Heathen Freehold 2009 Awards

Lifetime Achievement
Diana Paxson, one of the founders of the SCA, one of leading lights of Heathen scholarship, one of the most important Fantasy authors of this century, her life is worthy of respect in any of the many fields that she has turned her hand to. When Freeholder's learned that Diana had been nominated, all were in agreement that it was deserved; but no two sited the same works as the reason. An inspiration to so many, her life has been an example of achievement and balance, and this year receives our Lifetime Achievement Award.

Wikipedia sums her up thus:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_L._Paxson#External_linksDiana L. Paxson (born 1943) is a novelist and author of nonfiction, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories. More recently she has also published nonfiction books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.
In addition to her multiple novels and collaborations, she has
written over seventy short stories. Her best-known works are the
Westria novels, and the later books in the Avalon series, which she first co-wrote with Marion Zimmer Bradley, then took over sole authorship of after Bradley's death. Paxson's non-fiction books include Taking Up the Runes, Essential Asatru, and Trance-Portation. She writes a regular column for the women's spirituality magazine, Sagewoman.
Paxson has been active in the leadership of a number of organizations. She hosted the first activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism,
and was subsequently among that group's founding Directors and
Corporate Officers when it incorporated. She was the western regional
director of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and is a frequent panelist at science fiction conventions, especially Baycon, where she was the 2007 Fantasy Guest of Honor.
A leader in the Neopagan and Heathen revivals, Paxson is the founder of the The Fellowship of the Spiral Path and has served as First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess. She has been Steerswoman of the Heathen group, The Troth, a member of its Board of Directors, and currently edits its journal, Idunna. She is a pioneer in the revival of Oracular Seidh, which she has taught and performed at many Neopagan and heathen festivals and retreats.
She composes and plays music for the harp. She currently lives at her home, Greyhaven, in Berkeley, California.

Graeme A Barber
The Tyrbold award is given to the Heathen that has best demonstrated the warriors ethic, of selfless embrace of hardship and danger in the service of the folk. Some of us here have served, and been shot at here and there for Her
Majesty and what seemed like good reasons at the time. What our troops
face in Afghanistan is far harder than what we faced before, it is a
job both far more dangerous, and more important than the limited role
of peacekeeper that was ours before. You cannot actually keep much of
what doesn't exist, regardless of your zeal at guarding it.

Like
some of us here, he's a Reservist. No one is forcing him to go to
Afghanistan. He's been there and done that already twice. As our
ancestors did before, he is not asking if he has done enough, he is
asking if he can serve some more.

Tyr is not the god of
chieftains, he is not the god of cunning strategy or battlelust. Tyr is
the god of the honourable warrior. Tyr is the god of those who accept
the price of honour.

There is a name given to Tyr, the same
kenning is given to honour, in turn that kenning covers the veterans.
The leavings of the wolf. Those who have seen the wolf called war, but
accepted the price of their duty anyway.

How could you pick one
of our soldiers as the one worthy of the Tyrbold? All of those who
choose to serve the combat arms, who choose to walk again and again
into the fire for the folk are deserving of this award. How did I come
to pick Barber? He is the one leaving our hearth to defend it. He is
the one paying the price for us today. He is the one who should carry
our praise and the Tyrbold honour when he goes.