Today I build an altar...
A simple altar
Built in honor of the Shining Ones.
To those who have seen their shrines destroyed.
And their followers persecuted or killed for their beliefs.
This altar stands for the victory of freedom over terror.
Freedom of religion.
Sovereignty of conscience.
Integrity of personal and communal property.
It is built in defiance of the zealots and the missionaries
Who brazenly trod upon the rights and will of others,
And who attempted to remove the influence, memory, and history of the many deities across the continents.
Today I light a fire in the memory of these deities...
May the light of this small fire drive away the shadows that the prophets of jealousy placed around our gods and goddesses.
May connections, knowledge, and wisdom be restored.
May the names of these hidden deities be spoken by the people again, and may freedom to determine our beliefs be in the hands of the people again.
Today I utter the names of these deities aloud, and my voice shall join a throng of others who are honoring and hailing the hidden deities of their cultures, traditions, and beliefs.
Jecha
Stuffo
Biel
Lohra
Reto
Come today and be our honored guests!
Hail!
Showing posts with label Observance of the Desecrated Shrines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Observance of the Desecrated Shrines. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Observance of the Desecrated Shrines 2019
Urglaawe "days" begin at sunset of the night before, so tonight (June 4) at sunset marks the beginning of the Observance of the Desecrated Shrines. This observance is in honor of those deities whose shrines were destroyed, damaged, and disrespected through the actions of missionaries and zealots. The lore of many of these deities was lost in the persecution of those who held to the old ways, and there may be many more deities who are now completely unknown to us.
June 5 is the feast day of the Christian missionary Boniface, who destroyed the sacred oak of Dunner and desecrated the shrines of Jecha, Stuffo, and Lohra/Lare. We hold our observance on this day to renew our ties to our deities and to assert our sovereignty of conscience and our right to religious freedom.
This is a pan-Pagan observance, and people of all traditions and backgrounds are invited to take part in the observance, honoring their deities in the manner to which they are accustomed.
The Urglaawe ritual format is shared for convenience, but, again, adherents of all traditions are welcomed to follow their own formats and to honor their own deities.
For the Urglaawe ritual, some potential altar items:
For the Urglaawe ritual, some potential altar items:
Jecha: a bow and/or arrow
Lohra: a book of some educational value
Stuffo: image from GardenStone's book (Gods of the Germanic Peoples 2, p. 484). The image is a bit peculiar to our modern eyes, and the age of the dedication stone is unknown. It is important to keep in mind that deity portrayals in many cultures often appear strange at first blush, particularly when the context is unknown.
Biel: a branch from a tree
Reto: an empty (yet honored) space to be filled as He becomes better known
Hail the gods! Hail the goddesses!
______________
GardenStone. Gods of the Germanic Peoples (two volumes). Norderstedt, Germany: Books on Demand, 2014.
Monday, June 4, 2018
Observance of the Desecrated Shrines
Folks on Facebook may have seen a posted event for the Observance of the Desecrated Shrines. This observance focuses on the lost connection to many deities due to their shrines being destroyed in acts of zealotry. The observance begins tonight at sundown (which begins June 5 on the Urglaawe calendar) and is set to coincide with the feast day of St. Boniface, who destroyed many shrines, temples, and images. Let us honor the lesser-known deities and speak their names again.
Original event posting: https://www.facebook.com/events/440646983040819/
Below is a link to a program that participants can use if so inclined:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10gc0FdKt8_B7HF-DP4xfJeBReOcoEj0d/view?usp=sharing
Not much is known about Reto, and some believe that he was invented to make Boniface look good. That is by no means certain, however. More research will take place on that topic.
"Viel" is also listed as "Biel" and is likely connected with forests.
Original event posting: https://www.facebook.com/events/440646983040819/
Below is a link to a program that participants can use if so inclined:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10gc0FdKt8_B7HF-DP4xfJeBReOcoEj0d/view?usp=sharing
Not much is known about Reto, and some believe that he was invented to make Boniface look good. That is by no means certain, however. More research will take place on that topic.
"Viel" is also listed as "Biel" and is likely connected with forests.
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