Wyrd Ecology: Heathen Ritual and Gifting Relations

Within contemporary Heathen communities, the Old English term ＂wyrd＂ is used to refer to the web of relations that connect all threads of existence. Inspired by pre-Christian traditions of Northern Europe, Heathens give gifts, toasts, and offerings to foster a sense of connection with other humans and the more-than-human world. In Wyrd Ecology, author Barbara Jane Davy posits that these ritual activities are not merely isolated exchanges but rather a means of sustaining entire relational systems, in turn inspiring givers and receivers to participate out of a desire for meaningful connection.

Davy utilizes research from two years of participant observation in a Heathen community in Ontario, Canada to show how ritual activities deepen practitioners’ sense of appreciation for what they have already received and instil a desire to give back. Davy illustrates how making offerings and giving gifts is important not only because of what people might believe about the gods, but because it gives people a sense of relatedness with their world. Ritual practices may thus play a critical role in instilling an ecological conscience and can encourage ethical relations and pro-environmental behavior.

Barbara Jane Davy is the author of Introduction to Pagan Studies and editor of the three-volume collection Paganism: Critical Concepts in Religion. She has taught courses in religion and ecology, sustainability thought, and big history at Concordia University, Carleton University, and the University of Waterloo.