Resources Rituals Urglaawe | Baptism Renunciation | Heathen Traditions
Urglaawe | Baptism Renunciation | Heathen Traditions
Summary
A question was recently posed to me by a Heathen inmate: Are there any standard rituals or methods for dealing with Christian baptism?
I will give my answer in a capsule below, but I am interested to hear what others think on the subject. I also threw in Christian confirmation because, in my opinion, that is more binding than infant baptism. —- I answered that there are multiple ways to look at the situation, and one’s view could result in different responses.
A question was recently posed to me by a Heathen inmate: Are there any standard rituals or methods for dealing with Christian baptism?
I will give my answer in a capsule below, but I am interested to hear what others think on the subject. I also threw in Christian confirmation because, in my opinion, that is more binding than infant baptism. —- I answered that there are multiple ways to look at the situation, and one’s view could result in different responses.
I cited several:
- If one does not believe Jehovah exists, then it is irrelevant. (Are oaths ever irrelevant?)
- The entire deal with Jehovah is based on lies, so, since the oath was based on lies, it is invalid and can be ignored.
- A visit to a church of Jehovah, including informing him of the reason for putting an end to the oath, along with some sort of offering as Schuld payment, is an appropriate way to tie up that end.
- An appeal with offerings and gifts to the goddess Zisa and the god Ziu/Tyr is an appropriate way for an inmate to begin the process of putting an end to an unfair oath.
- A simple verbal pronouncement of the termination of the oath to Jehovah and the Christian church.
The inmate felt that number 5 was not ample. I told the inmate that I personally did both 3 and 4. We both had concerns that an oath was still taken on number 2, albeit based on lies, and that there must be some expression of the false premise of the oath. Even on number 1, we both felt that the oath was still taken and should be at least consciously dealt with.
A similar topic also arose: circumcision (the religious aspects of it).
Since Zisa is not familiar to many Heathens outside of Urglaawe, here is a bit about Her: die Zisa: Zisa is seen as the founder and protector of the city of Augsburg in modern Bavaria. Augsburg was known earlier as Zizarim. Zisa was reported under various names (including Isis due to language confusion, apparently). She was particularly associated with the Suevi, who are predecessors of the Swabians. The Suevi also mixed with the Alemanni and other tribes. T
here are quite a few locations in southern Germany and Switzerland named for Her. The tribes who knew Her were large contributors to the Pennsylvania German nation. In the first century BCE, the Romans under Titus Annius laid siege to Zizarim just before Her feast day. Unfortunately for the Romans, many Swabian warriors were coming to Zizarim for the festival, and on Her day (September 28) they attacked the Romans and throttled them (Pennick 107). Granted, the Romans years later did take the city, but the battle for Zizarim was a famous loss for Rome.
Despite the loss of the city and the subsequent Christian suppression, Her presence remained.
Zisa in the Christian era was depicted as the Virgin Mary with the extra appellation of “Undoer-of-Knots.” Images of Her from later centuries indicate that she has the ability to remove obstacles or, some believe, even to undo Urleeg if one’s cause is just. Images of Her in this role have been restored in Augsburg’s city hall, though they were from later centuries originally (Pennick 108).
She was so widely revered among the Suevi that their dialects called Tuesday “Zistag” not after Ziu but after Her. The Diocese of Augsburg banned the name Zistag and called it “Aftermontag” (After-Monday; Pennick 109). There are quite a few places that bear her name as the root of their modern names. The church of St. Peter am Perlach stands on the grounds of Her temple at Zisenberg in Augsburg.
Her symbol is the pinecone and appears in Augsburg even in some churches (Pennick 109). As the pinecone protects the seeds, so does She protect her people. The pinecone symbolizes protection, regeneration, and continuity. Even though the Romans eventually conquered Augsburg, the Volk’s relationship to Zisa continued, in symbolic form if not conscious form, into the present day. The pinecone even now appears on the coat of arms of Augsburg (see image below).
In Urglaawe, Zisa shares with Her consort, Ziu, an authority over matters of justice, particularly for the removal of obstacles for just causes and the annulment of unfair oaths.
Robert Lusch Schreiwer | Director | Red Hammer Charity Robert L. Schreiwer is a Troth Elder, Steward Ambassador, former President of The Troth and founder of The Troth Prison In-Reach program, which was an outgrowth of the In-Reach efforts of the Urglaawe group the Distelfink Sippschaft.