Perhaps then we don't need a military? If you feel like you have been discriminated against because of your religious attire or facial hair, you can file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC. Many of Our Community are Hunters, Loggers and Fisherman; and will Do Whatever it takes to Protect our Home Heathenry Essentials Study Chat Third Saturday. It has been argued that the fact that Loki is often portrayed as being the only male deity without a beard in the Norse pantheon is another argument in favour of beard wearing. But those rules have evolved with warfare. It is my personally held belief that growing a beard will bring me closer to my God and bring me into his favor.. He has adopted the particular religious belief of his own free will and not because of pressure from someone else. I don't worry about appearance details for any reason. As Heathens and members of The Troth, we want to help people create fulfilling relationships with The Gods, the people in their lives and the world around them. No. In stanza 11, another connection is made between beard and wisdom, reading The wolf shall rule the Niflungs' heritage, O bearded sages. This phrase is frequently cherry-picked to show the necessity of beards. Reputation is at the very core of Heathenry. I agree. Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard or not. Forn Sir(Old Customs) is very different from Abrahamic religions or faiths. The Basics Introduction to Norse Heathenry The History of Norse Heathenry Our Sources Practice Formats Powers & Entities Deities Spirits Ancestors Cosmology Creation Yggdrasil The Worlds* The Norns Any thought about what Loki looks like is only within the perception of people who claim to have "seen" them. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We even abandoned saluting officers in most situations in a combat zone, because it fronted the officer as a sniper target. As we all know paganism is very diverse and some studies look at paganism as a whole. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. He is very much a real and true god as much as any other god of any other religion. Author, Erik studied Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Some Christians such as Amish and Mennonite men, also wear beards as part of their religious practice or beliefs. If "They can all find another job. This is often cited in restaurants or other companies with food preparation. He is a wise man and magician, who learned the secrets of the runes by hanging himself on the tree Yggdrasil for nine nights. Aside from Snorri and the Eddas, there are no other accounts of Loki. More recently, in August of 2021, Airman 1st Class Braxton Comer, a practicing Norse Pagan at Maxwell Air Force Base received religious accommodation for a beard. It is not an official policy of the US military. Says Hallgerda and so we will call you always from this day forth, but your father we will call the beardless carle. -Has beard, and yet still is insulted. For context here are a collection of similar quotes from the Bible. An event greatly frown upon in a culture that emphasizes gender polarization and strongly stigmatizes feminization of men. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, a 34-year-old Alabama native and member of the Nevada Army Guard's 3665th Ordnance Company, was granted the waiver . Your own conscience. It would seem, then, that a beard was not required to participate in religion or society. The military first prohibited beards during the First World War, when the introduction of chemical warfare greatly increased the risk they could get in the way of life-saving gas masks. Numerous references in Konungsbk Eddukva, the most sacred text in Norse culture and religion, actually reinforce the association between beards and masculinity as well as virtue. ins.dataset.adClient = pid; All rights reserved. There are three problems with using this as evidence. This article is geared towards people and laws in the United States, however, discrimination against pagans does occur throughout the world. The Sagas that are often quoted at no point describe a spiritual reason to wear a beard. ins.style.width = '100%'; In addition, Section 19/25-30 uses beards as a point of reference for an offense, causing a scar on the face between hat and beard, resulting in specific penalties, half a mark in silver or a mark in silver if the scar is very noticeable. Norse Pagans, Heathens, or Asatruar are not in general all required to grow a beard, There is no general religious requirementfor anyone to have facial hair, nor is there any universalreligious requirement for hairstyle or any personal grooming choice. Odin is the one-eyed God, the father figure. I think that the underlying problem in much of the discrimination of pagans in the workplace is that society as a whole still does not see us as a real religion. The Sagas can only prove that people had beards, not that they were required. Read our article Paganism is on the Rise to learn how we are growing as a culture. Says Hallgerda "and so we will call you always from this day forth, but your father we will call "the beardless carle., I think that thy father the beardless carle must have given it.. I have a question about Norse-Pagan and Beards. Finally, some companies suggest allowing religious people to wear religious facial hair, but only if the beard is kept very short and trimmed. This is not a matter of religious rights, rather a matter of attempting to get the authority you swore the Oath to, to change the conditions of the Oath. In Afghanistan, meanwhile, Hopper keeps his waiver on him at all times in case any superiors question the facial feature he refers to as a sacred and defining feature of masculine men. Regulations specify a beard can be no longer than 2 inches in length. Enjoy! that si the military if you want to join a club then do not join the us military weirdest. I'm a Pagan hippy,and go with the gods and goddesses of Greece, Rome, and Egypt, but if I joined the army, to save my beard, I wouldn't have a problem switching to the Norse pantheon during my enlistment. After years of strictly enforcing standards of physical appearance including a requirement that members be clean-shaven, the Army has since relaxed its views a bit. Because the 2017 directive is technically applicable to all religions, final judgement is often left to individual leadership to discern authentic exemption request from insincere. Let Us Knowso we can help. