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There are those who study the existing Lore, and who anchor everything to it. If it is not found in the Sags or Eddas, they discount it as “non-Heathen.” These “purists” cannot stand the fact that someone would use anything not found in the old lore. For all their attempts at being Heathen, they are as unlike the ancients as anyone can be.
First of all, the ancients were practical people. They adapted to the times. We find vestiges of it in the existing lore. The religion of the most ancient times changed. What we see in the Eddas is its latest refinement. Earlier beliefs were different and varied from place to place.
Secondly, the existing lore is partial. The largest block of the old beliefs that exists is within the Eddas, and we know that they only contain part of it. Worse, they were compiled centuries after the Viking Age ended by Christian writers. We do not know how much was forgotten, lost in translation or deliberately altered to satisfy Christian doctrine. The Sagas are good stories, but how much is fact and how much is good storytelling? Of the facts, how well were they remembered from the original incidents?
Heathen Fundamentalism is a shortcut to failure. It will only bind a person to the little that is known of the past. Heathenism must be a vital, living religion that meets the needs of this age and the next. Inextricably tying ourselves to the fragments of a past era will only hold us back.
The old lore has its uses. It is a starting point. Like the Three Rune Rack, it is in the first position. From it we draw a line to Today, and thence stride forth into the Future. The old lore is a treasure of immeasurable worth. Its value is in allowing us to grow into the present and future.
The only way to be a true Germanic purist is to adopt the lore, the lifestyle and everything else of the old days. Modern conveniences would be forbidden, as would foods from non-Germanic lands. Such a thing would become like the Amish: an outdated novelty living on the fringes of the modern world.
We live in a world of tremendous abundance. There is much good. Partaking of it does not diminish our Heathenness. We can eat any food and play any sport. We can read any book or take any course. We can even experiment with other spiritual practices. You can try Zen Meditation, accept an invitation of Wiccan friends to circle and try your hand at Tarot. You are just as Heathen doing these things as you would be if you never tried them. We need not fear losing ourselves. A handful of dry-as-dust lorehounds may call us “un-Heathen”, but in doing so they reveal themselves as being opposed to the Heathen spirit.
There is plenty of work to be done. We need to re-evaluate our understanding of the Gods in terms of our modern world. We also need to adjust our focus on everyday living. The old lore helps by showing us how our ancestors faced the trials of their times. We must write the lore for facing ours.
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