Winifred Hodge Rose
The Basic Idea
Some modern Heathens have developed lists of ‘noble virtues’ to help one shape one’s life according to Heathen values. There are several different formulations of this list created by different modern Heathen groups, which overlap considerably with each other and with ethical values of most other modern religions and philosophies, including ethical humanism. This is as it should be: a general agreement about ethical values among a majority of people gives humanity a solid place to work from.
Nevertheless, there is a good deal of controversy among modern Heathens about the authenticity and usefulness of these lists of ‘noble virtues’, with strong feelings both for, and against, their value for modern Heathen practice. Here, I offer a different perspective that I hope might take us beyond this controversy.
I propose that Heathen ethics, ancient and modern, rest upon two foundation-stones, which can then be developed into more specific ‘noble virtues’ and / or other ethical principles to support these foundations under real-world circumstances. These two fundamental principles are 1) the development, maintenance, and sharing of ethical might and main, which comprises all forms of our personal power: spiritual, mental, physical, social, emotional, and moral personal power; and 2) the pursuit of frith, of the bonds and practices which create a well-knit, well-functioning, healthy community of any size, from families on up to nations and beyond.
Any thoughtful reading of Heathen history, old texts, tales, poems and sagas will show the overriding importance of might and main, and of kindreds, groups, and communities based on frith, in their world-views and actions. This was generally illustrated by tragic sagas, tales and poems showing the painful, cascading disruptions that were caused by the lack of, failures of, and transgressions against, these ethical values and aspirations. I believe that all approaches to Heathen ethics, ancient and modern, are dependent upon the pursuit of these two aims and their applications in our lives.
Personal power or might and main gives us the energy and efficacy for applying the more detailed moral values in our daily lives, such as courage, generosity, honesty, honor, hospitality, and the like. Frith—the bonds of well-functioning community focused on the wellbeing of all—is the overall aim and the litmus test of the success of any ethical system. Ethics are focused on ‘how to live with others in a good way for all, including myself,’ and that is what frith is supposed to achieve, as well.
Considerations
There is a great deal of value in the old Heathen ways, including their ethical perspectives and folkways, and it is very much worthwhile to seek to understand them better. At the same time, history shows the inevitable problems and difficulties of some of their approaches, which is true of any society, anywhere and any time. No society is able to reach and maintain a perfectly balanced ethical system. Added to this is the fact that society and culture have changed a great deal since Heathen times, and we all need to live and function in this world today. Whatever ethical approaches we adopt need to take these considerations into account.
The word ‘ethics’ comes from the Greek ethos, which refers to ‘customs, character, nature’. Ethos is used in English to mean “the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations” (Oxford Languages). Put simply, ethics at root means ‘the way things are customarily done; the right way to do things based on our own society’s customs.’ Let’s explore this in a Heathen context.
So we have these two ethical mandates as our foundation. One is the growth and maintenance of ethical personal power, or might and main: the inner strength and drive that is necessary to develop and sustain a good character and reputation, and to achieve worthy deeds during our life. Without personal power, might and main, to support the more specific ethical virtues in our daily words and deeds, those virtues will never go beyond airy ideals. They will never take root in real life unless we have the inner strength to apply them and live them.
The second ethical foundation is the pursuit of relationships and community life that promote individual, group, and community well-being and effective functionality. In effect, this state of frith–of wellbeing at both personal and community levels–is the goal, while might and main, rightly applied, is the power needed to achieve that goal.
I see ‘might and main’ as a common thread that ties together the subject matter of the six essays that I reference and link with this article, below. Might, as in mighty, powerful, is a familiar term in modern English. Main, as it is used here, is less so. It is the descendant of Anglo-Saxon mægen, Old Norse megin. It refers to power, but is also related to virtue and ethics. Mægen is defined as strength, power, vigor, valor, virtue, efficacy, a good deed, a miraculous event (and the power behind it). Modern Heathens often use this term in reference to spiritual and moral power. Thus, ‘might and main’ refer to all the powers of our being: physical, spiritual, mental, moral, the power of our will and of our vision.
I believe that elder Heathen ethics were based upon these powers of might and main, and how they can be developed and applied in daily life. Ethical persons use their might and main in ways that benefit themselves and their communities.
In the six essays linked with this introduction to Heathen ethics, and described in the following paragraphs, I explore specific concepts that were of central importance to elder Heathens, and discuss how they can be used in our own lives as modern Heathens seeking to grow and use our own ethical might and main for the betterment of ourselves and our world.
Oaths. A path to support Heathen might and main: growing personal power.
This was a practice that was much honored in the past and is something that I believe is often missing in today’s culture. Ancient Heathens swore oaths: oaths of loyalty, oaths to accomplish certain deeds, oaths to support their reputations and their relationships. Such commitments shaped the circumstances of their lives.
