Virtues - Courage

Courage: The ability to act appropriately in the face of danger.¹




Courage

noun \ˈkər-ij, ˈkə-rij\ : mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty ²




In 1929, a scholar by the name of Georges Dumézil posited a theory that would prove both influential


and controversial to scholars and neo-pagan religionists alike. The theory was that of the trifunctionality


of Proto-Indo-European society and according to Dumézil, there was a priestly class, a warrior class,

and a producer class³. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Dumézil though, one thing that is


clear from archaeological, mythological, and historical evidence from across the various Indo-European


cultures, is that the figure of the courageous warrior, is worthy of respect.



However, courage is not the sole domain of warriors, or a warrior class, and it is something to laud in


all cases. I believe that like all other virtues, courage can be developed by the individual; for to develop


the virtue of courage, is to develop the ability to not only aspire to greater things, but to serve your


community, and in turn make your ancestors and community proud of you. Courage can be a hard


virtue to develop, but one thing I've noticed from my very varied life, is that courage can be developed


like any other habit, with each courageous act, no matter how small, providing the basis for more


courageous acts. Unfortunately however, in the same way, cowardice or apathy can also become


habits.




I find it extremely positive that ADF has not only set down courage as a virtue, but that that idea of


courage is a real, every day one, as opposed to one bound to notions of fake warriorhood.

1 Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courage

3Woudhuizen, Fred C. (2010). Reflections of a Trifunctional Religious Ideology among Indo-European Population Groups of the 3^rd and 2^nd Millenia BC.

Virtues - Fertility

Fertility: bounty of mind, body and spirit, involving creativity, production of objects, food, works of art,

etc,. an appreciation of the physical, sensual, nurturing.


Fertility

noun [uncountable] /fɜrˈtɪləti/

1. ability of the soil to produce a lot of good crops or plants.
2. a woman's ability to have babies.
a. used about traditions and ceremonies that encourage fertility.
3. someone's ability to have good ideas or produce good work.¹

Fertility of crops, the propagation of the new generation, descendants to keep your name and offer to you when you've passed. These are the traditional ideas of fertility, these were the kinds of fertility valued by our IE ancestors.

However, we now live in far easier times. We no longer count our age in the number of winters survived, and gone are the days when people would have children with the expectation that half of them would die. The family unit itself has changed too, and is no longer confined to the traditional 'man + woman + 2.4 children' formula of previous years. Thankfully, as a woman, my social worth is no longer bound up in my ability to produce a son.

On a personal level, I have felt the pain of infertility and pregnancy loss and although I'm finally a mother, I am so very glad that ADF defines fertility far more widely than it was defined historically. I've seen communities that operate by and emphasize the more traditional fertility of body, and I've seen the hurt that happens when (usually) women are 'othered' because of infertility issues in those communities, and I think it's the most unhealthy way to run a community. We all have our different skills and talents, our varied ways of contributing to our communities and all should be valued. Moreover, psychologists have found a strong correlation between curiosity of mind (which leads to curiosity), and positive mental health outcomes², which I think only serves to further underline the wisdom of the ADF definition of fertility.

1 Fertility American English definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/fertility

2  TALENT DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES : Articles. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://talentdevelop.com/articlelive/articles/901/1/Curiosity-an-Engine-of-Well-being-An-Interview-with-Todd-Kashdan/Page1.html

Virtues - Hospitality

Hospitality: Acting as both a gracious host and an appreciative guest, involving benevolence, friendliness, humor, and the honoring of a 'gift for a gift'.1

Hospitiality

noun \ˌhäs-pə-ˈta-lə-tē\

: generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests : hospitable treatment

: the activity of providing food, drinks, etc. for people who are the guests or customers of an organization2

One night, a long time ago, on a farmstead somewhere between Skalaholt and Frodis-water, something strange was happening. Instead of the peace that descends in the dead of night, when all in a house are sleeping, there was noise. It wasn't a noise caused by the living, but by the dead roused to an undead animated state by great offence. The draugr, or animated dead, who was causing the noise, was a woman by the name of Thorgunna, and she was quite busy preparing food for her funeral party who had been denied their proper measure of hospitality by a miserly host. So great was the offence of being inhospitable, that it was enough to anger and rouse the dead.3

The relationship between host and guest is one of reciprocity, in which the guest is properly appreciative, and the host properly generous. So it is perhaps no surprise that both 'guest' and 'host' derive from the same Indo-European word, 'ghosti'.4 I believe that hospitality is sacred, and the violation thereof by either host or guest, a serious transgression that negatively affects the luck of those involved. As reciprocity is the basis for our relationships with the Kindreds, and hospitality an integral part of that reciprocity, I agree with the inclusion of hospitality in the ADF list of virtues.



