular color for unity; it helps our folk feel part of something bigger. It looks good and it works for us.”
On the surface, this sounds reasonable. It appeals to aesthetics, cohesion, and emotional comfort, but beneath it lies a fallacious assumption that group agreement, or civic leadership, has the authority to override sacred tradition. Sacred role is not the same as civic role and the civic role cannot trump the sacred.
This assumption is not rooted in ancestral thinking, but reflects a modern worldview. Specifically, it draws from Enlightenment rationalism, which views religion as a man-made system rather than a divine inheritance, Social Contract Theory, which teaches that truth and law are determined by collective agreement, and Civic Religion, which replaces sacred hierarchy with shared public values and symbolic rituals designed to unify rather than sanctify.
These ideologies place human consensus as the ultimate source of legitimacy. If something feels right or looks good to the group, then it is assumed to be valid. But this is a secular system grounded in subjective preference and democratic appeal, rather than the faith itself.
In contrast, the Heathen worldview holds that sacred order is not created, but divinely taught. It is established by the Gods, preserved in the lore, and affirmed through faithful continuity. The continuance of the chain. Tradition is not built on what the folk like, but on what the sacred tells us..
To assert that aesthetics or group preference justifies a break from traditional pattern is to commit error. It treats ritual not as sacred liturgy, but as civic programming subject to change by popularity or mood. Sacred tradition is not a social experiment, but the bridge between man and the divine, structured not by consensus, but by continuity.
In Heathenry, roles matter, symbols matter, colors matter; not because they’re fashionable or functional, but because they mean something, backed by attestations and or connected to elements within the lore and historical record.
~ Folcweard
thefrithstead.com
Rituals become powerful when everyone has a role to play.
At our last blót, we gave children a special task—tossing color-changing packets into the fire. It wasn’t just a fun moment—it made them part of something sacred.
We also handed out wood chips, inviting each person to carve or write a personal prayer or offering. These were then added to the flame, symbolizing their part in the rite.
It’s small touches like this that help build real connection—between people, the gods, and our living tradition.
Going live at 4:00 pm ET today!
Mark and Henirk will discuss what it means to be Sedian. This is a conversation you won't want to miss!
"We have some great guests line up on Red Ice next:
* Mark Puryear from The Norroena Society on Wednesday May 14th"
We have some great guests line up on Red Ice next:
* HT, tomorrow, Tuesday May 13th
* Mark Puryear from The Norroena Society on Wednesday May 14th
* Thomas Sewell from Australia on Sunday May 18th
* Curtis Stone will return on Monday May 19th
* Warren Balogh, Wednesday May 21st
We’re not our ancestors, so who cares?
Some make the argument that our ancestors had their way of doing things, but we’re not them and never will be. That thousands of years have passed and things change.
That’s partly true, as time does changes this world and each generation must live in its own age on our own way, but Heathenry in its very core is an ancestral religion first and foremost. It our traditions that make us strong. Let’s ask ourselves the question: what’s stronger, following a tradition that stretches back thousands of years because our literal Heathen ancestors believed in it? Or following a tradition that that we just started because we like it?
Honoring the past doesn’t mean pretending to be our ancestors - it means carrying forward what they left for us. It means reforging the very chain that connects us to both our ancestors and our very religion itself. We are not here to be them, nor should we, but there is no better or stronger way to remember them then to act in their name through the tradition.
Heathenry isn’t a path of self-made symbols and private reinvention. It’s a folkway and a folkway means thinking in terms of we, not just me. We have attested symbols and enough evidence to reconstruct what was real, so reinvention isn’t needed to the degree many may want. Now, make no mistake, reinvention can be done; provided it doesn’t contradict, denigrate, or replace that which is real within the faith.
When Sedish folk wear red and our Priest wear white, it’s not about copying outfits from a thousand years ago, but continuing as a living thread on the tapestry woven by the fate, the gods, and our ancestors. We’re not locking ourselves in the past, but showing our folk, most importantly the gods and ancestors, that we know that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. That we are a part of them and while we do live in the 21st century and are creating new traditions, it’s never at the expense of our foundation.
When the Gods gave life to Askr and Embla, they didn’t just breathe into them - they clothed them. The gods marked them with purpose. In our lore, everything matters. Our attire becomes sacred garments that reflect our roles and position. The ancestors weren’t about self-expression, but shared collective identity. Tribal variances were real, for sure, but they practiced the same foundational religion and today, with the rot of division destroying our folk, it’s more important than ever to come together and show unity. This is not to say that we cannot have tribal variation, as we certainly should, but Heathenry can only become strong on an international level when we stop succumbing to the divide & conquer tactics and rid ourselves of the “me”, embrace the “we” and stand up on a solid foundation.
We can make new traditions—that’s natural and even good. But we do it by building on the old ways, not by throwing them aside. Our roots matter. Real strength comes from honoring what came before while shaping what comes next. Anything else is hollow. Change is healthy when it grows from the root, but unhealthy in the long-term when it replaces the root.
To dress as a folk, in colors drawn from the lore, is to say: “We haven’t forgotten” and in a time when modern religion is all about personal feeling and preference, that kind of rootedness matters more than ever.
We are not our ancestors, but we are their children and folkmindedness means remembering that this path isn’t ours to rewrite, but ours to carry forward; not as reenactment, not as costume, not even as a serious intentioned attempt if rooted in “because like it”, but as a living tradition, rooted in who we are together.
We are a folk, children of our ancestors, and children of our gods.
Why wouldn’t you want to carry on their traditions?
thefrithstead.com
Do the Gods Really Care What We Wear?
The sources indicate that the folk wore red during blót and the goðar wore white. Responding to the research and assertions founded upon theological reconstruction, some argue that they don’t believe that our gods will withhold favor if we wear the wrong color because it’s our sincerity, which matters most. This, in and of itself isn’t wrong, but there’s a greater point to be had. Now, I’d like to add that in showing what the sources say and creating an aesthetic for us today based upon the tradition of our ancestors isn’t judging or laying down the law on what a person should or shouldn’t do, and to think that it’s saying that the gods will withhold favor if we wear the wrong color for blót is a mighty assumptive leap.
While it’s true that our clothing doesn’t earn divine favor, it does show our level of seriousness. It tells the Gods (and one another) who’s gathered, who’s leading, and that this moment is set apart as something important and holy. In an age when leadership is often claimed without a solid theological position, clear ritual distinctions matter more than ever. The two-colored approach is especially important in this age when individuals often take on the title of Goði based on charisma or ability to speak, rather than depth of training. A Goði is someone grounded in lore, ritual, law, and the care of the folk, so distinguishing that role through dress is about honoring and revering the position.
The red and white system isn’t about control or rigidity, but about clarity, reverence, tradition, and authenticity. When one see the folk in red, it connects us together as a folk. As Heathenry is an ancestral religion of tradition and continuity, it only makes sense to honor that chain of connectivity in wearing what they wore; not anachronistically, but as a living tradition rooted in our heritage.
Today, many view religion as an internal matter, being solely about personal belief and intent. In this modernist worldview, it’s easy to assume the Gods care more about our sincerity than any outward form, but here’s the issue: our ancestors didn’t treat the sacred as individualized expression. Germanic religion wasn’t built on personal beliefs or feelings, but on tradition and order through ancestral continuance.
Now, while we do try to impress the Gods to earn their favor, we are also attempting to show them that we understand our place in our religion of order and structure.
Sources and ancestral tradition - either they matter or they don’t. And if they don’t, what exactly does matter?
Let’s look at what the sources say, as they are the foundation of our faith:
• Vatnsdæla Saga (ch. 26): blótklæði (blót clothes) are red
• Njáls Saga (chs. 13, 33): red as feastwear
• Du Chaillu: red was the color of feasts and special occasions
• Strabo’s Geographica: Cimbri priestesses wore white
• Jordanes’ Getica: Gothic priests in white robes
• Indo-European priesthoods (Druidic, Greek, Vedic) all wear white
These facts show a pattern:
red for the folk and white for the priesthood.
thefrithstead.com
The Wisconsin Miðsumar Veizla hosted by Clauson Clan and Wotans Wolves is shaping up to be THE heathen event of the summer! With registration only being open for a few days we already have 20 people signed up including kids! DONT FORGET TO SIGN UP ASAP!! We a diligently making plans, with tons of games, activities, face painting, fellowship and Blót in the works!
