A Certain Path in Uncertain Times

As we attempt to navigate through these chaotic and uncertain times, it strikes me that while we can do little to affect the big picture, we can do much to affect the lesser one. Lesser, but perhaps more important.

We are here because our ancestors fought, bled, died, failed, succeeded, loved, hated, celebrated, and sacrificed. When we look in the mirror, we see them looking back at us as we are reflections of their very appearances. Sadly, having been a teacher in both public schools and a military academy after selling a successful business, I learned that most kids can’t tell you where their ancestors came from, who their great grandparents were, many can’t tell you who their grandparents are/were, and some cannot even tell who their father is.

I asked a Vietnamese kid at the academy about Dien Bein Phu. He was clueless. I had to explain to him that he should be proud of his people, his Folk, because they defeated the French Foreign Legion and chased out the colonizers. I then explained that it got better. His people defeated the Empire, the United States. A boy from Spain didn’t know of El Cid, the knight who was instrumental in running the Moors from Spain. The people of this world are losing all sense of who they/we are.

So, back to my point; the lesser but more important picture. Not only should we take pride in the accomplishments of our ancestors and learn from their mistakes and failures, not only should we revere them and honor them, we should also determine to make ourselves ancestors that our descendants will be proud of. How do we do that? In the Havamal it is written:

“Cattle die, kinsmen die, all men are mortal.
Words of praise will never perish nor a noble name.”
My recommendation is to live by virtue, to establish a noble name. One finds the path in the Nine Noble Virtues. They are as follows:

Honor
Honour is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world. Of all the Virtues, this one is often the hardest to define, as each person’s interpretation of this is different. It could translate as “self-image”, or “self-esteem”, and is important to recognize that this will be different from person to person. The Eddic poem “Sayings of the High One” contains the stanza: “Cattle die, kinsmen die, one day you yourself shall die, but the reputation of the dead never dies.” Think of your honour as your worth in the community. Are you known as a fine, upstanding member of the folk? Do people come to you for advice, and trust your word when it is given? Or do they avoid you, and always look for confirmation of something you tell them? The answer may be a good indication of how your honour is viewed by others. honour: Our honour is our worth, without worth, we are nothing. Without worth, we do not further our folk, kin, or ourselves, but instead hold back that evolution for which we strive. Our deeds attest to our honour, and our works prove our worth- we must strive to maintain and further our honour and worth as individuals and as a folk overall. Our deeds, both foul and fair outlive us, and carry the burden or glory of our Beings- we cannot allow ourselves to accrue the baggage of shame or disgrace that our children and their children would subsequently bear!

Truth
Truth is the willingness to be honest and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest. But likewise, when one does say something, it is best to be truthful and speak what one sees, not what others would like to hear. But we also have a warning on the concept of Truth, and that is that whilst we should endeavor to speak the truth at all times, do not be fooled into speaking the truth when others lie to you. The Havamal councils us to respond to lies with lies. Tell the truth, even when there could be painful consequences. The consequences for lying are often more harmful than the quick pain of telling the truth and getting the situation over with. Courage fosters truth, and truth furthers courage- we must be incessant in striving for that which is right, what we know to be right, and what we know to be true. Truth is the underlying principle of holy realization, and ultimately that which steels us in our courage! Without truth, we have no fundamental realization on any significant level, nor the courage or will to achieve and evolve, relegating our very Being to nothing more than a farcical play. Our ancient ancestors valued truthful speech and honest deeds. This was shown by their strong avoidance of lies (unless lied to) and of oath breaking. In a society where a man’s word was better than a contract, honesty was a necessity. Directly tied to truth is modesty, or rather a tendency not to exaggerate one’s own feats.

Courage
Courage is the bravery to do what is right at all times. This can be likened to being brave enough to live by the Nine Noble Virtues. But as always, what one person believes is right, may not be what another sees as right. Courage is more than just martial courage, especially in our modern times. True courage can mean the willingness to be a whistle-blower when your company violates the law, or even just the courage to stand up and be counted among the true folk in what is sometimes a hostile world. We, as true folk must be courageous in our endeavors. We must have the inner strength and conviction that allows us to face the enormity of the task at hand – we must have the courage to stand by our kin and to keep to our principles. These are the foundations for the furtherance of our Faith and Folk, and we must be unflinching in our courage and unfailing in furtherance and our evolution: the very sustenance of our Being.

