Ready to Ragnarok

October 02, 2011 by Eric Scott

Continued from Page 1

This song tears at me.

On the one hand, in my angrier moments, I can readily identify with these sentiments. I'm no stranger to religious anger. It's hard not to look around at a world dominated by Christianity and Islam and wonder, "why did they win?" If "winning" sounds like a trite way to describe religious membership, well, I won't argue with you. But I have gone to bed angry over the situation plenty of times. It's easy to see all the hypocritical actions of other religions, all the blood spilled in the name of kindness.

But then again . . . Do I really want my friend Sean, the Catholic schoolteacher, to fear "the wrath of the Norseman"? Of course not. That's the difference between a faceless "you" and an actual human being. I seethe at all sorts of concepts; people, in my experience, are much harder to hate outright.

I guess this is the puzzle I'm trying to solve while sifting through this music: yet another inquiry into my own identity, my own values, my own interpretation of what it means to be a pagan. I admire the strength and vigor Viking Metal brings to heathenry. At times, I also fear it.

Page: 2 of 2

10/2/2011 4:00:00 AM

Pagan

Family Traditions

Arts

Heavy metal

Media

Music

Paganism

more at patheos

Fremde, etranger, stranger

Fred Clark

Every Child Is Known and Loved by God, from Conception

Randy Alcorn

How to Build a Gen AI Portal Employees Will Actually Use

Gleb Tsipursky

4 Gospel Stories That Seem Unfair — and What They Teach

Dennis McIntyre

About Eric Scott

Eric Scott was raised in St. Louis by Coven Pleiades, a Wiccan group based in the Alexandrian tradition. His fiction and memoir explore the joys and doubts of being a second-generation Pagan in the modern world. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri. His work has appeared in or is forthcoming in Ashe! Journal, Kerouac's Dog Magazine, Caper Literary Journal, and Witches & Pagans. He is also a Contributing Editor at Killing the Buddha.

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos