Vol. 39, No. 38 Sept.
17-23 2009
Queens Deadline
Pagan 'King' Has Council GOP Nod
By BRIAN M. RAFFERTY
Dan Halloran, the Republican candidate
for City Council facing primary winner Kevin
Kim in the 19th District, already has a lead-
ership role in a vast community that very few
people know about - or understand.
Halloran is the "First Atheling," or King, of
Normandy, a branch of the Theod faith of pre-
Christian Heathen religions assembled in the
Greater New York area. A group of dedicated
fellow pagans swear their allegiance to him
through oaths of fidelity, allowing luck from a
series of ancient gods - specifically the "Norse"
or "Germanic" gods Odin, Tyr and Freyr - to
pass through the King to his kinsmen.
"It is our hope to reconstruct the pre-Chris-
tian religion of the Germanic branch of the
Indo-European peoples, within a cultural frame-
work and community environment," Halloran
- who in many circumstances surrounding his
religion goes by his ancestral name O'Halloran
- wrote on his tribe's Web site.
"We believe in and honor the Gods and
Goddesses of the North, spirits of the land,
and the memories of our ancestors," he wrote.
Within minutes of speaking with the Tri-
bune Wednesday, Halloran's site was listed as
"under construction."
When asked Wednesday about his faith,
Halloran was uneasy. "I am not comfortable
with injecting my religion into my politics,"
he said. "I grew up born and raised Roman
Catholic. I went to Jesuit schools. Most of my
life has been in traditional Irish household."
He added, "I don't think any of this is
really relevant to the City Council race. It's
like talking about what church you pray at.
connections high and low, weav-
ing together the doom (fate) of
those in the web. It is through this
web of oaths that the beneficence of
the Gods filters down to the indi-
vidual members of the tribe, through
a mechanism called luck."
Halloran said that his leadership
position in his faith is not simple to
explain. "Things in non-mainstream
religions are not as clear cut and
obvious as in mainstream." Just
like Mormons, he said, the hierar-
chy, roles and responsibilities of
members are difficult for somebody
Dan Halloran per forms a ceremony with other outside the faith to comprehend.
members of his faith. "It's different than being a bishop in
a Catholic church."
That you understand the divine is the most Though Halloran's site notes that "Theodism
important part." regularly practices blood sacrifice," he explained
Theodism relies upon an interlocking ring of that it is similar to the kashrut practices of the
honor, wisdom and generosity to motivate the Jewish faith.
individual members to achieve a spiritual evolu- Active with the Boy Scouts for more than
tion. "Any earthly life that a man doesn't die out 30 years, Halloran noted that there are exist-
of as a better and worthier man than he was born ing Scout troops that recognize his faith.
into it is seen, in these terms, as a wasted life, "They want you to be cognizant of the di-
ultimately bound for Hel [sic] after death," Halloran vine," he said.
wrote on his Web site. He also is listed on at least State Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose),
one Web site as a "Pagan Attorney" and served who said he has known Halloran since the
as legal counsel and incorporating attorney for candidate made Eagle Scout, said he was not
the New York City Pagan Pride Project. aware of Halloran's faith, but did not consider
"Theodism is… an entirely kin and oath- it an issue if the practitioners are "an honor-
bound community, operating by certain set able group."
standards to which the important business of "We have every religion under the sun in
oath-swearing is regularly and officially held," this district," Padavan said. "It's all here; so
Halloran's site reads. "This has the effect of what? As long as everybody is properly mo-
creating a vast web of social and personal tivated, so be it."
Dan Halloran from his PaganSpace Web
page.
Halloran explained that Queens GOP
Chairman Phil Ragusa and the GOP execu-
tive committee were aware of his faith.
Ragusa said Wednesday that Halloran's
religion is not an issue.
"If a person performs and does what he
has to do for his district, then he will be a
welcome breath of fresh air," Ragusa said.
He described Halloran as "a traditional
person."
"He seems like a regular guy," Ragusa said.
Halloran maintained that his faith is not
an issue when it comes to serving either the
people or his party.
"As long as we proceed in our civic lives
with dignity and honor, that's what matters,"
Halloran said.
Reach Editor Brian M. Rafferty at
brafferty@queenstribune.com, or (718)
357-7400, Ext. 122.
www.queenstribune.com • April 2-8, 2009 Tribune Page 3