Aldsidu (Old Saxon Heathenry)

In view of the fact that many modern pagan religions claim to be revivals of ancient Germanic religions, and assert that their own practices are historically accurate or representative of ancient practices while ignoring the historical record regarding such practices, Historical Old Saxon Heathens (Aldsidu) adopted this mission statement.

This statement is solely intended to help distinguish historical Aldsidu, or Old Saxon Heathenry, from those modern pagan religions, such as Asatru or Wicca, that claim to be “Old (Historical) Ways” that are clearly not.  Asatru and Wicca are fine traditions. However, they do not use the historically attested practices of Germanic Heathen religions and deviate substantially from them in both practice and belief. While we do not mean to insult or discount the validity of Asatru or Wicca, we absolutely deny any claims of these groups as accurately reflecting historical Heathen Germanic belief and practice, through the surviving historical sources.

Some Aldsidu (Old Saxon Heathen) groups and/or individuals may be stricter in their observances of these principles than others. Historical Old Saxon Heathenry (Aldsidu) as well as any form of Historical Germanic Heathenry can be defined by a commitment to the following points:

1. Modern observance of Aldsidu should comply with historically attested practices in historical sources. Aldsidu practitioners believe in the Gods attributed to the Saxons. Aldsidu is a faith, not a re-enactment group. Aldsidu is the Old Saxon cognate of the Old Norse "Forn Sed" (various spellings in Scandianvia.)

2. Aldsidu Heathens and Saxonhofs (local communities) reject the Wiccan Wheel of the Year as a model by which the dates of sacred rituals should be set. Aldsidu ceremonies are dated in accordance with the cycles of the moon, as was done in historical Heathen times, rather than by the solstices and equinoxes of the sun. This follows the historical sources on the dating of Heathen holidays. Historical Germanic Heathens (including Saxon Heathens) followed a lunisolar calendar.  The Old Saxon word for "moon" and "month" are related words, as the Old Saxon word "month" (manoð) means "cycle of the moon."

3. Saxon uuihdage (holidays) are Winter Full Moon (Norse Winter Nights), Giul (Norse Yule or Jol), and Summer-blot (Norse Sigurblot), which occur on Full Moons respectively.  Winter Full Moon occurs on the Full Moon of Winter Moon (Uuintar-manoð).  Three full moons after Winter Full Moon is Yule, also called "Mid-Winter", which begins on the Full Moon of Yule Moon ("Iul-Manoð.")   Three full moons after Yule is Summer-blot, on the Full Moon of "Summer Moon" (Summar-Manoð.)

4. Aldsidu communities observe Sumble in accordance with historically attested examples of Sumble, rather than in the Wiccan Sabbat Celtic Circle-style Sumble often used among modern pagan groups.

5. Aldsidu communities perform blot in accordance with historically attested practices to the best of their ability. Blot has an important place in modern practice and Saxon Heathens strive to observe it inasmuch as it is practical to do so under all relevant circumstances.

6. Aldsidu individuals and Saxonhofs reject all forms of bigotry and racism.

7. Aldsidu Heathens and Saxonhofs share a commitment to academic honesty and integrity. 

 

Aldsidu is a networking and education website, and "lite organization."  Aldsidu also has a Facebook page for members to ask questions, network, and interact. Aldsidu in Old Saxon means "Old Ways" and is the historically attested word the Saxons used to describe their Heathenry. This is well attested in Old Saxon poetry from the 8th and 9th centuries. Aldsidu, the lite-organization, is a loose confederation of Saxon Heathen families and communities. We are bound together by our generally shared commitment to observing the Historical Old Saxon ways in accordance with the ideals expressed in this General Statement. We have come together for the purpose of divorcing historical heathenry from other forms of modern paganism. More importantly, we seek to further the growth and development of the Old Ways (Aldsidu) in the modern world by putting like-minded Heathens together and providing a forum in which they may network and share ideas.  Historical Germanic Heathens are welcome to join us, as Aldsidu is very similar to Scandinavian Heathenry. Please join us in the Facebook group: Saxon Heathenry.
 

Old Saxon Heathenry is about the Saxons who lived in Saxony, and is not the same as Old Anglish Heathenry, of the various tribes that had portions of their people migrate to Britannia. Old Saxon and Old English are two different languages, from two different countries, from two different peoples. Old Saxon peoples lived in Saxony, i.e. Northern Germany, and the Old English were the Angles in Angle-land (England) who spoke Anglish/English.  Aldsidu Heathens strongly respect historical Old English Heathens, as we respect all forms of historical Heathenry, be it of the Danes, Swedes, Geats, Norse (*Norwegian), Icelandic, Frisian, Chatti, and many other Germanic tribes who knew the Aesir historically.  Historical evidence shows that the Saxons in Saxony were allies of the Danes, and the most famous Saxon Heathen leader, Widukind, married into the Royal Danish family. Old Saxon Heathenry is historically attested as being very similar to Danish Heathenry, Saxony's allies and neighbors.