Odin's Warrior Tribe

06/12/2026

AN OLD RANGER HANDBOOK

The Chieftain came across one of his old Ranger Handbooks. The Chieftain is a tab and scroll Ranger. Meaning he graduated from Ranger School and served in the 75th Ranger Regiment in combat. Also found this giant MC type patch I purchased after graduating from Ranger School and never put on anything.

This handbook has been to more than one war.

Like many things that survived combat deployments, field problems, rain, snow, dust, parachute jumps, the desert in the Middle East, and abuse, it was protected the old-fashioned way: with green 100-mile-an-hour tape.

Inside it are the words that connect modern Rangers to a much older frontier tradition: Robert Rogers’ Standing Orders.

Rogers’ Rangers fought in the forests and rough country of North America during the French and Indian War. Their rules became part of the lineage of light infantry, scouting, discipline, fieldcraft, and hard men operating far from comfort.

They still have teeth. These are the Standing Orders in the Ranger Handbook today, but Major Rogers also left behind a more detailed "Rules of Ranging" from which these are distilled. The original rules were 28.

ROBERT ROGERS' STANDING ORDERS

Don’t forget nothing.

Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute’s warning.

When you’re on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don’t never lie to a Ranger or officer.

Don’t never take a chance you don’t have to.

When we’re on the march, we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can’t go through two men.

If we strike swamps or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it’s hard to track us.

When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

If we take prisoners, we keep them separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can’t cook up a story between them.

Don’t ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won’t be ambushed.

No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout twenty yards ahead, twenty yards on each flank, and twenty yards in the rear, so the main body can’t be surprised and wiped out.

Every night you’ll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.

Don’t sit down to eat without posting sentries.

Don’t sleep beyond dawn. Dawn’s when the French and Indians attack.

Don’t cross a river by a regular ford.

If somebody’s trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the people that aim to ambush you.

Don’t stand up when the enemy’s coming against you. Kneel down, lie down, hide behind a tree.

Let the enemy come till he’s almost close enough to touch. Then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with your hatchet.

Some of the words are rough because the age was rough. But beneath them is a code every serious warrior understands:

Be Prepared.
Stay disciplined.
Tell the truth.
Take care of your equipment.
Do not get lazy.
Do not get surprised.
Do not fail the men beside you.

That old handbook, wrapped in green tape, is a reminder. The Chieftain is also tied to the original Rogers Rangers by ancestry on his father's side.

Rangers Lead the Way!

06/11/2026

UPDATE ON OUR VIKING-ERA WAGON PROJECT, BASED ON THE FAMOUS OSEBERG CART.

Our Wheelwright (one of only three US wheelwrights of The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights of London - incorporated by Royal Charter in 1670) has now begun on the wheels. These are among the most important and technically demanding parts of the project. The hubs are being rough-turned, and work is also underway on the spokes and felloes (The rim of a wooden wheel, supported by the spokes). Because the hubs are being made from solid air-dried material, as on the original, they are being turned close to final diameter and then left in the shop while other parts are made. This allows the wood to settle and prove stable before final shaping and assembly.

The wagon follows the construction methods and general proportions of the original Oseberg wagon, while being adapted into a more utilitarian form with selective carving rather than full ornamental coverage. Even so, the work remains deeply rooted in the original design, materials, and craft tradition.

Regardless of scale, the construction methods are being kept true to the historical example. All wooden surfaces will receive appropriate period finish and visible tool marks, giving the wagon the character of a hand-built object shaped by traditional methods rather than modern shortcuts.

Some carved elements are not merely decorative, but part of the design language and structure of the wagon itself. These include carved terminations on parts of the undercarriage, as well as the faces on the bolsters, or pillows, that cradle the wagon body above the undercarriage. Where these features define the shape of the timbers, they will be duplicated as closely as possible, because leaving them off would mean departing from the known aesthetic of the original.

There is very little iron on the Oseberg wagon, but the necessary rivets and hardware will be hand-forged and based on the original examples. All joints will be primed with linseed oil before assembly, and the completed wagon will be finished with a pine tar and linseed oil mixture, or another historically appropriate finish.

