Why Ásatrú

Foreword

When I began my journey as a practitioner of Norse Paganism, my main goal was to learn as much as I could to better understand the concepts and lore of what is called Ásatrú. In time, I began to feel the call of the ancient gods and goddesses. I read the Eddas and Sagas repeatedly, until I felt confident in my knowledge of the lore. At that point, I took my interpretation of the lore and shared it with others in an attempt to go from being a solitary practitioner to a member of a community of like-minded individuals, called a Kindred.

In May of 2023, the Gjallarhorn Kindred was created, consisting of four core members. Those core members believed in the Kindred and what it stands for. In one short year, those four members turned into over twenty participants, including children. My goal has not changed since I took my interpretation of the lore. I still wish to maintain and create a community of Ásatrúar and share the teachings of our ancestors with those willing to learn.

Recently, I have begun receiving questions that I had not thought about previously. This writing is an attempt to answer those questions. As simple as it may seem to answer, the question of “why do you practice Ásatrú,” has been providing me with much consternation. It has forced me to take a step back and focus on the fundamentals of spirituality and religion as a whole. The words in this text are strictly my opinion, and an attempt to explain why the practice of Ásatrú is an important aspect of my life. Members of my Kindred may have a different viewpoint. Differing viewpoints are strongly encouraged inside the Gjallarhorn Kindred as they allow for much intellectual conversation and reflection. Many of the concepts shared may not satisfy all readers. I believe there are many individuals who dislike organized religion for a litany of reasons. I myself fall into this group, which is why the questions I am attempting to answer are more challenging than initially anticipated. My hope is that my explanations may resonate with some readers and encourage thoughtful conversation with others. This is in no way an attempt to convert non-believers to my faith, but I do hope it will create some interesting thoughts and encourage further self-development and research.

How It Began

To answer the question of “why do you practice Ásatrú”, one must start with a more basic explanation of spirituality and religion. According to Merriam-Webster, religion is “a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” Or “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” The definition of spirituality is similar with one substantial difference. “The sensitivity or attachment to religious values.” My interpretation of those definitions is that religion is the cultural big picture, while spirituality is an individual’s understanding and practice of the cultural set of beliefs.

Every culture known to man has had a set of religious values associated with being a member of that society. Even in the United States, where freedom of religion is the law of the land, the culture of the country is predominately Judeo-Christian. Every person is allowed to practice any religion they choose, but we see Christian concepts in many aspects of our daily lives. Is this the way it should be? That is debatable. Without the forward thinking and advancements in thought and technology provided by western religions, we might still be living in the sixth century. An example could be the invention of the printing press. While the initial concept originated in China, Johannes Gutenberg of Germany, took the concept and made significant improvements leading to the first printing of the Bible. This event led to mass publication and distribution of the Bible, which helped with the spread of Christianity, but it also served to print other important works such as textbooks. It is my opinion that the creation of the printing press enabled Europe to surpass most other civilizations in existence, at that time. Another example where western religions vastly outpaced those of other regions is the Renaissance period of Europe. Using Christian concepts, the arts and sciences exploded into the world. Using their faith in God, artists, scientists, philosophers, and many more were able to advance western society and provide the foundation of what most western cultures still are to this day.

With all the wonderful creations that have been provided to our modern world by Judeo-Christian values, it came with a price. One must only think back to the Crusades or the Spanish Inquisition to see just how brutal the concept of religion can be on society. To a Norse Pagan, one can think of the destruction of our ancient ways at sword point by the Christian invaders. In contrast, some might say that the Vikings were just as brutal as the Christians were and slaughtered thousands of innocents. It is a good point. One could argue that the Vikings were not pillaging and plundering in the name of the gods. They were trying to provide for the survival of their people and explore the world which was foreign to them. The Christians forced their god onto those who did not want it by acts almost unimaginable to us today. Take the story of Eyvind Kinnrifi who was tortured to death by having a bowl of hot embers placed on his stomach until his bowels burst from his body. His only crime was believing in the gods of old. We can also think of Raud the Strong who was put to death by having a snake inserted down his throat. His loyalty to the gods, was again, his only crime. The man responsible for these atrocities was King Olaf, who wanted to see a Christian Scandinavia. He was later made a saint by the Catholic Church.

Bringing up the atrocities of the Christians are just the tip of the iceberg. If we look at many religions across the world, we can see countless instances of religion being used for social control. A look at modern Islam is the most recent example of how religion can be used to commit mass murder and strip people of their basic freedoms. A religion that espouses violence and hate for another group of people with differing viewpoints is contrary to modern society, but it is still alive and well. This is where the differences with Ásatrú and other worldly religions begin.

There is no text in Ásatrú, that I’m aware of, that speaks to the destruction of another group of people with a different viewpoint. From my sporadic and limited research, our ancestors were open to learning new concepts and exploring things unfamiliar to them. It is my belief that the religion of Scandinavia was just as Merriam-Webster’s definition describes. “A personal set or institutionalized system of attitudes, beliefs, and practices.” There was no name for the religion of our ancestors. It was a way of life. This could be construed as a form of social control. If we examine the differences of said social control in Scandinavia to religions across the world, we can see vast differences. One can look at the treatment of women first and foremost. In Scandinavia, women were allowed and encouraged to be landowners, to be warriors, leaders, entrepreneurs, explorers, and anything else their hearts desired. Archeological finds have discovered countless gravesites of women adorned with lavish jewels, weapons, and gifts. They were not forced to be subservient to a man, to cover up their bodies, to not speak unless asked to, or to stay at home only to take care of children. Freedom was the law of the land for all. The inherent morality that humans are born with created the value set that was instilled in our ancestors, and now us. All individuals were asked to be honorable. It is human nature to know not to kill or steal from your neighbor. Of course, it still happened, and those individuals that succumbed to their primal self were given punishment by their peers if the crime was found to be without merit.

These examples can provide part of the answer to the question of “why do you practice Ásatrú”. I choose to practice Ásatrú because I choose to be free. I will not live my life worrying that my every thought and action could smite me to eternal fire and brimstone. I choose Ásatrú because I choose a family and Kindred that supports and defends itself. The values embedded in our culture are there to provide a free community with the tools necessary to live a life without fear, to explore what this world has to offer, and to answer only to ourselves and our community. There is no sin here. We do not feel bad for enjoying the pleasures of this life. The guidelines established by the community are simple. Whatever you do, do it with honor, do it for your family, and do it with passion. If that is social control, then so be it. From my experience with the religion, I have never felt freer. I have never felt such love for the people in my community. I have never had such encouragement and support, albeit with many strong opinions to go along with it. The family of strangers that came together to create the Gjallarhorn Kindred is more tight knit than many nuclear families. Our children have a place to grow with love and affection, and with the opportunity to learn and explore anything that they can dream of.

While this is only one small part of the answer to the question, many might be wondering how the gods and the goddesses fit into our community. Why would a community that claims to be so free encourage belief in an old man that takes half the slain in battle, or a being so strong as to lift the world, or a great battle of giants and gods? This is where the challenging explanations come to fruition.

If we refer back to the definition of spirituality, we will see the substantial difference to religion. It is “the sensitivity or attachment to religious values”. The keyword to me is sensitivity. Our ancestors used their spirituality to explain the natural world around them. We now have science that can explain or attempts to explain the world around us. It is not quite so simple, however. It would be ridiculous to think that the wind blows because an eagle on top of a giant ash tree flaps his wings so hard that we can feel it. Or to think that thunder and lightning is a being crossing the sky in a chariot pulled by two goats. But what about those things that are just unexplainable? Each culture across the globe has an explanation for how the world was created, or what happens when we die. Science attempts to explain these things, but with theories not facts. It would be foolish to completely believe that all the stars and planets above were created from the Big Bang without having absolute certainty. Scientists have faith that their theory is the correct one. What makes that any different from our story of Ginnungagap? Scientists have yet to provide anything more than a vague theory on what happens when we die. These are questions that all humans want to know the answers to but won’t know until it actually happens. A culture that gives an explanation will provide a source of comfort and wellbeing to its people. I don’t claim to know the answers to these questions, but my ancestors had an idea of what they could be. It gives me peace to think that when I perish, my spirit will live on in the blood of my descendants. That they carry a piece of me with them always. I would love to be feasting with the gods in Asgard and frolicking through beautiful meadows with my ancestors, and having faith in that dream provides me with the comfort to live my life with purpose and without regret.

A recent experience and distant memory reminded me of another instance of spirituality that science just can’t explain. Being out in nature can often overwhelm me with emotion. Sitting on a rock in a beautiful meadow with a slow-moving river and the wind rustling my hair, many times fills me with something that I just cannot explain. Standing on top of a mountain with the ravens overhead, seeing the rain fall on the valley in the distance is truly awe inspiring. There must be something more than just a bunch of atoms and chemical reactions. If there is not, then shame on me for believing. I cannot explain the coincidence of praying to Odin and Thor for the words and actions to nail a job interview only to have a flash of lightning overhead and the biggest raven I’ve ever seen standing in the road at the turn in. Those occurrences provided me with a sense of peace and comfort, and I ended up getting the job that I never thought I would.