There has been quite a few folks that can not attend reaching out asking how they can contribute, so we set this up for donations....
https://jordsvolk-frithstead.square.site/
Do not forget there is also the raffle you can contribute to! 100% of the proceeds of the raffle go to improving the Wisconsin infrastructure and to Folk projects that are currently going on.
We want to thank everyone for their support and can not wait to see you all for this amazing festival celebrating our Folk and Folkways!!
The Sedians have taken the spark that flickers in the hearts of our folk and kindled a sacred flame that burns white hot in our chests.
🔥🔥🔥 This fire is spreading. 🔥🔥🔥
The light of this flame will be the light that guides our folk home to authentic faith and real religious community.
Does that fire burn in your chest?
Will you join us?
Available now. Sedian tree book/journal cover. Red and gold alternating stitching. $90.00 shipping in the US included
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And here is my last commission, simple Baldr and Frigg weohs, 5" tall in tulipwood for the upcoming Sumarmál event over in the US
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We just received another donation for our raffle from our amazing friends at The Irminfolk Odinist Community. These beautiful pieces of jewelry and wax candle will make a great addition to anyone's collection.
I also want to say thank you for sending books to offer during the vendor fair. You will be able to purchase these unaltered reproductions from the Norroena Library:
The Story of Burnt Njal translated by Sir George Webbe Dasent.
The Elder Edda of Saemund Sigfusson translated by Benjamin Thorpe with the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturlason translated by I. A Blackwell.
Teutonic Mythology in three volumes by Viktor Rydberg. (Volume 1 and 2)
The 9 books of Danish History by Saxo Grammaticus in two volumes translated by Oliver Elton (volume 1-2)
Don't forget to check out the Irminfolk and support their upcoming Folkish Summer Hallowing! One of the best Folkish events on the East Coast takes place every year in Pennsylvania.
/channel/irminfolk
https://www.facebook.com/share/1AdaTyumtK/
Futhark.org
#Æfinlǫgr #Lore #Þing #sedian
~ The Þing ~
No legal system can effectively function without some authority to administer and interpret the laws therein. Any “law” created by people with no plan to reinforce it with a judiciary is useless, and the system is no better than anarchy. Laws must come with consequences, which must be applied justly and fairly by a court invested with the power to do so. This process is not solely about punishment; it is also about maintaining peace and resolving disputes. Our goal here is not only to examine how legal assemblies worked in historical contexts and how we might apply these ideas here and now but also to consider the religious underpinnings of such assemblies and why they are so vital for practicing the Heathen faith. We will not bog this treatise down with every regional or national variation in ancient Scandinavia; instead, we shall concentrate on the general characteristics of the Þing and how these can be adapted for our use today. Countless laws and concepts revolve around the institution of the Þing, and many sources describe how each Þingdistrict was organized. Nevertheless, our focus will be on what types of Þings existed, who participated in them, and what procedures made them run effectively.
First and foremost, these ancient societies were built upon the only power structure that truly localized authority and kept the people strong: the clan system, with the clans themselves referred to as Ættar. We covered this system in our Ættarbók, showing how it may be reintroduced today to restore the power of the family unit. The great clans of Skjǫldungr, Vǫlsungr, Buðlungr, and others were held in the highest esteem, forming a core of strength and organization that successfully kept Imperial Rome at bay in Germania. Even the mightiest empire in the known world could not break the Heathen spirit, a spirit that flowed through these clans. Ensuring these clans reemerge in their true form is of paramount importance in the modern era.
With such a clan system in place, the Heathen tribes developed a representative system of government, even under kings, that allowed the people to have a voice in the creation and enforcement of laws. However, it was not the façade we see in modern politics, where virtually anyone can take part and elections often become bloated popularity contests. As with many later republics, only landowners were permitted to vote, which prevented monarchs and other authorities from accumulating excessive power. The principle behind granting the vote to landowners was that those with the greatest stake in the land and its outcomes had a say in crucial matters, thus ensuring that positions of responsibility were held by competent individuals. Allowing þrælls to dictate the affairs of one’s nation turns it into a cesspit of degeneracy, plagued by incompetence and failure.
