Heathen American Veterans Association - HAVA

Heathen American Veterans Association - HAVA This is our page, the FB Group is larger and active (See Featured below), also our Website & Discord

04/25/2026

Most people have never heard of Glíma
but in the Viking Age, it wasn’t just a sport… it was a respected form of combat training.

Glíma is a traditional Scandinavian style of wrestling, with roots in Old Norse culture and recorded in the sagas of Iceland.

Fighters grip a special belt or waistband
and from that hold, the match begins.

The goal is simple:
unbalance your opponent and bring them to the ground cleanly, often onto their back.

But the method is anything but simple.

There are different forms of Glíma, including:

• Hryggspenna (Backhold wrestling) opponents lock arms around each other’s upper body and rely on strength and leverage
• Brokartök (Trouser grip wrestling) the most well-known style, using belts or grips at the waist and thighs
• Lausatök (Loose-grip) a freer form, closer to general grappling

What sets Glíma apart is its emphasis on balance, rhythm, and technique over brute force.

Footwork is constant almost like a controlled dance
each fighter circling, stepping, testing balance, waiting for the moment to break it.

In many traditions, there were also rules of honor:
no striking, no unnecessary aggression, and respect between competitors.

Because Glíma wasn’t just about winning
it was about control, discipline, and mastery of the body.

In a world where strength was valued…
Glíma proved that precision could overcome it.

01/30/2026

Clad in dust and shadow,
Odin walks the roads of Midgard
as a nameless traveler.
He knocks not as a king,
but as one who is hungry and cold.

Some turn him away.

But those who offer bread and fire
are given something greater than gold
A lesson.

For the Allfather teaches
A guest may be a god in disguise.
A closed door starves more than the body.
And pride blinds the wise.

Not all wisdom comes from battle.
Some comes from the hearth,
from how we treat the stranger,
and from the courage to welcome the unknown.

Thus Odin hid his power
to measure the hearts of humankind.

So be mindful of who you turn away.
For the road is full of gods,
and every stranger is a test of the heart.







01/02/2026

Ullr God of Winter
Known for skis and archery, tools of survival in the North, not sport or spectacle. To move across snow, to hunt in winter, to endure scarcity

When winter locked the land in ice, the people did not call for thunder or visions.

They whispered Ullr.

A chieftain once swore safe passage across a frozen lake, though he knew the ice was failing beneath the snow.

Before dawn, a hunter appeared.
No crown. No glory.
Only skis worn smooth and a bow drawn tight against the cold.

He spoke once:
“An oath does not bend for fear.”

Ullr led them across the lake, step by measured step.
Those who trusted patience survived.
One who rushed ahead broke the ice and was lost.

On the far shore, the hunter vanished into the trees.

That winter, the people learned what Ullr teaches still:

Oaths are not protected by gods.
They are judged by them.

And when snow falls without wind and the forest grows silent,
it is said Ullr is passing through
listening for promises spoken too easily.

What oath do you keep when no one is watching?







10/06/2025

Thor by Milivoj Ćeran (Croatia)

10/06/2025

Ægir, Lord of the Sea

Ægir is one of the most powerful sea-jötnar, often counted among the gods by association. He is the husband of Rán and father of the nine daughters who personify the waves. Though a giant by birth, Ægir’s halls welcomed the gods, and he is famed as the host of great feasts beneath the sea.

The Prose Edda (Skáldskaparmál, ch. 1) begins with a banquet in Ægir’s hall, where the gods feast on endlessly flowing ale, brewed in a cauldron so vast it required Thor’s strength to obtain it.

In Lokasenna (st. 1), Loki insults the gods at Ægir’s feast, showing that his hall was a place of gathering for both Æsir and jötnar:

“Ægir, you have prepared this feast for the Æsir, in your hall of shining ale. The ale is here, abundant as ever. The gods, I see, are drunk already.”

Ægir’s realm represents the uncontrollable power of the sea, both generous in its bounty and terrifying in its storms. To the Norse, he embodied the deep truth that the sea is both feast and grave, friend and enemy.

To honor Ægir is to respect the ocean’s power: giver of fish and gold from the deep, yet also the force that swallows ships and men alike. He is the host of the sea’s endless feast, but also its lord of terror.

“Ægir brewed ale for the Æsir, and the ale was so strong that none who came left sober.” (Prose Edda, Skáldskaparmál)

10/06/2025

Hel and Baldur. A poignant pairing and symbol of the seasonal change 🍂

10/02/2025

Modern Heathenry and Community,

Whether you are Norse, Germanic or Anglo-Saxon Heathen, in a historical context or modern, community has always been the pillar upon which life, meaning, and survival rested. In the old ways, to be without a community was to be without roots, without memory, and without protection. A Heathen’s worth was not measured by gold, crop or conquest alone, but by bonds honored, oaths kept, and the legacy he left with his kindred. Kinship, brotherhood or sisterhood, however you may define it, bound lives together into the greater tapestry of the wyrd, where memories, struggles and victories are carried forward from one generation to the next. Kinship gives permanence to our fleeting lives and ensured that no one’s story would be lost in silence or lost to time. This “feel it in deep in your soul” value of kinsmanship and shared remembrance is why our ancestors placed it above wealth, above personal glory, and even above survival itself.

Today, modern Heathens carry that same spirit into our lives, especially those of us in the military, where community, bonds, and shared struggles are not abstract an ideal but daily reality and routine. Just as warriors of old stood shoulder to shoulder, bound by oath and honor, today’s Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Guardians, Airmen and Guardsman stand united through trials, sacrifice, and shared hardship. For our Heathens in uniform, our kindreds and our faith carry forward the heavy weight of those ancestral bonds, tying us not only to each other but to those who came before. HAVA has lost one member of our kindred in the our short but storied past, Dustin, who was a rock for many and the greatest example of what it meant to be a Heathen. Educated, spiritual and a man of true honor. He was and still is a pillar of our community and his loss was felt by everyone further exemplifying our necessity for community.

To our Heathens, community is more than companionship, it is the living embodiment of frith, loyalty, and memory. It is what gives life its meaning, what binds service member to service member, kinsman to kinsman, and ancestor to descendant. Without it, we are only individuals; with it, we are part of something that has existed for thousands of years before us and will exist for long after we’re gone.

"Bound by Honor, United by Frith" - HAVA

10/02/2025

For most Heathens, the beard is more than hair on the face, it is a sacred extension of self, tied up in identity, honor, and memory. In the old ways, the beard marked a man as free and an adult.. To wear a beard was to show one’s dignity, one’s status, and one’s standing before kin and Gods. The Eddas, Sagas and lore echo this, where Odin, Thor, and many other figures are consistently described as bearded, and where being clean shaven was more often than not, used as a deep insult, a stripping of honor and identity. WIth this, the beard came to be not only a personal feature but a spiritual and cultural emblem of manhood, sovereignty, and connection to the divine.

Modern Heathens carry that same belief. The beard is seen as a living mark of faith, a visible tie to our Ancestors and Gods who wore theirs with pride and reverence. It represents continuity of tradition, the keeping of frith with kin long gone, and the embodiment of wyrd, the very threads of fate that tie us together across generations. To cut it at another’s command, especially in contexts where faith is being denied, is not just grooming—it feels like betraying part of the self, part of the bond with Gods and forebears. Many Heathens speak of their skegg (beard) with reverence, seeing it as a natural offering and a vow kept daily, a testament to who they are and who they come from.

This is why Heathens are so tied to their beards, because they are not vanity or fashion, but living faith, an outward sign of an internal truth, a spiritual inheritance worn with honor, and a reminder that we are never alone but always part of a greater line of kin, community, and Gods.

Prayer/Poem to Ullr and SkadiAs winter’s breath sharpens, cold and keen,We call to you, Ullr, the swift and unseen,God o...
10/22/2024

Prayer/Poem to Ullr and Skadi

As winter’s breath sharpens, cold and keen,
We call to you, Ullr, the swift and unseen,
God of the bow, the snow’s guiding light,
Guard our steps through the dark of night.

With Skadi, fierce huntress of frost and stone,
Mistress of mountains, we walk not alone.
Together you lead us through bitter days,
Through winds that howl and skies turned grey.

Grant us the strength to endure winter’s test,
With courage to face what comes without rest.
In your watchful care, let our spirits grow,
Like the evergreen beneath the snow.

Ullr, with your bow, ward off all harm,
Skadi, keep us sheltered, safe, and warm.
Through icy winds and snow-bound days,
Guide our hearts in your timeless ways.

And when spring awakens, with skies anew,
May we rise stronger, in honor of you.
------------

This prayer/poem stands to invoke the protection of Ullr and Skadi while also focusing on inner growth and resilience during the challenging winter months.

With trying times having occured for many, I give offering for our Kindred, that we find solace in our Deity's and our Frith. That these winter months not be too hard on the heart and soul of you, our Kindred.

Many are rebuilding from the storms and fires that have occured here in our Country, I wish you all well on the difficult journey that you have ahead.

For those directly affected, the Elder Council is searching for the best way to aid you as needed. We fully intend to do what we can, as it is you, our many members who make HAVA what it is, stands to be and what it will blossom into in the future.

V/R,

Turner, Ryan A
Principle Elder
HAVA

07/09/2024

Greetings, HAVA community!

We are excited to announce the newest members of our Elder Council who will guide and support our beloved Kindred with their wisdom and dedication.

Principle Elder: Ryan Turner
Elder Thyle: Chris Rinehart
Elder Hersir: Larry Smith
Elder Gothi: Dustin Beasley

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Ryan, Chris, Larry, and Dustin on their appointments. Their commitment to our heathen values and veteran community is exemplary, and we are confident they will lead us with honor and integrity.

Additionally, the position of Elder Gythja remains open. We are actively seeking nominations for this esteemed role and encourage those interested to step forward.

We wanted to extend a warm-hearted thank you to the outgoing Elders, for all they have done for the organization over the past 24 months!

Thank you to everyone for your continued support and participation in HAVA. Together, we honor our traditions and forge a strong, united path forward.

Hail the Gods, hail the ancestors, and hail HAVA!
Heathen American Veterans Association (HAVA) Headquarters

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