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Irminsul Newsletter

The Assembly of the Elder Troth (AET) is proud to produce the Irminsul. Please find below samples of the contents of this issue.

Irminsul Newsletter Volume 1 - Issue 2 - July/August 2003

Tiller Talk - Editorial - Rurik Grimnisson

Greetings reader, in the last issue I talked about the world power struggles. Today I will comment on disturbing trends within the smaller community of what is loosely called the Northern Tradition. Now, what I have to say may cause consternation but I make no apologies for my views.

The Ravens Caw - Editorial - Dirk Schmitt

Community… A dirty word?

So much of what we experience in the modern world is pushing towards the concept of individualism at the expense of the community. However, so very often when we have the word community thrust at us, it is done to somehow convey a sense of guilt at how we are, as individuals, not being totally selfless, and giving of ourselves to anyone and everyone.

Lithend - Serial Story - Henry Lauer

Aela sat with slumped shoulders on a rough wooden stool, staring listlessly at the buck-skin that wrapped her feet. The fire’s tendrils wavered over her body with a phantasmal grace, easing the knotted pain in her back and shoulders. Few folk patronised the tavern this evening: Hegrid the old farmer snoozing in a corner, his nose red and bulbous; Sorgar and Bilof with their elbows wide upon another table, horns low on ale in the stippled candle-light. Her drained body was comforted by the wood-pine smell of the fire and the stale tang of hops from the two large barrels over by the corner where Sorek Tapmaster lurked, his eyes rimmed red with sleepiness. Outside it was dark and misty and cold as a shirt of rusty mail.

Rune Net Winter Feast - Report - Dirk Schmitt

I arrived at Minto Bush Camp on Saturday the 7th June at 1pm, finding our South Australian guests had already arrived and were catching up on some much needed sleep. I pottered around the place until Sweyn and Kara arrived. The afternoon’s activities consisted of mostly picking folk up from the Train Station and bringing them onsite, which I certainly enjoyed.

Yule - Vinland Hearth Style - Report - Tyrvald Bjornganga

Yule here in South Australia was celebrated once more in fine style at Vinland Hearth. A small gathering of about 9 or 10 of us got together, hosted by Kettral and Morgana.

Gotland - Investigation by Ulfrikr - Article

Gotland is the largest island of Sweden, located in the middle of the Baltic sea, being 90km from the Swedish coast and 130km from the Baltic coastline.

Tyrvalds Collected Mead Recipes

Prickly Pear Cactus Mead

Old Norse Greeting Forms - Dirk Schmitt

I thought I’d add a little bit on language here. As with most Germanic languages the form of greeting one gives when addressing different groups of people is different. But in Old Norse there was a system of language which was used to not only work with singular and plural, but also take into account gender.

Owls Hoot - On Mead - Serial Article - Geirr Fokstuen

This chapter is extracted from the Order of the Blue Falcon outer-ring primer, and is intended here as complimentary background tapestry to Tyrvalds’ collected Mead recipes as commenced in the previous issue of Irminsul Newsletter, namely Vol. I, Issue 1, May/June. 2003! More articles on diverse Norse agrarian ways to follow. Geirr Fokstuen 2003, provided the English and Norwegian translations herein from Bugge’s Icelandic pub. 1867.

Einar's Saga - Historical Fiction Serial - Rurik Grimnisson

Einar thought of Hundi's ancestors, of the years of struggle by the Orkney Jarls for their independence, the short-lived reign of so many warriors; the raids and revenge killings - the savagery of Bloodaxe's whelps who turned against their father's allies. Then contemplated the justified mistrust of Olaf Tryggvason who introduced the Roman religion into Norway and its colonies; the hatred of his successor Olaf the Fat or as he was known amongst the heathen, Olaf the Betrayer for the cruel treatment of his countrymen who refused to bow down to the White Krist - the god of slaves and cowards. He remembered the message he received from the north to be prepared for an important guest. It was only three years ago but it seemed longer. He had welcomed the fugitive son of Jarl Sigurdh as his own. Astrid was unable to bear any more bairns - she had lost two in childbirth years ago. All her repressed needs to nurture, and to overcome the grief of her barrenness, found an outlet in restoring to health this unhappy and sensitive man–child.

Wassailing - Extract - Brian McNerney

What are they like? ... in which Bryan McNerney goes a wassailing... among the leaves so green-o! “ Wassailing was the name given to the frequent drinking of mutually reciprocated toasts to good health -you can see why it caught on in our little island.”

Book Review - Marie Jackober - The Black Chalice - D Jason Cooper

A rare and brilliant book, The Black Chalice takes place in an invented province (Reinmark) of a real Europe. Germanic paganism in the form of devotees to the Vanir struggle to survive in Christian Europe. They do not have military power on their side but they do have magic. It is the magic of witches and the magic of the runes, and it is the magic. of their champion.

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