Tue, 29 Apr 2003

Meetings with Remarkable Men

Well, what a moot! I finally got to meet Steve McNallen, Valgard Murry and Böğvar - three folks I've wanted to talk with for years. And I was not disappointed.

In fact, it was to my great honor that I was asked to take Mr. McNallen to the St. Louis airport on the way home to Indiana. Steve McNallen is the founder of the modern Asatru revival in America - he started the first organization (the Asatru Free Assembly) in 1972. A three hour ride with the man who more or less got the ball rolling to build our heathen troth in Vinland. One word: wow!

My youngest daughter went with and really got plastered on good mead - first time in her life she'd ever been drunk, and, (considering her hangover the next day) most likely the last. She had opened her big mouth following a Friday night sumbel and answered a challange by a very much older and much more experienced drinker (and a personal friend) to a 'last man standing' .... I wouldn't have let her participate had I thought it would go much past one horn of brew, but she's a stubborn heathen girl and stood her ground. In fact, she won! Much, I might add, to the chagrin of my friend!

She was made an honorary member of 'Clan Hurling' the following day - much to her own embarassment!

Good food, great fellowship, a fine time. I'll have lot's more to say on the ideas emerging from this Moot in the future - Asatru is at a crossroads. It is a "golden moment" where we can choose to work together and accelerate our growth, or fall back into the sniping and backstabbing that have characterized many of our efforts to date.

There were 30 people at the Moot two years ago - this time we topped out at 90, not counting children. With any luck, we are on the track to "seize the day" and achieve even more.

We shall see.

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