the Norse in pre-Christian Europe.
The Bond of the Grae Wolf practices a system of what they call pagan – warrior Shamanism, which they believe has developed from a spiritual warrior code evolved from Shamanic hunters, ‘who adopted hunting skills and magic to the task of protecting and expanding their territories.’ Within the Bond of the Grae Wolf, a belief in the Warrior Code of Honour, Courage and Compassion is paramount to their spiritual success. Shamanic power is believed to be acquired through exercises known as Ordeals, which test not only the individual’s belief in the Warrior Code, but also all of the individual’s spiritual reserves. Shamanic magic is also an integral part of the Warrior’s training. An important aspect of this is Drengskapr (The Warrior’s Way), in which integrity and compassion are also emphasised. The idea of Drengskapr is exemplified by the Norse God Tyr, who sacrificed his right hand to the jaws of the Fenris Wolf to spare the other Gods from the Wolf’s onslaught. The Shamanic principles of the Bond of the Grae Wolf are based on two factors; the inevitability of change and the transformative process of death. This is known as Wyrd (fate). To practice Shamanism, one must become aware of the power of Wyrd (by means of facing the Ordeals), and resolve to live under the influence of Wyrd and accept its presence with dignity, irrespective of what Ordeals Wyrd throws at one. The Bond of the Grae Wolf has have a strong ethical commitment to community service, believing that there is little point to developing one’s self unless it is directed towards the service on others.
Similar to the Bond of the Grae Wolf is the practice of Ásatrú, which also believes in the power of