| Heimdall's Lur FAQ Q: What is Heimdalls Lur? Heimdall's Lur is the name of an Asatru kindred in the Los Angeles area. Q: Asatru? Asatru is a Norse Pagan belief system that worships the original dieties of Northern Europe, such as Odin, Thor, Freya and Frigga. Look at "Asatru FAQ" for a more detailed explanation. Q: What is a "kindred"? A kindred is a group of people who practice the religion of Asatru together. Kindreds usually meet in members' homes and consist of anywhere from three to ten members. Kindreds usually gather at least once a month as a group to perform Asatru rituals (or "blots"). Some groups gather more frequently to participate in study groups or work on the various craft skills that are part of our heritage. There are numerous kindreds (also known as harrows, hearths, hofs and tribes) throughout America and all over the world, each with their own unique style of doing things. Q: What does the name "Heimdall's Lur" mean exactly? Like many things in Asatru, the name of our group has meanings on several different levels. (We also had many personal reasons for our choice.) "Heimdall" refers to the Norse God of the same name who is one of the Aesir. Although he is sometimes seen as a mere aspect of Odin, Heimdall stands apart as a bright shining diety who sacrificed his hearing to Mimir's well so that he could wield aural knowledge of everything happening past, present and future. He is the son of the Nine Waves and Father of Humanity. He guards the Bifrost (rainbow) bridge as a piercing judge of men's souls, for none may cross the Bifrost until they have reached their highest potential. "Lur" refers to the lur horn, which is a large horn still used in Germanic countries to communicate across mountainous expanses. The Lur horn has been made many shapes over time, from a long, straight horn to a tall "S" shaped instrument. The horn pictured on this site is a modern construct based on the descriptions of the lur horns in the Norse Sagas and made more suitable for a god with pure gold and rich woods. The majestic tones of the lur can cut through mists as a beacon to the lost or be sounded as a rallying cry. Heimdall will sound the lur horn, Gjall, at the beginning of Ragnarok (the end of the world). However, "Heimdall's Lur" in the context of our kindred does not refer to the doom songs of Gjall, but to one of Heimdall's other horns . . . "the one he uses on the weekends" as one of our members has suggested. home |
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