This has to do with what we assume about the Gods. It is sometimes pointed out that there have been cases in the US military whereby Heathens have been allowed to wear beards. He is also slender, fair to look on and has yellow hair. Beards define the Heathen man. Any resemblance to news may be purely coincidental. Legal Statement. Home. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'adsensetype', 1); According toArmy Directive 2017-03, beards with approved accommodations must be less than two inches in length from the bottom of the chin and cannot be groomed with petroleum-based products. lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId + '-asloaded'), { attributes: true }); But now, with so much attention being focused on workplace safety and company image, more and more companies are starting to say no to religious facial hair in the workplace. Raymond Whitsel, Norse Pagan Heathen, filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2014, saying that he was told to shave his religious beard or be fired from a job. The appearance of advertisements on this website does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense or the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps or Coast Guard of products or services advertised. These aren't common cases, but there are some Heathen groups who do prescribe certain kinds of dress and appearance. And indeed there were European tribes in the Heathen period where being clean shaven was the fashion, or in the case of the Lombards, long moustaches! Moreover, it is our view that focusing on this issue not only detracts from far more important issues, but also makes Pagans appear foolish and uneducated in our own religious beliefs in the eyes of wider society. I have a friend that Ran Boiler on Small River to Sea Boats during Nam; He Came back from leave to late to Shave Before inspection It's a nice thing and it makes your beard look nice. The poems written about the Gods were written downby people who also never claimed to have seen them. 19 November, 2022 - 12:00 PM EST to 19 November, 2022 - 3:00 PM EST. There is no excuse for obtuseness anymore with such an abundance of knowledge available these days. Further blurring the beard waiver criteria is that while Norse paganism encourages the growth of a beard, or "skegg," the religion doesn't require it. But Thorvald, thy husband was not beardless and yet thou plottedst his death No mention of any spiritual connotation of beards. Enjoy! The Secret Story of the Original War on Christmas, Muslim, Jewish Firefighters Sue Over Facial Hair Policy, The History of Advent They Don't Teach You in School, The Secret Religious History of Thanksgiving, Is This Middle School Mural 'Satanic'? So my question is, how important is it to have a beard and not shave it within this religion? They are our soul. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. Sgt. We have advice like Proverbs. The U.S. Army granted a religious accommodation to a soldier for his "Heathen; Norse Pagan faith" to be able to grow a beard. The Law of the Gotlanders doesn't say why it's not cool to mess with someone's beard. Let us call him "the beardless carle" but his sons we will call "dung-beardlings." "Prithee why should dung beard boys reft of reason, dare to hammer." "He the beardless carle shall listen while I lash him with abuse." "Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys." The lines that mention the wearing of beards are stated below. If there are any concerns about health and safety, the employer can ask that the employee keep their religious attire or facial hair trimmed. Yet vaccines mutate. What are your thoughts on that? With the military, my perception has always been that they want soldiers to be part of a team and to all look similar. 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. That HAS NO PLACE IN OUR MILITARY!! Service before self! They can all find another job. Requirements for beards as a general practice? I believe that Athena would smile upon this decision. It would seem, then, that a beard was not required to participate in religion or society. Cash and in small bills. Keep in mind that any affiliate product we recommend is one that we use ourselves. i believe it is a welcome change to those like myself who never could please the brass even by shaving twice a day. This is not the case in Paganism. Let us know about an event you think should be included in our calendar. 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. Several pagan men have faced discrimination or have been told to change shave due to changing company laws. In the USA where Im from, we are protected By the constitution. Because the 2017 directive is technically applicable to all religions, final judgement is often left to individual leadership to discern authentic exemption request from insincere. For many years there has been a recurring discussion regarding the right of Pagans, and in particular Heathens, in the armed forces and other uniformed organisations to grow a Beard. Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of their faith that they do so. If you think wilderness survival is neat, also neat. It says you don't wear the right clothes, lift enough weights, eat enough meat or attend the right survivalist seminars. She asks, is it the beardless carle? Physical description of someone who doesnt have a beard. 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. Lokiis the least favorite of all sir, and a Norse god typically associated with negative behavior as well as the dark side of humans. All rights reserved. Market data provided by Factset. The word myth has been used out of context for so long that it's definition seems to mean untrue, comic NOT SO. The Nevada Army Guard says Sgt. Let's take a look at some of the arguments for both sides! Forn Siris what makes us men and our own man, taking our own decisions, and taking our own responsibilities. Employees should be prepared to provide this information if requested. 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. On all accounts, we are growing in numbers. Who will avenge it? "Sikhs are allowed to wear beards and turbans because it actually is a religious requirement of. Is there any evidence this Norse soldier doesn't acknowledge the god of the bible? Maybe they're hoping to make soldiers look like sailors. It is a badge of honor. You might agree with one view or the other or a different way altogether, but here are two of the popular views on the subject. Then they sell you some soap to soothe you into thinking that you're reclaiming that lost vitality through the sent of pine tar and cigar smoke. A memo written by commander Col. Curtis Shroedero, to whom the request was made and ultimately granted, was circulated on Facebook. norse pagan beard requirements. ;). We even abandoned saluting officers in most situations in a combat zone, because it fronted the officer as a sniper target. In this section we will examine the evidence that is often put forward. 