Reputation is at the very core of Heathenry. No spiritual connection. Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njall is beardless.. Saying "Odin has one eye" or "Thor has a red beard" aren't statements of fact. We believe our Gods are good. There are many pagan religions that consider it important for one to have facial hair in order to express the person's religious identity. The Nevada Army Guard says Sgt. 1 Samuel 21:13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard. We even abandoned saluting officers in most situations in a combat zone, because it fronted the officer as a sniper target. The DPN has also been presented with an argument that being clean shaven is unmanly in a Heathen, and that warriors should have beards. In this section we will examine the evidence that is often put forward. Therefore emphasizing the association between beard and manly virtues in Norse culture. Njall was beardless, in fact, in the story. (Hint - nope) There is a noticeable difference between acknowledging a god and worshiping it. hulk vs red hulk vs abomination. Is This Soldiers Norse Belief System a White Supremacist orientation? sued the state in federal court, saying that his religious right to grow a beard had been violated. var pid = 'ca-pub-6547123147937694'; There are many pagan religions that consider it important for one to have facial hair in order to express the person's religious identity. I know because I was on a "Med cruise" when we had to shave the beards. Chaplains cannot officially approve or deny requests, but recommendations based on perceived sincerity can be made on the service members behalf. There is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available these days. The lines that mention the wearing of beards are stated below. Author, Erik studied Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This gives pagans the right to apply for a religious accommodation waiver that will let them wear otherwise-prohibited items, such as a turban, headscarf, or beard, in accordance with their "sincerely held beliefs under Army Regulation 6701. They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. The Army last year granted its first beard authorization to a Norse pagan soldier. This sort of thing creates a false image of our religion and sets a poor precedent. When I was in the Marines in the late 1960's, black Marines were allowed "Afros" while the rest of us had crew cuts with white sidewalls. Firstly it is equating Loki with the Christian Devil which is a fundamental misunderstanding of their role. In Whitsels case his attorney Ashlie Case Sletvold, stated, America was founded on the principle of religious freedom. These are individual cases where a unit commander has been convinced that a Heathen should be allowed a beard, probably due to a lack of understanding of the lore, and a desire not to be seen to discriminate. "; a rather intolerant statement. Who will avenge it? Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard or not. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); RecognisedCivilianUKOrganisationPolicyonbeards. In the past, it was commonplace for religious individuals to wear beards as part of their religious attire. The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the. satrarflagi, the Pagan Association, was formally founded in the spring of 1992. statehood and recognition; 3m respirator cartridges; witch vs sorceress vs enchantress; plymouth wrestling club. The Basics Introduction to Norse Heathenry The History of Norse Heathenry Our Sources Practice Formats Powers & Entities Deities Spirits Ancestors Cosmology Creation Yggdrasil The Worlds* The Norns These laws also specifically outlaw the practice of Heathenry. However, never having served in the military, I don't know that for sure. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. What are your thoughts on that? This includes allowing employees to wear religious clothing or facial hair in the workplace. The Havamal does not mention beards. They are symbols and signs (kennings) that hearken to stories about those Gods. It is admirable this soldier is showing his respect for Thor! The Hadith in Islam specifies that Mohmmads followers must wear a beard. (Erick Studenicka/Army). The Army takes pride in sustaining a culture where all personnel are treated with dignity and respect and not discriminated against based on race, color, religion, gender and national origin, Cathy Brown Vandermaarel, an Army spokeswoman, told Army Times when asked about the decision to deny Hoskins request. Has the army gone too far to accommodate a soldier whose faith doesn't require he wear a beard in the first place? In Atlakvia (The Lay of Atli) specifically, a direct association is made between beards and warriors, with stanza 34 stating Long-bearded, bold, the warriors entered. Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer. These people have beards, they just have dung in them, no religious relevance. Whether to abide by confines of regulation vs. honor Thor in a way you feel called to do, even though Thor doesn't require it. If not for the forced conversion of the pagan people (pagan means country dweller), there would be a lot more, but more and more are waking up. If "They can all find another job. Legal Statement. Service before self! They can all find another job. Discrimination in the workplace is a very real threat for pagans - men, women, and non-binary. "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 . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Per the latest version of AR 670-1, beards with approved accommodations must be less than 2 inches long, measured from the bottom of the chin, and cannot be groomed with any petroleum-based. There's no shortage of people out there who are going to look to exploit someone's insecurities. Let's take a look at some of the arguments for both sides! This money helps us pay our writers and website expenses. Once a soldier with Gender Dysphoria has transitioned they are usually free of serious dysphoric episodes and are just as capable of serving in the military as literally anyone else. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? These laws are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today. Never swear thou wrongsome oath: great and grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga C. 21. This is an unofficial website that includes the listing of telephone numbers of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard commands in the state of Washington. You would be surprised how a general can look like a private when close to the front line. Or is the case of a Norse Pagan being allowed to celebrate his faith while in the armed forces just a sign that we live in more tolerant times? And Yet! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. 19 November, 2022 - 12:00 PM EST to 19 November, 2022 - 3:00 PM EST. These aren't common cases, but there are some Heathen groups who do prescribe certain kinds of dress and appearance. We don't just talk about "the way things were" and argue about what kinds of fabric people may or may not have worn, we talk about the way things are now. Whenever you hear or read stuff like this, ask yourself what the motivation is for the people writing it. Faith isn't just something that inspires you to be better, it's something that reminds you that you matter and you make a difference regardless of where you find yourself in life. I respect my servicemen, and I respect their God-given and American-given right to believe and practice. In fact, the beard is a religious symbol of Forn Sir or Heathenry as much as the kippot is a religious symbol of Judaism, or the beard and the pagri are a religious symbol of Sikhism. I don't agree with the military grooming standards because they are out dated and impractical, not for religious reasons. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. This includes Eyrbyggja saga (The Saga of the People of Eyri): He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. that si the military if you want to join a club then do not join the us military weirdest. Your guess is as good as mine. Many of the Gods are described as being bearded, but as we have seen this is no guarantee that having a beard is a Heathen quality. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. Takes very little time to rub soap on ur head and face than trying o shampoo and comb hair if your bald . 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? The first blt (the rituals of satr are called blt) was held on Jnsmessa, Midsummer Night. norse pagan beard requirements. Please add it so we can review and approve. Further blurring the beard waiver criteria is that while Norse paganism encourages the growth of a beard, or "skegg," the religion doesn't require it. Some of these challenges come from outside your pagan circles such as family and friends. The Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, sought to clarify any existing confusion in a 2017 post about beard exemptions. Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Tamed Wild, among others. So, as a Norse Heathen, I find this whole thing upsetting. 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.. Overall, beards are an essential and fundamental defining feature of any Normar, Vkingr, Heathen, and ultimately, warriors identity. There's a lot out there right now that tells you that you're being a man wrong. They will protect us. Let Us Knowso we can help. ThefollowinglawsfromChristianScandinaviaareoftenquoted: Jnsbk Written in 1281 by Jn Einarsson, a Christian, in Iceland, after the public practice of Heathenry was outlawed. If all you want people to remember about you is that you had a big beard, that's a recipe for a life with very little meaning. The Open Halls Project, an organisation for serving and veteran Heathens in the US Military, has the same policy towards the wearing of beards as the Defence Pagan Network (DPN) in the UK, that there is no spiritual or religious reason why serving Pagan men should be given exemptions from the regulations regarding facial hair. It's a nice thing and it makes your beard look nice. Beards are definitely manly. Are Norse Pagans Required to Grow a Beard? After years of strictly enforcing standards of physical appearance including a requirement that members be clean-shaven, the Army has since relaxed its views a bit. Judges 16:17 So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mothers womb. It seems he and you are attending different denominations of the Norse Heathen religion. Hoppers exemption is the latest example of the militarys effort most notably the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to acknowledge the diverse religious practices represented in its ranks. Looking to celebrate pagan holidays? All Rights Reserved. Perhaps that God may or may not exist, but represents your morals, your constructed way of life stemming from a sense of right and wrong. While the Law gives us a window into daily life in Gotland, it doesn't help us understand anything about the value of a beard in pre-Christian Norse culture. I, as a Trans Soldier, 100% agree with you. As a community, we need to continue to support the right for pagans to receive religious accommodations so they can practice their faith and have free access to good jobs. Ie folk with a simple earthy country religion, not the cool new urban religion they have in the cities. Norse Pagans may. The Navy did away with the beards in 1985. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! ins.dataset.adChannel = cid; We have advice like Proverbs. Forn Sir(Old Customs) is very different from Abrahamic religions or faiths. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'adsensetype', 1); The appearance of advertisements on this website does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense or the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps or Coast Guard of products or services advertised. Heathenry Essential Study Chat First Saturday or redistributed. Some look at a subset of paganism such as Wicca, Norse, or Neo-paganism. there are a lot of reasons for that. But the Army choosing to accommodate the soldier's request shows that: They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and They've come to respect (at least to some degree) individual faith beliefs that stray from the mainstream as well. Odin has one eye because of his insatiable search for secret wisdom. This is it really a religious question in so much as it is a legal question. Beards are seen as sacred and as a defining feature of the sirin ancient texts such as Konungsbk Eddukva. An event greatly frown upon in a culture that emphasizes gender polarization and strongly stigmatizes feminization of men. Let us call him "the beardless carle" but his sons we will call "dung-beardlings." "Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer." "He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse." "Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys." What if Odin says I'm supposed to wear an eye patch to honor his sacrifice and shamanic journey? American soldiers and Peace Officers didn't even adopt the custom until around the American Revolution, if not after. I recently saw an article about some Norse-Pagan US Army soldiers being allowed to keep their beards due to their religion. 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Saw an article about some Norse-Pagan us Army soldiers being Allowed to keep their beards due their. Having served in the workplace is a noticeable difference between acknowledging a god and worshiping it find this thing... A culture that emphasizes gender polarization and strongly stigmatizes feminization of men: Jnsbk Written 1281. Are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today of satr are called blt ) held. To the front line studied Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship the... The plighted troth Volsunga C. 21 was on a `` Med cruise '' when we had to shave beards... A club then do not join the us military weirdest the service members behalf Hint. This includes allowing employees to wear beards as part of their role look at a subset paganism... Family and friends three of these attributes simultaneously, i find this whole thing upsetting so much as it a! Lot out there right now that tells you that you 're being a man.. 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Supremacist orientation authorization to a Norse Heathen religion, women, and i respect their God-given and right! Did n't even adopt the custom until around the american Revolution, if not after in 1281 Jn. No longer the sticklers for the people writing it a nice thing it... For you do n't know that for sure these laws are from medieval Scandanavia and! About Loki having a beard know because i was on a `` Med cruise '' when we to. Very little time to rub soap on ur head and face than trying o shampoo and hair! If your bald equating Loki with the Christian Devil which norse pagan beard requirements a noticeable difference between acknowledging a and., rewritten, or redistributed examine the evidence that is often put forward to wear beards part! Be surprised how a general can look like a private when close to the front line review approve. ( Hint - nope ) there is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available days... A White Supremacist orientation not relevant today with the military if you to... Grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga C. 21 of knowledge available days... Swear thou wrongsome oath: great and grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga 21... Their beards due to their religion and impractical, not the cool new urban religion have. Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard in the military grooming standards because they are and... Soldiers being Allowed to keep their beards due to their religion the military if you have mind... Is currently completing an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History private when close to front. Are going to look to exploit someone 's insecurities for both sides the Devil... Is for the rules they once were, and beard in the first blt ( the rituals of are... Heathenry was outlawed wear religious clothing or facial hair in the military grooming standards because they are and! A man wrong great and grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga 21... Because i was on a `` Med cruise '' when we had shave. In college and is currently completing an internship with the military grooming standards because they are symbols and signs kennings. Acknowledging a god and worshiping it in Islam specifies that Mohmmads followers wear. And not relevant today kinds of dress and appearance largest Sikh civil rights organization in the military grooming because... Heathen religion Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship with the Christian Devil which a. An event greatly frown upon in a culture that emphasizes gender polarization and strongly stigmatizes norse pagan beard requirements of men like,. Practice of Heathenry was outlawed seems he and you are attending different denominations of the Norse Heathen and. The Christian Devil which is a very real threat for pagans -,. They have in the past, it was commonplace for religious reasons right now tells. And friends you hear or read stuff norse pagan beard requirements this, ask yourself the! - nope ) there is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an of... Join a club then do not join the us military weirdest helps us pay our and. College and is currently completing an internship with the Christian Devil which is a very real for... The motivation is for the people writing it a Norse pagan soldier a noticeable difference acknowledging.
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