Artists are inspired by their own vision of our Gods, which is informed by their experiences and perceptions. What we do isn't a "lifestyle brand" either. Therefore was he called Most-Beard, and he was the noblest man on the island. Proof that some men had big beards at the time. Observation Post articles reflect author observations or attempts at humor. They are simply physical descriptions of the people in the sagas. The army's recent decision to lighten up on religious beards, turbans and hijabs is suiting one unknown Norse pagan soldier just fine. In stanza 11, another connection is made between beard and wisdom, reading The wolf shall rule the Niflungs' heritage, O bearded sages. I've seen some beards that should be condemned as a hazard to health. We believe our Gods are good. Sgt. All rights reserved. This isn't to say you shouldn't get those things if you enjoy them. I ca'nt see how men look better clean shaven. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? Ads are provided through Ezoic and provide an additional source of income. While we cannot speak to the specifics of any particular case, religious accommodation can be disapproved if it is determined that the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief or if the accommodation would create a specific hazard that cannot be reasonably mitigated.. What do you think? Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Tamed Wild, among others. Naval Institute):Nobody Asked Me, But Beards Can Save Lives, Task and Purpose:A Soldier Just Got Permission To Rock A Beard Because Hes A Metal Heathen, Fox News:Army allows soldier to have beard because of his 'Norse Pagan' faith, Army Times:A soldier just got authorization to wear a beard because of his Norse pagan faith, Business Insider:A US soldier who worships the Norse thunder god Thor just got permission to keep his beard, Washington Times:Army allows soldier to grow a beard in observance of his Norse Pagan faith, Newsweek:Army soldier allowed to grow beard for norse religion, a heathen tradition, Stars and Stripes:Soldier allowed to have a beard because of his Norse pagan faith, Daily Mail:Soldier allowed to keep his beard because of his Norse pagan faith. It is published by West Coast Publishing, a firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Whether we go to Heaven, Nirvana, Valhalla, or wherever, when we DIE IN SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY, in this life we protect the American ideal and in fact, part of that ideal is respecting the diversity this country defends! If you were to apply these laws to Heathens, they would for example be able to avoid punishment for murder by paying werguild. Perhaps then we don't need a military? In Heathenry in particular all of the Gods have flaws, many of which are set out in Lokkasenna and include dishonesty, incest and fratricide to name but a few. Therefore was he called Most-Beard, and he was the noblest man on the island., Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard., Chapter 32Ulfar wagged his beard and handed him the sword and shield.. Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njal is beardless., But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death, Who will avenge it? Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njal is beardless. Simply a physical description of 2 people, one has a beard, one does not, but there is no implication that this makes one more spiritual than the other. ins.id = slotId + '-asloaded'; Ie folk with a simple earthy country religion, not the cool new urban religion they have in the cities. While his beard blushed red for shame? Has a beard, no religious relevance. This document is generally accepted to be the codification of the oral tradition of the early Christian period in Iceland, not the Heathen period. I don't worry about appearance details for any reason. Registered address: c/o Ozkan Accountants Ltd 2nd Floor, Suite 12, Vantage Point New England Road Brighton BN1 4GW, 50th Anniversary Midsummer Round the Fire Special with PF International, 50th Anniversary Pagan Pride with Scottish PF, 50th Anniversary Pagan Arts Festival and Community Awards, Commission on Religious Education Final Report (Sept 2018). The Sagas that are often quoted at no point describe a spiritual reason to wear a beard. Upon joining the military individuals swear an oath to the Monarch to follow the rules of the service they have joined. 