(Apologies for the wonky formatting, the doc. to blog transfer didn't go too well with this one :( )

   

1. Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

 2. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hospitality

3. The Saga of the Ere-Dwellers - Chapter 51. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://sagadb.org/eyrbyggja_saga.en

4. Serith, C. (2009). Deep ancestors: Practicing the religion of the proto-Indo-Europeans. Tucson, AZ: ADF Pub.

   

Virtues - Integrity

Integrity: Honor; being trustworthy to oneself and to others, involving oath-keeping, honesty, fairness, respect, self-confidence¹

Integritynoun \in-ˈte-grə-tē\

: the quality of being honest and fair

: the state of being complete or whole²

I find integrity to be the rarest virtue in the modern world, and the very act of trying to live as a person of integrity, nearly revolutionary. From personal experience, I know that there can be no integrity without courage, or perseverance.

As a person of a more Germanic persuasion, my immediate association with integrity is with oath-keeping, and the disdain historically reserved for oath-breakers. The oath is sacred, and for good reason, for how could a community rely on a person if they cannot trust his or her word? Or even know who that person is because they're lacking in the necessary self-confidence to be authentic?

The ability to keep an oath, was one that was valued among many IE cultures, and I believe the virtue of integrity is necessary for modern Pagans/Druids/Heathens if we want the paths we walk so joyously to still be here for our children. Integrity is one of the most effective ways of avoiding the kinds of strife that so often plague our communities.

1
  Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2  (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity

Virtues - Moderation

Moderation: Cultivating one's appetites so that one is neither a slave to them nor driven to ill health (mental or physical), through excess or deficiency.¹



Moderation. noun.

An avoidance of extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits <the kind of person who does

everything in moderation> ²

Out of all of the virtues, I personally find moderation the hardest, not so much in terms of food or drink anymore, however when it comes to study and working on projects, I get very absorbed, often to the point of neglecting everything else and not sleeping properly for days. I recognise that this is not a healthy way to be, and am trying to figure out how to limit myself so that I still manage to make enough progress that I don't feel like I did nothing, but in a far more balanced way.

Moderation is counselled in the Havamal, we are told it's best to not eat to our 'own life's hurt'³, 'keep not the mead cup but drink thy measure'⁴, 'speak needful words or none'⁵, and that it's best to not 'wax too wise'⁶, as ' seldom a heart will sing with joy if the owner be all too wise.'⁷

I agree with ADF in that it is a virtue (and was in the Pagan period). However, I do think that we should be careful that we don't mistake moderation for not fully experiencing our Paganisms or breaking down those mental barriers between our Judeo-Christian enculturation and Paganism. As Oscar Wilde famously said, 'Everything in moderation, including moderation.'

Words - 220 (excl. quotes)

1

 Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2   (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moderation

3 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 20. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

4 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 19. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

5Ibid.

6 Bellows, H. (1923). Havamal 55. In The poetic Edda,. New York: The American-Scandinavian Foundation.

7Ibid.

Virtues - Perseverance

Perseverance: Drive; the motivation to pursue goals even when that pursuit becomes difficult.(1)

Perseverance, noun (\ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s\)  :continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition :the action or condition or an instance of persevering : steadfastness.(2)

Indo-European cultures are replete with myths of the heroic, and if there is one thing that all of these heroes have in common, regardless of which culture they originated from, it's that they all demonstrated perseverance through difficult times.

They all encountered ordeal, persevered, and often triumphed, thus becoming shining exemplars for us in our own lives. The hero is not the one who gives up and decides to just sit around feeling sorry for him or herself, but the one who continues to strive, and it's through the striving that that heroism is conveyed, as opposed to the triumphing.

My favourite example of perseverance from a somewhat unconventional heroine, is that of Signy from the Volsunga Saga. After being married, her husband betrays and kills her entire family save for the one brother she manages to save, and so she then enacts a revenge plot that takes years to complete. During the course of that revenge, she sacrifices her own children, commits incest with her brother in order to breed a pure descendant of the Volsung line, Sinfjötli, and finally sees her husband dead. There is no triumph for her, save for the fulfillment of Frith, that force that demanded blood for the blood of her family. In the end, she chooses to die with her husband, declaring herself 'not fit to live' because of the lengths she had gone to in order to attain that vengeance for her family. Perseverance reminds us that it's not failure that is to be feared, but giving up, and that effort should always be lauded.



Words - 263 (excl. quotes)


Sources (the formatting *really* didn't work, this computer gives me a sad)

1. Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perseverance

Virtues - Piety

Piety: correct observance of ritual and social traditions; the maintenance of the agreements, both personal and societal, that we humans have with the Gods and Spirits. Keeping the Old Ways, through ceremony and duty. ¹
Piety: noun \ˈpī-ə-tē\ 1: the quality or state of being pious: as

a : fidelity to natural obligations (as to parents)

b : dutifulness in religion : devoutness

2 : an act inspired by piety

3: a conventional belief or standard : orthodoxy²

Piety was an important virtue in every Indo-European culture, and it had very little to do with actual belief. In fact, we get the word 'Atheist' from the Pagan Romans, who expected the Christians to be pious enough to make the simple offerings that maintained the Pax Deorum ('peace of the gods'), and they really didn't care that the Christians didn't believe in those offerings³. Another example of Pagans from an Indo-European culture expecting rites to be followed regardless of the belief of the person doing them, is that of the Christian king Haakon ('the Good'), who was compelled to participate in Heathen rites regardless of his personal disdain for them⁴. The thoughts of the individual are not nearly as important as the maintenance of the reciprocal relationships between the community and the kindreds. As polytheists, our focus is typically on orthopraxy as opposed to orthodoxy, in other words, what is done is far more important than what is thought. Which is why it is possible for the many hearth cultures of ADF to nestle so harmoniously under the same umbrella, and also why it is a virtue to maintain our shrines, give our offerings, and continue our practices regardless of whether or not we 'feel like it'.


Words - 212 (excl. quotations)

1 
  Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2  (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piety

3
Kirsch, J. (2004). God against the gods: The history of the war between monotheism and polytheism (p. 16).        New York: Viking Compass.

4  Heimskringla: The Saga of Haakon the Good. Cha. 17-18

Virtues - Vision

“Vision: The ability to broaden one's perspective, to have a greater understanding 
of our place/role in the cosmos, relating to past, present, and future.” 1

1. The ability to think about and plan for the future using intelligence and 
    imagination, especially in politics and business.
   1.a. Someone's idea or hope of how something should be done or how it will be 
          in the future.
2. The ability to see
3. A person or image that appears to someone, for example, in a dream or a 
    religious experience.
4. Someone or something that is very beautiful.2


Around the year 1000 CE, in Iceland, a lawspeaker by the name of Þorgeir 
Þorkelsson faced an unenviable decision. The Christians of the island had decided
 that they no longer wanted to live under  Pagan laws, and the Pagans didn't want 
to forsake the gods of their ancestors. Moreover, if they did not convert, the king 
of Norway, a Christian himself, had also threatened to essentially impose a trade
 embargo on the island which relied on imports for its survival.3


 Aside from the slow death that the economic sanctions would bring to the island,  
Þorgeir had to avoid the more immediate threat of violence at Thing and social 
division. In other words, this was a decision that would require true vision, the kind 
of vision that takes into account factors both seen and unseen, and so Þorgeir 
went 'under the cloak'. When the lawspeaker emerged, he decreed that all would 
convert officially, but would be free to worship the gods in private. I think Þorgeir 
Þorkelsson demonstrated the kind of true vision as ADF defines it with his decision,
 as not only did Iceland survive that crisis and remained united, but the old Gods 
have returned. I like to think that this return was the unseen factor revealed to
 him under the cloak, and that he was truly wise and made a decision that 
encompasses past, present, and future. The old bonds are honoured, the island 
thrives yet, and the gods are to receive a new temple. 4



Words - 249

1

In Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing.

2  Vision American English definition and synonym | Macmillan Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from   http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/vision

3 Aðalsteinsson, J. (1999). Under the cloak: A pagan ritual turning point in the conversion of Iceland (2nd, extended ed., pp. 80-81). Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan, Félagsvísindastofnun.

4 First Asatru temple in 900 years? (2015, April 24). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.mbl.is/english/news/2014/10/14/first_pagan_hof_in_900_years/

Virtues - Wisdom

Wisdom: good judgment, the ability to perceive people and situations correctly, delib-erate about and decide on the correct response.¹

1. The ability to make good decisions based on knowledge and experience.
2. Knowledge that you have gained over a long period. ²

For me, the virtue of wisdom is the most important, and something that I strive for above all others. One of my main deities is a god of wisdom, and his example teaches us how we can become wise and exercise wisdom ourselves.
In Scandinavian and Germanic lore, Woden/Odin travels the worlds both in search of answers and experience. As verse 28 of the Havamal tells us, "wise he is deemed who can question well and answer back." and as the Allfather learns from a wide variety of sources, from the seeress of Voluspa, to the giant of Vafthruthnismal, it is best that we do so too. For it is only from casting our nets widely that we can gain the experience and Vision needed in order to be wise.

Wisdom also requires sacrifice, as Odin demonstrates on two occasions. In Gylfaginning XV, he sacrifices his eye to Mimir's well in exchange for a single drink of the wisdom-filled well waters, and in Havamal 137-138 he hangs upon the world tree in order to gain the runes.

That he hung on the tree for nine days and nights demonstrates that wisdom cannot be gained without self discipline. Nor, as Grimnismal teaches us, can it be excercised without self discipline either. In Grimnismal, king Geirröth shows poor judgement in torturing a disguised Odin between two fires without cause. On the ninth night when Odin reveals himself, not only has he gained more knowledge through his ordeal, but the king that tortured him for no other reason than than cruelty is punished, teaching us that it is impossible to make wise choices when so ruled by our passions.


Total word count inc. Quotes = 319

1
In Our Own Druidry: An Introduction to Ar nDraiocht Fein and the Druid Path (p. 62). Tucson, Arizona: ADF Publishing (2009).

2   Wisdom American English definition and synonym | Macmillan Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/wisdom

Please excuse the formatting for the references, they didn't quite paste right from Word and I'm not sure how to fix them.