Types of Þings
…….( pleas follow the link below )
https://norroena.org/the-thing
Who has the authority to determine that particular sources establish something as a fact?
In explaining theological points, such as red for the folk and white for the Goðar, the mistake is thinking a tradition only counts if enough people or sources agree on it, but that’s not how ancestral religion works.
We aren’t inventing a modern faith, but reconstructing our ancestral faith. Our religion is one of structure, law, and hierarchy. It’s a living system that was suppressed, outlawed, fragmented, and almost forgotten, but we are putting it back together; not through guesswork, but through the attested sources and recognizing the patterns that emerge from the lore.
We are polytheists, which means our beliefs are not metaphorical nor symbolic. Our Gods are real, our rituals are real, and the order they established matters.
When someone asks, “Who gets to decide?” they’re really asking: how do we know that’s true, if only a few sources mention it?
The answer lies in understanding the process; a process we call the Epic Method.
We follow a structured theological method, which prioritizes sources in a clear hierarchy. First are the Poetic Edda and Skaldic Poetry, then the Germanic Sagas and historical accounts. Next is comparative European and Indo-European studies. To further support our arguments, we incorporate linguistics and other scientific fields, while considering symbolism last. As we move down this hierarchy, each source is used only insofar as it does not contradict the more authoritative material above it.
From this structure, we trace what are called lines of convergence. These are points where multiple independent strands of tradition confirm the same truth. When a custom or concept is shown in myth, reflected in saga, echoed in other Indo-European religions, and or affirmed by ritual logic or folk memory, then we can say with make an assertion with confidence knowing that it is authentic, or at least the closest we can come to authenticity.
While it may be true at times that a few sources is all that’s available, but if those sources are consistent, layered, and liturgically aligned, they are enough. In traditional religion, authority is about consistent structure of roles, traditions, and cosmology that the divinely taught by the gods and preserved in the lore.
Take the color system. Red appears in multiple saga sources as blótklæði, ritual clothing, and is associated with feasting, offering, and sacred gatherings. White, on the other hand, is worn exclusively by ritual figures, such as Cimbri priestesses, Gothic holy men, and Druidic and Vedic priests. These patterns don’t cancel each other out. They reinforce one another. Even if no one source says, “Only priests may wear white,” the ritual role of white is consistently set apart.
So when someone says, “Who decides that’s a fact?”
We answer: the myths do. The pattern does. The Gods do; through what they left us.
The Epic Method is not academic theory, but a religious tool. It takes the sacred fragments left behind and reassembles them. We don’t try to anachronistically reenact the past, but to live today what was preserved from before. To honor the patterns of belief that our ancestors once built.
In the end, this isn’t about who has the power to decide, but who has the humility and piety to follow. When we see mythic alignment, ritual structure, and role-based continuity, we are not guessing, but looking at the body of a faith gaining strength from a long slumber. Awakening with renewed vigor and life.
And THIS is what we are building.
~ Folcweard
"Now Garm howls loud before Gnipahellir, the fetters will burst, and the wolf run free much do I know, and more can see of the fate of the gods, the mighty in fight."
- Voluspa - 49
Forn Siðr & The Tenets of Sedian Belief - Mark Puryear
Mark Puryear, Director of The Norroena Society, will join Henrik to discuss the Tenets of Sedian Belief (Old norse Forn Siðr), his organization and more.
Watch the show live at 4pm EST / 10pm CET. Here: redice.tv/live | Rumble | redicetv:1/forn-si%C3%B0r-and-the-tenets-of-sedian-belief-mark-puryear-pt1:3">Odysee | X | redicemembers.com
Where Does It Say It’s Wrong?
Sometimes, when we present a traditional practice, like red attire for the folk and white for the Goðar, we hear replies like:
“When someone can show me a source that says we’re going against the faith, then I’ll consider it.”
This statement commits a logical misstep. It misunderstands how ritual tradition works, because it confuses law with rite, and moral command with sacred pattern. In other words, it makes a category mistake by demanding legal proof in a context where rituals are not based on legal prohibitions, but on traditional practice.
