Oh Ancient Gods of Godafoss
Faces of the Crying Gods, Waterfall of the Gods
Oh ancient gods, I see your faces in the frozen formations of Godafoss. Why are you crying and clinging to one another centuries after idols of you were tossed into this majestic waterfall? Are you distraught economics have come to matter more than life in modern times? When Porgeir, the Lawspeaker of Iceland, retrieved your likenesses from the temple on his farm and threw you from a cliff, he outwardly abandoned his faith in you in a single day, not because he ceased believing, but to improve trade with Europe. Porgeir did not think Christianity was superior. Rather, he understood a nation divided could not stand. Why have we in America forgotten this now, especially when the world faces a common enemy that threatens all human life? Though all Icelanders were baptized and told to convert, at home they still worshiped you and practiced pagan rituals revering Mother Earth and Father Sky. Compromise was possible and nature was still valued.
Water and Ice, Godafoss
In 1972, Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson, a poet and farmer, approached the Ministry of Justice to gain official recognition of the new/old religion known today as Astaru. First called Vor Sithur (Our Custom), Astaru is not just about worshipping nature or you pagan gods; it is about preserving cultural traditions and spiritual values that ancient Icelanders lived their lives by and which still have relevance today. It is about remembering the old myths and their lessons and re-interpreting them for this new era we are entering. Perhaps Astaru is gaining traction because it is a living and changing religion, compared with those faiths where parts of parables have been taken out of context and spiritual tenets have become frozen dogma.
The Veil within the Frozen Ice
Besides respecting nature, you taught the ancients to be self-reliant and to co-exist honestly and kindly with others. The religion that arose to celebrate you was based on Nine Noble Virtues (Courage, Truth, Honor, Loyalty, Self-Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and Steadfastness) and by laws that reflect the entire community. You must be happy that Astaru practitioners include poets, spiritual thinkers and historians and that they are aware enough to know that they can’t know the unknowable. However, they do remember how Nazis misappropriated Nordic symbols and are intent on preventing foreign hate groups from coopting the Raven Flag or Thor’s Hammer again. You must have cheered when High priest Hilmar Hilmarssan claimed the racist interpretation of heathenry was a “total perversion,” since the original mythology included gods of mixed races and even a cross-dressing god. Thor, if you are still in this waterfall and can hear me, I’m sure you won’t deny that you once donned a bridal dress to get your hammer back. Sometimes the woman’s way is better, and nowhere in Icelandic scriptures or sagas is it mentioned that those who worship you should castigate members of the LBGTQ community.
Jumping Torrent of Water, Waterfall of the Gods
Are you gods crying because of the human propensity to pick and choose from scripture, especially when we use what we take out of context in ways that benefit one group over another, instead of celebrating the inclusion you gods espoused? Sadly this seems to be happening more and more, as our resources are being exhausted and we become intent on proclaiming the rights of those who we feel are most like us. In ancient times, when people acted selfishly or thought they were more powerful than they were, or when they harmed each other or nature, you’d send a giant, troll, or elf to sort them out. Where are those creatures now, when so many seem deserving of a visit? Maybe they only help Nordic people find their way. If so, the rest of us could sure use some help. When climate change causes exponential melting and the icy homes you all inhabit vanish, will you put the world right again, or will it be too late? Maybe that is the real reason why you are crying; unless we totally shift course, not even the gods can save us now.
