Honor and Pain

There was a certain purity that came from pain; the young man had to admit. He clenched his jaw as the white hot brand pressed into his chest, the crackling pop of rending skin assaulted his ears and the burnt pork smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils as Tiwaz was placed on his ribs. It was painful, not as bad as when he had broken his leg or when he had ruptured a muscular wall in his groin, but still undeniably painful. After the ordeal was done, the brand was smacked with a masculine gusto, and some ritual chants were sung over it, the young man was left to reflect on what this pain and this runic symbol of honor meant.
There are few things more universally known, respected, and feared by Men than pain. It is something that we all have known and will continue to know. Pain marks times when we hastily try to sew a stich, slip when starting a chainsaw, or simply stub our toe going to the bathroom at two in the morning. For the young man above and many like him, pain can mean so much more than a mistake that resulted in a “boo-boo”. For these types of people, the purity and reality of pain, the animalistic vigor and fanatical thoughts that it triggers are seen as ways to start a journey, sanctify a vow, or strengthen a fraternal bond. Be it the needle pain of a shared tattoo with a brother, the viscous thundering wallop of a boxing match with a friend, or the intense heat of a ritual brand, pain means something more than simple physical damage.
All of this non-accidental pain symbolized so much more than that simple, mundane physical distress; this pain is an incarnation of honor, of brotherhood, of love. The ritual brand of the rune Tiwaz on the young man symbolized honor and strength and courage in war. Aside from  being a literal symbol of honor, there is honor in the action of the ritual itself; honor in undergoing this severe physical pain, in wearing a mark of his convictions, which serves as a reminder to him of what he has set out to do and why.
This is similar to a vow I have made with a brother of mine. My brother is a warrior, just as I aspire to one day be; we vowed to each other that, should one of us fall on the field of honor, the other will get the fallen brother’s initials in the form of a tattoo. While there is no pain in the vow itself (and I hope to never have to see this vow through, nor for him to), the very inception of the vow is a representation of the honor between us in our fraternity.
The idea of intentional pain is one that has been both falsely romanticized by today’s popular culture, as well as undeservedly damned by more closed minded portions of society. It is a shame that such an integral part of fraternal bonds, earnest vow making, etc. has been so perverted by either pole of society. Pain and honor are inescapably bound - that is not to say that one cannot exist without the other, because they can and often do – and we, as Men, should strive to restore this sacred and ancient bond, this respect for pain and the honor that it can represent.

-sam