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A man must go on a quest
to discover the sacred fire
in the sanctuary of his own belly
to ignite the flame in his heart
to fuel the blaze in the hearth
to rekindle his ardor for the earth.

Sam Keen, from Fire in the Belly




What is the Royal Order of the Knights of Herne?

The Royal Order of the Knights of Herne is a fraternal spirituality and service group for men of Earth-centered faiths, organized along the lines of ancient orders of chivalry such as the Knights Templar. Though primarily dedicated to the exploration of men's spirituality through Pagan, Heathen, and other types of earth-centered rituals, we also have a strong commitment of service to the community. For a more detailed explanation of what we do and how we're organized, see the Order's Grand Charter.





Why a Pagan men's group?

The Pagan male today finds himself in a confusing position. In response to the highly patriarchal nature of the mainstream monotheistic faiths, the Pagan community as a whole tends toward a matriarchal, feminine-oriented system. In this system, the male aspects of Divinity are often greatly if not completely eclipsed by the female aspects. The �Great Mother Goddess� is often honored to the exclusion of the God, who is relegated to the status of her �Consort� when He is mentioned at all! We believe that even as a completely patriarchal system is unbalanced, so too is a completely matriarchal system - a positive, dynamic balance between the two is needed, not an aggrandizement of one gender over the other. Both genders have their own strengths and weaknesses, and each has much to teach the other. To this end, we are committed to exploring the men's mysteries, the spiritual aspects of what it is to be male. We are an unashamedly men's group - there are many women's mysteries groups in existence, and we consider ourselves neither unbalanced nor chauvinistic for wishing to explore the spiritual aspects of our own gender.





What does community service have to do with men's spirituality?

We believe that service to the community is an important part of our spirituality - that a man can truly find the best in himself only in service to others. Sacrifice for the good of others is a traditional and integral aspect of men's spirituality - for example, the Wiccan belief in the sacrifice of the Horned Lord at Samhain to be reborn at Yule and renew the fertility of the earth, or from a Christian point of view, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. All of us sacrifice in some form or another so that others may be better off, though for most of us this sacrifice is of our time and energy rather than our lives. As Knights, we believe that with the power we are given comes the responsibility to help others. In fact, the word "knight" originally came from a Saxon word which meant "vassal" or "servant"; we take this to mean that we are servants of our community and of the greater good.





Why do you call yourselves "Knights"?

Though we call ourselves Knights, we're not the kind of knights who wear armor, fight with swords, or swear fealty to a king. We choose to call ourselves Knights because we identify strongly with the archetype or idea of knighthood, of a warrior who lives by a code of honor and who stands up for what he believes is right. As for swearing fealty to a king, the "Royal" in our name doesn't mean we swear fealty to an earthly monarch. Rather, we swear fealty to our own particular concepts of divinity, to our brother knights, and to the ideals of knighthood and chivalry. The �Royal� in our name is meant to remind us that within every man lies the spark of nobility, the touch of kingship and of the Divine. As in Arthurian legend, the Sacred Monarch, the �Once and Future King� is not dead, but sleeps within us all, and rises again when we have need of him. For a better idea about the importance of chivalry in men's Paganism, we suggest reading the following article - "Plastic Swords and Pentacles: Chivalry and the Rearing of Pagan Boys" by Sara Reeder. This article, published in the November-December 1999 issue of Green Egg magazine, was part of the inspiration for the Knights of Herne and contains many issues we find to be relevant in raising Pagan boys and men alike.





So who is this "Herne" fellow, anyway?
Herne, from whom our Order takes its name, is a pre-Christian Saxon deity whose name is thought to come from the Latin "Cernunnos" which means "The Horned One". His image can be found on the Gundestrup Cauldron (pictured at right), an artifact found in Denmark and dating from about 2000 years ago. Herne is the Patron of our Order; for us, he represents the quintessence of manhood, all that we strive to be and to achieve as men. He is the sacrificial God, who gives of himself so that others may live. Though we do not all honor Herne as the face of our particular Deity, as men, we honor what he represents.




How can I become a Knight of Herne?

We'd first like to note that we only recruit face-to-face; we are NOT an online organization. That said, if you're male, 19 years of age or older, following some sort of Earth-based tradition or path, and have a sincere interest in dedicating yourself to the Code of Chivalry and other precepts of the Order, one of the Order's Halls will generally consider you for membership. Currently, the only Hall in existence is the Foundation Hall in Greensboro, NC. Contact information for its officers is on the Hall's website, and you may contact one of them to arrange a meeting. If you're living in a different area or are otherwise unable to join the Hall at present, please consider subscribing to the Order's email list for information and updates on future activities.




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