Let us know about an event you think should be included in our calendar. Finally, some companies suggest allowing religious people to wear religious facial hair, but only if the beard is kept very short and trimmed. Now What I might have issue with..?. In this section we will examine the evidence that is often put forward. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent - it says so right here on the label. There is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available these days. Latest Statistics and Studies, Norse Mythology Children's Book Reviews For Pagan Families, The Law of Attraction: How Can It Help Your Practice, Rodnovery: Animal Totems And Spirit Guides, How to Setup a Norse Pagan Altar ( Complete list of supplies needed ), Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of the Underworld and Moon, Full Moons Throughout The Year 2023: Names and Meanings, Heng - o (Ch'ang-o): Chinese Moon Goddess, 21 Best Pagan Names For Cats (Including Meanings). The TV show Vikings has characters change their hair annually. So my question is, how important is it to have a beard and not shave it within this religion? God, Country, Family, Self. Please add it so we can review and approve. The move came as a result of the Army authorizing beards for religious soldiers in January 2017 as part of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a move specifically enacted for Sikh soldiers but applied to all religions,Army Times reported. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. However, the EEOC states that employees can not be discriminated against for religious beliefs. "Why are beards so important in Nordic paganism?" We don't have rules like the 10 Commandments. They are not evidence of a religious requirement to wear a beard. 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. Other challenges may come from inside paganism and include racism or persons that tell you how pagans should worship. Lokiis the least favorite of all sir, and a Norse god typically associated with negative behavior as well as the dark side of humans. Thor is called red beard. Whether we go to Heaven, Nirvana, Valhalla, or wherever, when we DIE IN SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY, in this life we protect the American ideal and in fact, part of that ideal is respecting the diversity this country defends! Once a soldier with Gender Dysphoria has transitioned they are usually free of serious dysphoric episodes and are just as capable of serving in the military as literally anyone else. 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. Your neighbors of numerous cultures, your countless masses who came here for a real shot at life, all Americans like you. This article is geared towards people and laws in the United States, however, discrimination against pagans does occur throughout the world. Many made interesting patterns. 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. This might include a letter from a religious leader or another official document that shows that the practice is required or preferred by the religion. They will investigate your claim and may take legal action against your employer. i believe it is a welcome change to those like myself who never could please the brass even by shaving twice a day. It is simply too bad that in the 70's the Air force believed in only three religions and enforced their beliefs upon everyone. Many misinformed groups argue that Heathens should be allowed exemptions from dress-code rules and uniform regulations with regards to facial hair on religious grounds. 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. The beard is and has always been a defining feature of being Heathen, and a religious symbol of Forn Sir.In fact, the beard is a religious symbol of Forn Sir or Heathenry as much as the kippot is a religious symbol of Judaism, or the beard and the pagri are a religious symbol of Sikhism. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. This is not a matter of religious rights, rather a matter of attempting to get the authority you swore the Oath to, to change the conditions of the Oath. In fact, Command Sgt. Looking to celebrate pagan holidays? 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. It is not an insult. He was a big man and strong, fair to look on, and had a great beard. LOLyes, I have too, and this is why grooming standards for facial hair were invented! 1st Class Benjamin Hopper is the first guard soldier to receive a religious accommodation approval for a beard. As we all know paganism is very diverse and some studies look at paganism as a whole. Naval Institute):Nobody Asked Me, But Beards Can Save Lives, Task and Purpose:A Soldier Just Got Permission To Rock A Beard Because Hes A Metal Heathen, Fox News:Army allows soldier to have beard because of his 'Norse Pagan' faith, Army Times:A soldier just got authorization to wear a beard because of his Norse pagan faith, Business Insider:A US soldier who worships the Norse thunder god Thor just got permission to keep his beard, Washington Times:Army allows soldier to grow a beard in observance of his Norse Pagan faith, Newsweek:Army soldier allowed to grow beard for norse religion, a heathen tradition, Stars and Stripes:Soldier allowed to have a beard because of his Norse pagan faith, Daily Mail:Soldier allowed to keep his beard because of his Norse pagan faith. This isn't the Society for Creative Anachronisms. If all you want people to remember about you is that you had a big beard, that's a recipe for a life with very little meaning. We, as Heathens, have no such religious requirement with regards to hair.. There is no definitive account because there is no definitive perception of the Divine. 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. I agree. get real! We even abandoned saluting officers in most situations in a combat zone, because it fronted the officer as a sniper target. 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 . There's a lot out there right now that tells you that you're being a man wrong. Introducing our new Environmental Policy Officer, Anne Edward.. 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. The Sagas can only prove that people had beards, not that they were required. 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). And Yet! But those rules have evolved with warfare. free resources on rituals in Norse Paganism and Heathenry. 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. It's also time for us to move forward and spend more time focused on our own relationship with God (or not), instead of worrying and persecuting others for what they believe, or don't. There are many challenges to being a pagan. Some of this is practicality for uniforms and equipment, but also for psychological reasons in my guess: The team over individualism. Next, vaccines are based off of *the previous year's strain," especially in cases like flu shots. The Navy did away with the beards in 1985. Norse pagans have no such requirements, although facial hair is encouraged. Some Christians such as Amish and Mennonite men, also wear beards as part of their religious practice or beliefs. The difference in Islam and Sikhism is that there is a specific Religious rather than social requirement. It would seem, then, that a beard was not required to participate in religion or society. 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. Norse Pagans may. Aside from Snorri and the Eddas, there are no other accounts of Loki. 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. 1st Class Benjamin Hopper a member of the Nevada National Guard, religious accommodation to Army Regulation 670-1 Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms. Hathen: "an unconverted member of a people or nation who does not acknowledge the God of the Bible" https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heathen therefore neither christians, muslims, nor jews are not heathens. No checks, please. It is a badge of honor. The wonderful thing about the Norse and many other pagan Sect's is there's very little centralized DOGMA and cast in stone rules on how each person must adhere . Upon joining the military individuals swear an oath to the Monarch to follow the rules of the service they have joined. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.. Statistically, it is growing quickly in the United States and Europe. What if Odin says I'm supposed to wear an eye patch to honor his sacrifice and shamanic journey? Sgt. 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.". From an sirand traditional Norse god perspective, a beard is therefore always associated with masculinity and virtue, including moral strength, manliness, valor, excellence, and worth, while the absence of a beard expresses feminization as well as depravity and immorality. Sikh soldiers seeking to preserve religious traditions. It's time we truly embraced religious tolerance for Christians, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, the others I've missed and pagans. It is for these reasons that we at the PF will not directly intervene, on the beard matter. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. 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. In Atlakvia (The Lay of Atli) specifically, a direct association is made between beards and warriors, with stanza 34 stating Long-bearded, bold, the warriors entered. The Gods are here for you, your ancestors are here for you, the spirits all around you are here for you regardless of whether you are struggling in life or you are feeling at the top of your game. We don't just talk about "the way things were" and argue about what kinds of fabric people may or may not have worn, we talk about the way things are now. 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.". If you like how vitamins make you feel, great. 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. He is a wise man and magician, who learned the secrets of the runes by hanging himself on the tree Yggdrasil for nine nights. var ffid = 2; You put in an internet search and BOOM, you're confronted with content that tells you all this stuff you feel is because you're really just failing at doing the whole "man" thing. ;( apparently due to the Racist attitudes of our "Commander in Chief" open White suppremacists have grown in our military.. Not GOOD! Cash and in small bills. Beards define the Heathen man. An employee should not have to choose between his faith and his livelihood.. Says Hallgerda "and so we will call you always from this day forth, but your father we will call "the beardless carle., I think that thy father the beardless carle must have given it.. 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 . These laws are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today. There is no religious requirement for beards in Heathenry, the post read. ins.dataset.adChannel = cid; "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 accommodation," the memo said. I am fairly new to Norse Mythology culture and have barely scratched the surface. Has the army gone too far to accommodate a soldier whose faith doesn't require he wear a beard in the first place? Our military needs to be wary of all forms of mental illness. If you were to apply these laws to Heathens, they would for example be able to avoid punishment for murder by paying werguild. Not so much. if(ffid == 2){ we live in a society where trans people are discriminated against in the military and special accomidations are made for people with imaginary friends. Therefore was he called Most-Beard, and he was the noblest man on the island., Snorri was middling in height and somewhat slender, fair to look on, straight faced and light of hue, of yellow hair and red beard., Chapter 32Ulfar wagged his beard and handed him the sword and shield.. Stop letting the actions of a few moronic individuals who claim they follow Norse religion dictate how the rest of them are viewed. What do you think? This is it really a religious question in so much as it is a legal question. This includes allowing employees to wear religious clothing or facial hair in the workplace. 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. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? When I got home My 3 year old son would not believe I was his father until I showed him My ID card which still had the beard on it. 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. The importance of beards as a defining feature of Normenn is also very well expressed in medieval Norse laws, including Guta Lag (The Law of the Gotlanders). They will sustain us. But let's be clear: these are exceptions. Amazingly, it seems that the United States military agrees with me, having allowed a soldier to wear a full face beard as he claims that it is a requirement of his Norse pagan faith, reports . "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 provided in. It is purely societal, and even if it were spiritual, these are Christian laws, from a period where the practice of Heathenry was outlawed. Loki is not depicted in Pre-Christian artwork. (Erick Studenicka/Army). Him,thatchurl,thebeardlesscarle.Physicaldescription. The lines that mention the wearing of beards are stated below. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! Other sagas still make various references to the importance of beards for a Normar. Norse pagans have no such requirements, although facial hair is encouraged. Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys. -Has beard, and yet still is insulted. Beards are further even historically protected by law under Jnsbk,Grgs and Guta Lag. The beard is and has always been a defining feature of being Heathen, and a religious symbol of Forn Sir. Should pagans be allowed to wear a beard in the workplace? Viking Warriors are Men. Health and Safety. The Pagan Federation, Heathenry UK, Asatru UK, the Confederation of UK Heathen Kindreds as well as The Open Halls Project in the US and DPN in the UK all agree on this. If the pagan wants to stand out, more power to him. So once just like the medieval Christian laws above this is actually a far more compelling argument for Christian servicemen to be allowed to wear a beard than it is for Pagans. 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