Yule Celebrations In Norway

Yule or Yule-tide is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the Historical Germanic Peoples as a pagan religious festival, though it was later absorbed into, and equated with, the Christian festival of Christmas. The festival was originally celebrated from late December to early January on a date determined by the lunar Germanic calendar. The festival was placed on December 25 when the Christian calendar (Julian calendar) was adopted. Some historians claim that the celebration is connected to the Wild Hunt or was influenced by Saturnalia, the Roman winter festival.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to “Yule” are still used in the Nordic Countries for the Christian Christmas, but also for other religious holidays of the season. In modern times this has gradually led to a more secular Tradition under the same name as Christmas. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. In modern times, Yule is observed as a cultural festival and also with religious rites by some Christians and by some Neopagans.

Although Yule proper starts with the chiming of the church-bells in the afternoon of julaften (“Yule Eve” or “Christmas Eve”) on December 24, the previous day lillejulaften (little Christmas Eve), when the tree is put up and decorated, is increasingly the actual start date for the 13 day long Yule celebration in Norway.

Julaften remains the main event, with a traditional lunch, dinner and the exchange of gifts. Traditional dishes vary by region, but ribbe (pork ribs), and pinnekjott, some places also codfish are eaten. As a continuation of older beliefs, a bowl of porridge is sometimes left outside for nisse that evening.

Throughout December many gather for a julebord, Christmas parties sponsored by companies and institutions for their employees and associates to eat and drink traditional dishes.

The time period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, is called romjul. Occasionally children dress up in costumes and visit neighbours, where they sing Yuletide carols and receive treats like candy, nuts and clementines. This tradition is called julebukk.

In the old days in certain areas, primarily Setesdalen, adults commonly went from house to house drinking, an event called Toftirus, during the 13 days surrounding Christmas eve. Although increasingly rare and localized, this tradition had developed into today’s Drammebukk, where adults visit neighbors in the evening.

For some it is a tradition to watch television shows on Yule Eve. The popular shows are “Tre Notter Til Askepott” (Three Nuts for Cinderella), a Czech-German fairy-tale, and “Reisen til Julestjernen”, a Norwegian film.
Shetland Islands

In the Shetland Islands of Scotland the Yules are considered to last a month beginning on December 18 and ending January 18. The main Yules celebration occurs on December 31. The rest of Scotland eventually adopted “Hogmanay” (the name of the New Years presents) as the name for the festival.

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Ask And Embla

"All men and women are descendants from Ask and Embla, the primordial man and women who were found, as tree trunks on the strand, by Odin, Hoenir and Lodur and given life. Thus, Asatru is the legacy of all humans."

This is part of the lore of the Northern people. There are thousands of such stories told by cultures both ancient and modern, from the Old Testament to the interior of the Amazon today.

Humans in their tribal state were extremely ethnocentric, and often their various groupings bear names that mean something like "the true people" or "the real human beings" to distinguish themselves from their neighbors. Likewise, their creation myths tend to be ethnocentric and to pertain only to themselves - not to all of humankind, with which they are not particularly concerned.

To argue that all humans are descended of Ask and Embla is to say that the myths of every other native culture are wrong, and that only ours is right. From the Australian Outback to the depths of Africa, groups have their own explanations for how they came to be. It is the
height of arrogance to assume that our stories apply to them, and that the sacred tales of their own people are false. Unless we assume that their lore is inferior and inaccurate, we are forced to the logical conclusion that each group is right - so long as it speaks to its own people, and no other.

Indeed, to say that our creation story is the only true one is to deny the existence and validity of other peoples' Gods - for it imposes Odin, Hoenir, and Lodur upon these other folk, shoving their Gods rudely out of the picture and negating their own religious explanations for the nature of things. Most Asatruar would not support such religious imperialism. To say that ours is the "one, true" story of human origin smacks not only of religious intolerance but...well, racism!

