BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF MODERN HEATHENS

An introduction to Asatru

Asatru (pronounced ow-sa-tru) is a modern revival of the faith of pre-Christian Germanic tribes. The word Asatru means true to the gods, in this case the deities of the Northern Europeans. It is a religion reconstructed from fragments of lore and history combined with modern practices. The main sources of this lore are the Poetic and Prose Eddas along with sagas believed to have their origins in Norse oral tradition.

Asatru is sometimes referred to as Heathenry and its practitioners as heathens. However, that is also a term for the greater northern spirituality movement, which some Asatru don't consider themselves part of.

Deities in Asatru

Major deities honored in Asatru are from two groups of gods, the Aesir and Vanir, who once waged war against each other but eventually united as one tribe. Some of the most well known gods and goddesses include:

Odin, Nerthus, Thor, Tyr, Loki, Frigga, Freyr, Freya, Idunna, and Hel.

They are seen as kin to humans, ancestors worthy of reverence and honor, not as beings to bow down to.

Asatru Rituals

While there is no set dogma or governing organization within Asatru, there are aspects of the religion shared by many. Practitioners gather in groups called kindreds or practice alone. Rituals practiced tend to follow the general Neo-Pagan wheel of the year. However, some Asatruar don't consider themselves part of the larger Pagan community so observe rites based on their own understanding of the lore.

Main rites include blots (pronounced bloats) and sumbels. Traditional blots are communal feasts centered around celebrating a holiday or other special event. A sumbel includes ritual rounds of toasts and drinking to be heard and hopefully blessed by the gods.

Asatru Religious and Spiritual Practice

Ancestors are highly revered in Asatru and given due respect in blots, sumbels, and personal practice. Another way heathens personalize their religion is with home altars. Representations of the gods, ancestors, land spirits, and other items of importance are placed on the altar, which also serves as a focus of daily prayer or contemplation.

The Nine Noble Virtue

Ethics in Asatru are expressed in different ways, most notably through the Nine Noble Virtues:

Courage, truth, honor, loyalty, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, independence, and stead-fastness. Not all kindreds use this model, but the concept of right action as a code to live by is a widespread heathen tenet.

The Role of Magic in Asatru

Unlike Wicca or other Neo-Pagan faiths, magic isn't the main focus of Asatru. Honoring the gods and ancestors and living everyday in accordance with right practice and action is what is most important. However, some Asatruar incorporate rune study, spaecraft (divination) and magic as well as seidhr (trancework) into their personal or group rituals.

Often referred to as the religion with homework, Asatru is truly a calling for those who wish to devote themselves to the gods of the Aesir and Vanir and learn the lore of the Northern Europeans.

References:

Gundarsson, Kveldulf Hagan. Our Troth Volume 1: History and Lore, second edition. BookSurge, LLC, 2006.

Members of the Troth. A Book of Blots. The Troth, 2004.

Smith, Michael J. Ways of the Asatru: Beliefs of the Modern, Northern Heathens. Harvest-Moon Publishing, 2003.