Day of Remembrance for Jarl Haakon

Today we take a few moments to honor Jarl Haakon, de facto king of Norway from 975 to 995. He is certainly a man deserving of a horn or two. He was a strong follower of the ancestral gods of his people; he even claimed descent from holy Odin Himself.

Haakon was a mighty warrior and at one time helped his neighbor to the south, Harald Bluetooth, do battle with Otto II, the Holy Roman Emperor. For his help, Harald forcibly converted Haakon to the desert faith and wanted to send priests back to Norway with Haakon. Haakon played along until his boats were well away from the shore... then, just like a true son of Odin, Haakon ordered the priests overboard and sailed home free of the Middle Eastern taint. For nearly another 20 years, Haakon ruled his lands and the Old Ways thrived.

Maybe we can't throw priests overboard these days, but we can do our utmost to not allow monotheism or its sister creed, political correctness, to creep into our lives. We can stand strong in our beliefs even when it might not be the easiest thing to do. We can, maybe, give our children a life without the alien influences so prevalent today.....turn off the TV and the phone and get outside for the afternoon. By staying trú and standing up for our ancestral ways, maybe we can be the example that brings others home to our noble faith.

Hail Jarl Haakon!