What is the Freehold?

The Heathen Freehold Society (formerly the Asatru Freehold) was founded in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, during the spring of 2002. Since then, the Freehold has grown to include members from all over the province. Our greatest purpose is to assist in the contemporary revival of the elder culture and religion of the ancient Germanic, Teutonic and Nordic tribes. We are also dedicated to studying the many varieties of Germanic Heathenism which have arisen all over the world in the last half century, including Asatru, Odinism, Theodism, Forn Sed, and others, and teaching what we learn to interested others. The Freehold is a confederation of independent Heathen individuals, households, kindreds and tribes who have united around this historic purpose. Now registered as a charitable society, the Heathen Freehold Society is pioneering where no Canadian Heathen have gone before.

The Heathen Freehold Society is celebrating its 7th year of operation. Based in British Columbia, Canada, we are dedicated to the celebration and revival of the aboriginal culture and religion of the Germanic, Teutonic and Nordic tribes.

Welcome to the community website of the Freehold!

The Heathen Freehold Society of BC was conceived as a place where Heathens of all stripes could meet as equals in peace and good fellowship, regardless of path. This website intends to achieve that in an online incarnation (version?), as, spread out as we are, opportunities to meet face-to-face in a group are all too often few and far between.

This website allows us to take up the slack. It is a place where we can meet, chat, plan, and grow the ties that bind a community together.

Some of the forums are accessible to everyone who logs in; others can only be seen if you hold a up to date Freehold membership. Still others, for example, the various Guilds, can be seen by anyone, but can be only posted to by members of those guilds. To join one, simply request membership. A few others are private. To become a member of the Freehold, you have simply to ask a sworn Freeholder to stand for you. Contact our Ombudsman for details.

Please, enter and be welcome! Have a look around, post where you will, and see what we're all about. Someday we hope to meet you in person; in the meantime, join us here in the Freehold Community Website!

News:

		Memorial By John T. Mainer
		Gone from us, Valhalla’s hall to dwell Bold Adrian Battle, feast, and song are his No age or illness mar Spear straight she stands Raven tressed and shining eyes His name she calls as challenge We who are left, must answer His joys, his mirth, his wisdom too Our lives forever brightened His deeds, his praise, his name we shout He shall not be forgotten. Live in our hearts, Bold Adrian Until again we meet In shining halls.
For Adrian James Nelson. He dared to live deeply and fearlessly. Let his name burn ever bright. With Reik Felag, and with others, Adrian was the perfect ambassador for our community. He was one to bring together people of passion and learning, and join them towards a common goal. Adrian brought such joy to his tasks that few noticed the hard work he put in, or that he inspired others to do. His life has brought great growth to the community, and his legacy will live on long past the span of his years. Submitted by John T Mainer

When US Sgt Patrick Stewart was killed in action in Afghanistan when his Chinook helicopter was shot down, his wife Roberta applied to have the pentacle put upon his gravestone.  When the US Army refused to allow the symbol of his faith in life to be placed upon his gravestone, Roberta Stewart chose to fight for the valiant dead, both her own husband, and all of those who fought and died for the right to worship and be honoured as we choose.  In this battle, though she fought for the pentacle, it is as much for those who wear the hammer as the pentacle.  In fighting for the rights of those whose oaths of service bind them from protest, she embodies the spirit not just of the noble defender, but the justice seeker.  Truly, she who defends the defenders is deserving of our praise.
Hail Roberta Stewart, Tyrbold winner of 2010.
Submitted by John T Mainer

http://www.bclocalnews.com/tri_city_maple_ridge/mapleridgenews/community/119026894.html

Have a blessed Ostara

On the skin of a white rabbit, the Norse goddess Ostara is surrounded by brightly decorated eggs each marked with a rune or wish waiting for a blessing, while spring breaks through the clouds.

A seaxe, a traditional sacrificial knife, and bottle of honey mead rest in front as the Heathen Freehold Society, friends and family gather to celebrate Easter, on March 20.

It marks the Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are the same length.

"At Ostara, we ask for the blessings of fertility, we gather to celebrate the renewal of life and at the same time, we remember those who have passed in the dark of the year," explains John Mainer, president or freyr of the Heathen Freehold, a confederation dedicated to the contemporary revival of the culture and religion of ancient Germanic, Teutonic and Nordic tribes.

It's a day celebrated much like the Christian Easter. There's an easter egg hunt, a blessing, a feast.

"We heathens like to joke that we do the same thing as everybody else does, we just happen to remember why," Mainer adds.

Easter is the only Christian holiday that still has a pagan title and beautifully blends both traditions.

For pagans, it is a time to honour the goddess of fertility and springtime, Eastre or Ostara, whose companion animal is the rabbit or the Easter bunny.

Eggs are offered because they hold the promise of life.

Mainer asked for the blessing of fertility when he put his egg at the altar, a wish for someone in his family who is trying to get pregnant.

The egg hunt symbolizes an exchange of gifts.

