Stephen McNallen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen McNallen
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McNallen in 2005
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| Born |
Stephen Anthony McNallen
October 15, 1948 Breckenridge, Texas, U.S.
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| Education | Midwestern State University |
| Occupation | Spiritual leader (goði) |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Sheila Edlund
(m. 1997) |
Stephen Anthony McNallen (born October 15, 1948) is an American who supports Heathenry. This is a modern Pagan religion. He also supports ideas about people of European heritage.
McNallen started the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA). He led this group from 1994 to 2016. Before that, he also founded the Viking Brotherhood and the Asatrú Free Assembly.
Born in Breckenridge, Texas, McNallen became interested in ancient Scandinavia while in college. In 1969–70, he created the Viking Brotherhood. Through this group, he published a newsletter called The Runestone. This newsletter helped share his ideas about Heathenry, which he called "Asatru."
After serving four years in the United States Army, he changed the Viking Brotherhood into the Asatrú Free Assembly (AFA). He believed that religions are connected to a person's family background. He thought Heathenry was best for people of Northern European descent. As more people joined the AFA, there were some disagreements. McNallen decided to remove members who had very extreme views about race. In 1987, he closed down the Assembly.
McNallen then moved to Northern California and became a school teacher. During summer breaks, he traveled as a journalist. He wrote articles for Soldier of Fortune magazine. In the mid-1990s, he became active in the Heathen movement again. He was worried about changes in Heathenry that he saw as too open to everyone. He then started the Asatrú Folk Assembly, based in Grass Valley, California.
In 1997, he helped create the International Asatru/Odinist Alliance. This group worked with other Heathen organizations. McNallen's group gained more attention when they got involved in the discussion about the Kennewick Man. They argued that this ancient skeleton showed Europeans were in America a long time ago. In the 21st century, he became more involved in politics. He worked on environmental projects and with groups that focused on white identity.
McNallen is a debated person in the Heathen community. He believes Heathenry should be for people of Northern European descent. This has led to some people calling his ideas racist. However, some very extreme groups in Heathenry have also criticized him. They say he is not strong enough in his support for white people because he opposed neo-Nazism.
Contents
Stephen McNallen's Life Story
Early Years: 1948 to 1976
Stephen McNallen was born in Breckenridge, Texas, on October 15, 1948. His family were Roman Catholics. After high school, he went to Midwestern State University. There, he started looking into different religions. He read about Wicca and the writings of Aleister Crowley.
In his first year of college, he read a book called The Viking. This book made him very interested in the societies of ancient Scandinavia. He felt drawn to the Vikings' strong spirit. Around 1968 or 1969, he decided to worship the gods from Norse mythology. He did this by himself for about two years. He later said that he was very against Christianity at first. While he became more relaxed about it later, he still believed it was not right for European culture.
In 1969–70, McNallen started the Viking Brotherhood. He wrote a "Viking Manifesto" for the group. It said the Brotherhood wanted to keep and practice the Norse religion from the Viking Age. They also wanted to promote values like courage and independence. The group focused more on Viking ideals than on religious goals. But in 1972, they were recognized as a religious organization.
In the winter of 1971–72, he began publishing a newsletter called The Runestone. He used a typewriter to make it. He got his first eleven readers from an ad in Fate magazine. He first called his religion "Norse religion." Then he used "Odinism." Finally, he found the term "Asatru" in a book and helped make it popular in America.
During college, McNallen was a cadet in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. He earned a degree in political science. After college, he joined the United States Army for four years. He volunteered for the Vietnam War but was stationed in West Germany. Even though he found the army difficult, it shaped his ideas about warriors. He kept his interest in Heathenry. Around 1974, he started to believe that the Norse gods were connected to people of Northern European descent.
After leaving the Army in 1976, McNallen traveled across the Sahara Desert. He then returned to Europe and later to the United States. He settled in Berkeley, California.
Asatrú Free Assembly and Journalism: 1976 to 1993
When McNallen returned to the U.S. in 1976, he changed his Viking Brotherhood into the Asatrú Free Assembly (AFA). This was the first national Heathen group in the United States. It helped set up many of the ways American Heathenry works today. The group first met in an insurance office. Later, they had an office in Breckenridge. Through the AFA, McNallen kept publishing Runestone and made booklets about Asatru. He also started holding religious ceremonies called blóts. He gave talks at Pagan events across the U.S. He created smaller groups within the AFA, like the Mead Brewing Guild and the Warrior Guild. The Warrior Guild published a magazine called Wolf Age, where McNallen wrote about warrior ideas.
In the early 1980s, McNallen used The Runestone to share his idea of "metagenetics." This was the belief that spirituality or religion is passed down through a family's genes. He thought that "Ásatrú is an expression of the soul of our [Nordic] race." He felt it was a "mistake" for anyone not of Northern European background to follow Heathenry. Some people in the AFA did not agree with this idea. Experts have called metagenetics a false science and racist.
