The tether that we in Theodish belief use to bind ourselves to each other in a modern host society is the Theodish Hold Oath. The hold oath is a solemn and sacred swearing that two men will forever be “each others keeper”. One will swear his fealty and service to another, and in return, the other swears to guide, teach, and “forever speed your Theodish career as if it were my own”. below you will see the actual wording of the Ondheim Theodish Fellowship’s Hold Oath.
Ondheim Theodish Fellowship
I <name> do hereby solemnly swear before Gods and men to <name> that I will henceforth love what you love and hate what you hate. I will follow you in whatever you undertake, be it not wrong or unseemly, and will ward your life even at the risk of my own. I shall never raise voice, hand, or weapon against you except in self-defense. By Freyr, Thor, and my ancestors do I swear this.
I <name> do hereby solemnly swear before Gods and men to <name> that I will henceforth love and keep you. I will further you in your calling, as earnestly as I would myself or my own, and shall never lead you to anything wrong or unseemly. Cattle die and kinsmen die, all men die, but the renown of a man who fulfilled a true oath shall never die.
You who were (Name) Thrall, I name you (Name) Karl
_______________________________________ ________________________________
Oath taker’s Full Name Lords Full Name
In the time of our ancestors, tethers between men were those of family and marriages. In our modern society in heathen circles, we are not related by blood or marriage, and we are not linked by a shared need to work together to survive, since we do not live in the same conditions as they did. The bonds we share are done through an artificial construct of a Hold oath. The metaphysical bonds we create combine our luck and strength and allow us to share in that strength. through that combined energy our call to the Gods and Ancestors is magnified and our luck, speed, and raed is increased.