Boldness is the native English word for bravery or courage. Our ancestors went to battle, even death, without fear. And Tacitus noted that Germans who abandoned their shields were thought to have committed the basest of crimes.
Our ancestors did not hide their heads in the sand at the first sign of danger, nor did they accuse others of doing so unless the accusation was well founded. At the same time, they did not criticize those braver than they, nor did they throw themselves foolishly into the thick of the fray for no reason. Perhaps we should learn to do the same concerning boldness.

Perseverance
Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure. Each time we have a setback, we recognize this, and if the purpose is a true one, we continue until success is won. Times were very hard in ancient times. Only those who were strong, smart, and crafty survived. Times are still hard. We can’t give up at the first sign of adversity. Work, strive, carry on, don’t give up. Those words embody the essence of perseverance. Who do we admire? Those who have worked hard, pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, and made something of themselves through their grit and determination. Perseverance is inherently dynamic in nature, and is essential to Natural Order. We must actively persevere and preserve our religion and folk. We must persevere to achieve, and must remain stalwart in our works and commitments, for only through our achievement can we truly foster the developments and evolution of our true destiny.

Fidelity
Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s God(s), to one’s Folk, to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends was as valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family. How one interprets the concept of loyalty is largely up to the individual as there are many different levels of loyalty, and hence Fidelity. Each person knows within themselves just what this means to them, and it is important that others understand this, to be able to form the bonds of loyalty that exist on all levels. Fidelity includes your commitment to your Kindred, your commitment to your Family responsibilities, and your commitment to making the world a better place. In this ‘modern era’ courage is the first to falter- courage is what holds our loyalties to us, what holds them true and keeps those bonds strong. Our bonds serve as the conduit upon which the might of our collective folk-essence travels, the very web that weaves together the tapestry of our Folk. We must be unfailing in our loyalties- to our God(s), Ancestors, tribe, faith and folk. Any breach of loyalty is a tear upon the fabric of the weave, and so threatens the destruction of all we have worked to achieve. We as a folk cannot suffer to permit a faltering of fidelity on any level.
Troth is the native Germanic word for faith, fealty, or loyalty to one’s family, friends, kindred, lord, or God(s) is considered amongst the highest of virtues. A warrior that survived his lord in battle, or failed to lay down his life defending kinfolk was shunned in society.

Troth was what ensured that “hold oaths” (oaths of fealty) and wedding vows were kept. Oaths were seen as sacred contracts, and oath breakers seen as the worst of offenders. Unlike the other virtues, to be lacking in this one would have meant death in the Elder Period.

Vengeance for the murder or harming of one’s kinsmen was not just a virtue, but an obligation. Amongst our ancient ancestors, when a kinsman was murdered, it was the duty of the kindred to take revenge or demand wergild, which was a heavy fine for murder to prevent blood feud.
Equality of the sexes was one of the ancient Germanic virtues, though no doubt to them it was just a way of life. Men and women were treated the same under Germanic law until late in the Elder Period when Christian ideas intruded and took over. Early in the Heathen Period, the ancient Heathens even placed Women above Men in certain respects. According to Tacitus, “They think that there is something sacred and provident about women. They neither fail to consult them nor do they scoff at their counsel. In Germanic wills, sons and daughters were treated evenly.

Self-Discipline
Self-discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved. We must always be hardest on ourselves, to set the example. It is very easy to work at the level of do as I say, not as I do. But in this we dishonour ourselves and we dishonour others. Leading by example is what this is all about. A member of the true folk should be just that – True. This implies a certain amount of discipline to keep oneself from straying from the path into other, perhaps easier paths. Discipline and fidelity often work very closely together, with discipline providing the will power needed to retain one’s fidelity. Thus, we grasp and shape our own destiny and worth. This carries forth from our own personal sphere to that of the tribe and folk overall. We must have the discipline that keeps us true to our principles and virtues, and also allows us to master our resolve and focus. We must remain free of dependencies and those indulgences that are the nemesis of evolution and Natural Law: that which sows the seeds of our own or our folk’s demise.