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God Vidar Shoe

Vidar is tall, strong, and handsome, has a broad-bladed sword, and besides his armor wears a great leather shoe. Vidar's "thick shoe" consists of all the leather waste pieces that Northern cobblers have cut from their own shoes at the toe and heel, collected by the God throughout all time. As it was very important that the shoe should be large and strong enough to resist the Fenris wolf’s sharp teeth at the last day, it became a matter of religious observance among Northern shoe-makers to give away as many odds and ends of leather as possible.

The Norns’ Prophecy

One day, when Vidar had joined his peers in Valhalla, they welcomed him gaily, for they all loved him and placed their reliance upon him, for they knew he would use his great strength in their favor in time of need. But after he had quaffed the golden mead, Allfather bade him accompany him to the Urdar fountain, where the Norns were busy weaving their web. When questioned by Odin concerning his future and Vidar’s destiny, the three sisters answered oracularly each by the following short sentences:

“Early begun.”
“Further spun.”
“One day done.”

To which their mother, Wyrd, the primitive goddess of fate, added: “With joy once more won.”

These mysterious answers would have remained totally unintelligible to the Gods, had she not gone on to explain that time progresses, that all must change, but that even if the father fell in the last battle, his son Vidar would be his avenger, and would live to rule over a regenerated world, after having conquered all his enemies.

“There sits Odin’s
Son on the horse’s back;
He will avenge his father.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

At Wyrd’s words the leaves of the world tree began to flutter as if agitated by a breeze, the eagle on its topmost bough flapped its wings, and the serpent Nidhug for a moment suspended its work of destruction at the roots of the tree. Grid, joining the father and son, rejoiced with Odin when she heard that their son was destined to survive the older Gods and to rule over the new heaven and earth.

“There dwell Vidar and Vale
In the gods’ holy seats,
When the fire of Surt is slaked.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

Vidar, however, said not a word, but slowly wended his way back to his palace Landvidi, in the heart of the primeval forest, where, sitting down upon his throne, he pondered long about eternity, futurity, and infinity. If he fathomed their secrets he never revealed them, for the ancients averred that he was “as silent as the grave” — a silence which indicated that no man knows what awaits him in the life to come.

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Odin Owns Ye All

(actual song and album title by Einherjer)

I sit by the fires gleam all by myself
Four empty chairs & one’ve been kept warm
I drink to my kinsmen who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin who’ll drink here no more

Odin owns ye all

I sing to them songs I wish their best on their way
I’m sure a valkyrie found them in the battle that day
I drink to my kinsmen who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

To arms To arms - The kinsmen said
They’ve chosen to meet us in battle today
Fight Fight - The kinsmen said
If we show true Norse courage they’ll soon run away
Wrong Wrong - The kinsmen thought
You cowards are fourty men may you rot in Hel
Rise Rise - The valkyries said
Odin decided this day you would die

I drink to my kinsmen
Who sails now with Njord
I drink to my kin
Who’ll drink here no more
I drink to my kinsmen
Who fought bravely at sea
I drink to my kin
Who’ll be missed not just by me

Odin owns ye all

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Asatru Faq Part 3

We Keep Talking About the Vikings. Does This Mean That Asatru is Only for People of Scadinavian Ancestry?

No. Asatru, as practiced by the Norse peoples, had so much in common with the religion of the other Germanic tribes, and with their cousins the Celts, that it may be thought of as one version of a general European religion. Asatru is for all European peoples, whether or not their heritage is specifically Scandinavian.

What are the Basic Beliefs of Asatru?

We believe in an underlying, all-pervading divine energy or essence which is generally hidden from us, and which is beyond our immediate understanding. We further believe that this spiritual reality is interdependent with us - that we affect it, and it affects us.

We believe that this underlying divinity expresses itself to us in the forms of the Gods and Goddesses. Stories about these deities are like a sort of code, the mysterious "language" through which the divine reality speaks to us.

We believe in standards of behavior which are consistent with these spiritual truths and harmonious with our deepest being.

How Does Asatru Differ From Other Religions?

Asatru is unlike the better-known religions in many ways. Some of these are:

We are polytheistic. That is, we believe in a number of deities, including Goddesses as well as Gods. We do not accept the idea of "original sin", the notion that we are tainted from birth and intrinsically bad, as does Christianity. Thus, we do not need "saving".

The Middle Eastern religions teach either a hatred of other religions or a duty to convert others, often by force. They have often practiced these beliefs with cruel brutality.

We do not claim to be a universal religion or a faith for all of humankind. In fact, we don't think such a thing is possible or desirable. The different branches of humanity have different ways of looking at the world, each of which is valid for them. It is only right that they have different religions, which of course they do.

Do You Consider the Norse Myths to be True?

The myths are stories about the Gods and Goddesses of Asatru. They are ways of stating religious truths. That is, we would say they contain truths about the nature of divinity, our own nature, and the relationship between the two. We do not contend that the myths are literally true, as history.

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Rehabilitating The Fylfot

ONE of the most venerable signs of our religion, one of the most universal symbols of mankind's spiritual aspirations, and yet one of the most passionately controversial, is undoubtedly the fylfot, more commonly known as the swastika. This emblem has been used from time immemorial in heathen temples, in Christian churches and, indeed, in Jewish synagogues.

Various interpretations of its symbolic use amongst our ancestors have been put forward. For some it is the symbol of the cosmos revolving round the universal axis, Yggdrasil. For others it is equivalent to the sign of Thor's hammer, more usually identified with thunder and lightning. The most widely accepted interpretation is that it is the sun-wheel, a variant of the so-called Celtic cross, which is an equal-armed cross within a circle, and that it thus displays the ever-revolving disc of the sun spinning in the heavens. The sun is revered because it is the guarantor of both order and life; order, because the sun's unchanging revolutions are the surest indicator that the cosmos operates according to regular and certain principles; and life, because the sun is the source of all warmth and light, without which the world would become a barren wasteland.

The fylfot therefore symbolises everything that is good and positive and hopeful in creation, and everything that makes life worthwhile or possible. It says in times of sorrow, 'Life mist go on', and in times of joy, 'Life is worth living'. The same idea is expressed in the Sanskrit word 'swastika', which literally means 'well-being' or 'all is well'. Armed with this knowledge, we shall be more able to explain the sacred meaning of this particular feature of our religion to those who know no better. Our people are steeped in ignorance of their origins and heritage. It is not our job to blame them, but to educate and restore them to their rightful inheritance. This daunting task can only be achieved if we act with tact, discretion and sensitivity. The fylfot, like the runes, assumes a secretive nature, helpful to the wise, unhelpful to the decadent and ignorant masses.

A symbol means, after all, whatever it is understood to mean. If for the war veteran it means the enemy he fought in the last war, if for the war widow it means the cause of her loss, then that is what it means to them, regardless of what it means to Odinists. Thus to flaunt it heedlessly instead of educating our folk to understand its original and spiritual significance, will only alienate those whom we wish to win over.

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What Is In A Word

'IN the beginning was the Word' , a statement found at the beginning of the Hebrew Bible, is a typical word-play used to subtly twist the truth. ' The Word ' is attributed to the god Jehovah, a wrathful and destructive demon, and so all of creation is attributed to the destroyer. In reality the statement has a far different meaning.

