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Their Holy Heathenry 38 HEX MAGAZINE THEIR HOLY PLACES ARE WOODS AND GROVES: ENVIRONMENTALISM IN GERMANIC HEATHENRY H. S. HOLTSON , illustration by W.G. Collingwood, 1908 , illustration by W.G. The Tree Yggdrasill HEX MAGAZINE 39 n the year 2012 mankind increasingly finds itself essay, however, I have chosen to present a brief survey defined and filtered through the internet, the largest, of the great importance of holy groves and sacred trees in I busiest, and yet least tangible archive in the history the mythology, as well as of connected elements of later of the world. From highly amusing YouTube comments, to Germanic folklore. surprising cleaning advice, to dubious conspiracy theories It should be noted that for the purpose of this of every shade, the internet is a grand, wild library of past brief work, vast amounts of comparative material (Indo- and ongoing digital encounters. The minds of visitors European or otherwise) will be ignored, and a non- navigate and dwell in an invisible repository, mentally comprehensive survey focusing on the Germanic peoples though not physically distant from the natural surroundings will be presented. This is solely to keep within a concise that sustain them. If one follows the right hallways in these scope, and is by no means a result of lack of material, collections one may encounter an which is plentiful both in and out increasing amount of chatter from of the Germanic sphere among the circles involved in the rebirth of Pagan peoples of Europe.4 historical Germanic Paganism. It is this “Their holy places are Questions of the why and chatter that inspired this article and it how of the sacred will not be is for this audience that this article is woods and groves, and examined in this short paper, nor written. will associated rituals and customs Several months have now they apply the names be discussed.5 Rather, I seek solely passed since I found myself to present a brief sketch of the reading an exchange between two of deities to that hidden historical record of the sacred groves modern Germanic Heathens on the and trees of the Germanic peoples, internet, an exchange sparked by an presence which is seen illustrating that these elements are anonymous question: in short, ‘what core pillars of both Germanic myth is your opinion of environmentalism and custom.6 I will conclude with and Germanic Paganism?’ The terse only by the eye of a discussion of the implications response may be summarized as of these elements for the place ‘there is no reconstructionist basis for reverence.” of environmentalism in modern environmentalism; interest in ecology Germanic Heathenry. seems to be a New Age phenomenon’ ~Tacitus, Germania, 1 CE1 (for those unfamiliar with this jargon, HOLY GROVES reconstructionist may be understood In what we nowadays reckon to as ‘derived from the historical source material,’ whereas be the “first century” (1CE) a Roman historian, Cornelius New Age implies the opposite). Unfortunately, this is not Tacitus, produced an ethnographic study about those who the first time I have encountered such a view in North would turn out to be the most troublesome of the Roman American Heathen circles.2 This is unfortunate because it is Empire’s northern neighbors: the Germanic peoples. a mistaken opinion. Although not without exception,7 much of what Tacitus In response, I will briefly trace a recurring element reports can be confirmed elsewhere. As a result, Tacitus’s that appears throughout historical sources regarding Germania and Annals are both crucial sources for the the Germanic peoples—from the earliest records to study of the Germanic peoples. well after the Christianization process, and even into Particularly in Germania and, to a lesser extent, Industrialization. Strong environmental arguments may in his Annals and Histories, Tacitus repeatedly refers to be presented on the basis of the roles and implications sacred groves among the Germanic peoples. The title of of certain deities and beings in the mythology,3 as well this article bears a translation of a passage that appears as on the basis of Heathen reverence and veneration of early in Germania that quite frankly states the central wells, lakes, mountains, or other natural features. In this importance of the forest to the Germanic peoples. This 40 HEX MAGAZINE is followed by accounts of customs of various Germanic In the 11th century, Adam of Bremen reports that he peoples contemporary to Tacitus. Famously, Tacitus has heard of a Heathen grove at the Temple of Uppsala relates that it is in the innermost sanctuary of an island (now Gamla Uppsala, Sweden) which, every ninth grove that the goddess Nerthus (from Proto-Germanic year, is fertilized with the carcasses of male creatures *Nerþuz; ancestral to the name of an important male that have been sacrificed and subsequently left to hang deity in Old Norse, Njǫrðr) is at certain unspecified times there. In records of Norse mythology compiled in the perceived by her attendants. After being toured across 13th century—over a millennium after Tacitus—we again the countryside in a veiled cart led by heifers, the cart encounter a holy grove associated with fetters where a containing the peace-giving effigy of Nerthus is returned sacrifice to a mighty god is made. In the Poetic Edda poem to the grove. The goddess is bathed in a hidden body of “Helgakviða Hundingsbana II” a grove is mentioned called water there. Among those listed as particularly fond of Fjǫturlundr (Old Norse “fetter-grove”). In this grove the Nerthus are notably the Anglii, the linguistic ancestors of reborn hero Helgi is killed by the mortal Dagr with a spear all modern English speakers. given to him by Odin. He is thus a sacrifice to Odin in a grove of fetters.10 A particularly sacred grove—the Grove of the Semnones, most prestigious of the Suebi—is described There are groves yet beyond Miðgarðr, the middle- by Tacitus. There, representatives of related peoples in yard of mankind, groves central to the gods. According the region come together for, we are told, a great human to Norse mythology, outside of the famous afterlife hall 11 sacrifice (whether the sacrifice is of a prisoner of war Valhǫll exists a grove known as Glasir, a name which or for some other purpose we are left to speculate). means “glimmering, gleaming.” Glasir has glorious golden Among them this holy grove is traditionally considered foliage, and is the most beautiful among those of gods and mankind. As among mankind, important meetings of all to be from whence the Semnones ultimately sprung; the sorts seem to happen in groves and trees; according to the rites performed there are thought to be of great age. It is Poetic Edda poem “Skirnismál,” it is in a grove (Old Norse described as so sacred that anyone who enters it must be lundr) that the shining god Freyr is to meet the beautiful fettered, and if one falls while within the grove, one must j tunn Gerðr. There they will consummate their holy literally roll back out of the grove without undoing the ǫ union. The message is clear: sacred groves are so crucial fetters or attempting to stand, a physical recognition of the that the gods also keep and make use of them. awesome power of the (unnamed) god who rules both there and all the world. HOLY TREES Later in Germania, Tacitus describes that among Outside of sacred groups of trees, individual holy the Naharvali another “ancient” grove may be found. It is trees appear throughout the written records of the attended by a priest who is “dressed in women’s clothes” Germanic peoples. Like groves, these individual trees were and there the Alci, a pair of divine twins, are particularly commonly targeted during Christianization. venerated. In this grove, however, no effigy of the According to a near-contemporary vita by Willibald, brothers may be found.8 the Anglo-Saxon missionary Winfrid (later known as The mentions of Germanic groves in Tacitus’s Annals Saint Boniface) and his armed entourage gleefully waged and Histories are less informative but serve to further religious terror across the 8th century Saxon countryside. illustrate how commonplace the practice of grove worship One of the locations that Winfrid and his retinue visited was among the Germanic peoples. Arminius, enigmatic was in the region of what is now Hesse, Germany. There, victor of the pivotal Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, is Winfrid sought out a great oak associated with the god reported to have assembled his troops in a wood sacred Donar (a continental Germanic form of the god now to “Hercules”—likely interpretatio romana for the god widely known as Thor).12 Surrounded and outnumbered Thor, an association that we will meet again in our by a growing, angry throng of apparently lapsed Christians overview of holy trees. Additionally, Tacitus relays that and/or Heathens (reportedly guilty of sacrificing to trees Gaius Julius Civilis, leader of the Batavian rebellion, also and springs), Winfrid and his crew began hacking away at assembled his army in a sacred grove.9 the immense holy tree. HEX MAGAZINE 41 After some mysterious rustling, the ancient tree fell It is in Yggdrasill that two human beings (to whom and conveniently split into four sections. But Winfrid did we will return) will survive the burning and rebirth of the not meet his death then and there as we might expect! world foretold to occur at Ragnarǫk. The world that they Instead, according to the account, even the most vehement will return to is ideal: the fields are green, the water is Heathen present blithely skipped off to baptism, and a clear, wildlife is abundant.
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