Heathen Nation

Heathen Attitudes

Reprinted from Hedenskap B Copyright 1992

Being a "good Heathen" is far different from being a good Christian. Admired attributes include honesty, integrity, an even temperament, good judgment and courage. Heathen ethics are not a set of rules to follow, but time-honored principles to be lived. The Heathen cannot hide behind the excuse that he "did what the laws required". Right means doing the best thing, not just the correct thing. Life is too vast to be confined to a rigid set of rules. Something greater is needed.

Heathen ethics look at results, not an arbitrary adherence to some man-made code. A person's actions and accomplishments speak the loudest. While it is nice to draw from eldritch lore, it is just as wise to look at modern examples.

A Christian couple worked very hard to gain their degrees in college. Both were in the scientific and engineering fields. In a flash of piety, both decided to become missionaries. They were sent to Guatemala, a hostile region of horrid jungle, civil war, disease and poverty. These two had the assignment of translating the Bible into an obscure dialect spoken by a small tribe of Guatemalan Indians. They spent some twenty years there, and had five children. All their reports were of continuing hardships. Though they tried to help the people, everything was routinely overturned by a variety of problems. Disease, tropical storms, military incursions and more made their lives hellish.

A Christian might consider the sacrifices of this couple to be a sign of devotion and piety. They would think it all very good. A Heathen would regard them as irresponsible fools. First of all, the couple denied their own offspring a healthy and decent place to live. They subjected their children to unnecessary danger, even though there was ample opportunity to live in a much better environment. This also negated future opportunities for the children. To a Heathen, such lack of concern for offspring merely for an odd ideal is irresponsible.

After all, how can a person be of use to others if he neglects his own family?

The Christians would also be considered foolish for pursuing a meager task at great risk. The ridiculousness of translating a book at the expense of living fully just does not make sense. Sacrifice? For what? The very lack of appreciable results alone would condemn the expedition as a fool's errand.

Heathens put home and family first. It is only reasonable that a person give his own kin and hearth the best. The fellow who does good deeds for the entire community is less respected than the fellow who does best for his own household. What is the point of earning good, if it is not to be used for those held nearest and dearest?

Heathens also believe that a person's value is in what he does. Rich or poor, the one who does right is esteemed more than the one who has much. Christianity teaches that poverty is a virtue. Heathenism believes that virtue cannot be measured by the quantity or lack of possessions, but lies elsewhere. A wise rich man is regarded better than a foolish poor man. It is not in wealth, but wisdom or folly, that good is determined.

The Havamal, a book of the Poetic Eddas, provides much information on practical ethics and common sense. To the Heathen, a code of ethics must partake of practical reality. Unrealistic ideals are folly. Only those things which work can be considered right.

Of course, there's more to being right than just satisfying the whims of the moment. Our ancestors forged their ethics through shrewd observation of human nature with a view to the principle of cause and effect. Those who indulged such shortcomings as lying, deceit and unfairness always seemed to place themselves in an unhappy position. Whether ostracized by the community or trapped in their own wiles, deceivers inevitably came to unhappy conclusions. This was also true of violent souls whose only way of dealing was by causing pain. Violent men eventually found every hand against them. Causers of strife never had a moment's peace.

This is not to say that Heathens were pacifists. A good man or woman was more than able to take a stand. Violent men could only be overthrown by violence. Heathens recognized that there were times when force was necessary. They also had the requisite discretion to know just when force was required. At all other times, there were more peaceful alternatives.

Contrary to popular myth, the ancient Heathens were not a pack of bloodthirsty savages. They enjoyed an organized and lawful society. Within society, violence was disdained. Against outside opponents, the ancient Heathens proved ferocious warriors. It is true that there were Viking raids against monasteries and settlements in the British Isles and the coasts of Europe. To this day, Heathens do not care that monasteries and churches were raided. After all, the Christians were foolish in having such places in the first place.

While Christendom was in its Dark Ages, the Heathens were on the move. It was only by forcing Christianity on the Heathens that they were held in check. The superior culture of the North could only be impeded by religious pollution and ecclesiastical enslavement.

Heathen ethics place heavy emphasis on common sense. Wisdom is expressed in terms of results. Self-control, the willingness to tend one's needs, and a feeling of concern for the well-being of one's fellows is central to Heathenism. Perhaps the best word for it is "caring". Heathens care that things are done right. They care enough to make things easier for others, too. Heathens won't leave obstacles or unnecessary work for others. A Heathen cares enough to be neat, sociable and courteous. He will carry his trash to the next wastebasket, rather than littler the streets. He will move a fallen limb out of the roadway so that others won't drive into it.

An example of the hard side of Heathen ethics happened in Norway. In a small bygd, the locals enjoyed feeding the eiderducks. A hunter, knowing this, lay in wait and shot a few of the half-tame fowl. The people were incensed. Had the hunter sought his prey elsewhere, there would have been no problem. In using the bygd, he broke the common rule of decency. The people decided to duck the hunter into a pool. After a few dunkings, he was released and warned not to return.

Heathens have nothing against hunting - to the contrary. Yet even though hunting is done solely for the food, there are still rules. Animals that are like pets are regarded by all as "off limits". Heathens like to hunt and fish. Their one rule is that anything hunted must be useful. Deer, elk and reindeer provide food, fur, and workable bone. To this day, farmers in Norway make use of every part of the deer. Waste is regarded as wrong. What a contrast to the anti-hunters of America and Britain!

Most anti-hunters regard animals as cute, fuzzy creatures. Cute? Animals are rarely so genteel! Anyone who understands animals knows that even the smallest creatures can be ferocious. Those cute bears can kill a man with one swipe of the paw; the "harmless" squirrel can bite a finger in two. Heathens know animals as they are, not as others would make of them.

Heathens also like to make things pleasant. In early times, all wooden and bone objects were carved and painted. The spare hours of long winter nights provided plenty of time to make art out of common objects. This has persisted right until modern times. Beauty is one motivation of Heathenism. Ugliness is deplored. Ugliness is seen as the result of uncaring and sloppy acts. A halfhearted approach to life and endeavors results in ugliness. Shoddy workmanship is but one example. Trash and blight are among the others. Heathens work to bring more of Life's beauty into their own homes and steads.

Christianity preaches that poverty is "virtue" and that material things are considered base. Heathens believe that wealth is fine, so long as the person uses it wisely. Wealth is an excellent servant, but a horrid master. Owning nice things is one of the prerogatives of life. Well-being can indulge niceties.

Luxury is not a way of life, but an occasional benefit of living rightly. Those who live for luxury have missed the point, and are no better than those who worship their wealth. Those who appreciate luxury as an occasional benefit gain the most from it. Heathens own things. The preference is for things which will provide good service. If they also be ornamental, that is all the better.

Poverty serves nobody. To adopt poverty when abundance is available helps nothing. It will not help the poor! One doesn't abet the impoverished by climbing into the gutter. Things are available to those who can get them. Those who can should take no shame in doing so. The Christian tendency to be ashamed of affluence is folly. A person should make no excuse for wealth. If he has it, he should take pride in his success.

What of sex? Judeo-Christian civilization has a difficult time with sex. Centuries of a policy of prudery have made a mess. This mess is particularly bad in America and English- speaking countries. The Northern lands are generally free of the sexual quagmire. Heathens are neither prudes nor libertines. Sex is as much part of life as eating and sleeping. It has its place and time. There should be no shame in sex. It is good when pursued wisely. Those just breaking from the Christian sex-trap often find themselves going to the other extreme. Licentiousness and excess are as bad as celibacy. Heathenism applauds discretion and common sense. Enjoy it, but don't be foolish about it.

Marriage is part and parcel of Heathen lore. Marriages are based on mutual trust and faithfulness. Without the ban on premarital sex as enforced by Christianity, Heathens marry for more than just the privilege of a roll in the hay. In fact, Heathen loyalty to one's spouse is far stronger than that of the monotheists.

Marriage is essential in a family religion. The family is the integral unit of Heathen life. While families have become distanced in America, family ties still remain strong in Scandinavia. Blood has meaning. Relatives have an obligation to each other. In Norway, this extends to distant cousins. It is quite a contrast to the erosion of the family seen in America and some parts of Europe.

Being a family religion, Heathenism has a strong fertility component. This also bears out from its origin as a farmer's religion. The Heathen still recognizes his relationship with the land. He sees himself as part of the Earth. The recognition of the balance between male and female is that of reciprocal parts working together. This goes from the family to the society. Though men and women have certain essential differences, they are innately equal. In earlier times, each had certain roles. By the nature of things, it was expedient that the wife tended the home and children while men worked the fields or took to fishing, trading, etc. Each ruled his or her place. A king had to have a queen, and vice versa. Heathens then as now recognized certain differences in biology and temperament as essential. The trend toward equality in modern times has also been rife with the attempt to deny any factors of gender. In this mess, people lose some of their identity.

In ancient times, women worked some trades which were later considered "male only". They helped in the fields, participated in fishing, and worked other trades alongside the men. This is not unusual in rural areas. Christianity's work to diminish the role of the female never quite took hold in the North. While other nations struggle with equal rights, the Northern lands just shrug their shoulders. Northerners cannot understand why others have such a problem adjusting.

As for war: Heathens realize that such things do happen. A person should be ready to come to the defense of his community. There are also times when wrongdoers can only be restrained by might of arms. While violence and hostility are thought foolish, times of danger may require force.

The Heathen takes each person on his or her own merits. It is not who a person is, but what he does, which counts. Whatever the person's ancestry or background, it is his own actions which determine his worth as an individual. Heathenism is ever fair, rewarding good with good and requiting evil with justice. Modern theories of racism are alien to Heathenism. What matters a person's ethnicity, if he conducts himself in an honorable manner? Integrity is the real judge of character.

Heathen ethics are fair, reasonable and practical. In their way, they are firmer than the arbitrary rules of monotheistic religion. The Heathen has greater freedom, yet embodies a greater personal sense of responsibility. Doing good is not enough. Doing better is essential. Others may be wrong, and the situation may be wrong, but the true Heathen will not let anything keep him from doing what he knows to be right.