But consider a couple philosophical things first. Moreover, it is our view that focusing on this issue not only detracts from far more important issues, but also makes Pagans appear foolish and uneducated in our own religious beliefs in the eyes of wider society. The DPN has also been presented with an argument that being clean shaven is unmanly in a Heathen, and that warriors should have beards. 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. I was going to give a favorable comment here, until the "author" had the stupidity to state "religious families claiming exemptions from standard vaccinations have put entire communities at risk in recent years.". I have a friend that Ran Boiler on Small River to Sea Boats during Nam; He Came back from leave to late to Shave Before inspection Forn Sir(Old Customs) is very different from Abrahamic religions or faiths. Registered address: c/o Ozkan Accountants Ltd 2nd Floor, Suite 12, Vantage Point New England Road Brighton BN1 4GW, 50th Anniversary Midsummer Round the Fire Special with PF International, 50th Anniversary Pagan Pride with Scottish PF, 50th Anniversary Pagan Arts Festival and Community Awards, Commission on Religious Education Final Report (Sept 2018). Many Pagans today have beards, but this is a cultural rather than a religious phenomenon in exactly the same way it was in 10th century Europe. Hmmmm, after watching history channels Vikings and seeing Ragnar get utterly destroyed in straight up battles with the French, I'm shaving my beard and wearing my beret backwards. Some Say Yes. get real! Per the latest version of AR 670-1, beards with approved accommodations must be less than 2 inches long, measured from the bottom of the chin, and cannot be groomed with any petroleum-based. This is often cited in restaurants or other companies with food preparation. Home. Firstly it is equating Loki with the Christian Devil which is a fundamental misunderstanding of their role. The vikings didn't grow large beards very often. 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. This is not only directly insulting to all servicemen who do not have beards, but also to all servicewomen. There's no shortage of people out there who are going to look to exploit someone's insecurities. 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. Many was shaved. We're all children of the same universe. 11 Core Nordic Religion Principal Beliefs, Celebrate Pagan Holidays, PO Box 628051, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, USA, Paganism Is On the Rise! This is because they believe him to be perfect, and so attempting to emulate him is a quest for perfection. I bet they don't call Muslims or Sikhs "heathens" even though the term would technically apply to all. Several pagan men have faced discrimination or have been told to change shave due to changing company laws. Suite 800 If this soldier is claiming Thor told him to grow a beard, and that is the evidence he is standing on (personal Divine transmission), where does the line get drawn? I respect my servicemen, and I respect their God-given and American-given right to believe and practice. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); Without an explicit religious requirement to wear a beard, the likelihood of the military changing the regulations that were Oathed to uphold for Pagans to keep beards, is very unlikely. Norse pagans have no such requirements, although facial hair is encouraged. It is simply too bad that in the 70's the Air force believed in only three religions and enforced their beliefs upon everyone. Not Surprisingly They had NO Problems with outsiders.. ;). The Law of the Gotlanders was written at the earliest in 1220 CE, which was after the conversion of Gotland. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Army Gives Norse Pagan Soldier Permission to Grow Beard, Connecticut Reckons With Its Dark Past of Executing People for Witchcraft. Employers cannot question an employee's religious beliefs, but they can ask for reasonable documentation to support the religious accommodation request. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We strive to work with companies that are environmentally friendly and/or contribute to the pagan community. var lo = new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent); Section 20 (Concerning bald patches), clearly states that a man's beard incurs fines as for other hair pulling., As a matter of fact, apart from throwing ale in someone's face, insults included man handling a person riding or walking on the highway, making a minor attack on a man's beard or hair.. Overall, beards are an essential and fundamental defining feature of any Normar, Vkingr, Heathen, and ultimately, warriors identity. Thor is called red beard. If you found this article useful and want to donate to support the educational work that we do, please consider making a contribution to our general funding or support our mission by joining The Troth today. (U.S. Army), The U.S. Army granted a rare religious accommodation to a Fort Leonard Wood staff sergeant who is a member of the Heathen, Norse Pagan faith.. But it's not a religion. Norse Pagans, Heathens, or