Our Food

Natural and Ethical

Men are sacred beings created in accordance with the laws of nature and intended to live in symbiosis with their environment. The food we consume shall therefore be evolutionarily adequate, and more specifically, natural as well as ethically harvested. Always with respect for, and in balance with, our habitat. This insures the preservation of our integrity as beings, as well as that of Miðgarðr as our home.

Consequently, our food shall be completely natural. Free of genetically modified organisms (such as GMO’s), free of chemicals (such as Glyphosate or 3-nitrooxypropanol), free of artificial substances (such as synthetic rennet), free of preventive medical treatments (such as antibiotics), free of gene therapy (such as mRNA or Adenovirus vaccines), and free of industrial processing.

Furthermore, the animals we harvest or raise shall be treated with care and respect. By remaining free range and allowed to roam. By being provided with clean and adequate shelter. By being fed a completely natural diet consistent with their evolutionary needs. By being killed, when applicable, humanely and with minimal stress and suffering (and thus, expressly excluding Halal processes).

Connection with our Ancestors

Eating naturally and consistently with our evolutionary and traditional needs, as we have since times immemorial, further keeps us connected to our ancestors and our culture.

Bodily Autonomy

Our food choices are our sole and exclusive prerogative, consistent with our innate freedoms and spiritual beliefs, including as they relate to our body autonomy.

Gender Biology

There is no equality between genders in biology. Millions of years of evolution have made males and females better suited for different roles and activities. When it comes to the essential characteristics of a warrior, females are clearly unsuitable for combat and at a staggering disadvantage when facing men.

MUSCLE STRENGTH

MALES

40% more muscle mass in upper body.
33% more muscle mass in lower body.

FEMALES

35% less muscle mass in upper body.
25% less muscle mass in lower body.

SKELETAL STRENGTH

MALES

Denser and stronger bones. Stronger tendons and ligaments. Minimizes injuries.

FEMALES

Softer and weaker bones. Weaker tendons and ligaments. Increases injuries.

BLUNT FORCE/IMPACT RESISTANCE

MALES

Stronger facial bone structure. Stronger bones. Minimizes injuries.

FEMALES

Weaker facial bone structure. Weaker bones. Increases injuries.

AGGRESSIVITY

MALES

Hypothalmic pituitary testicular axis: 12 times more testosterone. Can demonstrate high aggressivity.

FEMALES

No hypothalmic pituitary testicular Axis: 12 times less testosterone. Lack aggressivity.

WOUND HEALING

MALES

Higher blood red cell count. Higher hemoglobin. Higher circulating clotting factor: Faster wound healing.

FEMALES

Lower blood red cell count. Lower hemoglobin. Lower circulating clotting factor: Slower wound healing.

BLOOD OXYGEN CARRYING CAPACITY

MALES

Testosterone prompts erythropoietin to produce more red blood cells thus increasing o2 carrying capacity.

FEMALES

No triggering of erythropoietin resulting in no increase in red blood cells or 02 carrying capacity.

RESILIENCE TO COLD AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

MALES

More evenly distributed blood flow in body: higher resilience to cold and other environmental factors.

FEMALES

Less evenly distributed blood flow in body: lower resilience to cold and other environmental factors.

REACTIVITY TO PAIN

MALES

Activation of right amygdala of brain: Less reactive to pain.

FEMALES

Activation of left amygdala of brain: More reactive to pain.

DANGER AND SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

MALES

More white matter in pre-frontal cortex: faster and more efficient danger and situational analysis.

FEMALES

Less white matter in pre-frontal cortex: slower and less efficient danger and situational analysis.

SPACIAL ABILITIES AND VISUALIZATIONS

MALES

Thinner parietal section of brain: Better spacial abilities and better visualization of multidimensional objects.

FEMALES

Thicker parietal section of brain: Worse spacial abilities and worse visualization of multidimensional objects.

REACTIVITY TO EMOTIONS AND DEPRESSION

MALES

Smaller deep limbic system: less reactive to emotions and less prone to depression.

FEMALES

Larger deep limbic system: more reactive to emotions and more prone to depression.

RESPONSE TO THREATS

MALES

Fight or Flight.

FEMALES

Tend and befriend.

TRACKING OF MOVEMENT

MALES

Thicker retinas and larger m cells: Better suited to track movement.

FEMALES

Thinner retinas and more p-cells: less suited to track movement.

SENSITIVITY TO PTSD AND DEPRESSION

MALES

Faster synthesis of serotonin: less likely to suffer from ptsd or depression after traumatic event.

FEMALES

Slower synthesis of serotonin: more likely to suffer from ptsd or depression after traumatic event.

RESPONSE TO FOREIGN CULTURES AND ETHNICITIES

MALES

Response to oxytocin hormone: see competition.

FEMALES

Response to oxytocin hormone: seek kinship.

EMOTIONAL STABILITY

MALES

No pre-menstrual syndrome: no mood swings, no irritability, no fatigue, no food craving, and no depression.

FEMALES

Pre-menstrual syndrome: monthly and irregular mood swings, irritability, fatigue, food craving, and depression.

Also available for download as a PDF File.

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WANNA READ MORE ABOUT BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES IN GENDER?

A meta-analysis of sex differences in human brain structure (Combining 126 studies)
U.S. National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health.

Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18–88 yr - School of Physical and Health Education, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6; and 2 Obesity Research Center, St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10025

Comparing Athletic Performances: The Best Elite Women to Boys and Men - Center for Sports Law and Policy, Duke University.

Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force: Experimental Assessment Report - Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity.

Forn Siðr v. Paganism

Paganism is the original belief system of the White human species. Paganism branched out to a wide array of religions across Miðgarðr. Including in what is now known as India and Asia, although modern narratives make a distinction between Paganism and Hinduism as well as Buddhism. Even the desert cults arise out of Paganism, with Islam and Christianity being a mere variation of Judaism and a strategy to control and subdue the masses by those who refer to themselves as the “Chosen” People.

What is referred to as Paganism today is inherently neo-Paganism. This is because modern White humans cannot possibly comprehend, let alone follow, the original version of Paganism, which goes back much farther than most can imagine and has since become heavily corrupted. Even involving concepts now foreign and unfathomable to modern humans. Paganism is also inherently inspired - or even appropriated - from Norse culture, because the land that is currently known as Norway is where humanity, civilization, and thus everything, started.