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. They will renew us. I ca'nt see how men look better clean shaven. They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and. Observation Post articles reflect author observations or attempts at humor. In this Grgs the very first chapter is Christian Law. The first such accommodation came in 2017 following years of beard-exemption requests and legal pressure from Sikh soldiers seeking to preserve religious traditions while wearing a U.S. uniform. Beards define the Heathen man. Down beard and chin ran the tears of Dietrichs men. A physical description of someone who had a beard. But it's not a religion. What we do isn't a "lifestyle brand" either. Market data provided by Factset. As a community, we need to continue to support the right for pagans to receive religious accommodations so they can practice their faith and have free access to good jobs. Maybe your relationships aren't as fulfilling as you want. Guta Lag, the laws of Gotland in Sweden were also written over a century after the Christianisation, and reflect a heavily Christianised version of the older laws. The Nevada Army Guard says Sgt. Without an explicit religious requirement to wear a beard, the likelihood of the military changing the regulations that were Oathed to uphold for Pagans to keep beards, is very unlikely. At no point do any of these sagas state that there is a religious requirement to wear a beard. If you were to apply these laws to Heathens, they would for example be able to avoid punishment for murder by paying werguild. Heathenry Essential Study Chat First Saturday We have advice like Proverbs. Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer. These people have beards, they just have dung in them, no religious relevance. of all weirds ones. forgot if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');This is a big grey area, as many pagans report harassment from Christain co-workers who belittle their belief system. It is for these reasons that we at the PF will not directly intervene, on the beard matter. (U.S. Army), The U.S. Army granted a rare religious accommodation to a Fort Leonard Wood staff sergeant who is a member of the Heathen, Norse Pagan faith.. This argument seems to be more rooted in Christian dogma than any form of Paganism. These laws also specifically outlaw the practice of Heathenry. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Hopper, like service members who have sought exemptions before, was advised to meet with a chaplain to present his case. These prescriptions can range from head-scarves, colors of clothing, types of fabric or hairstyles. Introducing our new Environmental Policy Officer, Anne Edward.. This Icelandic saga not only encompasses all the fundamental and essential Norse values that form the basis of Forn Sir, but the saga has also established the foundation of Icelandic culture for the past millennium. You should get some if that's something you're into. I, as a Trans Soldier, 100% agree with you. A well-groomed and healthy beard is an important aspect of Heathenry and Forn Sir., It added: As a practicing Heathen, Norse Pagan, there has been a conflict in an inability to fully embrace the tenants of his faiths traditions, values, and beliefs.". This isn't the Society for Creative Anachronisms. In fact, we do not pray or worship per say the sir, synjur, Vanir, Jtnar, Arir, Kindir, or Kynja. Abdul Rahman Gaitan became the first Muslim airman to be granted the exemption in observance of the tenets of his faith. and that is How Racism Should be dealt with; in the Military and in our Communities Norse religion is not racially motivated. I have a friend that Ran Boiler on Small River to Sea Boats during Nam; He Came back from leave to late to Shave Before inspection A notable exception is Loki (Mischief, lies). Our culture as part of the United States is a melting pot of cultures, ideas and yes, religion--no matter what certain portions of the population like to believe. However, never having served in the military, I don't know that for sure. Let's look at the texts. But let's be clear: these are exceptions. It says you don't wear the right clothes, lift enough weights, eat enough meat or attend the right survivalist seminars. While we cannot speak to the specifics of any particular case, religious accommodation can be disapproved if it is determined that the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief or if the accommodation would create a specific hazard that cannot be reasonably mitigated.. Not so much. Many misinformed groups argue that Heathens should be allowed exemptions from dress-code rules and uniform regulations with regards to facial hair on religious grounds. there are a lot of reasons for that. My once dropped, never fired French rifle has new lifeviva la France !!!! You are right. All Rights Reserved. "Standing out" is not a historical tradition in any military, unless you are a general in a parade. The religious belief is sincerely held, whether or not the employee has discussed it with others or attempted to convince other employees of its truthfulness. But can we take this as a universal rule? Let us call him "the beardless carle" but his sons we will call "dung-beardlings." "Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer." "He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse." "Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys." The Military SHOULD be respectful of mental illness, Gender Dysphoria is a serious condition, and the treatment of such is to transition into the gender of identity. Many of the new "grooming standards" were laid out in a 2017 decision to accommodate religious requirements for facial hair. Then, in November 2018, Staff Sgt. statehood and recognition; 3m respirator cartridges; witch vs sorceress vs enchantress; plymouth wrestling club. Having website issues? The tenets of his faith is my personally held belief that growing beard... 'S something you 're into norse pagan beard requirements upon in a parade growing a beard can be no longer 2. % agree with you God, the father figure much a real and true as! 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