Distance over Time: Rebranding the Sons of Heimdall blog

Of late, what was previously a minor annoyance has grated on my nerves and begun to irritate me beyond my tolerance. I am speaking of the "Vikingisation" of heathenry and other forms of nordic... well, nordic anything really. You can't express an interest in the history of Europe - northwestern Europe in particular - without someone bringing up the pesky raiders.

It has become abundantly clear that I am somewhat more viking-averse than a large proportion of heathens. Not for me the dressing up like Floki or Lagertha. Face paint doesn't make my heart flutter in anticipation of runic inscriptions across my less than angelic face. My personal brand of heathenry demands only civlian dress (often combats and a heavy metal band t-shirt) and my path is focused very much in the here and now.

The "viking age" gets way too much attention for what it is. A couple of hundred years in which some criminal-minded psychopaths decided to go stealing stuff from across the water. I appreciate the romanticised image of violence appeals to some people - but it's not like it's the only violent period in European history. Further, it's not even the most violent period. The crusades were pretty horrible. Innumerable wars have been fought in various places. What is so special about vikings? They wouldn't have looked like underwear models, like they do in certain popular tv shows. Spirituality existed prior to the viking age and evidence from the iron age and roman times arguably tell us more than evidence from the limited period in which those pirate raids were ongoing.

So, what I am half proposing to myself in my head, is to reduce the viking footprint in this site. Remove all reference to this as a "viking blog". That's not to say I won't mention vikings now and again. I won't forbid myself from referencing the viking age and its sources, either. But this will be a heathen/"pre-christian, indigenous European spirituality and culture" blog. Providing I can find a more catchy label.

Fear not, though! This will still be essentially my place to discuss heathenry, my path and everything else. The aesir and vanir, landvaettir and ancestors are as much a part of my path as they ever were. I'm just distancing myself from the whole "heathenry is the viking religion" fallacy.

Watch this space.

Connections

Having read Tyson Yunkaporta's "Sand Talk", upon recommendation by Rune Rasmussen, the topic of connection has been at the forefront of my mind for quite some time now.

I take after my father and his father. While they were both very affable, they both enjoyed their alone time. Their favourite method of getting away from it all (including the rest of the family) was to spend all day gardening. Time alone tending to what was their pride and joy was their favourite method of relaxing and getting away from it all. I, too, enjoy my alone time practicing baguazhang on my own. My brother is similarly minded, too - his escape is found through carp fishing. I guess it is a family trait.

That said, connection to my wider family has always been important to me - that is one way in which I differ from the other males in the family. My late mother was eldest of ten children and my childhood weekends were spent at my Nannie's home, with sometimes as many as a dozen adults and associated children all spending the day together in one small house. That obviously stayed with me as I managed to score some valuable family brownie points by taking time to speak with all my aunts and uncles at our wedding reception.

Still, though, I'm stuck between that need to connect to wider family and wanting some alone time. Families are noisy and boisterous and can be demanding - which is part of the fun, I guess. The best part of me has been distilled from the crucible of familial interaction. Interactions with friends were a whole different kettle of fish for me - less wholesome, more self-destructive. Friendships have been just as valuable, though in a different way.

Similarly, connection to nature for me has been influenced by my childhood. I grew up in a very rural part of the already rural Lincolnshire. My childhood home was set in the midst of a large garden (just under one acre). To my youthful mind, nature was all around me and part of everything I did. As a consequence, perhaps, I don't quite have the same views as most other people. A lot of other people seem to post online about hiking up abc hill to connect with nature, or visiting xyz forest to talk to the gods. For me, the gods are just as close when I'm sitting in my armchair watching tv as they are when I'm hiking up Rivington Pike. Having said that, gods seem to be less important to me than most other people. For me, ancestors and wights play a larger role in my heathenry than do gods of the aesir or vanir. After all, ancestors and wights seem closer to me somehow. Ancestors share my family bonds and wights are in the same physical location as me. Gods and goddesses seem somehow more distant in comparison.

I love getting out into nature/away from the suburbs as much as anyone. But I can't help wondering why people feel that they need to go somewhere else to feel a part of nature? Just cos our species built things like cities and houses to make our lives easier, doesn't mean we stopped being part of nature. Sure, our connection to nature is in a ropier state than it has been for some time - but that is more down to capitalism's belligerent attitude toward the environment that has seeped into our own understanding. Why are termites in their city-like mounds a part of nature, yet our cities aren't. How come mammals and birds using tools is a part of nature, but our using more complex tools is not? How is a bee working for the collective of the hive a part of nature, but my working for the collective of an insurance company is not?

I'm trying to rewire my understand to one that recognises I am always a part of, indeed in the midst of, nature and use that understanding to improve my connection to nature and the wider world in general (family included - as they are a part of nature, too).

Nature, family, friends, ancestors, wights, gods and myself - all reciprocally connected. That is the goal.