At that time, the AFA had a mix of members, some with very different views. As the AFA grew, there were more disagreements. This was made worse because each local group, called a kindred, was independent. The AFA also encouraged people to be very individual. This led to problems at the AFA's yearly meetings, called Althings. For example, one member with extreme views threatened another member. McNallen did not agree with these extreme views. He wanted to keep his religion separate from political movements. So, he tried to remove members with extreme racial ideas from the group. In 1978, he said AFA members could not wear Nazi uniforms at events. Some members left because of this.
McNallen and his wife, Maddy Hutter, had a lot of responsibility for running the AFA. They also faced money problems when McNallen lost his job. Feeling tired and frustrated, McNallen decided to close The Runestone and dissolve the AFA in 1987. He then moved to Northern California. However, the AFA had already made a lasting impact. Another group, the Asatru Alliance, was started to continue the work.
In 1986–87, McNallen worked as a jail guard. In 1986, he and Sheila moved to Forest, California. There, he became a teacher and taught science and math at a junior high school for six years. During his summer vacations, he traveled and met with different groups around the world. He wrote articles about them for magazines like Soldier of Fortune. He later said these experiences made him believe in the importance of ethnic groups staying separate. McNallen also joined the U.S. National Guard and was called to duty during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Returning to Heathenry: 1994 to 2016
In the mid-1990s, McNallen became active in the U.S. Pagan community again. He was helped by his new partner, Sheila Edlund. They started their own Heathen group, the Calasa Kindred. He was concerned about another Heathen group, The Troth, which welcomed members from all backgrounds. He felt this group was going against the idea that Heathenry was for people of Germanic heritage.
Because of this, he decided to restart the AFA in 1994, calling it the Ásatrú Folk Assembly. This new group was based in Grass Valley, California. It was very similar to the old AFA and brought back McNallen's The Runestone publication. McNallen also started the Ásatrú Community Church to reach more people. It held Sunday services, but it was not very successful.
In the 1990s, McNallen became friends with Michael Moynihan, another Heathen. McNallen and the AFA also had good relations with Ron McVan, who co-founded Wotansvolk, a group with strong racial views. Some of McVan's writings were published in Runestone. In September 1997, McNallen signed an agreement to create the International Asatru/Odinist Alliance (IAOA). This was a worldwide group of Heathen organizations that focused on heritage. The alliance held an international meeting every three years. In 1997, McNallen married Sheila Edlund at one of these meetings in Utah. In 1999, the AFA bought land in Northern California. This became a place where Heathen groups could meet and practice their religion.
McNallen believed that white people should revive the religions of their European ancestors. He did not think they should adopt the beliefs of Native Americans. However, he disagreed with Native American communities about the discovery of Kennewick Man. This was a very old skeleton found in Washington State. Native American groups believed the body was one of their ancestors and wanted it returned. McNallen argued it was Caucasian. In October 1996, the AFA filed a lawsuit to stop Kennewick Man from being given to Native communities. The court decided that the remains were not "Native American" under the law. McNallen thought Native American groups did not want the body tested because it might show it was Caucasian. He believed that Caucasians had come to America long ago, at the same time as Native Americans' ancestors. He warned that this group was wiped out and that something similar could happen to people of European descent today. In 2000, the AFA stopped its involvement in the Kennewick Man case due to lack of funds. But the case brought a lot of attention to the AFA.
In the late 1990s, the AFA started promoting "tribalism." This encouraged Heathens to form large family networks to help their religion grow. By mid-2001, McNallen and other leaders felt overwhelmed. They tried to make the group less structured by removing the idea of formal membership. In the 21st century, the AFA became very active online. They created a website, blog, podcast, and accounts on Facebook and YouTube. They also started promoting writings by authors who focused on European identity.
More Political Activities
Around the year 2000, McNallen decided to get more involved in politics. He became President of the European American Issues Forum. This group worked to support the rights of white Americans. However, he found the job stressful and later resigned.
In 2009, McNallen was invited to an International Asatru Summer Camp. But many groups attending opposed his invitation. They felt his views were racist. Some European Heathen groups threatened to boycott the event if he came.
In 2010, he wrote an article for a new website called AlternativeRight.com. This website was started by Richard B. Spencer, who focused on white identity. McNallen's article was featured alongside others by writers with similar views. In 2011, the AFA sent members to a conference held by Spencer's group. This led to accusations of racism against McNallen and the AFA from other Pagan groups online.
