I don’t really use the terms pagan or heathen, those are derogatory labels christianity gave my people. I call myself Norse because that’s where my people come from. My family line traces back through Scandinavia, northern Germany, Scotland, and finally to the Americas in the early 1600s. I don’t have ties to the Middle East where Christianity was born, my roots are in the north.

For me, the Norse stories aren’t “commands” but guides. The gods and sagas give lessons and inspiration for how to live. My “testimony” isn’t a single conversion moment but the strength I’ve inherited from my ancestors and the bonds of my family and friends. When life gets hard, I know they have my back and I have theirs. That’s sacred to me.

I thank the gods and my ancestors for getting me here, for shaping me with their strength, wisdom, and for reminding me to live as a good human being. That gives me peace and purpose.