In collaboration with Odense Municipality, Forn Siðr, etsbalishes the first heathen cemetray in recent times and thereby takes a huge leap forward in providing a full membership service from cradle to grave.

Thanks to a local initiative by Solvej Vikkelsø from Uias Blótlaug, it is possible for Forn Siðr to inaugurate this cemetery in 2008, which will be exclusively reserved for members of Forn Siðr and their kindsfolk that wish to be buried there (parents, siblings, spouses, unmarried children, and others).

The facility will be located at the municipally owned Assistants Kirkegård not far from Odense University Hospital.

Our member survey from 2005 showed that even among asatruar there are some that wants a casket burial. Therefore, the design is so, that this is possible, as well as urne burial.

The principal feature of the facility is an 18 meter long stone xx in the form of a ship, which is partially in the shadow of a large protected tree. Around the plot is a tile edge, which marks the transition from the park to the plot, which is entirely kept as a grassy area. There will no individual grave markers, but the individuals location of a burial is stored in and accessable from the cemetery management office. However, the facility hosts a wall, where the deceased can be commemorated by a plaque in the shape of a small shield.

The wall, which is approximately 1 meter high, consists of a series of concrete elements, which will ultimately encircle the entire plot. So far only 9 elements have been established. Each element hosts three raised arcs, under which a circular plaque in any wanted materials (wood, metal, stone, etc.) with a diameter of 50 centimeters can be fitted. Apart from the basic information about the deceased, we would very much like to see well-chosen words, citations or sentenser, giving a glimpse of the person who now is with us in memory only.

It is obviously not the plan that all Danish asatruars must be buried in Odense. Every eligable person is of course welcome, since there will be room for many people over many years. But the facility should also be seen as a pilot project, that may act as a ground breaker for similar projects elsewhere in the country, where a desire/need for a heathen cemetery is present.

When the facility is completed, anyone is free to refer to it in any application to other municipalities/religious authorities.

A lovely sunwheel sculpture, which the architect originally had made a draft of, was unfortuanetely removed from the project for economical reasons, as the construction costs and concrete casting turned out to be more expensive than the municipality had first expected. So not even here the trees grow into the sky. But we regard it as a challenge, and may invest in adding such a sculpture at a later stage.

The facility is operated in accordance with the surrounding park/cemetery, and will be mostly user financed. This means that Forn Siðr is not obligated to spend an annual fortune to maintain the facility. Forn Siðr will not be obliged to cover any cost on the facility, unless, as negotiations look right now, the board of Forn Siðr wishes to do so.

There is thus every reason to congratulate both Forn Siðr and the whole asatru community throughout Denmark on the new cemetery. The first "official" heathen cemetery in this country for 1000 years.

On behalf of the Board
Søren Fisker, Vice President