Ásatrú
Ásatrú (Icelandic, "Ćsir
faith") is a modern revival of the pre-Christian Nordic religion as
described in the Norse epic Eddas. The ancient form has no founding
date nor founder and flourished across northern Europe. However, the
modern revival was founded in the 1970s in Iceland by Sveinbjörn
Beinteinsson. Today, there are an estimated few thousand adherients
worldwide.
Ásatrú is an Old Norse word consisting of Ása, referring to the Norse
gods, and trú, "troth" or "faith". Thus, Ásatrú
means "religion of the Ćsir." The term was coined by Edvard
Grieg in his 1870 opera Olaf Trygvason, in the context of 19th century
romantic nationalism.
Generally synonymous terms for Asatru include Germanic Neopaganism,
Germanic Heathenism, Forn Sed, Odinism, Heithni or Heathenry. The
original, ancient form of Norse religion is usually referred to as
Germanic paganism, Germanic religion, or Norse mythology.
The ancient origins of Germanic religion date from prehistoric times and
are thus unknown. Most of what is known about Germanic religion is derived
from descriptions by Latin writers such as Julius Caesar (1st cent. BC)
and Tacitus (1st cent. AD), descriptions of early Christian missionaries,
and archaeological evidence including cult objects, amulets, grave goods,
and place names.
Anglo-Saxon England was converted from Norse paganism to Christianity in
the 7th century, Scandinavia in the 10th century. The Germanic/Norse
religion gradually disappeared after this, although Christianity absorbed
some of its external features, such as the name and popular customs of
Easter.
Asatru, the modern attempt to revive the old Norse faith, was founded by
the Icelandic farmer Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson (1924–1993). Beinteinsson
was a sheep farmer and a priest in the religion, who published a book of rímur
(Icelandic rhymed epic poetry) in 1945. In 1972 he petitioned the
Icelandic government to recognize the Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagiđ
("Icelandic fellowship of Ćsir faith") as a religious body. It
did so in 1973, and Denmark and Norway have since followed.
According to one Asatru website, similar communities were formed in the
USA and UK at the same time as those in Iceland, each unaware of the
existence of the others. This is a sign that "Odin, the wanderer, is
once again seeking worshippers." (Irminsul Ćttir)
Neither ancient Norse religion nor modern Asatru is predominantly
text-based, but Norse myths are beautifully preserved in two Icelandic
epics called the Eddas.
The first Edda dates from the 12th century AD, when Snorri Sturluson
(1179-1241), an Icelandic poet, historian and politician, retold many
Norse myths with quotations from poems and explanations of mythological
imagery. His goal was to provide a handbook for poets so the ancient lore
would not be lost. It was called Edda, which means
"great-grandmother" but may also be derived from Oddi,
Sturluson's hometown. It is now known as Snorri's Edda or the Prose Edda.
In 1643, a 13th-cent. manuscript book known as the Codex regius was found
in an Icelandic farmhous, containing poems on gods and heroes. This
collection, together with a few poems from other manuscripts, is called
the Elder Edda, Poetic Edda, or Saemund's Edda (after an 11th-cent.
scholar). The poems may date from as early as 800 AD and appear to have
been composed in pre-Christian times in Norway. They recount the exploits
of the gods Freyr, Loki, Odin, and Thor and include riddle contests
between gods and giants, and much about the creation and destruction of
the worlds of gods and humans.
Ancient Norse paganism and modern Asatru are polytheistic. In the Viking
Age (9th-11th cents.), there were four main deities (see below), with
earlier gods remembered as minor deities and other supernatural beings of
varying importance. Most of these gods are worshipped by modern followers
of Asatru.
The Norse gods are of three different types:
Aesir - the gods of the tribe or clan, representing kingship, order,
craft, etc. (incl. Odin and Thor)
Vanir - gods of the fertility of the earth and forces of nature (incl.
