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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The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire

Book: The Galdrabok An Icelandic Grimoire by Stephen Flowers

The so-called Galdrabok,' or "Book of Magic," is the single most important document for understanding the practice of magic in late medieval Iceland. It is especially important in that it give, a unique insight into the various religio-magical elements that went into a synthetic national magical tradition in Iceland all the time of its compilation. No other document of comparable age gives so many details of the preservation of the archaic Germanic gods, cosmology, and magical practices as does this little manuscript. Here we are not dependent on folktales or indirect reports through confessions exacted by the tortures of the Inquistion or other churchly authorities to reconstruct the magicoreligious views of the galdramenn (magicians) of the day; instead, we have direct evidence of actual practices written by the magicians' own hands. In many ways the Galdrabok is to the Icelandic folktales of magic' what the runic inscriptions are to the accounts of magic recorded in the sagas. They provide factual corroboration of what otherwise might have been considered, form of fantasy.

In this volume the reader will find not only an annotated translation of the complete Galdrabok but also a similar treatment of selections from other written sources of Germanic magical practice from all of the Germanic peoples. However, in no region did the old ways and the old Gods and goddesses survive so well as in Iceland. And because we are focusing on these texts for what is uniquely Germanic about them, leaving as secondary what is common to every European tradition, we will concentrate mainly on Icelandic sources in this study. Our two principal areas of interest will be the preservation of the Old Gods and the preservation of the unique forms of Germanic magical practice inherited from the heathen age.

In preparing this work for modern publication, I've made every effort to remain true to the original text of the Gaklrabok. Irregularities in capitalization and spelling are left as in the original as they may have special meaning or significance.

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Germanic And Celtic Religions

The only real differences between Germanic and Celtic religion seem to be the names by which the Gods are called. A viking of the tenth century would likely have felt quite comfortable in a Celtic ritual among the Gauls a thousand years earlier. Celtic religion deviates from the "Asatru norm" no more than do, for example, a priestess of Freya in Iceland and a warrior pledged to Wotan in Germany in Herman's time. Indeed, one is inclined to say that there is only "European religion" - and that the Germanic and Celtic beliefs are two expressions of it.

So what are the implications of all this? Well, it means that the Irishman need not feel out-of-place calling on Gods more often associated with Norway's fjords than the Emerald Isles hills and valleys. Ultimately all us Northfolk are spiritual as well as genetic kin.

Also Celtic-Germanic unity flies in the face of the sometimes-herard assertions that since Europeans often boast roots in different countries we're somehow mixed ancestry. How often have you heard someone say "I'm a Heinz 57 blend...part Irish, part Swedish, with some Englis h and German thrown in?" Clearly that's not mixed at all, because the Northern peoples are essentially one, in both their physical aspects and in their ancient relgiions. We musn't let people divided us on the basis of superficialities!

Thirdly, the catalog of our similarities measn we can use the one to fill gaps in our knowldge of the other.l As we reconstitute the tapestry of our ancient Asatru beliefs, there will be holes where the moths of time and persecution have done their work. But if we know the common pattern and how it's woven in the Celtic material, we can patch the holes with greater confidence.

Enough! All this scholarship makes thirsty work! I'm going to pour a fine bottle of Guiness into my mead horn, and toast all things Celtic/Nordic...Skoal, and Slainte, to you!

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Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes

Book: Norse Mythology Legends Of Gods And Heroes by Peter Andreas Munch

The Norwegian original on which the present translation is based was written by Peter Andreas Munch, the founder of the Norwegian school of history. Munch’s scholarly interests embraced also many related subjects, such as general history, archaeology, geography, ethnography, linguistics, and jurisprudence. His varied labors have in large part stood the test of time. His most important work, the “History of the Norwegian People” (Det norske folks historie, 8 vols. 1851–63) covering the period of Norway’s ancient independence ending with the Kalmar Union of 1397, still remains a source book and a point of departure for historians. The great significance of Munch’s scholarship lies in its influence upon the modern renascence of Norwegian culture. In the middle of the nineteenth century he was the most conspicuous intellectual force in the country, as Wergeland had been before him and as Bjornson came to be after him. The national spirit in Norway, which has steadily gained strength, owes a heavy debt to the gifted leaders of an earlier generation, not least among whom was Munch. As an historian, as an editor of Old Norse poetry and saga, as a recorder of the venerable myths and legends of the race, he did yeoman service in establishing a sense of historical continuity between the Norway of the past and the Norway of the present. Since his day, Norwegians have labored in the fields of history, folklore, and related subjects, deepening and strengthening that fruitful sense of national consciousness which he did so much to awaken.

Munch’s handbook of Norse Mythology, which first appeared in 1840, was originally written as a supplementary volume to a school text on the history of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. As a book for students and as a work of general reference it has maintained its popularity. The third edition (1922) from which the translation is made, was prepared by Professor Magnus Olsen of the University of Oslo, in response to the demand for an up-to-date treatment of the entire subject. He found it advisable, however, to revise Munch’s work rather than to attempt a wholly original book, since he was thus able to incorporate the results of later research in a volume which had long enjoyed both popular and scholarly approval. The value of Munch’s work has been greatly increased through Professor Olsen’s revision.

The English translation is intended as a companion volume to two other books published in the SCANDINAVIAN CLASSICS series, The Prose Edda, translated by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, and The Poetic Edda, translated by Henry Adams Bellows. Norse mythology will serve alike the student of Old Norse literature, and the general reader who seeks an authoritative guide through the world of Northern myth and legend. My thanks are due to Professor Magnus Olsen for permission to translate the work, and to Professor William Witherle Lawrence, of Columbia University, Chairman of the Publications Committee of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, for many valuable suggestions. - S. B. H.

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Anglo Saxon Heathendom And Icelandic Asatru

Book: Anglo Saxon Heathendom And Icelandic Asatru by Eric Wodening

The ancient Germanic peoples essentially followed the same religion. Nearly all of them appear to have worshipped the major gods known to us from Norse mythology - Odinn, PorR, FreyR, and so on. They also believed in many of the same "spirits" or wights--elves dwarves, thurses, and so on. They held various festivals, rituals, and customs in common. This is not to say that there were not differences among the tribes in their religious customs and beliefs. There was always some variation in religious practices and beliefs among the Germanic peoples.

Perhaps the best demonstration of both the similarities and the differences which sometimes existed in the religious beliefs of the Germanic peoples would be to examine the respective beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon and Icelandic heathen.

It must be noted right away that the ancient Germanic peoples lacked a name for their religion or its branches. An ancient Anglo-Saxon heathen if asked about his religion would probably have referred to it simply as min beodisc gelefa, "my tribe's belief." The Icelanders may have responded along similar lines, although today this ancient and modern branch of the Germanic heathen religion is called "Asatru." For simplicity's sake, we will use "Anglo-Saxon heathendom" and "Asatru" for the faiths of the ancient Anglo-Saxons and Icelanders respectively..

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Germanic People Runes

Runes were known to Germanic peoples of the far North long before the Viking age began. The very beginnings of the use of the Runes are unknown, but the Vikings believed that the God Odin got them by hanging on the tree Yggdrasil. The name of this alphabet - Futhark, came to being by just taking the first letters of the first six Runes. Thousands of Runic inscriptions were uncovered on territories where the Vikings once roamed, sometimes even far from the borders of their lands. The inscriptions were most often engraved in stone, but there are examples of Runes engraved in metal, wood, bones and horns. Their use was varied: some were used just as road marks, while others would contain more serious texts. It's those inscriptions that hold invaluable informations for us about the life of the Nordic peoples. Most of them were made to honour the dead, however all these inscriptions also contain some other interesting information – founding of administrative centres, land ownership, oversea voyages, family relations, individual wealth, a person's status or even the beauty of a woman. Naturally, not all the Rune stones have survived to date. A lot of them were destroyed by Christian priests who thought these stones brought back memories of the pagan past. Others were destroyed by ignorants who didn't realize their worth and mostly used them as building material. Unfortunately, these cultural Heritage artefacts are destroyed even today, by various vandals; nevertheless, this happens a lot less than before.

There are three types of Futhark: Elder, Anglo-Saxon and the Younger Futhark. The Elder Futhark was used up to the 5th century A.D.; it consisted of 24 Runes divided into three groups called aettir(“families”). Anglo-Saxon Futhark was created in Britain during the 5th century A.D. by Anglo-Saxon peoples (Saxons, Angles); it was used until the 11th century. The Younger (Scandinavian) Futhark was used sporadically in Scandinavia, most of all Denmark and Sweden up to the 17th century. This alphabet was most often found engraved on jewellery, stones, weapons, wood, but very little on the discovered manuscripts. Here, we will explore the Elder Futhark, the oldest Runic alphabet used in parts of Europe populated by Germanic peoples, including Scandinavia; this is also the the Futhark we consider to be the most functional.

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The New Flesh Palladium

Book: The New Flesh Palladium by Robert North

Enter the realm of the New Flesh Palladium freely and of your own will. The author of this book, Robert North, is perhaps best known to the general public as the erudite translator and editor of the once obscure occult classic Sexual Magic by Paschal Beverly Randolph (1990). But there is a deeper side to the story. The author ... takes us on a dramatic adventure in the history of sexual magic.

The author of this work, Robert North,is perhaps best known to the general public as the erudite translator and editor of the once obscure occult classic SEXUAL MAGIC by P.B. Randolph. Now, in the form of a historical treatment of sexual magic, North introduces the world to the ideas of the New Flesh Palladium. the author takes us on a journey from the Heaven and Hell of Emanuel Swedenborg, through the realms of Mesmer and the Marquis de Sade, and into the worlds of aleister crowley and Wilhelm Reich. In the course of this journey we discover the philosophy of the New Flesh---a dramatic adventure in the history of sexual magic.

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Asatru As A Cosmology

Asatru has a unique and advanced view of the universe, which has developed over the millennia. This cosmology details a universe of Nine Worlds tied together by Yggdrasil and it details how all things interact within and between these realms and through time. This universe is rarely harmonious and these cosmological tensions define the interactions of Gods and human alike. In this universe, numerous independent agents interact, sometimes in conflict, sometimes in harmony, to create all the manifestations and events we see. Understanding and working with this cosmology will help you understand the various rituals and practices of our way. Understanding this cosmology will also help you understand the evolution of the universe, its cycles and its ultimate destiny.

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Teachings Of The Odin Brotherhood

Book: Teachings Of The Odin Brotherhood by Anonymous

Some years after the publication of Mirabello's book, the Anonymous and privately printed Teachings of the Odin Brotherhood began to circulate. Copies of the latter are rare.

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Asatru Holidays February Horning

Horning 2,
Barri: This is the day we celebrate the wooing by Ingvi Freyr of the maiden Gerd, a symbolic marriage of the Vanir God of Fertility with the mother Earth. It is a festival of fertility, the planted seed and the plowed furrow. For those of you who garden, this is the time to plant seeds indoors, to later be transplanted in the summer garden.

Horning 9,
Day of Remembrance for Eyvind Kinnrifi: Olaf tortured him to death by placing a bowl of red-hot embers on his stomach until his body burst open. Eyvind’s crime was a steadfast loyalty to the Old Gods. A good day to reflect on kristjan kindness.

Horning 14,
Feast of Vali: This feast originally celebrated the death of Hothr at the hands of Vali. This late winter festival relates to the triumphant return of the light of the sun over the dark days of winter. Today it is traditional celebration of the family. A time for the customary exchange of cards and gifts with loved ones. It is also a time for the renewal of marriage vows and an occasion for marriages.

