#yumsauce

TOPIC: Navigating White Supremacy in Heathenry

I certainly can! Nazism in Heathenry is a pretty extensive topic but I can definitely give you the lowdown to get started:

Where It Came From

The blending of Norse Paganism with pro-Aryan concepts began with Neo-Völkisch movement of the late 19th century, continuing into the rise of Nazi Germany. This time period produced Else Christensen, a Dane who espoused a lot of Nazi ideals. She immigrated to Canada in 1951 and connected with the New York branch of the American Nazi Party, where she acquired notes on a new religion called “Odinism.” This religion was originally intended for the American Nazi Party before that idea was scrapped.

Christensen greatly expanded on Odinism and founded the Odinist Fellowship in 1969; this is where a lot of “racialist” ideals come from in Heathenry. Once established, she taught Odinism in the United States, particularly to prison inmates during the 70′s and 80′s. Before imprisoned for drug trafficking in 1993, she gave her membership notes to Stephen McNallen, who used them to build the Asatru Folk Assembly.

Heathenry that espouses “racialist” and “ethno-nationalist” views is called Folkish or Neo-Völkisch Heathenry. Because this is the first form of Heathenry to really be popularized in America, it’s the most common. Many Heathen books and resources are Folkish in nature or cite Folkish resources in their work. This is further confounded by the fact that European Heathens are now very suspicious of American Heathens and keep their material to themselves. Not many books by European Heathen authors are available in English, and the ones that are require digging deep for. Fortunately, not all Heathen books written by Americans are Folkish.

How to Navigate This

Unfortunately, all this this means you really have to be your own navigator in your Heathen practice. This is very different than, say, a Protestant approach, where you lean on authorities for guidance. Not so much in Heathenry.

While no book or resource out there is going to be truly unproblematic, you can definitely arm yourself with tools to navigate troubling material and grow your Heathen practice:

Google your authors. I can’t stress this enough. Learn about an author’s lineage, affiliations, and reputation. If you need to, type in “[author name]+controversy” into Google search.

Seek a wide variety of resources. There’s no right, true, or best way to be Heathen. Anyone or anything saying so is probably selling something. You can get started with some resources by visiting my pinned post and clicking on “Resources.” That’ll take you to a bank of resources I and others have vetted.

Recognize dogwhistles. I have another article called Discerning Dubious Heathen Resources you can find in my pinned post. It discusses the kinds of shady behavior I’ve personally witnessed in books and articles. It also contains a list of Folkish “dogwhistles.” A dogwhistle is a kind of coded language used to signal alliance with a belief.

Be cautious of dogmas. Is a resource saying you have to do X to be Heathen? Does it suggest Heathenry has a certain look, or has values you must follow? Stuff that’s more Folkish in nature has a habit of focusing on how Heathenry should be.

Don’t let communities, people, or resources prey on your resentment for Christianity. I’m not sure what your personal relationship is with Christianity, but I’m putting this here anyway. Many American Heathens come from Protestant backgrounds. Sometimes they’re resentful of this upbringing. A healthy community won’t encourage you to define your Heathenry by how much it opposes Christianity. Communities that do keep you in a place of anger, which makes it easier for you to believe in the “us vs. them” ideals found in Neo-Völkish Heathenry. You deserve to move past Christianity, not make it your “enemy.” If you need to heal from Christianity, I recommend seeking out a professional that can help you with that.

Some Closing Statements

Here are some extra random thoughts to make navigating Heathenry easier for you. Not sure if it’ll all make sense to you right now, but it’s worth saying:

Sonnenrad, or the Black Sun, is a Nazi symbol created for Nazis by Nazis. It’s based off actual historical Norse motifs known as “sun wheels”. The Black Sun has made its way into Heathen circles but is not Heathen itself.

The word “Folkish” can’t be reclaimed because it was never ours to begin with. It’s name is a callback to the Germanic Völkisch Movement. If you want to describe an ancestral Heathen practice, just say “ancestral practice.”

The word “Odinist” can’t be reclaimed either, nor is it a fancy word for “Odinsperson.” It distinctly describes the Neo-Völkisch designation.

The Nine Noble Virtues were created by the Asatru Folk Assembly and contain Neo-Völkisch beliefs. They’re not universal or ancient Heathen values by any means.

Speaking of ancient, calling Ásatrú an “ancient religion” is misinformation. The word was coined in the 1970′s and describes reconstructed Heathen practices. The ancient Norsepeople didn’t have a word for their practices. Likewise, there are no surviving pre-Christian Heathen lineages.

The Poetic and Prose Edda are historical texts that preserve stories about ancient Norse Pagan gods and heroes, but they aren’t scripture. Hávamál is not scripture either, though some Heathens do find spiritual value in it.

Controversy over Loki only really exists in America. This is due to the fact we live in a very culturally Christian society. Loki is absolutely beloved in countries all over Europe and isn’t regarded as an “evil” figure.

Heathenry is an open practice and therefore can be practiced by anyone.

Hey Everybody!

Quick post, made a vegan loaf cake the other day - was with almond yoghurt. Must admit yoghurt cakes have still got the better of me texture wise but this still tasted alright. Made up the flavour combo a bit and also topped it off with some coconut caramel sauce.

Thanks for stopping by!