' Word ' in modern German is ' wurt '; but in Old High German ' wurt ' meant ' wyrd '; the Saxon for wyrd was ' word ', phonetically similar to ' word '. The Norse ' Orlog ' contains the word ' Log ' meaning ' layers ', which in turn may have the same root as the Latin ' logos ', ' words . ' Log ' is also a record of events and so implies ' past events '. So this phrase, in truth, should be, ' In the beginning was the Wyrd '. A very different concept:

And so it was, is and will be! The Wyrd was first; the cosmic mind that drives the wheel of fate and mysteriously hides a changing pattern of unfolding evolutionary destiny. The rune Perthro is a dice-cup, the container that throws the dice in the game of life of which we, the gods, elves and all beings participate. It is the opening womb of the Earth Mother, giver of life, and at the time of birth we begin to work out our fate. Behind the ' chance ' of the dice throw is a pattern of evolution of which we form a part. We are woven by the Wyrd Sisters into the loom of fate, on to the Web of Wyrd, in a pattern with all the other beings of existence and our own destiny appears upon the pattern. And what we do will affect what we are in the future: the past determines the future.

Interestingly, the Norse Orlog is very similar to a Flemish (Dutch) word ' oorlog ' which means 'war'. The word war appears to derive from an Aryan root-word having the following meanings:

1. to will/choose,
2. to speak;
3. to wind or turn.

'To choose' reminds us of the Valkyries, Choosers of the Slain, an aspect of the Wyrd Sisters. 'To speak' implies 'the Word'. 'To wind/turn' implies the cyclic motion of the cosmos and 'wind' can be applied to a spring/spiral. Is the cosmos not a constant 'war' of opposites, the eagle battling with the serpent on the World Tree? And are we not a part of this constant war? And from this struggle emerges the evolutionary drive of the Wyrd , the cosmic mind.

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Germanic And Celtic Religious Lore And Practices

I referred to virtually identical warrior paradises in the scene which opened this article, but the overlap between Celtic and Germanic lore goes far beyond this.

Bogs throughout Northern Europe received sacrifices from Celt and German alike. Weapons and armor captured in battle, food and beakers, miscellaneous items - all were deposited in lakes and marshes in the same way, to the point that we can't even tell which finds are German and which are Celtic.

When the Druids sacrificed to the Gods, the blood from an animal was sprinkled with a sprig of greenery on the assembled people, so the divine energy inherent in blood could be directly transferred to them. In historical Asatru, our forebears did exactly the same thing in the course of a sacrifice or blot.. (Today, modern practitioners of both religions use mead or other fermented fluid in this role.)

Across the length and breadth of our European homeland, our ancestors honored the Gods in the open air, because we thought it inappropriate to shut them up into limiting, lessening structures like the Christian churches. Similarly, in the earliest days, our representations of the Gods and goddesses were simple indeed - often carved from pieces of wood to which Nature had already given the basic shape, awaiting only a few refinements from human hands.

These customs accurately describe Celts as well as Germans.

Tribesmen of both groups used intoxicating drink in religious ritual. Often this was mead, but it could be ale as well. And, while we're considering altered states of consciousness, let's remember the fit or frenzy of the Odin-gripped warriors, the berserkers. In old Ireland, essentially the same warrior's madness bore the name of "{\i ferg} ".

Readers of the Norse stories will remember how Sigurd the Volsung killed the dragon Fafnir and roasted its heart. When he burned his finger, he stuck it in his mouth and found that he could understand the speech of birds. The Irish hero Fergus gained the same gift when he singed his finger while cooking a salmon over a fire.



MAP OF THE UNIVERSE...

When we look at the cosmology of the Teutons and that of the Celts, we can't help but see the likeness. Both have the giant tree, the center of the cosmos and indeed the framework in which all the worlds are found: to Asafolk, it's Yggdrasil; the Celts call it Bile .

The other key component of the universe in ancient Germania was the Well of Wyrd, containing the deeds that make up the past. Drinking from its waters gives wisdom, and Odin gave up one of his eyes for the privilege. As it turns out, the Celts have an almost identical well; hazel nuts fall into it where they are eaten by the Salmon of Wisdom.

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What Does Asatru Teach About An Afterlife

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 and 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 descendents quite apart from an afterlife as such.

