Lewis Stead

The Ravenbook

RAVENBOK: THE RAVEN KINDRED RITUAL BOOK

BY LEWIS STEAD & THE RAVEN KINDRED

3RD EDITION

Copyright (c) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 by . All rights

reserved. Permission granted for free electronic distribution provided

of this work in (and only in) its entirety. Hardcopy editions are

available for $8 from Asatru Today; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175;

Wheaton MD 20902.

FORWARD: THE HISTORY OF RAVENBOK

When I first became involved with Asatru, there was little available

in the popular press on the subject of our faith, so I began to write

an essay here and a pamphlet there on various topics of interest to

Norse Pagans. At various times I entertained the notion of fleshing

out these various pieces into a book and submitting it to a publisher.

Eventually good quality books became available on Asatru, such as

kveldulfr Gundarssons TEUTONIC RELIGION, and I decided to take a

different route. While commercial books were available, the best

contender was trapped in a publishers pipeline for almost 2 years, and

there was a clear need for information to be made available quickly,

and more importantly to people who didnt want to spend money to find

out a bit about the Norse tradition. I compiled everything together

in the Spring of 1993, and released the book to the public free of

charge through various computer networks such as America Oline,

CompuServe, and the Internet

So far, hundreds of people have downloaded (and presumably read)

Ravenbok from various computer networks. This new medium has allowed

us to reach people with an unprecedented speed and ease. It also

allows frequent updating, since there is no cost to produce or obtain

the most recent verison. I have been very gratified by the comments

Ive received, and would encourage other would-be authors to think

twice about whether we need yet another $9.95 production from Mooncash

books or whether our community would be better served by free

information. Ive always been most interested in getting the

informatino out to people. If theres already something in

bookstores, why not get it out to a new audience? After all, religion

is about sharing the faith of the Gods, not making money.

Ravenbok is a continuing project, andthis third edition is new and

expanded. It is the first one to carry the name Ravenbok, which comes

from the original computer name of RAVENBOOK.ZIP. It first saw

physical print in the summer of 1993.

Finally a quick word about intellectual property rights. While it has

been released free of charge, Ravenbok remains copyrighted by me. It

may only be distributed electronically, FREE OF CHARGE, IN ITS

ENTIRETY, with nothing added or removed. Print copies are available

at the address above, and Ravenbok may not be distributed in hardcopy

form either free or for charge. The appendixes are pamphlets my

kindred distributes, and are meant to be distributed. eel free to

copy them, and add your own kindreds name and address (please leave

ours too!) and hand them out.

Finally, my thanks to my kinsmen for providing me with support, ideas,

and contributions to this work. While I have done the bulk of the

writing, this book represents the ideas and concepts of The Raven

Kindred as much as they do my own.

(lstead@cais.com) June 1994, Wheaton, MD

INTRODUCTION

Less than a thousand years ago the elders of Iceland made a fateful

decision. Under political pressure from Christian Europe and faced

with the need for trade, the Allthing or national assembly declared

Iceland to be an officially Christian country. Within a few centuries

the last remnants of Nordic Paganism, which once stretched through all

of Northern Europe were thought dead. However, Iceland was a tolerant

country and the myths, stories, and legends of Pagan times were left

unburnt to kindle the fires of belief in later generations. In 1972,

after a long campaign by poet and Gothi Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson,

Iceland once again recognized Nordic Paganism as a legitimate and

legal religion.

Iceland and Sweden were the last two bastions of the Pagan religion

originally practiced by the people of the various Germanic tribes.

Today Nordic Paganism also known as Odinism, Heathenism, Northern