Asatru Folk Assembly - Of Horses and Souls by Founder Stephen McNallen

We are the people of the horse. Some thousands of years ago, on the vast plains of Asia, members of our race, whom we now call Indo-Europeanans, and whom we once dared to call Aryans, domesticated a single horse, or more correctly, say the geneticists, a horse whose traits were such that it could be a partner with humans. Fierce, but tameable. Strong-headed, but cooperative. Wild, but loyal. From that horse are all the horses of our folk descended. It has been a good partnership. With the offspring of that horse, we ultimately conquered the steppe. The horse gave legs to our ferocity. In the centuries that followed, we flowed out into what is now Europe, shaping a new culture and a new way of being. We rode our horses to the sea. We sacrificed horses and gave them to the gods. The gods themselves rode horses in their travels between the worlds.

00:00:00.000 good evening everybody so

00:00:19.920 it's no great secret that i am a native texan

00:00:23.040 But despite that fact, I never had a connection with the horse, the cowboy, all of that scene, for whatever, I was building rockets or something like that.

00:00:37.400 But my ideas on horses have changed a lot, and I'd like to share some of them with you.

00:00:44.380 This is a little piece, a couple of you at least have heard it, called Of Horses and Souls.

00:00:53.980 We are the people of the horse.

00:00:57.640 Some thousands of years ago, on the vast plains of Asia,

00:01:01.800 members of our race whom we now call Indo-Europeans

00:01:05.140 and whom we once dared to call Aryans domesticated the horse.

00:01:11.160 Or more correctly, say the geneticists,

00:01:13.620 a single horse whose traits were such that it could be a partner with humans.

00:01:21.620 Fierce, but tameable.

00:01:24.380 Strong-headed, but cooperative.

00:01:29.280 Wild, but loyal.

00:01:32.780 From that horse are all the horses of our folk descended. 1.00

00:01:38.560 It is the Ur horse. 0.97

00:01:41.760 It has been a good partnership. 0.98

00:01:45.020 With the offspring of that horse, we ultimately conquered the steppe.

00:01:50.760 We, more than any other people, and this is important, were able to cover distance rapidly.

00:01:59.920 The horse gave legs to our ferocity.

00:02:03.380 In the centuries that followed, we flowed out into what is now Europe, shaping a new culture and a new way of being.

00:02:11.920 We rode our horses to the sea.

00:02:15.660 Men with horse names, Hengist and Horsa, conquered what is now England.

00:02:22.400 We sacrificed horses and gave them to the gods.

00:02:26.560 The gods themselves rode horses in their travels between the worlds.

00:02:33.240 Paused by the ocean, we lusted to cover still more space.

00:02:39.140 We built ships, and we poetically called them Sea Steed.

00:02:44.660 or wave steed or wave horse or wave charger or dozens of other tennings for horses.

00:02:55.060 Sailing toward the sunset past Iceland and Greenland, we found new worlds where grapes grew

00:03:03.780 and we made our homes there.

00:03:08.100 The descendants of these sailors reached the ends of Midgard, circled the globe,

00:03:12.500 But still, our intrepid race sought to cover distance rapidly.

00:03:21.980 The lust that was in our sea, perhaps even before we sat on a horse's back, now it impelled us upwards.

00:03:34.000 Did the stars that twinkled above the steppe know our fate, our lust?

00:03:40.020 Did Pegasus await us even then, or some other celestial horse whose name is forgotten by men?

00:03:48.080 We are the wandering race.

00:03:50.940 We seek the very stars themselves.

00:03:54.380 Our gods travel between the worlds on their horses.

00:03:57.700 So shall we, in imitation of them, seek distant worlds.

00:04:04.340 But there is more.

00:04:06.740 We have talked of the stars.

00:04:08.220 let us consider another journey, the journey into death.

00:04:14.440 It is said that men and women were born to the grip of the grave

00:04:19.960 or the purifying flames of the fire by four men,

00:04:24.960 a count of eight legs, like Othin's horse, Sleipnir.

00:04:30.120 Will we enter the other world with a horse to speed our way?

00:04:34.440 The Sybil is silent as the grave

00:04:38.200 But allow me a moment of musing

00:04:41.300 When I leave this world

00:04:43.600 Perhaps my steed self

00:04:45.720 Will come to me

00:04:47.400 And bear me to the realm of holiness

00:04:49.900 The hall of the ancestors

00:04:51.940 And I will quaff mead with them

00:04:54.280 And ride the worlds as I choose

00:04:57.240 Covering distance rapidly

00:05:00.700 If it is so, let us give that horse eight stout and speedy legs

00:05:08.040 To take us to our revered ancestors

00:05:11.280 Or to the realm of the gods

00:05:13.380 Or to Walhall itself

00:05:15.180 I will give my horse good deeds

00:05:20.020 That I will be remembered after my death

00:05:23.140 I will give my horse mighty runes

00:05:27.260 That I will wield power in all the worlds

00:05:30.460 I will give my horse open-handedness, that those gifts shall be returned.

00:05:38.720 I will give my horse sacrifice for gifts called for gifts.

00:05:44.300 I will give my horse laughter to glad the gods and my kin.

00:05:50.660 I will give my horse trust in return for trust.

00:05:55.300 I will give my horse honor and accept it.

00:06:00.460 in return i will give my horse speed that we may cover distance rapidly

00:06:13.100 one with my steed one with my kin and one with my folk

Asatru Folk Assembly - September 01, 2024

Of Horses and Souls by Founder Stephen McNallen

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