Coronation of the Atlantican Co-Jarl

The Coronation is primarily held in the Stórkostlegurborg Hof.

The Coronation of the Atlantican Co-Jarl is a highly elaborate religious ceremony in which the Atlantican Co-Jarl (i.e., the Co-Jarl of Atlantica elected by the Althing) is formally coronated. Formally described in the Coronation Act, it is always held on the Winter Solstice (thereby marking the beginning of Yule) during the year after the Atlantican Co-Jarl is elected to the throne. Coronations are, by law, always held in the Stórkostlegurborg Hof. The Coronation is almost entirely purely ceremonial---the Co-Jarl immediately takes the throne following election by the Althing---but Co-Jarls cannot wear the Royal Crown until their coronation.

Death or Abdication of a former monarch

The beginning of the Coronation process (which, at the minimum, lasts nearly a year, and at the maximum, nearly two years) occurs if a previous monarch dies or abdicates the throne, thus leaving the Althing to elect a new monarch immediately after the previous monarch dies/abdicates. Following such, preparations for the coronation officially begin.

Ceremony

Runestone

An ancient Atlantican runestone created in memory of Sibbi Ragnarsson, one of the chief leaders of the Great Heathen Army; it is believed to be a major inspiration of later Atlantican runestones, and its skaldic verse is generally believed to be the main inspiration of the style of the Jarls' Runesetones, and most later Atlantican Runestones.

The first act of the coronation is the formal creation of a runestone detailing the reign and created in memory of the previous monarch; brightly coloured, it is then placed (much like a gravestone) onto the Jarls' Grove, a large site containing all runestones of the previous Atlantican Co-Jarls. Runestones are the most common style of memorials to the dead in Atlantica, usually being placed as part of a gravestone, and thus the use of a Runestone is of high importance to the previous and current monarch. The Runestone of the previous monarch is always set into the Jarls' Grove by the current reigning Atlantican Co-Jarl; this formally marks the beginning of the coronation ceremony, in what is known as the Placing of the Runestone. A Placing is always viewed by all guests to the Coronation.

Coronation

The rest of the ceremony begins after the new Atlantican Co-Jarl sails, with a traditional Longship, from the Jarls' Grove, located on the coast in South Stórkostlegurborg, to an area of Central Stórkostlegurborg located on the coast, accompanied by 27 members of the Royal Guard (generally referred to as Housecarls), followed by all guests. The Longship is then, in full view of all guests (once both the Co-Jarl and the 27 Housecarls have left the longship), is set aflame, mimicing some traditional Nordanian funeral customs.

After the longship is set aflame, the new Co-Jarl and the 27 Housecarls travel to the Stórkostlegurborg Hof, with the new Co-Jarl leads the 27 Housecarls whilst riding a horse, followed by all guests, mimicking charging into battle; the ceremony is designed to mimic the battles fought by Atlanticans during their very early history, in both the Atlantican Crusade and later the campaigns of the Great Heathen Army; 27 is specifically chosen because it is a very significant and sacred number in Heathenry, the religion of the Atlantican people.

The Co-Jarl and the 27 Housecarls then dismount their noble steeds, entering the Stórkostlegurborg Hof via the magnificent Door of the Jarls (pictured above), which is solely used for coronations and other ceremonies performed by the Co-Jarls, opens revealing a grand and magnificent meadhall, containing statues of all of the Norse gods, all plated in gold, stained glass windows depicting various Norse legends, and at its centre four long and massive tables, used for Blóts, and at the back of the hall a massive, sprawling, magnificent golden coronation throne. The 27 Housecarls surround the throne, whilst the Co-Jarl stands near, but does not sit on, the coronation throne. Shortly afterwards, the various guests make their way, taking seats at the four tables, whilst the coronation finally begins to be performed.

The coronation ceremony first begins with the Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple reciting, from memory (as was the style used in ancient times), firstly the Creation Edda, more popularly known as the Völuspá, and secondly the Preamble to and Article One - Sovereignty and Article Two - Basic Principles of the Constitution of Atlantica.

Then, the Housecarls sing the Atlantican national anthem, blóð%20ok%20dýrð!. The Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple then asks the Co-Jarl the following question:

Do you accept your status as a Heathen in eternal service to the All-Father, are you most pious, fearing of the Jötunn and Loki, and most honouring of the great Æsir and Vanir, peace and dignity be upon them until Ragnarök?

The Co-Jarl then responds with the answer:

In the name of the All-Father and all the other great Æsir, and in the name of Freyr and all the other great Vanir, I accept my Heathenry and eternal service to the All-Father, I am, I fear the Jötunn and Loki, and I am most honouring of the great Æsir and Vanir, peace and dignity be open them until Ragnarök.

The Co-Jarl then kneels in front of the Coronation Throne, as the Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple sprinkles the blood of a horse onto the Co-Jarl, with the Co-Jarl then slowly rising to the throne, before slowly sitting on the throne. The Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple then asks the Co-Jarl the following question:

Do you, as a Heathen in eternal service to the All-Father and most honouring of the great Æsir and Vanir, peace and dignity be open them until Ragnarök, agree to defend at all costs the Jarldom of Atlantica from all threats, internal and external, and defended the Jarldom's ancient tradition of Heathenry, in both the Jarldom and the rest of the realm of Midgard, to remain in recognition of your eternal service to the All-Father throughout your life, to remain most honouring of the great Æsir and Vanir, peace and dignity be open them until Ragnarök, and agree to, as Jarl, attempt to prevent, at all costs, Ragnarök during your reign?