Oaths can serve to strengthen one’s will, one’s character, one’s relationships. Failed oaths and commitments, on the other hand, were and are very damaging to ourselves, to our relationships and reputation. Fulfilled oaths and commitments strengthen our spiritual power, our might and main, while failed oaths erode our strength of character and inner power.
My essays Oaths: What They Mean and Why They Matter, and The Practice of Heathen Oathing, offer a modern Heathen perspective on the nature and power of oaths and boasts, with cautions and advice about how to build one’s personal power, one’s mægen or main, to follow this Heathen path safely and to best effect.
https://heathensoullore.net/oaths-what-they-mean-and-why-they-matter/
https://heathensoullore.net/the-practice-of-heathen-oathing/
Shild. Wounded might and main; healing personal power.
Anglo-Saxon scyld or shild meant, among other things, moral obligation, debt, responsibility for wrongdoing. All of us, at some time or another, make mistakes, fail at something that has bad consequences for us and others, commit wrongs. As well as doing these ourselves, others also do such things in ways that have harmful consequences for us. Things go wrong, luck turns against us, we feel like our life is unraveling. What should Heathens do, in such circumstances? How do we deal with guilt, with regret, with harm done by us, and to us?
These are important questions within any religious or philosophical context. In my essay Threads of Wyrd and Scyld: A Ninefold Rite of Life Renewal, I offer background and guidance for a Heathen ritual to address problems in life that are caused by wyrd and shild, either inherited or self-created, that are damaging one’s life. I discuss the concept of wergild: methods to recompense and rebalance the harm that may have been caused by our actions and / or the actions of our forebears that still affect us today.
This Heathen rite is designed to address ethical questions such as: I have done something wrong, or my kin have done something wrong, or a wrong has been done to me that I have carried forward in my own life and affected others wrongly thereby; now what should I do about it? My luck, my ørlög, my wyrd, have gone askew: why is this happening? How shall I remedy this?
https://heathensoullore.net/threads-of-wyrd-and-scyld-a-ninefold-rite-of-life-renewal/
Frith. Interwoven might and main: the roots of relationship and community.
Ethics, customs, ‘good’ behavior at root support the social fabric, the web of relationships and interactions that make up a healthy and well-functioning community. The old word ‘frith,’ often translated as ‘peace,’ describes this web of relationships that maintains the peace and the many social goods that result from such a state. (My own name, Winifred or Wine-frith in its older form, means ‘friend of frith, friend of peaceful interactions’.)
Oaths fulfilled support frith; forsworn or failed oaths damage it. When wrong behavior damages frith, then it’s important to find ways to restore frith between ourselves and others whom we relate to. Frith, in many places and circumstances of our times, is something that is severely threatened or lacking altogether.
It is worthwhile taking a look at this old concept of frith, its roots in the past, and the way it shapes itself today, to get a clearer idea of its meaning and its value for human society. This is what I undertake in my essays Heathen Frith and Modern Ideals, and Frith, Friendship and Freedom.
These essays begin by discussing the ancient roots of Heathen frith—the fabric which weaves together and maintains a community, however small or large. They go on to discuss the role of frith in religious conversion, medieval frithguilds, the newer roots of frith in modern ideals, describe some of the pitfalls that can arise in the pursuit of frith, and show how patterns of frith develop. The overall focus is to become aware of the dynamics of frith, both positive and negative, so as to pursue it mindfully and to best effect.
https://heathensoullore.net/heathen-frith-and-modern-ideals/
https://heathensoullore.net/frith-friendship-and-freedom/
Luck and Wyrd. Flows of might and main: hidden paths of Heathen wisdom.
‘Luck’ is a mysterious phenomenon; it is something that was of great importance to Heathens in the past. Why? What is luck, what influences it, how does it increase or decrease? What is the connection between luck and ethics, if any? What about the connection between ethics, luck and fate or wyrd?
My essay Webs of Luck and Wyrd: Interplays and Impacts on Events provides an overview of the complex beliefs about luck in some of the ancient Heathen cultures. It examines traditional views of luck and wyrd through the lens of Heathen history, seeking insights into the influences of these concepts in wars, conflicts, the political processes of the conversion from Heathenism to Christianity, and some of the ethical implications of the choices that were made then. This essay draws lessons that we can apply today, concerning the roles of luck, wyrd and wisdom in our life. In effect, it is a case study of the strengths and flaws of certain ancient Heathen ethics in action.
https://heathensoullore.net/webs-of-luck-and-wyrd-interplays-and-impacts-on-events/
Applied Heathen Ethics
Any system of ethics, from any time and place in the world, is nuanced, complex, subject to fluctuations and change. This is because human nature and the circumstances of human life are nuanced, complex, and subject to change! Ethical ideals need to provide us with structure and stability as a basis for conducting our personal and social lives. At the same time, they need to fit us, fit our nature, they need to be something we can work with, that enhances our well-being. Ethics are ideals that we strive toward, but must also be patterns that we can live with, without distortion of our inner or outer self.
To achieve such a delicate ethical balance between inner personal needs, and outer community needs, requires wisdom, another quality that was greatly admired by ancient Heathens, and often seems to have fallen by the wayside today. The full expression of Heathen wisdom requires not only knowledge, experience, and insight. It also requires a deep understanding of Heathen metaphysics, of the hidden workings of wyrd, ørlög, the cosmic powers, of spiritual beings such as the Deities and ancestors, and the inner powers of Earth, Nature, and the Otherworlds.
Wisdom requires the long view through time and space, this-worldly and otherworldly phenomena, personal and other-centered space. It requires the commitment of all our faculties: thought, reason, analysis, synthesis, imagination, intuition, sensory and emotional processing, patience, hindsight, foresight, memory, and dream. My essay Webs of Luck and Wyrd: Interplays and Impacts on Events is one attempt to seek such wisdom by examining certain cultural beliefs and historical events, and their ethical implications.
Another quality that is implied throughout the discussion of Heathen ethics here is generosity: a generosity of spirit which acknowledges that the ethics of living with and working with a community are worthwhile. It is worthwhile to build our own reputation and self-respect within a larger whole of also respecting others, their needs and deeds. It is worthwhile to mend our relationships and interactions when they go wrong. It is worthwhile to weave frith, and keep re-weaving it as necessary. It is worthwhile to teach these ways to our youth, to guide them toward Heathen values and wisdom, while allowing them the freedom to explore their own paths through this landscape. Generosity means making space within the web of frith for others as well as for ourselves and those closest to us.
Fulfilled oaths and commitments build Heathen might and main, increasing our personal power.
Unpaid shild wounds our might and main; taking responsibility for shild heals personal power.
Frith is a fabric of interwoven might and main, created and shared by many: the roots of relationship and community.
Luck and wyrd can be expressed through flows of might and main, discovered along the complex, hidden paths that lead to Heathen wisdom.
I invite you to read and consider the essays I’ve linked here, that offer various perspectives on something that is very meaningful to the Heathen way of life: how to grow, maintain, heal, and share the personal power, the soul-might and spiritual strength, that we can achieve by walking a Heathen path with trust, wisdom and determination. All of these essays, whatever their actual subject matter, also address this underlying message of Heathen ethics: following an ethical path leads to strength of character and strength of soul. After you have read the essays, you could move on to the concluding thoughts that I present, below.
Wrapping Up
In these six essays, I present a sequential pattern of ethical development. In the two Oaths essays, I discuss a traditional Heathen way to grow our personal power, our might and main, that will help us succeed in the next steps of our ethical growth and development. In Threads of Wyrd and Shild, I offer a ritual framework within which to heal the wounds caused to ourselves and to others by our mistakes, wrongdoing, and unmet moral obligations. Such wounds weaken our own might and main, as well as the might and main of others who have been affected by our deeds or lack of deeds.
In the Frith essays I talk about ways to interweave many people’s might and main together, to weave the fabric of frith, of a well-functioning group or community focused on mutual well-being. Such an enterprise is always faced with ongoing challenges. I highlight some of these challenges so that, through our awareness and understanding of them, we can strive to avoid and work around the pitfalls that are part of the nature of group and community life.
I’ve written about the need for wisdom as we seek to live a well-balanced, ethical life. Heathens in the past had a great respect for wisdom, and a rather unique understanding of what it is. One of the main components of wisdom, in their view, was an understanding of wyrd. Webs of Luck and Wyrd is an attempt I’ve made at pursuing such a path of Heathen wisdom, by trying to understand some underlying connections between luck, wyrd, ethics, and events important to Heathen history.
Distillation
Now let’s distill our discussion from complexity into simplicity, from philosophical discussions into a few clear points to consider and remember. Recall that ‘ethics’ refers to ‘the tested and time-honored customs of our culture, our values, our ideals, our aspirations.’ So what can we draw from these essays, that we can apply as we grow in Heathen might and main, and live our lives the best way we can, here and now? How shall we distill the ethical values I’ve discussed here?
Commitment and the fulfillment of commitments
I discuss this ethical value in the essays on oathing. What this boils down to is ‘will, will-power.’ Oathing, commitment, and the actions that fulfill them are movements of the deep Will of our being: the Will that reaches beyond petty surface distractions into the depths of who we truly are. We undertake oaths and commitments both to strengthen our Will, and to express that Will into our Midgard life.
Through these actions, and the might and main that grow from them, we can shape our life to express our greatest values, benefiting ourselves and those around us. This can be done even under the most challenging of circumstances. Indeed, as heroes of all times and places and circumstances have found, the greater the challenges, the more potential there is for growing a mighty Will to meet those challenges and rise above them.
