|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Once Upon a Time: 3rd Freehold Yuletide BragafullOnce upon a time... Our people lived close to the earth - at one with the land... Once upon a time... Our people worked.... to the rythyms of the seasons... And of the sea... And by the light of the sun and the moon. Once upon a time... We remembered the world's first born... We remembered... And the ancestors stood among us... at the sacred fire. Once upon a time... We built great timber long-houses.... as temples to the gods of our ancestors... - and the planks were overflowing with food and drink... as we feasted the holy-days. Once upon a time... Our people's timeless tales were told... Sacred songs of power were sung... Runes of wisdom spoken. Once upon a time... we gave to the gods and the ancestors... the gift that was most needed! Once upon a time... Our mightiest heathen kings... one by one... embraced a new religion... It shows, in the record, that the people protested "How....? How can you abandon the ways of our ancestors?" And those kings answered... with swords and shields... saying, "To survive, you will follow me.... ! Or follow the ancestors to the grave!" England's mighty oak tree ... the holy oak Irminsul .... at the centre of the sacred forest .... .... the mighty World Tree .... .... was brought crashing down to an unlucky end.... felled by one... axe-wielding preacher! And he asked "Where are yours gods and your ancestors now? They did nothing to stop us from felling your holy trees... and razing your temples to the ground. No power stopped us from slaying your kinsmen.... Where are the ancestors now?" Indeed. Where are they now? Now.... more a thousand years has passed... and those who chose to survive... are among our own ancestors. We who have come here tonight ... having travelled from north, east, south and west... for this holy feast.... to gather in peace according to the old ways.... we are the descendants... of those survivors. Now... a thousand years later... we have won back our freedom... We have won back the right to gather... The right to speak freely... The right to worship as we see fit..... as laid out, finally - and thank-the-gods - in the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights. For the first time in a millenium.... we are free to come together.... just like this.... and hail the old gods... according to the old traditions. This is no small thing. ........ This is an opportunity of an age! ...... And we should not let it pass us by! .... Let us seize the moment without hesitation - without a doubt!.... So... Yes.... Once upon a time....? and now again.... our people will discover our ancient roots.... and find they are planted.... firmly in the earth! Once upon a time-- and now again..... our people will gather on yule.... and easter.... and midsummer.... and althing.... and harvest-tide.... as had ever been done! Once upon a time-- and now again.... the tribal spirit of our folk will speak to us... In dreams... in music and song.... poetry and storytelling - and craft! Once upon a time-- and now again.... we remember the ancient ones.... because their spirits were never lost to us.... being reborn.... among us! Once upon a time-- and now again.... we will not whisper the names of the gods in darkened rooms.... but shout them out with joy upon the mountaintop! Hail Odhin! Hail Thor! Hail Freyr! Hail Earth! Once upon a time-- and now again.... we can stand tall .... proud to be Heathen! A toast to you all! You, the folk of the gods! Wassail!
By Dan Miller |
MP3 Format:
|