This includes following dress regulations. Our military needs to be wary of all forms of mental illness. And getting a set of weights, using them and feeling stronger or just like you're having fun is also neat. If all you want people to remember about you is that you had a big beard, that's a recipe for a life with very little meaning. In Heathenry in particular all of the Gods have flaws, many of which are set out in Lokkasenna and include dishonesty, incest and fratricide to name but a few. At no point do they mention any spiritual or religious aspect of beard wear. There are many challenges to being a pagan. Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of. These requirements may in fact require men to wear beards or have a certain length and style facial hair. This is real, modern and vibrant religion with people who are genuinely passionate about our faith. In this section we will examine the evidence that is often put forward. As we all know paganism is very diverse and some studies look at paganism as a whole. But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death No mention of any spiritual connotation of beards. She asks, is it the beardless carle? Physical description of someone who doesnt have a beard. Paganism is not an ancient dead religion. In order for religious beliefs to qualify as a religious belief under Title VII, an employee must believe that: The practice is required by his religion or mandated by his religious community and cannot be modified even if the result is discipline from their employer. As a member, along with supporting our mission to promote our faith, you will also get access to more community resources, events and a vote in our elections. Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys. -Has beard, and yet still is insulted. 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. But it's not a religion. get real! He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow hair. Hopper, like service members who have sought exemptions before, was advised to meet with a chaplain to present his case. 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. that si the military if you want to join a club then do not join the us military weirdest. Sgt. Cash and in small bills. Should pagans be allowed to wear a beard in the workplace? They are no longer the sticklers for the rules they once were, and. Yay!!! How is that supposed to work. Any thought about what Loki looks like is only within the perception of people who claim to have "seen" them. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'adsensetype', 1); The Open Halls Project, an advocacy group for heathens serving in the military, sought to clarify any existing confusion in a 2017 post about beard exemptions. Most blacks stuck with the crew cut and white sidewall because it was more traditional. More recently, some special operations soldiers serving in the Middle East have beenallowed to grow beardsso that they might better blend in with local populations. Sometimes those who are new to Heathenry read the arguments made by these groups and are convinced by them as they often claim to be based on historical sources. I don't worry about appearance details for any reason. For context here are a collection of similar quotes from the Bible. Norse Pagans may. The Military should respect their right to appropriate medical care, which is decided by their medical care provider and not the religious views or whims of the White House or other non medical authority. Most ancient depictions of gods have beards. She asks, is it the beardless carle?, Why doesn't he make them cart dung over his beard that he may be like other men? I respect my servicemen, and I respect their God-given and American-given right to believe and practice. And it gives us even less of a window into its religious importance, or whether it had sacred importance at all. The beard is the one characteristic of those who otherwise follow Forn Sir (Old Ways). 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. I have a question about Norse-Pagan and Beards. For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. By Elana Glowatz On 4/26/18 at 5:12 PM EDT. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. Neither of the two largest inclusive Heathen organisations in the UK, namely Heathenry UK and Asatru UK recognise any religious requirement for Heathen men to wear a beard. They are descriptions of the people of the time. According toArmy Directive 2017-03, beards with approved accommodations must be less than two inches in length from the bottom of the chin and cannot be groomed with petroleum-based products. Other sagas still make various references to the importance of beards for a Normar. Some of these challenges come from outside your pagan circles such as family and friends. As for Muslims, they are monotheistic, which makes them a sister faith to Judeo-Christianity. The already-growing list of religious exemption requests inflated earlier this year when Spc. There is no mention of any Heathen practice in the document. And, no I'm not talking about what military does killing people. Honestly, I find myself more in favor of hair and beards than spending so much wasted time primping. As with the sir perspective, a beard is again always associated with masculinity as well as the value that form the foundation of Forn Sir. There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry, the post read. "Why are beards so important in Nordic paganism?" We don't have rules like the 10 Commandments. 1 Samuel 21:13 So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard. No. We, as Heathens, have no such religious requirement with regards to hair.. We know people who are in the SCA and this is not the SCA. No. Aside from Snorri and the Eddas, there are no other accounts of Loki. They are simply physical descriptions of the people in the sagas. He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse. Physical description. A notable exception is Loki (Mischief, lies). Heathenry Essentials Study Chat Third Saturday. Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njal is beardless., But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death, Who will avenge it? 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. No spiritual connection. Some countries do not allow for a religious freedoms. Stop letting the actions of a few moronic individuals who claim they follow Norse religion dictate how the rest of them are viewed. or redistributed. 