Interview with Chuck the Heathen


As all of you know, i'm not a fan of labeling myself by Germanic "Sects", so i'm going to replace "Odinism" with "Heathenism. Core elements are the same, at least.

1. What does Heathenism mean to you? 
- Heathenism means life to me. It is the worldview that I have molded together with my very being to better understand the world I live in, its people, aswell as where I fit in. Heathenism presents the very things that I have felt for my whole life - Honor, Pride, Love of Life and Freedom.

2. What do Heathens believe?
- To my knowledge, almost all Heathens have their own beliefs and interpretations. My beliefs revolve around my moral standards, such as the use of the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru (Which although I do not identify solely with Asatru, i'm sure that these moral guidelines are universally accepted by all Heathen communities). Along with this, I honor the gods, who I believe have given humanity its place in the universe. I do not necessarily see them as beings that I can walk up and shake hands with on this world, but the possibility in my mind (which is UPG) persists that within the next movement of life (Death) could yield such a possibility. Nor do I see them as masters, or entities that require "Worship" to be pleased. I honor them by ritual offerings, as well as through victorious situations that I offer what I feel is the representation of Sigr to them (Mainly to the All-Father, but it depends on the situation).. Along with honoring the gods, I honor my Ancestors, who have given me life and who helped set my Wyrd in motion, as well as my friends and family at the present time who care for me and have given me a life in which I have no regrets. These are the utter basics to my beliefs, but I could probably go on for hours.

3. What role do the Viking Sagas play in your belief (if any)?
-The Viking sagas play the role of historical reference in my beliefs. Who better to use as examples of adherents to my belief system then those who last believed in it before the purges? Many many aspects of modern Heathens' worldviews (atleast the non-fluffy ones) take the meaningful aspects and examples of culture found in the Sagas to heart and apply them to the modern world.

4. Do you belong to a Heathen (or other pagan) church? How do you fellowship with other Heathens?
-There is not a Heathen church anywhere, but there are groves, and places that are said to have spiritual meaning to them, such as Oak trees due to the symbolic meaning that these places have in comparison to the gods or other aspects from the lore. On discussing fellowships with other Heathens, I have had experience with Kindreds, which are communities or small groups of Heathens that want to have a pseudo-tribal-order group to be apart of and to discuss matter of beliefs aswell as modern applications. For me, I am engaged to a Heathen, and several of my closest friends are studying (Noobs) that wish to reach a level of understanding in which they can call themselves Heathen.

5. What separates Heathenism from other Pagan (Germanic NeoPaganism) religions?
-The thing that seperates every pagan religion is its beliefs. This question is liked asking what seperates Christianity from Islam or Judaism. All pagan religions are different, but we are grouped as being Pagans because of our status as "Pre-Christian" religions (Not including Wicca. Don't get me started...)

6. Are there any notable Heathens that have influenced you?
-Notable Heathens that have influenced me? The scholarly types at Asatrulore.org, McNallen, Varg Vikernes, and some other whose names I can't seem to remember at this moment :P

7. How did you find out about Heathenism? What brought you to it?
-I have been wearing a Mjolnir around my neck since I was about 11, but never really understood the complete significance of it (other than it being Donar's weapon). When I went through my period of searching for a worldview and belief system that actually made sense to me, I started looking into Germanic Paganism, and as I researched further and further, I got that "Connection", "Awakening" or "Calling" that so many people like to describe. I am a European by blood, I have always been proud of where my blood comes from, my ancestors, and the backgrounds of the cultures I am bound to, and I have always felt as if the gods existed in some form, but before I became Heathen, I did not directly recognize them as being the As or Van.


8. Who can become a Heathen?
-I am border-line folkish, which means that I mostly accept the whole "Beliefs by Ethnicity", but when it comes down to it, everyone has the right to have a connection to the gods and the beliefs by which Heathenism is built on.

9. Is Heathenism anti-Christianity? What is your view on Christianity and Christianity throughout history?
- Anti-Christianity is the result of thousands of years of persecution, murder, war, and lies. The view I take is that modern day Christianity is no different than it was before - Filled with intolerant ***-wipes and ignorant fools who think that their "Truth" is THE "Truth". I do not, by any means, like Christianity. Heathenism itself is not anti-Christian though. It is an accepting belief system that tries not to discriminate. Radical views are subject to individual feelings, and an organization only has these feelings when a lot of radicals come together.

10. How is Heathenism misrepresented in the world?
- As magic/nature-loving hippies, or barbarians without knowledge, or Demons (Yes, I have been called a demon by a local church organization). The majority of the world does not understand our existence, and as the saying goes, humans "fear the unknown". We're also misrepresented by our own dumbasses who love to act like total morons in front of the poplulation with talks of fluff or racism/hate.

11. Why is white supremacy and neo-nazism associated with Heathenism? What is your stance on this? Heathenism is rooted in the ancient Germanic beliefs. Symbols such as the sun-wheel have been corrupted by Neo-Nazi's and White Supremecist groups to have the whole "White/Aryan Power" movement have a symbol linked to the original tribes or people. I do not support any of these groups. I believe all races are equal, and that every race has its flaws. We're all human.