Today, there are two primary movements within neo-Paganism. The literal movement is focused on the literal meaning of a handful of ancient Norse/Germanic texts that are public and somewhat known to the world. The revisionist movement is fixated on modifying the meaning of the same texts to accommodate their personal and political beliefs. Within each movement, focus can greatly vary between Germanic, Norse, or even completely strange references.

Both movements are heavily influenced by Christianity or a repressed form of it and do not seem to understand allegory. Nor the fact that all public translations are incorrect and based on insufficient data and knowledge (no access to the many Old Norse dialects throughout time prevents mastery of the Old Norse language and its many variations). That the texts they seem to rely on so heavily were written by Christians a very long time after the alleged events, based on other texts and materials suppressed by the Church, intent on pushing their own version of the world, and creation. Or that a true understanding of actual history and culture, based in significant part on genetic memory, and in contrast to official narrative, is critical in understanding any Norse concept, and thus, their Pagan ideology.

Yet, the whole identity of the literal movement revolves around endlessly arguing literal translations of those texts, completely missing the most fundamental tenants of the belief system. Hundreds of books have been written to argue one form of translation over another (with none being accurate), or to debate the irrelevant. Among the literal movement, those seen as experts (even though they certainly are not) often see it as very smart to extrapolate on literal meanings. For example, arguing that a specific stanza in the Eddas somehow means that Óðinn seeks war and the slaughter of men, in the past and currently, for the sole purpose of building an army for Ragnarøkr, which none of these wannabe scholars see as cyclical either. The literal movement further uses Old Norse texts like Christians use their bible, often referring to them in their day to day life, without ever walking the talk, though. They are not, however, actual followers of Paganism or the old ways. Merely attached superficially to some abstract texts and concepts.

The revisionist movement is less concerned with literate translations, as their primary goal is to modify history, culture and facts to accommodate their views of the world from the perspective of a political spectrum. With most positioning themselves on the far left, and the rest on the right (never too far right). Blue haired morbidly obese creatures of varying genders somehow justify their gender dysphoria, obesity, and Marxism with Norse paganism. Changing facts and history to turn a patriarchal White society into a colored matriarchy. Demonstrating exceptional levels of cognitive dissonance in the process. On the other end of the spectrum, suppressed Christians somehow decide that women were sacred in Norse culture and paganism, while projecting their Abrahamic sexual repression onto the ancient culture. They therefore turn what was a male-dominated tribal life into dual-family concepts based on women and prohibiting any form of sex outside of marriage and procreation.

Neither the literal or revisionist movement live in reality or actually live Paganism. Instead, both movements practice some sort of superficial, modernized, watered down pseudo-ritualistic worship of generally one single “god” (usually Óðinn), with no longer any connection to the actual ancient celebrations, each connected to very specific events and circumstances. Indeed, Sigrblót completely loses its meaning when there is no actual battle to celebrate with most followers not even having served in the military, or when there cannot possibly be rejoicing at coming out of a dark winter when most live at latitudes that see sunlight every day throughout the year, winter included. This worship typically materializes into praying to the Norse (or Germanic) “gods”, in the absence of celebrating meaningful actual events and achievements, while lighting a few candles from Walmart. This is a form of virtue-signaling and Christian absolution. These neo-Pagans are indeed so far detached from original Paganism when it comes to their life and behavior, that they subconsciously see themselves as either inadequate or sinning, and therefore as having to make up for their shortcomings with Christianized activities and a form of repenting. This is how a morbidly obese lesbian living with 6 cats in a condo in a large city somehow sees itself as Pagan when its very own existence and lifestyle would be an utter aberration in an ancient Pagan culture. The very same Lesbian also imagines itself in Valhöll over its heroic “fight” against obesity and through gender re-assignment, fantacizing of a Christian heaven which would in fact be absolute hel for anyone who is not both a male and an exceptional warrior.

Forn Siðr, on the other hand, is fundamentally different. Forn Siðr is the traditional Norse spirituality from a practical approach, based on ancestral knowledge, traditions and records (most not publicly available), genetic memory, and attachment to the land and what is referred to in popular culture as the “gods”. The ancient public texts are explored as significant poetry, as allegories as well as a limited form of knowledge that helps understand the belief system in a cultural and historical context, rather than said text being an actual focus or ultimate reference. Forn Siðr is also defined by men striving to honor their Norse ancestors through their actual behavior, ethos and life, rather than artificial and superficial Abrahamized useless virtue-signaling repenting activities. The true follower of Forn Siðr is a fit male making his ancestors proud and striving to be the best warrior one can ever be. Forn Siðr is a wholesome spirituality that transpires through a man’s very existence, life choices, ideology, and purpose at a deep fundamental and historical level, without any fixation on a handful of texts written by the Church, because a true Norðmaðr simply doesn’t need a bible.

Forn Siðr also emphasizes a connection to Blendingar (Hybrids), and thus, a good hold of Forn Siðr as the traditional Norse spirituality is the first step towards a deeper understanding of the creators, and a better connection through them, progressively explored through ÚLFASIÐR, the primeval Norse spirituality and predecessor, as well as foundation, of Forn Siðr.

Afterlife of Animals

Animals in Norse culture have a spirit and soul, the same as humans do. The concept that only humans have a soul is indeed entirely Abrahamic and is abhorrent in Norse culture.

As a result, when it comes to the afterlife, animals such as dogs and cats have a similar standing as humans, and more specifically their owner. The pets (or working dogs) will therefore eventually re-unite with their dad wherever he ends up when it’s his time to pass (for more information as to where you will likely go in the afterlife, see “Valhöll”).

But until then, pets would normally find themselves in the Lundar area (peaceful wilderness) where it is always summer, where there’s a permanent all-you-can-eat buffet (which pets will inherently benefit from), and where they can chase all sorts of things!

Blendingar (Hybrids)

Excerpt describing Blendingar (Old Norse term, Hybrids in English) from Úlfheimr: The Tenth World.

