Norse Heathenry is a modern religion which attempts to reconstruct the faith, rituals, and beliefs of pre-Christian Germanic peoples. It is alternately titled Germanic neopaganism, Asatru, Odinism, Theodism, Forn Sed, or a host of other names. Heathenry is a polytheistic religion which focuses on the value of ancestry, family, and kindred. Initial attempts to reconstruct Norse religions with a mind toward their practice can date back to the late 19th Century. Due to a heavy reliance on historical documentation and scholarly research in aid of this reconstruction, Heathens often joke that it is "the religion with homework."
The Texts of Heathenry
The primary sources upon which Heathens rely for the discernment and practice of their faith are historical records which document the lives and legends of Germanic peoples. Foremost among these are the Eddas-- divided into the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda-- which are accounts of the mythology of Norse Heathenry, and descriptions of the gods and their lives. The Poetic Edda is older, and consists of a number of poems of unknown attribution. The Prose Edda represents the attempt of a 13th Century Christian historian from Iceland, Snorri Sturluson, at collecting the mythology of his ancestry together. The Eddas provide invaluable information regarding the theology and philosophy of the Scandinavian peoples. Other historical records which are often appealed to include the GermaniaTheology & Cosmology
In general, Heathenry is a polytheistic faith which also incorporates aspects of animism and ancestor reverence. However, the manner in which these beliefs are observed varies widely. There are certainly Heathens who believe that the gods are actual, personal beings that interact in our lives. Others, however, take an Archetypal perspective, believing that the gods are representative of certain concepts, actions, or attitudes, rather than being individual embodied entities. Still others (like myself) are entirely atheistic, and view the stories of the gods as moral fables and tribal philosophy.
For those who believe that the gods are real, personal entities, they are not generally viewed in the manner of Classical Theism. The gods are not omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, eternal, or immortal. The gods did not pre-exist the primordial cosmos, but coalesced from it (though, the myths do tell of Odin, Vili, and Ve creating the Earth and humanity). Gods have a full spectrum of emotions and faults, they can bear children and they can die.
Even those who do believe that the gods are personal beings do not generally hold that the mythology is historically factual. There is an active differentiation between mythological truth and historical truth. When the Eddas tell us that Odin, Vili, and Ve carved the Earth from the corpse of the great frost giant, Ymir, Heathens do not generally contend that the history of Earth painted by astrophysics and geology is therefore wrong; nor that this myth should be taught alongside the Big Bang theory in science classrooms. Similarly, when Odin carved the first two humans from an Ash tree and an Elm, Heathens do no usually contend that this should be taught in place of biological evolution. There is, instead, a focus on the relation between the gods and man, rather than an insistence upon historical verity.
Rites & PracticesMorality
While there are no hard-and-fast proscriptions, in Heathenry, as one might find in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there are some points of morality which tend to remain common throughout. Kinship is a main focus, and treating one's kindred (whether they are direct family members or just close members of one's community) with respect and dignity is fairly paramount in the eyes of most Heathens. Outside of kindred, hospitality is strongly valued and encouraged; while people who are not members of your direct community might not deserve the service you would offer kindred, neither should you turn them away if they ask for some simple favor or help.
Courage, loyalty, truthfulness, discipline, industriousness, and perseverance are all, also, generally held in high regard by practicing Heathens, though each of these virtues has its own exceptions. There are greatly varying views, within Heathenry, regarding many specific issues of morality which are relevant to the modern world. For example, you can certainly find Heathens on both sides of the fence, as regards homosexual marriage. As in any other faith, these debates are usually argued on the basis of traditions and the texts, and can often remain unresolved.
I would be remiss to mention Heathen morality without at least commenting upon racism. Unfortunately, while most practitioners of Norse Heathenry condemn racism as vehemently as possible, there remains a not-insignificant portion of Heathenry that do hold to such racist ideals. For some, it is less pronounced-- given that Heathenry is a reconstruction of Germanic folk religions with a significant focus on ancestry, these Heathens feel that the modern practice should be reserved for those with Germanic heritage. For others, it is far more vitriolic, as numerous neo-Nazis have picked up on the interest that the Third Reich had in Germanic tradition and thereby justify their own racism. Those Heathens that promote racism are a minority as compared to the whole of Norse Heathenry, and most of us view them as an embarrassing minority, at that.