Work on the rest of the undercarriage parts is planned to begin late next week.

Piece by piece, this wagon is beginning to take form — not simply as a cart or display piece, but as a working Viking-era wagon brought back into the world through historical craft.
We will be using the cart at times with our Goddess Pole for Neerthus. She is the Germanic counterpart to the Norse goddess Jörð (Earth), attested to in the Roman historian Tacitus’ Germania (1st century CE). Tacitus, drawing from reports of Roman contact and observation, recorded the customs of several Germanic tribes—preserving one of the few ancient written accounts of this mysterious goddess. In our Tribe we follow the Norse/Germanic path so we honor both and of course they overlap though not always neatly.

Little is known of Nerthus beyond this description by Tacitus, yet her name and role have stirred much scholarly debate. Many linguists connect her name etymologically to that of Njörðr, the Vanir god of the sea in Norse mythology. While Nerthus herself is absent from the surviving Norse Eddas, we do know from Lokasenna that Njörðr’s consort is his sister, the mother of Freyr and Freyja. Loki taunts Njörðr with the words: "With thy sister hadst thou so fair a son." This sister-wife has long been a subject of speculation, with some suggesting a memory of Nerthus may lie behind her.

Tacitus describes a sacred ritual unlike any other: an image of Nerthus was borne in a cart or chariot, hidden beneath cloth (we use a veil), and drawn by female cattle. The goddess, believed to dwell in a sacred grove on an island in the “Ocean” (likely the Baltic Sea), was escorted only by her priest, who alone could touch her consecrated chariot. As she journeyed among the tribes, her arrival was a time of peace—no war, no weapons, no ironwork. All celebrated, for it was believed the goddess herself was visiting her people, accepting hospitality, and blessing the land.

When the procession ended, the cart, the coverings, and Tacitus claims, the goddess herself were washed in a hidden lake. Those tasked with this duty—slaves—were ritually drowned, “swallowed up” by the waters, ensuring the mysteries remained unseen by the living. This powerful combination of fertility, peace, death, and secrecy is one of the most haunting rituals recorded from the ancient Germanic world. Well, we won't be enslaving anyone or making them disappear for helping with Nerthus.

Look for more updates in this exciting project, the Viking Hall, the high seat pillars for the Hall and more.

Images of the work on our cart, a replica of the cart in Oslo, the original that will be in the new Viking Museum to open in Oslo in 2027, an image of Nerthus in a cart, and our goddess pole of Nerthus.

06/11/2026

New Skald release in Old Norse "Draumakona" Dream Woman. Listen to it in Old Norse and try to follow along the lyrics are in Old Norse and English in the link.

Pre-Order our new album : https://lnk.to/SKALD-OrlogFollow SKÁLD:...

06/10/2026

A remarkable new Viking Age silver brooch has been announced by the National Museum of Denmark, and the museum has suggested that it may depict Loki bound in punishment after the death of Baldr.

The object was found near Skanderborg and dates to around the 1000s, a deeply important period in Denmark when the old Nordic Gods and Christianity existed in a tense and sometimes violent period of transition. That alone makes the find worthy of attention. Objects from this conversion period can carry layered meanings, and they often require careful reading.

According to the National Museum, the brooch may show Loki tied up with the entrails of his own son, with serpents above him. In the myth preserved in the Norse sources, Loki’s role in the death of Baldr leads to terrible punishment. The gods transform Loki’s son Váli into a wolf, who kills his brother Narfi or Nari. The gods then use the slain son’s entrails to bind Loki, and a serpent is placed above him to drip venom onto his face. Loki’s wife Sigyn holds a bowl to catch the venom, but when she turns away to empty it, the venom strikes Loki and he writhes in agony. His shaking is said to cause earthquakes.

If the museum’s interpretation is correct, this would be an extraordinary find: possibly the first known Danish depiction of Loki.

The museum’s interpretation rests on several visual details. First, the figure lacks a halo. That matters because this brooch dates from around the 1000s, during the conversion period from the old Nordic Gods to Christianity. If the figure were intended to represent Christ or a Christian holy figure, one might expect clearer Christian indicators, especially a halo. The absence of a halo does not prove that the figure is Loki, but in this context it makes a Christian interpretation less likely.

