The Chad Pastoralist: History

A photograph I took of Nordic Bronze Age artefacts in the British Museum in London, England.

A ladybug that landed on my hand when visiting St Peter's Church, an 8th century parish church in Conisbrough, England.

☝🏻 In this new episode of The Fyrgen, Dan and I delve into the shared Anglo-Saxon and Norman understanding of Wōden as the divine progenitor of elite Germanic ancestral lineages. We also talk about what it means to be English and get into some interesting discussions on history. This is one of my first major appearances on a podcast. There will be more of this coming up for The Chad Pastoralist. You can listen to the episode on Hearthfire Radio. Follow me on Instagram Follow me on X Subscribe to me on Substack

NEW EPISODE — The Fyrgen — Episode 51: The Norman Question, with The Chad Pastoralist https://www.hearthfireradio.com/watch?v=YIpnvezN Heathen historian Saxon Philpott, aka The Chad Pastoralist, is this episode's guest. Saxon has raised some eyebrows with his apparent pro-Norman attitude, so Dan invited him on to discuss what's behind this, supported by some insightful observations and anecdotes. Key to the discussion is the shared Anglo-Saxon and Norman belief in descent from Woden, which leads to an area of discussion regarding the meaning and nature of ancestry, paternity and belonging. Links: Instagram | Substack | Telegram | X

In On the Good Life by the Roman philosopher and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 BC), he explains the reason as to why a happy life coincides with moral goodness. The Romans understood that mental excellence is identical to moral excellence and that the disposition of a man's soul indicates the man. Cicero sets out the equation as follows: The disposition of a man's soul indicates the man: the man indicates his speech: his speech indicates his actions: his actions indicate his life. Since then, the disposition of a good man's soul is laudable, the same applies to his life. His life is, therefore, morally good. Therefore, it can be concluded that good people are happy. Cicero employs a philosophical form of reasoning called sorites - which was heavily employed by the Stoic Chrysippus of Soli - to outline what can be categorised as good. He notes that all good things are enjoyable. What is enjoyable has to deserve credit and pride; that is to say, it is glorious: and, if so, it must be praiseworthy. What is praiseworthy has to be morally good: therefore goodness means moral goodness. Cicero states that immoral actions are the result of a wretched person and that a wretched person can not possess happiness and is devoid of all of the qualities that constitute a rational human being: moral goodness, rationality, intelligence, reason, and piety, among other things. An immoral person is wretched and Cicero explains that an immoral person is wretched partly because of what they did and partly because "it was he who was responsible for causing this state of affairs which allowed him to do such things, and allowed them to develop in the first place." Cicero follows on by saying: "I say 'which allowed him', but when we talk of people being 'allowed' to do things, meaning that they have got the power to do them, we are using inaccurate language, because, strictly speaking, if something is wrong no one should be allowed to do it at all."

Gold bracteate hoard from Nebenstedt, Lower Saxony. The one on the top left has a particularly fascinating inscription, glïaugir uïu rnr; “glowing eye consecrates (the) runes”. Undoubtedly Odin, later attested as Báleygr, flaming eye, in the Eddas. ᚷᛚᛇᚨᚢᚷᛁᚱ ᚢᛇᚢ ᚱᚾᚱ

Just be like our Western Hunter-Gatherer ancestors. Never stress. Follow me on Instagram Follow me on X Subscribe to me on Substack