In December 2012, McNallen created a Facebook page called Green Asatru. This page promoted environmental ideas within Heathenry. In June 2013, he started a non-profit group called Forever Elephants. This group worked to stop ivory poaching in Africa. He used Facebook to promote this cause. In 2014, he retired from his job as a juvenile corrections officer. In 2015, he published a book called Asatru: A Native European Spirituality. A scholar who reviewed the book said it was "an important moment" for the Heathen movement.
Retirement: 2016 to Present
In 2016, McNallen stepped down as the head of the AFA. He was replaced by Matt Flavel, Allen Turnage, and Patricia Hall. He said he wanted to focus on new projects as a writer and religious leader.
Several months after McNallen left the AFA leadership, the group posted a message online. It said that "gender is not a social construct, it is a beautiful gift from the holy powers and from our ancestors." The post also mentioned "our beautiful white children." This post led to accusations of racism. Many Heathens who had not criticized the AFA before spoke out against it. In March 2017, McNallen spoke about this in a YouTube video. He said he supported the white race and white identity politics. He also expressed support for the 14 Words, a well-known slogan in white supremacist groups.
In 2018, the Southern Poverty Law Center added the Asatru Folk Assembly to its list of hate groups. They called it a "Neo-völkisch hate group."
Stephen McNallen's Personality and Life
One expert described McNallen as having a "highly eclectic personality." This means he was interested in many different things, like politics, culture, technology, and spiritual topics. The expert also said he was a "charismatic man who commands a presence." He was seen as a person with both vision and determination. When McNallen wrote about himself, he sometimes seemed very focused on his own importance, like a leader who starts a religious movement.
Stephen McNallen's Views on Race and Politics
In an online video, McNallen said that "race is real. It is not a social construct." He believes there is a strong link between a person's family background or race and their religion. For example, he thinks the ancient religion of the Aztecs is connected to modern Mexicans. He also believes the ancient Norse religion is connected to people descended from ancient Northern Europeans. He sees Heathenry as belonging to all people descended from ancient Northern Europeans. He wants to make it easy for them to access, saying it is the best religion for many white Americans. While he usually links Heathenry to Northern Europeans, he sometimes talks about a broader European identity.
He created the idea of "metagenetics" to explain his beliefs. This is the idea that religious and cultural practices are stored in DNA and passed down through generations. He also connects this idea to Jungian psychology. He believes that certain patterns of thought are unique to specific racial groups and are passed down genetically. While he used scientific language for this idea in the 1980s, later discussions seemed more like "race mysticism."
Part of his reason for creating "metagenetics" was to make his religion more appealing to a wider range of Americans. He also wanted to separate his movement from groups with extreme white supremacist views. He has said that his AFA group is a "middle ground on racial issues." He explained that they were proud of their European heritage and supported the interests of people of European descent. But he also said they were against harsh rule and racial hatred. He believed they should treat all people with respect. However, a 1998 article said that even though McNallen tried to avoid being linked to Nazis, he "expressed sympathy with what he sees as the 'legitimate frustrations of white men who are concerned for their kind.'"
McNallen believes white Americans are Europeans because of their family background. He has written articles about his fear that the white race is disappearing. He claims that in the United States, white people will be largely replaced by Hispanics. He thinks this change will lead to less political power for white people. He says that not having a clear ethnic identity has put European-Americans at a disadvantage. He warns that "more of us are dying than are being born." He believes this leads to white people being pushed aside and disappearing. One expert noted that McNallen's concerns are similar to those in white supremacist discussions. They often present white people as victims.
McNallen does not call himself a racist. He says "racism" means believing one race is better than another, which he claims he does not believe. He insists that his support for racial separation does not mean he dislikes or hates other racial groups. However, in May 2015, Vice magazine published an article. It accused McNallen of being racist and using ancient Norse beliefs for hateful purposes. Another group called Circle Ansuz said McNallen was "an unapologetic advocate for white nationalism." On the other hand, some very extreme groups in Heathenry have called McNallen a "race traitor." They say he does not fully support white supremacist ideas.
An expert on religion, Jeffrey Kaplan, said McNallen's politics fit into the right side of the political spectrum. But in the Heathen community, McNallen is seen as more in the middle. He is criticized by both sides. The historian of religion Mattias Gardell described McNallen as a libertarian. McNallen does not like being called "conservative." He feels there is not much in modern Western society worth keeping. McNallen imagines a future American society without a central government. It would be based on local groups that live in a way that protects the environment. He also supports all groups around the world that want to keep their ethnic identity separate. This has led to criticism from the extreme racial side of Heathenry. They say it takes away from focusing on the white struggle against other groups. However, in his writings and videos, Stephen McNallen has spoken positively about Wotanism and the Fourteen Words slogan. He has also worked with Red Ice TV, a social media channel that supports the alt-right.
Images for kids
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McNallen (left) with Michael "Valgard" Murray (center) and Eric "Hnikar" Wood at the 2000 IAOA Althing
