Red Ice Yule Special – Myths & Forgotten Traditions of the Winter Solstice

In this special Yuletide episode, most of the Red Ice crew – Henrik, Lana, John and Melanie (we missed you, Fredrik!) –joins together to discuss the significance of the winter holiday season today and what this important time of year meant to our ancestors. We talk about our childhood memories of Christmas and family teachings, or lack thereof, of pre-Christian traditions surrounding the winter solstice and return of the sun. Henrik describes the ancient Norse pagan ritual, the Blót, which included sacrificial offerings at Uppsala to the gods Odin and Freya, and Lana tells the mythical story of the Wild Hunt, with the flying 8-legged horse, Sleipnir. We get into the legend of Krampus, the shamanic aspects of Santa Claus, the significance of the colors of Yule, the burning of the Yule log, and other symbols central to survival. We receive a history lesson on the origins of Kwanza and Hanukkah, and we look at how Christmas has been culturally appropriated and manufactured into celebrations that hijack the ancient energy of northern European solar traditions. Then, we discuss how Hanukkah has taken center stage at the White House and we listen to a clip from Obama’s big liberal propaganda party that included PC holiday blessings from Susan Talve, a Rabbi from the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis. Our conversation rounds off with thoughts on the importance of storytelling and practicing rituals, along with rediscovering and honoring the ancient Norse essence of generosity and clan loyalty.

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Source: Red Ice Radio

Stephen A. McNallen – Asatru: A Native European Spirituality

From: Red Ice Radio

June 1st, 2015

Stephen A. McNallen has been a soldier, a journalist, a juvenile corrections officer, and a schoolteacher. In 1971, McNallen founded the Viking Brotherhood, the first legally recognized religious organization dedicated to the Gods and Goddesses of Northern Europe. Today, McNallen is the head of the Asatru Folk Assembly, the preeminent Asatru organization on the North American continent. Stephen joins us following the recent publication of his first book, “Asatru: A Native European Spirituality.” He begins by clarifying some of the terminology often associated with indigenous northern European religions and traditions, and he gives an overview of the pre-Christian Germanic roots of Asatru along with its Celtic and Nordic connections. Stephen explains the attitude of Asatru beliefs, which above all consists of an ancestral faith practiced with a sense of freedom as noble men and women who do not need to be saved. He gives emphasis to the essence of connectedness – to our ancestors, our decedents yet to come, our living kin, the Gods and Goddesses, and the Earth and nature – ties that hold benefits and responsibilities. We discuss the savage Christianization of Germanic tribes that forced the abandonment of their natural spirituality and destroyed the importance of kinship bonds. Steve points to distinctions between the monotheistic father-God religions that view humans as slaves and property, and the polytheistic view of multiple Gods as kin and friends – Holy Powers that are part of one’s integral being. In the second segment, we consider how the Viking Sagas differ from the Christian bible, and Stephen describes where Asatru draws a sense of order and strength and addresses the fundamental questions of philosophy from a collection of values and virtues known as the 9 Noble Virtues and the 12 Traits. Then, we look at the themes of some of the central wisdom quest myths that teach the Odinic way of transcending and acquiring higher consciousness. We talk about the symbolism of performing rituals such as blót and drinking mead when recognizing the devotion, energy and insight received from the Gods and our ancestors. Later, Stephen gives a rough sketch of the pantheon of sky and Earth Gods recognized in Asatru and how their stories have been passed down in different ways throughout time. At the end, we reflect on the significance of the reemergence of Asatru during this time, an awakening that offers a healing and revival to the European people who have lost their sense of identity and wholeness.

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Source: Red Ice Radio

 

The Solar Storm: Seana Fenner (4-5-15)

Kyle’s guest for Ostara is Seana Fenner, founder of Odinia International, a native European religious organization. Topics of the conversation include: the persecution of Odinists, the growth of Odinism, racial vs. universal Odinism, the All-Father as compared to “Our Father” Yahweh, explanation of a rede and blót, how Odinists differ from mainstream portrayals, the jewish war against native European bloodlines and cultures, and much more.

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Source: Renegade Broadcasting

