Pagans?

[mossy]

Happy heathen here.

this thread reminds me of some songs by the folk metal band TYR. they sing about vikings, swards, hammers and other fun stuff. back when the sea shepherds went to the Faroe Islands, TYR made a song mocking them and got into several heated debates with Paul Watson.

[RAMCLAP]

Yeah. I love Euro Power Metal. Very pagan, Viking, Celt stuff. Reminiscent of Dio and Maiden in the old days.

[Frotz]

this thread reminds me of some songs by the folk metal band TYR. they sing about vikings, swards, hammers and other fun stuff. back when the sea shepherds went to the Faroe Islands, TYR made a song mocking them and got into several heated debates with Paul Watson.

Pedantic nit: the runes in TYR's logo are backwards. They spell TYR, but the Norse wrote from right to left.

[Decoligny]

Pedantic nit: the runes in TYR's logo are backwards. They spell TYR, but the Norse wrote from right to left.

Not always.

There was no set rule on direction of Runic text (Futhark). Because of the resemblance to Mediterranean scripts, it is very likely that Futhark was adapted from either the Greek or Etruscan alphabet. Even though the earliest Runic inscriptions are from the 3rd century CE, its origin may lie much deeper in the pre-history of Northern Europe. A few clues might shed light on this. The earliest Futhark inscriptions don't have a fixed writing direction, but instead can be written either left-to-right or right-to-left, which was a feature of very archaic Greek or Etruscan alphabets before the 3rd century BCE. Later Futhark inscriptions became standardized being written in a left to right pattern.

[Alan Block]

I believe the middle rune shown in Tyr stands for K

[Decoligny]

I believe the middle rune shown in Tyr stands for K

The runes from left to right are "Tyr" "Kalc" and "Rad", most closely representing T K and R in our alphabet.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Went to a Solstice Gathering about 30 years ago somewhere up by Auburn. About twenty or thirty people, families with kids. A big bonfire, warm spiced cider. Kids got creation myth stories from the story woman, bunch of adults went off a ways with little pinches of wild flower seeds, a guided meditation about hopes and dreams for the coming year, planting the seeds. Some singing and holding hands around the fire.

It was nice.

I like Christmas caroling door to door with small church groups around the Solstice Season. Like looking at the lights on people's houses. Like putting up a Xmas tree. What could be more Pagan than a tree with lights in the living room?

One year we went Caroling with a group of Portuguese speaking families in South Sacramento. They all attended the same Catholic Church that spoke Portuguese. I learned a little Portuguese that night. Obrigado! Every house would come to the door and listen to us sing, then invite us in for rounds of their own special homemade liqueur. Everyone was a little drunk and very happy. Teenagers got to drink a little.

This night had a real Pagan flavor to me, very nice.

I can't claim to be "Pagan." I have no Pagan doctrine to preach. I like the feel of Paganish celebration around the Solstice Season, which naturally has ancient Christian bits woven in also. I like the Pagan aspects of Mary and her adoration.

And as has been noted above, 'Pagan is the Reason for the Season.'

I'm just a non-committed quasi, semi Atheist who like to hang out with happy people celebrating whatever.

[Alan Block]

I can respect pagans who admit they are pretty much making it up. What kills me is Pagans who insist they are continuing some ancient tradition

[geoint]

I can respect pagans who admit they are pretty much making it up. What kills me is Pagans who insist they are continuing some ancient tradition

Good point!

I used to know some pagans (online). They were all proud of their scandinavian heritage and professed to worship the Norse Gods and proudly claimed to be descendants of the vikings.

I took a big steaming dump on them when I mentioned that if their families came from the Scandinavian countries recently (like last 200 years) there is little chance their ancestors were vikings. All the guys with balls went a viking its true, but most of them then settled the land they had taken over in England, Ireland, Iceland, Russia... even Sicily lol. Life there was easier than back in Sweden/Norway/Denmark so why the hell wouldn't you keep what you just won? For example: The Normans were vikings who stayed in France.

Those who stayed in Sweden would have been the farmers, slaves, tradesmen...etc. NOT the vikings!

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Good point!

I used to know some pagans (online). They were all proud of their scandinavian heritage and professed to worship the Norse Gods and proudly claimed to be descendants of the vikings.

I took a big steaming dump on them when I mentioned that if their families came from the Scandinavian countries recently (like last 200 years) there is little chance their ancestors were vikings. All the guys with balls went a viking its true, but most of them then settled the land they had taken over in England, Ireland, Iceland, Russia... even Sicily lol. Life there was easier than back in Sweden/Norway/Denmark so why the hell wouldn't you keep what you just won? For example: The Normans were vikings who stayed in France.

Those who stayed in Sweden would have been the farmers, slaves, tradesmen...etc. NOT the vikings!

You mean like the Vikings that lived in their Mother's basements and never got a job?

I bet there were always a good number of successful, prosperous Vikings that chose to go back home once all the wars were won and the the plunder was plundered. Like wanting to be with friends and family, marry that special girl you left behind, probably be a big fish in a small pond in your small hometown village. Plenty of reasons to return to Scandinavia after successful conquests.

[geoint]

You mean like the Vikings that lived in their Mother's basements and never got a job?

I bet there were always a good number of successful, prosperous Vikings that chose to go back home once all the wars were won and the the plunder was plundered. Like wanting to be with friends and family, marry that special girl you left behind, probably be a big fish in a small pond in your small hometown village. Plenty of reasons to return to Scandinavia after successful conquests.

That special girl they left behind? Viking wasn't a short term occuptation, by the time you got home that girl would probably be in her 30s (which was pretty old back in those days). Actually, lots of vikings brought their families with them to settle their new territory.

But youre right, some probably did go home. I mean who wouldn't rather be moderately successful in Alaska than moderately successful in California (assuming both have the same govt)