Second, the museum points to what appear to be serpents above the figure’s head. That would fit the myth of Loki’s punishment, where a serpent drips venom down upon him.

Third, there appears to be a strand, binding, or sling-like ornamentation emerging from or around the figure’s body. The National Museum connects this to the myth of Loki being bound with the entrails of his son.

There may also be another possible clue: the ornamentation has a net-like quality. That is significant because Loki is also connected to a net in the mythic sequence leading to his capture. In the Prose Edda, after the gods pursue Loki, he hides near a waterfall and changes himself into a salmon. Loki had made a fishing net, but when the gods approach, he throws it into the fire. The gods examine the ashes, reconstruct the idea of the net, and use such a net to catch him. Thor finally seizes him as he leaps. This capture then leads to Loki’s binding and punishment.

So if the brooch’s pattern intentionally evokes a net, that could further support a Loki interpretation. But again, it should be treated as an interpretive clue, not proof.

This is where Dr. Mathias Nordvig of the University of Colorado Boulder has offered an important caution. Dr. Nordvig has noted that it is too soon to jump immediately to the conclusion that the figure is Loki. That caution is well placed. There are other bound figures, suffering figures, serpent motifs, and complex images in Norse and Germanic religious material. A bound figure is not automatically Loki.

That does not make the object less important. In fact, it makes it more interesting.

The National Museum’s interpretation may very well be correct. The absence of a halo, the serpent imagery, the possible binding motif, and perhaps even the net-like ornamentation all make the Loki reading plausible. But good scholarship requires patience. The question should not be, “How quickly can we label this as Loki?” The better question is, “What exactly does this object show, and how does it fit into the wider body of Viking Age art, myth, ritual, and conversion-period imagery?”

This is especially important because Viking Age mythological images are rare, and human figures connected to specific mythic episodes are often difficult to identify with certainty. The same image might contain old religious meaning, Christian-period influence, artistic convention, or symbolic elements that we do not yet fully understand.

So for now, the honest position is this: the brooch is a rare and fascinating Viking Age object from Denmark’s conversion period. The National Museum believes it may depict Loki bound in punishment, and there are several details that support that interpretation. If correct, it would be a major Norse find. But Dr. Nordvig’s caution is right: the identification should not be treated as settled until the object receives further study and comparison.

That is why Odin’s Warrior Tribe emphasizes study, sources, and disciplined learning. Serious Heathens should be able to hold both thoughts at once: wonder and caution.

06/10/2026

BOOKS FOR APPLICANTS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEATHENS

In order to join Odin’s Warrior Tribe's Society of Gungnir — the gateway for full membership in our international Heathen warrior brotherhood — a candidate must have read both the Elder Edda and the Younger Edda, as well as at least two other works on Heathenry, Ásatrú, Norse/Germanic religion, Viking history, Germanic History, or related fields.

Those last two books are of the candidate’s own choosing, and frankly, that is a minimum. This requirement ensures, among many other tests and forms of vetting, that we screen out those who are merely dabbling in our faith and are not serious. You need to come to us with this basic level of understanding. In conversations, rituals, study, and activities, we may then be able to guide you further on your quest for knowledge.

We prefer authentic and scholarly sources, but candidates should do a wide variety of reading to understand the many currents within Heathenry. Odin’s Warrior Tribe follows a traditional path — or as traditional as we can make it — and we too are constantly learning.

After Odin acquired and learned different forms of knowledge, including the mead of poetry, galdr, the Runes, and seiðr, he in turn served as a teacher and muse, imparting wisdom and gifts to the other Gods and to mankind. If we listen to him by reading written sources such as the Hávamál and others, follow his example of being willing to suffer for knowledge and excellence, and ask for his guidance, he can still serve as our teacher today.

Odin did not invent these sacred arts and gifts from nothing. He had to obtain them himself, often through personal hardship. In doing so, he set an example for our ancestors and for us: nothing worthwhile in life comes easily. Likewise, candidates for the Tribe need to open the books. If you drive long distances, many of these works are now available as audiobooks. Many of us have books on Audible, LibriVox, Apple Books, and other platforms.