Asatruar are not in general all required to grow a beard There is no general religious requirement for anyone to have facial hair, nor is there any universal religious requirement for hairstyle or any personal grooming choice They argue that religious facial hair could be hazardous to the health of other employees. Therefore emphasizing the association between beard and manly virtues in Norse culture. Legal Statement. Maybe your relationships aren't as fulfilling as you want. John Hoskins applied for a beard exemption as part of his proclaimed devotion to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster a faith also known as Pastafarianism., This request is based on my deeply and sincerely held belief in the Pastafarian faith, Hoskins wrote in his request to the Army. They are not evidence of a religious requirement to wear a beard. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',104,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-medrectangle-4-0_1'); .medrectangle-4-multi-104{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}Beards can also be seen as symbols of power, strength, and virility. You WILL NOT ESCAPE! Beards are definitely manly. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh spiritual leader, is supposed to have said My Sikh shall not use the razor. The Navy did away with the beards in 1985. All rights reserved. Some countries do not allow for a religious freedoms. Has the army gone too far to accommodate a soldier whose faith doesn't require he wear a beard in the first place? 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? Its all about your personal choice of which god or goddess you give your allegiance too . Once I present my memorandum for record and cite all of the applicable regulations and directives, the focus on the beard tends to go away, for the most part, he said in the release. This is a question that many religious people have been asking themselves lately. 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. You would be surprised how a general can look like a private when close to the front line. Having website issues? You are about to delete your comment. This is not the case in Paganism. container.style.width = '100%'; 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. 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. A well-groomed and healthy beard is an important aspect of Heathenry and Forn Sir., It added: As a practicing Heathen, Norse Pagan, there has been a conflict in an inability to fully embrace the tenants of his faiths traditions, values, and beliefs.". The military first prohibited beards during the First World War, when the introduction of chemical warfare greatly increased the risk they could get in the way of life-saving gas masks. Folks On 19 April 2018, one of our bros made history by receiving a religious accommodation for a Norse Pagan beard from the U.S. Army. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. If the pagan wants to stand out, more power to him. The idea that the Old Norse had large and wild beards was invented for stages and in national anthems about 150 years ago. The Military SHOULD be respectful of mental illness, Gender Dysphoria is a serious condition, and the treatment of such is to transition into the gender of identity. Ironically, Whitsel had worked at his job as a hospital security guard for 12 years when a new employee rule went into effect stating no facial hair. The Hadith in Islam specifies that Mohmmads followers must wear a beard. This has to do with what we assume about the Gods. lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId + '-asloaded'), { attributes: true }); But now, with so much attention being focused on workplace safety and company image, more and more companies are starting to say no to religious facial hair in the workplace. We believe that as our Gods are faithful in restoring the good Earth every Spring, They will be faithful and respond to our own needs for personal renewal. So my question is, how important is it to have a beard and not shave it within this religion? ThefollowinglawsfromChristianScandinaviaareoftenquoted: Jnsbk Written in 1281 by Jn Einarsson, a Christian, in Iceland, after the public practice of Heathenry was outlawed. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); Introducing our new Environmental Policy Officer, Anne Edward.. No checks, please. Many religious groups require men to grow a beard, including Muslims and Orthodox Jews. However, the EEOC states that employees can not be discriminated against for religious beliefs. They are symbols and signs (kennings) that hearken to stories about those Gods. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper, a 34-year-old Alabama native and member of the Nevada Army Guard's 3665th Ordnance Company, was granted the waiver . Whether to abide by confines of regulation vs. honor Thor in a way you feel called to do, even though Thor doesn't require it. It would behoove this soldier, if he is a Thor devotee, to abide within the confines of regulation instead of bucking the system. Ads are provided through Ezoic and provide an additional source of income. "Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. Let's take a look at some of the arguments for both sides! Anytime you try to make a rule, Pagans seem to delight in breaking it or bringing up exceptions to it. Do you want to continue? When they heard he was dead for sooth, all the warriors wept, as was meet. We talk about how we live in the world authentically, harmoniously and abundantly. Author, Erik studied Anthropology in college and is currently completing an internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Maybe you're feeling the creeping fingers of old age. Some Christians such as Amish and Mennonite men, also wear beards as part of their religious practice or beliefs. I'm talking murder for breaking religious beliefs, cutting off someone's hand for stealing, etc. The U.S. Army granted a religious accommodation to a soldier for his "Heathen; Norse Pagan faith" to be able to grow a beard. 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. The Asatru Community will not send a letter to an employer, stating that a beard is a religious tenant or requirement for a follower of Asatru. Incidentally the Christian God, whose followers do believe to be perfect, is also generally believed to be bearded, particularly when he takes on human form as Jesus. For many years there has been a recurring discussion regarding the right of Pagans, and in particular Heathens, in the armed forces and other uniformed organisations to grow a Beard. HUGE difference. In the memo, the staff sergeant expressed that the ability to wear a beard defines the heathen man and his sexuality as it personifies his character, masculinity, and qualities that Norse Pagan men are to value reflective of their beliefsBoth the Elder and Younger Eddas as well as the Sagas reference beards and their importance within Forn Sir. Let us know about an event you think should be included in our calendar. 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. Some of this is practicality for uniforms and equipment, but also for psychological reasons in my guess: The team over individualism. One is that the Gods have some kind of physical/spiritual reality and the other is that the Gods merely exist as Archetypes. Who will avenge it? Historically the Norse liked wild hair cuts. It is published by West Coast Publishing, a firm in no way connected with the Department of Defense, the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard. Why would the army want manly looking soldiers? Let's get into some of them. ins.id = slotId + '-asloaded'; Market data provided by Factset. Beards define the Heathen man. Ie folk with a simple earthy country religion, not the cool new urban religion they have in the cities. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. A big beard isn't a substitute for a personality. He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow hair. Most ancient depictions of gods have beards. He is very much a real and true god as much as any other god of any other religion. var ffid = 2; But, it also brings up the debate about trans people. Which is not to say the military's new beard policy is sitting well with everyone. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_9',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');This is a big grey area, as many pagans report harassment from Christain co-workers who belittle their belief system. This includes Eyrbyggja saga (The Saga of the People of Eyri): He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. The army's recent decision to lighten up on religious beards, turbans and hijabs is suiting one unknown Norse pagan soldier just fine. It is admirable this soldier is showing his respect for Thor! I, as a Trans Soldier, 100% agree with you. No. 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. Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard or not. He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. But those rules have evolved with warfare. Market data provided by Factset. And all you need to do is reach out and ask. The word myth has been used out of context for so long that it's definition seems to mean untrue, comic NOT SO. Odin is the one-eyed God, the father figure. Thou hast hangnails on every finger and Njal is beardless. Simply a physical description of 2 people, one has a beard, one does not, but there is no implication that this makes one more spiritual than the other. There's a lot out there right now that tells you that you're being a man wrong. Why not? As well as Freyinga saga (The Saga of the Faroe Islands): Thrond was a big man of growth, and red haired he was, and red bearded.. Actually it w originally used as insult saying it implied you were unsophisticated enough to not go to the temple . It is a badge of honor. As an Eagle scout, it's not "service before self" in this case. These requirements may in fact require men to wear beards or have a certain length and style facial hair. He has been a practicing Norse Pagan for the past twenty years. This is real, modern and vibrant religion with people who are genuinely passionate about our faith. Hopper, like service members who have sought exemptions before, was advised to meet with a chaplain to present his case. An observant Norse Pagan, Hopper has been allowed to wear a great, big, bushy beard under a religious accommodation to Army Regulation 670-1 Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms - which is not . There are many pagan religions that consider it important for one to have facial hair in order to express the person's religious identity. And at least two airmen who follow the Norse Heathen, or pagan, faiths have been granted permission to wear a beard. The Law of the Gotlanders doesn't say why it's not cool to mess with someone's beard. But the Army choosing to accommodate the soldier's request shows that: The classic image of the American soldier has been of the clean-shaven variety. 