Asatru (Norse Heathenism)
Asatru is a recently revived religion from the ancient world. The religion is based on a surviving historical record and is a sect within the Scandinavian/Norse Religion. Asatru is an Icelandic word that means beelief in the Asir, the Gods. In Scandinavia, the religion is called Forn Sior (the ancient way), Nordisk sed (nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom. At its peak the religion covered most of Europe. The religion was adopted by the Nationalist Socialist (Nazi) party in Germany by Adolf Hitler. This is the one of the reasons while Hitler started the Holocaust, because Asatru is deeeply rooted in racial beliefs of superiority and inferiority. That is why Hitler tried to exterminate the Jews. Asatru is a polytheistic religion. There are three races of deities in the Norse pantheon. They are all regarded as living beings who are involved in human life. The Aesir are the gods of the tribe or the clan, representing kingship, order, craft, etc. The Vanir represent the fertility of the eart and forces of nature. They are associated with the clan but not a part of it. The Jotnar are giants who are in a constant state of war with the Aesir. They represent chaos and destruction. At the battle of Ragnarok, many of the Gods will die, the world will come to an end and be reborn. Some of the important specific Gods are Thor- the god of thunder who wields Mjolnir, the divine Hammer. His chariot racing across the sky generates thunder. Thursday (Thor's Day) was named after him. Odin is the one-eyed God who gave up one of his eyes in order to drink from the Fount of Wisdom. he is a magician and wise one. he learned the secrets of the runes(Northern European Alphabet) by hanging himself on the tree Yggdrasil for nine nights. Frey is the God of Yule (born on the Winter Solstice, typically December 21). He is a God of peace and plenty who brings forth fertility and prosperity. His father was Njord. Some of the specific goddesses are Freya, the Goddess of love, beauty and sexuality, and perhaps a dozen other attributes. She takes the souls of slain soldiers to Valhalla (Odin's heaven). Frigg is Odin's wife. She is the patronness of the household. Skadi is the Goddess of independence, death, hunting and skiing. Scandinavia is named after her. Ostara is a goddess of fertility celebrated during the Spring equinox. her symbols are the hare and the egg. Other entities are Aegir, Balder, Bragi, Forseti, Heimdall, Loki, Njord, Ran, Tyr, Ull, and Vithar. They also honor the Landvaettir(land spirits) of the forest, earth, and streams. They follow the nine nobel virtues; coruage, truth, honor, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self-reliance, and perseverance. The family is valued and greatly honored. They believe humanity is literally descended from the Gods, that three brothers- Odin, Vili, and Ve created people from two trees and gave them the names Ask and Embla. One deity, Rig visited the earth and esablished the social classes. Od is the gift of ecstasy provided to humans by the Gods. It is what seperates humanity from other animals. A poem Voluspa(Prophecy of the Seeress) contains an Asatru story of the creation of the universe. between Muspelheim(the Land of Fire) and Niflheim(the Land of Ice) was an empty space called Ginnungigap. The fire and ice move towards each other; when they collided, the universe came into being. odin, Vili, and Ve later created the world from the body of a giant that they had slain. After death, those who die in battle are carried to Valhall by the Valkyries. There they will eat Sarimner(a pig that is daily slaughtered and resurrected) with the Gods. Those who have lived very evil and treacherous lives go to Hifhel, a place of torment. The remainder go to Hel- a place of calmness and peace. The local religious communities of the Asatru are called Kindreds, Hearths, or Garths. Priests are called Gothi and priestesses are Gythia. The Blot is the most common religious ritual. it is a sacrifice to the Gods. The Sumbel is a ritual drinking celebration, in which a horn filled with a drink is passed around the group. Each person delivers a greeting; a toast to the Gods, ancient heroes, or one's ancestors; or a story, song or poem. Je or she then drinks from the horn. Profession or adoption is the act of making a commitment to Asatru to the exlusions of other faiths, by solemnly giving an oath of allegiance and kinship to the Gods of Asgard- the Aesir and Vanir. It is a simple ceremony usually done in the presence of a Gothi or Gythia and the rest of the Kindred, Hearth, or Garth. It is usually taken on an oath ring. The main holidays for the religion are the Summer Finding at the spring equinox on March 21 which is dedicated to Ostara; Winter finding on the fall equinox on Sept. 21; Midsummer at the summer solstice on June 21; Yule, which starts on the winter solstice on December 21 and lasts for 12 days or more and is the most important day of the year. Other important holidays are the Charming of the Plow on the weekend of Feb. 1 which is a celebration of Freya and the Disir; Merry Moon on the weekend of May 1, and the celebration of spring dedicated to Njord and Nerthis; Harvest or Freyfaxi on the weekend of Aug 1, which is the first harvest and celebration of Frey and his horse; Fogmoon on the weekend of Nov. 1, which is a celebration of war-dead and Ragnarok dedicated to Odin and Freya. Etherjar is held on Nov 11 and honors those who have been killed in battle and have joined Odon's warriors in Valhalla. Some groups hold a feast on the ninth of each month to honor Norse heroes.
My Info:
Name:
Chad Harvey
Email: