Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is a comment about historical practices, and not a normative prescription. I don't care about your facial hair or anyone else's. I am not a reconstructionist Norse pagan (see youtu.be/3v6qTg8OAws - the religion is usually called "Ásatrú" by current practitioners but if it had a historical name used by its pre-Christian followers we don't know what it was). For whatever nonexistent credit this might get me with detractors from that camp, I'm not a Christian either ( youtu.be/ytGru5OO_oM ) though I think it's very important not to blame Christians for destroying writings that probably didn't exist, or for distorting surviving records in a way they would have had no motivation for doing ( youtu.be/ZEAqNZWX010 ).
If you are interested in the original medieval sources of Norse mythology, I introduce them in the first few minutes here ( youtu.be/W7Rx3tY0c9A - the rest of the run time on that video is a discussion of their relative values). I describe the contents of the new revised and expanded 2nd Edition of my translation of the Poetic Edda here ( youtu.be/XMTYLLqIRjU ). Eventually my translation of the Prose Edda will appear but it is long slow work; you can support that work and also get previews of the ongoing project at patreon.com/norsebysw
The Second Edition of my Poetic Edda translation is not out yet in Europe, but it is available for pre-order there from Gazelle ( gazellebookservices.co.uk/products/9781647922498#nav-awards ). If you live in the USA, Canada, or Australia, you can order a signed copy delivered to you from Boulder Book Store ( boulderbookstore.net/signed-jackson-crawford-books ); note that ordering personalized signatures means delivery will take more time as I have to go to Boulder periodically to sign them. Now on Amazon too at amzn.to/3JdQNny
For more about my reconstructed pronunciation of Old Norse, see for example youtu.be/DzcUVphjFNE and for more about Younger Futhark runes, see for example youtu.be/764hz8_PHeM
From time to time, I offer Zoom classes such as Elementary Old Norse (sample lecture: youtu.be/dE9QQC2rj7w ) and detailed readings of the Norse myths found in the Poetic Edda (sample lecture: youtu.be/VYCnwkyUKks ). Follow this channel for announcements about future classes.
Jan-Feb Essential Old Norse: eventbrite.com/e/essential-old-norse-january-february-2026-tickets-1588324995819
This is a comment about historical practices, and not a normative prescription. I don't care about your facial hair or anyone else's. I am not a reconstructionist Norse pagan (see youtu.be/3v6qTg8OAws - the religion is usually called "Ásatrú" by current practitioners but if it had a historical name used by its pre-Christian followers we don't know what it was). For whatever nonexistent credit this might get me with detractors from that camp, I'm not a Christian either ( youtu.be/ytGru5OO_oM ) though I think it's very important not to blame Christians for destroying writings that probably didn't exist, or for distorting surviving records in a way they would have had no motivation for doing ( youtu.be/ZEAqNZWX010 ).
If you are interested in the original medieval sources of Norse mythology, I introduce them in the first few minutes here ( youtu.be/W7Rx3tY0c9A - the rest of the run time on that video is a discussion of their relative values). I describe the contents of the new revised and expanded 2nd Edition of my translation of the Poetic Edda here ( youtu.be/XMTYLLqIRjU ). Eventually my translation of the Prose Edda will appear but it is long slow work; you can support that work and also get previews of the ongoing project at patreon.com/norsebysw
The Second Edition of my Poetic Edda translation is not out yet in Europe, but it is available for pre-order there from Gazelle ( gazellebookservices.co.uk/products/9781647922498#nav-awards ). If you live in the USA, Canada, or Australia, you can order a signed copy delivered to you from Boulder Book Store ( boulderbookstore.net/signed-jackson-crawford-books ); note that ordering personalized signatures means delivery will take more time as I have to go to Boulder periodically to sign them. Now on Amazon too at amzn.to/3JdQNny
For more about my reconstructed pronunciation of Old Norse, see for example youtu.be/DzcUVphjFNE and for more about Younger Futhark runes, see for example youtu.be/764hz8_PHeM
From time to time, I offer Zoom classes such as Elementary Old Norse (sample lecture: youtu.be/dE9QQC2rj7w ) and detailed readings of the Norse myths found in the Poetic Edda (sample lecture: youtu.be/VYCnwkyUKks ). Follow this channel for announcements about future classes.
Jan-Feb Essential Old Norse: eventbrite.com/e/essential-old-norse-january-february-2026-tickets-1588324995819