We of Asatru do not overly concern ourselves with the next life. We live here and now, in this life. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care of itself.

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Fehu Rune

This is the Rune of wealth and expansive energy. It represents a new beginning, so it is used to enable the beginning of a project. Its number is One, the number of the beginning. In its original interpretation Fehu means cattle. If we imagine an agricultural community, we will easily realize that the livestock plays a vital role in life within the community. Fehu represents possessions, earned or deserved, so it also represents material gains. Since bulls were sacrificed to Frey, which we know from some Sagas as well, we can directly connect Fehu to him, although it's often connected to his sister Freya. Seeing that Frey and Freya are fertility Gods, Fehu is also connected to this phenomenon. The aspect of Fehu must always be present in our life if we want to live it in a good way. Because if we're not materially set, if we don't have good employment or a place of residence, we can hardly advance in a spiritual way. Fehu is also connected to Gulveig, the deity of gold, i.e. material wealth. Gulveig is actually just another aspect of Freya.

Divination:

Positive meaning: financial strength, power, wealth, success, fertility, new beginning.

Negative meaning: material losses, greed, sexual frustration.

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Asatru And Odinism

Book: Asatru And Odinism by Miac

Recenl decades have seen a proiiieration oi different religions and sects. Pad oi this movemenl has been a reslrgence of in lerest in ancienl religious beliels and polythelsm. While not recerving as much atlention as other pre-hjstoric religions, such as Wicca, Asatra and Odinism stem irom simiiar backgrounds. Both are evolulionary or reconstructed forms of religion practiced in Europe prior to the spread ol Christianity, meaning that they are moderf interprelations of praclices that may have taken difierent forms in the past. Asatra and Odinism are of interest to the law eniorcement community becalse many members of while supremacist organizations have chosen them as a white European allernalive to olher rejlgions.

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Victory Or Valhalla The Final Compilation Of Writings

Book: Victory Or Valhalla The Final Compilation Of Writings by David Lane

David Lane was a prolific writer who tackled all of the issues imperative to the survival of our race. Some of the material contained in these pages will be familiar to those who have read Deceived, Damned & Defiant. However, this book also contains newer writings, including his fictional story "KD Rebel" as well as his last interview.

The 14 words created by David Lane are immortal words. The White Race is in great danger. This collection of writings by David Lane is fantastic. He was a "MAN AGAINST TIME". In Germany a lot of people know David Lane's 14 words. We also enjoy his great writings. David Lane had been a competent author with wide-ranging knowledge of the world. We must unite our race to survive.

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Stories From Northern Myths

Book: Stories From Northern Myths by Emilie Kip Baker

"Stories from Northern Myth" written in 1914 by Emilie Kip Baker. Most of the existing records on Norse mythology date from the 11th to 18th century, having gone through more than two centuries of oral preservation in what was at least officially a Christian society. At this point scholars started recording it, particularly in the Eddas and the Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson, who believed that pre-Christian deities trace real historical people. There is also the Danish Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, where the Norse gods are more strongly Euhemerized. The Prose or Younger Edda was written in the early 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, who was a leading skald, chieftain, and diplomat in Iceland. It may be thought of primarily as a handbook for aspiring skalds. It contains prose explications of traditional "kennings," or compressed metaphors found in poetry. These prose retellings make the various tales of the Norse gods systematic and coherent.

The mythological literature relates the legends of heroes and kings, as well as supernatural creatures. These clan and kingdom founding figures possessed great importance as illustrations of proper action or national origins. The heroic literature may have fulfilled the same function as the national epic in other European literatures, or it may have been more nearly related to tribal identity. Many of the legendary figures probably existed, and generations of Scandinavian scholars have tried to extract history from myth in the sagas.