In the lore, we find many things that are clearly prohibited, such as:
• He who desecrates a sacred stead shall be declared Vargr í véum (an outlaw)
• One is outlawed whosoever speaks blasphemy against the Gods (goðgá)
• Every man should pay a toll to the Hof
• It is not the custom to bring weapons into the Hof, and you will turn the wrath of the Gods against you; such a thing is impossible unless it is atoned for
These are moral and social boundaries, laws codified for the protection of the folk. They define justice and maintain frith amongst the folk.
Ritual is different. It is preserved by memory, structure, and affirmation. Sacred practices are passed down by showing how it was and is done, not by listing everything one must not say, wear, and do verbatim.
So when one asks, “Where does it say I can’t wear white as a layperson?”, he or she is not just asking a question, but making a illogical argument from silence and assuming that the absence of prohibition implies permission; however, ritual tradition doesn’t work like that. Silence isn’t consent.
Furthermore, that question shifts the burden of proof. It demands that tradition justify itself to innovation, rather than asking innovation to account for its divergence from attested pattern. That’s not how traditional religion operates, especially one rooted in reconstructed mythos and ancestral memory.
The sources don’t say “the folk must not wear white”, but they do show the red and white pattern.
… and that pattern matters. In Sedish Heathenry, we follow the Epic Method, a process that reconstructs the original faith through mythic structure, converging sources, and liturgical continuity. We don’t invent rules to control people, but recover ancient form and patterns to preserve meaning, ancestral, divine, and cosmological meaning behind everything we do, say, and wear. Methodology determines proper thinking, which in turn shines light upon the legitimate and illegitimate.
So when someone says, “There’s no source saying it’s wrong,” the real answer is:
In the instance in which you’re asking, does there doesn’t need to be?
There are many things within the faith that show us what sacred is and what tradition is. To insist on an explicit prohibition is to apply the wrong standard; again, to commit a category mistake by expecting laws where there are sacred patterns. In our lore, we use theological reconstruction to pull from our faith what lies hidden in plain sight, as not everything is neatly tied into a package of “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not.”
Sacred tradition is not a loophole game. If a practice doesn’t grow from the myth, doesn’t align with the roles, and doesn’t match the pattern, then it doesn’t belong in sacred space. Law guards the boundaries of the tribe. Ritual guards the bridge between us and the Gods.
… and that bridge is made of memory, shown through attested patterns; not personal preference.
~ Folcweard
thefrithstead.com
"At the beginning of my investigations into Germanic mythology, I did not assume an epic connection between the myths, although Völuspá already refers to one. It was the slow progressing observation that individual fragments of the god- and hero-sagas, which had come down to us in a broken and scattered state, fit into one another at their broken edges, that urged me to collect and compare all the remaining fragments, and it was their own nature, not any presupposition on my part, that gradually cultivated the form in which they appear here as a reunited whole upon which generations have worked from the Proto-Indo-European era up until Germanic heathendom’s latter times. As unpleasant now as this discovery of a continuous epic connection between the myths must be for the nature-etymological school, which holds the isolated state of the myths as its presupposition and which thus far has been predominate in the field of mythology, and as natural as I find it that this school’s adherents cannot suddenly abandon their way of thinking; I am as equally convinced that results acquired through unconditional methodic research will increasingly win the recognition they deserve."
Viktor Rydberg 1889
An interesting depiction of Yggdrassil and the nine worlds, I recently found online at https://www.beingawakened.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/representation-of-the-nine-realms-in-norse-mythology-1024x712.png (Artist Unidentified).
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At this year’s Sumarmál, we witnessed something that many would call a sign from the gods.
As anyone in South Dakota knows, spring weather can be unpredictable—sunshine one moment, rain or snow the next. Friday began cold and wet, but we were undeterred. We gathered under a pavilion, lit a fire outside, and held a sumbl. As we introduced ourselves and spoke of our family lines, we saw bonds forming. Hails were given to our ancestors and to one another. That evening closed with a sense of anticipation for what the next day would bring.