"As we offer eggs to Ostara, she in turn offers eggs to the children. Much the same way as, you give to the earth and the earth gives back to you."

• To learn the story of the Godess Ostara, click here. John Mainer of the Heathen Freehold Society places an egg at the altar marked with a rune for fertility. It is a wish placed for a family member who is trying to get pregnant. Krystalynne Wolsey catches a raw egg during an egg toss game while celebrating Ostara, or Easter, with the Heathen Freehold Society of B.C. at Maple Ridge Park Sunday March 20, the vernal equinox.

Submitted by John T Mainer


Happy Birthday!

This website first went live two years ago, on Dec. 14, 2008. Since then we have had over 14,600 different computers viewing the site, with well over 42 gigabytes of traffic!

The chatbox alone has had over 5,500 messages posted in it, representing perhaps the longest thread in Heathendom.

We average about ten posts a day, which has added up to 7,030 posts under (currently) 1,072 different topics. And best of all, they are easy to search and re-read!

One of the things we really liked about the switch to forum-based communications over the older mailing lists is that when new members join, they have easy access to all the past topics. That means that all 74 members of the website can participate in the conversations even if we started before that person joined up! It also means that the executive don't have to revisit the same issues over and over again; we've got that record of the last time any particular issue may have arisen. It also means that new Wita can get up-to-date on past topics with ease.

All in all, I think the website has acheived exactly what it was designed to do: be a tool that allowed easier, more open and friendly communication amongst our members, and allowing us to get to know each other on a whole new level, so that while it may be rare that we have the opportunity to gather together in person, when we do meet, it is not as strangers, but friends.

Happy Birthday Freehold Forums!




All your Kindertales needs in one place!

www.kindertales.net

Please give this website out when you tell people about the book(s). It's easy to remember, viewable to all, and besides having the books for sale, it will also soon have John's Kindertales videos, author bio's, behind-the-scenes info on the creation of the stories and the books, and any other nifty stuff we can think of.

If you have any suggestions for additional stuff we can include on that page, please leave a comment here.

That's right folks, after far too long, "Kindertales Volume II: More Stories For the Children of the Folk" is now finished and available for sale! The sequel to the Freehold's popular collection of children's stories, "Kindertales: Stories Old And New For the Children of the Folk" is even longer than the original, with full illustrations for each story. It is available from the Kindertales website for only $19.95 US (plus shipping). In honour of the occasion, "Kindertales: Stories Old And New For the Children of the Folk" has been marked down by 10%. Get your order in now to get it in time for Christmas!

Witangamot 2010 is beginning as of Friday Feb 26 @ 8:00pm, 2010

A complete record of the discussion is available to paid members here as well as the:

- Agenda and Witan / Executive Officer Roster.

This is our second executive meeting held completely over an electronic medium, in a purely text format. It allowed participation from all our witan no matter the physical location, unrushed by limits of meeting time, and allowed a complete record of the entire discussion, and facilitated an easy creation of minutes.

I would encourage all paid members to drop by and watch the discussion. This IS an executive meeting so input is restricted to just our current roster. If there IS something that you would seen discussed at this witangamot, please contact one of the witan who can have it added to the agenda.

Once the meeting begins it will continue till all topics are closed. We DO accept new business from the floor for the duration of the Witangamot, as this medium allows us to deal fully with each question, without needs to stay up all night trying to do it in one session. We do NOT accept new business from the floor at Althing, for the same reason.

While Althing is our big meeting / get together for the year, Witangamout is accessible to all paid members regardless of location and time schedule, and is the average members best chance to see your elected witan in action, steering the Heathen Freehold Society of BC thru the waters of this coming year.

-Submitted by Mikhail Heimdallson.

There is a pagan meetup discussing a united front to the public for anyone interested. I just got this now in my mail and thought I'd post it. I think we will go.
-Ken

 Announcing a new Meetup for Vancouver Area Pagans (VAP)!

What: The Fires of February: Welcome to a New Year of Vancouver Area Pagans
When: Saturday, February 6, 2010 7:00 PM Price: CAD2.00 - 5.00 per person, suggested donation
Where: WHATTLEKAINUM HOUSING COOPERATIVE 8740 - FOREST GROVE DRIVE Common Room Burnaby, BC V5A 4C9

After a brief hiatus during the holiday season, Vancouver Area Pagans (our new name) is back, and eager to leap into the February fray. The Wiccan contingent will just have celebrated the sabbat of Imbolc, or Oimelc, on February 2. What's happening with the other Pagan groups in our area? How do Vancouver Area Pagans feel about the advent of the Winter Olympics, and having the World on our doorstep? Should we have/do we need a Vancouver Area Pagan Council? A Pagan Inter-Faith Committee of some sort? Can we present a united, Pagan voice on social justice and political issues that affect us and our city? Should we? Just a few ideas to think about as you prepare for our next meeting. I look forward to seeing you there!
Submitted by Ken





 

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