Status
Adopted by the members at Disting 2020. Reaffirmed at Disting 2024.
The statement
Heathen Women United condemns the use of Heathen religion, history, and symbols to promote racism, antisemitism, misogyny, hatred of LGBTQ people, or political violence. Those who do so do not speak for Heathenry and have no place in it.
- This is a misuse, and an old one. In the twentieth century, racial and nationalist movements took the gods and symbols of the old North as emblems for their cause, with consequences the world knows. Groups that continue in that line today are the heirs of those movements, not of the old religion.
- It has no basis in the lore. Nothing in the Eddas, the sagas, or the archaeological record supports a religion of racial purity. The myths show gods who marry among the giants, who wander the whole world, and who value wit, courage, and hospitality wherever they are found.
- Contempt for women travels with it. Wherever Heathenry is bent toward racial ideology, the same groups insist on a narrow and subordinate place for women, usually defended with invented history. We oppose both together because they arrive together.
- The symbols are ours. The hammer, the runes, the tree, and the horn are sacred signs of a living religion. We will not surrender them to people who misuse them, and we ask the public and the press not to assume that anyone who wears them shares those views.
- We will not be neutral. We do not share platforms, events, or common cause with groups that restrict membership by ancestry or that promote hatred. We will say so openly when asked.
Recognizing groups to avoid
People who are new to Heathenry are sometimes drawn into extremist groups without realizing what they are, because such groups rarely describe themselves honestly. Be cautious of any group that:
- Asks about your ancestry, or requires a particular heritage for membership.
- Speaks of Heathenry as the religion of a "folk," a people, or a bloodline, to which outsiders cannot belong.
- Describes other religions or peoples as enemies or as threats to be resisted.
- Insists that men and women have fixed, natural roles that it is the purpose of the religion to restore.
- Discourages questions, outside reading, or friendships beyond the group.
- Will not tell you plainly, when asked, whether people of every background are welcome.
That last test is the simplest. Ask the question directly. An inclusive group will answer yes without hesitation.
If you have been involved with such a group
People leave extremist groups, and many go on to become thoughtful and valued members of inclusive communities. If you are trying to leave one, or have left and are looking for a different kind of Heathenry, you are welcome to write to us. We will not ask you to account for yourself before we answer.
For journalists and teachers
When extremists who use Heathen symbols are in the news, please remember that the great majority of Heathens reject them, and that inclusive Heathens are often their first targets. We are glad to provide accurate background. Our pages on what Heathenry is and on its modern history may also be useful.