AlThing 29 Report

By Valgard Murray

During the week of Harvest 23rd through 27th 2259 Runic Era, kindreds, clans, and tribes of the Asatru Alliance gathered at a private campground near Christopher Creek Arizona to celebrate the 29th Annual AlThing of the Asatru Alliance with feasts, fellowship, games, events, and the Law Assembly of Vinland. After a year of careful planning the folk gathered from all over Vinland to participate in this historic event of Odin’s Nation.

Hosted jointly by the Arizona Kindred of Asatru, Wanderer Kindred, the Nine Kindred of Arizona, and Gladheim Kindred working together produced an event well worth the effort, sacrifice, and long distances traveled by many of our holy Alliance to attend.

On Tyrsday, my dear friends Robert and Katherine Stewart rolled in Payson from Idaho and helped Valgard with packing and loading the large amount of material necessary for hosting a successful event. On Wodanesdag morning Oskil arrived from Colorado and the task of transporting everything to the Thing grounds commenced. We were met at the gate by a line of travelers from all over the realm who had arrived during the night and we then proceeded to the site and began the unloading and set up ritual necessary for the influx of the Folk who began arriving shortly.

The camp kitchen was set up, banners strung in the ritual area, canopies for the vendors as well as tents, RV’s and trailers were positioned, and when our hard working cooks announced that the evening dinner was prepared, we had over 50 of the folk present.

Following dinner, we gathered around the need fire and proceeded with the mead and cookie ritual where each of the assembled introduced themselves to the folk after listening to Valgard’s advice on camping in the big woods on the edge of the wilderness. Yes we have bears here, as well as elk, raccoons, skunks, snakes, and mountain lions. Many spent the early evening around the campfire, while others got some much needed rest. During the night, many of the folk enjoyed the bugling of the bull elk calling from the surrounding hills.

On Thorsday morning after a hot breakfast of bacon and scrambled eggs topped off with coffee and juice, the folk were ready to start the day. The formal activities started out in the meadow where Vince hosted a presentation of the Viking Seax using live steel. During the morning we also greeted more travelers arriving from Oklahoma and Arizona. We now had over a dozen kindreds represented in the grove.



Tyr Blot

By eleven AM the folk gathered at the long house to prepare for the Tyr Blot which officially opens the AlThing. Valgard gave a seminar on the attributes of Tyr and of His connection with the Asatru Alliance. We then formed up the processional and walked to the Thing grounds, which was framed by a circle of oaks with our kindred banners displayed proudly. During the blot the traditional blessing of weapon steel was performed with Oskil assisting Valgard in this sacred rite. At the conclusion of the blot a powerful salute to Tyr was offered with dozens of weapons raised high. This was the official opening act of the AlThing.

At noon the Law Session was called to order with Kollr Logmather serving as Thing Speaker and Oskil Forengi serving as Secretary of the Thing. After the seating of the delegates of record, business ensued with the reading of the By Laws by the Thing Speaker, and the financial report of the Asatru Alliance was read by Valgard Murray. New business was then discussed. The position of Chieftain/General Manager was proposed at AlThing 28 and proper legislation had been drafted and sent to the delegates for discussion. This law was then presented to the Thing body for further discussion to be voted upon the following day. Nominations were called for the office and Vince Enlund was nominated by a vote of the delegates. Formal additions to the Tribal Law were also read and adopted by the Law Council. At around 2PM this session of the Law Council was adjourned by the Thing Speaker until the following day.

In late afternoon, after being properly Hammer Signed, the folk gathered to enjoy our evening meal of grilled beef steak, southwest baked beans, corn, and sourdough dinner rolls. Once again our excellent camp cooks proved their true value.

At dusk, the sumbel fire was lit, and the folk gathered for our holiest of rituals. Oskil presided and offered the first mighty horn of mead to AllFather Odin. I might add that with evening temperatures dropping into the low 40’s the fire offered comforting warmth. We shared the traditional three rounds served by our hard working Valkyries and the mead provided by our highly skilled brewers. Of special note, during the third round, Dani Thomas, gythia of the Wanderer Kindred received her tribal name, Halda Aldis, which literally means, “Gythia who holds fast to her beliefs”. At the conclusion of the sumbel, Valgard blessed the assembled by saying, “I give you the wisdom of Odin, The strength of Thor, and the love of Frigga.”

We then relaxed around the fire and enjoyed the live music provided by Helgi and Tarra for several hours. Afterwards, some of the elders shared the night discussing what they often do…



Friggasday

Once again our amazing cooks served up a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, fried potatoes and fresh fruit for the folk. Fruit juice and coffee was also on the menu.

I took some time off and strolled down to the vendor camp and visited with everyone there. On the north end were the Moebius folk who also watched the World Tree table for me, thanks Vicki and Howard! Of course we offered an assortment of Asatru jewelry, drinking horns, t-shirts, bumper stickers and leather goods. Next was Freya’s Folk where Diana offered handmade amber jewelry and precious stone rune sets. Then I entered the Wyrd Systers tent and marveled at the large assortment of hand decorated plaques, stationary, and paintings. Last but not least were the guys and gals from Runic Body Art who offered Norse tattoos and body art.

