A little about the kindred...

The Wolf
While the wolf in Norse lore has been seen in the more antagonist roles like Fenris and Skoll, this is not a complete picture of the wolf. Wolves have been associated with intelligence, magic, as hunters, as teachers, and with warriors, all of which are concerns of Odin. Odin himself keeps two wolf companions, Geri and Freki. Berserkers, warriors who would fight in a rage-inspired trance, often wore bear skins while fighting. Other berserkers known as Ulfhednar, however, wore wolf skins. One theory behind the berserker rage is that it was achieved by allowing the spirit of an animal (in the case of the Ulfhednar, the wolf) to take possession of the warrior, empowering the warrior with the special characteristics of the animal to be used in combat.

The wolf is a highly intelligent, social, and loyal animal. The noble wolf is a complex creature balancing both brute force with a sense of community (the pack). They represent both chaos (wildness) and order (pack organization), and the ability to integrate the two. Wolves can be both independent spirits, as well as loyal members of organized groups- a description that applies to many modern Asa-folk.

There is another parallel to be drawn between Asatruar and the wolf, and that is one of survival. While the wolf once ran wild through most of the Northern hemisphere, the wolf was almost eliminated from its native, natural lands, and placed on "endangered" status. However, thanks to dedicated and hardworking people, the wolf is slowly making a comeback. Those loyal to the gods and goddesses of Heathenry were also hunted and reduced to near extinction. We, too, are making a comeback through the modern, living religion of Asatru and other forms of Heathenry, thanks to dedicated and hardworking folk.

We wish to continue this work and do our part to ensure the survival of our folk by founding our kindred in the hopes of further growing and supporting the Asatru community. It is for the wolf's connection to Odin, wildness, loyalty, intelligence, protective and family-oriented nature, and the wolf's ability to survive that we have chosen to take on the identity of the wolf as part of our kindred's name.

Amber
Amber... a frozen moment in time, preserving the past with both clarity and beauty. Amber appears as both warm and sensuous, much like Freyja, who's tears turned to amber and gold. Neither a true mineral or stone, Amber is the result of trees that have exuded resin, possibly in an attempt to stave off infection, often catching plants or insects in the process. After generations and generations, the resin hardens to copal, and ultimately to amber.

Amber has been sought after as a medium for artisans, for its beauty and golden luster, for its scientific value as a repository of details of a more ancient world, and for its possible medicinal and mystical values. The energy of amber is like viscous sunlight; a warm, clear, flow of pleasure and power. It is no wonder, then, that amber is associated with happiness, wealth, good reputation, power, health, confidence, and protection.

Amber-Wolf Kindred seeks to preserve the best of our ancestors' traditions and values by learning and using them as examples for living tru- true to our Gods and true to our folk. We may have to improvise where we don't know what our ancestors may have done in a particular situation, for other carefully considered reasons rely on UPG (unverifiable personal gnosis), or just come up with a new idea that seems to work. But, like amber is an information source to a scientist, we have the lore to search for clues and ideas. For amber's connections to Freyja, happiness, prosperity, and preservation, we have included it in our kindred's name.

© 2007 Amber-Wolf Kindred, all rights reserved