May
Odal Works
The Odal Rune deals with ownership and heritage. It can also deal with obligation. There are inheritances which are to be enjoyed and maintained for future generations. Some are things that can be inherited from family, and others are legacies which come from other sources.
A news program recently featured an Italian family that has owned wineries since the 14th Century. The business has remained in the family all that time. Each patriarch works to assure the well-being of this massive operation, both for present success and as the future of the family. He takes responsibility both for the operation and for its continuance.
Close to home, there are some folks who like preserving narrow-gauge trains. All of their trains are old, vintage pieces. These people work both to enjoy their trains and to keep them in great running condition. They see themselves as preserving history and keeping it alive for the future.
For those of us who take Heathenism seriously, we need to think of our impact on the future. We need consider not only those who are young today, but further. The work we do today will affect the well-being of Heathenism 200 years from now. Our Odal is both the heritage of the tradition and the responsibility to see that it thrives decades and centuries from now.
I think that 200 years is a good goal. It is highly unlikely any of us will be here to see it. We are doing this for the future generations. This is our gift, our legacy and our responsibility to those who will come long after we are gone to Asgard. For today’s Heathenry, Odal is not just a Rune to gain ownership. It is a gift that we must prepare for the benefit of those who will not even be born in our lifetime. Let us make certain that out work lays the groundwork for growth into the distant future. Everything is up to us.
