archaeology
Unleash the Hounds: Archaeology Edition
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A round-up of articles and essays about new archaeological finds of interest to modern Pagans and Heathens. Here are our favorites for this month.
Culture
UK: The ‘newest old tradition in Wales.’
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CHEPSTOW, WALES – If you’re in the Welsh Border town of Chepstow on Saturday, January 19th, you’ll be able to meet some unusual visitors: the world’s biggest group of Mari Lwyds. To some of our Welsh ancestors, nothing says Christmas like the arrival of a man on your doorstep dressed in a sheet, wearing a horse’s skull, decked in ribbons and with clattering jaws! This old Welsh custom has become revived in recent years and is now a definite point in the Chepstow calendar and that of other Welsh towns, as well as being popular with British pagans. The Mari Lwyd celebrations have long been associated with the Wassailing customs popular throughout the South West and Herefordshire, a celebration of the apple harvest. Both these customs are old, so let’s take a look at their origins.
News
Estimating growing number of US Pagans
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MIAMI (The Wild Hunt) — For years now, Christianity has had declining membership and influence in the “West.” At the same time, Paganism has been growing. Nietzsche may have made his claim that “God is dead” 100 years too early. The revival of Pagan practices may be one of its consequences. The Pew Research Center (PRC) has as one of its core areas of interest, “Religion and Public Life.” It provides extensive reportage on this decline in Christian identity.
News
Pagan Community Notes: Loki ban rescinded, Hellenic Polytheists attacked in Greece, and more
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PHILADELPHIA – Last week, Robert L. Schreiwer, Steer, announced on behalf of The High Rede of The Troth that the organization was officially rescinding the ban on hailing Loki at Troth-sponsored events. In the official statement released on January 2, 2019, The High Rede reported that, after deliberation on various related issues at their fourth quarter Rede meeting in 2018, “Loki may be hailed freely at Grand Sumbel and at any Troth-sponsored event.”
The statement went on to detail some important considerations. The Troth statement noted that although the change in policy now allows for hailing of Loki, at all official Troth events, Troth Kindred Program [TKP] kindred thew (virtues) is sovereign and each kindred’s rules, culture and etiquette how and who is hailed at their events. The Troth noted that another exception to the hailing of Loki would be the annual Idunna Blót at Trothmoot because Idunna is the Patroness of the Troth and deserves singular veneration at that event. The Troth commented that “Idunna deserves to be recognized and honored in that role, the Idunna Blót at Trothmoot will be reserved for hailing only (solely Idunna by any of Her known names).”
The statement went on to say that since the ban on Loki lasted for ten years, “the organization will hold an official Loki Blót for the next ten Trothmoots in a prime time slot. After the tenth Trothmoot, Loki Blóts may be held as any other blót or Sege, and the timing of the Blót will become adjustable to meet scheduling needs.”
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ELEUSIS, GREECE – On Saturday, December, 29 outside the archaeological site of Eleusis in Greece, about 10 miles northwest of Athens, a group of Hellenic polytheists of the Cultural group, Γλαυκώπις [Glaukopis], were attacked while performing a ritual for Demeter.
AP
Column: Politics of Religion, Religion of Politics
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Pagan Perspectives
Today’s column comes to us from our international columnist Lyonel Perabo. Lyonel holds an M.A. in Old Norse Religion from the University of Iceland and resides in the cold, Arctic city of Tromsø in Northern-Norway (69° north), where he works in the tourism industry, principally as a tour-guide, as well as a writer. His personal research focuses on local history from northern Fenno-Scandinavia, the Viking Age, and circumpolar religions, among others.
The Wild Hunt’s weekend section is always open for submissions, Please send queries to eric@wildhunt.org. I doubt any reader of The Wild Hunt has heard about Knut Arlid Hareide and the political party he helms. Why would anyone need to, indeed, unless they happened to be a fellow compatriot of his? Yet, Hareide is, in some ways, quite important.