Alþing In America: Do Heathens Need One?

The increasing rise in popularity of Heathenry in the United States often gives way to organizing events and gatherings to bring people together on a large scale. From The Viking Experience and NorseForged Gathering in North Carolina, to the Great Northern Viking Festival in Minnesota and the Yule Viking Festivval in Texas, there is no shortage of large scale events to atttend to see people of various paths and beliefs converge and enjoy the sights, sounds, and culture of Medieval Northern Europe. Yet for actual Heathens who want to gather for more than just games and vending, what is there in existence?

For the most part, Heathens in the U.S have to find local,regional, or national  organizations that host gatherings for the community in their areas. National Orgs like The Troth, The Asatru Community (TAC), and the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) are probably the most "popular", and they all have problems within them that keep people leary of aligning themselves with such organizations. Each of these organizations can host their own events independently, allowing who they want (or don't want) to attend. So the question has to be asked... is there a "thing" for Heathens in the U.S to attend and meet at a neutral location, regardless of what national org they wish to be affiliated with? 

Let's explore the concepts of such an assembly. A Thing (Old Norse “þing”) was a government assembly of early Germanic society. There is evidence that affirms that even the early Germanic Tribes gathered on fixed dates for important matters. This is documented by the Roman historian and pagan, Tacitus. He states, "They assemble on fixed days, either just before the new moon or just after the full moon. This they reckon to be the most auspicious starting-point for transacting business. Indeed, they do not reckon time by days, as we do, but by nights (i.e., their calendar was lunar). All their decisions, all their agreements, are made in this way: night is seen as ushering in the day…”  We also have several sources that confirm that the Saxons specifically had a republic that was governed by the Thing every year. They would meet annualy at Marklo in the middle of Saxony, allowing representation from all classes of their society to attend (nobles, freemen and serfs had equal representation). Later on in Scandinavia, during the Viking Age, Things were the public assemblies of the freemen of a “hundred” (Swedish: härad, hundare, Danish: herred). According to Norway’s Law of the Gulathing, only free men of full age could participate in the assembly. [Ødegaard, Marie (2013). "State Formation, Administrative Areas, and Thing Sites in the Borgarthing Law Province, Southeast Norway." Journal of the North Atlantic 501: p. 44."]

Based on these details, we can see that Thing was NOT reserved only for the people who were liked, or who others could "get along with". To be called to the Thing was regarded as an important act and therefore most people tried to resolve their conflicts before being escalated at Thing. Once a matter was brought to Thing, it meant that whatever the penalty or fine (Skild) was had to be remitted. In some cases, the penalty was beyond any monetary payments, and people could be sentenced to death or become an Outlaw. Being outlawed meant that anyone could kill you without any consequences, something considered worse than a death sentence.

Now, in modern times, I think many Heathens hear the term "Thing" or "Alþing" and come to the conclusion that it's just another gathering. From a historical point of view, Thing is more than calling a meeting for various groups to get together and socialize. it's a legal assembly, meant to resolve conflicts that could not be sorted otherwise. While we can likely deduce that the term "Alþing" were more like the Disting in Sweden or the annual Saxon Althing at Marklo, smaller regional Things happened more often for sure. Given that Thing is a legal assembly, that means that laws must be in place. Breaking of said laws brings penalties. I also think it is worth mentioning that Thing was held for a very real purpose. Let's dive into the why  of Thing being held.

The Saxon Heathens specifically comprised of around 100 villages (called "gau") and four major divisions: Eastphalia, Westphalia, Angria (or Engern), and Nordalbingia. It's not hard to comprehend that there would be disagreements and conflict among the tribes which had to ironed out. Furthermore, the Saxons and other Germanic tribes were once divided, and as soon as the christian Franks began attacking the Saxons to force conversions, the only chance they had of surviving was to unite: to create a sort of "Heathen  Confederacy". This would be no easy task, and so the annual Thing at Marklo was the time and place for conflicts and differences to be settled. In order to resolve issues, there likely had  to be universal Sidu/customs/laws in place that were agreed upon. Any conflict or disagreement that brought a severe offense would only bring division and the confederation would fail. The purpose of Thing, at least for the Saxons, was to bring representatives of all the social classes of all the villages together, confirm their laws, set judgments for internal conflicts, and vote who among the chieftains (Drohtins) would be the designated Theoden if war broke out. Does any of this sound like something that fits in the context of modern time Heathen assemblies?

Understanding the why  and purpose of having Thing in the first place is essential when deciding if  modern Heathens need one. I would love nothing more than to see the various groups of Heathens in my state form a confederation and unify under that banner. The reality is that American Heathens are still too divided on a lot of issues. One person saying something that offends another is cause for a whole group to disband and reform with others who like each other more. Small groups can barely resolve internal conflicts, so how in Hel would they be able to unify and resolve bigger issues that arise? I simply don't see it happening in my lifetime. 

My final word on this that if a few Heathen tribes want to network and host a big get-together for the sake of camaraderie, then go for it. I've certainly attended enough of those types of events and enjoyed myself. But those events are not the same as Thing. If... and I mean IF  we as American Heathens ever get to a point where an annual Thing is held, it will require people to unify and agree to pursue this undertaking with purpose. Feelings and pride will need to be checked at the door. The leaders who get involved will need to be educated on historical sources. A clear mission or purpose for forming a Thing assembly will be required so that all the tribes summoned know what to expect. It should not a vendor based event that is driven by sales of products or services. It should be a gathering for Heathen tribes to assemble and be united on matters that are important.

Ultimately, Thing should improve the community, and uphold and teach/share the values of our Germanic Ancestors. Maybe we'll see it happen someday. 

Learn more about the historical Saxon Thing and Norse Althing by visiting this link: https://www.aldsidu.com/post/norse-althing-saxon-thing-anglish-witan