Hospitality
Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home. This is not the same as giving out all your worldly possessions to anyone who comes by a begging. It is the concept of sharing, which is reciprocated by all True folk when they have you as a guest in their homes. It is important to establish and reaffirm the bonds of friendship, and kinship that Hospitality is observed. When a guest comes into your home, offer him or her a drink and something to eat. Work hard to make your guests feel comfortable. The virtue of hospitality was very important in almost every ancient society.

We rely on the strengths and love that are forged by blood and oath…what good are such things when we can’t otherwise? We must be ready and willing to lend help and assistance where we can, when it is needed- what good are we to those that we are bound if we cannot depend on one another?

Hospitality for our ancient ancestors was not just a virtue, but a necessity. Traveling long distances was often dangerous, and to ensure free trade and communications, the Elder Folk opened their homes not only to friends, but also to strangers. Certain common courtesies bound both guest and host. The host provided a warm place to stay and something to eat, and even loaned dry clothes. The guest was expected not to eat too much, to provide entertainment (in the form of songs, tales, or news), and sometimes he gave small trinkets as gifts.

Industriousness
Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself. It is vital that we work hard at what we seek to achieve, for without consistent and well-directed effort, our goals will not be reached. But it does not mean that we should work all the time, indeed one should be industrious in one’s leisure pursuits as well, and avoid the concept of making work for the sake of having work to do.

The virtue of industriousness means working hard, and taking pride in one’s work, but it also goes beyond that. Are you employed, disabled, or a full-time student? If not, get a job. Are you part of a Kindred? If not, join one, or find some like-minded people and start one, be the person that “gets things done. This attitude will carry over to your spiritual life, as well. Do your work carefully, pridefully, and well.

Truly we are worthless if we cannot work to advance our children, to provide better for them in providing the best we can for ourselves…in reaching for high goals, in striving for perfection in all areas of life, we lay that example for our children, as they will for their own…laziness in that endeavor is a true ‘sin’, failure to take action, to work towards that greater evolution in self and spirit in all areas of our Being is certainly and evil indeed! We cannot simply ‘settle’ for the mediocre, nor be satisfied in simply surviving- this does nothing to foster growth and commitment to growth, and does nothing to inspire our children to work harder or to achieve or evolve!

Industriousness went hand in hand with stead-fastness, and was necessary for survival. In ancient times there was always something to do: fields to till, cows to milk, swine to feed, wood to gather. In the mechanized world of today we often forget how hard life was for ancient ancestors. They didn’t just go to the fridge and grab a beer. They had to collect the honey (risking being stung by bees), and brew the mead before they could drink it. In ancient times laziness would leave one starving or freezing to death, so naturally individuals with this trait of industriousness were very highly regarded.

Self-Reliance
Self-reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved not only for the individual, but also for the family, clan, tribe and nation. It is not a concept of denying one’s interconnectedness with others, but of ensuring that one can take care of oneself first, then one’s family and loved ones, then the extended family (clan), the tribe (one’s local grouping) and the nation (all true folk no matter where they reside). By being self-reliant we can then share what we have with others and fulfil the duty of Hospitality, the entire better.

Self-Reliance fits in very well with Industriousness. Don’t wait for someone else to do your job for you. Don’t wait for the world to be handed to you on a platter. This certainly doesn’t mean that you have to do something completely alone if you have no idea how, or if you really just can’t do it. What it does mean is that you should learn things from life, learn how to solve common problems, and maybe learn a craft or two. Pick up a book on brewing, or carving, or even plumbing or something. Have a hobby, perhaps one that can make nifty things for your Kindred to use, or for yourself to use. Who knows, you might even be able to sell things and make some extra money. Self-reliance is the key to freedom and freedom is the essence of all joyous life! To need reliance on others, or to be bound in thralldom and servitude is worse than death itself! We cannot be satisfied to let others think for us, nor can we be satisfied to let others do what is rightfully our own work to do! Only freedom can strengthen our love for life, and we cannot allow ourselves to be enthralled by need or want, which in turn enthralls our children and folk.

Only freedom furthers freedom!

Regardless of one’s religious faith and belief, it would appear that following the path of virtue both strengthens the one as well as our people as a whole. It’s been said that to learn something new, read a really old book. I believe that it is similarly true that to become a noble and revered people, we need to revert to the ways of our ancient ancestors, The Old Ways. That Way being the path of virtuous living. How we are remembered by our children’s children will define us.

Source: https://ncrenegade.com/a-certain-path-in-uncertain-times/