Asatru UK Althyng, July 2022 - Reflections

Last weekend was the Asatru UK Althyng. In a last-minute, spur of the moment decision back in June, we decided to buy a day ticket for the Saturday. It meant we missed out on the fun later in the evening, but still provided us with a great, family day out.

In the Facebook group for our heathen hearth, "Salgofnir's call", I wrote a little mini-review, an edited excerpt of which I'm reposting here:

Well, the weekend saw us attend the #asatruuk #althyng at Sentry Circle campsite, Northallerton. We only had day tickets for the Saturday - mostly cos our decision to attend was a bit of a last-minute thing.

It was a great event. Loads of heathens, traders offering really nice wares and interesting talks and events. We especially enjoyed Pete Jennings' talk on the subject of Valkyries.

It was exceptionally family-friendly, there were lots of activities aimed at kids. Freyja took part in the kids' rune workshop. The whole event was a very comfortable place to be as a family. Lots of other kids there of various ages. More importantly, the traders and organisers spoke to Freyja directly, involving her in the conversation - which, for us, is the keystone of a family-friendly event. Otherwise, it just feels like you're dragging your kid around and leaving them out.

Saw some fellow NW Heathens, which was nice - a shame we didn't make it to their camp to catch up with everyone together, though. We were either socialising with the wider heathen community around the stalls or in the bar - both worthy enterprises, I'm sure you'll agree.

Very impressed in general with the whole events, it's organisation and implementation. All the organisers and assistants deserve hearty congratulations. It has very much inspired us to want to attend anything #asatruuk organise for next year - especially as it will be the Year of Aun! #aun2023

As though in response to an earlier Sons of Heimdall post about moving away from the current viking trend, I recall an example, from the Althyng weekend, why this is something I'm keen to do.

We had just completed the ceremony for raising Freyja's godpost in the ve. The ceremony had been very chilled and, for some, was emotional and touching. Atop the hill, surrounded by standing stones and afforded with a beautiful view of the surrounding Yorkshire countryside, it was a moment that called upon all present to feel their connection to the land and its wights. Communally, we sang songs in honour of "Golden, shining Vanadis" and made offerings and toasts to the godpost.

Once this was done, we all slowly headed back down the hill toward the camp. It was then that some post-Fimmel heathens elected to start singing a certain popular song from a notorious tv franchise. While I accept the lyrics to "My mother told me..." have a historical provenance, the raucous, full-voiced nature of the song, really destroyed the relaxed, positive, connected vibe that we had, up to that point, been enjoying in the afterglow of the ceremony.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the Vikings tv series when used as a source for informing a heathen path, but I accept that the popularity of the series has done a lot to boost the ranks of the heathen community. Post-Fimmel heathens do bring a youth and vibrancy to the group that, it could be argued, had been previously lacking. I would ask, however, that maybe those newer heathens of that ilk learn to read the room a bit. There is a time for boisterous, viking-like behaviour and just after a really relaxed, spiritually rewarding ceremony is not really it. All this is purely, IMHO, obviously, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who felt this way as we all processed down the hill, though.

Ironically, the bar tent, where such behaviour would have been more than appropriate, had been practically empty all afternoon and continued to be so, even after the slightly Brosatru, viking-wannabes had made it down the hill.

Everyone wants to be special

Heathenry is often described as "the religion with homework". It's true that, to forge a stable path a lot of reading and research is required. This tends to mean that, up til now, heathenry has attracted a certain type of person. Usually quite academic, interested in history and archaeology, amongst other things. The kind of person who likes to find their own way of doing things - independent and free-thinking. For the most part, this is the kind of person who does well within heathen culture at present.

In addition to, or perhaps because of, this personality type, the contemporary heathen community suffers a little from "too many chiefs and not enough indians". Everyone wants to style themself as a gothi or skald. After all, who would give up the opportunity to carve themselves a position of influence in the relatively small but burgeoning heathen community?

Problem is, the heathen community doesn't quite have the population to support all these leaders, projects and businesses. All the would-be leaders have their own visions and are pulling in their respective directions. Unfortunately, without any lay heathens to whom they can preach, sing or sell, no material progress will ever really manifest.

Take a look at any of the online heathen groups, and there appears to be a lot of industry going on. This fills a lot of people with confidence, but I am not so sure. The activity mostly boils down to people broadcasting their views and talents in the hopes of being recognised in their chosen role. As gothi, skald, artisan or whatever. How many heathens are there who are actually listening to their messages and buying their products? This is the true measure of the health of the heathen community. Not how much is being said, but how many are listening.

Myself, I don't really have dreams of any particular goal or position within my heathenry. I am happy to do my own thing and socialise with heathen friends by sharing important words by the fire. That is enough for me. I tend not to join in with inter-factional disputes. My opinion is that these disagreements will sort themselves out over time. If one gothi promotes daily blots, while another promotes monthly blots that may create a disagreement within the community. However, the winner will not come down to whose opinion is better researched and supported by the lore, or whose UPG makes most sense. It will come down to which option those aforementioned "lay heathens" with no particular skills or titles decide to include as part of their own paths.

You see, at the end of the day, the power is always with the people, rather than the leaders.