NEW ISSUE OF WOLF AGE AVAILABLE
While I was in Nevada, the latest issue of Wolf Age arrived. As always, I highly recommend it to those whose interests include Asatru and warrior lore. As the magazine is described in the front: "Our magazine is fundamentally spiritual, but this spirituality is based solidly in the practical world of the here-and-now. Thus you'll find articles on mystical runes next to a report from the battlefields of Bosnia, or a piece on meditation next to hints on knife fighting. We want to reach the modern warrior- the soldier, policeman, martial artist, soldier of fortune, wandering barbarian, and anyone else who aspires to walk this road of service and danger- with the traditional lore that can make them more effective, stronger, and wiser!"
This issue includes:
* The Opening Volley looks at the trend in
entertainment represented by the films Rob Roy and
Braveheart, and what the social trends may mean for
our faith.
*The G-2 section provides its accustomed review of
news from around the world, with incisive analysis that
cannot be found anywhere else. This issue looks at events
in Burma, China, Mexico, Sierre Leone and the Congo.
*My article, The Eternal Warrior, which is linked at
the bottom of this page.
*Wulfgar von Raven's look at the history and techniques of
Russian martial art, including Spetsnaz techniques taught
by a former trainer of Soviet special forces.
*The story of the Warrior Guild's banner, part of the
Guild's ritual and tradition carried over from the Asatru
Free Assembly to the Asatru Folk Assembly.
*Steve McNallen's Dance of Death, Dance of Life,
which explores the history of Northern European warriors'
dances. In a culture where dance has largely become
ego-posing in motion, it is good to recall the spiritual
nature of dance of days past. For me, this article was
particularly timely. I had watched the grace and beauty of
the Irish dancing of Michael and Annabel at the Althing,
and it brought to mind the various Folk dances I've
witnessed over the years, causing me to give some thought
to this aspect of our people's Folk culture. This article
is a significant step in the renewal of spiritual
dance.
*The subject of the Rune Hoard is wunjo. The
article begins, "To reconcile wunjo with the world of the
warrior, we have to remember that this rune deals with the
cohesiveness of the clan and tribe. From this cohesiveness
and sense of belonging, joy arises- in the feeling of unity
and reassurance which comes from clan and tribal
membership". Courage is born of this sense of belonging to
something greater, without it there is only rootless
self-preservation. This article, with its sense of joy of
serving the higher purpose, segues nicely into the
next.
*In Warrors Against Mercenaries, Steve McNallen
calls on warriors to take an ethical stance against the
monoculture. Looking to historical precedent, both ancient
and modern, he makes the case for cultural diversity. In a
world where people are struggling to maintain their
culture, their ethnic identity, and their national
sovereignty in the face of aggression on the part of
multinational corporations and the global monoculture- the
old battle of blood againt money- he urges warriors to give
thought to the ethical ramifications of their actions.
There is no other publication like Wolf Age- it uniquely addresses matters of sword and spirit. I highly recommend it.
Link: Asatru Folk Assembly
The Eternal Warrior by Hnikar
9,000 YEAR OLD REMAINS IN CALIFORNIA?
In 1973, archaeologist Christopher Drover discovered a number of thimble-sized, decorated, fired-clay ceramics atop a bluff on Newport Bay in Orange County, California. These finds were dated at 6,000 to 7,150 years old. In the years which followed, he and a number of others sought to have the site preserved for both archaeological and environmental reasons, but in 1995 the Irvine Co. went ahead with plans to build a luxury gated community called Harbor Cove. The site, just off Jamboree Road in Newport Beach, was "developed" with the approval of State authorities.
The heavy equipment rolled in, under the supervision of consulting archaeologist Michael Macko. A worker quoted by the Los Angeles Times said, "Bones turned up everywhere. You could see a cranium that had just been sheared in half by the scraper- bones that were crushed by the scraper". Macko denies such damage, and regardless a number of artifacts were recovered.
Among these were "perfectly" round balls, mostly the size of baseballs but some as large as bowling balls. 50-60 in all were recovered. Similar artifacts have been found at other sites, but the numbers here were unusual. Also found were 30 thimble-sized clay cylinders, of the type recovered in 1973 and four stone bifaces, about 20-30 cm long, including one made of obsidian traced to the eastern Oregon-California border.
Most importantly were the human remains. Judy Suchey, a renowned forensic anthropologist at Cal State Fullerton, estimated that the fragmented and scattered remains represented 600 individuals. Macko, based on radiocarbon dating of the seashells left from the meals of these ancient people, estimates that the village on the bluff was occupied between 4,000 and 9,500 years ago. Jon Erlandson, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, assisting in research at the site (called ORA-64), told the LA Times, "This is one of the most impressive and important sites from the Pacific coast of North Amerca".
The State, unfortunately, appointed two individuals as the "most likely descendants". Jim Velasques, tribal chair of the Coastal Gabrielino/Diegueno band of Mission Indians, and David Belardes, a leader of the Juaneno band of Mission Indians, directed that the human remains be reburied without radiocarbon dating. The artifacts from the grave were also reburied. The reburials took place on eleven occasions between August 1995 and January 1997 with the Indians performing the ceremonies.
