It's Ragnarök: What would you do?

About this time last year, my friend Darvin posed a question to my friend Chin Linsing and I that went something like this:

So imagine the world ended tomorrow. Not ended as in it exploded but ended as in society was suddenly pitched into chaos. Limited cell phone coverage, no TV or radio, failing utilities. What would you do to protect yourself and family? What is your plan? What weapons or gear do you have on hand that can help you?

You probably know how I would respond to this based on my previous post. I was thinking about it today, and I want to get a discussion going on in the comment section. I would like to see how everyone would respond to this. This post and the comments in it will be open forever, so fell free to leave your comments and responses to comments below.

Happy Frigg's day, and I will see you on Máni's day.

In Frith
Ragnar

Battle Call by Hilla Hamasdohtor

Battle-Call

Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, loudly they blow
Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, your liege-lord has need.

The raven rides on wrathful wings--
Black wings, and beacons of baleful doom
Flash and flicker, flame on the mountains.
Hateful the howl of the hoary wolf
Feasting on friend and foe alike.

Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, loudly they blow
Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, your liege-lord has need.

Many the men in the mead-hall gather,
Called by their king, called by duty.
Word-bound brethren, bold without fear
Answer sworn oaths, all remember
To liege and lord and land their pledge.

Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, loudly they blow
Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, your liege-lord has need.

Shoulder shields now and sharpen bright blades.
Against ancient evil, iron and steel--
Helm and hauberk, hale to keep them.
Bold the banner, borne high and proud
Midrealm's Dragon, dauntless it flies.

Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, loudly they blow
Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, your liege-lord has need.

Rise now, rise up, ride to battle,
Fear no foemen, fear no evil,
Brandish fierce blades; our banner flies now.
Hear the horncall, heed its music:
Forth now, dear friends, to the field of war!

Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, loudly they blow
Hearken, now hear the horns are calling
Listen now listen, your liege-lord has need.

Review: Tool Logic's Credit Card Companion

Hail and welcome to another wonderful review. Today I will be reviewing Toll Logic's Credit Card Companion: Tool Logic CC1SB.

Let me start off by saying that this is just one item among many that I think people should have. At only $15 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Tool-Logic-CC1SB-Magnification-Translucent/dp/B0001WOKWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1284585914&sr=8-1)this device comes with a small push knife with a serrated edge (very sharp I might add), a combination bottle opener/can opener/flat head screw driver, a pair of tweezers, a sturdy plastic tooth pick, a small compass, and a magnifying glass. It is about as thick as four credit cards and may feel bulky in your wallet. It can easily fit into you pocket, though I would advise you not to try to board a plane with it.

Now what can this small multitool provide for the survivalist as well as an average everyday bloke or lass? Well to start, the knife (my favorite part of the item) has multiple uses; from self defense to, using it to cut cords, to stripping a twig for tinder. As I said before the blade is pretty sharp. This shouldn't be your primary knife, but works as a spare. The serrated edges can be used with a fire steel to start a fire, and the knife can be used to help clean and field dress an animal. As I said before, this shouldn't be your only knife; it helps to have a spare though.

The second item is the bottle opener/can opener/flat head screw driver. Bottle openers and can openers may not seem like something that an outdoorsman would need. However, imagine that you come across a food source that happens to be in cans, or a few cases of Pepsi or Coke or beer (the most important out of the three ;)) in bottles; it'll be better to have something that would give you access to the food/drink than not to have it. Also the can opener has a shape edge to it, and can be used to skin an animal. The flat head screw driver can be used to fix another tool or pry something open. The tweezers can be used to remove ticks and splinters. And the toothpick can be used as a hook to catch fish.

There is also a small compass on the card. This should by no way replace your main compass. It is good to have if you don't have your primary compass with you. For example, if you are driving from a friend's house and you get lost and your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, you can use this to get you basic bearings.

The last part is the magnifying glass. This is used to catch the rays from the sun and start a fire. It's not the most efficient way of starting a fire, but it gives you an option.

All in all I think that this was $15 well spent. I wish there was a fire steel included in this model; there are other models that have the fire steel included. I like the sleek black design, and I like the way everything fits together. I give it *** out of ****.

Thanks for tuning in.

Ragnar

Song For Óðinn by Karl Donaldsson

Song for Odin

I sing of the tales of The Wanderer
The rider of Yggdrasill
He gave up an eye into Mimir’s Well
Where deeply, he drank his fill.

For nine long nights, Old Hárr, hung he
In search of the spoken spell;
The Runes that he found drew sounds for man
And down, from The Tree, he fell.

A snake, he slid through Gunnloð’s court;
The Mead of Poetry sought;
Three sips, and he fled as eagle’s wing;
By Suttung, was never caught.

