On the Heathen Discord server Skíðblaðnir, I was recently involved in highly interesting discussions around the concept of a “framing narrative” for reconstruction. That is, defining for yourself a narrative around the person, or group of people, whose practices you wish to reconstruct. How our pre-Christian Ancestors lived and worshipped varied through time and in different communities, [1] so there’s an almost infinite array of possibilities here. Having a narrative helps focus and prevent you from running off down every intriguing side-path. (Hopefully. There are a lot of intriguing side-paths in this religion.)
For me personally, I have historically been Norse-focused perhaps by default, but also because my Heathen path began with a strong personal connection to Òðinn. I have close relations with other Norse Gods, most notably Sif and Frigga, as well as the Goddesses known by some as “Frigga’s Handmaidens”. However, I have recently felt a strong pull towards a more Old English mode of Heathenry. I have also increasingly felt that the aspects of the All-Father I have had a deep relationship with are perhaps more represented by Wōden than Òðinn per se (as described in [2]).
During conversation on this on Skid, the idea of Danelaw Heathenry was mentioned. This was something I had been tentatively thinking about, and others suggesting it felt like a nudge in the right direction.
The old Danelaw, where I and my mother’s side of the family were born and bred, is an area of England where the Danish Vikings ruled. This formal territory existed for approximately a century between the mid-800s to the mid-900s. However there was a wider period of Danish and Norse colonisation and cultural mixing with the Old English beyond the strictly-defined Danelaw, the influence of which can be observed today in place-names and dialect [3]. “Viking England” or “Anglo-Scandinavian England” might be a more correct term, however at this time I feel “Danelaw” suits my purposes because it is culturally well understood and the term used in modern Britain for this aspect of our history.
Instinctively I would focus my narrative around York, famously a centre of Viking culture in England, and Yorkshire in general. Of course I will take in evidence from the rest of the Danelaw, but as this is both where my personal roots are and a key part of the Danelaw it makes sense. I also aim to reconstruct the religion of ordinary people, farmers and craftsmen, rather than the elite or aristocracy. I imagine the persona whose religion I am working towards being a woman of mixed Anglo-Saxon and Danish/Viking heritage.
Having this focus and purpose in mind, and undertaking a project of reconstruction myself rather than simply building on that of others, feels like an incredible step forward for me. I’m sure this will be a difficult undertaking, that I will need help and will make mistakes, but I am happy and proud that I am taking this challenge.
References
- Pantheon? What Pantheon, Terry Gunnell, 2015 Scripta Islandica 66: 55–76 [link]
- Uses of Wodan, Philip Andrew Shaw, 2002, PhD thesis, University of Leeds [link]
- The Danelaw: A place or an idea?, Judith Jesch, 2019 https://emidsvikings.ac.uk/blog/the-danelaw-a-place-or-an-idea/
wandering blackbird 