About this time Vince and the folk of the Kreiger and Ve warrior society performed live demonstrations of the Glima an Icelandic wrestling style. This was really intense watching the men and women go round after round in this finest of Nordic martial art combat. The Winners were: Sterling Thomas in the Youth Division, Carmen McGinnis in the Women’s Division, and Jason Van Tatenhove in the Men’s Division.

Seminars and presentations on clothing, runes, and kindred building by several guilds of the Alliance were also offered that morning.

At 11AM the gjallarhorn summoned the folk to the commencement of the second session of the Thing. After gothi Kevin McNeece offered the invocation to Tyr, the Court of the Gothar convened. Once again Kollr served as Thing Speaker and Oskil as Secretary. Old business was again on the floor for discussion and a vote. The position of Chieftain was created from the Icelandic model to aid the Allsherjargothi in the performance of his duties as well as serve in the management of major events, the Alliance web site, and the production of Vor Tru magazine. Vince Enlund was previously nominated and he was then elected by unanimous vote of the delegates to serve a three year term. Oskil Forengi who had previously served his three term as Law Gothi was re-elected to serve again.

New business was then discussed and Great Plains Kindred of Oklahoma volunteered to host AlThing 30 in the following year and this was also approved. It will be held at the same location as before with the date to be announced early in Snowmoon 2260 RE. After a short discussion by the delegates on web site changes and the production of Vor Tru, the Thing Speaker called the Law Session closed for the duration of the AlThing.

There were no structured events for the next couple of hours, so some folks went into nearby Christopher Creek Village to get supplies, and a few went for short hikes in the forest. There was a little creek and pond not too far from the camp grounds which was a favorite destination for the hikers.



Friggasday Evening

Dinner was served around 6 PM and consisted of grilled bratwurst, salads, baked beans, and coleslaw. I noticed a lot more folks at dinner, many more had arrived during the day and late afternoon so seats were hard to find in the long house.

After the dinner dishes were washed and the kitchen chores were done, it was time to prepare for the big event of the evening, The 25th Annual Mead Brewers Competition produced by the Mead Brewers Guild of the Asatru Alliance, and hosted by our own lovely Brunhild Finehair.

Mead brewers bring their finest to be judged by their peers in a blind taste test. Other criteria are aroma, clarity, after burn, and overall quality. Needless to say this is a fun event for all, but does call for seriousness, at the judge bench anyways. The meads once judged are handed over to the mead hog benches for their own less scientific judging and enjoyment. When all was said, sipped, and done. The clear winner of the coveted silver bee award was Cliff the Lucky, followed by Asa Susan who received a copy of the Mead Making Manual.

This was the limit of excitement for this old gothi, and I went to bed for a much needed rest. Once again the social hour commenced at the ritual fire and the sound of live music and singing was once again provided to the faithful.



Satyrday Morning

Once again I got up early and headed to the long house for some good strong coffee. I noticed that the parking lot was full with the arrival of a lot more folks who arrived in the morning. It was hard for me to get an accurate count of the folk present on the grounds but I estimate that we had about 75 of the folk present, and a few more car loads arrived during the course of the day.

At breakfast we had a local specialty provided by the Wanderer Kindred which consisted of potatoes, kielbasa sausage, and scrambled eggs served on toast or a tortilla, top that off with a generous splash of Tabasco sauce and you are ready to face the day, and it proved to be a long one…



The 25th Annual Viking Games

Our hard working crew had the field of honor prepared early and everything was set for the children’s activities. The Asakinder participated in archery, axe throwing, caber toss, stone toss, spear throwing, a foot race, knife throwing, hammer throw, and the ever fun pillage and cut course. As the events were all going on simultaneously, it was hard to watch all the action from my vantage point, but there were over 20 of the kindred lined up for the competitions. Winners in the Kindred Division were: Archery – Kirra Devensir, Pillage and Cut – Lenny M., Foot Race – Madison Thomas, Stone throw – Justice Hopkins, Spear toss – Jack Murray, Knife throw – Eric Erwin, Light caber – Annie Olson, Hammer throw – Chase Hopkins, and Light axe – Lux Van Tatenhove.

Our next competition was the Champions contestants who had won an AlThing Champion ring in previous years. Archery – Helgi Valgardson, Heavy Axe Throw – Helgi Valgardson, Caber Toss– Oskil Forengi, Hammer Throw – Ingvar Eminhizer.

The adult games were next with the following winners: Spear Throw – Oskil Forengi, Heavy Axe Throw – Ashley Spicer, Light Axe – Oskil Forengi, Wood Race – Tim Bryant, Archery – Sterling Thomas, Pillage and Cut – Tim Bryant, Hammer Throw – Jason Devensir, Heavy Caber – Tim Bryant, Light Caber – Cliff Ainsworth, Knife Throw – Nathan Brown, Stone Throw – Jason Devensir, and Tug of War winning team – Ingvar Eminhizer, Chris Fischer, and Devan Sall. Please note that all winners received a nice plaque and all participants received a certificate for their efforts.

