People in the real world may know and have noticed my leaning towards the Norse. Its an important part of my world. But what should you take away from this information?
Some right wing groups have high jacked Norse symbols and use them to spread a message of hate and this troubles me. A document was circulated at work detailing a selection of far right symbolism and, whilst there was a caveat stated, there was a small section featuring Norse symbols. Again this did trouble me.
So why do I use these symbols? Well it's not a fashion thing. It's not a "phase". I identify as a Norse Pagan. These symbols illustrate my beliefs. I started down this path about 8 years ago following a pretty traumatic time in my life. I've pretty much kept this to myself, it's a very personal journey that gives me strength and comfort in my daily life. Around 3 years ago I allowed myself to begin to express myself on the outside.
I wear the Mjolnir on a chain around my neck and a have 2 awesome jackets (summer and winter) that are covered with Norse symbols. They also have a safety pin on them denoting that I am a "safe person" and I show solidarity with victims of xenophobia and racisim (something I started to do following the horendous rise in attacks following the Brexit referendum). I wear these clothes because it expresses my beliefs and reflects a culture that facinates me (and I'm not talking about the American view that you see in the movies or on TV, but these are good fun). It's something I've followed since I did a school project back in junior school. Paganism has always been with me, I've always had an interest in the gods of the ancient Egyptians, Romans and (maybe not so much) the Greeks. To me paganism makes sense, and I resonate with the Norse flavour. Paganim is sometimes treated with suspicion and practitioners are often ridiculed and labels as cult memebers or worse. This is perhaps why most pagans practice alone. So when you see my symbols adorning my clothing and the hammer around my neck I ask you not to judge me as one of those thieves that stole our symbols as this is farthest from the truth.
Paganism is on the rise, or perhaps more people that follow the old ways are more likely to stand up following centuries of oppression? We even have a staff association at work to represent us. In any case I will carry on doing my thing, it doesn't hurt or bother anyone. My beliefs are my business but also I'm proud of who I am. Respect that as I respect you.
The real Vikings weren’t racists. They traveled the world and brought back many things from other cultures. Yes, they were often raiders. But they were also traders: they were sophisticated and open-minded - the high-tech jet-setters of the medieval world.
No comments:
Post a Comment