Tag: moral ambivalence

The Æsir as Personifications of the Moral Middle

Written by Dyami Millarson

The Æsir, closely associated with centrality as discussed in the previous article, embody the Middle Way or Golden Way, serving as custodians of balance within the universe. They operate within the realm of fate, existing beyond the constraints of strict moral categorisation. Instead, Their moral nature is ambiguous, driven by the necessities dictated by fate. With access to profound wisdom through Othin and Frigg, the Divine King and Queen, the Æsir possess invaluable insight into what is necessary, as wisdom is traditionally gauged by the venerable skill of understanding fate. The Æsir exist in a realm of moral ambiguity, not strictly defined as moral or immoral, but rather occupying a morally grey space. Inspired by the concepts of white-black dichotomy in the terms black magic and white magic, we can say They are neither morally white or morally black. The categoridations of black hattery, white hattery, and grey hattery, used to describe the varying moral shades, flavors, or types of hackers, offer a relevant modern parallel when exploring the philisophical concepts of moral greyness, whiteness, and blackness in the relation to Germanic theology. As intermediaries and mediators, the Æsir defy black-and-white moral frameworks, operating in a realm beyond such limitations. Their purpose is rooted in the greater workings of fate, the web which is woven by the Nornir. Therefore, they possess the ability to bestow benevolence upon their devoted followers, forging a sacred bond of reciprocal favour and blessing. In this sacred alliance, the Æsir reveal their goodness, radiating cosmic grace upon those who revere Them. The Asa-Gods are known to treat their friends with kindness and extend their benevolence towards them, whilst They mete out consequences to those who oppose Them; the nature of Their actions, whether perceived as good or evil, is contingent upon the specific relationship they share with each individual or bloodline. In Germanic theology, the assessment of goodness or evil is indeed determined by the relationships one has. The central inquiry revolves around whether an individual is regarded as good or bad in relation to oneself and one’s community. The pervasive question becomes, “Are they beneficial or harmful to me and those important to me?” This perspective underscores the significance of personal connections and the impact they have on determining moral evaluations. In short, the Asa-Gods’ role in the universe and the intricate workings of fate makes Them benevolent relative to Their worshippers, establishing a reciprocal relationship of mutual favour bestowal; it is a relationship of paying respects to elders or superiors and getting something in return.

Moral Engineering: Does Germanic Folk Religion Assume Man Can and Must Be Changed?

Written by Dyami Millarson

Can man be socially engineered according to Germanic religion? Is the goal of Germanic religion to change man?

To answer this question, we need to understand the moral ambiguity that pervades Germanic folk religion.

Although there is a moral code (code of honour) inherent in Germanic folk religion as it is considered worthy to live an honourable life, the moral code of Germanic folk religion is about self-acceptance (being oneself), and therefore it is an acceptance of moral intuition (wisdom) and in-born human conscience.

There is no clear path towards what is moral in Germanic folk religion as the world is not seen through a black-and-white lens; evil and good are intertwined, and morality is thus an acceptance of both good and evil, creating moral ambiguity.

In other words, the morality of Germanic folk religion is moral ambiguity. Germanic folk religion is about man and fate; man will become what he is meant to become, and he will find, by his own intuition, what he is meant to be.

The flow of life is whatever it is; and Germanic religion is the acceptance of that. A Germanic polytheist is thus fate-accepting, life-accepting; amor fati, the love of fate, is the slogan that characterises his life.

All in all, Germanic folk religion is not about changing man or creating a mankind that is better, but it is about man finding himself, accepting himself for what he is meant to be. The goal of Germanic folk religion is not change (social engineering), but acceptance; and therefore its central message is finding peace with one’s fate whatever it may be and this requires one to embrace moral ambiguity.

The goal of Germanic folk religion is the self-actualisation of man; for man ought to find his own potential in life. Germanic folk religion seeks to get out of man whatever is already inside of him; and nothing but that which is already present in man is what concerns the goal of Germanic folk religion.

Germanic folk religion is thus about helping mankind to realise its potential; it is about maintaining man as he is, and letting him become whatever he is meant to become. As a force of maintaining the order of the universe, Germanic folk religion is a device that helps man achieve whatever he is meant to achieve in his lifetime.

Germanic folk religion is like a wise old man who is meant to help a young hero on his perilous journey; Germanic folk religion provides the young hero with wise council, and the young hero may ignore that advice at his own peril.

While Germanic folk religion helps the hero on his way to victory, it takes a passive role in the background; Germanic folk religion is a philosophy that adopts the moral indifference of a wise old man who has seen too much, has come to accept moral ambiguity as a fact of life due to his many worldly experiences and has seen the survival benefit of letting moral ambivalence be his moral compass (guiding philosophy of ethics) in life.

Germanic folk religion does interfere with the life of the protagonist in the sense that it seeks to nudge him in the right direction in accordance with his destined potential; but it does not interfere with the right or wrong choices of the protagonist, as he is free to choose to accept or neglect the prudent councils of the ancient old ones who are responsible for maintaining the order of the universe.

So, Germanic folk religion is both interference and non-interference; it does not seek to change the hero (or villain) fundamentally so as to make him a better human being, but it seeks to help the hero (or villain) to become whatever he needs to become in order to fulfil his destined role in life. Everyone has their role to play and Germanic folk religion does not interfere with the order of things; it accepts man’s nature as it is, regardless of whatever that may be, and it helps man on his way, giving him wise council so that he may achieve his full potential.

Man will ultimately be judged, by men and Gods alike, on the basis whether his actions were worthy or not; an honourable name or good reputation is what ultimately matters according to the Germanic folk religious worldview. In other words, one has to maintain one’s face throughout one’s life and one should not lose face; and even if one loses face, one should try to regain one’s face, thus use actions in order to restore one’s lost honour. Germanic society is a society based on reputation, and man’s reputation is regulated by one’s actions.