Just after the autumn solstice, the midsummer edition of “Wende” falls into my mailbox. Again on A4 format with a colour cover and counting 56 pages. As always there is a variety of articles available. After a forword, there is a short article of Aat van Gilst about St. Peter and St. Oswald as christianised Wodan. “The Loki stone” is a nice article about a stone clearly depicting the bound Loki. The stone can be seen in Kirkby Stephen, UK. Where last issue had an article about Ymir, Jan de Cooman this time investigates the God(s) Hymir and Gymir and related mythological characters and themes. As always there is something about contemporary heathenry. “Vegetarianism within a heathen worldview” in which Dennie Grondelaers argues that a life without (or with less) meat is a realistic and logical choice for a contemporary heathen. Also he wants the discussion to deepen somewhat. In the series of symbolism, frontman Wolf Pyck investigates “piping swines”. In churches, worldly building and books (as miniatures) you can find depictions of swines playing a bagpipe. Pyck raises some suggestions, but does not really come to a conclusion. They surely have to have a heathen background, since if the origin would be Jewish, the impure swine would never have found its way into a church. Hagal introduces two foreign heathen groups, the Greek group Thyrsos with an interview and the South-African Asatru group Heimdal with a short article in South-African. As I have said several times, Werkgroep Hagal has an obvious polital edge, yet in the article about regional identity Nick Krekelbergh writes about the subject from a slightly different angle. Also he is very clear about the fact that it is hard to form an identity from a history in which borders changes and peoples moved around. More symbolism of mr. Pyck is about the six-spoken wheel that Hagal uses as logo. He explains how the spokes refer to the course of the sun and why the symbol is typical for the Low Countries. Alexander Demoor continues his previous article about the Wild Hunter somewhat and further there are the usual poems, ‘Odalistic pickings’, new-items of interest to the “Odalist” and two bookreviews. As always a nice read. Get in contact with Werkgroep Hagal to get your copy by clicking on the cover.
2011 Werkgroep Hagal, issn 20343361