ásatrú for beginners (mathias nordvig)

what is ásatrú?

• pronounced ow-sa-tru; means "belief/trust in the æsir (gods, spirits)"
• modern system of spirituality which focuses on the norse gods.
• uses information from folklore, mythology, and traditions of northern europe (especially scandinavia)
• term "asatru" comes from 19th-cent danish scholars who wrote about pre-christian scandinavian religion
• term "heathen" refers to people who weren't christian.
• remember: heathenry has no scripture or overarching authority figures. each group has its own way, rules, and leaders.
• this is a personal spirituality, not an organized religion.
• us group: the troth has some classes on heathenry.
• survey of asatru in iceland in 2006-7: only 2% said they believed in the gods.
• belief is not the most important part of asatru; how you live your life is the important part.

more vocab & history sidebar

• polytheism typically refers to ancient greek + roman religions.
• animism typically refers to tribal (read: non-urban), less-organized religions.
• stone age: religion was about hunting practices and basic parts of life (food, birth, illness, partnerships, death). once farming appears, rituals reflect this. gotta make sacrifices to the harvest gods!
• next up is the bronze age (1700-500 bce for northern europe / scandinavia). archeology shows us ceremonial axes, swords, helmets with horns, and procession horns. rock carvings from the time feature depictions of life, which includes performing rituals. a figure resembling thor is repeatedly depicted. also, the bronze age saw more trade between northern and southern europe, causing ideas to proliferate between the regions. (briefly reminded of some lecture on how the silk road influenced beliefs in asia)
• celtic iron age (500 bce for scandinavia). first evidence of germanic cultures in northern europe. some artifacts-ex. "the gundestrup cauldron" (denmark) depicted multiple deities. roman iron age-germania (tacitus, 98ce) was an ethnography of the germans. provided insight into heathenry.

the migration age & sources

• the migration age around 150ce, runic inscriptions, magical in nature, begin to appear. during the first 500ce, germanic people move widely across europe (mentions poland, ukraine, greece, bulgaria, british isles, spain, north africa).
• "the most accessible, but also least trustworthy, source material on the norse gods is medieval literature from the period 1100-1500ce" because it was written by christians.
• to look into: codex regius of the poetic edda.

being ásatrú today

• "what do i need from life and how can the gods and spirits help me find it?"
• ancient stories are part of the scandinavian landscape-places named after gods, heroes, and kings; runestone rock carvings; burial mounds; statues.
• tales aren't set-in-stone lore, but an expression of a norse worldview
• stories show fate exists. the nornir are female spirits of fate; three of them are known. names: urðr, verðandi, skuld (past, present, future). they live by a well at the foot of yggdrasill, which collects rain from the tree's crown.

fate-related vocab

• gipta: what you were given at birth
• gæfu: your ability
• hammingja: "the total sum of all that you have, what you make of it, and what the world bestows on you."
• those three components make up your luck in life. some think the gods play a role in continuing to shape your luck; others think you're on your own. in ancient legends, people either believe they have no control over their fate, or they believe in their own abilities. sometimes appeared as a goddess (dís) which followed a person around.
• ørlög: ancient law which comes before gipta. your string, which you received when you were created.

popular gods and spirits

• ásatrúar do not limit themselves to norse gods; it is not atypical for them to also worship some germanic or saxon deities. there's more than a thousand of them...but here's some popular ones!
• odin: in the edda, snorri (the author) portrayed him as the heathen version of the christian god, “the all-father." historically, he is a god of death, war, mystery, wisdom, knowledge, runes, and magic. people harnessed his power in war and in rituals. he appears as an eagle, his mind and memory as ravens, and his darker side as wolves.
• frigg: odin's wife. mother-goddess, protects wisdom for women, and can be called on for family luck matters. appears as a swan.
• baldr: son of frigg. god of male prowess. his brother, höðr, is tricked by loki into killing him.
• thor: called "the protector of earth." god of strength, power, protection, and masculinity; warden of fertility and safety from illness. hammer pendant is popular. jord: thor's mother; goddess of earth.
• sif: fertility goddess who controls crops. thor's wife.
• loki: creative, mischievous, and innovative trickster god. brought thor his hammer, odin his spear, and invented the fishing net.
• freyja: goddess of love and sexuality; feminine sexual energy and aggression. warden of the ritual magic called seiðr.
• freyr: freyja's brother, the male complement to her female sexuality.
• njord: father of freyja and freyr; god of ships.
• idunn: responsible for the cycle of the year. a youth goddess.
• skaði: "raw female energy." a huntress and mountain warrior who rules the woods and mountains.
• týr: god of war, making sacrifices for community.
• eir: goddess of healing and medicine.
• hel: goddess of the realm of the dead (niflhel, niflheim). another goddess for seiðr magic.
• sól and máni: sun and moon, respectively; sister and brother.
• some see gods as being entities who inhabit our world alongside us. others see them as archetypes. some think you can form relationships with them, and others think they care less about individual humans and more about the processes of the cosmos.
• jötnar and trolls: demonic beings, probably trying to cause chaos.
• there are spirits of the local site, which can be appeased through libations (often beer or mead). disir are your family's protective spirits. the house has a protective spirit (nisse, tomte, gardvord, tunkall). dvergar are demons who are responsible for illness.

asatru values

• respect for society and community is essential to heathen values
• the havamal is a poem said to be the words of odin, and addresses how to live life. a summary-hospitality, intelligence, humility, moderation, respect, friendship, self-reliance, kindness and generosity.
• "a man carries no better burden than a good portion of common sense."
• honor is earned. what do you bring to the table? what value are you to your community?
• wyrd's web (urðr): our actions impact other people, and other people's actions impact us. fate and life weave all together.
• ragnarok: the world ends when all bonds are broken.

worship and rituals

• altars are for communing with spirits. maybe you leave offerings here. indoor altars are great for focusing on ancestors; people might hang pictures or items from the dead family member.
• "whatever you want to say to the gods, say it!"
• an example for invoking gods and spirits, from the poem vøluspá: "listen to me, all holy beings, greater and smaller, kin of heimdallr; valföðr wants me to say the ancient spells, the first ones that i remember."
• a good formula to end prayer with: "hail aesir, hail alfar, hail wise vanir; hail regin!" so you're including all the gods and spirits.
• blót: heathen rituals. a spiritual act to communicate with the gods.

sacred rituals

• most of this information did not survive well over time and is poorly authenticated. some heathens use a similar cycle to the wiccan wheel of the year. many customs have been invented in the past few hundred years and may be piggy-backing off of christian traditions.
• jol: described as a large communal sacrifice. animals were sacrificed, cooked, and eaten.
• thorshelg: celebrating every thursday for six weeks before the winter solstice.
• there are historical sources for viking funeral rites, but they're not really appropriate for contemporary times. (ex. human and animal sacrifices). cremation is okay though.

some notes for myself

• i'd like to read the havamal. the emphasis on community and how we live with other people intrigues me.
• i'd like to make a set of runes for myself and "learn" to use them. i can't pinpoint what about them i find fascinating. i think i'll start by making/finding an anki deck per his rune chart, and go from there.
• i'd like to read more about house spirits and do something for them.