Clear sight and resolve
In the discussion of shild, I encouraged the pursuit of clear sight, of truly understanding our mistakes, the wrongs we’ve done and those done to us, our failings, and the effects these have on our wyrd and ørlög. These matters impact not only ourselves, but many others whose lives are entwined with ours. With that clear sight and understanding, we resolve to address these issues in a responsible way, and by doing so, we resolve them in the best way we can. In the process, we help to untangle our wyrd and lay out new strands of ørlög to influence our future. We become more aware of these deep matters of wyrd, ørlög, shild, and how to work with them to shape an ethical Heathen life.
Community
Humans cannot live and thrive in isolation. Families, groups, community, culture, society, whatever form they might take, are essential for our wellbeing. However necessary they are, though, they come with a lot of baggage, and potential for harm as well as for benefits.
Forming and maintaining a strong, healthy community of any size is an ongoing challenge, and requires commitment, clear sight, wisdom, generosity, patience, and many other virtues. It requires an ethos, “the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations,” as I quoted in the introductory section of this article.
I believe that the old word ‘frith’ captures the spirit of that ethos for Heathens. The better we come to understand this complex concept, and practice it in accordance with our values today, the more solid and nurturing our groups and communities become.
Wisdom and good rede
‘Wisdom’ is something we weave, strand by strand, from the experiences of our life and our deep thoughts and feelings about those experiences. We weave it from knowledge and experience shared with others, from observation and from learning. Being Heathen, pursuing Heathen philosophy and ethics, adds another dimension of depth to our wisdom.
As we sincerely pursue and practice wisdom in our life, we gradually become able to offer good rede to others, and to ourselves as well. We develop our Will, our clear sight, the many qualities needed to establish and maintain frith in our communities. We gain insights into hidden matters of wyrd, ørlög, luck, hamingja, and other spiritual mysteries that shape our lives.
We become known, ourselves, for these virtues we are developing. We gain a good reputation. People trust us: trust our word, our honor, our motivations, our intentions, our wisdom. They come to us for rede (wise advice, counsel) and insights, and we share what we have with them. Our efforts help to shape the flow of luck and success in life, especially the luck and success that lead to, and grow from, an ethical Heathen life. Our ideas of what luck and success really are, are themselves shaped by wisdom and good rede, and we learn to redefine them in ethical, Heathen ways.
Wisdom is shaped into rede,
Rede is shaped into luck and deeds,
Luck and deeds flow into Wyrd,
Wyrd flows back into the world to shape events…
…which we come to understand through Wisdom,
thus completing the cycle.
So it is: then, now, and always.
In Closing
The ethical values I’ve discussed here are not the only ones that are important for Heathen life, and human life in general. These are a selection, a subset, of ethical values, but I believe they are foundational. I wrote at the beginning that two of the most important Heathen values are the growth of our ethical might and main, and the maintenance of healthy, functional communities. These were greatly valued by Heathens of the past, and I believe are of equally great value for us today.
The virtues and qualities that support these aims of ethical personal power and thriving communities, Heathen and non-Heathen, are clearly ones we as Heathens should pursue. For some Heathens, these may include the ‘noble virtues’ that have been much discussed in modern Heathenry, such as courage, honor and generosity. For other Heathens, they may be formulated in different ways.
However they are approached, we need to focus on the virtues that are necessary to sustain both ourselves and our communities in healthy ways. If the ‘Nine Noble Virtues’ help a person to do that effectively, this is good. If another person approaches this goal from a different direction, formulating their ethical guidelines in a different way that is also effective, this is good too. The point is to build our own ethical might and main, and use that to promote both our own wellbeing and that of our communities, whatever is the best way for each of us.
Ethics is not, truly, just a set of rules that we follow. Heathen ethics is a way of being, a world-view. In the past, this world-view and way of being was, to an extent, interrupted by historical events. Even if it had not been interrupted, it would have evolved and changed over the centuries between then and now, but perhaps the underlying philosophy would have been better maintained and evolved to fit the changing times. That is not how things happened, and so it falls to us as modern Heathens to look deeply into what was valuable in the Heathen past, and ask whether there is still value there, that can be adapted to enrich and empower present-day Heathen life.
I hope that what I have written here is thought-provoking for you, no matter what direction your thoughts take you! Whether you agree with my conclusions or not, the topics I have written about here are worth the time and effort for all of us to consider. Each of us must explore our own paths of wisdom and experience, but it is worthwhile to share what we learn along the way, and work together to grow modern Heathen world-views and practices that support us all in frith and fruitfulness.
Note: The material in this essay and five of the linked essays is also consolidated into a book, in printed and ebook formats, entitled Oaths, Shild, Frith, Luck & Wyrd: Five Essays Exploring Heathen Ethical Values and their Use Today. Here is a link with more information.