Thomas Rowsell – From Runes to Ruin: Anglo-Saxon Heathen Culture

From: Red Ice Radio

May 27th, 2015

Tom Rowsell is a writer, film maker and historian living in London, England. He holds a Master’s degree in Medieval History and is a traditionalist with a perennial spiritual philosophy. Tom is with us to talk about his film, From Runes to Ruins, the first ever documentary about Anglo-Saxon paganism. To begin, Tom explains his motivation for creating a film that is meant to contribute to the identity and dignity of the people of today. We discuss the phenomenon of our disenchanted youth, many of whom amble on meaningless paths with no connections to ancestral roots or culture. Tom describes how his youth spent growing up in the countryside of England shaped his passion for preserving the history of the Anglo-Saxons who founded his country. We look at the nature-based, pre-Christian pagan traditions of Europe that could not be shed with its shift to the imported Christian theological perspective. Then, Tom speaks about various locations of rich history depicted in the film and he gives examples of the deep connectivity that existed between all of the European countries in pagan times. In the second segment, we consider the modern issue of lack of cognizance of history and identification with the land. Tom illustrates treasures of extraordinary artifacts from medieval times found in the area of Sutton Hoo that represent the true richness and advanced nature of the early Anglo-Saxon cultures. Later, we discuss the process of industrialization and the enclosure movement that has forced people off their lands and uprooted Western civilization. Tom talks about the inspiration of J.R.R. Tolkien that has helped to restore a sense of folklore to a world that is craving a shared appreciation of spirituality, simplicity and tradition. We emphasize the importance of learning about and respecting our ancestors in order to exist with dignity and value, and also how we can shine a light on the distorted history and compulsory shame that has been drilled into our heads through academia. At the end, Tom gives us a lesson on ancient sacrificial rituals that were practiced in order to show gratitude to the gods.

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Source: Red Ice Radio

Watch: From Runes to Ruins

Martin Biddle – The Vikings at Repton & Ivar the Boneless

From: Red Ice Radio
December 12, 2014

Martin Biddle is a British archaeologist and academic whose excavation and recording techniques have revolutionized the field. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, and Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, as well as Archaeological Consultant for Canterbury Cathedral and St. Albans Cathedral and Chairman of the Fabric Advisory Committee of Winchester Cathedral. Professor Biddle joins us today to speak about exciting evidence of Vikings found at an excavation in Repton, England. Martin starts with a brief history of some of his most treasured projects in England, where he began his career in the 50s. He then describes the dig at Repton, which began in the summer of 1974 as a study of the structure of the Anglo-Saxon Church of St Wystan and an investigation of some odd stories of discoveries in the garden of Vicarage near the church. The church stands on an Anglo-Saxon crypt and is one of the most important sites to survive in England from before the Norman Conquest. At this location Martin and his late wife, Birthe, unearthed the remains of the Viking Great Army that had overwintered there in 873-4. Martin goes into detail about the many extraordinary finds at Repton, including a massive warrior burial mound, Viking tools, a central coffin containing what is believed to be the remains of Ivar the Boneless, and the bones of a giant skeleton. Then, Martin illustrates the historical significance of the findings at Repton, a quintessentially English place that was the backdrop for momentous social and religious change in the 8th and 9th centuries. We conclude with an overview of the next stage for the Repton project.

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Source: Red Ice Radio

Robert Ferguson – The Hammer and the Cross: Vikings and Christianity

From: Red Ice Radio

December 12, 2014

Robert Ferguson is an author from the United Kingdom, where he completed the Scandinavian Studies program at University College, London, specializing in Norwegian. He eventually emigrated to Norway where he began his literary career as a radio dramatist, writing eleven original radio plays and going on to write several biographies, two histories of the Vikings, and two novels. Robert joins us to speak primarily about the topic of his latest book, The Hammer and the Cross: The New History of the Vikings. We begin our discussion with a look back to when the Viking era began, which coincides with the rise of the Charlemagne Empire and the forcible conversion of the Saxons to Christianity in the late Iron Age. Robert explains how the Scandinavians revolted when Christianity began to take hold in Northern Europe and the Heathen culture was being annihilated, resulting in the outbreak of the Viking Era. Then, Robert talks about the conversion to Christianity, an accepted modernization process that took advantage of the lack of dogma and unifying word of worship in Heathenism, leading to the control and institutionalization of Pagans. In the second hour, we consider the most trusted sources for Viking Age history, the etymology of Viking place names, and the oral history that defined these peoples. Robert elaborates on the societal changes that occurred with written law and the recording of history. In conclusion, we reflect on the rich culture of Heathenism with its history of violence, strength and honor. We also speculate about the location of the great Heathen temple, which was destroyed in 1080, marking the beginning of the end of the Viking Age.

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Source: Red Ice Radio

Yule Part 1–The Season

From: Northern Runes Radio

Hail to all of our listeners and subscribers!
Today we are speaking about the season of Yule, and the importance it had to our ancestors, and should have to us today. We also talk about how the Christianization process in Northern Europe incorporated, re-interpreted and continued to celebration of Yule as one of the most important times of the year–of course changing the name to Christmas. There were certainly some interesting rites that our ancestors followed in this season, and for 12 days they spent time celebrating with kith and kin. Three particular rites in Yule stood out above everything else, and we will be talking about that, along with the belief that since these 12 days were neither part of the ending year, or part of the new year, that the veil between the worlds was thinnest! It was possible to see the gods and goddesses, or the Alfar — even departed ancestors during this time.
Danger was present as well, and in part 2 next week we will be going into that aspect–“The Wild Hunt”!
A Blessed Yule to each one of you and your families on behalf of the NRR! Thank you for a great year, and may all of us experience ever more powerful awakening into the presence of who we all are in the coming year!
Until next time…

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Source: Northern Runes Radio