Sometimes the same hero resurfaces in several forms depending on which part of the Germanic world the epics survived such as Weyland/Volund and Siegfried/Sigurd, and probably Beowulf/Bodvar Bjarki. Other notable heroes are Hagbard, Starkad, Ragnar Lodbrok, Sigurd Ring, Ivar Vidfamne and Harald Hildetand. Notable are also the shieldmaidens who were ordinary women who had chosen the path of the warrior. These women function both as heroines and as obstacles to the heroic journey.

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Othala Rune

Othala represents inheritance or heritage and a warm, safe home. This is Fehu on a higher level, but also Fehu – the beginning of a next circle. The heritage of Othala can be understood in the material sense but also as the knowledge of Ancestors and wisdom of the Old one always has to come back to. The basic meaning of Othala is actually Ancestral or Inherited Land i.e. home. A resting place we're all aspiring to; it can signify our homeland as well as our spiritual homeland. It's the goal we've finally reached in order to accomplish the peace we longed for. This Rune was used by the Nazis, as well as two Sowilo Runes which were the emblem of the SS formation. Even today Othala is used by skinheads to mark their white heritage, which only damages the Runic system, and the Germanic system in general. That damage is caused by the piling of negative emotions towards Germanic symbols. Othala signifies belonging, but not in such a vulgar sense like belonging to a single race, but more an axis and basis everyone should find within. The Rune is used to end what one has started.

Divination:

Positive meaning: heritage, home, security, belonging, independence.

Negative meaning: a limiting traditionalism, loss of a spiritual basis, problems with the law and possessions.

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Introduction To The Elder Edda

Book: Introduction To The Elder Edda by John Ronald Tolkien

The Elder Edda is not a single continuous narrative, but a collection of poems, most of which are preserved in the Konungsbok, or Codex Regius (King's Book), copied in Iceland about A.D. 1270. The poems are the work of many poets. Their language suggests that they were composed between 800 and 1100 A.D. and first written down between 1150 and 1250 A.D. The poems are a rich source of information for culture and belief among the Vikings. They are not, however, purely Scandinavian. Christian Irish influence is likely, while the Sigurd story draws on actual events among the tribes that invaded the Roman Empire between 350-600 A.D.

The Elder Edda first came to scholarly attention in the seventeenth century as antiquarian interest in the non-classical past was growing in Europe. It was published in its entirety just as intense romantic and nationalistic interest in the perceived tribal Ancestors of the European nation states emerged towards the end of the eighteenth century. This interest, combined with the new science of philology, ensured popular and scholarly interest in texts like the Elder Edda. Some of the lays were available in bowdlerized versions even for children by the later nineteenth century. In the hands of Richard Wagner, the Elder Edda became the foundation of one of the century's masterpieces. While northern legends and the scholarship based on it were misused by the Nazis to develop and further their ideas of race, they are seriously misrepresented by such ideas. In the 1960s, the poet W. H. Auden in collaboration with an Old Norse scholar, Paul B. Taylor, produced a translation of sixteen of the poems.

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Asatru History

Asatru is frequently regarded as one of the Neopagan family of religions. That family includes Wicca, Celtic Druidism, and re-creations of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and other ancient Pagan religions. However, many Asatruar prefer the term "Heathen" or "Pagan" rather than "Neopagan;" they look upon their tradition as "not just a branch on the Neopagan tree" but as a separate tree. Unlike Wicca, which has gradually evolved into many different traditions, the reconstruction of Asatru has been based on the surviving historical record. Its followers have maintained it as closely as possible to the original religion of the Norse people.

Asatru or 'satr' is an Icelandic word which is a translation of the Danish word "Asetro." Asetro was "first seen in 1885 in an article in the periodical "Fjallkonan". The next recorded instance was in "Hei'inn si'ur ' 'slandi" ("Heathen traditions in Iceland.") by 'lafur Briem (Reykjav'k, 1945)." It means "belief in the Oisir," the Gods. "Asatru" is a combination of "Asa" which is the possessive case of the word 'sir (AEsir) and "Tru" which means belief or religion.

