The 337th Anniversary

July 6 marks the anniversary of a major event in Deitsch history, and, as such I'd like to hail the Netherlands Dutch and their forebears and ancestors. 

The flag of the Netherlands

On this date in 1683, the first ship, the Concord departed from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. On this ship the first "official" settlers who would begin the story of the Pennsylvania Dutch nation.

Thus, on this date (it is July 6 in Rotterdam now), the Great Migration of the Germans to Pennsylvania began.

We Pennsylvania Dutch are ultimately mostly Germans speaking a German dialect and bringing together customs from many German lands. We have evolved as a unique "tribe" or "nation." The moniker of "Pennsylvania Dutch" confuses many people, and much of that confusion is due to a change of the meaning of the word "Dutch" in English, which once had a wider meaning than it does today.

Additionally, we call ourselves "Deitsch," which sounds a bit like "Dutch," and, as was the case with the Concord, many of our early forebears arrived on ships that departed Europe from ports in the Netherlands. The Concord's departure was an indelible moment in the settlers lives that lives on in the presence of the ship on the Deitsch flag today.

The Deitsch flag with the Concord in the center.

Our migration included many people from the Netherlands as well. Although the first arrivals on the Concord were German speakers from Krefeld, some of their surnames were decidedly Dutch.

In many ways, your ancestors were heroes. They got my ancestors out of the wreckage that was the Palatinate after all of the ravaging wars. So, on behalf of my ancestors who I know traveled through Rotterdam, I thank the forebears and the Dutch of the current era.

The Dutch and the Pennsylvania Dutch, though we have separate identities, share strong historical and cultural bonds that are only increasing as the gods and goddesses bring us closer together.

Hail to Holle!


Hail to Nehalennia!

Hail to the Netherlands and to the Dutch people!

May your light always shine brightly!

Ministry of Ideas Podcast on Heathenry

Ministry of Ideas is a podcast dedicated to investigating and illuminating the ideas that shape our society. It is an initiative of the Religious Literacy Project at Harvard Divinity School.

In Episode 23 (July 1, 2020), the podcast focuses on Heathenry, specifically the divide between inclusive Heathenry and folkish/exclusionary Heathenry.

Much of this podcast stems from the research work of NYU journalism and religious studies student (now graduate), Robyn Lanz. 

Robyn contacted Rob Schreiwer back in 2016 about using HAH (primarily), The Troth, In-Reach, and Urglaawe as case studies for her Master’s thesis: Mediating Heathen Identities: How Adherents of a Small Neo-Pagan Religion in America Engage with Formal Media Structures in Attempt to Legitimize and Discredit Specific Identities in America’s Public Discourse.

There is indeed an imbalance of reporting on Heathen-related topics in a manner similar to how anything related to Islam is generally handled in the media.

Robyn began to collect inform and data by coming down from NYC to the Philly area for our Pubmoots, for Distelfink’s rituals, and for interviews. She attended Frith Forge as a journalist. She observed HAH activities as a journalist in various contexts, including the Walk Against Hate in Philadelphia in 2019. 

She also attended the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 2018 for the HAH presentation.

Due to covid, the NYU students’ first drafts of their theses were approved, which means Robyn is still editing it for future publication. The first draft made some excellent points, particularly about how she had been advised to use the folkish/Nazitru types as the subjects because (Rob's own words here) those idiots cause more of a sensation with their stupidity and audacity than we do with our work to build welcoming communities.

We really hope she gets it published!

In the meantime, enjoy the podcast. Here's the link again!

Hollerbeer Hof 47 - Summer 2020

Hollerbeer Hof #47 - Summer 2020 is now available! You can also find the link on the Hollerbeer Hof sidebar!

Holle's Haven Expands to Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Holle's Haven: The Urglaawich Podcast is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! You can always find the pocast at it's home: https://holleshaven.com/

Urglaawe Statement on the Murder of George Floyd (and way too many others)

When you see evil, recognize it as evil, and do not give your enemies peace. - Hávamál 127

We in Distelfink Sippschaft and in all of Urglaawe recognize the need to acknowledge current events--the deaths of several Black Americans at the hands of police and vigilantes, and the outpouring of grief and anger that has, at the time of this writing, erupted in every US state and in several other cities worldwide. This public grief has been met by an escalation in police violence.

These deaths are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader and deeply embedded dysfunction. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Atatiana Jefferson, Kayla Moore, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland and others are part of the same pattern of racism and violent disregard for black lives that killed Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner--whose final words, "I can't breathe," echo louder than ever with George Floyd's death.

And these are just the names we know of, who make headlines and hashtags. 

It is easy to denounce the obvious examples of racism. But it's also inadequate, especially as Heathens, to stop there. The historical context of Heathenry includes racist and nationalistic uses of the source material we often rely on. As current practitioners, we therefore inherit a responsibility to repair the damage done--to our faith, to the targets of the violence it was exploited for, and to those who suffer at the hands of the broader systemic racism that allowed these damaging movements to exist in the first place.

If we are to honor gods of justice, gods of wisdom, and gods of strength; then we must take an active role in  demanding justice, seeking wisdom, and finding the strength within ourselves and each other to turn towards this effort.

The victims of this brutality were our fellow citizens. Their lives still matter. Their pain still matters. 

Those of us who are of Caucasian descent (many of whom were not considered  to be “White” until our numbers were needed to keep the establishment in power) need to shake ourselves loose of the contentment that has been abetting this oppression and to see how it is destroying the integrity of the African-American community. What harms that community tears at the fabric of our whole society because the African-American community IS America. Our fates are bound together, and we need to stop watching as our institutions continue to perpetrate these crimes against our own people.

It’s time to put an end to this systemic racism and to force our police and leaders to adhere to the laws that they enforce for everyone else.

Today, Black Lives Matter and other groups joined together to organize a peaceful, highly inclusive march through Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania. At one point during that march, a lone, female voice cried out:

“What was his name?”

And the marchers responded, “George Floyd!”

And the calls back and forth of “What was his name?” and “Say it louder!” were reprised later with the names of others who lost their lives to police brutality. These exchanges alone were powerful. Too many names. Too many lives snuffed out. 

The march ended in the shadow of the Harriet Tubman memorial statue at Bristol Wharf.  Here, Tubman continues to point the oppressed to the North — to the safe houses and hinterland farms of her Underground Railroad.

Alas, even here in the North, justice can be elusive.

We must do better, folks, or the dreams and visions of the wisest of our forebears, including those of Tubman, will be rendered asunder.

As Urglaawer, we are charged by our goddesses and gods to call out the evil actions in our midst. Let us join together with all people of good conscience to tell our leaders and our law enforcement that enough is too much! This must end now! 

Black Lives Matter!

Schwatze Lewe Zähle!

What were their names?

George Floyd

Ahmaud Arbery

Atatiana Jefferson

Breonna Taylor

Eric Garner

Kayla Moore

Philando Castile

Sandra Bland

Tony McDade

Trayvon Martin

Tamir Rice

Michael Brown

Hail to the fallen! 

Urglaawe and Discord

Urglaawe is now on Discord! If you'd like to join the Discord server, send an email to sara@urglaawe.org or victoria@urglaawe.org.

Urglaawe Live Gebt Acht (#8)

Urglaawe Live Gebt Acht is the eighth in our Facebook Live chatroom broadcasts. This weeks topic will be the Nine Sacred Herbs of Urglaawe / Neine Heiliche Gegreider, which are derived from Braucherei. 

Sunday, May 10, 2020

19:00 / 7:00 PM EDT

Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/228488888576165/

Presentation File: https://tinyurl.com/ycyhjcob

Urglaawe Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Urglaawe/