The following was written by Gothi Scott Tolley of the Woodpile Kindred. Those who've followed the News of the Asatru Folk Nation are aware of the great work he has done for the faith while imprisoned at Florence, Colorado- forming a thriving Kindred in the face of some tremendous obstacles, holding ceremonies and study groups, and generally bringing the unity and strength of the Folkish Asatru community to life even in the hardest circumstances. This article was written for the many Asatruars in the prisons who have turned to him for advice on forming a successful Kindred behind the bars.
The Old Norse word Gothar is the plural form of the word gothi. The Gothar are the collective priesthood of the Asatru Community. Asatru literally means: "To be true to and to honor the gods and goddesses of the ancient Norse traditions." Gothar literally means: "Those who speak the godly tongue."Link to the Woodpile KindredAsatru, or Odinnism, is rapidly growing in the U.S. Prison System. The purpose of this paper is to give those who wish to travel the path of the Asatru in the U.S. Prison System a full understanding of all that is involved. We also want to give those who wish to travel this path in-depth study courses covering all of the aspects of being a gothi. This will be an on-going project, with no real end in sight, for how could one ever gain all the knowledge needed to be a gothi? Being a gothi means to be continually searching for more wisdom and knowledge so that they may share this wisdom with others along the path.
The role of the Gothar in prison entails many different aspects. The first of these aspects includes dealing with the Administration. This is not an easy task as most convicts do not want to have conversations with "The Man" in any way what so ever. This is sometimes hard to overcome, but communication is important. If you feel funny talking to the chaplain or any of the Administration, then by all means take a kinsman of yours to accompany you. Explain to the chaplain your wishes to start an Asatru, or Odinnist Kindred at your institution. Give him the required background information, briefly explaining Asatru, and outline what will be needed to practice the religion (this information is available on request).
Upon submitting your request keep in mind that problems may occur. Many in the B.O.P. system do not understand Asatru, you may be discouraged from doing so, you could be considered a troublemaker, and some have gone so far as considering Asatru a "White Supremacist" organization. Nothing could be further from the truth, in reality you are restoring the beliefs of your ancestors. Be forewarned, more often than not you will be labelled as a "White Supremacist" from now on. This might involve taking a trip or two to the "hole" from time to time and being harrassed on a regular basis. The only advice we can offer you is to continually explain you are a religious group and that you in no way resemble a gang. Asatru is a tribal religion and your kindred will be like a close-knit family, not a gang. It is not the kindred's goal to prey on others, but to help those who seek the knowledge of their ancestors.
At this point, let's assume you have convinced the Administration to let you practice Asatru, now you will need to start building your ritual artifacts, your library, and all other items needed to truly live your religion behind bars. Once again, if you need assistance on documents for this purpose (ritual artifacts, book order forms, rituals) contact us and we will help you. We ask that you make a donation of postage stamps for the cost of copying and mailing. We are not wealthy folk, and we cannot afford to send these items without your donation.
Next, you will need to start managing your time. As a Gothi you will be responsible for preparations needed for your regular kindred meetings, your study groups, the seasonal blots and ceremonies, sumbels, and any feasts that you wish to put together. You will be sacrificing a lot of time and effort. You will probably want to find a job that allows you enough free time, thereby you will be sacrificing income. Being a Gothi requires 100% devotion to the Gods, to your Kindred, to Asatru.
Being a Gothi involves much study time, reading and writing, and you will have to learn to speak in front of a group. The largest group I have had to speak in front of was a Memorial Service for a fallen kinsman, with well over a hundred men in attendance. It was our desire to give our brother an ancient send off. One only Asatru could give.
A Gothi needs to be well versed on the mythology surrounding the Gods and Goddesses, on the Icelandic sagas and Eddas, on the runes, on ritual procedures, as well as being knowledgable on meditation and shamanic techniques. Being a Gothi does not mean you have to be a master of all of these, but you must be well versed in all aspects of Asatru and willing to continue learning.
A Runic Study course is available for your use, this has been put together for prisoners who do not have access to a vast library and who do not have a mentor available to them. A study course is being prepared for those who wish to travel the path of the Gothar. This course is also targeted to prisoners. This course will involve time, sacrifice and 100% devotion to living Asatru. If either course interests you, all we ask is for a little information about yourself and that you pull your own weight as far as the costs of postage and copies is concerned.
Please send all requests for information to the below address. Please be specific on what you are requesting, such as basic information, documentation, rune study course, Gothar study course, etc.
� 1997 [email protected]
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