Before the beginning of time, where Múspellsheimr and Niflheimr meet in Ginungagap, fire melted primeval ice, and as it began to drip, started to take the shape of a many things, including that of a giant cow, Auðumbla. On the evening of the first day, some hair started to appear from the blocks of ice Auðumbla was licking for nourishment. On the second day, a white head with blue eyes and a thick golden beard came out of the ice. On the third day, a big,  powerful, and fair-skinned jǫtunn emerged. His name was Búri. He was strong, exceptionally attractive, and he smelled very good. He had a son, Borr, who fathered many offsprings with his woman Bestla, including Óðinn, and later another descendant, Áskunnr, with a mortal from Miðgarðr (home of menn), one of the newly created Níu Heimar (nine worlds).  

Áskunnr, half jǫtunn and half man, and also half brother of Óðinn, was the first Blendingr, or hybrid. He went on to conceive hundreds of liðsmenn (warriors) in his image, renowned for their handsomeness, physical strength, sexual prowess, purity of soul, wisdom, and most importantly of course, war fighting prowesses. All driven by an extreme and raw expression of Óðr, the frenzy, passion, and spiritual ecstatic state associated with both sex and battle. 

To this day, Blendingar remain exceptional beings, akin to the gods, with very unique and distinct body and mind characteristics. They are taller than any man, always well over seven fœtr (feet), and in some instances nearly one and a half faðmar (nine feet). They are identified by extraordinarily defined lean muscles, hardly ever seen in mere mortals. Despite their size, and weight well over thirty fjórðungar (about three hundred pounds), Blendingar are particularly agile. They tend to move like Álfar (Elfs) and are capable of leaping over great lengths and heights. Their strength is mythical, and they are known to have been able to unroot giant trees in Nýnorðrlönd (a region later known as British Columbia) with their bare hands, to crush femurs with their thumbs, or in the case of hybrids of Danish descent, to overturn large things at least twenty times their own weight.

Blendingar also surpass all in raw and natural handsomeness, including Baldur, áss of beauty. Their skin is whiter than that of the fairest of all Æsir, Heimdallr, and blends completely in the snowy and icy landscapes of the north, and of Jǫtunheimr (home of the Jǫtnar or Giants) too. Their eyes are bluer than the summer skies, the alpine lakes of the homeland, the deep oceans of the north and the south, and the ice fields of Helluland put together. Their blonde or red hair parallels the pure gold of Draupnir, Óðinn’s gold ring manufactured by the Dvergar or elves, or the fires of Múspellsheimr (realm of eldr or fire). Hybrids are also known for their spectacular long, straight, and soft beards. The chest of Blendingar is as bare as the landscape of Svalbard, with no more than a handful of individual hairs. Hybrids, however, have a peculiar amount of hair on certain parts of their body, including the top of their feet, their groin as well as their underarms, with the latter both presenting unusual density and thickness. Hybrids, and this is odd, smell strikingly good as well. The musky scent of their skin and sweat is unusually pleasing and intoxicating for any man, with a mere whiff believed to prompt unusually wild and uncontrollable expressions of Óðr among true vígmenn (warriors). Many believe that the Ásynjur have cast a spell on mere mortals to prevent them from looking away when faced in fascination with a hybrid. The reality, however, is that Blendingar simply are the nicest thing any human could possibly ever lay his eye on, or breath for that matter.

Furthermore, Hybrids can see with a much wider angle of view, and in slow motion, providing them unequaled reactivity to anticipate their enemies’ every move, and greatly contributing to their combat superiority. It isn’t uncommon for Blendingar to neutralize or kill several men at the same time, sometimes with just one strike. They are also famed for being able to see as far and as clearly as an eagle eye can see, allowing them to detect threats even in the darkest of forests. Hybrids can hear a snowflake fall on moss, or the breathing of any and all things. Their sense of smell is more developed than that of a regular Úlfheðinn and they can detect and respond to scent, including male fear and sexual pheromones, from many rastir (miles) away. Moreover, hybrids have an innate capacity to naturally perceive threats and other dangers, and a protective drive that is so strong that they have been known to engage in unspeakable and unimaginable violence in order to protect or avenge their own. Blendingar also display acute resistance to extreme cold, high levels of discomfort, privation and pain, making them even immune to the most gruesome tortures. 

As masters of Óðr, Blendingar also have legendary sexual needs (as well as legendary göndlar). They have been reported throughout history as having at times raped hundreds of enemies to death in a single day during the rut season. Some hybrids are even known to have mated with up to thirty four Leðrhalsar over the course of only a few hours. 

Blendingar are the archetypes of transcendent masculinity and they are the embodiment of ultimate víglið (warriors). They are so close to gods that they were often mistaken as such throughout the history of the worlds. 

Helluland

According to official narrative, Helluland, currently called Baffin Island and presently located in the Nunavut Territory of Canada, was settled by us Norse over 1,000 years ago, about 200 years before the Inuits, and several hundred years before other Europeans (including the heavily publicized Franklin expedition, and thus the British, or the French for that matter).

Several of our ancient texts, together with our oral traditions, however, not only place Norðmenn (Norsemen) in Helluland much earlier than officially acknowledged, but also refer to the cultural and traditional significance of the island.

An important landmark of the region is indeed described as a mountain with a very distinct geological structure referred to in Norrœnt mál (Old Norse) as Áskunningr, which translates in English to “related to the Æsir” (aka Norse gods in popular and Abrahamized Anglophone culture). There are at least two accounts of the peak being considered a sacred site to enter unbreakable oaths (Eiðrinn) between regular Úlfhéðnar and Blendingar (hybrids). Even access to the mountain is clearly described through a fjord called “Leynifjörðr” (or “Hidden Fjord”) and a valley named “Leynigata” (Hidden Valley), running south/southeast to north/northeast, with the name probably referring to the passage not being the first and most obvious inland access by sea from the settlements of Grœnland (Greenland).

Today, the mountain is named Mount Thor, and the valley to access it, Akshayuk Pass, in Auyuittuq National Park, Nunavut, Canada.

More information about the area and its history can also be found at www.Helluland.com.

We Were First

There are currently two narratives with respect to the settlement of Norway and the rest of the world. The first supposedly follows a scientific - but in fact popular - consensus, and the second, our ancient knowledge.

Popular Narrative

We Norwegians are descendants of The Battle Axe People. They supposedly came from Sweden and settled in southern Norway about 2,800 BCE. They are tall, mostly blonde-haired and blue-eyed, and they speak an Indo-European language that is later to be known as Germanic. The Battle Axe people introduce bronze technology to Norway and start to produce tools and weapons made of bronze and other metals. They establish permanent farming settlements as well as a social class structure.