Saturday morning remained cold and overcast. The sun refused to break through, and with all our games and the blót planned outdoors, concern began to set in.
Around noon, one of our men rallied others to begin grappling matches, keeping spirits high. Meanwhile, our team of chefs worked diligently to prepare the sacred stew. Then we decided to add the 9 sacred herbs and offering a prayer to the gods.
As we blessed the stew and read aloud from our lore, something changed. The sun emerged. The wind calmed. Warmth returned. What followed was nothing short of perfect weather—just in time for our games and the ritual to begin.
As evening approached, we lit our sacred fire, and our sunwheel, leading the procession to our vé. The fires glowed, the wind remained still, and the moon and stars shined.
At the vé, we performed the Smyrja—anointing the statue of Odin with ghee and the nine sacred herbs. We then held Sigrblót, calling on Odin for victory and blessings for our folk. As we made our offerings, we watched the fire for signs and omens.
Once the ritual concluded and the vé was respectfully broken down, the wind picked up again—as if holding off just long enough for us to complete our work.
That night we returned to the pavilion for more sumbl, handed out trophies to our contest winners, and ended Sumarmál under the stars, grappling and raising our voices in hails to the gods, ancestors, and folk.
It was a beautiful sight to witness—and an even greater blessing to be a part of. Thank you all for the opportunity to be among the folk and our gods. They look upon us with pride as we reforge our ancestral traditions together.
- Kyle Davis
Two of my favorite moments from our Sumarmál gathering.
The first shows a young child after completing our “god hunt,” where we sent the kids out to find hidden statues of the gods. Each one went home with an idol of their own—a gift to connect them with the stories of our people.
The second captures a determined 3-year-old crushing the hammer toss—proving you’re never too young to show your strength!
Before every game, we shared a tale from the lore that tied directly into the activity. Our goal was simple: educate, inspire, and create lasting memories. We want each child (and adult) to walk away with something meaningful—something that brings them closer to our shared heritage.
NEW EPISODE — The Bog — Aefinlogar w/ Mark Puryear
https://hearthfireradio.com/watch?v=dwurRpok
The Norroena Society produced one of the first truly academic level works on heathen religion with their book Aefinrunar, which reconstructs the ritual praxis of the Norse in detail. Now they have produced a new book Aefinlogar, which does the same for Norse law. Mark Puryear of the Norroena Society joins the Boglords for a discussion of Germanic law.
Looking to help us spread the word about Sedian belief? Wanting to grow your local community? We have now compiled a basic primer for one to begin their journey into this religion! The Sedian Handbook is here! Only about 40 pages and costing $5.50, this one is a tool for us to get the word out! Get your copy today!
https://a.co/d/8jb1veh
Pagan Revivalism presents:
Germanic Law
This will be another Revivalist interview with the famous devout heathen, accomplished author and Director of the Norrœna Society, Mark Puryear!
We will be discussing the Law-Codes of pre-christian Pagan Germania, which he outlines in his most recent book, 'Æfinlọgr.'
This is a show you don't want to miss, as we unravel the theology, origins, implications and modern applications of the ancestral ways!
The interview will take place, Freyja's Day, 04/25/25, 7pm Eastern Standard Time. After the interview, if we have time, there may be a short Q&A with Mr. Puryear about his book about Germanic Law
Here's the link, and we can't wait to see you here at t.me/Pagan_Revivalism where we bring you the best interviews and deep-dives about ancient faiths and ways!
/channel/Pagan_Revivalism?livestream
We received two more statues to add to our scavenger hunt for the kids! These were hand carved by the very talented Wessex Woodcrafts. I would like to say thank you to him for taking the job on short notice, doing a great job (very detailed), and ensuring it arrived in time for Sumarmál 2025 in the Hills!
On the left is Baldr, son of Odin and Frigg.
To his right is his mother Frigg - the mother of the gods.
The kids are going to love leaving with statues of the gods.
Make sure you check him out and support his work here:
/channel/wessex_woodcrafts
This year's Blaand is done!
I made it a little dryer than my other two attempts. But I think this will be received very well. It's balanced nicely, smells good, and not too strong with cinnamon. The gold always gives it a nice touch!
