Numerous references in Konungsbk Eddukva, the most sacred text in Norse culture and religion, actually reinforce the association between beards and masculinity as well as virtue. 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. ;). Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The chaplain corps will work with any military member to aid them in a genuine pursuit of an accommodation, Joint Force State Chaplain Maj. Donald Crandell said. It is purely societal, and even if it were spiritual, these are Christian laws, from a period where the practice of Heathenry was outlawed. He has been a practicing Norse Pagan for the past twenty years. This includes allowing employees to wear religious clothing or facial hair in the workplace. Power to American Constitution rightly discerned and upheld. There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry, the post read. 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.. [Robert Heinlein, "Notebooks of Lazarus Long," from Time Enough for Love (1973).]. 11 Core Nordic Religion Principal Beliefs, Celebrate Pagan Holidays, PO Box 628051, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, USA, Paganism Is On the Rise! Reputation is at the very core of Heathenry. 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. Firstly it is equating Loki with the Christian Devil which is a fundamental misunderstanding of their role. Some countries do not allow for a religious freedoms. This money helps us pay our writers and website expenses. Beards are not seen universally as asymbol within Heathenry of masculinity and manliness, But many Norse Pagans do have beards, and some specific traditions within Heathenry do have grooming and appearance requirements, If you're interested in actual Asatru, you can start here with. But can we take this as a universal rule? You might agree with one view or the other or a different way altogether, but here are two of the popular views on the subject. In this section we will examine the evidence that is often put forward. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. This is a question that many religious people have been asking themselves lately. Away with you home ye dung-beardlings! Kesh, or 'uncut hair' is one of the five religious requirements of. And, no I'm not talking about what military does killing people. It is sometimes pointed out that there have been cases in the US military whereby Heathens have been allowed to wear beards. Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. 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. The Sikh Coalition, the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the. Not Surprisingly They had NO Problems with outsiders.. ;). He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow hair. Employers cannot question an employee's religious beliefs, but they can ask for reasonable documentation to support the religious accommodation request. In this Grgs the very first chapter is Christian Law. Beards are in fact the true expression of spirituality, masculinity, and what it means to be Heathen. A main character in Njls saga is Gunnar Hmundarson. They are our soul. Several pagan men have faced discrimination or have been told to change shave due to changing company laws. Erik desires to be a Viking when he grows up and has worked in Outdoor Adventure leading hikes and rafting trips. No checks, please. 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.". It's certainly true that religious freedom exemptions can be fraught with silliness we have seen civil institutions struggle to accommodate all manner of faith exemptions, such as Pastafarians demanding the right to wear their standard-issue colander hats for their driver's license photos. She asks, is it the beardless carle? Physical description of someone who doesnt have a beard. When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. Why? Any resemblance to news may be purely coincidental. A man who encompasses so well what it means to be a Normar, that his name, Gunnar, is now one of the most common and revered names in Iceland and other Nordic countries. Yay!!! Norse Pagans may. Odin is blood sworn to Loki, and stated that he will not drink unless one is offered to Loki as well. They will investigate your claim and may take legal action against your employer. 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. I recently saw an article about some Norse-Pagan US Army soldiers being allowed to keep their beards due to their religion. 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. The Army Times reported in April 2018 that under those regulations, a soldier at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., had been granted permission to wear a beard in accordance with his Norse pagan faith. If there are any concerns about health and safety, the employer can ask that the employee keep their religious attire or facial hair trimmed. While the religious accommodation is pretty much set in stone for the soldiers career, it may be temporarily suspended if there is a threat of exposure to certain toxic agents which require all soldiers to be clean-shaven, and, because of the beard, the soldier is also barred from attending military schools with toxic agent training or being assigned to positions that require compliance with biological, chemical, or nuclear surety requirements. But consider a couple philosophical things first. This is just as much an argument that all Heathens should be slender with yellow hair as it is that they should wear beards. And it gives us even less of a window into its religious importance, or whether it had sacred importance at all. 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. Lokialso happens to be the only Norse god without a beard. He was told to shave or be fired. i believe it is a welcome change to those like myself who never could please the brass even by shaving twice a day. 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. Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard. A physical description of someone who had a beard. Whenever you hear or read stuff like this, ask yourself what the motivation is for the people writing it. Never swear thou wrongsome oath: great and grim is the reward for breaking the plighted troth Volsunga C. 21. Finally Loki is believed by many to be a gender fluid deity and this offers a far more compelling argument for the lack of a beard than the idea that it is to mark them out as being less virtuous. It'll give you the feeling like your only hope is a bottle of vitamins, a set of weights or a wilderness survival seminar. However, we are not actively promoting a trend in this direction or seeking to normalize it.. Thor is just as credible as all other gods, and as long as it doesn't interfere with his ability to perform his duties as a soldier. Nothing is mentioned about Loki having a beard or not. Overall, it is simply an outdated view that is not compatible with the modern military. Let us call him "the beardless carle" but his sons we will call dung-beardlings., Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer., He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse., Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys., Ye are nicknamed "dung-beardlings" but my husband "the beardless carle., Away with you home ye dung-beardlings! 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. Upon joining the military individuals swear an oath to the Monarch to follow the rules of the service they have joined. "There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry," Open Halls said in a 2017 statement. So my question is, how important is it to have a beard and not shave it within this religion? These laws are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today. The first blt (the rituals of satr are called blt) was held on Jnsmessa, Midsummer Night. Maj. John Troxell, the senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently insisted beards remain both a distraction and a "gimmick.". The Army last year granted its first beard authorization to a Norse pagan soldier. I know because I was on a "Med cruise" when we had to shave the beards. If the above saga quotes can be used to argue that Heathens should be allowed a beard, then these Bible quotes could just as easily be used to argue that Christians should be allowed a beard. In stanza 11, another connection is made between beard and wisdom, reading The wolf shall rule the Niflungs' heritage, O bearded sages. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); 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 . 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. 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. Have a question for us or an officer? 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. Many of the new "grooming standards" were laid out in a 2017 decision to accommodate religious requirements for facial hair. ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; It is also worth noting that Royal Navy and Royal Airforce dress code regulations allow the wearing of beards for anyone who can grow a full set regardless of religious beliefs. On all fronts perceptions are changing and in this new 21st century world, old and outdated practices are going by the wayside. In 1699, Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh spiritual leader, is supposed to have said My Sikh shall not use the razor. 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. Observation Post articles reflect author observations or attempts at humor. However, never having served in the military, I don't know that for sure. This sort of thing creates a false image of our religion and sets a poor precedent. The U.S. Army granted a religious accommodation to a soldier for his "Heathen; Norse Pagan faith" to be able to grow a beard. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? 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. Takes very little time to rub soap on ur head and face than trying o shampoo and comb hair if your bald . 19 November, 2022 - 12:00 PM EST to 19 November, 2022 - 3:00 PM EST. Or is the case of a Norse Pagan being allowed to celebrate his faith while in the armed forces just a sign that we live in more tolerant times? Still has one ;) ifthere are Specific Jobs that one Can not wear a Beard. Likewise, they would not be able to worship the old Gods, as these laws specifically forbid it. Therefore emphasizing the association between beard and manly virtues in Norse culture. Let Us Knowso we can help. In all of the above sources there is no spiritual aspect to the wearing of beards. Whether or not you have a beard doesn't matter anymore than whether or not you have chest hair. It's not a faith. They will protect us. Perhaps then we don't need a military? Cash and in small bills. We know people who are in the SCA and this is not the SCA. No. The army's recent decision to lighten up on religious beards, turbans and hijabs is suiting one unknown Norse pagan soldier just fine. A solitary Wiccan, Erik writes about Wicca, Norse religion, and making altars. 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. "Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard." - A physical description of someone who had a beard. Many shaved and kept the moustache. 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. A man known for his physical prowess, his masculine virtue, and of course, his beard. As an Eagle scout, it's not "service before self" in this case. 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. Should pagans be allowed to wear a beard in the workplace? His son Thor is the god of thunder, who wields the divine Hammer, Mjolnir. Most blacks stuck with the crew cut and white sidewall because it was more traditional. From the perspective of slendingasgur, the ancient texts that provide us with such great insight into traditional viking life and thus Forn Sir, a Normar is not considered worthy, or even a man, if he doesnt have a beard. In short, it is honoring the pillars of heathenism, our ancestors and ancient gods and way of life.. Enjoy! Employers must offer religious accommodations with regard to religious garb and grooming, as long as it does not cause undue hardship for the company. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! 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. Very first chapter is Christian Law post articles reflect author observations or attempts at humor us our... 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