Herman of the Cherusci

ᛉ 18BCE - 21CE ᛣ

In 9 CE, the Roman legions were marching into the heart of Germany. Life as the German tribes know it was about to become a thing of the past as Romanization took hold and the old ways were pushed aside.

Out of the mist-filled woods came a man emboldened by the blood coursing through his veins. A man born of the German folk who had seen the wreckage that the Roman ways brought to traditional peoples: the greed for gold and plunder, the casting aside of morality, the destruction of the tribal folkways.

Out of the mist-filled woods came mighty Herman, nobleman of the Cherusci tribe. Herman knew the truth of what Romans storming into the German heartland would bring and he was determined, at all costs, to stop it.

Uniting the many tribes of the German folk, he came up with a plan to defeat the Roman Legions. In the dark woods of the Teutoburg Forest, he attacked the legions by surprise and, by his own might and the blessing of the Gods, he destroyed three entire legions... a feat never before seen and never believed possible. A feat that would keep Roman "progress" out of Germany and preserve the ancestral folkways for several more generations to come.

Few men in history have done as much for our folk as Herman. He shows us the power of our folk when we unite together against a common enemy. He shows us what we can achieve for our folk if we are willing to be smart and willing to sacrifice everything.

He is a fitting role model for us today as we watch the steady march of modernity across our folkways. Now, as then, we need folk willing to stand firm against the tide... For those unyielding folk out there standing firm, let Herman be your guide. Be wise in your choices, but be willing to sacrifice all in defense of your folkways.

Herman of the Cherusci’s Day of Remembrance is September 9th.

By Goði Blaine Qualls