Althing 1997

• Hallowing Ritual
  
• Seið
  
• Feast
  
• Sumble
  
• Meeting of the Goðar
  
• Messages
  

Heill dagur
Heilir dags synir
Heil nótt og nift
Óreiðum augumlítið okkur þinig
Og gefið sitjendjum sigur
- Jormundr Ingve

Hallowing Ritual

A red cloak was spread over the branch of an oak tree following an old tradition of wrapping a cloak about figures of the gods, or over a tree, to invoke the presence of the gods, making the tree a representative of the divine for the duration of the gathering.

Bard Michael Hubbard and members of the Bardic Hall begin the chant and lead the assembling people in it.

Come we now together
To meet in faith and frith
Come we now together
To join with gods and kin.

Hail to the Day! Hail to sons of Day!
Hail to the Night and her daughters!
Look upon us with kind eyes
and grant us all victory!
Heill Aesir, Heil Asynujur!
Heil to the bountiful Earth!
Might and wit we ask of you,
and healing hands in this life.
Heill landvaettir, alfar, disir, dwarves, trolls and giants
We are mindful of the ancient pact our ancestors made
Accept our offerings.

An offering of grain, milk and honey was made at the altar, and on the oath ring belonging to Alsherjargodhi Jormnundur Ingi which was also placed on the altar.

Jormundur Ingi did the calling in Icelandic and English.

Come those who would come,
Fare those who would fare,
Stay those who would stay,
Harmless to me and mine.

Seið

Friday evening Winifred Hodges presented a workshop an demonstration of dancing with one's fetch. She performed a dance with the buffalo head mask and costume that she uses in her own work and invited others to join her in dancing their own animals. An oracular seidh session followed the session. Winifred, Pat Buck and Susan Granquist sat in the high seat to answer questions from the participants.

A seið workshop was held Saturday afternoon, conducted by Susan Granquist. Participants followed a guided visualization to the Well of Wyrd as part of a development of individual seership. The seið session conducted by Susan Granquist later in the evening following the sumble. Winifred Hodges galdored the area with a traditional AngloSaxon charm and drummed for those assembled who journeyed outward with the aid of the spirits invoked.

Feast

Jay Cantrell manned the kitchen for the Althing providing southern cooking. Although the country ham was hard to beat, the barbequed goat feast on Saturday night was the highlight of the event. The goats were sacrificed by Jay, a godhi of the Irminsul Ættir, and blood from the sacrifice sprinkled and poured out as part of the blessing held on Saturday evening before the feast. The offering and sacrifice was deemed to be favorable in the auspices taken. It was a moving experience for all involved.

Sumble

Jormundur Ingi, Alsherjargodhi of Iceland, blessed the horn of mead and offered to the Almighty Aas in the traditional opening to the sumble. Winifred Hodge passed the horn to the participants in sumble as the lady of thaet Angelseaxisce Ealdright.

In the third round of sumble Bard Michael Hubbard stepped forward to give charge and name all witnesses to the oath offered by Susan Granquist as Drottning of the Irminsul Ættir. The members of the Ættir present stepped forward to confirm their choice and the coronet of office, representing the binding and sacral nature of the oath that must be kept in mind at all times.

Meeting of the Goðar

On Sunday morning the goðar who attended the Althing met together to discuss common cause and methods of working together despite differences and past disagreements. Concerns about problems of leadership and the need for resources, more networking and cooperation were brought up and it was agreed that each of the goðar there were responsible for seeing to it that these things were developed in the community.

C. L. Hankins, High Redesman of the Ring of Troth, Steward of the American Vineland Association and President of the Indiana Asatru Council, the oldest of the growing number of councils around the country, and Heimdallr Thorvinn of the South East Independent Kindreds offered their recognition on behalf of those they represented to Susan Granquist as an elder in the Asatru Community. This honor was accepted not just as recognition for service to the community but to the members of the Ættir who had made the Althing possible.

Messages

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