This is not an exhaustive list. Many of us in the Tribe have literally a thousand or more books. For the Chieftain and Tribe's Volva, the book thing is slightly out of control and there are books in both English and German and now and then in Icelandic. There are specialized books on Viking art, shipbuilding (we have a Viking boat), architecture (we are building a Viking Hall), archaeology, linguistics, runes, art (we have all the art books by Gelmir as tjeir designs will be used in our Viking Hall and they accepted a commission to design our High Seat Pillars) poetry, weapons, law, ritual, weapons, and dozens of other subjects. We have them. The list below is simply a starting point.

Required Reading
The Poetic Edda / Elder Edda — various translators; recommended editions include Carolyne Larrington, Jackson Crawford, or Lee M. Hollander
The Prose Edda / Younger Edda — Snorri Sturluson; recommended translations include Jesse L. Byock or Anthony Faulkes

Additional Recommended Works
Dictionary of Northern Mythology — Rudolf Simek
The Sagas of Icelanders — various authors; edited by Jane Smiley, introduction by Robert Kellogg
The Complete Sagas of Icelanders — general editor Viðar Hreinsson, Leifur Eiríksson Publishing
The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia — Neil Price
Laughing Shall I Die: Lives and Deaths of the Great Vikings — Tom Shippey
The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature — H. R. Ellis Davidson
Gods and Myths of Northern Europe — H. R. Ellis Davidson
Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions — H. R. Ellis Davidson
Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs — John Lindow
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings — Neil Price
The Wanderer’s Hávamál — Jackson Crawford
The Saga of the Volsungs — anonymous; recommended translation by Jesse L. Byock
Heimskringla — Snorri Sturluson
Beowulf — anonymous; recommended translations include Seamus Heaney, R. M. Liuzza, or Maria Dahvana Headley
Germania — Tacitus
The History of the Danes / Gesta Danorum — Saxo Grammaticus; translated by Peter Fisher, edited by H. R. Ellis Davidson (read only after reading many other sources because Saxo twists things)
Men of Terror: A Comprehensive Analysis of Viking Combat — William R. Short and Reynir A. Óskarson (our dear freinds)
The Myths and Realities of the Viking Berserkr — Roderick Dale
Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World — Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir
A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic — Geir T. Zoëga
A Piece of Horse Liver: Myth, Ritual and Folklore in Old Icelandic Sources — Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson
Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas — Jesse L. Byock
Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader — Jesse L. Byock
Runes: The Icelandic Book of Fuþark — Teresa Dröfn Freysdóttir Njarðvík
The Mead-Hall: The Feasting Tradition in Anglo-Saxon England — Stephen Pollington
The Culture of the Teutons, Volumes 1 and 2 — Vilhelm Grønbech
Teutonic Mythology — Jacob Grimm
The Norse Myths — Kevin Crossley-Holland
The Elder Gods: The Otherworld of Early England — Stephen Pollington
Rudiments of Runelore — Stephen Pollington
The Viking World — edited by Stefan Brink and Neil Price
The Pre-Christian Religions of the North: History and Structures — edited by Jens Peter Schjødt, John Lindow, and Anders Andrén
The Tradition of Household Spirits: Ancestral Lore and Practices — Claude Lecouteux
The Return of Odin: The Modern Renaissance of Pagan Imagination — Richard Rudgley
The One-Eyed God: Odin and the Indo-Germanic Männerbünde — Kris Kershaw
Lady with a Mead Cup: Ritual, Prophecy and Lordship in the European Warband from La Tène to the Viking Age — Michael J. Enright
The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings — Lars Brownworth

There is also nothing wrong with reading a book like Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. It is readable, enjoyable, and can be a fun way to encounter the stories. Just understand what it is: a modern literary retelling, not a scholarly source and not something to cite for accuracy. Gaiman takes some literary license to make the stories flow for a modern audience, and that is perfectly fine as long as the reader knows the difference. Enjoy it, but do not confuse it with the Eddas, the sagas, or serious academic works.

