What Is Ásatrú? Norse Neopaganism
A guide to Ásatrú, the modern revival of Norse paganism, its history, beliefs, rituals, and the major organizations of the movement.
Ásatrú (Old Norse Ásatrú, “faith in the Aesir”) is a modern religious movement, sometimes called Heathenry, Norse Neopaganism, or Forn Sed (“ancient custom”), that is devoted to the revival of the pre-Christian religious traditions of the Norse and other Germanic peoples. The movement began in the early 1970s, primarily in Iceland and in the United States, and it has grown steadily since then, with the establishment of national and international organizations, the publication of scholarly and popular books, and the development of a distinct theological and ritual tradition. The image of Ásatrú is one of the most important in the modern Norse revival, and the movement has drawn much modern attention.
The Founding of the Movement
The modern Ásatrú movement was founded in Iceland in 1972, when the poet, farmer, and parliamentarian Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson (1924–1993) established the Ásatrúarfélagið (“The Ásatrú Fellowship”). The organization was officially recognized by the Icelandic state as a religious organization in 1973, and it has since been the principal representative of the Icelandic Ásatrú movement.
The founding of the movement was a conscious act of revival. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson and his colleagues were inspired by the surviving medieval Scandinavian sources, by the medieval Icelandic literary tradition, and by the broader Romantic movement that had, since the 19th century, sought to revive the older Norse tradition. The movement was, from the beginning, a cultural as well as a religious revival, and the cultural element has remained a major part of the movement.
In the United States, the modern Ásatrú movement was founded independently in the early 1970s. The Ásatrú Free Assembly (later renamed the Ásatrú Alliance) was established in 1973 by Steve McNallen (b. 1952), and the organization was one of the first American organizations of the movement. The Ring of Troth (now The Troth) was founded in 1987 by Edred Thorsson (b. 1957) and others, and the organization is one of the major American organizations of the movement.
The Beliefs of Ásatrú
The beliefs of the modern Ásatrú movement are based on the surviving medieval Scandinavian sources, but they are not identical to the pre-Christian Norse religion. The pre-Christian Norse religion was, in the surviving sources, a polytheistic religion with a wide range of gods, goddesses, and supernatural beings, and the modern movement has had to interpret these sources in the context of the modern world.
The most central belief of the modern movement is the polytheistic belief in the Norse gods and goddesses. The modern Ásatrú movement typically recognizes the principal figures of the Norse pantheon, including Odin, Thor, Freyja, Freyr, Tyr, Heimdall, Baldr, Njörðr, the Norns, and the Valkyries. The gods are typically understood as immanent (present in the world) rather than transcendent (existing outside the world), and they are typically understood as personal (having personalities and wills) rather than as impersonal forces.
A second central belief is the reverence for the natural world. The modern Ásatrú movement typically emphasizes the connection between the gods and the natural world, and it typically understands the natural world as a place of holiness and of divine presence. The image of the world as a place of gods, of spirits, of ancestors, and of the natural cycles of life is one of the principal themes of the modern movement.
A third central belief is the emphasis on the pre-Christian sources. The modern movement typically appeals to the surviving medieval sources — the Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda, the Heimskringla, the Völsunga saga, the Beowulf poem, and the wider medieval Scandinavian corpus — as the basis of its beliefs and its practices. The sources are typically understood as authoritative but not as inerrant, and the modern movement typically allows for a wide range of interpretation.
A fourth central belief is the emphasis on the Nine Noble Virtues or a similar ethical framework. The modern movement typically emphasizes virtues such as courage, truth, honor, fidelity, discipline, hospitality, self-reliance, industriousness, and perseverance. The virtues are typically understood as noble in the heroic sense, and they are typically understood as the basis of a heroic ethics that matches the medieval Scandinavian sources.
The Rituals of Ásatrú
The rituals of the modern Ásatrú movement are based on the surviving medieval sources, but they are not identical to the pre-Christian Norse rituals. The most common ritual is the blót (sacrifice), a ritual offering to the gods that typically involves the offering of food, drink, or other gifts at a sacred space. The blót is typically performed at a hof (a temple or sacred space), at an altar (a stone or wooden platform), or at a ve (a sacred site).
The blót typically involves the following elements: a declaration of the purpose of the ritual, a sanctification of the space, a calling of the gods (an invocation of the deities to whom the ritual is dedicated), an offering of the gift, a dedication of the offering to the gods, and a closing of the ritual. The blót is typically performed by a goði (a priest or priestess) and is typically attended by the kindred (the local community of practitioners).