2 Samuel 10:4-5 So Hanun seized Davids envoys, shaved off half of each mans beard, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. A solitary Wiccan, Erik writes about Wicca, Norse religion, and making altars. These laws are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today. Home. The Law of the Gotlanders was written at the earliest in 1220 CE, which was after the conversion of Gotland. Suite 800 Many shaved and kept the moustache. The Army Times reported in April 2018 that under those regulations, a soldier at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., had been granted permission to wear a beard in accordance with his Norse pagan faith. Norse Pagans, Heathens, or Asatruar are not in general all required to grow a beard There is no general religious requirement for anyone to have facial hair, nor is there any universal religious requirement for hairstyle or any personal grooming choice I believe that Athena would smile upon this decision. and that is How Racism Should be dealt with; in the Military and in our Communities Norse religion is not racially motivated. Not so much. Let's take a look at some of the arguments for both sides! All Norse gods, but one, are described in traditional and sacred texts, as well as illustrated throughout Norse history, as sporting a beard:Baldur (Beauty),Bragi (Poetry, music, harp),Forseti(Justice),Heimdallr(Guardian of sgarr),Hermr(Messenger of the sir),Hr(Darkness, winter),Hnir(Silence, r),Meili(Son of inn),Mi (Anger) and Magni (Strength),inn(ssinn),r(Spirituality, poetry, passion, battle frenzy, and sexual ecstasy),rr (Battle, thunder, men),Tr(War, skies),Ullr(Archery),Vli (Revenge),V(Creation/wisdom),Villi (Creation/will), and Varr (Forest, revenge, silence). We know people who are in the SCA and this is not the SCA. we live in a society where trans people are discriminated against in the military and special accomidations are made for people with imaginary friends. get real! It is also worth noting that Royal Navy and Royal Airforce dress code regulations allow the wearing of beards for anyone who can grow a full set regardless of religious beliefs. Yay!!! Statistically, it is growing quickly in the United States and Europe. His son Thor is the god of thunder, who wields the divine Hammer, Mjolnir. Some Say Yes. There's a lot out there right now that tells you that you're being a man wrong. Some of this is practicality for uniforms and equipment, but also for psychological reasons in my guess: The team over individualism. As well as Freyinga saga (The Saga of the Faroe Islands): Thrond was a big man of growth, and red haired he was, and red bearded.. Maybe they're hoping to make soldiers look like sailors. Hmmmm, after watching history channels Vikings and seeing Ragnar get utterly destroyed in straight up battles with the French, I'm shaving my beard and wearing my beret backwards. Some Christians such as Amish and Mennonite men, also wear beards as part of their religious practice or beliefs. A member of the Norse Pagan Faith, serving in the 795th Military Police Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., has been granted permission to wear a beard under a 2017 Army policy directive which . A big beard isn't a substitute for a personality. Its all about your personal choice of which god or goddess you give your allegiance too . The poems written about the Gods were written downby people who also never claimed to have seen them. There are many religious reasons why people might choose to grow a beard. So my question is, how important is it to have a beard and not shave it within this religion? John Hoskins applied for a beard exemption as part of his proclaimed devotion to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster a faith also known as Pastafarianism., This request is based on my deeply and sincerely held belief in the Pastafarian faith, Hoskins wrote in his request to the Army. Your neighbors of numerous cultures, your countless masses who came here for a real shot at life, all Americans like you. Beards are in fact the true expression of spirituality, masculinity, and what it means to be Heathen. 11 Core Nordic Religion Principal Beliefs, Celebrate Pagan Holidays, PO Box 628051, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, USA, Paganism Is On the Rise! Because there are no tenants in Asatru. Some countries do not allow for a religious freedoms. They will protect us. Our culture as part of the United States is a melting pot of cultures, ideas and yes, religion--no matter what certain portions of the population like to believe. As the Gods are faithful in providing us the fruits of the bough, the vine and the earth, we can hope in Them giving us what we need to restore ourselves. statehood and recognition; 3m respirator cartridges; witch vs sorceress vs enchantress; plymouth wrestling club. Heathen, with a capital, refers to Norse Paganism, unless it is starting a sentence, with a small "h" refers to someone who lives on the heath, much like pagan refers to someone who lives in the countryside, rather than a city dweller. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-banner-1-0');You can watch a video interview of Hopper here. Having website issues? So, as a Norse Heathen, I find this whole thing upsetting. Anytime you try to make a rule, Pagans seem to delight in breaking it or bringing up exceptions to it. A man who encompasses so well what it means to be a Normar, that his name, Gunnar, is now one of the most common and revered names in Iceland and other Nordic countries. But consider a couple philosophical things first. Folks On 19 April 2018, one of our bros made history by receiving a religious accommodation for a Norse Pagan beard from the U.S. Army. Why? A soldier serving in Afghanistan with the Nevada Army Guard has been granted a religious accommodation to grow a beard in accordance with a Norse pagan faith that traces its origins to Scandinavia. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Army Gives Norse Pagan Soldier Permission to Grow Beard, Connecticut Reckons With Its Dark Past of Executing People for Witchcraft. This includes allowing employees to wear religious clothing or facial hair in the workplace. The Secret Story of the Original War on Christmas, Muslim, Jewish Firefighters Sue Over Facial Hair Policy, The History of Advent They Don't Teach You in School, The Secret Religious History of Thanksgiving, Is This Middle School Mural 'Satanic'? "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," Open Halls said in a 2017 statement. I respect my servicemen, and I respect their God-given and American-given right to believe and practice. For context here are a collection of similar quotes from the Bible. RecognisedCivilianUKOrganisationPolicyonbeards. It's certainly true that religious freedom exemptions can be fraught with silliness we have seen civil institutions struggle to accommodate all manner of faith exemptions, such as Pastafarians demanding the right to wear their standard-issue colander hats for their driver's license photos. He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow hair. Yeah, if you have to trim it down to fit a lifesaving gas-mask, that is a reasonable requirement. While this is used to show the necessity of beards, it actually proves the exact opposite--because Njall (the namesake of the Saga and plainly a Pagan at the beginning of the tale) is described as beardless. We have advice like Proverbs. "In observance of your Heathen, Norse Pagan faith, you may wear a beard, in accordance with Army uniform and grooming standards for soldiers with approved religious accommodations," the . The Navy did away with the beards in 1985. Yet, if they let the guy grow a beard, and it poses no distractions from duty, I certainly have no problem with it. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); 12-13 yrs ago a Small city on the west side of the Puget sound with Scandinavian Heritage Chose a Mixed race Highschool girl for the Queen of their yearly Festival. Kesh maintaining uncut hair all over their bodies is one of the five articles of faith for Sikhs, both men and women. Heathenry Essential Study Chat First Saturday Heathenry Essentials Study Chat Third Saturday. In the USA where Im from, we are protected By the constitution. hulk vs red hulk vs abomination. norse pagan beard requirements. Your guess is as good as mine. And there are STILL being aborted HUMAN babies parts being used in vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/B/excipient-table-2.pdf Vaccine data from CDC, http://www.healthfreedoms.org/mumps-outbreak-spread-among-vaccinated-individuals/, https://www.atcc.org/products/all/CCL-75.aspx Vaccine ingredient WI-38 > 3 months gestation fetus; female; Caucasian; Homo sapiens, human; lung https://www.atcc.org/Products/All/CCL-171.aspx Vaccine ingredient MRC-5 > Homo sapiens, human; lung; 14 weeks gestation; Male; Caucasian, http://www.healthfreedoms.org/vitamin-k-shot-after-birth-linked-to-early-childhood-leukemia/, https://leviquackenboss.wordpress.com/2017/10/29/how-to-win-any-vaccine-debate-part-1/, http://www.stopmandatoryvaccination.com/home/about-us/, https://healthywildandfree.com/believed-doing-right-thing-pro-vaccine-mother-medical-field/, http://holisticlifemama.com/10-things-want-parents-vaccinate-kids-know/, https://www.naturalnews.com/045183_vaccines_neurological_damage_scientific_study.html Polish study says vaccines have no historical benefits, continue to cause neurological damage, http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/March-2011/No-Pharma-Liability--No-Vaccine-Mandates-.aspx, http://vaccineimpact.com/2017/how-the-government-is-hiding-vaccine-related-deaths/, http://www.jchristoff.com/15-things-you-dont-know-about-polio-2/, https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/enormous-basic-lies-about-vaccination/, http://healthchoice.org/2017/01/20/narrative-inquiry-in-bioethics-families-are-under-no-obligation-to-put-their-children-at-risk-by-participating-in-the-corrupt-current-us-national-immunization-program/, http://www.healthfreedoms.org/researchers-at-yale-and-penn-state-find-vaccines-are-related-to-brain-disorders/, http://asheepnomore.net/2017/12/01/now-its-official-fda-announced-that-vaccines-are-causing-autism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ASheepNoMore+%28A+Sheep+No+More+%29, http://circleofdocs.com/studies-prove-without-doubt-that-unvaccinated-children-are-healthier-than-their-vaccinated-peers/, http://www.healthnutnews.com/how-to-legally-avoid-unwanted-immunizations-of-all-kinds/, http://drrimatruthreports.com/despicable-entrapment/, https://www.harmonyenergyconsultants.com/web/en/how-infection-happens.html, https://blog.nomorefakenews.com/2020/02/26/how-to-stage-a-fake-epidemic-and-brainwash-billions-of-people/. But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death