Diving deeper into the concept of religion, made me ask “what is the purpose of religion.” Of course, the simple answer would be for social control. I cannot necessarily argue against that answer, as we’ve already seen just how accurate that statement can be. When thinking about Ásatrú, my answer changes. However, a broader worldview on the concept of religion is necessary to understand the true concept of religion. If we were to ask individuals from multiple religions across the world, I think the answers we would receive would be very similar. To provide comfort and guidance, to provide a basis for morals, beliefs, and behaviors, to provide a sense of community and connection to tradition, to promote valuable social behaviors, and to deal with ultimate concerns such as life and fate after death. That brings me to the belief that there are many other questions that religion at its face value is supposed to answer. How was the world and universe created? How was life created? How were humans created? What happens to us after we die? How are we supposed to behave in certain situations? What values are needed for a community of strangers to cooperate? Who or what are we supposed to believe in? Every religion has an answer for these questions, so what makes Ásatrú different or special to those that practice it? I will not go into detail to answer all of these questions here, but one could read the lore to get a better understanding of the fundamental answers to these questions. If we look at those questions, how many of them can be answered completely and with absolute certainty by science? I’d argue that none of them could be. This is why people practice religion. To get answers to questions that are just unknown at this point in time. All we have are scientific theories. Theories are not facts. They are educated guesses to what may or may not be factual. To me, the most important aspect of religion is to provide us with the values and behavioral concepts necessary to sustain human life and interaction.

Social control refers to the mechanisms, strategies, and institutions that societies use to maintain order, regulate behavior, and ensure conformity to established norms or laws. It is a way to ensure that individuals act in predictable and acceptable ways within a community or society. There are many different ways to enact social control. Formal social control involves institutionalized measures such as laws, regulations, and policies enforced by governmental institutions such as courts, police, and prison. Social control is maintained by fear of punishment. Informal social control is unwritten, unofficial, and often spontaneous ways in which societies encourage conformity and discourage deviance. The mechanisms associated with informal social control are societal norms, customs, traditions, and the influence of family, peers, and community members. It is my opinion that social control is essential for the functioning of any society, as it helps manage behavior, maintain order, and promote cooperation and cohesion among its members. Social control can be seen in virtually all aspects of our day-to-day lives. When we get in the car, we put on our seatbelts. Is this because we do not want to get a ticket, or because we don’t want to fly through the windshield if we’re in an accident? We don’t go to work without our pants on. Is this because it is against company policy, or because we do not want other people to see our unimaginables? For those that argue that religion is the ultimate form of social control, one must only look around at the society they live in and see if they are truly free. This is where faith in Ásatrú can become a little more relevant.

Amongst our Kindred, we do have facets of informal social control. We have norms, customs, and traditions, along with the influence of family, peers, and community members. If one of our members gets into the car without a seatbelt, nobody is going to give them a ticket. If a member shows up to blót without pants, we might ask why they don’t have pants on, and poke fun, but we won’t exclude them from participating. We believe that all members have the ability to choose their own path. If that path is pantless, drunk, and running through the woods, then we will support them. When they return with cactus thorns in their butt, we will have a nice laugh and make fun of them for years to come. Our customs and traditions have been passed down to us by our ancestors for thousands of years. We have societal norms that we teach our community. The difference is in the messaging. Many might know of the Drengr Code, which was a code of ethics thought to be practiced by the Vikings. The code placed great importance on bravery, loyalty, honor, and to live a life full of adventure. The term “drengr” is thought to have typically referred to a brave and honorable warrior. You can find mention of the Drengr Code in “The Saga of Volsungs”, “The Saga of the Poets”, and “The Saga of the Ynglings”. The code did not just refer to concepts related to battle. Hospitality, generosity, and the importance of speech were other crucial aspects of the code. Bringing honor and good reputation to your family could make one a “drengr”. To me, the Drengr Code is an informal method of social control. Is that a bad thing? A society that wants its people to be brave, honorable, generous, adventurous, hospitable, and kind in speech doesn’t sound all that bad. And those that were not upholders of the code, weren’t sent to prison, killed, or damned for eternity. They were simply known in their community to be subpar members, and probably met with some hesitation. I very much connect with this concept and the Drengr Code. In valuing things that are actually important for human existence, the religion of Ásatrú provides a way for modern people to return to their roots, in a way that would make their ancestors proud.

