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| Chief furry in-charge of the Wolves of Vinland, Paul Waggener, aka "Grimnir" (Image courtesy of Tumblr) |
"Six years ago, I was one of four guys who decided to start a gang. This wasn’t the word we used, and its negative connotations will put a lot of people off, but Webster defines the word as: “…a group of persons working together (2): a group of persons working to unlawful or antisocial ends…” We were both of these things at once- our aim was to work toward a common goal that was antosocial. We’ll turn again to our trusty Webster’s Dictionary for a definition of that one: “…hostile or harmful to organized society; especially: being or marked by behavior deviating sharply from the social norm.” “Behavior deviating sharply from the social norm.” That definition should be tattooed right on the forearm of everyone in this outfit as a reminder of what we are, and what we ain’t. Before you get hung up on the “hostile to organized society” bit, Webster simply defines that as “openly opposed or in resistance to.” We are openly opposed to this culture’s social norms. We are in resistance to herd mentality and ignorance. We are “hostile” towards laziness, obesity, homogenization, emasculation and the tight leash of overly restrictive Law. We clanned together because we chose to reach out to like minds and carve a niche into this world big enough to breathe in- and we clawed it out the hard way- every step of the process was a climb up the mountainside, and we still have not come close to the summit. Six years after formation, we own property, have dozens of members in more than 6 states, have built permanent structures, and are still reaching out to those like minds, attempting to provide a community and a social structure that presents its own set of “norms,” those being Honor, Loyalty, Strength, Pride, Ferocity and Will, to name a few. I was prompted to write this little piece by a number of emails and messages I’ve received over the past few months from individuals in locations as far flung as Canada, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and a few right here in Vinland, bemoaning a lack of fellowship, camaraderie and value in their lives. In short, they were expressing a deep dissatisfaction with lack of TRIBE. I believe this is a dissatisfaction that most individuals in this modern society are experiencing, and one that they seek to remedy with all manner of distraction and replacement- from drinking buddies to sports team loyalty, from the MMA gym to the motorcycle club, people are looking for a tribe to belong to, and that in turn, belongs to them. I have only one piece of advice to offer all these people: man the fuck up and sieze the day by its throat! Get out there and start forming meaningful connections and relationships the old-fashioned way… get off the fucking keyboard and out from behind the computer screen and make shit happen in your life instead of bemoaning a lack of adventure and community! This never ceases to enrage and frustrate me- no matter what is being discussed, if it is being discussed, it aint getting done. Certainly, some amount of discussion and pre-planning can get something “in the works,” but more often than not it leads to nothing but words upon words, instead of word leading to deed. The Wolves exist because we felt a Need, and out of that Need, we Created. That Creation became a living thing, and its strength called out to Strength. It Grew, it is still Growing. But all of it, and everything we do, begins as a Seed. A tiny thing, a fragile idea that must be watered with Blood and Will and Action if it is to set down roots- without these things it will simply die in rocky soil. This world is cold, and hard, and unforgiving- within it, the only thing that has value for us is the Family we have chosen. Hail the Wolves, Fuck the World." Paul Waggener (aka "Grimnir")
