piparskeggrskald

Good health to all who see these words;

Stefn Ullarsson Piparskeggr sends you greeting:

I am a native of Massachusetts, born and raised in a town along the western bank of the Connecticut river.  I now live in northern Illinois with my wife of over a quarter century and our 3 cats (Kestrel, Hildiekatt and Chesapeake).

Most of my forebears came to America from across the wide expanse of Europe to make a better life for themselves and their families:.  Some others came thousands of years before that and became known as Mohawk and Miqmaq.

I was raised to become Roman Catholic; to have faith and to believe, which I do, only not as my family might have expected.

I was raised with the concept of not bringing dishonor to the family Name.

I was also raised to be my own man; sometimes my parents think they succeeded too well.  Regardless, they are proud of the man I have become.

I had a good childhood: happy boy, good student, fair athlete (played baseball, basketball and football) was a Cub and Boy Scout, helped at my grandparents’ shoe shop…learning early in life that everything must be earned.

I have some college level education and am fairly well read (I think) on topics that interest me; having gotten an early start when my parents taught me to read and write before I went to Kindergarten.

I trained and drilled with the Army Guard (Infantry, but No Pay - No Points status) while in college and later enlisted in the USAF Reserves, where I served 7 years in Civil Engineering (Prime BEEF teams) and 2 years in Communications Security.  I was good at my jobs and am proud of my service.

I have a mortgage, monthly, grocery and other bills, pay taxes, vote, eat, sleep, worry and enjoy…

I hunt, fish, camp, putter in a small garden, work wood, leather and metal.

I sometimes forget to mow the lawn in favor of reading or writing something…

I cook, brew, sew, wash dishes, do laundry, vacuum the carpets…my wife and I split the household chores; neither of us like to do windows.

I’m your neighbor, who may seem a little reclusive at times, but when the chips are down, I lend a hand.

Importantly, I am Asatru.

My ethic and worldview is shaped by my belief in and understanding of those lived by my Northern European ancestors.  I try to do what is right, for family, friends and community, with wisdom, generosity and personal honor.

I believe in and give my worship to the Holy Powers believed in and worshiped by my elder forebears.

Plus, my parents think I am a better man for having these beliefs, and that is a powerful thing.

And in that belief and worldview, I find inspiration for my songs and poems, and in my family, my friends, my cats, nature, people around me, small glimpses of shapes in the dark…