Ásatrú FAQ
Before Christianity took over the European countries, there was an indigenous religion already there. It was a nature-based religion not unlike the Native American religion that we are familiar with today.
What Does the word Ásatrú Mean?
It basically means "belief in" or to "to honour" the ancient Gods and Goddesses of Europe. The word gets its origins from the Old Norse language.
How does Ásatrú differ from other religions?
First of all, it is our native religion. There is no concept of a "savior". No one that you have to confess your 'sins' to. We believe that you are responsible for your own actions, and there is no "the devil-made-me-to-it" type attitude. The concept of "original sin" is alien to us. The love between a man and a woman is magnificent, and the outcome of that union - a child, is a blessed event. There is nothing disgusting or abhorrent in birthing - it is a natural and sacred experience. Therefore, without the concept of original sin, there is no need to be "saved".
We believe in a multitude of Gods and Goddesses. We do not approach our Gods and Goddess' on bended knee. They need us as much as we need them. It is a union of honor.
Does Ásatrú have a Priesthood?
Yes. The Gothi (priest) and the Gythia (priestess). There are those who have found within themselves the special forte that is needed to perform ceremonies, and such. But, just because there is no Gothi/Gythia within your group doesn't mean that it is not Ásatrú. We are not limited by the dictates of established religion. You have to remember that this religion was around long before the concept of an established clergy.
Are there organized groups of Ásatrú people?
Yes. Many individuals in Ásatrú join together to form organized gatherings called "Kindred," "Hearths," "Freeholds," etc. There is no pressure though to join an established group. When a group is able to, they purchase land. They are then referred to as a "Hof", and now have the intent to build a Great Hall or Sacred Grove.
Is Ásatrú a "new age" religion?
Ásatrú is thousands of years old. Its beginnings are lost in prehistory, but as an organized religion, it is older than Christianity. Strictly speaking, since Ásatrú is the religion which springs from the specific spiritual beliefs of the ancient Europeans, it is as old as this particular branch of the human race.
Does Ásatrú have a holy book, like the Bible?
No, there are no "sacred" scriptures in Ásatrú in the usual sense of the word. There are myths and sagas that have been handed down to us from our ancestors which are very important to us and contain much of the origins and basic tenants of Ásatrú. A good example of this would be the "Poetic Edda", which is an ancient compilation of myths and sagas. Being aware that these ancient manuscripts have passed through many hands, we do not consider them to be infallible.
Wasn't the concept of Christianity a sign of civilization - a step up from barbarism?
No! The atrocities committed by Christians, Muslims, and Jews throughout history are hardly a step up from anything. The so-called "barbarians" who followed Ásatrú (the Vikings, the various Germanic tribes, and so forth) were the source of our finest civilized traditions - trial by jury, parliaments, Anglo Saxon common law, and the rights of women, to name a few. Our very word "law" comes from the Norse language, not from the tongues of the Christian lands. We simply did not and do not need Christianity to be civilized.
Why did Ásatrú die out if it was the right religion for Europeans?
Throughout Europe, when all else failed to convert the people, death became the way to "convert" the masses to this new religion. A battle cry given by warriors of the new religion was 'kill them all, God will know his own!" Then there was death by hanging, or death by you, your spouse and your children being burned alive, death by torture that we nowadays can only imagine. With this taken into consideration, it wouldn't take much to convince a father or mother that this was now their new religion! In spite of all that has happened, a lot of our lore remained. You can find it disguised as "quaint customs", folktale, and even the holidays that we still celebrate - which proves how much it meant to our ancestors that some shreds of it (even with the thought of torture and death hanging over their heads), are kept alive for future generations. So strong was the folk-soul!
What about the Gods and Goddesses?
There is a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses. Each one involved with varying aspects of life and nature. This made it easy for our ancient folk to concentrate on one particular part of their lives: Farmers at planting could invoke Thorr, or Freya, or Her brother Frey to assure a good planting and a bountiful harvest. A woman wishing to have a successful birthing experience would call on Frigga to assist her. And so on. Our folk found it hard to relate to the concept of only one God and especially the Christian God who seemed to have no particular area of expertise. And above all, seemed to have no obligations to his people! The ancient Europeans could not abide in this - if a God or a Goddess failed repeatedly to come through for them, then they (the God or Goddess) were ousted from the clan!
Just as a man loves a woman, or a woman loves her sister - so did our ancestors love their Goddesses! The various Goddesses represented to them everything that was wonderful and powerful about womankind. They were worshiped just like the Gods and even had their own specific cults within the clan. In the eyes of our ancient ancestors, that's where Christianity went amiss. One, lonely, male God was an unacceptable concept to them. As a well-known pagan woman once said: "A religion without a Goddesses is half-way to atheism!" To our ancestors, everywhere they looked, they saw the two aspects of male and female; in the lives of plants, insects and animals and especially in their own lives. How could every aspect of nature have these two inter-connecting, interdependent parts and yet not exist in the Divine state? This they could not accept and it may be the most important reason why they resisted so hard for so long - for over 1000 years!
Many of our ancestral folk continued to practice their so-called "heathen" religion for several hundred years after Christianity achieved its total domination of Europe. Of course, they were forced "underground" and oftentimes gave their lives for their beliefs when discovered by the Christian Inquisitors! We know this from various accounts written down by their tormentors. Some evidence even suggests that this may have gone on "underground" until as late as the nineteenth century!
What about the magical aspects of the religion?
In the Teutonic cosmology, we like most other cultures, have elves, or alfs. We have a vast lore regarding them, rituals, or blóts dedicated to them. Then there is the Dísir. These are your female ancestors. They watch over your home and those within it. They bring to you protection and prosperity. Freya is the Goddesses of the Dísir.
The Landvættir (Land Spirits) reside in hallowed areas. They can be entreated to bless your land and have been known to bring prosperity and a long life to those who work well with them. And yes, they are alive and well here in Vinland. With all that our ancestors brought here, the plants, language, cooking, knowledge, etc. - they also brought with them the Old Ones and the Old Ways
We have a variety of magickal lore - There are the Runes, which can be used to divine the future much the same way as Tarot Cards, or they can be used as a whole magickal system of their own.
The medicinal and magical use of herbs is a part of our magick lore known as Wort-Cunning. Each plant contains within it, a spirit and a magickal essence. They can be used in a variety of ways to bring above love, heal sickness and bring a natural balance into your life. Chamomile for instance - this plant is also known as Baldr's Brow. It has been used for centuries to treat stomach complaints, it is used magickally to bring protection and prosperity to you and your home. When planted in the garden, it keeps the area safe and sacred.
Seith Magick is akin to what most would term shamanism. Most cultures have their own shamanistic practices.
Spa Craft is the same as witchcraft, but like Seith, we use our own lore and wisdom. As we are an earth-based religion, our magick centers around this.
This is just but a small part of our lore and of our magickal ways.
Do you have any holidays or sabbats?
We don't use the term sabbats, but we do have holy days. Here is a brief list that some may be familiar with:
Our holidays as you will note, are based on the agricultural season. Some of our ancestors were Vikings, but for the most part they were farmers, artists, craftsmen, scientist, etc.
The Present
Today Ásatrú has been revived to become one of the "fastest growing religions in North America and Europe". Thousands have rediscovered their ancestral religion and reclaimed their ancient birthright! This is not some passing "new age" fad - its present incarnation began in the early years of this century and has continued to the present with an ever increasing momentum. With its current rate of growth it can only move strongly into the future!
This FAQ is a combination of our research and information taken from reliable sources off the net.
Hail the Old Ones!
Lasaan WebFrau
Wolfgar Freehold
Billings, Montana