Throughout Scandinavia the religion is called Forn Si'r (which means the Ancient way or tradition), Forn sed (the Old custom), Nordisk sed (Nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom). Other names are:

Norse Heathenism, Germanic Heathenism, the Elder Troth, the Old Way, Asetro, Vor Si r (our way), Forn Si r (Ancient way), Forn sed (the old custom), Nordisk sed (Nordic custom), or Hedensk sed (Pagan custom), Odinism or Folkish 'satr'.

The religion's origin is lost in antiquity. At its peak, it covered all of Northern Europe. Countries gradually converted to Christianity. In 1000 CE, Iceland became the second last Norse culture to convert. Their prime motivation was economic. Sweden was ruled by a Pagan king until 1085 CE.

Icelandic poet Gogi Sveinbjorn Beinteinsson promoted government recognition of Asatru as a legitimate religion; this status was granted in 1972. Since the early 1970's, the religion has been in a period of rapid growth in the former Norse countries, as well as in Europe and North America.

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Asatru Faq Part 1

What is Asatru?

Long before Christianity came to northern Europe, the people there - our ancestors - had their own religions. One of these was Asatru. It was practiced in the lands that are today Scandinavia, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and other countries as well. Asatru is the original or native religious belief for the peoples who lived in these regions.

What does the word "Asatru" mean?

It means, roughly, "belief in the Gods" in Old Norse, the language of ancient Scandinavia in which so much of our source material was written. Asatru is the name by which the Norsemen called their religion.

When did Asatru start?

Asatru is thousands of years old. Its beginnings are lost in prehistory, but it is older than Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, or most other religions. The spiritual impulses it expresses are as ancient as the European peoples themselves - at least 40,000 years, and perhaps much older.

Why do we need Asatru? Aren't most people who want religion satisfied with Christianity or one of the other "Established" religions?

People are attracted to the better-known religions because they have genuine spiritual needs which must be filled. People are looking for community and for answers to the "big questions": What life is all about, and how we should live it. For many people today, the so-called major faiths do not have answers that work. Asatru has answers, but it has not been an alternative for most seekers because they haven't known about it. Once they realize that there is another way - a better, more natural, more honorable way - they will not be satisfied with anything less than a return to the religion of their ancestors.

Why is the Religion of our Ancestors the Best One for Us?

Because we are more like our ancestors than we are like anyone else. We inherited not only their general physical appearance, but also their predominant mental, emotional, and spiritual traits. We think and feel more like they did; our basic needs are most like theirs. the religion which best expressed their innermost nature - Asatru - is better suited to us than is some other creed which started in the Middle East among people who are essentially different from us. Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are alien religions which do not truly speak to our souls.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Reeves Hall - Asatru In Brief
Miac - Asatru And Odinism
Anthony Arndt - Asatru The Northern Way
Anonymous - Asatru And The Paranormal

God Hod

Hod: This name also means "warrior", and he is very strong. But he is also blind, and it was his hand that Loki guided to the killing of Baldur. Hod was afterwards killed, and resides with Baldur in Hel.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Mark Mirabello - The Odin Brotherhood
Morwyn - The Golden Dawn
Anonymous - Pagan Holidays
Aleister Crowley - City Of God A Rhapsody

Figure Of Loki

Obviously the figure of ``Loki`` looms like a malignant smog in the myths concerning Balder as it is by Loki's energy that the Bright One is seemingly slain -- important to remember though that Balder rises anew after the Ragnarok. We shall get to that important realisation near the close of this article. First however it is probably timely to consider Loki as there is so much harmful confusion surrounding this entity. Now while it could be true to say that all the Gods / Goddesses have aspects which can be seen as `confusing` or `enigmatic`, in the main such misunderstandings or inaccessibility is not directly harmful. It is not desirable and does impede our upward evolution, but it does not usually have such baneful consequences or such immediate problems as the misunderstanding of Loki brings. Indeed the misunderstanding of this figure and the energy of it is as prime reason why experience/access to other God Forces is often confused, for as we shall see, Loki's energy inhibits true perception and knowing.