Nearly two millennia later, around 1,000 BCE, the Sami from the west Ural Mountains in what is now Russia, settle in northern Norway, and start mixing with the descendants of the Komsa who later disappear. They are hunters, trappers, and fishermen, and they use tools and weapons made of antlers, tusks, bones and stones at first, and by 700 BCE, iron (imported from Russia). They speak their own distinct Finno-Ugric language, unrelated to Germanic. They are taught agriculture upon making contact with Norwegians that have now been moving northward.

Even though the (hi)story has been perverted over time in popular beliefs, the fact remains that we Norse settled Norway before the Sami people nearly 5,000 years ago, and under this official narrative, are the oldest race on Norwegian soil that is still alive, with the Kosma, Fosna and Nøstvet people supposedly preceding us in Norway having gone extinct.

Similarly, we were the first Europeans to settle the Americas, well before the French, the British (and of course Columbus), and in the case of Baffin Island in what is now Canada, well before the Inuits. Artifacts establishing our settlement of British Columbia found in the Broken Islands of Pacific Rim National Parks were mostly suppressed but not before we could salvage some of them. Our ancient records also direct us to very specific sites in western Canada. In the north, many Inuits have blue eyes from inter-racial breeding with our people. In New Zealand, as per artifacts as well and various traditions from elders, we settled the region well before the Maoris.

Ancient Knowledge

Under our ancient knowledge, the white man (the white race is indeed clearly genetically different from other races) was created by a race of giants in what is now known as Jotunheimen in Norway. This narrative is also expressed through Abrahamic metaphors in the story of Óðinn creating the world - and mankind - from the body parts of Jötnar (giants). As well as pretty much every other religion on earth invariably referring to a race of giants.

About 25,000 years ago, in what is now Scandinavia, Jötnar and Blendingar (half Jötnar and half men) cross the ice bridge from an area now known as Honningsvåg in Northwestern Norway and settle first North America and then South America.

Then, about 10,000 years later - and nearly 15,000 years ago towards the end of the last ice age - the white man, tall, mostly blonde-haired, blue-eyed and later referred to as The Battle Axe People, makes it to North America on his own and settles the continent as well. His language would later become what is now known as Old Norse, which origins may appear rooted in Germanic language from Eurasia, but in fact, are not, having followed a completely different evolutionary process than currently claimed.

Again, this religious narrative is upheld by many so-called “native” cultures in the Americas, all referring to a race of giants and other very white humans.

Under this second scenario, we the Norse remain the first settlers of Norway, the Americas and the rest of the world, just much earlier that claimed in the alternate, more popular narrative.

Ultimately, though, we were first.

Sexual Maturity

Throughout various periods of history, the life expectancy of individuals, especially males, was shorter than modern days. Similarly, individuals tended to mature faster, go to combat earlier and breed sooner.

Norse culture has always been based on the natural order of things. A prepubescent child - not being sexually functional - is therefore not meant to have sex under the laws of nature, including evolutionary biology. Furthermore, a prepubescent individual, due to many factors relating to maturity, including lack of hormones as he or she has not gone through puberty yet, does not have a brain that has the capabilities to form informed decisions, and thus consent to sex.

In addition, in Norse culture, a male was primarily valued for his warriors capabilities, and thus core male evolutionary traits and characteristics, and a female for her breeding abilities. Both of which are innately dependent on sexual maturity.

In this context, and as demonstrated by ancient Old Norse texts, sex with prepubescent children in Norse culture was absolutely abhorrent, and sex was in fact conditional on sexual maturity, as in an individual having gone through the process of puberty, making his or her body sexually and biologically functional.

Goði

The first public record of the term “goði” is found on the Nordhuglo Rune Stone from Norway dating back to around 400 AD, as well as three other stones from Funen in Denmark. The word is used in opposition to gandr, which refers to a magic staff, and thus magics, believed to be the exclusive jurisdiction of women. In this context, the word “goði” therefore refers to a man who stays away from magics - as he should - and is as a result a good leader.

The term “goði” is also later documented in Landnámabók (Icelandic laws implemented following settlement by the Norse in the 9th century), as well as Grágás (Icelandic laws in use until integration with Norway in 1264), and refers to a secular community or military leader. “Goði” is indeed synonymously used with “höfðingi”, which refers to a chieftain or military commander. Subsequently, “goði” (or “höfðingi”) became voting members of Lögrétta, the legislative section of the Þing (assembly), and also nominated judges for trials. Free landowners, referred to as þingmenn, were required by law to be contractually associated with a “goði”. Goðar had jurisdiction over an independent goðorð, which could be traded, bought or inherited. However, if a female was to inherit a goðorð, she was required by law to hand over leadership to a man, making the position of goði de facto and de jure only open to men.

During Christianisation of Iceland, the Church started associating the term with religious duties similar to that of a priest or parish leader, encouraged by by the term’s similarities to the word “goð”, and hoping to facilitate conversion of Norse religious leaders to Christianity.

The goði system was subsequently abolished by Hákon Hákonarson (Håkon Håkonsson in Norwegian, also known as Haakon IV) of Sverreættin (House of Sverre, Sverreættan in Norwegian), that is now Áskunnrættin (House of Áskunnr), following the integration of Iceland back into the Kingdom of Norway. Hákon Hákonarson wanted indeed to reduce the influence of the Church in Norway. As a king, he was very aware of the toxicity of Christianity, after the Church had attempted to kill him as a child (through the Baglarr), before he was eventually saved by Birkibeinar.

Ultimately, despite the attempts by the Church to Christianise the term, including in the writing of various texts, Goðar never were religious leaders in Norse culture, and any association of the term “goði” with religion is an Abrahamization of our culture.

Right to Life

The concept of killing one’s own flesh and blood in the womb, and thus abortion, was utterly abhorrent in the Viking age and in Norse culture overall. There is in fact not one single documented case of a child being aborted in any text, runestone, reference or oral teaching, and there is no word in Norrœnt mál (Old Norse language) for abortion.

General cultural concepts such as sexuality, marriage, and warriors also clearly express the sacred aspect of procreation, producing sons, and maintaining the blood line, as well as the fact Norse culture was male-centric, with limited consideration for the autonomy of women, including as it related to sexual consent. Indeed, a newborn boy had a higher status immediately upon birth than his own mother or any other woman, therefore excluding both modern concepts that a woman had dominion over own own body, or that a baby was part of her rather than a completely separate human being.

There has, however, always been the aspect of infanticide in Norse culture, specifically through exposure to the elements, and particularly prior to Christianisation, as expressed in various texts, including Íslendingabók from Guðni Jónsson:

“Allir menn skyldi kristnir vera ok skírn taka, þeir er áðr váru óskírðir á landi hér. En of barnaútburð skyldu standa in fornu lög ok of hrossakjötsát.” (All the men should be Christian and take baptism, those who in the land were unbaptized. Yet that the exposure of infants should remain from the ancient law, as well as the consumption of horse meat.)

Notwithstanding the fact the custom was similar to that of Spartans, and generally only involved infants with disabilities, or who had clearly been conceived outside of the tribe, the practice remains completely unrelated to the concept of interrupting a pregnancy, especially in the context of abortion being justified by the alleged rights of women - non-existent in fact - in the Viking age.

Ultimately, the life of one’s own healthy and able-bodied child was sacred in the Viking age and overall in Norse culture. Such child was also accurately seen as a human being completely distinct from his mother, from the first heart beat. This approach, however, did not extend to the progeny of enemies, inherently a threat to the survival of the tribe.

Valhöll

Your social status, your deeds and achievements during your lifetime, as well as how you died, will determine where you end up after death. Ultimately, Skuld (one of the 3 Nornir) decides of your afterlife after she reads the tapestry of your life and all your deeds woven by Verðandi (her sister).

As a Norðmaðr, you write your own destiny. The length of your life is always decided by Urðr (the eldest of the 3 Nornir), at the time you are born. How you spend the time allocated to you on Miðgarðr (earth), however, and thus what deeds Verðandi will weave in the tapestry of your life, are entirely up to you. Ultimately, Skuld decides of your afterlife based on your actual accomplishments, and in the case of the various halls for soldiers, your combat record, as well as your blood line in some cases. But whether you are or will ever be a warrior is on you. And where you end up in the afterlife, is typically based on your achievements, under your direct control (with some exceptions).

You must therefore always strive to be the best at what you do to get a shot at ending up with your favorite ancestor, otherwise, you’ll just end up in Hel (not necessarily a bad place if on the good side of it, Lundar).

YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST HERMENN: A WARRIOR

You will join one of three halls:

Týr’s hall, Valaskjálf, in Valhöll
Óðinn’s hall, Glaðsheimr, in Valhöll
Freyja’s hall, Sessrúmnir, in Fólkvangr

A warrior is a man who has demonstrated exceptional feats in combat.

Yes, a man, because there never were female warriors. Simple biology really, as well as historical facts. And yes, actual battle engagement is also required to even be considered a warrior. But mere combat is not enough to be deemed a warrior. An element of exception is indeed always involved.

As Ἡράκλειτος (535-475 BCE) put it:

Out of every one hundred men,
ten shouldn’t even be there,
eighty are just targets,
nine are the real fighters,
and we are lucky to have them,
for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one, one is a warrior,
and he will bring the others back.

In other words, being a warrior requires mastery of the art of war, as well as mastery of oneself, and pretty epic achievements.

First, under the Skjǫldrinn covenant of 748, some of the absolute best warriors, whether or not they die in battle, including Úlfhéðnar and Berserkir under their command, join Týr at his hall, Valaskjálf (in Valhöll as well). Those don’t go to Glaðsheimr with Óðinn. Ever. No matter what. This is over some unresolved issues between Blendingar (hybrids, half man half jötunn) and Óðinn (who formed the world by killing one of their ancestors through deceit and dismembering him, and later plotted to drown all of their ancestors in blood), and the concern the hybrids would side with Jötnar during Ragnarøkr, not to mention seek some conflict with Óðinn. Backed up by all remaining Úlfhéðnar of course, and their Berserkir, due to the oath associated with membership in Skjǫldrinn, the ancestral military order. Í vegi jarðar. That is the way of things.

For all remaining absolute best warriors who die in battle, half go to Glaðsheimr in Valhöll with Óðinn. The other half goes to Sessrúmnir in Fólkvangr with Freyja.

YOU ARE A HERMAÐR: A SOLDIER

Soldiers (including sailors and Marines) who have still experienced combat but have not reached the level of a warrior, go to Bilskirnir, Þórr’s hall in Þrúðvangar.

In practical terms, this means that the overwhelming majority of military men will never reach one of the three warriors’ halls (Valaskjálf and Glaðsheimr in Valhöll, or Sessrúmnir in Fólkvangr). Most operators and fine United States Marines who either die in combat and/or are part of Skjǫldrinn, though, will party with Týr at Valaskjálf. All other good servicemen will raise Hel (well, not literally), with Þórr in Þrúðvangar.

Ultimately, Valhöll is for those true warriors, the absolute best of the best, who actually die in combat (and/or are part of Skjǫldrinn). It is a great incentive for any man to strive to achieve greatness in combat.

YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST KARLS OR ÞRÆLAR

The best Karls (freemen, farmers, etc…), as well as the best þrælar (workers/slaves) still end up in Ásgarðr. They however join Bilskirnir, Þórr’s hall in Þrúðvangar. 

YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST IN YOUR FIELD

You will still go to Ásgarðr, but your final destination will be based on your profession. Half of the best veiðmenn (hunters) goes to Ýdalir with Ullr, and the other half goes to Þrymheimr (Skaði’s hall). The best merchants and fishermen go to Nóatún (Njörðr’s residence). If you drown, though, Ægir will claim you! The best lawmen go to Glitnir with Forseti. Læknar (doctors and healers) join Eir at her hall, Skimmer. People involved in the art of divination go to Sökkvabekkr, Sága’s hall. Essentially, if you are the best in your profession, you end up with the god associated with your field.

YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, BUT NOT ONE OF THE BEST IN YOUR FIELD

Basically, you lived an average honest life. You will end up in Hel, which is ruled by the goddess Hel. Do not panic, though, as you will go to the Lundar area (peaceful wilderness) where it is always summer, and where there’s a permanent all-you-can-eat buffet! You will also only see Hel’s beautiful half. All in all, a marked improvement from your average life on earth.

YOU ARE A BAD MAN

Criminals, níðingar, traitors, oath breakers, and liars (yes, not keeping your word is a big no-no for us Víkingar) will end up in Hel, but in the not-so-nice Niflhel area.  The place is a constantly frozen swamp inhabited by demonic spirits whose only goal is to constantly chase you. A black river separates this desolate place from Narstrand, a beach of náir (corpses). There you will find a building entirely made of interwoven snakes that constantly spit their venom in the center of the hall, creating an entire pool and river of venom. The worst of the worst, namely the oath breakers and liars (told ya, we Víkingar don’t take lying lightly) bath in that river of venom for eternity. Of course, all the bad guys only see the ugly, rotten half of Hel. Never her beautiful side.

Bodily Autonomy

Freedom of Choice In Norse Culture

The body, spirit, and soul of a man are sacred and under his sole and exclusive control as well as jurisdiction. Freedom of choice with respect to a man’s body is an irrevocable aspect of his masculinity, warrior ethos, and innate natural evolutionary freedom further secured over the millennia by the sacrifice of his ancestors. Violation of a man's body by any mean is an egregious and intolerable assault to his dignity and very existence as a man. It is also undeniable gross emasculation as well as a loss of status and standing as a free man.

Sacred Body in Norse Culture

Jǫtnar created men as sacred beings also physically, mentally and spiritually naturally resilient to environmental factors and threats. Such natural strength and resilience, including to diseases and various environmental stresses, is linked to a man’s physical, mental, and spiritual fitness, and thus, part of a man’s traditional core identity as well as fundamental evolutionary traits and characteristics critical to species survival. In keeping with this historic, cultural, spiritual and irrevocable doctrine, any interference with a man’s body and mind - including but not limited to medical treatments or procedures a man would elect to accept as his sole informed prerogative free of coercion - shall remain natural and shall follow the laws of nature. This specifically excludes gene therapy (including but not limited to RNA messenger vaccines), specifically excludes animal-based treatments (including but not limited to adenovirus vector vaccines), specifically excludes human-based treatments (including but not limited to certain vaccines that contain fetal and other human tissues, but excluding expressly consensual organ transplants), specifically excludes artificial performance enhancement treatments (including but not limited to steroids or hormonal treatments in the presence of two functional testes), specifically excludes robotic, electronic or otherwise artificial procedures and interventions (including but not limited to microchips or other electronic implants and interfaces), and specifically excludes organ, thoughts and knowledge harvesting or exploitation, as well as collection or exploitation - directly or indirectly - of semen, DNA, blood, or any other physical, mental, or spiritual element. 

Horned Helmets

Horned helmets have been used from the bronze age and throughout the Viking age. Their primary purpose is ceremonial, as such helmets were generally unsuitable for combat.

CEREMONIAL HORNED HELMETS

Horned helmets were in fact used by Vikings and their ancestors for ceremonial purposes and rituals.

VEKSØ HORNED HELMETS

The best known ceremonial helmets are the Veksø horned helmets, from Veksø in Zealand, Denmark. Their primary material is a high tin bronze and they were made in Scandinavia using European bronze working techniques of the time.

The helmets are currently at Nationalmuseet (National Museum of Denmark).

Viksø horned helmets

Viksø horned helmet

Viksø horned helmet

OSEBERG SHIP TAPESTRY

A tapestry found in the Oseberg ship burial, and dated around the 9th century (at the height of the Viking age), shows a man wearing a horned helmet.

Oseberg Tapestry

DENMARK ÓÐINN FIGURINE

More recently, a 5cm figurine of Óðinn wearing horns again was also found in a field near Mesinge in Hindsholm, on the island of Fyn in Denmark. Some controversy has surrounded the findings, with some arguing whether the horns are meant to represent bull horns, ravens or even … dragons. The discussion within the purpose of horned helmet is however irrelevant. Whatever the symbolism may be, they remain horns.

The artifact is currently on permanent display at Nationalmuseet (National Museum of Denmark).

Óðinn figurine from Danmark.

Óðinn figurine from Danmark.

TORSLUNDA BRONZE PLATE

More significant is the Vendal period Torslunda bronze plate (late 6th to early 9th century) from Öland, Sweden, which depicts an Úlfheðinn wearing a wolf pelt, together with Óðinn, who also happens to be wearing a horned helmet. The Torslunda plate, also know as the Öland plate, is on display at Statens historiska museum (Swedish History Museum) in Stockholm.

Torslundaplåtarna

SKJǪLDRINN

Horned helmet have also been in use for oathing rituals within Skjǫldrinn since 748 BCE. Current induction ceremonies within the ancestral military order still involve the use of horned helmets.

The Myth of Long Hair

Some Vikings did have long hair indeed. It is expected in a tribal culture to have cultural variations between areas or even tribes. However, long hair was not a normal or a cultural pattern for males during the Viking age, especially those involved in raiding, and thus, combat.

Ironically, the long hair idea is pushed by the same people who are so adamant that there never were horned helmets, because it is impractical they say. Not comprehending how impractical long hair would be in battle, in the north, in the cold, on long trips, etc... The depiction of Vikings with long hair comes from the Romantic period of the late 18th to mid 19th century, at the same time Vikings were also depicted with wings on their helmets.

While men invariably wore a beard, they were also well groomed, which typically included shorter hair. A primary reason was the simple fact that long hair was impractical in battle, in the north, in the cold, on long trips, etc...

Skjǫldrinn actually banned long hair over 1,200 years ago, first for Ulfs (including hybrids) and extended it to Berserkir a few years later. At the time, the primary reason was that it was unsuitable for combat.

Practical reasons for having shorter hair are numerous. In contrast to a beard which held many benefits:

1. Purpose: Long hair serves no purpose in the field or wilderness environment. Length does not provide extra warmth or protection, and is actually a liability. A beard, on the other hand, has many benefits.

2. Hygiene: Long hair is difficult to keep clean in the field. It requires water and cleaning agents, both of which are extra weight, extra water (in a liquid state), and extra time. In contrast, a reasonably size beards is not only much easier to wash, but gets less dirty. Also, body hair, as in pubes and pits, actually improve hygiene.

3. Wildlife Attractant: Long hair will either smell from natural oil and sweat, or from the products used to wash them. Both of which are attractants for predators such as polar bears and grizzly bears. Not an issue with a beard, which gets less dirty, is more easily washed, and has much less of a smell due to spacing, density, and position of hair.

4. Hypothermia: Long hair requires a lot of water to wash, and requires energy to dry. This means head is exposed to cold during the wash and after the wash, increasing the risk of hypothermia. On the other hand, a beard requires much less exposure to cold during washing and drying, and is also in a part of the body, the face, that is less sensitive to temperature variations and is not an issue for hypothermia.

5. Lice: Long hair is a breeding ground and ecosystem for lice. Which can be spread to the rest of a group/unit. These lice, however, cannot normally thrive and survive in a beard, due to different hair spacing.

6. Safety: Long hair gets entangled in equipment, which can lead to being essentially scalped. Beards don’t because they are, well, right in your face, giving you more control as to where it’s going, they are shorter, and when caught in something, beards don’t result in scalping.

7. Security: Long hair are like handles so your head can be grabbed for the purpose of killing you, including holding you while slitting your throat. Not an issue with a reasonably size beard which is much more difficult to grab due to position, length, and human anatomy.

8. Performance: Long hair get in your field of view, affecting your marksmanship or bow shooting performance. Beards don't.

9. No pheromones in hair on head. So any scent is external, from dirt, and doesn't serve an evolutionary purpose.

10. Look like a man, not a girl: Last but not least, it is very difficult for most dudes to pull long hair without looking like a girl or a bum. Beards, on the other hand, makes ugly guys look better, and good looking guys look awesome. Ultimately, in the Viking age, long hair was the typical feature of a woman, not a man.

Gamalost is a Viking Cheese

Gamalost, the unusual Norwegian delicacy still produced by Tine (Norwegian dairy company) in Vik, known to be insanely high in protein, and believed to improve sexual performance in men, is, in fact, a Viking cheese that goes back over a millennium.

The cheese is originally mentioned as “forn ostr” in Fóstbræðra saga (Saga of the Sworn Brothers), as well as “ostkista” in Brennu-Njáls saga (Njáls Saga). Now, the burning of Njal’s farm at Bergþórshváll around 1011 (263 AS) is a fact. When some of the buildings were excavated in 1885, a white substance was discovered. Upon analysis in København (Copenhagen), it was found to be the remains of sour milk cheese. In fact, what is known today as Gamalost.

The modern name of “Gamalost” means old cheese. In the old days, it was known to be pretty old indeed, as it was a staple taken in long raids without the need for refrigeration. The cheese is made with a special mold (Mucor mucedo), which is added to skimmed-milk cheese after being cooked in acid whey. The result is a very unusual cheese that doesn’t look like cheese, doesn’t have the texture of regular cheese, with the taste of a particularly strong blue cheese.

Disabilities are Stigmatized

Týr is missing one hand from bravely engaging Fenrir to protect all Æsir and the nine worlds, and Óðinn has lost an eye in order to learn wisdom. Two instances of men risking life and limb to stand by their values and their own. These actions, based on bravery and sacrifice, demonstrate the hyper-masculine aspect of Norse culture, and the glorification of the most fundamental and core evolutionary features and characteristics of men.

Norse culture indeed otherwise greatly stigmatizes disabilities. You can't be a warrior who fights exceptionally and win wars if you are disabled. Valhöll is not an hospice for disabled or injured men, but a hall for the best warriors on earth (see “Valhöll”). As a matter of fact, warriors whose injuries will heal completely every night, specifically eliminating any disability. Even a decrease of performance inherent to aging is unacceptable, as per Jómsvíkingalǫg (The Laws of Jómsvíkingar).

Any perceived sympathy for disabilities in public texts is either a mistranslation (when the focus is in fact on sacrifice and bravery, someone who doesn't speak Old Norse and is not well versed in Norse culture will clearly not understand), or Christian propaganda trying to integrate Christian values of mercy, charity and the like into Norse culture. Remember indeed that the majority of public texts, if not all, have been written by Christians, and after the facts.

The Norse Did Not Do Drugs

Vikings

The discovery of some hemp rope at a Viking site in southern Denmark recently led to the wild claims that Vikings smoked marijuana, and further extrapolated that the Norse also consumed other drugs.

There is no evidence or even any indication whatsoever, in Norse texts or oral traditions, in archeological discoveries, or in any credible research, that Vikings consumed marijuana or any other type of drugs. The presence of hemp products or even seeds cannot reasonably be linked to the consumption of marijuana. Hemp would have also had to be imported into most of Scandinavia as it is not a plant you can grow during our long and dark winters, and its use, even from an utilitarian perspective, would have been greatly limited.

From a practical point of view, the consumption of marijuana would have also been highly inconsistent with raiding or fighting. Marijuana pacifies men and lowers testosterone levels. It impedes sexual functions, lowers reaction time, affects coordination, and decreases short term memory. Marijuana also leads to psychosis, paranoia, anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations. The drug also lowers IQ and impairs thinking. All highly lethal conditions in a combat environment.

Berserkir

A single undocumented claim in 1789, nearly a millennium after the Viking age, from a priest who despised the Norse and would have done anything to discredit them in the name of his church, does not constitute a historical fact. Even if the concept was later picked up by the entertainment industry or a revisionist community with no credibility when it comes to Norse facts and history.

The fact is, Berserkir never consumed psychedelic drugs, including mushrooms. Or any other drugs, such as marijuana, for that matter.

From a practical perspective, anyone with any combat experience would understand that the use of drugs, particularly psychedelic mushrooms, would be a warrior’s worst nightmare. Mushrooms indeed give you hallucinations. They distort, mix, and alter your senses. They cause confusion and disorientation, fear and paranoia. Mushrooms also weaken your muscles and increase your heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and sweating. They can even make you throw up and soil yourself.

There is also simply no evidence whatsoever of Berserkir consuming any drugs. To the contrary. Actual oral traditions refer to Bersekir simply being exceptional men with exceptional natural combat capabilities, which those of us with a special forces background can certainly relate to. Furthermore, alternate states of consciousness were reached through self control, as it is the case with Úlfhéðnar, with battle frenzies, as described in various texts and oral traditions, being triggered by mere exposure to high levels of androsterone, a male hormone linked to testosterone.

No Shaman

The shaman, or tietäjä (“one who knows” in Finnish), originated in Siberia and became prevalent in Baltic regions of Finland, Estonia, and Karelia. The shaman became the foundation of Finnish paganism, which was the indigenous polytheistic religion of the land until Christianization.

Finnish Paganism, however, never had any connection or relation to Norse culture, and thus Forn Siðr, which was born in Norway. The concept of a shaman, or shamanism, therefore does not exist in Norway, or in Norse culture. In fact, within Forn Siðr, magics are the realm of women exclusively, namely vǫlur (singular vǫlva), as magics are indeed considered a female gift associated with femininity. Practice of magics by men in Norse culture is therefore greatly stigmatized. This is best expressed by Óðinn being described in ancient texts in exceptionally derogatory terms, as in being vaginally receptive for the purpose of learning magics. His learning of the runes was indeed seen as an affront to any man (due to the stigmatization of feminized behavior in Norsemen), thus a great sacrifice, and reported for the purpose of strongly reinforcing the fact that magics are to remain the realm of women. Not men. Ever.

Circumcision is not Norse

Circumcision is originally an Abrahamic ritual, common among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths (to this day, DAESH/ISIS forcibly circumcises adult males as a policy). The practice does not have any connection with Norse culture. In the Anglophone world, circumcision became a standard in the 19th century as a deterrent to masturbation. In itself, an expression of extreme Christian sexual repression.

Science also overwhelmingly rejects circumcision.

Circumcision has no significant health benefits. The risk of Urinary Tract Infection in circumcised men is 1.27%. It is only 1.29% on intact males. A great contrast to the female risk standing at 9.22% (Harper M. and Fowlis G., 2007, Management of Urinary Tract Infections in Men. Trends in Urology, Gynecology, and Sexual Health, 12, 30-35). As a matter of fact, the prepuce is naturally equipped with several defenses against infection (Prakash S, Raghuram R, Venkatesan, et al. Sub-preputial wetness - Its nature. Ann Nat Med Sci (India) 1982; 18(3): 109-112. Fleiss PM, Hodges FM, Van Howe RS. Immunological functions of the human prepuce. Sex Transm Inf 1998;74:364-7. Cold CJ, Taylor JR. The prepuce. BJU International 1999; 83, Suppl. 1: 34-44).

The process is exceptionally painful. Even the best commonly available method of pain relief studied, the dorsal penile nerve block, does not block all the babies' pain (Lander, J. et al., Comparison of Ring Block, Dorsal Penile Nerve Block, and Topical Anesthesia for Neonatal Circumcision, JAMA 278 (1997): 2157-2162). Most newborns do not receive adequate anesthesia anyway (Stang, H. et al., Circumcision Practice Patterns in the United States, Pediatrics Vol. 101 No. 6 (1998): e5). The procedure can lead to various complications: Meatal stenosis (narrowing of the urethra which can interfere with urination and require surgery to fix), adhesions (where the foreskin remnants try to heal to the head of the penis in an area they are not supposed to grow on), buried penis (too much skin is removed, and so the penis is forced inside the body), and infection.

Circumcision leads to circumcised baby boys exhibiting symptoms of PTSD while undergoing routine vaccinations at 6 months of age, compared to uncircumcised boys who had much smaller pain and stress responses (Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain response During subsequent routine vaccination, Anna Taddio, Joel Katz, A Lane Ilersich, Gideon Koren, The Lancet, Volume 349, Number 9052: Pages 599-603, March 1, 1997). Psychoanalysis of grown men who experience PTSD 50 and 60 years after their circumcisions has also been duly documented (Neonatal Circumcision Reconsidered, John Rhinehart, Transactional Analysis Journal, Volume 29, Number 3, Pages 215-221, July 1999).

The prepuce is also profusely innervated especially near the tip in the ridged band area where the mucocutaneous boundary occurs. This junction is actually the most sensitive and erogenous part of the penis (Winkelmann RK. The cutaneous innervation of human newborn prepuce. Journal of Investigative Dermatology 1956 26(1) : 53-67. Winkelmann RK. The erogenous zones: Their nerve supply and significance. Proc Staff Mayo Clin 1959; 34(2): 39-47. Moldwin RM, Valderrama E. Immunochemical analysis of nerve distribution patterns within prepucial tissue. J Urol 1989;141(4) Part 2:499A. Milos M, Macris D. Circumcision: Effects upon human sexuality. Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality (New York: Garland Pub., 1994), p. 119-122. Warren JP, Bigelow J. The case against circumcision. British Journal of Sexual Medicine, Sept/Oct 1994. Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ. The prepuce: Specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision. British Journal of Urology 1996; 77: 291-295. Fleiss PM, Hodges FM, Van Howe RS. Immunological functions of the human prepuce. Sex Transm Inf 1998;74:364-7. Cold CJ, Taylor JR. The prepuce. BJU International 1999; 83, Suppl. 1: 34-44). This means that circumcision greatly reduces sensations during sexual intercourse (let’s not forget circumcision in America was introduced to eliminate sexual gratification).

Circumcision is not more hygienic either. Actually, a female produces far more smegma than a male, intact or not. It would also take many days, or even weeks, for smegma to collect in an uncircumcised male to the point of visibility. Something that would be a non-issue even with only one or two weekly showers (decreasing showers below that frequency would lead to a wide arrays of other issues anyway). We should also remember that smegma is not a waste, and it has antibacterial properties that protect the genitals from infection.

Marriage was a Contract

In pre-Christian Scandinavia and in the Viking age, marriage was primarily a contractual business relationship meant to unite tribes and powers, and to breed heirs. Marriage was not even subjected to an oath, as such could only be entered between men, on the premise that women were not sufficiently reliable to enter any meaningful commitment to the death.

Marriage was not based on love or consent of the bride for that matter, as the union was invariably arranged by fathers. Monogamy was non-existent and only became a rule upon Christianization. Woman did not have to consent to sex which was believed to be inherently part of the contractual agreement. Divorce was not excluded because marriage in the Viking age was not based on Christian concepts of marriage sanctity, but instead, was a business agreement that could be ended. Consequently, a woman leaving a husband, or being dumped for that matter, was greatly stigmatized as well as in a very precarious social and financial situation.

Overall, the Norse were traditionally tribal, privileging a close-knit community or war band, over a typically Christian nuclear family. Boys were therefore commonly raised as warriors by several men in the tribe in addition to their own father.