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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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Asgard And The Gods The Tales And Traditions Of Our Northern Ancestors

Book: Asgard And The Gods The Tales And Traditions Of Our Northern Ancestors by Mw Macdowall

A complete and popular English account of the religious beliefs and superstitious customs of the old Norsemen, suited to our younger readers, has hitherto been left unwritten. The editor feels sure that our elder children can easily be brought to take a beneficial interest in a subject of such great intrinsic worth to all of us, and has therefore brought out the accompanying book.

Our old Ancestors were a hardy, conservative race, and tenaciously held by the treasured relics of their former beliefs and customs long after they had been shattered by the onset of Christianity. They retained their primitive Odinic belief as late as A.D. 800, and we therefore possess it in a very complete state, far more so than any other European system of mythology. We English have to this day inherited this conservative trait of their character, and are still continually in every-day life coming across new and unexpected remnants of our earliest beliefs. Paragraphs in the newspapers, containing reports of police trials, etc., very frequently bring forward new and as yet undiscovered superstitions, which clearly hark back to the once popular and all-extensive faith of the
North.

Who would think, for instance, that in the time-old Mayday festivals, we should discover traces of the oldest celebrations of the triumph of the Summer Odin over the Winter Odin, or that through the baby rhymes and nursery sayings of to-day, we should be able to trace the common creed of a nation of thousands of years ago? To him unused to this kind of research, such things will appear impossible; but we think our book will considerably extend the sceptic’s line of vision, if indeed it does not convert him to an ardent student in the field he has before made light of.

With regard to the translation of the passages quoted from the Old Norse, Icelandic, etc., the original metres, alliterative poems, etc., have been imitated as accurately as possible, though it must be confessed that in one or two places the effect appears somewhat weak and laboured, a result that might have been anticipated, and one which it is hoped the reader will overlook.

With reference to the orthography adopted: in most cases the proper names have been anglicized in form, according to established rules, as far as has been possible. Let us take a few instances:

The Icelandic nominatival r has always been dropped, as in the words Ragnarokr, Thrymr, etc. In the case of reduplicated letters, the last has been eliminated, unless an alteration in sound would have been thereby occasioned, e.g., Jotun has been adopted instead of Jotunn, Gunlod instead of Gunnlod, etc. W has been throughout used in place of V, since scholars have pretty generally decided that it more nearly represents the original pronunciation than the English V; thus we spell Walhalla, Wiking, Walkyries, etc. Many words have -heim affixed to them: -heim means abode, dwelling, and is the same word as the English home; as instances, Nifelheim, the dark home; Jotunheim, the home of the Jotuns, giants, etc.

The suffix -gard appended to a word means place (English yard, ward, gard-en), and is found in such words as Asgard, the place of the Ases, the gods; Midgard, the middle place, the earth; Utgard, the out or lower place. (W. S. W. ANSON)

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Asatru As A Warrior Religion

Asatru also has strong warrior ethics embodied in it. Nearly all of the Gods and goddesses have battle proficiencies of one sort or another. Ancient warriors called upon these war Gods and Goddesses to bless them in their battles.

Odin, sitting on Hlidskialf, proficient with the spear, magic and deception, represented intelligence warfare. Thor and his mighty Mjolnir represented fierce hand-to-hand combat. Many of the Goddesses also exhibited martial virtues. Frigga also shared Hlidskialf with Odin and was proficient in magic and deception. Freya garnered half of the fallen warriors to take back to her hall. The Valkyries, women warriors serving Odin, were known as fierce fighters as well. Without doubt, Asatru embodies a strong warrior ethic.

Perhaps most obvious of Asatru’s warrior spirit is embodied in one of its most recognized and used symbols: the hammer. The hammer represents Thor’s Mjollnir with which he smites the foes of the Aesir and Vanir. This symbol is almost universally recognized as Asatru’s symbol and shows that Asatru sees conflict as a key theme of the universe and being prepared for it and dealing with it are central obligations.