Again, this does not completely answer the question “why do you practice Ásatrú”? For now, you can see that the code of conduct and values provided to us by the faith are important, but what about the gods and goddesses? How do they fit in? As stated earlier, the gods and goddesses are representations of the natural world around us. Through their stories, we have the Drengr Code. We have explanations for what happens when we die, and how the world was created. But there is so much more to it than just explanations. Belief in the gods is a feeling. I think most people can agree that there is an unexplainable energy connecting all things. For those atheists reading, I feel sorry that you may go through your whole life without feeling it. The energy that I feel on the top of a mountain, or walking barefoot on the beach, not thinking at all, only feeling is something that science cannot explain. Laying awake in a hammock in the forest listening to the bugle of elk for hours provides an energy that always gives me chills. The sheer feeling of how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe has to make one wonder. That presence and energy, unexplainable by science, is the gods and goddesses. The different ways our ancestors felt when that energy filled up their bodies and souls, was named. We know that lightning is a natural electrical discharge created when the ice crystals and water droplets in clouds move and collide with one another. Thunder is the resulting sound of the expansion and contraction of the air from the intense heat of the lightning flash. What is not explained is the feeling it gives us when it strikes less than a mile from where we are standing, or the visual and auditory energy that resonate through our bodies. Science can try to explain anything and everything, but it falls short. It cannot describe the feelings or the energy of a kiss with the person you love, or the feelings of love for a child when it is born into this world. Our ancestors gave a name to these feelings. They called it Thor, Freyja, and Frigga, and personified them to be more active in their everyday lives. The story of Rigr coming down from his post at Himinbjörg to teach the peoples of Midgard customs, traditions, and language cannot be explained by science. How did people learn to speak to each other? How did people understand right from wrong before they were told? Our ancestors described this energy with the lore. It may not be true, but can anyone prove that it’s not? The belief in the lore and the gods and goddesses is an attempt to describe those energies that fill our lives but cannot be explained. Ásatrú describes them so eloquently, and in a way unique from other cultures from throughout human existence. Judeo-Christian religions do not. They call the energy the Holy Spirit or God, and its presence is because He is watching you. Make sure you don’t think about lying with that beautiful dancer, or you’ll be doomed to Hell. Our faith is not contrary to human feelings and emotions. It works ubiquitously alongside them.

In providing a lengthy and somewhat scattered explanation of “why do you practice Ásatrú”, I’ve come to the conclusion that might make more sense in a succinct fashion. I practice Ásatrú because I enjoy learning about the lore and history of my ancestors. I believe the culture and community of our forebears provided a wonderful foundation for how human engagement and interaction is supposed to be. My belief in the gods and goddesses of Ásatrú is a way to explain and personify the energy and feelings that science cannot dictate. Through ritualistic ceremonies such as blót and meditation, we may be able to change the trajectory of the world’s natural energy. If not the world’s, then maybe at least our own little piece of worldly energy which could provide us with positivity and human emotion. Through this energy, our Kindred and shared beliefs might help us codify a mutual understanding for the way we feel as Norse Pagans.

How to Worship the Gods and Goddesses

Now that we have an understanding of why we practice Ásatrú, the next question I receive quite often is “how do you worship the gods and goddesses”. For many new practitioners, they think the faith is based solely on the actions of the Vikings. I do not necessarily understand this thought process, but I do know that current pop culture has made a significant impact on the community. The show “Vikings” on the History Channel, shed quite a bit of light on the deeds, actions, and activities associated with the Vikings and their faith. I have seen the show and believe it does a pretty good job of portraying how our Viking ancestors may have conducted themselves. However, the Viking age was a short three-hundred year period of time, starting with the attack at Lindisfarne, England in 793 CE, and ending with Norman conquest of England and the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE. This short period in history had significant impacts on a global scale, but the faith in the gods that the Vikings had, began potentially thousands of years prior.

