I remember growing up Christian and being told that "Every religion is Christianity, but with a different skin. Replace the Christ-god with some other deity(s) and there you have it." I remember my mother telling me that when I was very young and how I believed it at the time. When people spoke of how they were not Christian I believed they simply were rejecting the true god of the universe. How stupid I was.
Hello! My name is Thomas and I am a heathen living in North Carolina on the eastern coast of the US. I grew up (and still live in) a devout Christian household and for many years this religion influenced my life and the decisions I made. Despite it's message of peace (and I use that term very weakly) though, I never felt truly at ease in the faith and I didn't know why. As I grew older I became more interested in history (I'm in college currently to become a History Teacher) and I became more aware of my family history. When I learned I came from a northern European family I began to wonder what my forefathers believed in. At first it all began as a curiosity of mine.
"What did those dirty pagans really believe in?" I asked myself. Did they really drink blood, have animal sex, and care only for alcohol and rape as I was raised to believe in regards to all pagans? Well... I think anyone here can imagine my surprise in what I found. Honor, hospitality, good moraled values, and a faith that is grounded in nature and the reality around us. I began to study the gods I began to connect the dots as to why as a child I was always so in love with nature. I began to realize why as a young man (when I grew an interest in writing) I began to draw these 'runes' to represent letters for languages I was creating. I began to understand more my connection to my family, my history, my past-gods, and how my family now is in some ways an insult to what we once believed in. And then I found the god I was most connected with...
Now I stand to rekindle that faith my family lost, and to seek the wisdom of the gods in my quest to find enlightenment for myself. I want to be a History Teacher, I want to move to Europe once I can afford it, I'm an artist and a writer, and I love meeting new folks. I remember when I first started down this heathen road I felt so alone - like there was none but me - and yet I was so warmed and surprised to find so many like minded folk existing out there, waiting to be reached.
Needless to say, it's an honor to meet all of you.
Greetings!
Re: Greetings!
Welcome,
We have a lot in common and your story is exactly mirroring my own convictions and how I came to them. They are still much incomplete, but I think this video of a Norse Viking rein-actor is actually quite educational and may interest you.
There are many types of Heathen, from the academic to the spiritual. I have a feeling if you are studying to be a history teacher you may side more on the academic part as I have.
I want to slide in something interesting for you to think about, from time to time the paths of Christians and Heathens have crossed, but what about the distant past?
I always find the singularities invigorating, take for instance the tower of Babel. It was defined as a structure built so high that it connected the earth with the heavens. In Heathenry, we have the rainbow bridge, a structure that connects Midgard (earth) with Asgard (heavens). And uniquely in Norse, the name also starts with a Ba sound, Bifrost.
There are some interesting things in Europe that may interest you, especially in Turkey. You may want to look up Gobi Tepe and Hattusha. The connections between Hattusha and Asgard put shivers up my spine. I wonder if there is a connection with Hattusha, Turkey and Hattula, Finland? Just food for thought.
Woden Kyn
We have a lot in common and your story is exactly mirroring my own convictions and how I came to them. They are still much incomplete, but I think this video of a Norse Viking rein-actor is actually quite educational and may interest you.
There are many types of Heathen, from the academic to the spiritual. I have a feeling if you are studying to be a history teacher you may side more on the academic part as I have.
I want to slide in something interesting for you to think about, from time to time the paths of Christians and Heathens have crossed, but what about the distant past?
I always find the singularities invigorating, take for instance the tower of Babel. It was defined as a structure built so high that it connected the earth with the heavens. In Heathenry, we have the rainbow bridge, a structure that connects Midgard (earth) with Asgard (heavens). And uniquely in Norse, the name also starts with a Ba sound, Bifrost.
There are some interesting things in Europe that may interest you, especially in Turkey. You may want to look up Gobi Tepe and Hattusha. The connections between Hattusha and Asgard put shivers up my spine. I wonder if there is a connection with Hattusha, Turkey and Hattula, Finland? Just food for thought.
Woden Kyn
