We raise a horn to the Einherjar

Yesterday was the Feast of the Einherjar, the day when we raise our horns to the honoured dead. This is a very significant day to me in particular, and is one of the few days that the organized Asatruar groups hold that I keep. It is also Veteran’s Day, a day to celebrate warriors of all stripes: those who serve this country, and those that fight on Vigrid Plain.

The Einherjar are the warriors that have died in battle, chosen first by the Valkyries to go to Asgard, and then by Odin to go to Valhalla. Once there, they are said to spend their days fighting in practice for the Ragnarok, and their nights with all their wounds healed in merry making, and feasting in Odin’s great hall. A warrior’s afterlife.

What makes this combination of purposes so important to me? I fully believe that there is no greater honour and privilege than serving in defense of one’s nation, except perhaps serving in defense of one’s beliefs. My own recent ancestors served in the military, and they did so with pride, fighting in some cases for the freedom of our homeland that was lost so many years ago, and in some cases fighting for the new home that has gifted us so much. So I raise the horn to their glory and their spirits. All our ancestors were warriors, and fought to survive in a time that was more difficult and more fierce. They fought to give us the example of how to live our lives now, how warriors should comport themselves. They fought, and in many cases towards the end of the “Viking” age,  they gave their lives for their beliefs. So I raise a horn to their bravery in the face of martyrdom, and I pour a libation so they know they are not forgotten.

To honour my ancestors, I called my family around me, and we feasted together. Good, hearty food that filled our bellies, and drinks that warmed our bodies. As we ate, I raised my drink to the sky and gave a silent thanks to those who fight still, and a silent prayer to those who once fought that I might have the strength of their conviction. When the food had been cleared away and my libation poured, I called my children to me, and began a tale. I told them of Odin All-Father, of his helpers Huginn and Muninn, of his wolves Freki and Geri. I told them of the Einherjar and the honoured dead. Then we howled and greeted the moon.

Art by Pablo Fernandez http://thebastardson.deviantart.com/