Odin’s Warrior Tribe has also put these books directly into the hands of heathens and those interested in heathenry who are active and veteran military. Since our beginning, we have given out free of charge hundreds of books, including Gods and Myths of Northern Europe, The Wanderer’s Hávamál, Dictionary of Northern Mythology, The Poetic Edda, The Prose Edda, Sagas of the Icelanders, Laughing Shall I Die, and signed copies of Men of Terror. The latest was 12 copies of the Prose Edda that just got mailed out this week. We believe a serious Heathen organization must be grounded in study, not slogans. We have seriously given out more books than any other Heathen organization we know of.

We have also been students in Old Norse classes conducted by Hurstwic and Dr. Jackson Crawford - as we use Old Norse in our Tribe blots and rituals.

We have also almost certainly become the best customer of Dr. Jackson Crawford over the years — although, tragically, he has never given us a discount. Hint, hint.

The goal is not simply to check a box. The goal is to begin forming the mind of a serious Heathen: disciplined, historically grounded, spiritually sincere, and worthy of the brotherhood.

Be careful of the spin doctors - the books by self-appointed Gurus.

We have some older books on our website in the eLibrary that are now in the public domain. https://www.odinswarriortribe.com/e-library

06/10/2026

06/09/2026

HEATHENS IN AND OUT OF UNIFORM: PUT YOUR BURIAL AND FUNERAL WISHES IN WRITING - ᚬᚦᛁᚾ ᛅ ᚢᚦᚱ ᛅᛚᛅ

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL READ TODAY

In light of the recent changes to military religious preference codes, Odin’s Warrior Tribe strongly recommends that all Heathens — especially active-duty military, veterans, law enforcement, and first responders — prepare a will and written instructions for their next of kin on how they wish to be buried and how their funeral services should be conducted in the Heathen tradition.

This should be part of your personal readiness. It may be attached to your will, placed with your important papers, and given to your spouse, next of kin, trusted family members, executor of your estate and lawyer. It should be signed, dated, and made known.

Within our Odinic Shamanic Warrior Cult, preparation for death is not morbid. It is disciplined. It is honorable. It is responsible. We take life seriously and we must take death seriously. Having a will and heathen burial instructions is required.

Written funeral and burial instructions are also required or strongly expected in numerous elite special operations units. The Chieftain has served in many such communities, including the Ranger Regiment, JSOC at large, and special mission units. In those worlds, a serious man makes his wishes known. He does not leave his family guessing.

Your written instructions should address, in plain language, how you want your faith honored when you die. That may include where you wish to be buried, how you wish to be identified religiously, what emblem or symbol should be used, who should officiate, what words should be spoken, what songs or music should be played, what items should be placed with you if allowed, who should serve as honor guard or pallbearers, who should be notified, and what you do not want done.

If you are Heathen, say so clearly. Nobody is an other.

If you want a Heathen funeral, say so clearly.

If you want Odin, Thor, Freyja, Tyr, the ancestors, the Disir, the Norns, the Valkyries, or the honored dead invoked, say so clearly.

If you want the Mjölnir — the Hammer of Thor — on your headstone or marker, say so clearly. As far as we know, the Department of Veterans Affairs still recognizes the Mjölnir / Hammer of Thor as an approved emblem of belief for government headstones and markers.

Do not assume people will know what to do. Do not assume an administrative system will get it right. Do not assume your family will understand your wishes unless you write them down and speak with them. Perhaps there is a family member who wants to try and convert you in death through a funeral of another faith. Do not let that happen.

This is one way we make it absolutely clear that our faith is real, our dead are to be honored properly, and no Heathen should accidentally be buried under another faith tradition because no instructions were left behind.

Odin’s Warrior Tribe is currently receiving a large number of inquiries from service members and veterans who are concerned about the recent religious-code changes. We will respond as we are able. That said, our first responsibility is always to our members, because Odin’s Warrior Tribe is a 501(c)(3) church. If a Tribe member dies, whether in action or from other causes, the Tribe will be represented, as we have done before and will do again. That is part of our obligation.