Further Reading
If you are more interested in Heathenry, here are a few suggestions which might help to continue your understanding:
A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru, by Patricia M. Lafayllve
The Poetic Edda, particularly either the Carolyne Larrington or the Lee M. Hollander translations
The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson
The Norse Mythology Blog, by Dr. Karl E.H. Seigfried (which maintains a large library of free resources)
And, of course, I'll endeavor to answer any questions as best as I can!
The Texts of Heathenry
The primary sources upon which Heathens rely for the discernment and practice of their faith are historical records which document the lives and legends of Germanic peoples. Foremost among these are the Eddas-- divided into the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda-- which are accounts of the mythology of Norse Heathenry, and descriptions of the gods and their lives. The Poetic Edda is older, and consists of a number of poems of unknown attribution. The Prose Edda represents the attempt of a 13th Century Christian historian from Iceland, Snorri Sturluson, at collecting the mythology of his ancestry together. The Eddas provide invaluable information regarding the theology and philosophy of the Scandinavian peoples. Other historical records which are often appealed to include the GermaniaTheology & Cosmology
In general, Heathenry is a polytheistic faith which also incorporates aspects of animism and ancestor reverence. However, the manner in which these beliefs are observed varies widely. There are certainly Heathens who believe that the gods are actual, personal beings that interact in our lives. Others, however, take an Archetypal perspective, believing that the gods are representative of certain concepts, actions, or attitudes, rather than being individual embodied entities. Still others (like myself) are entirely atheistic, and view the stories of the gods as moral fables and tribal philosophy.
For those who believe that the gods are real, personal entities, they are not generally viewed in the manner of Classical Theism. The gods are not omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, eternal, or immortal. The gods did not pre-exist the primordial cosmos, but coalesced from it (though, the myths do tell of Odin, Vili, and Ve creating the Earth and humanity). Gods have a full spectrum of emotions and faults, they can bear children and they can die.
Even those who do believe that the gods are personal beings do not generally hold that the mythology is historically factual. There is an active differentiation between mythological truth and historical truth. When the Eddas tell us that Odin, Vili, and Ve carved the Earth from the corpse of the great frost giant, Ymir, Heathens do not generally contend that the history of Earth painted by astrophysics and geology is therefore wrong; nor that this myth should be taught alongside the Big Bang theory in science classrooms. Similarly, when Odin carved the first two humans from an Ash tree and an Elm, Heathens do no usually contend that this should be taught in place of biological evolution. There is, instead, a focus on the relation between the gods and man, rather than an insistence upon historical verity.
Rites & PracticesMorality
While there are no hard-and-fast proscriptions, in Heathenry, as one might find in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, there are some points of morality which tend to remain common throughout. Kinship is a main focus, and treating one's kindred (whether they are direct family members or just close members of one's community) with respect and dignity is fairly paramount in the eyes of most Heathens. Outside of kindred, hospitality is strongly valued and encouraged; while people who are not members of your direct community might not deserve the service you would offer kindred, neither should you turn them away if they ask for some simple favor or help.
Courage, loyalty, truthfulness, discipline, industriousness, and perseverance are all, also, generally held in high regard by practicing Heathens, though each of these virtues has its own exceptions. There are greatly varying views, within Heathenry, regarding many specific issues of morality which are relevant to the modern world. For example, you can certainly find Heathens on both sides of the fence, as regards homosexual marriage. As in any other faith, these debates are usually argued on the basis of traditions and the texts, and can often remain unresolved.
I would be remiss to mention Heathen morality without at least commenting upon racism. Unfortunately, while most practitioners of Norse Heathenry condemn racism as vehemently as possible, there remains a not-insignificant portion of Heathenry that do hold to such racist ideals. For some, it is less pronounced-- given that Heathenry is a reconstruction of Germanic folk religions with a significant focus on ancestry, these Heathens feel that the modern practice should be reserved for those with Germanic heritage. For others, it is far more vitriolic, as numerous neo-Nazis have picked up on the interest that the Third Reich had in Germanic tradition and thereby justify their own racism. Those Heathens that promote racism are a minority as compared to the whole of Norse Heathenry, and most of us view them as an embarrassing minority, at that.
Further Reading
If you are more interested in Heathenry, here are a few suggestions which might help to continue your understanding:
A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru, by Patricia M. Lafayllve
The Poetic Edda, particularly either the Carolyne Larrington or the Lee M. Hollander translations
The Prose Edda, by Snorri Sturluson
The Norse Mythology Blog, by Dr. Karl E.H. Seigfried (which maintains a large library of free resources)
And, of course, I'll endeavor to answer any questions as best as I can!
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