October 22-23, 2005

Suzanne takes her Kindred Oath

The skies were gray; the air thick with moisture, and the wind was cool as it blew in biting gusts on Saturday morning. Upon waking, no doubt several of us felt as if our recent run of good weather luck on blót weekends was over. Fortunately, by the time most had gathered at Frozen Head the threat of rain was over, and Sunna, though obscured by the thick tree canopy at the campground, was warming the air enough to make it comfortable.

We kept a small fire going for most of the afternoon to dull the still occasional nip the wind would send our way. It was a smaller group than usual on Saturday, and we spent most of the day just telling tales, watching young Matthew run around, and seeing Kat get tired out chasing Matthew around. Frozen Head is one of our Favorite places – there is peacefulness there that truly puts you at ease.

Shortly after sunset, Tracy arrived with Naya and we started sumbel. Gods and ancestors were toasted and hopes for the future were made as horns were raised. During open sumbel, Make presented Steve, aka the Sumbelmeister, with a gift befitting that title – a book about historical mead hall toasting.

Following sumbel, we broke out the small fish tins for KipperTimeR. The star of this particular KipperTimeR was a can of smoked Latvian Sprats – smoky, flavorful and so densely packed into their can they seemingly would never run out. We finished the sprats, and happy and full climbed into tents for the evening.

Sunday was a beautiful fall day all the way around. More kindred members and friends arrived, and before we knew it, it was time to start blót. We gathered in front of the large rock as we did last month and Make presided over a wonderfully worded blót to Freyja. The wind changed direction and blew in gusts as Freyja was hailed and the horn was passed from member to member.

Once again, there were kindred rites to administer this month. In a very moving oath, Cliff welcomed Suzanne into the kindred as a full member. Many members spoke for her. Her kind heart and quiet determination will indeed be a boon for Thruðheim. Hail Suzanne!

Make and Jada also took an oath to their newly adopted son Matthew, welcoming him as part of their family and promising to care for and take responsibility for him. Suzanne and Herbert also agreed to become Goðiparents to Matthew. Hail the oath takers! Hail the new parents!

It was a joyous weekend, concluded with a tasty feast, some more conversation and many more smiles.

Click here to view some photos from the weekend (requires Flash7)