Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Else Christensen Else Christensen (1913–2005) was a Danish proponent of the modern Pagan new religious movement of Heathenry. She established a Heathen organisation known as the Odinist Fellowship in the United States, where she lived for much of her life. ...

Odinist Fellowship Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th centu ...

The Troth The Troth, formerly the Ring of Troth, is an United States, American-based international Germanic Neopaganism, heathen organization.

Background

Stephen McNallen Stephen Anthony McNallen (born October 15, 1948) is an American proponent of Heathenry, a modern Pagan new religious movement, and a white nationalist activist. He founded the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA), which he led from 1994 until 2016, havi ...

founded the

Asatru Folk Assembly The Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) is a white supremacist international Ásatrú organization, founded by Stephen A. McNallen in 1994. Many of the assembly's doctrines, heavily criticized by most heathens, are based on ethnicity, an approach it call ...

("new AFA") in 1994 as the successor organization to the Asatru Free Assembly. The Alliance and the Folk Assembly organizations have existed in parallel since, temporarily united within the

International Asatru-Odinic Alliance International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

(1997–2002). Gardell (2003) classifies the AA as folkish. The AA defines Ásatrú as "the ethnic religion of the Northern European peoples". The Ásatrú Alliance is recognized as a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

religious organization, or church. The AA was formed on June 19, 1988 by seven kindreds, which were members of the disbanded Ásatrú Free Assembly, who ratified on this day a set of by-laws to preserve and promote the beliefs of Ásatrú in the United States of America. The AA is currently headed by a board of directors composed of representatives appointed by their kindred, to speak on their behalf for any AA business. The AA held its 32nd annual

Althing The Alþingi (''general meeting'' in Icelandic, , anglicised as ' or ') is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is one of the oldest surviving parliaments in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at ("thing fields" or "assembly ...

gathering in September 2012. Kaplan (1996) estimates the AA has between 500 and 1,000 members. As a definition of Ásatrú, AA cites a 1995 essay by McNallen on "what is Ásatrú", which concludes by summarizing the main goals as the practice of "courage, honor, the importance of the family and ancestral bonds, strength, freedom, the preservation of our kind, and joyful, vigorous life." World Tree Publications is the Ásatrú Alliance's publishing house.

Valgard Murray

Valgard Murray (Michael J. Murray), born in 1950 in Iowa to a farming family, to Thomas and Marion Murray of Scottish, Lithuanian, Irish, and German descent. Murray later moved to Arizona and became an electrical engineer.. Murray was involved with the

American Nazi Party The American Nazi Party (ANP) is an American far-right and neo-Nazi political party founded by George Lincoln Rockwell and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The organization was originally named the World Union of Free Enterprise National ...

(ANP) into the late 1960s. and learned of Odinism/Asatru through Elton Hall. He later became the Arizona organizer of the ANP. He has also been the spokesperson for the Arizona-based outlaw brotherhood Iron Cross MC.. In 1969, Murray worked with

Else Christensen Else Christensen (1913–2005) was a Danish proponent of the modern Pagan new religious movement of Heathenry. She established a Heathen organisation known as the Odinist Fellowship in the United States, where she lived for much of her life. ...

to found the

Odinist Fellowship Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th centu ...

, and served as vice president. In the early 1970s Murray and Hall formed a kindred and made contact with

Else Christensen Else Christensen (1913–2005) was a Danish proponent of the modern Pagan new religious movement of Heathenry. She established a Heathen organisation known as the Odinist Fellowship in the United States, where she lived for much of her life. ...

. In 1976 the Arizona Kindred became the first kindred certified as such by the

Odinist Fellowship Heathenry, also termed Heathenism, contemporary Germanic Paganism, or Germanic Neopaganism, is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religious studies classify it as a new religious movement. Developed in Europe during the early 20th centu ...

, which until then had only individual members. In 1984, the Arizona Kindred chose to affiliate with the

Asatru Free Assembly The Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) is a white supremacist international Ásatrú organization, founded by Stephen A. McNallen in 1994. Many of the assembly's doctrines, heavily criticized by most heathens, are based on ethnicity, an approach it cal ...

(old AFA) instead. In 1986, he founded World Tree Publications, and in 1987, he served as general manager of the AFA. At the second Althing of the AFA, Murrary allegedly threatened to kill a homosexual attendee with a Mac-10. When the AFA folded, he and Robert Taylor of the Tribe of the Wulfings, formed the Ásatrú Alliance in 1987, inviting other kindreds to a formational Althing in 1988. He was a representative of the Ásatrú Alliance,. was on the board of the International Ásatrú-Odinic Alliance (IAOA), and was chosen the first honorary IAOA

Allsherjargoði Allsherjargoði (, ''All-People Chieftain''; plural ''-goðar'' ) was an office in the Icelandic Commonwealth, held by the goði who held the ''goðorð'' of the descendants of Ingólfr Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland. The role of the ''all ...

for the three-year period. In 1988 he was elected the Alsherjargothi of the Ásatrú Alliance. In 2013, Murray commented on the killing of

Colorado Department of Corrections The Colorado Department of Corrections is the principal department of the Colorado state government that operates the state prisons. It has its headquarters in the Springs Office Park in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, near Colorado Sp ...

head

Tom Clements Thomas Albert Clements (born June 18, 1953) is an American football coach and a former Canadian Football League (CFL) quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He also served as a ...

as the alleged murderer "practiced a controversial form of religion behind bars" which was Asatru. In 2014, Murray was interviewed in a three-part series by George Whitehurst Berry on the '' Sedona Dreams Show''.Part 1archived

Part 2archived

Part 3archived
During this interview, Murray stated that Asatru means, "faith in God." Asked if it actually refers to gods and goddesses, he responds, "Well, yes it did, but the word itself is not plural, it just means faith in God. And, it does of course mean, in the old way, respect in honouring the old gods and goddesses of the Northern European people." Murray remained the

Allsherjargoði Allsherjargoði (, ''All-People Chieftain''; plural ''-goðar'' ) was an office in the Icelandic Commonwealth, held by the goði who held the ''goðorð'' of the descendants of Ingólfr Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland. The role of the ''all ...

of the Ásatrú Alliance of Independent Kindreds, Inc. until entering a semi-retirement in 2015.

References

Citations

Works cited

* * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asatru Alliance Ásatrú in the United States Germanic neopagan organisations Religious organizations established in 1988 Modern pagan organizations based in the United States Modern pagan organizations established in the 1980s

Valgard Murray

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

External links