Sigh....

Most folks when thinking about differences in Heathenry think about regionalism(Norse, Germanic, Old English, etc) or Ethnicity(Folkish or Universalism) but there is another less known...Rydbergism vs General Heathenry.
Rydbergism is basically the Following of the German Folklorist Viktor Rydberg. He followed the general trend of his time believing in some Universalist Unified Whatever for whatever mythology they were Championing. The difference was that he's German whose works were seldom translated into English and so didn't get passed around as much as his ENglish compatriots to be considered "Old Fashioned" or Out-Of-Date by modern scholars.
I have a copy of his masterwork around somewhere because it has much of the Lore in a convienient location...a single book! His Interpretations? Well, all I'll say is that he fits a man of his times....
I've noticed over the yrs that Rydberg seems to resonate with folks that would otherwise be Christian and find the "messiness" of Tribal religions "untidy" and "disorganised". It's not unusual to find out that the "tinpot dictator" of your local group likes him. I'm sure he made sure the coaches all ran on time as well.
I'm not as "agin" his works as I was twenty yrs ago. However, the Tru-Beleiver attitude still Irritates me, esp. when it's presented AS Heathenry, when most Heathens I've Known over the yrs are not Rydbergian in doctrine, cosmology or attitude.
What brought this up is what I was afraid of has come to pass. When an old listowner decided to had it over to a prominant Rydbergian, I was afraid that the list would go from Lore to Indoctrination. It did. I stayed simply because I can delete the Rydbergian material and keep the actual Lore but some of the younger Heathens are getting tired of being talked down to...
I'll give it another day...
Truth,
Pat

“It’s not a magical amulet, please! A magic amulet is a symbol of primitive and mechanistic superstition, whereas…..well, it’s not!” -Rev Oats

2nd Childhood...

I've been driving Chuck crazy the last couple of months going through a sort of 2nd CHildhood. That is, I've been watching the movies and series of my youth...which were Westerns.Personally, I think they were a much better teacher than some 'gangsta' videogame. The ones of my childhood weren't that violent either.
One that I've found much warm memories is 'Range Rider'of whose star's my present Icon. Teaching all those "tiresome" American Values of Honesty, Hard work and Decency all wrapped up in what today would rival SNL's "Abiguously Gay Duo'. You can't NOT watch the Rider and Dickie West, All American Boy without an occassional snicker;>....
Other than 'RR', pretty much all the Westerns of that period bring back a world that I loved as a kid where men were Honest, women Strong(they may wear skirts but they can shoot and kill)and not keeping your Word was a bigger crime than killing....
Truth,
Pat