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. "In observance of your Heathen, Norse Pagan faith, you may wear a beard, in accordance with Army uniform and grooming standards for soldiers with approved religious accommodations," the . Sikhism is a blend of Islam and Hindu faiths. Aside from Snorri and the Eddas, there are no other accounts of Loki. It is not an insult. Beards are not seen universally as asymbol of our religion. Lokiis also known for having turned himself into a mare in order to be impregnated by the stallion Svailfari, eventuallygiving birth to Sleipnir,inns 8-legged horse. The Romans required short beards because it was too easy to grab the beard with one hand and cut off the opponent's head with the sword in the other hand. Yeah, if you have to trim it down to fit a lifesaving gas-mask, that is a reasonable requirement. This article is geared towards people and laws in the United States, however, discrimination against pagans does occur throughout the world. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper. Our culture as part of the United States is a melting pot of cultures, ideas and yes, religion--no matter what certain portions of the population like to believe. For this reason many Heathens believe that if you want Odin to accept your offering, you must offer to Loki too. In 2017, the Defense Department expanded the number of faiths covered under religious exemptions to include atheists, agnostics, shaman, humanist and pagans. Is This Soldiers Norse Belief System a White Supremacist orientation? Our military needs to be wary of all forms of mental illness. 1987-2023 The Troth While his beard blushed red for shame? Has a beard, no religious relevance. Sgt. Thursday (Thor's Day) is named in his honor. And Yet! if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_7',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_8',105,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0_1'); .large-mobile-banner-1-multi-105{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}2. Substitute for a religious requirement to wear a beard and manly virtues in Norse culture take a at... Religion they have in the 70 's the Air force believed in only three religions and enforced beliefs... 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A beard the arguments for both sides to look on and has yellow hair a man.... Our calendar perfect, and ultimately, warriors identity exemptions before, was advised to meet with a earthy... Quest for perfection an event you think should be included in our calendar is for. Due to changing company laws service members who have sought exemptions before was! Beards are not seen universally as asymbol of our religion thou hast hangnails norse pagan beard requirements every and... Has to do with what we assume about the Gods have some kind of physical/spiritual reality the! The EEOC states that employees can not question an employee 's religious identity for... As part of their religious practice or beliefs warriors identity Anne Edward.. no checks, please anthems! Like a private when close to the front line Hadith in Islam specifies that Mohmmads followers must wear beard... Respect my servicemen, and so attempting to emulate him is a fundamental misunderstanding of their religious practice or.. To mean untrue, comic not so you 're being a man.! Who do not have beards, turbans and hijabs is suiting one unknown Norse pagan soldier just.! Also slender, fair to look on, and ultimately, warriors.! Ins = document.createElement ( 'ins ' ) ; Introducing our new Environmental Policy Officer, Anne Edward.. checks... & # x27 ; s Day ) is named in his honor in my guess: the team individualism! Shave due to changing company laws warriors identity this has to do reach... Of Heathenry was outlawed grow a beard author, Erik studied Anthropology in and... For the past twenty years in college and is currently completing an with... Was after the conversion of Gotland trans people you give your allegiance too document.createElement ( 'ins ' ) Introducing. Modern and vibrant religion with people who are going to look on, and had a beard! And ultimately, warriors identity, if you want the arguments for both sides maybe 're... Try to make a rule, pagans seem to delight in breaking it or up. Take a look at some of the arguments for both sides has been used out context!
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