Ordained March 14, 2020
Mentored by Alsherjargothi Matthew Flavel
Svan is a native-born Icelander whose family immigrated to the US when he was 5 years old. Svan found his way to his ancestral faith in 1994 when he was a young teenager.
He joined the Asatru Folk Assembly in 2016. During that time, he founded Irongard Kindred, and began apprentice Folkbuilding. He brought with him a pious spirit, his knowledge of the Runes, and of our Sacred Lore that he continues to share with our priesthood and our Folk.
In 2019 and 2020 Svan was absolutely critical to the founding of Þórshof in North Carolina. I was present for much of the process. I can remember being there when he took his Gothar Ordination at Ostara in the South 2020. So impressed with his presentation and his overall presence, I decided to put my name in the hat for the Gothar Program.
Beginning in 2020, Svan began the pious task of painting murals for each of our Hofs, starting with Þorr in NC, for which I personally was present. He would go on to reverently put together all of our Hof murals.
Later in 2021 at Midsummer, Gothi Herul was appointed to the AFA Witan, a counsel of Gothar that advise the Alsherjargothi and disseminate his policies to the Gothar and Folkbuilders.
I was accepted to the Gothar Program the year Svan was ordained, alongside Trent East, Rob Stamm, Brandy Callahan, Clifford Erickson and others. Myself, Trent, and Rob fell under Svan’s influence and his tutelage for much of the journey to being ordained. All of us have been influenced to a degree by Svan and his wisdom, but the 3 of us, myself, Trent, and Rob were directly impacted by him.
Much of the success we have experienced at Þórshof is directly the result of his hard work, and the dedication of Svan and his family. We each owe him a debt of gratitude for that hard work and piety.
In May of 2022, my wife Heather and I renewed our vows to commemorate our 25th wedding anniversary, and we could think of no one we’d rather preside than Witan Herul.
If I could build a Gothi, Svan would be the model for what that Gothi would be. Witan Svan is a close friend. He’s one of the most influential and respected of our Gothar. I’m glad he’s my friend, my mentor and my priest.
Hail Witan Svan!
Witan Daniel Young