The Roman historian Tacitus makes mention in his 1st Century AD work “Germania”, of a god worshipped by the Germanic tribes, rivaling that of the Roman god Mercury. The god being referred to by Tacitus, was Wotan or Odin. The Romans occupied the regions of Germania around 12 BC, and Odin was a centerpiece of the faith of those Germanic tribes. This small piece of writing and history provides insight into the longevity of the belief in the old gods and goddesses. It makes sense that a god being revered by the Germanic tribes around 12 BC would be much older. The coordinated worship of Odin by thousands of Germanics over a large area would have taken many generations to come to fruition. One can deduce that the worship of Odin probably began hundreds or even thousands of years earlier than the Roman occupation of Germania. Based on this information, it doesn’t make sense to think only of the Viking age when thinking about the worship of the gods and goddesses. The Viking Age was chronicled much more thoroughly than any other period of time in Scandinavian history, so it makes sense that the majority of information we have on the faith would come from this period. But we should not lose sight of the fact that the faith originated long before this time.

As practitioners of Ásatrú, we are attempting to recreate the faith of our ancestors from thousands of years ago. This includes the Viking Age and the Roman campaigns in Germania. Based on the limited written accounts of our ancestors, this can be a very daunting task. Just as Christianity has many different sects associated, it seems plausible to think that different regions of Scandinavia and Germania practiced the faith with some variability. In a reconstructionist faith, it is up to the practitioners to determine how they want to worship those that they believe in. In the Gjallarhorn Kindred, we have our patron deity, Heimdall, who we hold in high esteem, but we also revere those gods and goddesses that provide us with the spiritual energy that was discussed earlier in this writing. As mazers, or mead makers, we also like to pay homage to Kvasir, the being associated with mead in the lore. If you have not read the story of the Mead of Poetry, I would encourage you to read Snorri Sturluson’s “Skáldskaparmál” in the “Prose Edda”. So how do we worship these gods and goddesses?

There are many ways one can worship the gods and goddesses, but the primary forms we will talk about here are blót and sumbel. Blót is the central ritual in Ásatrú. It involves making offerings to the gods and goddesses, land spirits, or ancestors. Offerings are typically food, mead, ale, or other symbolic items. The ritual includes prayers and invocations, and typically takes place at an altar or outdoor sacred space. It is my belief that performing a blót with as large a group as possible is beneficial for bringing maximum energy into the space. Through our shared energy, the gods and goddesses may be more likely to provide us with their presence. Sumbel is a ceremonial drinking ritual where participants take turns making toasts or boasts to the gods, ancestors, and heroes. It involves passing a horn or cup around a circle, with each person offering a toast, short speech, or prayer. This can be a fun way to get to know each other better, while also paying homage to the gods and ancestors. These are the two primary methods of worship in Ásatrú, but one could also set up a hof or vé (temple or shrine), participate in seasonal festivals, engage in daily devotions, make art or music, go on nature walks and conduct outdoor activities, ancestor worship, and community gatherings. To put it in simpler terms, following the values laid out to us by our ancestors in the lore and Drengr Code, we are paying homage to the gods and goddesses with our actions. Bringing honor to yourself and your family might influence the worldly energy in your favor. If you have ever heard the saying “you get back what you put out into the world”, that statement rings true for practitioners of Ásatrú.

Closing

Having faith in the gods and goddesses, or any religion for that matter, takes a level of understanding and faith that should not be taken lightly. I urge you to question your current beliefs and see if they actually make sense to you and your way of life. If they do, then continue what you are doing, and enjoy believing in the stories that bring you comfort. If they do not, then ask yourself why they don’t, and search for something that makes more sense to you. For the agnostics and atheists reading this, consider the impact that spiritual health has on your overall wellbeing. To be completely whole, one needs to be physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually healthy. Spiritual health is what connects all of those other aspects of complete wellbeing. It is how you connect with something bigger than yourself and find meaning and purpose in life. The pessimistic attitude of “life is meaningless” or “when we die, we just go in the ground” impacts your total wellbeing, and it shows.For those Ásatrúar, read the lore. Understand the stories that shape the foundation of our faith. Be wary of someone with a vegvesir tattoo or who wears a Mjollnir necklace. There is a good chance that they just watched “Vikings” and have no idea the meaning behind those symbols. What many people fail to realize is that the vegvesir was not even a Viking symbol and has no cultural significance to our ancestors. It looks cool but is not historically accurate. That is an easy way to spot someone who just wants to look like a Viking. Learn from your goðar and not from the internet. They are our subject matter experts on the lore and can provide valuable insight into shaping your journey. Step out into nature and experience the energy that science cannot explain. Take your time, breathe deeply, close your eyes, and take it all in. Just maybe you’ll hear the caw of a raven overheard and know that Hunin and Munin are sharing with you the presence of Odin.