Balder Ex-Libris

Author : The Assembly of the Elder Troth Kindred
Title : A Primer of Lore and Ritual
Year : 1996

Link download : The_Assembly_of_the_Elder_Troth_Kindred_-_A_Primer_of_Lore_and_Ritual.zip

The Assembly of the Elder Troth (A.E.T) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Northern European Folk-Religion known to the Anglo-Saxon peoples simply as the “Elder Troth.” The Elder Troth is more than a mere religion in the modern sense of the word. In days long past our ancestors could not even begin to understand the concept of religion as it is practiced today. They were a pure people: They had no separation between the sacred/spiritual and the profane/secular. Their faith was intricately tied into everything they did, from working in the fields to the naming of their children. It was a life where the Gods and Goddesses were never any further away than one’s own shadow. The word “Troth” is an old English/Anglo-Saxon word, which has a variety of implications. According to the Webster’s International Dictionary, “Troth” is defined as follows: TROTH n, pl. troths (ME trouth, fr OE treowth - more at TRUTH) 1: loyal or pledged faithfulness: FIDELITY; 2 a: one’s pledged word, b: one’s faith as pledged in solemn undertaking and especially in an agreement to marry; also: the act of making a pledge. So, from this definition we can see that the “Elder Troth” is a link to an ancient truth or loyalty within the context of one’s own self. In other words, you must be true/loyal/honest in regard to your own spirituality. But how do we judge what our own spirituality is? This is a very subjective question; one must maintain an open mind toward all paths, to allow one’s soul to speak to one and one must study. No person should be confined to simply following a dogma preached to him/her over a period of time. That is not Troth, that is brainwashing! (Many people cling to a religion out of familiarity rather than out of spiritual resonation or feeling “at home” deep inside.) It is this experience of resonation which is the core of the Elder Troth. The world is in spiritual turmoil and people are once again looking for that which will give them inner peace. For some, that may be found in the Troth; but this is not for all. The time has come once again to gather together those Folk who are called to the land and the sky, who are awed by the majesty of the mountains and by the beauty of a forest. The time has come to sink deep the roots of those Folk noble and true that our branches may again deck the heavens. This is the time of the Elder Troth, time to rise again from the hearts of all men and women good and true in and of the Folk. This is a time which must be seized that the spirit of the Gods might be tempered anew and the tide of spiritual slavery turned from our doors. Come together now, all good Folk and true, to forge again the Hammer of the North, that Hammer which is our own Troth ! ...