While the adult games were being held on the field of honor, the Asakids events were going full swing at the long house. Halda and Brunhild hosted a marvelous, entertaining, and absolutely funny puppet show for the young and old with the theme from the Eddas of how the Gods received their treasures. This was followed by a coloring book session provided by Terra Leafsaga featuring her original artwork featuring the runes and the Gods and Goddesses.



Ceremonies of the Folk

At the conclusion of the children’s events we prepared for the Ceremonies of the Folk which were held in the ritual area. Valgard officiated at the Asatru Wedding Rite for Jason and Hailey. The Oath of the Gothar was then taken by Gythia Aundrea Grooms. Then there were several Name Giving ceremonies; little Connor for the Hamner family, and Ana Belle for the Spicer family. Then Kollr and Cliff performed the rite of blood brotherhood in the traditional way by mixing their blood in the kindred bowli. This concluded the Ceremonies of the Folk.



Odin Blot

Preparations were then made for the Odin Blot which was offered by gothi Kollr Logmather, the folk gathered in the ritual circle guarded by the oak grove and flanked by our kindred banners in the West. As the Sunna began her descent towards the mountain peaks, Kollr offered consecrated mead to the High One in the traditional manner. At the conclusion of the blot, three hearty hails to the AllFather echoed through the canyons.



Satyrday Evening

At dusk the folk assembled in the long house for the grand feast which consisted of roast pig, red potatoes and onions. While the enjoyed this sumptuous meal, little Madison worked the tables selling raffle tickets for three exquisite items to benefit the Asatru Alliance. One item was an original art painting of the World Tree donated by Mitch Zebrowski. The next item was a hand carved copy of the hof bowli of the Arizona Kindred made in oak donated by Howard Mieth, and also a marvelous copy of the famous mead horn Smog decorated with four ounces of silver fittings, donated by Valgard Murray. Of special note, the winner of the oak bowli was Cliff (the Lucky) Ainsworth, who had won the similar bowli at YuleFest so he promptly donated it back to be offered at the fund raising auction which was soon to follow.

Following dinner, we set up three tables in the center of the great hall and displayed over fifty items which were donated by members of the Asatru Alliance for the grand auction to benefit the general fund of the Alliance. Items for inspection included rare antiques, swords, knives, a helm, books, movies, tunics, jewelry, survival kits, a spear, and numerous other items. When all was ready, Helgi presided as master of ceremonies and chief auctioneer for the duration of the event. Needless to say there was some heated bidding on certain items, but in the end all present had a great time. When the event was finally over, the Alliance netted over three thousand dollars which speaks well for the generosity of all who both donated and bid on these items during a time of extreme economic stress in the country. I would also like to thank Vicki Mieth at this time for her sometimes heroic actions in keeping track of the auction items and bids as the event was in progress.

It’s really astonishing as the old saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun,” but I sadly realized that this was the final evening of the AlThing, and I still didn’t have enough time to just sit and visit with everyone there. Some old friends I had known for decades, and others I just met. But I made a special effort to stay up late that night and sit by the fire and chat with everyone. Although I was tired from four days to almost ceaseless activity, I felt quite pleased at just how everything and everyone came together for this historic event. The elk in the meadow made good company as the night wore on.



Sunnasday

It has been a tradition of the AlThing for over 20 years that the Gothar cook and serve breakfast to the Folk on Sunnasday morning. It is also a tradition that the meal consist of the world famous Spam sandwich which consists of griddle fried Spam reverently covering a fried egg and slice of cheese on an English Muffin. A couple of those and you’re ready for a long day. I’d like to thank my small army of helpers which included Kevin, Ingvar, Erda, Oskil, and a few others for helping me with this arduous project, well over 100 sandwiches were served!

As they say, “all good Things must end”, and it was now time for the breaking of camp and all that this entails. The kitchen was cleaned and packed away, the long house tables scrubbed, the ritual area was checked out and all fires doused. The vendors packed up their wares and the campers in the glen took down their tents and canopies and packed for the long trip home. One by one, we said our goodbyes and prepared to leave the grove.

I can’t thank the numerous committee heads who came through with the many projects and events which make each and every gathering of this magnitude a success. Also the numerous helpers and volunteers who put up with old Valgard barking orders at times. Also, I’d like to offer a special thanks goes out to Erik and Joe our hard working cooks, and Erda and Valkrie for the tasty desserts cooked up in the Dutch ovens.

It is also noteworthy that our second generation Gothar proved themselves once again, and have shown that they have learned their lessons well. It is indeed time for the gray beards to let go and put their trust in those who are destined to take their place… Next year I hope to meet with everyone again when we celebrate AlThing 30! Hail the Asatru Alliance!

Feel free to visit our Althing website for information on all future Asatru Alliance Althing Events. www.asatrualthing.com