Two sticks on a beach Hárbarð had found;
His brothers heard his call;
He gave his own breath and his blood to the wood
And told them of his hall:

“Valhalla holds the Einherjar
who’ll fight on Vigrið plain.”
As Fenrir sinks his fangs to the bone
The life of Odin will wane.

Fear not, my kin, of the Ragnarók,
For Fimbultýr truly has won;
He saw his own death at the end of time
And whispered this to his son.

Survival: A Heathen's Prospective-Water

Water is the essence of life. In a survival situation water is your most essential tool; without it you will become dehydrated and eventually die. It is said that a human should not go a full day (24 hours) without hydrating. An adult human can go 72 hours without any intake of water, but will be close to death (if they are not already dead). Here are the following symptoms of water dehydration starting from mild to severe:

Mild Symptoms

Thirst
Loss of appetite
Dry skin
Flushing
Dark colored urine
Dry mouth / Cotton mouth
Fatigue / Weakness
Chills
Head rushes

Moderate Symptoms

Increased heart rate
Increased respiration
Decreased sweating
Decreased urination
Increased body temperature
Extreme fatigue
Muscle cramps
Headaches
Nausea
Tingling of the limbs

Severe Symptoms

Muscle spasms
Vomiting
Racing pulse
Shriveled skin
Dim vision
Painful urination
Confusion
Difficulty breathing
Seizures
Chest and Abdominal pain
Unconsciousness

In a wilderness situation a water source is key to survival. The important thing to remember however is to hydrate with sterilized water. If you drink from an open source like a creek, stream, or river; you risk drinking in parasites. Diseases from viruses, bacteria, and protozoa such as: Salmonella, E. Coli, Cholera, Cryposporidum, Giardia, Hepatitis A, Norwalk, and Polio to name a few can lead to vomiting and diarrhea which will further dehydrate you. Some of these parasites could lead to death or serious and permanent injury.

So how does one sterilize their water? Well the basic way of doing this is boiling your water. To boil your water you will naturally need a fire source and a container to boil it in. I would suggest carrying around an aluminum or stainless steel water bottle; it'll last longer than the plastic ones, are safer to drink out of, and will not melt when placed over a fire. The other way of sterilizing you water is by using chlorine or iodine tablets. One of these tablets will sanitize one liter of water, and will take 30 minutes to an hour before its safe to drink. The longer you let the water sit with the tablets, the safer the water will be to drink.

You also have to think about how you will carry your water. Having just one container to hold your water will not do. It's always good to have multiple containers for your water. I would suggest two water bottles, and an alternative method of carrying water such as a ziplock bag or even a condom. With these methods you can be a bit more flexible in where you store it.

It is important to find a water source quickly and not to travel too far from it once you've found it. Also don't forget that you can collect and drink rain water as well. To be safe I would still boil the water; though I believe that rain water is safe to drink.

This is the most important aspect in survival. A human can go a month with out eating, but can not go a few days without clean drinking water. Remember to stay hydrated and always think ahead when going out into the wild.

In Frith

Ragnar

A Christian Fool: The Quran Burning

I learned earlier today that a foolish man by the name of Terry Jones decided to have a demonstration this Saturday-September 11th. This fool has it in his mind to burn hundreds of the Muslim's holy book The Quran. Now to get this out in the open, I don't support Islam nor do I directly oppose people's rights to join that religion. My opposition to Islam is pretty much the same as with Christianity in that both religions seek to force other people to their way of thinking; that they way is the one and only TRUE way. That being said, I don't really care what other people want to believe religiously; I have my world view and I wish to be left alone with it (Do Not try to convert me).

Terry Jones hasn't the foresight to see where his actions will take him, this country, and our troops who are fighting and dying in Islamic lands. While he can go back to his comfortable home and sit in relative safety, our troops will be put at a greater danger because of his demonstration. And here is where my rant comes in. A couple of weeks ago, I made a new friend (Josh Heath, and his wife Kat) who serves in the military. Josh is a Heathen (not a Christian) who has nothing to do with this mad man's rants and Quran burning; yet will suffer because of this man's actions. That one of the problems with Christians; they lack the foresight of their actions and expect their god to swoop in and fix their fuck ups when shit hits the fan. Know this Terry, when you go through with this, not only will folks who don't agree with your viewpoint (e.g. American Muslims, liberals, ect...) hate you for this, but you may find that they will burn down your church. Also you have to realize that once you go through with this, you will have the blood of our soldiers on your hands. Terry Jones, you are a short sighted fool! Your actions do not bring honor to your god or your religion, it has the complete opposite. If my friends suffer for your stupidity, I will hold you personally responsible and you shall have my wrath place upon you! You may fear your god's wrath, but you have yet to see mine! I make no threats here, just know that you will be cursed for your foolishness if you decide to go through with it.

