Abstract:

The focus of this article is the Rune-Gild, a rune magical group founded in Texas, USA, in 1980, and which has variously been described as a Heathen, a Traditionalist, and a Left-Hand Path organization. The influence of these three esoteric currents on the Gild is examined, as is the issue of how they intermix to fit a common frame of reference. The article argues that describing a complex movement such as the Rune-Gild in a singular fashion, by referencing to only one of these currents, involves the risk of providing a one-sided and ultimately inaccurate depiction. Instead, a description involving a thorough examination of all major influences is required, and this in turn makes it necessary for the scholar to achieve a high-level historical familiarity with a broad range of Western religious phenomena.

Author: Kennet Granholm