Lewis Stead

The Ravenbook

takes up oath Ring and the full kindred

members come forward and grab ahold. The recognized kindred leader

offers up the rede. The Gothi then replaces the Ring on the altar.

Pour libation--Someone, often the Valkyrie, takes up the blotbowl and

leads the people outside for the libration. The Gothi is the last

person to leave, and makes sure the door is closed, etc. After the

libation is finished, the Gothi hurries back to be the first one in

and turns on the lights, which is an important cue to everyone that

the ritual is indeed over.

5:00 Ritual Over. Put someone in charge of getting the room back

to normal. Person in charge of food grabs a few volunteers and sets

them to work getting the rest of the food together. Other folks

socialize or help as they wish.

5:30 Set tables and put out anything that people dont need to get

for themselves such as napkins, salt & pepper, butter, etc. Offer a

last call for folks to get drinks before the food is served. Slice

roast and anything else that needs to be. Get serving spoons where

theyll be needed or put food onto serving platters, etc.

5:45 If you are serving food out of the kitchen bring it out. If

you arent, cook and volunteers grab plates full and then announce

food is ready for the rest of the people. Much feasting ensues.

5:55 Person who called at 3:30 announcing they couldnt make it

arrives. Says he called, but the phone was busy. Host puts it back

on hook.

6:30 All the food being gone, the feast is declared over. Host is

thrown out of kitchen and told to sit down while folks wash dishes and

clean up. (If this doesnt happen, reconsider who is invited.)

7:00 First person leaves. Hit everyone up for $$ for feast

contributions (this would be better done when they arrive, but it

rarely happens that way). Write down anyone who doesnt have the cash

and owes you. If this happens with any frequency, reconsider who is

invited.)

8:00 Put The Vikings in the VCR.

10:30 Vikings movie finishes. Most guests leave.

11:30 Guests have drifted out until core kindred members are the

only folks left. Talk over ritual and how it went. Bitch and laugh

about flakey visitor who will never come back (you hope).

12:30 Last people leave. Go to bed.

HOW TO MAKE MEAD

Mead is one of the oldest drinks known to man. In the ancient Norse

tradition it is beloved of both Gods and men. The patron God of mead

and brewing is Aegir, a God of the sea, reckoned as one of the Giants,

who is the greatest of brewers. It is to him that the Gods went to

when they wanted mead and ale brewed for Asgard. Bygvir and Beyla are

servants of the God Frey; their names reckoned as barley and bee.

Kvasirs blood is a kenning for mead. Kvasir was an early God, who

was murdered and his blood brewed into mead that gave wisdom. Snorri

tells us that Odin ate no food, but drank only mead.

In modern Asatru, mead is an important part of our basic ritual known

as the blot. In ancient times, the blot was a sacrifice in which the

blood of a slaughtered animal was offered to the Gods. Today, we

generally offer mead or ale in a similar manner.

The essence of brewing is a true wonder of nature. One introduces

yeast in to a liquid that is rich in sugars. The yeast eats the sugar

and excretes alcohol. In wine, the liquid is grape juice. In beer,

it is a mixture of water and malted grains. In mead, it is a mixture

of honey and water, although occasionally people will mix in fruit for

flavor.

To brew mead you will need the follow ingredients for each gallon of

mead: 2 1/2 lbs of honey, 2 teaspoons of acid mix (Sold as pre-mixed

in winemaking stores. It contains malic, tartaric, and citric

acids.), 1 teaspoon of yeast energizer, one packet of wine yeast (1

packet of yeast will do for 1P5 gallons of mead, I suggest champagne

yeast and highly recommend against mead yeast. I have never had a

decent mead made with mead yeast. Bread yeast is absolutely not

acceptable.). You usually make mead in 5 gallon batches.

You will also need some equipment. First, if you dont already have

one, youll need a good quality pot that will hold at least 2 or 3

gallons. It should be made of either stainless steel or