Jörmundur Ingi Hansen is an Icelandic neopagan leader and clothing retailer. He was the allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið from 1994 to 2002 and is the leader of the group Reykjavíkurgoðorð since 2004.
Early life
Born on 14 August 1940 as Jörgen Ingi Hansen, he changed his Danish first name early on to the Icelandic Jörmundur. His parents were the merchant Jörgen F. F. Hansen and Helga Eiríksdóttir Hansen. As a young man he was known as a bohemian personality, interested in esotericism and Eastern religions, and one of the most prominent people in Reykjavík's hippie movement.
Ásatrúarfélagið
In 1972, he was one of the founding members of the Icelandic neopagan organization Ásatrúarfélagið, along with its first allsherjargoðiSveinbjörn Beinteinsson, Dagur Þorleifsson and Þorsteinn Guðjónsson. Together with Sveinbjörn, Jörmundur reconstructed the organization's rituals and liturgy. He also created its attire and made a statue of Thor that was used at the center the group's cult place. Because of his extroverted personality, he became responsible for much of Ásatrúarfélagið's media representation. After Sveinbjörn's death in 1993, Jörmundur Ingi was chosen as the new allsherjargoði in 1994. He was elected with 59 votes or 61.8% of the votes, against 34 votes or 36.2% for Haukur Halldórsson. One vote was blank. His time as leader was marked by an increased mainstream acceptance for the group and significant membership growth. It also included the acquirement of a building in Reykjavík, and in 1999the establishment of an official ásatrúburial ground which Jörmundur Ingi designed. The burial ground is part of the cemetery at Gufunes in Reykjavík. A conflict emerged when Jörmundur Ingi was unwilling to distribute more tasks among other elected officials within the organization. He was removed from office in 2002 and was replaced by Jónína Kristín Berg as a temporary allsherjargoði, before Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson was elected to the position in 2003 with Jörmundur Ingi's approval.
Reykjavíkurgoðorð
In 2004 he left Ásatrúarfélagið and became the leader of the splinter group Reykjavíkurgoðorð. The small, non-political group had almost 30 members in 2015. It was not actively seeking new members, but was open for anyone who wished to join.
Professional career
Jörmundur Ingi has a great interest in men's fashion and runs a vintage clothing store in Reykjavík. He claims to not earn much from the store, and views it as a service to help men to dress better, as he does not consider contemporary fashion trends to be good for them.