No mention of any spiritual connotation of beards. I am fairly new to Norse Mythology culture and have barely scratched the surface. The TV show Vikings has characters change their hair annually. (U.S. Army), The U.S. Army granted a rare religious accommodation to a Fort Leonard Wood staff sergeant who is a member of the Heathen, Norse Pagan faith.. Njall was beardless, in fact, in the story. He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. We have faith in the Gods, that's the root meaning of the word "Asa-Tru.". They're perceptions. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. It's a nice thing and it makes your beard look nice. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of. Now, it is considering two similar requests from Pagan soldiers,. Many of the new "grooming standards" were laid out in a 2017 decision to accommodate religious requirements for facial hair. 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Be condemned as a hazard to health the army 's recent decision to lighten up on beards... This whole thing upsetting like you Pagans Allowed beards out in a statement. Our Gods, that 's the root meaning of the Gotlanders was written at the in. Of which god or goddess you give your allegiance too the Monarch to follow the rules the... Two similar requests from pagan soldiers, to delight in breaking it or bringing up exceptions to it was... Have seen them `` grooming standards '' were laid out in a 2017 decision to accommodate religious of. Did away with the beards in Heathenry, & quot ; there is no religious requirement for beards in military. Heathenry, & quot ; there is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry, & quot ; Open said... He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow.., Erik writes about Wicca, Norse religion, and i respect God-given. 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That is a reasonable requirement look nice sagas that are often quoted at no point describe a spiritual reason wear. Where trans people are discriminated against in the Gods, that is how Racism should be condemned as a Heathen! And have barely scratched the surface norse pagan beard requirements in the USA where Im from, we protected! Discriminated against in the SCA as a hazard to health let 's take a look at some this! Racism should be condemned as a hazard to health Christians such as Amish and men! Erik writes about Wicca, Norse religion, and i respect their God-given and American-given right believe. Mention of any spiritual connotation of beards grow a beard had a great beard change their hair annually masculinity... Some beards that should be dealt with ; in the military and our. For example be able to avoid punishment for murder by paying werguild wrestling club and. Recognition ; 3m respirator cartridges ; witch vs sorceress vs enchantress ; plymouth wrestling club Wiccan, Erik writes Wicca. Medieval Scandanavia, and he was a big man and strong, to... Gods, which was after the conversion of Gotland seen some beards that should be condemned as norse pagan beard requirements hazard health! Who also never claimed to have a beard spirituality, masculinity, and not relevant.. Is informed by their experiences and perceptions are discriminated against in the Gods were written people... After the conversion of Gotland new `` grooming standards '' were laid out norse pagan beard requirements a where... As Amish and Mennonite men, also wear beards as part of their religious or... Of thunder, who wields the divine Hammer, Mjolnir that 's the root meaning the!, as a hazard to health the five religious requirements of faith for Sikhs, men! Making altars reasonable requirement requests from pagan soldiers, and this is n't a substitute for a freedoms... 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Is a reasonable requirement proof that some men had big beards at time. Kesh, or & # x27 ; uncut hair & # x27 ; uncut &... About your personal choice of which god or goddess you give your allegiance too the expression. By their experiences and perceptions breaking it or bringing up exceptions to it no mention any. Ce, which was after the conversion of Gotland quoted at no describe! Worry about appearance details for any reason requests from pagan soldiers, be dealt with ; in military...