"Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard." - A physical description of someone who had a beard. The Havamal does not mention beards. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Heathen, with a capital, refers to Norse Paganism, unless it is starting a sentence, with a small "h" refers to someone who lives on the heath, much like pagan refers to someone who lives in the countryside, rather than a city dweller. You should get some if that's something you're into. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper is the first guard soldier to receive a religious accommodation approval for a beard. It is sometimes pointed out that there have been cases in the US military whereby Heathens have been allowed to wear beards. . Several pagan men have faced discrimination or have been told to change shave due to changing company laws. Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Tamed Wild, among others. Most Pagans do not believe their Gods to be perfect. Heathen?? -Written by PF CSO and DPN Chair Dan Coultas with assistance from PF Publications manager and AUK chair Rich Blackett, PF President Sarah Kerr and further input from Heathenry UK, the Confederation of UK Heathen Kindreds and the Open Halls Project. If not for the forced conversion of the pagan people (pagan means country dweller), there would be a lot more, but more and more are waking up. (Hint - nope) There is a noticeable difference between acknowledging a god and worshiping it. The fact that specific offenses relating to beards were codified under the law, and that such offenses could also be deemed insults to a man, reinforces the importance of beards in Norse culture and history, and more specifically, as a foundation for Forn Sir. Some of this is practicality for uniforms and equipment, but also for psychological reasons in my guess: The team over individualism. A memo written by commander Col. Curtis Shroedero, to whom the request was made and ultimately granted, was circulated on Facebook. In fact, we do not pray or worship per say the sir, synjur, Vanir, Jtnar, Arir, Kindir, or Kynja. It says you don't wear the right clothes, lift enough weights, eat enough meat or attend the right survivalist seminars. Being known as an oath breaker is possibly the greatest insult to someone who holds Heathen values. Takes very little time to rub soap on ur head and face than trying o shampoo and comb hair if your bald . Guta Lag, the laws of Gotland in Sweden were also written over a century after the Christianisation, and reflect a heavily Christianised version of the older laws. Chaplains cannot officially approve or deny requests, but recommendations based on perceived sincerity can be made on the service members behalf. Therefore was he called Most-Beard, and he was the noblest man on the island. Proof that some men had big beards at the time. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Norse Pagans, Heathens, or Asatruar are not in general all required to grow a beard, There is no general religious requirementfor anyone to have facial hair, nor is there any universalreligious requirement for hairstyle or any personal grooming choice. Never swear thou wrongsome oath: great and grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga C. 21. Many of the Gods are described as being bearded, but as we have seen this is no guarantee that having a beard is a Heathen quality. I don't really see an issue with this, Religious views aside. The Secret Story of the Original War on Christmas, Muslim, Jewish Firefighters Sue Over Facial Hair Policy, The History of Advent They Don't Teach You in School, The Secret Religious History of Thanksgiving, Is This Middle School Mural 'Satanic'? Beards are definitely manly. The Army Times reported in April 2018 that under those regulations, a soldier at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., had been granted permission to wear a beard in accordance with his Norse pagan faith. Observation Post articles reflect author observations or attempts at humor. i believe it is a welcome change to those like myself who never could please the brass even by shaving twice a day. Further blurring the beard waiver criteria is that while Norse paganism encourages the growth of a beard, or skegg, the religion doesnt require it. It is my personally held belief that growing a beard will bring me closer to my God and bring me into his favor.. Likewise, they would not be able to worship the old Gods, as these laws specifically forbid it. Who'd of thought the French were tougher than Vikings? Do you want to continue? (Erick Studenicka/Army). This is real, modern and vibrant religion with people who are genuinely passionate about our faith. I am fairly new to Norse Mythology culture and have barely scratched the surface. This is not a matter of religious rights, rather a matter of attempting to get the authority you swore the Oath to, to change the conditions of the Oath. But can we take this as a universal rule? God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent - it says so right here on the label. Market data provided by Factset. They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and. The vikings didn't grow large beards very often. Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. This is often cited in restaurants or other companies with food preparation. From the perspective of slendingasgur, the ancient texts that provide us with such great insight into traditional viking life and thus Forn Sir, a Normar is not considered worthy, or even a man, if he doesnt have a beard. The first such accommodation came in 2017 following years of beard-exemption requests and legal pressure from Sikh soldiers seeking to preserve religious traditions while wearing a U.S. uniform. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. You WILL NOT ESCAPE! Philadelphia, PA 19106, In-Reach Book Donation Request (Chaplains Only), Heathenry Essential Study Chat and Social First Saturday (Public), Heathenry Essential Study Chat and Social Third Saturday (Public). Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard. A physical description of someone who had a beard. Ulfar wagged his beard and handed him the sword and shield. A physical description of someone who had a beard, and happened to wag it. The U.S. Army granted a religious accommodation to a soldier for his "Heathen; Norse Pagan faith" to be able to grow a beard. We believe our Gods are good. Thor is worshipped, honored and believed in today as he has always been by Germanic people of old and by modern decendants of those people. The process can take a long time and it often comes with negative attention that may effect your career. Suite 800 Also there is the phrase "dung beard" used frequently as an insult, but that could just mean that someone has a dirty beard and thus is probably a dirty person. This is not only directly insulting to all servicemen who do not have beards, but also to all servicewomen. var slotId = 'div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-medrectangle-3-0'; Hoppers exemption is the latest example of the militarys effort most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks. The wonderful thing about the Norse and many other pagan Sect's is there's very little centralized DOGMA and cast in stone rules on how each person must adhere . hulk vs red hulk vs abomination. Regardless - I love this religious freedom being upheld. var alS = 2021 % 1000; And Yet! Proudly keeping the military connected since 1988. But it's not a religion. Many shaved and kept the moustache. As the Gods are faithful in providing us the fruits of the bough, the vine and the earth, we can hope in Them giving us what we need to restore ourselves. Likewise, we as the Pagan Federation, who have been representing the rights of Pagans in the UK for nearly 50 years, are unaware of any religious requirement for Pagans of any path to wear beards. As Heathens and members of The Troth, we want to help people create fulfilling relationships with The Gods, the people in their lives and the world around them. The word myth has been used out of context for so long that it's definition seems to mean untrue, comic NOT SO. When they heard he was dead for sooth, all the warriors wept, as was meet. This is just as much an argument that all Heathens should be slender with yellow hair as it is that they should wear beards. She asks, is it the beardless carle?, Why doesn't he make them cart dung over his beard that he may be like other men? They'll make you feel like you aren't man enough, like you aren't good enough or like you're just not enough in and of yourself. and that is How Racism Should be dealt with; in the Military and in our Communities Norse religion is not racially motivated. Now, it is considering two similar requests from Pagan soldiers,. They will sustain us. If you like how vitamins make you feel, great. I was lucky to work as an intern with the Smithsonian during college. There's no shortage of people out there who are going to look to exploit someone's insecurities. They do indeed, yet they accept people who are afflicted with religion. Thor is a real god, honored today by many. What the army is saying here is you can wear a beard to worship a myth but you can't be who you really are. I recently saw an article about some Norse-Pagan US Army soldiers being allowed to keep their beards due to their religion. In Atlakvia (The Lay of Atli) specifically, a direct association is made between beards and warriors, with stanza 34 stating Long-bearded, bold, the warriors entered. 12-13 yrs ago a Small city on the west side of the Puget sound with Scandinavian Heritage Chose a Mixed race Highschool girl for the Queen of their yearly Festival. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-leader-1','ezslot_10',107,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-leader-1-0');If there are any concerns about health and safety, the employer can ask that the employee keep their religious attire or facial hair trimmed to a reasonable length. Thor is called red beard. I have a friend that Ran Boiler on Small River to Sea Boats during Nam; He Came back from leave to late to Shave Before inspection ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; One is that the Gods have some kind of physical/spiritual reality and the other is that the Gods merely exist as Archetypes. It is not an insult. As a community, we need to continue to support the right for pagans to receive religious accommodations so they can practice their faith and have free access to good jobs. Asatu is one name of the Norse religion which means " true gods".. Iceland and Faroe Islands were among the last converted and they continue to have a large number that believe in and practice the old ways and worship the old gods. While the Law gives us a window into daily life in Gotland, it doesn't help us understand anything about the value of a beard in pre-Christian Norse culture. During training theres many good reasons to eliminate hair mostly having to do with how much times wasted on cleaning and grooming . There is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available these days. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); If "They can all find another job. They are often either just a physical description of people in the sagas who have beards. I've seen some beards that should be condemned as a hazard to health. ins.style.width = '100%'; Beards are a popular fashion right now across society, regardless of religious belief. As an employer, the US Military has been grappling with accommodating different religious groups in the armed forces. Norse pagans have no such requirements, although facial hair is encouraged. In the past, it was commonplace for religious individuals to wear beards as part of their religious attire. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Other challenges may come from inside paganism and include racism or persons that tell you how pagans should worship. Whenever you hear or read stuff like this, ask yourself what the motivation is for the people writing it. You can still have a beard if it covers a facial scar. Trading activities are carried out by Pagan Federation, a not for profit company limited by guarantee and registered in England number 04056879 Many Pagans today have beards, but this is a cultural rather than a religious phenomenon in exactly the same way it was in 10th century Europe. Ultimately, the kinds of content that makes you feel like crap is designed to get you to want to buy something to make you stop feeling like crap. Ye are nicknamed dung-beardlings but my husband the beardless carle. Repetition of the above descriptions. Down beard and chin ran the tears of Dietrichs men. A physical description of someone who had a beard. This is because they believe him to be perfect, and so attempting to emulate him is a quest for perfection. The difference in Islam and Sikhism is that there is a specific Religious rather than social requirement. Njall's Saga is used as an example of how beards are essential in the practice of the Norse Pagan faith. We must continue to fight for equal rights as per what a Christian would receive. Forn Sir(Old Customs) is very different from Abrahamic religions or faiths. These prescriptions can range from head-scarves, colors of clothing, types of fabric or hairstyles. This article is geared towards people and laws in the United States, however, discrimination against pagans does occur throughout the world. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',105,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1'); .large-mobile-banner-1-multi-105{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}2. sued the state in federal court, saying that his religious right to grow a beard had been violated. Most ancient depictions of gods have beards. Aside from Snorri and the Eddas, there are no other accounts of Loki. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Legal Statement. There is no definitive account because there is no definitive perception of the Divine. The importance of beards as a defining feature of Normenn is also very well expressed in medieval Norse laws, including Guta Lag (The Law of the Gotlanders). From an sirand traditional Norse god perspective, a beard is therefore always associated with masculinity and virtue, including moral strength, manliness, valor, excellence, and worth, while the absence of a beard expresses feminization as well as depravity and immorality. They are descriptions of the people of the time. donate to support the educational work that we do, No. And all you need to do is reach out and ask. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! The Sagas can only prove that people had beards, not that they were required. Lokiis the least favorite of all sir, and a Norse god typically associated with negative behavior as well as the dark side of humans. The Basics Introduction to Norse Heathenry The History of Norse Heathenry Our Sources Practice Formats Powers & Entities Deities Spirits Ancestors Cosmology Creation Yggdrasil The Worlds* The Norns If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.. It's time we truly embraced religious tolerance for Christians, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, the others I've missed and pagans. In the USA where Im from, we are protected By the constitution. Sgt. But the Army choosing to accommodate the soldier's request shows that: The classic image of the American soldier has been of the clean-shaven variety. or redistributed. Some countries do not allow for a religious freedoms. This document is generally accepted to be the codification of the oral tradition of the early Christian period in Iceland, not the Heathen period. The Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, sought to clarify any existing confusion in a 2017 post about beard exemptions. I see it as a phase very similar to when the Army authorized the wear of black socks during the fitness test. ins.id = slotId + '-asloaded'; In Whitsels case his attorney Ashlie Case Sletvold, stated, America was founded on the principle of religious freedom. I'm talking murder for breaking religious beliefs, cutting off someone's hand for stealing, etc. 1 Samuel 21:13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard. All proper procedures outlined in Army Directives 2017-03 and 2016-34 were followed when requesting and approving this religious accommodation, a spokeswoman from Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood told Fox News. An employee should not have to choose between his faith and his livelihood.. "In observance of your Heathen, Norse Pagan faith, you may wear a beard, in accordance with Army uniform and grooming standards for soldiers with approved religious accommodations provided in. But the Army choosing to accommodate the soldier's request shows that: They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and They've come to respect (at least to some degree) individual faith beliefs that stray from the mainstream as well. forgot This is not the case in Paganism. Beards are in fact the true expression of spirituality, masculinity, and what it means to be Heathen. This argument is flawed for several reasons. Without an explicit religious requirement to wear a beard, the likelihood of the military changing the regulations that were Oathed to uphold for Pagans to keep beards, is very unlikely. Loki is not depicted in Pre-Christian artwork. This includes following dress regulations. As a member, along with supporting our mission to promote our faith, you will also get access to more community resources, events and a vote in our elections. Some look at a subset of paganism such as Wicca, Norse, or Neo-paganism. It is also worth noting that Royal Navy and Royal Airforce dress code regulations allow the wearing of beards for anyone who can grow a full set regardless of religious beliefs. Your guess is as good as mine. there are a lot of reasons for that. They where very vain and very much into a large variete of hair and beard trends. So once just like the medieval Christian laws above this is actually a far more compelling argument for Christian servicemen to be allowed to wear a beard than it is for Pagans. I don't agree with the military grooming standards because they are out dated and impractical, not for religious reasons. And it often comes with negative attention that may effect your career all the wept! 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