After much thought and much dialogue, I have decided to propose the
formation of a new standard language for all of us who have made a
strong and lifelong personal commitment to the preservation of the
Nordic tradition, and who wish to work for its advancement and
protection for untold ages to come. While this idea may not seem
practical or tenable on the surface, what lies beneath the surface
is both realistic and much more important than meets the eye. Also,
dialogue with wise and tolerant folk with a sincere interest in the
history and spirituality of the Nordic realm has convinced me that
the formation of such a language has become necessary, both from a
cultural and an academic point of view. I cannot express with words
the respect and admiration I feel for the many of you who have taken
it upon yourselves to learn such a difficult language as the Norse
we have here gathered together to study, the language of the great
scholar Snorri Sturluson and his Icelandic contemporaries. It is a
language which is close to our hearts and helps us to bridge the gap
between us and our noble ancestors before us. We are fortunate to
have such a fine teacher as Haukur to assist us in this important
endeavor. In the course of my own studies many things have come to
light which were previously unknown to me. Amongst other things, I
have discovered that there is a growing number of sincere and wise
folk, both in Scandinavia and abroad, who feel a strong affinity for
the best which the culture and spirituality of the old North have to
offer us today. Nevertheless, we live in a modern world which would
be hardly recognizable to our ancestors. Also, the culture of our
ancestors suffered certain devastating linguistic and spiritual
misfortunes from which we have yet to fully recover. In my ongoing
dialogue with others whose hearts are of a similar persuasion, it
has furthermore become clear to me that the wounds which our culture
has suffered have yet to fully heal. Many there are who understand
barely a word of their ancestors language or who were raised in a
spiritual tradition alien to their hearts. Not only the gods and the
heros, but even the words themselves were alien. Many there are who
have felt a painful lack of continuity and connection with the past.
While we live in a modern world of great cultural multiplicity and
have learned to accept diversity on a scale hitherto unimagined, we
nevertheless demand that there be cultural and spiritual continuity
between us and our ancestors before us. It is therefore necessary
that we begin to ask important questions about our common aims and
how to achieve them in this modern age. How can we help to achieve
cultural and spiritual continuity for future generations and heal
the wounds of the past? What can we learn from the successes and
failures of the many other cultures with similar aims? In the weeks
and years to come, I hope to open dialogue on these and many related
questions. Although there are many steps which need to be taken, my
own efforts thus far have fallen within the linguistic sphere. In
the course of my own studies of the various branches and dialects of
the Scandinavian linguistic tree, and in dialogue with some of their
speakers whom desire both to preserve and to learn more about their
own linguistic heritage, a new path has opened up before me. While I
am likely not the first to either view or consider taking this path,
its implications for cultural and spiritual continuity have helped
encourage me to walk upon it. May it help to heal the wounds of the
past. In posts to follow, I will try to show some of the benefits of
this new standard language, both cultural and spiritual. I will also
try to answer any questions about it which may come up and encourage
dialogue about it. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions about it
and hope that it may prove useful and a blessing to all.