The most common time for a blót is at the major heathen holy days of the year. The most common are Yule (the winter solstice, in late December), Ostara (the spring equinox, in late March), Midsummer (the summer solstice, in late June), and Winter Nights (the late October festival marking the beginning of the Norse winter). The dates of the festivals are typically determined by astronomical events, by the local tradition, and by the modern calendar.
In addition to the blót, the modern movement typically performs other rituals, including the sumble (a ritual of toasts and boasts), the faining (a ritual of protection or blessing), the weddings (a ritual of marriage), the naming ceremonies (a ritual of giving a name to a child), and the funerals (a ritual of laying the dead to rest). The rituals are typically performed by a goði and are typically attended by the kindred.
The Major Organizations of Ásatrú
The modern Ásatrú movement has a number of major organizations, both in Iceland and abroad. The most important is the Ásatrúarfélagið in Iceland, which is the state-recognized religious organization of the movement. The organization has, since 1973, been the principal representative of the Icelandic movement, and it has been a major focus of the modern revival.
In the United States, the most important organizations are the Ásatrú Alliance (founded in 1973), the Ring of Troth (now The Troth, founded in 1987), the American Vinland Association (AVA), and the Odinic Rite (an international organization founded in the United Kingdom in the 1970s). The organizations are typically organized into kindreds (local groups), heaths (regional groups), and althings (national or international gatherings).
In Continental Europe, the most important organizations are the Forn Sed Föreningen in Sweden, the Forn Siðr in Norway, the Forn Siðr Félag Íslenskra Ásatrúarmanna in Iceland, and the Deutscher Heidnischer Verband in Germany. The organizations are typically organized into local groups, and they are typically affiliated with international organizations such as the European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER).
The Theological Diversity of Ásatrú
The modern Ásatrú movement is, like all modern religious movements, theologically diverse. The most common divisions are between folkish (those who emphasize the ethnic and cultural continuity of the Norse tradition) and universalist (those who emphasize the openness of the tradition to people of all backgrounds), between reconstructionist (those who emphasize the close adherence to the surviving medieval sources) and eclectic (those who emphasize the freedom to interpret the sources in a wide range of ways), and between traditionalist (those who emphasize the continuity of the tradition with the pre-Christian past) and modernist (those who emphasize the relevance of the tradition to the modern world).
The most common position of the modern movement is somewhere in the middle of these divisions, with most practitioners emphasizing the cultural continuity of the tradition, the reconstructionist adherence to the sources, and the modernist engagement with the contemporary world. The image of the modern movement is, in this sense, a complex one, and the theological diversity is one of the principal features of the modern revival.
The Scholarly Study of Ásatrú
The modern Ásatrú movement has been the focus of much scholarly study. The 20th-century scholar Hilda Ellis Davidson discussed the movement in her book The Lost Beliefs of Northern Europe and in her other works, and the 20th-century scholar Stefan Brink has discussed the modern movement in the context of the medieval Scandinavian sources. The 20th-century scholar Clive Tolley has written extensively on the shamanic elements of the modern movement, and the 20th-century scholar Jenny Blain has written on the ritual elements of the modern movement.
The scholarly study has been broadly sympathetic, and the modern movement has been the focus of much academic attention. The reading matches with the medieval sources, and the modern movement is one of the principal modern revivals of the older Norse tradition.
The Modern Significance of Ásatrú
The modern Ásatrú movement is significant for several reasons. First, the movement is one of the most important modern revivals of the older Norse tradition, and it is one of the principal sources of the modern popular engagement with the Norse tradition. Second, the movement is a major source of modern Scandinavian and Germanic cultural identity, which has shaped the modern cultural revival. Third, the movement is a major source of the modern scholarly engagement with the medieval sources, and the movement is widely studied in academia.
The image of the modern Ásatrú movement is, in this sense, a complex one, and the movement is one of the most important modern revivals of the older Norse tradition. The reading matches with the medieval sources, and the movement is likely to continue to be a focus of modern attention.
The Future of Ásatrú
The modern Ásatrú movement is likely to continue to grow in the coming decades. The image of the movement is one of a major modern revival of the older Norse tradition, and the movement is likely to continue to be a focus of the modern cultural and religious engagement. The image of the modern movement is, in this sense, a major source of the modern popular engagement with the Norse tradition, and the movement is likely to continue to be a focus of modern attention.
The modern movement is also likely to continue to evolve. The image of the modern movement is, in this sense, a complex one, and the movement is one of the most important modern revivals of the older Norse tradition. The reading matches with the medieval sources, and the movement is likely to continue to be a focus of modern interpretation.