The Funeral Service for Harrison Arick Haxton

Chris Haviland officiating as Goði, Winifred Rose as the Gythia.

Bruremarsj fra Osterdalen is played...

The Gythia's Prayer (from The Lay of Sigrdrifa)

Hail to the Day, Hail to the Sons of Day
Hail to Night and its Daughter!
Gaze on us gently, grant us sitting here
your blessings in our battles.

Hail to the gods, hail to the goddesses
Hail to the all-giving earth!
wisdom and lore, as long as we live
grant us, and healing hands.

The Memorial (read by the goði):

Gathered are we to remember one we knew not, here we grieve for a life snatched from us before it began. This day, nine from his birth, was to have been the Naming of this beloved child. The name bestowed was to have been Harrison Arick - Harrison, the son of Har, patron of his father, Arick, an ancient form of Richard, in honor of his grandfather. Yet Wyrd has decreed that the Naming was not to be, and so we gather for this Remembrance and Memorial, and our tears drip like dew from the leaves of Yggdrasil.

Hear now the father, in his grief:

The Rememberance (read by the father):

Never will I know the joy
Of rocking you to sleep.
Never can my pride swell
When the game ball's yours to keep.

Never will I watch you run
And play and shout and learn.
Never will I hear you call
A maid for whom you yearn.

No stocking by the Yuletide tree
No birthday celebration
No baby boy to warm my soul
Nor cheer my desolation.

You had no chance to speak a word,
No turn to do a deed,
But hope is what you meant to me,
And hope is what I need.

Your mothers sobs they rack my soul
Your sisters' grief runs deep.
My baby boy, my pride, my joy,
Your memory I shall keep.

This is the oath I make today
By family, gods and kin.
For my Faith, it gives assurance,
That you will live again.

And on that day when hugh you find
And into Midgard spring
I know that you'll remember us,
On our on love take wing.

And when you fly, though we be gone,
Know this: we'll watch you soar!
For in our hearts you'll always live,
Now and forevermore.

The Gythia's Rede was delivered at this point.

The Godi's Rede and Closing Prayer

We take solace from the sure knowledge that while the form has left Midgard, the soul of this child will remain with us forever. We know that the great wheel of life and rebirth turns always, and that by our remembrance we insure our future. Though the body has gone, the soul remains, fast and secure in our hearts, and when ready, we know he will walk in the midst of his folk once more.

There is an ancient prayer among our people, uttered by those facing their death. And while the young one we mourn could not speak the words, we know his heart felt their warmth:

Lo! there do I see my fathers.
Lo! there do I see my mothers,
my sisters, and my brothers.
Lo! there do I see the line of my people,
back to the beginning.

They call to me.
They bid me to take my place amongst them,
in the halls of the gods,
where the Faithful and True may live on....forever.

The rite is ended: the Folk go on!