Inclusive Heathenry

Heathens Against Hate & Inclusive Heathenry 101

This is the same material covered in our mini-zine/pamphlet found on the printable resources page, and is intended to serve as a very brief overview of heathenry for people who are unfamiliar with it.

Heathens Against Hate represents inclusive Heathenry and freedom of religion (including the choice to live free from religion). We stand in solidarity with all oppressed peoples (in the United States and globally) and will not stand idly by while our neighbors, our communities, and our ways of life are under attack.

Our faith has specifically been infiltrated (and our imagery has been co-opted) by white supremacists. In response to that, it’s not enough to say “we’re not like that” — we need to actively fight back and show that there is no place for fascism or white supremacy in our faith.

The Heathen community consists of people from all walks of life, including racial and ethnic backgrounds, ability levels, gender identities, sexual orientations, educational levels, socio-economic classes, political identities, and even religious identities (some Heathens follow more than one religious tradition). This diversity is a beautiful thing.

While we are all Heathens, we are not solely focused on issues affecting Heathens or other pagan traditions.

As followers of an animist faith that recognizes the inherent interconnectedness of the world around us, we know no one is free when others are oppressed, and believe we have a moral imperative to work towards a future where we are all free. We stand in solidarity with people of all races, sexualities, gender identities, nationalities, religions, and ethnicities.

What is Heathenry?

If you aren’t familiar with Heathenry, it’s an umbrella term for several modern iterations of ancient Germanic/Norse religions. The word Heathen, in contrast with its use in the Bible, is simply a term used to refer to the ancient Germanic religion in all of its variants. When the cities converted to Christianity, the old religion remained on the “heath,” or in the countryside. We use this term as an umbrella for the modern expressions of those ancient religions.

Speaking in broad brushstrokes, Heathenry:

Is polytheistic: We believe in multiple deities (and that the existence of our deities does not negate the existence of other deities).
Is animistic: We believe that the world around us is imbued with spirit — for example, that trees, plants, mountains, etc. all have a spirit and thus should be treated with a base level of respect.
Involves ancestor veneration: We honor those who came before us, whether they were our literal ancestors or not, and believe that keeping someone’s memory alive and passing down their stories is a way to continue the love and respect for them that we had in life.

Urglaawe

Many of the members of Heathens Against Hate are Urglaawer — practitioners of Urglaawe. Urglaawe (pronounced “or-glah-vuh”, roughly translated as “original faith” or “ancient belief”) is Heathenry through a Pennsylvania Dutch lens. We draw many of our beliefs from the traditional Deitsch culture, including pre-Christian facets of the healing practice of Braucherei and the folklore as handed down through the ages by word of mouth.

Urglaawe is not a static tradition. It is a dynamic belief system that is evolving in our current era. We draw from the past, apply in the present, and create for the future. If you would like to learn more about it, head here.

Declaration 127

Declaration 127 was created in August of 2016 as a response to increasingly bigoted rhetoric and actions from the Ásatrú Folk Assembly, as well as the escalating rhetoric nationwide. It was one of the first attempts to organize a large-scale rebuttal of white supremacy and other forms of bigoted beliefs masquerading under the label of Heathenry. In March of 2021, Declaration 127 was updated to its current verbiage, which is broader in scope and includes a refusal to do business with any exclusionary Heathen organization, group, or individual.

It draws its name from verse 127 of the Havamal, a poem dating from 900-1000 AD and structured as pieces of advice given from Odin:

Wherever you recognize evil, call it evil, and give no peace to your enemies.

— Havamal 127, Ben Waggoner translation

Below is a slightly abridged version of Declaration 127. You can read the full text and learn more about Declaration 127 here.

As in the past, today we are confronted with challenges and choices. Among the most difficult of these is how to respond to those who intentionally cause harm. As Heathens, our religion gives no basis for discrimination of any kind. Unfortunately, that has not stopped certain actors from trying to do so. Their actions force the wider Heathen community to adopt the qualifying word “inclusive” to define ourselves, and to stand against bigoted people who continuously twist the ancient Germanic religions towards exclusionary, hateful, and violent ends. It is illogical to place exclusionary limits on Heathenry.

We decry the damage the Nazi Party, their allies, and those of similar ideologies have caused historically. We also recognize the damage their ilk continues to inflict. They continually weaponize ancient Norse and Germanic symbols for use in campaigns of exclusion and terror against anyone who does not fit their fantasy. They dishonor our deities.

We hold that the deities themselves created and celebrate diversity. We hold that respect is an inherent right of all human beings. To violate those rights is to forfeit the community’s good graces. There is no greater dishonor.

Declaration 127 signatories shall not promote, associate, or do business with any organization or entity so long as they practice discriminatory policies and exclusionary ideologies.

Discriminatory organizations do not represent our communities. We do not condone hatred or discrimination carried out in the name of our religion and will no longer associate with those who do.

We hereby declare that we will not maintain silence just to keep the peace, especially with those who would use our traditions to justify prejudice on the basis of: age, ability, health status, race, color, ethnicity, national origin (including ancestry), veteran status, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, or any other form of bigotry.

We stand together in defiance of unjust discrimination. Oppressive and exclusionary institutions shall receive no support from us. We will actively work against them in favor of a more welcoming faith community and society which embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion

Heathens Against Hate & Inclusive Heathenry 101

What is Heathenry?

Urglaawe

Declaration 127

Further reading & resources

Organizations & groups

Websites, podcasts, YouTube channels, etc.

Books & authors