DAY OF RADBOD

Rune Gild Archives

Source: ​Idunna, ​Volume 1, No. 3; 1988

The sumble for Radbod is observed to pay homage to an ancestor who remained true to his folk
and religion throughout his life. Though Radbod was once on the verge of accepting Christ, he
violently rejected it when he found that he would thereby cut himself off from his ancestors and
his tribe. Radbod had no interest in keeping eternal company with foreign beggars without that
of his people; such a thing would have been eternal self-exile. Radbod remained true and
preserved the integrity of the folk. Radbod is also known for trying a pack of sacrilegious
missionaries who violated the spring of Fosites and condemning one and driving the others out.
Furthermore, he reconquered Southern Frisia after the reign of Pippin and drove out the
Christians, though the Franks later invaded and reconquered the land again a few years later.
The sumble is traditionally celebrated on July 9th.

THE SUMBLE FOR RADBOD

1. Sign hammers in the four quarters to hallow the harrow.

2. Speaker declares the purpose of the gathering. "Tonight we gather to raise a cup to the
memory of Radbod, the great war-king of the Frisians, who warded the ways of the folk"
3. Speaker reads from the 9th chapter of the Vita Wulframni, found in Latin in M.G. Scr. rer.
Mer. V. 668: "Radbod, the war-king himself, was at last inclined to receive baptism.
However, he still hesitated and he bade the bishop that he swear by his oath, where the
dead kings and chieftains of the Frisians had their abode: in that heavenly realm that he
was to get if he would believe and be baptized, or in hellish damnation, about which the
bishop so often spoke. To this the man of God answered: 'Make no mistake, noble
prince! By the side of God is the multitude of his chosen ones. But your ancestors, the
princes of the Frisians, who died without having the sacrament of baptism, have verily
received the sentence of damnation . . .' As the untrusting war-king, who had already
stepped up to the baptismal, heard this, he pulled his foot back away from the source of
grace, and said that he could not do without the fellowship of all those who ruled over
the Frisians before him, and that he did not want to have to sit around in heaven with a
little pack of beggars, and therefore he could not give the new faith any troth and he
would rather stay with the one to which he, along with the whole of the Frisians, had held
fast."
4. Commentary recited by speaker: Radbod, mighty war-king of Frisians knew well the
{4}nature of the whole clan--just as a tree can not live without its roots--life is not whole
without the memory of those who have gone before and give us our being. In the realm
of this mighty world tree, we stand here in the middle--with those who have gone before
and those who have yet to come all 'round us--this is the true whole-life, and without any
part of it--we are truly dead.
5. Charge made by speaker: So let us mind well the good rede given by Radbod through
his deeds--remember and honor the high born ones of yesterday that they may be at
one with us, that together we may shape what is to come.
6. Sumble drinking in honor of Radbod. All sit around the table with the speaker at the head
as the cup is passed around, or the minne may be drunk in pairs with two kinsfolk sitting
across from one another at separate tables while the cup is passed back and forth
between them.
7. Some toasts and charges to Radbod :
A. ​I (speaker) hallow this cup to memory of Radbod, King of Frisians, bane of the
Christ-men, man of troth.
B. ​Radbod! We now seek your fellowship, Radbod, mighty king of Frisian folk, come to
be with us this day; dwell in our minds and be in our midst, all year round! To you oh
Radbod!
C. ​Radbod! As you knew the way of the folk all whole, in this world and those, so shall
we know the way of the wise--to you oh Radbod!
D. ​Radbod! As you were strong and wise before the bringers of the lie--so we shall be
strong and wise today--to you oh Radbod!