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Important For Every Gothi

It is important for every Gothi to have a library, for study and reference, but also to share with others who seek knowledge of their precious heritage. This, of course, like all of the other requirements of the job, is a life's work. Begin with the Elder Edda, study The Havamal daily, but also learn the ancient myths of our Gods and Goddesses. Learn the myths and unlock the keys to the Nine Worlds. Study the Runes and obtain a set of them, or better yet, make your own. Learn the Runes, and use them. Read the wealth of information about our heroes in the Sagas, and obtain and read every possible book about the history, culture, customs, and lore of our ancestors. Of course study the Viking Age, but don't forget that the history of our people began with Ask and Embla, and continues on today. Where are you going to find time to do all of this reading? Why don't you start by selling your television and using the proceeds to buy books? And please, list your library in your Will so that when you die your precious book hoard doesn't wind up in the Goodwill box! You must acquire all of the knowledge that you can, because the Folk with come to you with their questions. Be prepared to answer them.

It is also important for the aspiring Gothi or Gythia to obtain the ritual tools necessary for your work. I know that it will take many years to obtain or build them, but you must do it all the same. Since the beginning of our people's spiritual awareness, the most precious possession of our holy men and women was the ritual bowl. Pronounced Bowli in Old Norse. It is symbolized in the shape of the Perthro Rune. It contains the power of our Gods, the luck and fortune of the tribe, the receptacle of our will and aspirations, and the holy offerings that we make to our Gods. It is the primal possession of the Shaman and the priest. It is sacred.

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The Lessons Of Asgard

Book: The Lessons Of Asgard by Asatru Free Assembly

This collection of essays appeared over a span of almost two years in "The Runestone". Dealing as it does with the lessons to be learned from the Norse gods, it is a companion volume to The Values of Asatru. Together these booklets provide a good introduction to those who want to know how to lead their lives according to the principles of our ancient faith.

In out! little homilies we have tried to examine the gods as they affect our conduct in the real world. We have avoided the deeper symbolic implications of our deities, preferring to deal with them as models showing us how to live. It is perhaps too easy to say that Odin
exhorts us to learning and Thor urges us to strength, so we have tried to see ane step beyond that level, studying in greater detail the implications of the gods' values and specifically how we can apply them to our lives.

Odin, Thor, Freya and all the others are examples for us to emulate as we deal with our own personal circumstances. As we have said, they are models. Appreciating them on this level is important to those who follow Asatru, but it is only part of their significance. Beyond the role model is a numinous, logic-defying reality, something apprehended only by means of symbols, something that speaks to us on deeper levels where words are inadequate and linear reasoning breaKS down. Studying the gods, immersing ourselves in their lore, can gradually put us in touch with those realms of spirit and we can all add richness and power to our religious lives by tapping this ancient, non-verbal wisdom.

But - one step at a time. Let each of us try to live the lessons of the gods in our lives. In doing this we can eventually tune in to the deeper realities - and in the process, transform ourselves and the society in which we live.(Stephen A. McNallen, Breckenridge, Texas)

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The Guardian Of The Rainbow

Fearing lest their enemies, the frost giants, should make their way over this bridge, which, connecting heaven and earth, ended under the shade of the mighty world tree Yggdrasil, close beside the fountain where Mimir kept guard, the Gods bade the white-clad Heimdall watch it night and day.

“Bifrost i’ th’ east shone forth in brightest green;
On its top, in snow-white sheen,
Heimdal at his post was seen.” - OEHLENSCHLAGER (Pigott’s tr.)

To enable their watchman to detect the approach of any enemy from afar, the assembled Gods gifted him with very keen senses, for he is said to be able to hear the grass grow on the hillside, and the wool on the sheep’s back, to see plainly one hundred miles off by night as well as by day, and to require less sleep than a bird.

“’Mongst shivering giants wider known
Than him who sits unmoved on high,
The guard of heaven, with sleepless eye.” - LAY OF SKIRNER (Herbert’s tr.)