The Co-Jarl then responds with:

In the name of the All-Father and all the other great Æsir, and in the name of Freyr and all the other great Vanir, I shall at all costs the Jarldom of Atlantica from all threats, internal and external, I shall defend the Jarldom's ancient tradition of Heathenry, in both the Jarldom and the rest of the realm of Midgard, and I shall remain a Heathen, in recognition of your eternal service to the All-Father throughout my life, most honouring of the great Æsir and Vanir, peace and dignity be open them until Ragnarök, and I shall attempt to prevent, at all costs, Ragnarök.

The Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple then asks the Co-Jarl the following question:

Do you agree to be crowned Jarl of Skaði's domain, Atlantica, Freyr's isles, Walminghaven, Sól's isle, Sólaruppráseyja, and Surtr's isle, Muspell Eyja, and to serve as Jarl in utmost justice, fairness, and kindness to all, and to serve as Jarl in these realms with wisdom and mercy, supporting democracy and human rights and abiding by the Constitutions of these nations?

The Co-Jarl then responds with:

In the name of the All-Father and all the other great Æsir, and in the name of Freyr and all the other great Vanir, I agree to be crowned Jarl of Skaði's domain, Atlantica, Freyr's isles, Walminghaven, Sól's isle, Sólaruppráseyja, and Surtr's isle, Muspell Eyja, and to serve as Jarl of these realms in utmost justice, fairness, and kindness to all, with wisdom and mercy, supporting democracy and human rights and to protect and defend the Constitutions of these nations.

Following such, the Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple formally places the Royal Crown to the Co-Jarl's head, signifying the Coronation of the Co-Jarl.

Blót

Following the formal Coronation of the Co-Jarl, nine cows, twenty-seven pigs, and twenty-eight horses are sacrificed to the Æsir and Vanir; the twenty-eight horses are the steed the Co-Jarl rode on and the steeds rode on by the twenty-seven Housecarls, with the numbers nine and twenty-seven chosen because they are considered to be sacred numbles in Norse folklore. The blood of the sacrificed cows, horses, and pigs are then sprinkled onto both the statues of the gods in the Meadhall, the guests, the Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple, the Co-Jarl, and the twenty-seven Housecarls, and the walls of the Meadhall, as the blood is considered to contain special powers.

The meat is then cooked un a large cooking pit at the centre of the Meadhall, the fires in the cooking pit supplied by nine different types of wood. After the cooking is finished, mead is put into goblets, one for each god or goddess. First Odin's goblet, the largest goblet, was emptied, followed by Thor's goblet, and then Freyja's goblet, followed by Freyr's goblet, then Njord's goblet, and so on and so forth. The Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple then says the following prayer in Old Nordanian:

Til árs ok friðar.

Which roughly translates to "for a good year and peace". The feast is then served, with all feasting on beef, pork, and horsemeat, and drinking mead. After the feast is finished, the guests leave the Meadhall, returning to their previous lives, as do the Allsherjargoði of the Atlanticanist Temple, the Co-Jarl, and the twenty-seven Housecarls.

Guests

The Coronations of the Atlantican Co-Jarl are always massive events, the number of guests always exceeding on thousand, often nearing two thousand.

All of these guests are generally invited to the Coronation; all internal Atlanticans invited to the Coronation are required to attend:

• The Atlantican Meadcupbearer (mandatory to attend)
• All 300 members of the Althing (mandatory to attend)
• All members of the Atlanticanist Temple's Temple Assembly (mandatory to attend)
  • All 300 members of the Goði Council
  • All 300 members of the People's Council
• All Hofgoðar of the Atlanticanist Temple (mandatory to attend)
• All Goðar of the Atlanticanist Temple (mandatory to attend)
• All Mayors of Autonomous Cities and members of Autonomous City City Councils (mandatory to attend)
• All Atlantican Lawspeakers, and the members of the Atlantican High Court and Constitutional Court (mandatory to attend)
• All Esquarian heads of state and government
• All Esquarian foreign ministers
• All foreign Ambassadors to Atlantica
• The religious heads of all international, non-racist and non-fascist Germanic pagan faiths and the religious heads of all religions affiliated to the Esquarian Congress of Ethnic Religions

Foreign guests

The Atlantican government has formally invited all foreign Ambassadors to Atlantica, all Esquarian heads of state and government and foreign ministers to all Esquarian coronations, and has invited the religious heads of all international, non-racist and non-fascist Germanic pagan faiths and the religious heads of all religions affiliated to the Esquarian Congress of Ethnic Religions. Not sending one's head of state and government, and not sending a foreign Ambassador, is generally considered to be a grave insult to both the current Atlantican Co-Jarl and more particularly the Atlantican nation as a whole.

The coronation of Lýtingur in 1986 was attended by the following guests:

Template:Country data Hyd Gohin

• Hemlvat Johmir, Monarch
• Atilla Dhandzun, Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Hyd Gohin to the Jarldom of Atlantica

Template:Country data Scotia

• John IX, Monarch
• Ciorstag Saomùlong, Tòiseach
• John Alexander MacDonald, Foreign Minister
• Liam Gordon MacNab, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Scotia to the Jarldom of Atlantica

West Cedarbrook

• Daniel Wallin, President of the Kramden of West Cedarbrook
• Harvey Clairemont, Ambassador of the Kramden of West Cedarbrook to the Jarldom of Atlantica