That is all I have to say on the matter. To anyone else who is reading this, use your brain! If you belong to a faith, just worry about yourself and your community. Don't get involved with trying to destroy other people's faith. You wouldn't want someone to do that to you, would you? Live your life right, and try to coexist with folks from different faiths. This isn't a plea for Islam; I could care less about Islam. When a single person's actions effects an entire community however, I will step up an voice my opinion. This is all I have to say on the subject.

Ragnar

Hulde Aan De Kastelein

Here's an awesome drinking song. The song is by a band called Heidevolk and here it is:

Hulde, hulde, hulde aan deze kameraad
Wij danken onze goden dat deze man bestaat
Hij tapt ons onze biertjes, van vroeg tot heel erg laat
Hij tapt ons onze biertjes, van vroeg tot heel erg laat

Dank hem, dank hem, dank hem voor al dat blonde bier
Wodka, whiskey, water interesseren ons geen zier
Het goudgeel vocht met witte kraag, dat geeft ons veel plezier
Het goudgeel vocht met witte kraag, dat geeft ons veel plezier

Eert hem, eert hem, eert hem, voor hem heft men de hoorn
Nooit eerder zag men zo een man, zo sterk en stoer geboren
Wij danken hem met heel ons hart als niemand ooit tevoor
Wij danken hem met heel ons hart als niemand ooit tevoor

Translation:

Homage, homage, homage, this companion
We thank our gods that this man exists
He taps us our beers, from early to very late
He taps us our beers, from early to very late

Thank him, thank him, thank him for all that blonde beer
vodka, whiskey, water, not a whit of interest to us
the golden yellow liquid with white collar, which gives us great pleasure
the golden yellow liquid with white collar, which gives us great pleasure

Honors him, honor him, honor him, for him it lifts the handset
Never before was seen as a man born so strong and tough
We thank him with all our heart and nobody ever
We thank him with all our heart and nobody ever

Heathens in the Military

Hail to Lord Thor on this bright Thor's day! Today's topic is about Heathens in the military. Now last Thor's day I attended a class at the East Coast Thing dealing with this very subject. The class was run by Josh and Cat Heath, and dealt with issues that a Heathen would come across on and off the field of combat. They also got into the significant other's role in a military family situation, and how to cope with issues that may arise out of dealing with a largely Christian population in the military. Lastly they discussed a program they've designed to gain more rights for the military Heathen community.

As you can imagine, the United States military and it's soldiers are primarily Christian; followed by other Monotheistic faiths. Because of this, folks who are Polytheistic (Heathens in particular) find it hard to have their 'religious' needs met. I know for myself that I felt a new satisfaction after attending ECT (East Coast Thing) and spiritually nourished. When our folk are away from the Heathen community we they need some form of connection to the Gods, Ancestors, and Folk. Although things are suppose to be fair and equal in the U.S. military, often times they are not. With that in mind, we need to take it upon ourselves as Heathens to support or folk in the military; support their 'religious' needs.

Being a significant other in a Heathen military family can be very tough as well. As a civilian, I don't know what military life is like. I have Heathen and Wiccan friends I could talk to or hang out with. My community isn't small or limited to one type of people. If someone like a friend or neighbor decides to ignore me or end out friendship based on my 'religious' beliefs or better yet my world view; I can deal with that easier than someone in a military community who relies on friendly interaction much more than I would. A lot of times this human to human interaction is a necessity for survival in a war torn foreign land. We must keep in mind of the Heathen families who are in this situation. If we can help these folk to build a community, their survivability has increased.

One of the things that Josh and Kat discussed was an Open Halls program that will help get a Heathen Chaplain in the military. It will help network other Heathens who are in the military who would otherwise not know that other Heathens were in their unit. This program can help provide blot services and in the worst case scenario an individual's wishes for funeral arrangements. I'm not in the military, but I believe in this program. I think that we as Heathens should get behind this project. The registration for the Open Hall can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/l/a4559UgrOuBr-A2_ofPkcBcfWkg;tiny.cc/wkuk4

To Josh and Kat Heath, I wish them both Luck. Josh may Thor watch over you while you are on the field of battle; and if you may fall, may you find your way to the Halls of your Fathers.

In Frith!

Ragnar

Edited: Here is a link to the podcast done by David and Sandi Carron of Raven Kindred North and their channel Ravencast: http://ravencast.podbean.com/2010/09/11/…tary-heathenry/

Stolen Child by W.B. Yeats

This is a poem about the Fae folk. This poem is one of my favorites:

Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.
For he comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand.