Urglaawe
Encyclopedia
Urglaawe is a tradition within Heathenism and bears some affinity with Asatru
and other traditions related to historical Germanic paganism
. It derives its core from the Deitsch healing practice of Braucherei
, from Deitsch folk lore and customs, and from other Germanic and Scandinavian sources. Urglaawe uses both the English
and Deitsch languages.
As with other Teutonic
religious and philosophical traditions, adherents of Urglaawe may have differing beliefs that range from polytheistic reconstructionism
to syncretist (eclectic
), pragmatic psychologist
or mysticist
approaches.
Despite the fact that the German regions of Europe were Christian for many centuries prior to the Diaspora to the Americas, quite a few Heathen practices continued among the Pennsylvania Germans after emigration from Europe. Some historical references belie the presence of Heathen practices among the Deitsch. For example:
Another example of a reference the continuity of old traditions in the modern world:
and fate
, though the concept of the future
is not predestined; it is, instead, based on the most likely outcome of the situation in the present.
Urglaawe recognizes the ethics code presented by the Asatru Folk Assembly
and the Odinic Rite
called the Nine Noble Virtues
. In addition to the nine virtues, Urglaawe adds "wisdom, introspection, kinship, appropriate compassion, and a curiosity to learn more about the universe around us."
A pronounced sense of ecological stewardship and spirituality is encouraged, as is the concept of frith
.
(see list of Norse gods). However, the perceptions of individual deities may differ. For example, one of the principal deities in Urglaawe is Holle
.
Urglaawe also has a component of ancestor veneration. The deities are viewed as elder kin. There are numerous entities, such as wight
s, dwarves, and elves, that are also venerated.
blót
and consists of the blessing of a libation
(usually mead
, apple cider
, ale
, or elderberry
rob) that is passed in a beer stein
among participants. A different deity
(or group of deities) is usually honored at different events based on the purpose of the Sege. After the stein is passed around for one quaff, the remainder of the libation is poured from the stein into a bowl. Participants are sprinkled with a bit of the libation as a blessing from the deities. It is then poured into the soil or into a creek as an offering to the honored deity.
sumble. A blessed beverage (usually mead
, apple cider
, ale
, or elderberry
rob) is passed among the members for three rounds. The first round usually consists of toasts to a Teutonic
deity; the second is usually to ancestors or heroes; the third is for toasting to anyone. At the end of each round, a small amount of the libation
is poured into a bowl, which is later poured into the soil or into a creek or stream as an offering to the Teutonic deities and to the wights.
, Illinois
, Michigan
, Florida
, Massachusetts
, and Louisiana
. Groups and practitioners also exist in other areas. The exact number of adherents worldwide is unknown, particularly as adherents may follow Urglaawe as well as similar traditions, such as Asatru
.
s, or barn stars, that are common in the Deitsch culture.
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
and other traditions related to historical Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
. It derives its core from the Deitsch healing practice of Braucherei
Pow-wow (folk magic)
Pow-wow is a system of American folk religion and magic associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch.-Origin of the name and practices:Its name comes from the book Pow-wows, or, The Long Lost Friend, written by John George Hohman and first published in German as Der Lange Verborgene Freund in 1820...
, from Deitsch folk lore and customs, and from other Germanic and Scandinavian sources. Urglaawe uses both the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Deitsch languages.
As with other Teutonic
Teutons
The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...
religious and philosophical traditions, adherents of Urglaawe may have differing beliefs that range from polytheistic reconstructionism
Polytheistic reconstructionism
Polytheistic reconstructionism is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s...
to syncretist (eclectic
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.It can sometimes seem inelegant or...
), pragmatic psychologist
Psychologism
Psychologism is a generic type of position in philosophy according to which psychology plays a central role in grounding or explaining some other, non-psychological type of fact or law...
or mysticist
Germanic mysticism
Germanic mysticism or Germanic occultism may refer to* Ariosophy* more generally, various schools of Esotericism in Germany and Austria* various modern systems of runic magic...
approaches.
Despite the fact that the German regions of Europe were Christian for many centuries prior to the Diaspora to the Americas, quite a few Heathen practices continued among the Pennsylvania Germans after emigration from Europe. Some historical references belie the presence of Heathen practices among the Deitsch. For example:
- "Not all Pennsylvania-German pioneers were good Christian people. With such as were not, sin did abound, and men were given to idolatry, giving to the creature what is to be given to God only; they abused God's name by profanity, by superstitious practices..."
Another example of a reference the continuity of old traditions in the modern world:
- "Religion has many levels. For those who believe in powwowing, it is just as much a part of their religion as anything they hear or say or sing in church. Anthropologists have coined the term “folk religion” for these primitive survivals in society. Powwowing is Pennsylvania’s best example of the survival power of the “old religion” of medieval Europe in a New World and Protestant setting."
Deities
Adherents of Urglaawe are polytheists. Most believe that there are separate, individual deities with their own personalities, capabilities, and foibles. The deities are not viewed as omniscient or omnipotent.Ethics
Ethics in Urglaawe are guided by a concept of personal Urleeg or Wurt, which is a concept related to both luckLuck
Luck or fortuity is good fortune which occurs beyond one's control, without regard to one's will, intention, or desired result. There are at least two senses people usually mean when they use the term, the prescriptive sense and the descriptive sense...
and fate
Destiny
Destiny or fate refers to a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual...
, though the concept of the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
is not predestined; it is, instead, based on the most likely outcome of the situation in the present.
Urglaawe recognizes the ethics code presented by the Asatru Folk Assembly
Asatru Folk Assembly
The Asatru Folk Assembly, or AFA, an organization of Germanic neopaganism, is the US-based Ásatrú organization founded by Stephen McNallen in 1994. Gardell classifies the AFA as folkish....
and the Odinic Rite
Odinic Rite
The Odinic Rite is a religious organization, practicing a form of Northern Indo European religion termed Odinism after the chief god of Norse mythology, Odin...
called the Nine Noble Virtues
Nine Noble Virtues
The Nine Noble Virtues or NNV are a set of moral and situational ethical guidelines codified by John Yeowell and John Gibbs-Bailey of the Odinic Rite in the 1970s....
. In addition to the nine virtues, Urglaawe adds "wisdom, introspection, kinship, appropriate compassion, and a curiosity to learn more about the universe around us."
A pronounced sense of ecological stewardship and spirituality is encouraged, as is the concept of frith
Frith
Frith is an Old English word meaning "peace; freedom from molestation, protection; safety, security".- Etymology :Derived from Old English friðu, friþ, it is cognate to Old Norse friðr, Old High German fridu, German Friede, Dutch vrede, West Frisian frede, Icelandic friður, Common Scandinavian fred...
.
Rites
The primary deities of Urglaawe are the same as those of Norse mythologyNorse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
(see list of Norse gods). However, the perceptions of individual deities may differ. For example, one of the principal deities in Urglaawe is Holle
Holle (goddess)
Holle is theorized as an ancient Germanic supreme goddess of birth, death and reincarnation who predates most of the Germanic pantheon, dating back to the Neolithic before Indo-European invasion of Europe. She also appears as "Frau Holle" in Grimm's Fairy Tale #24. Alternative names for this...
.
Urglaawe also has a component of ancestor veneration. The deities are viewed as elder kin. There are numerous entities, such as wight
Wight
Wight is a Middle English word, from Old English wiht, and used to describe a creature or living sentient being. It is akin to Old High German wiht, meaning a creature or thing.In its original usage the word wight described a living human being...
s, dwarves, and elves, that are also venerated.
Sege
The Sege is similar to the AsatruÁsatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
and consists of the blessing of a libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
(usually mead
Mead
Mead , also called honey wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash, which is strained immediately after fermentation...
, apple cider
Apple cider
Apple cider is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples...
, ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
, or elderberry
Elderberry
Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...
rob) that is passed in a beer stein
Beer stein
Beer stein , or simply stein, is an English neologism for either traditional beer mugs made out of stoneware, or specifically ornamental beer mugs that are usually sold as souvenirs or collectibles...
among participants. A different deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
(or group of deities) is usually honored at different events based on the purpose of the Sege. After the stein is passed around for one quaff, the remainder of the libation is poured from the stein into a bowl. Participants are sprinkled with a bit of the libation as a blessing from the deities. It is then poured into the soil or into a creek as an offering to the honored deity.
Sammel
The features of the Sammel, or the gathering, are based on the ceremonial structures of Braucherei and are influenced by AsatruÁsatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
sumble. A blessed beverage (usually mead
Mead
Mead , also called honey wine, is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash, which is strained immediately after fermentation...
, apple cider
Apple cider
Apple cider is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples...
, ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
, or elderberry
Elderberry
Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...
rob) is passed among the members for three rounds. The first round usually consists of toasts to a Teutonic
Teutons
The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...
deity; the second is usually to ancestors or heroes; the third is for toasting to anyone. At the end of each round, a small amount of the libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
is poured into a bowl, which is later poured into the soil or into a creek or stream as an offering to the Teutonic deities and to the wights.
Distribution
Today, Urglaawe is practiced in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. Groups and practitioners also exist in other areas. The exact number of adherents worldwide is unknown, particularly as adherents may follow Urglaawe as well as similar traditions, such as Asatru
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
.
Structure
Urglaawe may be practiced in solitude or in groups. Organized groups are called Sippschafts and may be either formal and legal church entities or simply nominal structures. While Urglaawe focuses on the Heathen elements surviving in the Pennsylvania German culture and is a tribalist movement, there is little emphasis on the ancestry of a particular individual. As the Pennsylvania German healing practice of Braucherei sheltered many Heathen practices but was not complete, Urglaawe draws what it can from Braucherei and reconstructs the remainder based on Teutonic lore. Thus, in a manner similar to Folketro, Urglaawe finds its core in the local traditions and then finds additional background from Continental Germanic and Scandinavian sources.Symbols
Urglaawe makes use of the numerous Hex SignHex sign
Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles," grew out of the fraktur and folk art traditions about 1850 when barns first started to be painted in...
s, or barn stars, that are common in the Deitsch culture.
List of organizations
-
- http://urglaawe.ning.com "Die Urglaawisch Sippschaft vum Distelfink."
- The TrothThe TrothThe Ring of Troth, now called simply The Troth, is an American-based international Germanic neopagan organization. The Troth was founded on December 20 , 1987 by former Asatru Free Assembly members Edred Thorsson and James Chisholm. However, neither is any longer involved with the organization...
See also
- Germanic paganismGermanic paganismGermanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
- Norse mythologyNorse mythologyNorse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
- NeopaganismNeopaganismNeopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
- Polytheistic reconstructionismPolytheistic reconstructionismPolytheistic reconstructionism is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s...
- Neopaganism in ScandinaviaNeopaganism in ScandinaviaNeopaganism in Scandinavia is dominated by revivals of Norse paganism .-Norway:The Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996 and Foreningen Forn Sed the fellowship has about 50 Faithful formed in 1999...
- Neopaganism in Germany
- Der Ewich Yeeger
External links
- Die Urglaawisch Sippschaft vum Distelfink
- Urglaawe Heemblatt
- Die Urglaawisch Sippschaft vum Distelfink
- Urglaawe BeliefNet Community
- Hexenkunst Discussion group dedicated to Urglaawe and Braucherei
- Urglaawe.com
- Uncle Thor's Online Magazine: Urglaawe