Fear and Recht

I have been thinking about fear quite a bit lately as our nation continues to be abused by the media telling anyone who will listen to how much they should be afraid of this new virus that has popped up recently. Our faith tells us that right or “recht” action is the path to glory. For us it means keeping to the oaths and commitments we have entered into, it means forgoing another beer when you are asked by your wife to mow the lawn (remember that our women are the frith weavers in our lives; without them, we would be no more than honorable barbarians). Supporting your brothers is recht and seemly, as is helping your elders with work that needs doing. But above all keeping to your sworn word no matter the consequence.

In “Dune” Frank Herbert wrote a set of never-truer words…. “Fear is the mind-killer.” When you fear something no matter how little, your body starts producing survival hormones among many other chemicals which short circuit your forebrain and your ability to stop and consider options because to our primitive selves fear indicates a need to survive a hostile situation no matter the cost… A “Thinking be damned, I just don’t wanna die!!” sort of idea.

People have known this fact throughout history -- even people who probably did not have the mindset to fight-- still had the instincts that we all developed as primitive man. Take King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table for example. There was one seat at the table that had no name upon it and it was known as the “Siege perilous” or the “seat of danger”; an enchanted chair that whoever sat in it was guaranteed to take a serious wound on his next quest. So, of course, the chair was almost always empty, these were professional fighting men who understood that a wound could very easily fester and a man could die no matter how good the treatment was. For all their courage, all the concern with glory and honor they would not sit in that chair unless it was required of them for the most part.

In Beowulf, when the king goes to face Fafnir at the end of his life his Thanes, the warriors who he fought with for much of his life would not enter the cave, such is the fear they had that they, all but one at least, broke the oaths they had held to their entire lives and allowed their liege lord to face the enemy alone. Who was the man who accompanied Beowulf into that cave? Wiglaf, a thane who refuses to abandon his king and marches forward when the remaining thanes fled in terror; is the only one of Beowulf’s thanes who we remember today. Why is that do you think?

In the religion of the Norse, the greatest compliment one could receive would have been to be called “Drengr” or a warrior of reckless courage. In the modern world, this trait is not demonstrated very much, but it should be encouraged and promoted among those of us who wish to be “walking the walk” because only by showing our resistance to fear (even realistic fears) do we rise to the level that our ancestors would consider worthy. Speaking of “worth” I would add the concept of “We are our Deeds.” That our actions both for good or ill determine our gefrain or reputation here on Midgard, and in my opinion, this forms the only basis that the Gods may use to measure one man (or woman) against another.

Please feel free to post comments, thoughts, rebuttals, or other personal observations below because a belief that is unchallenged is one untested.