Inmate sues for Norse god worship

He says denying access to religious objects is violation

UTAH STATE PRISON — An inmate is accusing the Utah Department of Corrections of denying him his right to practice an ancient Nordic religion while behind bars.

Michael Polk, who is serving time for aggravated assault and robbery, filed the lawsuit against corrections officials in federal court, accusing them of denying him several religious items that he claims are necessary to practice the Asatru religion, which worships ancient Nordic gods like Odin, Thor, Tyr and Heimdal.

"Plaintiff complains that his being denied the right to practice his choice of religion while housed at the Utah State Prison is violating his First Amendment rights," Polk wrote in his lawsuit filed Tuesday.

According to the complaint, Polk claims that he has been a member of the Asatru faith since 2005, and in order to properly practice it he needs numerous items including: a Thor's Hammer, a prayer cloth, a Mead Horn used for drinking Wassail, a drum made of wood and boar skin, a rune staff and a sword.

"Sahs Swords can be made of cardboard due to institutional restrictions," Polk wrote.

In his lawsuit, Polk said he asked the prison chaplain for the items and was denied them. Corrections officials noted that he checked the box marked "None/Atheist" when he entered the prison. After he appealed, corrections officials allowed Polk to have a wooden Thor's Hammer pendant. The other items were denied because of security reasons.

"You may purchase a towel from the commissary for an altar cloth. You may purchase the book or books of your religion and maintain them in your cell," prison warden Steven Turley wrote in an April letter to Polk.

The Asatru religion is a pagan faith with roots in northern Europe. Its followers worship the Old Norse gods, according to the Web site asatru.org.

Other inmates who have joined the faith have had to sue to gain access to their religious symbols. The nonpartisan First Amendment Center reported on a Virginia inmate who won a federal lawsuit against that state's corrections department for denying him access to Thor's Hammer, which is a pendant used to communicate with the gods.

In Utah, several inmates have filed lawsuits over religion. In 2002, the Utah Court of Appeals denied one inmate's claims that the prison violated his religious rights by refusing to allow him to drink blood or partake in a sacrament with a "vampiress."

The Utah Department of Corrections declined to comment on Polk's lawsuit on Wednesday.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

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