The Chieftain of Odin’s Warrior Tribe, a fully ordained Gothi and retired U.S. Army Colonel – veteran of five wars and is authorized by Fairfax County Court Order pursuant to Code of Virginia § 20-23 to solemnize legally binding Heathen religious weddings across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is not a mere celebrant service; it is a sacred and legal union under the authority of both state law and ancient Heathen faith. The same Gothi is likewise recognized to perform marriages in the neighboring state of Maryland as ordained clergy. These rites are not just ceremonial—they carry both legal and spiritual weight for our members.

When a member crosses into the halls of the ancestors, the Tribe does not falter. We show up. The Gothi is available to perform funeral services for members and their immediate families and has attended the celebration of life for a member of the Tribe who passed while active, held out of state in accordance with the member’s wishes. At that member’s formal interment at a National Cemetery, a senior Hersir of the Tribe was present to represent the brotherhood and bear witness in honor.

Though our Chieftain/Gothi has not yet performed a funeral at Arlington, he is authorized and prepared to do so. As an ordained religious leader and full U.S. Army Colonel (retired), he is uniquely qualified to conduct Heathen military funeral rites at Arlington in uniform and throughout Virginia, and, as we understand, at any National Military Cemetery, within the standard 10-minute time frame required by Arlington protocol.

These funeral services are currently reserved for members of the Tribe and, in some cases, their closest military companions. Future availability to the broader Heathen military community is not yet something we do based on time constraints, but it may be considered, with the expectation of reimbursement for associated costs.

This is what separates Odin’s Warrior Tribe from the countless fly-by-night social media groups lacking legal grounding or real-world commitment. Groups that are internet based not even real 501 c3's. When you marry, when your children are born, when you pass on—we are there. That is frith. That is honor. That is the Tribe.

The phrase "rest in peace" (R.I.P.) comes from the Latin requiescat in pace, meaning "may the deceased rest peacefully." First seen on Christian gravestones in the 8th century, it became widely used on grave markers by the 1700s. Originally, "rest in peace" was a prayer for the departed soul's eternal peace in Heaven. Today, "rest in peace" and the abbreviation "R.I.P." are commonly seen in cemeteries and obituaries. It is a widespread term but Christian in origin and meaning.

For us as Heathens, or our friends and family, using “RIP" (Rest in Peace) for us when we pass is inappropriate because of its deep roots in Christian doctrine and beliefs about the afterlife. It reflects the Christian concept of a peaceful rest in Heaven and possibly biblical rising from the dead. The Christian Church historically opposed cremation for several key theological and cultural reasons. They believe in the Resurrection of the Body central to Christian doctrine, particularly at the end of time during the Second Coming of Christ. The Church feared that cremation, which completely destroyed the body, might symbolically undermine this belief, as it was seen as incompatible with the idea that the body would be raised again. Also, in early Christianity, cremation was commonly associated with pagan and Heathen practices. Burial was the distinctly Christian practice, following the example of Jesus of Nazareth - thus, cremation was viewed as a rejection of Christian burial customs.

We also have an obligation to the families of our members, especially the children of Tribe members. Those children bear the cups — the kuksa — in our tradition, and we do not forget them.

Prepare now. Write it down. Sign it. Date it. Tell your spouse, next of kin, and family where it is. Make sure your faith and wishes are known. Get a lawyer if necessary or have a military lawyer help you prepare your will.

It is appropriate/recommended for Heathens to be buried or cremated with shoes; many Christians are not. This is for Helvegen – the walk to Hel.

“Who will sing me
Into the death-sleep sling me
When I walk the road to Hel
And the tracks I tread
Are cold, so cold.”
Wardruna

And for the Tribe, if you want, the Chieftain will throw a spear (within whatever limitations the cemetery places) over the casket or urn of a Tribesman or Tribeswoman. Archaeological studies show that spears were thrown with much force over the deceased's heathen’s body. We believe this use of spears in funeral ritual has some connection to Odin throwing his spear over his enemies and claiming them. It might have been a way for those involved in the funeral to dedicate a deceased warrior to Odin in death.

Odin owns you all.
Óðinn á yðr alla
ᚬᚦᛁᚾ ᛅ ᚢᚦᚱ ᛅᛚᛅ
Make sure “they” know it!

Hail the Gods.
Hail the Ancestors.
Hail the Honored Dead.

All photos by the Tribe.