Freyr and Freyja)
Jotnar - giant-gods who are in a constant state of war with the Aesir,
representing chaos and destruction
The four main deities in Germanic religion and Asatru are:
Odin (Germanic Woden) - god of magic, poetry, riches and the dead; ruler
of Valhalla (gave his name to Wednesday)
Thor - sky god who wields a hammer, controls the weather, and protects the
law and the community (gave his name to Thursday)
Freyr - fertility god represented with a phallic statue and seen as the
founder of the Swedish royal dynasty
Freyja - fertility goddess of love and beauty, sister of Freyr, known by
many names (including Frigg, Odin's wife and patron of families, who gave
her name to Friday)
Other deities:
Njord - father of Freyr and Freyja, god of ships, sea and lakes
Tyr (Germanic Tiu) - god of battle, sacrifice, and justice (gave his name
to Tuesday)
Ullr - god of death, winter, and hunting
Loki - the trickster
The original Germanic religion did not have a unified conception of the
afterlife. Some may have believed that fallen warriors would go to
Valhalla to live happily with Odin until the Ragnarök, but it seems
unlikely this belief was widespread. Others seemed to believe that there
was no afterlife. According to the "Hávamál," any misfortune
was better than to be burnt on a funeral pyre, for a corpse was a useless
object.
More often people believed that life went on for a time after death but
was inseparable from the body. If men had been evil in life, they could
persecute the living when dead; they might have to be killed a second time
or even a third before they were finished. Some records imply that the
dead needed company; a wife, mistress, or servant would be placed in the
grave with them. On the whole, beliefs in afterlife seem rather gloomy.
The dead pass, perhaps by slow stages, to a dark, misty world called
Niflheim (Niflheimr).
It has been stated that:
We believe that there is an afterlife, and that those who have lived
virtuous lives will go on to experience greater fulfillment, pleasure, and
challenge. Those who have led lives characterized more by vice than by
virtue will be separated from kin, doomed to an existence of dullness and
gloom. The precise nature of the afterlife - what it will look like and
feel like - is beyond our understanding and is dealt with symbolically in
the myths. There is also a tradition in Asatru of rebirth within the
family line. Perhaps the individual is able to choose whether or not he or
she is re-manifested in this world, or there may be natural laws which
govern this. In a sense, of course, we all live on in our descendants
quite apart from an afterlife as such. To be honest, we of Asatru do not
overly concern ourselves with the next world. We live here and now, in
this existence. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care
of itself.
Practices of Old Norse/Germanic Religion
In the old Germanic religion, the central practice was animal and human
sacrifice, conducted in the open or in groves and forests. Roman authors
repeatedly mention the sacrifice of prisoners of war to the gods of
victory. One detailed description of a sacrificial feast is given in a
saga about a king of Norway, in which cattle were slaughtered, blood was
sprinkled inside and out, the meat was consumed and toasts were drunk to
Odin, Njörd, and Freyr. Sacrifices of a more private kind might include
the sacrifice of an ox to a god or smearing an elf mound with bull's
blood.
Women known as Volva had prophetic gifts. They visited homes, practiced
divination and foretold children's destinies. They were probably linked
with the Vanir (fertility deities).
Temples were rare but wooden temples seem to have been built in later
periods. A major religious center was at Upsala, in NE Sweden.
Practices of Asatru (Modern Form)
Communities of Asatru are called Kindreds, Hearths, or Garths. Priests are
called Gothi; priestesses Gythia.
A central Asatru ritual is blot, which means sacrifice and may be
connected with the word "blood." In place of traditional animal
sacrifice, followers of Asatru offer mead (honey-wine), beer or cider to
the gods. The liquid is consecrated to a god or goddess, then the
worshippers drink a portion of it and pour the rest as a libation.
Another major practice is sumbel, a ritual toast in three rounds. The
first round is to the gods, starting with Odin, who won the mead of poetry
from the Giant Suttung. A few drops are poured to Loki to ward off his
tricks. The second round is to ancestors and other honorable dead, and the
third round is open.
Asatru holidays center on the seasons and are similar to other Neopagan
holidays. The major celebrations are:
Summer Finding (spring equinox, March 21) - dedicated to Ostara
Winter Finding (fall equinox, September 21)
Midsummer (summer solstice, June 21)
Yule - the most important holiday; starts on the winter solstice (December
21) and lasts for 12 days
In place of a list of commandments, followers of Asatru try to follow
these "Nine Noble Virtues":
Courage
Truth
Honor
Fidelity
Discipline
Hospitality
Industriousness
Self-Reliance
Perseverance
