November 9

Sigrith, widow of King Erik the Victorious, was an attractive woman whose hand was sought by one royal suitor after another. She rebuffed them, some of them violently, and it wasn't without reason that history gives her the nickname "Sigrith the Haughty".

However, one proposal finally won her over - that of Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway. Olaf, you may remember, was a zealous Christian who slaughtered and maimed Asafolk from one end of his domain to the other. In fact, he produced most of the Asatru martyrs listed in our Days of Remembrance!

In the course of planning the marriage, Olaf insisted that Sigrith should give up the Gods and take on the Christian faith. She declined, saying "I do not mean to abandon the faith I have had, and my kinsmen before me. Nor shall I object to your belief in the God you prefer". The King's reply was to swear at her and hit her across the face with a glove he was carrying in his hand. Sigrith rose, stared at him coldly, and warned him that this deed might well cause his death.
Clearly, the wedding was off. Years went by. Sigrith married King Svein of Denmark and produced a son, Olaf, who became king of Sweden. He, along with King Svein and Earl Erik of Norway, were persuaded to go to war against Olaf Tryggvason largely by Sigrith's instigation. They defeated him in battle, and Tryggvason killed himself by leaping off his ship and drowning. Sigrith had, indeed, got her revenge.

Sigrith deserves our praise for standing by the Gods rather than marrying a man whose reputation and fame could have only added to her own. Her steadfastness deprived Olaf of political power and slowed the Christianisation of Scandinavia.

How to remember Queen Sigrith:

• According to the saga, Sigrith liked to drink, so pour her a libation. In other words, tip a glass of something she might have liked onto the ground in her honour. Say something neat like "Here's to you, Sigrith. We need more people with your courage and loyalty".
• Meditate on what kind of person you'd like to marry - or what kind of mate you would want for your son or daughter. Hopefully, they wouldn't be Christian kings intent on slaying Asafolk.
• Promise to do five things in the next week for Asatru, one for each finger of Olaf Tryggvason's glove. Write a letter, order a book, send a contribution, write an article, tell a child a story of the Gods, or do anything else you think is appropriate.
• Reject a Christian point of view in conversation. Stand up for your own religious perspective even if you won't be appreciated for it.
• Fly the Swedish flag.
• Teach your children a few phrases of Swedish.
• Cook a Swedish meal (or patronise a Swedish restaurant).

Your result for The what kind of pagan are you test....

Ecclectic

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