Can anyone tell me about the Viking/Norse religion?

Question

I don't know if they consider themselves Neo-pagan or not, but I am talking about the modern day followers of Viking ways.

Thanks.

Answer 1

Trying to define Asatru can be rather like trying to nail jelly to a tree - whenever one is convinced it has stuck it finds a way around the nail to land once more at your feet. The word
itself is easy enough - it was invented by Scandinavian antiquarians in the 1830's to describe the ethical and religious leanings of their forebearers. Literally it means "True to the Aesir", one of the families of gods and goddesses worshipped by the Vikings. But the concepts go back much farther, and are indeed much broader than medieval Scandinavia.

Five thousand of years ago a people known as the Indo-Europeans swept out of central Asia across steppe and sea in a wave of conquest, trade and exploration.. Asatru is essentially their
cultural legacy, now worldwide, wherever their descendants roamed. Scandinavia is simply the last place this culture existed in it's purest form, untouched by the influx of Semitic and Oriental religion and culture.

Asatru is a tribal or folk religion. As such, it shares much with other tribal traditions, including those of the Native Americans. However, unlike nearly every other tribal religion, Asatru has a written body of lore, the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda and many, many sagas, all collected in
Iceland in the Middle Ages and preserved.

An Asatru Kindred is the modern expression of the tribe. It is not a church, although there is a strong religious aspect. Legally, it is a religious order. It is not exactly a
family, although the members consider one another to be kin. It somewhat like a fraternity, such
as the Masonic Orders, where one is bound by oath to ones fellows. We have no dogma, or formal creed, although we do have a set of shared beliefs. Perhaps the best way to think of Asatru is as an ethic, as a philosophy or a way of life. This ethic is best expressed in the Nine Noble Virtues.
Hospitality
Courage
Truth
Loyalty
Honor
Self Reliance
Industriness
Perserverance
Discipline
These are not commands. Nor are they laws. This is a collection of nine goals. This is a list of nine ideals that define what it means to be Asatru. Of course, finding these virtues in anyone, of any religion is a good and wonderful thing.

Asatru places the highest value of human freedom and individuality. This is true in both secular and religious matters, and is so strong that while we honor our gods and goddesses, we will never grovel before them. The Shining Gods and Goddesses (the Aesir and the Vanir of Scandinavian tradition) are models and inspirations: self-aware personifications of the forces of nature and of life. They are our friends, but never will they be our masters, and we will never be their slaves. We do not bow our heads before them, we do not bend the knee or surrender our judgment or our sovereignty.

Asafolk view the gods in many different lights. There are those of us who nearly atheists, believing the Gods and Goddesses to be manifestations of pure Nature, and preferring to trust in their own might and judgment entirely. For these folks, Asatru provides a context for their culture and it's continuity. Others are literalists, believing the Eddas and Sagas to be divinely inspired, and believing the gods and goddesses to be literal physical entities. Most fall somewhere in the middle: finding our roots in the culture and our spiritual path on the road with the Shining Gods and Goddesses.

The cultural context that Asatru presents is indeed immense. Most of the holidays that we celebrate were original with our ancestors. Yule trees were decorated to celebrate, and the
Ostara bunny left his eggs in the grass at the Vernal Equinox. Even the days of the week reflect our heathen heritage: Sunna's Day (Sunday), Moon's Day(Monday), Tiw's Day(Teusday), Woden's Day(Wednesday), Thor's Day(Thursday), Frigga's Day(Friday) ... Saturn's Day(Saturday) was a Roman addition. Our system of common law and jurisprudence has it's roots in the Thing, a general meeting of the community. This system, which has survived in America, Scandinavia and England is utterly unlike the Roman or Middle Eastern system of judges without juries and commands by divine kings.

At it core, Asatru believes in human action. No waiting for the afterlife to be happy: you must seize your happiness in the here and now! By heroic action you can take your life in your own hands. You are indeed the "Captain of Your Fate" and the "Master of Your Soul".

The family is the pillar of Asatru. By tradition, people have been devoted to family, and rightly so, for the family is the basis of all enduring social achievements. Where families are strong, freedom is guaranteed. Where they are weak, tyranny flowers, and freedom dies.

Beyond the family is the community, not just other Asafolks, but the communities in which we live and work. Asatru has no concept of doing good for the community merely for the sake of doing good for the community. We believe that our deeds reflect our souls: to the extent that those deeds build our family and our community we are spiritually healthy.

Our concepts of an afterlife are fully consistent with our other beliefs. Those who are worthy travel to the realm of the gods, Asgard. Evildoers and oathbreakers are sent to Nifelhel, a realm of cold and fog, and Those who die of old age or disease, and those not killed in battle, go to Helheim (the cold, dark and misty abode of the dead), while those who die bravely on the battlefield go to Valhalla.
There is also a persistent belief in reincarnation, usually, but not always, within the family line. Thus do our ancestors live again through us. This has caused Asatru to sometimes be described as a "Norse Shinto"; Shinto being the ancestor worship as currently practiced in Japan. And indeed, there are many parallels. We do not overly concern ourselves with the next life. We live here and now, in this life. If we do this and do it well, the next life will take care of itself.

Asatru is practiced in many ways. We celebrate the seasons with feasts and festivals, reviving the original customs to the best of our abilities. We practice many crafts, from brewing to
weaving. We honor the gods and goddesses on their special days. We remember our ancestors and the heroes whose lives stand as examples to us. But most of all, we attempt to live our lives with honor, enriching our families and our communities

Ásatrú is open to everyone, and there are many different sorts of Ásatrú people. Anyone who wants to become Ásatrú can do so -- regardless of gender, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, language, sexual orientation, or other divisive criteria.

You should also check out these links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSKv5V9X0IA
http://www.erichshall.com/asanew/newtotru.htm
http://www.odinsvolk.ca/O.V.A.%20-%20ASATRU%20INTRO.htm
http://www.paganpride.org/resources/whatisasatru.html

Answer 2

I can tell you this-
It's every bit as valid as any other religion.

Pagan is a term used by the Catholic Church through the middle ages to define (and be derogatory towards) all religions that they stumbled across in europe, that weren't Abrahamic. (jews, christians, muslims).

The Viking/Norse would not have called their own religion 'pagan'. They would have called it the truth, as all people do with their own religion.

Answer 3

Well, I consider myself a Norse Heathen, but right now, I'm a very tired, ill one. So I can't be bothered to type a novel. I'll star your question, maybe Heathen Daughter, Frau Hunter, Boar's Heart, Tyr's own... or any other of my fellow Asatruar will have more energy and will to live and type.
If not, you're welcome to mail me once I regain a bit of consciousness. I'll gladly answer any questions you might have.

Sorry for my state, I think I'll just go to bed.

Answer 4

It's called Asatru. Here's some links:

http://www.asatru-u.org/beginner/asau-beginner-outline.htm
http://www.thetroth.org/
http://www.erichshall.com/asanew/newtotru.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~wodensharrow/hah.html
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/ice/index.htm

An excellent book I read is Essential Asatru by Diana L. Paxson. It's a great introduction.

Answer 5

It is called Asatru or Forn Sed.

Try the website of the Asatru Folk Assembly.

http://www.runestone.org

They have a good online basic introduction primer on Asatru for beginners:

http://www.runestone.org/introduction/primer.html

Answer 6

I'm not an expert on the subject I just know its called the Asatru religion.

Heres a link for more information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asatru

Answer 7

Modern vikings that kind of like having modern Dino's. CAN"T HAPPEN

Answer 8

Rape Pillage Plunder,,and on to Valhalla

Answer 9

No I can't. But I bet Thor was hot.