Principles of Asatru

[Darkdale]

Quote #1

The greatest differences between the Teutonic way and that of mainstream Christian culture stem from the relationship between human beings and the god / desses. Most people are taught at a young age that there is a single masculine God who is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-benevolent, and to whose will they must submit themselves if they are to find fulfillment. This teaching has been used over the ages to justify the subjugation of women, the maintenance of the most extreme sorts of social stratification up to and including slavery, and the suppression of individual thought. In contrast to this, the last thing the god / desses of the North expect from humans is submission-- our ancestors found few things more contemptible than a willing slave! Woden, Frowe Holda, Fro Ing, Thunar, and the rest do not lay down commandments for those who worship them. Instead they issue challenges to show courage against adversity and strength through difficulty; to stand on your own as a free man or woman, trusting in your own might and main; to use the gifts of life, mind, and might which the god/esses have given to you in order to carve out the path you choose.

Quote #2

The word "Ásatrú" literally translates as "faith in the gods," but it is best described as the modern rebirth of the indigenous, pre-Christian faith of the Nordic/Germanic peoples. It is a polytheistic faith, meaning that it honors a pantheon of numerous gods and goddesses. Many of the names of these gods and goddesses remain part of our modern culture. One example is found in the days of the week, i.e. Wednesday is Woden's (Odin's) Day, Thursday is Thunar's (Thor's ) Day, Friday is either Frigga's Day or Freya's Day (scholars debate which). Ásatrú has been recognized officially in Iceland, but also has a large following throughout Scandinavia and in America, England, Germany, and other countries.

Ásatrú is focused on honoring the two families of gods and goddesses, the Æsir and the Vanir, but it also holds a belief in various other land spirits and a reverence of ancestors. Many follow a list of nine virtues, referred to as the Nine Noble Virtues, that have been culled from the Eddas (our primary sources) and the Sagas. These virtues are: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-reliance, and Perseverance.

Ásatrú has a strong emphasis on individual spiritual experience, however, Ásatrú people often form small groups. These groups are variously known as kindreds, hearths, garths, felags, halls, etc. Some have a designated priest or priestess, while others rely on inspired volunteers to lead the celebrations. A priest is referred to as a Goði, a priestess as a Gyðja. There is a great deal of importance placed on the study of the literature, folklore, and history pertaining to the original religious and cultural elements upon which Ásatrú is based.

Quote #3

Asatru does not have a codified dogma or written scripture. However, we do have a number of surviving written sources that provide clues to the values of the ancient cultures who worshipped our god/desses. As modern human beings, we are also concerned with living ethical and honorable lives.

The central principle which shapes our values is an understanding of Wyrd. This has been called the "law of cause and effect" and compared to the Hindu idea of karma, but neither of these is quite correct. Wyrd is the idea that nothing that has ever been done can be undone, and no deed or word can be recalled once made. If you have wronged someone, you bear the responsibility for that act and are expected to make amends by compensating him/her for the harm done. Failing to do so means that you are carrying the weight of an unfulfilled obligation, a debt unpaid. This understanding creates a strong sense of personal responsibility among Asatruar.

Some Asatruar have attempted to codify this understanding further, and you are likely to encounter various lists of virtues that different groups have adopted. The virtues that have been most widely accepted are:

Courage, physical and moral.
Generosity towards others, including hospitality.
Honor, the sense of personal integrity that is earned by living up to our ideals.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Thank you for posting that! It's very informative, and helps me to understand this path a little better!

 

[Smoke]

I think Ásatrú is a pretty cool religion. I feel strangely drawn to it, though I'm moving farther and farther from theism all the time. If I were Ásatrú, I'd have to be the sort who doesn't literally believe in the gods.

 

[Zephyr]

I think Ásatrú is a pretty cool religion. I feel strangely drawn to it, though I'm moving farther and farther from theism all the time. If I were Ásatrú, I'd have to be the sort who doesn't literally believe in the gods.

It has always sort of sparked my interest too, especially now. Good post Darkdale, I'll have to look into Ásatrú a bit more.

 

[Darkdale]

I think Ásatrú is a pretty cool religion. I feel strangely drawn to it, though I'm moving farther and farther from theism all the time. If I were Ásatrú, I'd have to be the sort who doesn't literally believe in the gods.

