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Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú Troth
Ancient Roots of Heathenry
Ancient Heathens followed the Way of Troth to the ancient Germanic gods and goddesses. who were multidimensional beings. For example, Thor, the thunder god was also a guardian of culture.
Although other Germanic tribes shared the same mythos and traditional stories which were memorized by their skalds (bards and poets), people think of the goddesses and gods as Norse mainly because most of the recorded folk beliefs and stories that survived the vagaries of the passage of time were written by Scandinavians.
Another belief that they all shared was that nature was alive and sacred with deities of sun, moon, earth, as well as, nature spirits like the landvaettir, dwarves, and elves. Some of the names of the Heathenry and Heathen Ásatrú gods and goddesses remain today in the days of the week. Thursday, for instance, was Thunar's or Thor's day, while, Wednesday was Woden's or Odin's day.
Although it may bear some superficial similarities to other faiths, Heathenry and Heathen Ásatrú were not offshoots of any other religion. Followers referred to themselves as Heathen rather than Pagan to signify that they were a member of a tribe that worshiped many Heathen goddesses and gods, followed the Way of the Troth, and honored the Nine Noble Virtues.
Heathenry and Ásatrú
Heathens honored two groups of Deities: the Aesir, goddesses and gods of the
tribe or clan associated with crafts, order, and kinship; and the Vanir, gods
and goddesses of fertility and the forces of nature, who were not part of the
clan but were associated with it. Those who follow Heathenry and Heathen Ásatrú
also sought to emulate the Nine Noble Virtues: Courage, Discrimination,
Fidelity, Honor, Hospitality, Industriousness, Perseverance, Self-reliance, and
Truth.
Artwork Depiction of the Norse God Freyr
Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú emphasized personal spiritual experience but Heathens often form groups known as felags, garths, halls, hearths, and kindreds. Some have a priest Gođi or a priestess Gyđja. Runes were used in rituals along with nature shrines, altars (harrows), and magical tools. Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú was an Řrlag faith of magic, fate, and destiny facilitated by Galđr, magical incantations, Galdrastafr, magical symbols, Gandr, magical staffs and wands, Spa, predictions, and Spákona, soothsayers.
The Poetic Edda, folklore, history, and literature were studied to understand their religious and cultural foundations and to discern the intrinsic characteristics and intentions of the Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú gods and goddesses. An Earth based faith, Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú, believed that we were the offspring of the union of the Sky Father and the Earth Mother and live in one of the Nine Worlds, Midgard.
The Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú gods and goddesses resided in Asgard, the uppermost world. The Holy Elves, the Alfar, were friends of mankind; the Dark Dwarves, the Dokkalfar, were sometimes friendly and sometimes unfriendly, and the Giants, the Jotnar, were catalysts for change for both the deities and humans.
Although Iceland took Christianity as their official religion about a thousand years ago so that other countries would keep trading with them, Icelanders continued to practice Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú, and, Ásatrú is now recognized by the state as an official religion.
One of the oldest Sacred
Pathways still practiced today, Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú, has undergone a global
restoration as the many Heathen descendants of Heathenry in Australia, America,
Britain, Europe, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and elsewhere have rediscovered both
their ancient Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú lineage and their heritage...
Go back
Read Heathenry Heathen Ásatrú Troth Articles
Ancient Roots of Heathenry,
Blot Blessings Hallowed Festivals,
Eddas Mythos and Way of Troth,
Glossary Terminology,
Heathen Deities Goddesses Gods Deities,
Heathen Shamanic Traditions,
Heathenry Ásatrú Spiritual Beliefs,
Nine Noble Virtues,
Hallowed Heathenry and Nature Spirits,
Sacred Symbols Magical Mysteries,
World Tree Rainbow Bridge
Visit other Beliefs Faiths Religions Traditions
Aboriginal Dreamtime,
Alchemy Alchemist,
Cosmos Astronomy,
Buddhism Buddhist,
Christianity Biblical,
Daoist Confucian,
Druidry Treelore,
Heathenry Ásatrú,
Hinduism Vedas,
Islam Sunnah,
Judaism Talmud,
Native American,
Paganism Wiccan,
Shamanism Shaman,
Shintoism Kami
Heathenry
Heathen Ásatrú Troth Copyright © 2002-2008 Maureen Grace Burns, Blessings Cornucopia. All Rights Reserved. Public Domain Image
Artwork Depiction of the Norse God Freyr from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Freyr_art.jpg]. Accessed December 9, 2006.
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