Scientific research on the Spirit Cave Mummy and Pyramid Lake Man in Nevada has disclosed that the remains are not Mongoloid and hence are not kinsmen of the Indians, yet the Indians have sought to rebury them. The Kennewick Man, too, has Caucasoid features, and yet the Indians have sought to have the remains reburied without further scientific research, using the easily disproved claim of common ancestry. I don't know what the ancestry of the Newport Beach people was, yet the Indians laid claim and prevented thorough scientific inquiry into ancestry and the State accepted those claims at face-value. Like the Kennewick Man, like the remains from Nevada, these remains are possibly 9,000 years old. The obsidian establishes some sort of contact with the more northerly areas. I can only wonder if further research might reveal that this is another branch of our people. What are the Indians, here as in the Great Basin and on the Columbia River, trying literally to cover-up?
FROM EIRE TO ALTHING
Stinar reflects on his journey to the Althing from Ireland, on the nature of community, and on the Nation of Odin.
Link: From Eire to Althing by Stinar
ODINIC RITE UPDATE
As the weekend of the Great Moot in England nears its conclusion- and I hope to have a report from the participants quite soon- it is a fitting occasion to link to the OR website, which has just been updated with this month's Heathen magazine. News is included on my appointment as OR West Coast Area Reeve; the Vinland contribution to the Folk-Soil ceremony at the Great Moot; the new OR internet mailing list; the Thundersley Hearth OR Hengest celebration; the children's blotar and storybook; and the Hofsgothi programme.
Link: Odinic Rite Vinland news
ANCIENT TEMPLE DISCOVERED NEAR BRISTOL
The BBC reports that a prehistoric ceremonial site, elsewhere called a temple, has been unearthed in the southwest of England, at Stanton Drew near Bristol. Set still in well-defined pits within a 440 foot circular ditch, it is thought to have been built around 3000 BCE (approximately 500 years prior to Stonehenge). Although it is only the 7th timber temple to be found from prehistoric times in Great Britain (along with 3,000 stone circles), only parts of the wooden structure will be tested at this time. Because of its similarity to previous finds (such as Woodhenge), no excavation is planned.
Given the results of mitochondrial DNA testing between the 9,000 year old remains of the so-called Cheddar Man and a current resident of Cheddar, clearly our Folk were on the island long before the Indo-European migrations. This site, then, is likely another tribute to the ancient and living gods of our Folk.
The BBC report may be found at http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid%5F2900 0/29225.stm
THANKS TO HUGH OF GULLINBURSTI KINDRED
Just prior to my departure for Nevada last month I received an update from Reinhold Clinton of Wotan's Kindred. Due to the hectic pace of events prior to my departure and to the overwhelming amount of e-mail that awaited me on my return, I did not get it posted in a timely manner. My apologies for that.
For those of you who are unaware, Reinhold has been the spearhead of plans to build a Folkish community in the Northwest (details in a previous report- please see the news index). A key part of those plans is the construction of a Hof as a focal point of the Asatru faith upon which the community is being founded. Reinhold reports that Hugh of Gullinbursti Kindred donated $1500 toward the construction costs of the Hof. He writes, "Thanks to Hugh's generosity in support of this all-important folk project, we need only approximately $500-$700 more to acquire all the necessary materials. Thanks again, Hugh!"
ASATRU INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE ESTABLISHED FOR IMPRISONED ASATRUAR
The Woodpile Kindred and Hvitfolk Kindred have established a network to provide information about our Faith to prison Kindreds and individual Asatruar, as well as to the prison Administration so that it will be understood that Asatru is a legitimate religious path. From exchanges of knowledge between the prison Kindreds, to a training program for Gothis, to support in gaining recognition of our religious rights from the prison adminstrators, they have done much to earn praise and recognition from those of us- their kinsmen- who are outside the prison walls.
Link: The website of the Woodpile Kindred and Hvitfolk Kindred
ARCHAEOLOGIST SPEAKS TO PUBLIC GATHERING ABOUT ORA-64 SITE Two hundred people packed into the Western Digital Building in Irvine, California for a meeting sponsored by the Pacific Coast Archeological Society. Michael Macko was the guest speaker, and the topic was the ORA-64 site reported on above. While little in the way of new details was disclosed, the audience reacted audibly when he displayed an artifact described by the LA Times as a "mahogany obsidian blade". Following his presentation, a number of the exchanges with those in the audience became quite heated. Achaeologists questioned the use of scrapers (heavy equipment), although Macko again denied published reports that significant damage took place. He also came under criticism for not proceding with DNA testing or radiocarbon dating of the human remains, but given the opposition of the American Indians appointed by the State as "most likely descendants" (in the absense of cultural, forensic or DNA data to support such an appointment), the choice was apparently not his to make.
NORDISCHE ZEITUNG ARTICLES
The Nordische Zeitung site now carries a number of articles translated into English by an American Asatruar, including Wieland Hopfner's Odin's Runes and Christianity and Women.
HEIDNISCHWERK WEBSITE UP- SCULPTURES OF THE GODS
The website for Heidnischwerk, which I mentioned in an earlier update, is now on-line. It includes pictures of the sculptures available of Thor, Tyr, Odin and Freyr, and in the future will expand to include articles and links. Clearly this is a must-see for those who honor the ancestral gods.
AFA VIDEO AVAILABLE- ASATRU- A NATIVE EUROPEAN RELIGION
The Asatru Folk Assembly has released a video of Steve McNallen's lecture (formerly known as "Asatru, the Soul and Initiation") before the Portland Theosophical Society early this year. Containing a general overview of the religion, it also addresses initiatory themes, rebirth, and the nature of the soul. It is available form the AFA at P.O.Box 445, Nevada City, CA 95959 for $16.50 including postage.
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