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 . For some pagans, it is seen as a way of honoring the gods and goddesses. Because there are no tenants in Asatru. Thor is worshipped, honored and believed in today as he has always been by Germanic people of old and by modern decendants of those people. It doesnt get in the way and isnt a health hazard, so its fine with me. They are not evidence of a religious requirement to wear a beard. The DPN has also been presented with an argument that being clean shaven is unmanly in a Heathen, and that warriors should have beards. Please add it so we can review and approve. The Navy did away with the beards in 1985. Or to quote Lord Summerisle, referring to himself, "A heathen, conceivably, but not, I hope, an unenlightened one.". It seems he and you are attending different denominations of the Norse Heathen religion. Beards are seen as sacred and as a defining feature of the sirin ancient texts such as Konungsbk Eddukva. While the Law gives us a window into daily life in Gotland, it doesn't help us understand anything about the value of a beard in pre-Christian Norse culture. They'll make you feel like you aren't man enough, like you aren't good enough or like you're just not enough in and of yourself. God is still at the top of that list, a construct in the early years in which this priority was created perhaps, but one that allows you to consider your own sense of wrong and right before accepting an outside source such as a nation or culture, but rather, your own beliefs. A member of the Norse Pagan Faith, serving in the 795th Military Police Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., has been granted permission to wear a beard under a 2017 Army policy directive which . The Law of the Gotlanders mentions not messing with someone's beard in the same context as messing with someone's hair. 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. Incidentally the Christian God, whose followers do believe to be perfect, is also generally believed to be bearded, particularly when he takes on human form as Jesus. 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 ca'nt see how men look better clean shaven. Making mirth of dung beard boys, here I find a nickname for these noisome dung beard boys. -Has beard, and yet still is insulted. Norse Pagans, Heathens, or Asatruar are not in general all required to grow a beard There is no general religious requirement for anyone to have facial hair, nor is there any universal religious requirement for hairstyle or any personal grooming choice Loki is not depicted in Pre-Christian artwork. Copyright 1977 - 2023 Universal Life Church Ministries. They are descriptions of the people of the time. They are our religion. And it gives us even less of a window into its religious importance, or whether it had sacred importance at all. ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; The military should change their grooming standards because it's 2019 and our gas masks work over facial hair now, not because of religious gerimandering. They argue that religious facial hair could be hazardous to the health of other employees. Religious Beards in the Workplace: Are Pagans Allowed Beards? Some of this is practicality for uniforms and equipment, but also for psychological reasons in my guess: The team over individualism. While we cannot speak to the specifics of any particular case, religious accommodation can be disapproved if it is determined that the request is not based on a sincerely held religious belief or if the accommodation would create a specific hazard that cannot be reasonably mitigated.. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. that si the military if you want to join a club then do not join the us military weirdest. 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. These laws are from medieval Scandanavia, and not relevant today. It is something new and authorized, and you will always encounter people who do not like change. Faith isn't just something that inspires you to be better, it's something that reminds you that you matter and you make a difference regardless of where you find yourself in life. And the same principle as above applies here too. Asatu is one name of the Norse religion which means " true gods".. Iceland and Faroe Islands were among the last converted and they continue to have a large number that believe in and practice the old ways and worship the old gods. Similar passages can be found in many world religions. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); ins.dataset.fullWidthResponsive = 'true'; This is not only directly insulting to all servicemen who do not have beards, but also to all servicewomen. Some pagans might choose to grow a beard in order to express their religious identity or beliefs. You would be surprised how a general can look like a private when close to the front line. Some of these challenges come from outside your pagan circles such as family and friends. Service to God, whichever you believe in, comes first. The military first prohibited beards during the First World War, when the introduction of chemical warfare greatly increased the risk they could get in the way of life-saving gas masks. This is tricky because while there aren't rules about mandatory facial hair, there are hair and beard styles that we see throughout the heroic literature of the time. Looking to celebrate pagan holidays? 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. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'celebratepaganholidays_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',106,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-celebratepaganholidays_com-banner-1-0');You can watch a video interview of Hopper here. Thursday (Thor's Day) is named in his honor. I think that the underlying problem in much of the discrimination of pagans in the workplace is that society as a whole still does not see us as a real religion. This is real, modern and vibrant religion with people who are genuinely passionate about our faith. We have faith that our Gods return "a gift for a gift" and that if we sacrifice to Them, They will return with a gift to us. 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Or beliefs passages can be found in many world religions clothes, lift enough,... You think wilderness survival is neat, also neat written downby people who do not change!

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