In some ways, we could be considered as being more obviously dangerous to the Gods than Loki, certainly there is not so much ambiguity, but again the source of this threat is Loki. At the level we are detailing here, Fenris personifies the `false ego` or `little self` which constantly works to keep us from our `great self`, it seeks to devour the higher consciousness we journey and strive to attain. Indeed this little self is a child of illusion. In the mythology it may appear strange that this beast is not slain before he has grown to his dangerous size but instead he is brought into Asgarth. This shows us how hard it actually is to `slay` the false ego, how it is constantly with us, pulling at us, attempting to devour our higher consciousness (or the potential for attaining that). Even those who have extreme self discipline and conduct intense spiritual practices will still be dogged by this ``wolf` and must always check on its ravening. It may also be a little puzzling that the only thing found to bind him was a chain forged by the dark elves. The dark elves themselves symbolise negative traits, be they uncontrolled sensual desires, material desires etc, but paradoxically it is these very things which spring from illusion which ``bind`` or dictate to the false ego. We see in the mythology that untamed and loose this monster is a direct threat to the Odin principle, Higher awareness, and needs be destroyed before full realisation of the Odin consciousness is attained. And what is a big fear in doing this? That by overcoming this little self we loose all sense of ourselves, this is an illusion of course as the great self is then revealed and experienced, but illusion is powerful and sires a ferocious ``wolf``.

The second spawn of Loki or illusion is allegorically given as Jormungandr the World Serpent. A creature so vast it encircles the material world of Midgarth and holds fast unto it. Again what splendid imagery, for Jormungandr is symbolic of the material desires and unchanneled or uncontrolled vital life force we posses. Attachment to these desires and an inability to control the life energy are yet more obstacles, which hold us from attaining higher awareness and super consciousness. Illusion, our incorrect perception of the nature of reality and desire for the seeming pleasures or gains we find on the Midgarth realm of existence which illusion brings, holds us firmly to a lower level of reality than we can achieve. Interestingly the life force in early Indo European (Aryan) teachings is depicted as a serpent (kundalini). Correct control of this force or snake leads to rapid evolution, but uncontrolled it is a danger. Another fitting child for Loki is this vast serpent.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Medieval Grimoires - The Grimoire Of Honorius
Marty Dodge - Reviews Of Leo Ruckbie Work
New Wiccan Church - Electric Garters Of California
Morwyn - 3 Green Books
Anonymous - Potentialities Of Loki

Asatru Rituals And Practices

- Their local religious communities are called Kindreds, Hearths, or Garths. Male priests are called Goti; priestesses are Gytja.

- The Blot: (pronounced "bloat" or "boat;" sources differ) This is their most common religious ritual; it is a sacrifice to the Gods. In olden days, as with almost all ancient religions, an animal was consecrated to the deities and then slaughtered. This was not seen as a bribe or as a method of capturing the power of the dying animal. It is simply the way in which the ancient Norse shared their bounty with a gift to the Gods. Currently, the animal sacrifice has been replaced by the offer of beer, juice or mead. Afterwards, those present are either sprinkled with the liquid, or drink it in sequence.

- The Symbel: This 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. He or she then drinks from the horn.

- Profession or Adoption: This is the act of making a commitment to Asatru to the exclusion 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 Godi or Gydja and the rest of the Kindred, Hearth or Garth. It is taken on an oath ring or some other sacred object. Some followers of Asatru believe that only those with Norse ancestry should be eligible to join.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Miac - Asatru And Odinism
Andrew Lang - Myth Ritual And Religion
Frater Fp - Sigils In Theory And Practice
Aleister Crowley - Ritual Viii Practical Notes
Anonymous - Wicca Beliefs And Practices