12-13 yrs ago a Small city on the west side of the Puget sound with Scandinavian Heritage Chose a Mixed race Highschool girl for the Queen of their yearly Festival. Otherwise, if you're fearing for your life in a foxhole, why the hell would you demand your partner shave? The U.S. Army granted a religious accommodation to a soldier for his "Heathen; Norse Pagan faith" to be able to grow a beard. All proper procedures outlined in Army Directives 2017-03 and 2016-34 were followed when requesting and approving this religious accommodation, a spokeswoman from Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood told Fox News. The fact that he is beardless is an easy way to identify someone in an era where most people had beards, but it doesnt imply any religious requirement to do so. Ah, the "tolerance" of the Christian majority. Many of the Gods are described as being bearded, but as we have seen this is no guarantee that having a beard is a Heathen quality. For him the use of razor or shaving the chin shall be as sinful as incest.. As an employer, the US Military has been grappling with accommodating different religious groups in the armed forces. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. American soldiers and Peace Officers didn't even adopt the custom until around the American Revolution, if not after. They say that it could make customers and clients feel uncomfortable, or like they're not being taken seriously. container.style.width = '100%'; "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," Open Halls said in a 2017 statement. Loki is not depicted in Pre-Christian artwork. we live in a society where trans people are discriminated against in the military and special accomidations are made for people with imaginary friends. norse pagan beard requirements. These laws also specifically outlaw the practice of Heathenry. ins.style.display = 'block'; Beard balm is nice. We proudly posted in short order a copy of the memo issued by his command on our various social media platforms, with a reach of over 750,000 users on one Facebook account only. They are our soul. var alS = 2021 % 1000; You would be surprised how a general can look like a private when close to the front line. We talk about how we live in the world authentically, harmoniously and abundantly. This is not the case in Paganism. It is simply too bad that in the 70's the Air force believed in only three religions and enforced their beliefs upon everyone. If you think wilderness survival is neat, also neat. Perhaps that God may or may not exist, but represents your morals, your constructed way of life stemming from a sense of right and wrong. ;( apparently due to the Racist attitudes of our "Commander in Chief" open White suppremacists have grown in our military.. Not GOOD! These are individual cases where a unit commander has been convinced that a Heathen should be allowed a beard, probably due to a lack of understanding of the lore, and a desire not to be seen to discriminate. Lokiis the least favorite of all sir, and a Norse god typically associated with negative behavior as well as the dark side of humans. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.. Odin has one eye because of his insatiable search for secret wisdom. They do indeed, yet they accept people who are afflicted with religion. The military should change their grooming standards because it's 2019 and our gas masks work over facial hair now, not because of religious gerimandering. Any resemblance to news may be purely coincidental. This is an unofficial website that includes the listing of telephone numbers of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard commands in the state of Washington. Down beard and chin ran the tears of Dietrichs men. A physical description of someone who had a beard. Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard or not. This is not only directly insulting to all servicemen who do not have beards, but also to all servicewomen. Cosplaying as a Viking isn't a religion, though it is fun to do at parties. 1987-2023 The Troth A big beard isn't a substitute for a personality. This includes allowing employees to wear religious clothing or facial hair in the workplace. 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. Beards are in fact the true expression of spirituality, masculinity, and what it means to be Heathen. I don't really see an issue with this, Religious views aside. The Sagas that are often quoted at no point describe a spiritual reason to wear a beard. You WILL NOT ESCAPE! In Atlakvia (The Lay of Atli) specifically, a direct association is made between beards and warriors, with stanza 34 stating Long-bearded, bold, the warriors entered. The process can take a long time and it often comes with negative attention that may effect your career. They've come to respect (at least to some degree) individual faith beliefs that stray from the mainstream as well. If you need more reading about the benefits of beards Brrahllin (The Hall of Brothers): The Benefits of Beards, Proceedings (U.S. An unnamed bearded soldier from the 795th Military Police Battalion has apparently been granted the right to preserve his facial hair as a form of worship to Thor, the red-bearded, hammer-wielding Norse god known to travel in a chariot drawn by two massive goats. But let's be clear: these are exceptions. This sort of thing creates a false image of our religion and sets a poor precedent. Many religious groups require men to grow a beard, including Muslims and Orthodox Jews. Believe us. In Whitsels case his attorney Ashlie Case Sletvold, stated, America was founded on the principle of religious freedom. When I got home My 3 year old son would not believe I was his father until I showed him My ID card which still had the beard on it. (Erick Studenicka/Army). Hathen: "an unconverted member of a people or nation who does not acknowledge the God of the Bible" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heathen therefore neither christians, muslims, nor jews are not heathens. There is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available these days. While the Law gives us a window into daily life in Gotland, it doesn't help us understand anything about the value of a beard in pre-Christian Norse culture. What if Odin says I'm supposed to wear an eye patch to honor his sacrifice and shamanic journey? This points yet again to the prevalence of beards in Norse culture. has Long been a Problem.. The Nevada Army Guard's first religious accommodation waiver granted a Norse Pagan soldier permission to grow a beard. Is there any evidence this Norse soldier doesn't acknowledge the god of the bible? Employers must offer religious accommodations with regard to religious garb and grooming, as long as it does not cause undue hardship for the company. 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. It'll give you the feeling like your only hope is a bottle of vitamins, a set of weights or a wilderness survival seminar. He is very much a real and true god as much as any other god of any other religion. 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. But let 's be clear: these are exceptions of Heathenry n't acknowledge the god of spiritual. 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