Heimdall was further provided with a flashing sword and a marvelous trumpet, called Gjallarhorn, which the Gods bade him blow whenever he saw their enemies draw near, declaring that its sound would rouse all creatures in heaven, earth, and Niflheim; would announce that the last day had come and that the great battle was about to be fought.

“To battle the gods are called
By the ancient
Gjallar-horn.
Loud blows Heimdall,
His sound is in the air.” - SAEUND’S EDDA (Thorpe’s tr.)

To keep this instrument, which was a symbol of the moon crescent, ever at hand, Heimdall either hangs it on a branch of Yggdrasil above his head or sinks it in the waters of Mimir’s well, where it lay side by side with Odin’s eye, which is also an emblem of the moon at its full.

Heimdall’s palace, called Himinbiorg, was placed on the highest point of the bridge, and here the Gods often visit him to quaff the delicious mead which he sets before them.

“’Tis Himminbjorg called
Where Heimdal, they say,
Hath dwelling and rule.
There the gods’ warder drinks,
In peaceful old halls,
Gladsome the good mead.” - NORSE mythology (R. B. Anderson)

Heimdall, always clad in resplendent white armor, is therefore called the bright God, as well as the light, innocent, and graceful God, all which titles he fully deserves, for he is as good as beautiful, and all the Gods love him.

Connected on his mothers’ side with the sea, he was sometimes counted among the Vanas; and as the ancient Northerners, and especially the Icelanders, to whom the surrounding sea appeared the most important element, fancied that all things had risen out of it, they attributed to him a knowledge of all things and imagined him particularly wise.

“Then said Heimdall,
Of ?sir the brightest —
He well foresaw
Like other Vanir.” - SAEUND’S EDDA (Thorpe’s tr.)

This God is further distinguished by his golden teeth, which flash when he smiles, and won for him the surname of Gullintani (golden-toothed). He is also the proud possessor of a swift, golden-maned steed called Gull-top, which transports him to and fro over the quivering rainbow bridge. This he crosses many times a day, but particularly in the early morn, when he is considered a herald of the day and bore the name of Heim-dellinger.

“Early up Bifrost
Ran Ulfrun’s son,
The mighty hornblower
Of Himinbiorg.” -SAEUND’S EDDA (Thorpe’s tr.)

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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.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Rampa Story
Miac - Asatru And Odinism
Allen Greenfield - A True History Of Witchcraft
Anthony Arndt - Asatru The Northern Way
Reeves Hall - Asatru In Brief

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

Goddess Nanna

Nanna is renowned as a gift giver and wife of Balder. She epitomizes feminine courageousness and is the mother of Forsetti.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - Notes On Pagan India
Franceska De Grandis - Be A Goddess
Franceska De Grandis - Goddess Initiation

Asatru Holidays January Snowmoon

Snowmoon 3,
Charming of the Plow: This is the date of an agricultural ritual performed in Northern Europe from ancient times. Grains and cakes were offered for the soil’s fertility, and the Sky Father and Earth Mother were invoked to that end. Meditate upon your dependence on the soil, and crumble upon the earth a piece of bread as you call upon Odin, Frigga and the Land Spirits to heal the Earth and keep it from harm.

Snowmoon 9,
Day of Remembrance for Raud the Strong: Raud was a landowner in Norway who was put to death by (St.) Olaf Tryggvason for his loyalty to Asatru by having a snake forced down his throat. Rauds lands were then confiscated in the name of the king and his monks. Raise a horn in honor of Raud and all of his kinsmen who gave their lives, rather then submit to the enforced love of the kristjan empire.

Snowmoon 14,
Thorrablot: This holiday began the Old Norse month of Snorri. It is still observed in Iceland with parties and a mid-winter feast. It is of course sacred to Thorr and the ancient Icelandic Winter Spirit of Thorri. On this day we should perform blot to Thorr and invite the mighty Asaman to the feast.

Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):

Anonymous - Pagan Holidays
Miac - Asatru And Odinism
Anonymous - Asatru And The Paranormal