There are numerous Asatruar, that don't believe in the literal existence of the gods. To them, many of the gods were, most likely, once men and women, whose deeds immortalized them in the form of myths. The rest of the gods (most likely the Vanir) were derived from man's experience of nature. Maybe it is enough to believe simply in the scientific explanation of thunder and lightening. Maybe we don't need Thor - but the myths about Thor are still very necessary and beautiful.

Personally, I am agnostic about the existence of the gods. I choose to believe in them, but I do not know that they exist. I don't have faith in them. But, in the absence of knowledge or certainty, I have the choice to freely believe in them with religious superstition.

But the important thing is to live courageously, to liver honorably, and to live generously. That is what Asatru is all about.


Quote #4

Mainstream Western / Christian culture is grounded on the Classical Greek belief in a stark separation between the world of spirit and of things physical. This has led to the dual concept that humans have and ought to have dominion over the natural world, and that the soul is in some way superior to the body, which is at best no help and at worst a thing of "evil." This separation has led to Western insensitivity to nature and continues to lead toward the destruction of the earth as we exploit and poison her-- a thing which our ancestors would not have tolerated. To the peoples of the North, the earth was not only the mother of all, but a demanding goddess on whose kindness they depended for every bite they ate; as an agricultural society, they were able to see the need for honoring her in a way that most modern Americans do not, for one year of bad harvest meant one year of famine. A great deal of the Teutonic faith is based on this awareness of the need to live with the natural world in a balanced fashion-- and on the intense love for the free woods and meadows of the world which is still part of modern German and Scandinavian culture, as the passionate writings of the German Romantic period show.

The Western belief in a separation of body and mind/soul has also taught us to be contemptuous of either our own bodies and our physical needs or of our intelligence, to the point where popular American culture hardly admits that the two can go together-- our stereotypes are those of the physically strong/attractive but stupid football player or cheerleader, and the physically weak and unattractive "egghead." Our ancestors, in contrast, honored both aspects of the self equally. Nearly all the heroes whom they held highest were great poets as well as being mighty warriors. The boasting verse which the Earl Rognvaldr Kali made about himself in his teenage years expresses the Norse ideal of manhood: "I'm talented at tables [a chesslike game] / at nine skills I'm able / scarcely spoil I runes / I'm often at books and writing / swiftly glide on skis / I shoot and row well enough, / at each of these I'm able: / harp-playing and poem making." (3)-- In other words, Rognvaldr Kali was the equivalent of a high school athlete who was also in the orchestra and the chess club, while writing for the school literary magazine and maintaining a high grade point average. To the Vikings, the most attractive women were those who could meet them as equals in both bravery and intellect, exchanging swift-witted words and poetic staves with the menfolk, risking and bearing wounds and death with the same steadfastness as any male warrior. Individuals who are true to the ancestral ways will develop their bodies, intellects, and artistic faculties to their highest peaks; to leave out one side of being is to be less than a whole human.

 

[Zephyr]

I've looked into it a bit more, and it seems my ancestors really had something going there. The more I read about it, the more interesting it becomes. Big thanks dude. This just may beat Libraism.

EDIT: It totally does.

 

[Darkdale]

I've looked into it a bit more, and it seems my ancestors really had something going there. The more I read about it, the more interesting it becomes. Big thanks dude. This just may beat Libraism.

EDIT: It totally does.

Asatru is beautiful in its simplicity. There is no real metaphysics, no real spiritual dogma or mysticism. Our ancestors weren't that imaginative or intelligent. They had a more basic and honest worldview.

 

[Nehustan]

I think that in the modern age the web of wyrd can could be considered a more metaphysical and personal form of 'string theory'. Two works from the media spring to mind, a film 'I heart huckabees' and a book 'Weaveworld' which was written by the same chap as wrote the books that the hellraiser films were based upon.

 

[Darkdale]

I think that in the modern age the web of wyrd can could be considered a more metaphysical and personal form of 'string theory'. Two works from the media spring to mind, a film 'I heart huckabees' and a book 'Weaveworld' which was written by the same chap as wrote the books that the hellraiser films were based upon.

Well, that may be, though I think it is best to keep things at their most simple level when it comes to religion; So I think of Wyrd as the combination of the reality of cause and effect, and the responsibility we have for our actions. The conclusion to be drawn is to honor that responsibility and take it seriously.