GFS society is divided into several social units, which address the needs of our members in various ways at the local level. The most commonly encountered of these social units will be the híred and the wéofodheorþ, which are the basic congregations of GFS members for religious and social fellowship.
The Híred
Fyrnsidu, though it can of course be practiced in solitude, is in essence a social institution. Heathens who live and/or work in close proximity will inevitably wish to form a congregation, a close-knit group which might take the place of the church or synagogue in other faith-based communities. In such cases, the folk may form a sanctioned fellowship known as a híred, or sometimes an inhíred. This definition is taken from the Bosworth-Toller Dictionary of Anglo-Saxon:
híred m (hírdes/hírdas) household, family, retinue; brotherhood, company
In the context of our Fellowship, a híred (what our Ásatrú brethren often refer to as a kindred) is exactly what one might expect in such a congregation in modern times; a local community consisting of families, extended families and friends who have joined together in a clan-like association in order to live their faith together.
Forming a Híred
In order to form a híred, a group must meet the following requirements:
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There must be at least two full members who live in close enough physical proximity to reasonably expect to gather frequently and celebrate the holy feasts.
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One of these founding members must be of at least wéofodþegn rank in the Sácerdhád. If this condition is not met, the group may instead be formed as an altar-hearth, or wéofodheorþ.
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The group must submit a written or oral request for recognition to the Witan outlining the sidunga (bylaws) of the group. This request must be approved by the Witan, who may examine the request in whole or part to keep in line with the greater thews and sidunga of the GFS. The group must submit a written FORM 1 status report at that time, and every year thereafter. EVERY member of the híred must be documented on this form, including minor children and híredmenn.
Organization
The híred members have great latitude in how they wish to organize their congregation. There are several long-standing Anglo-Saxon traditions which make excellent guideposts in organizing the society, however every community will be different in terms of how “retro-heathen” or traditional they feel inclined to get.
Leadership
One requirement is that the híred elect a híredgeréfa, a nominal leader or custodian of the community who will represent that group’s needs to the Witan. This official may wield as much or as little actual authority as the group feels appropriate, provided that the duties of this individual are outlined in the founding document, and that the means of electing such an official are also detailed.
The following considerations must be kept in mind when electing a híredgeréfa:
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The híredgeréfa must be a sácerd of at least wéofodþegn rank.
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The híredgeréfa must be representative of the most senior tier of the Sácerdhád present in the group. Hence, the híredgeréfa may not be a wéofodþegn if a drýmann is present in the híred. In cases where there is only one viable candidate, that person must assume the rank of híredgeréfa, otherwise the full members of the group who have gesíð rank are entitled to vote on who will be the next (or first) híredgeréfa.
Membership
The group is entitled to set traditions with respect to what is required in order to achieve full standing in the group once it has been established. The group has the right to place addition requirements upon prospective members even if they are already gesíðas of the Fellowship. The group also has the right to take in fosterlings, who may be considered provisional members pending their full acceptance. Such a provisional member is called a híredmann if male, or híredwífmann if female, and is exactly equal in status to his or her solitary counterpart, the læringmann/ læringmæden.
Once a member has achieved full status, they have earned the right to vote for híred officers and híredgeréfa.
Activities
The híred should serve as a nexus for local religious/cultural activities, including guildhall activity, and should seek to involve any nearby hearths or other informal groups in the greater community of the híred. It is also expected that the híred will conduct rites at holy tides, and serve the sacerdotal needs of the membership, including weddings, funerals, and rites of passage. It is perfectly acceptable and in fact expected, that the larger híred will eventually need to appoint or elect additional volunteer officers (þegnas) to assist with the administrative or logistical tasks of the híred.
The Wéofodheorþ
There are situations where a group of heathens wishes to form a congregation in the tradition of Fyrnsidu, but lacks the required expertise, or in some way cannot meet the requirements for forming a híred yet. In such cases, the group may opt to become a formational híred. This type of group is called a wéofodheorþ, (altar-hearth) or simply “hearth”.
A hearth may be formed by any group of heathens numbering two or more, wherein at least one is a gesíð in good standing.
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