Asatru a la Deoridhe

[TeaDidikai]

Deoridhe

TeaDidikai

Hey Deo? The person who passed on that warning- what was their explanation as to why it was relevant?

That it gives more info about the writer's pov, if I remember correctly. I got the warning some fifteen years ago.

I'm sorry. I really am having a very hard time wrapping my head around this.

In my universe, it makes as much sense as saying "Tea talks a lot about the Rroma, but she's studied Christianity- so watch out for that."

I understand that this means something, I just don't know what it intends to imply?  

[Deoridhe]

TeaDidikai

Deoridhe

TeaDidikai

Hey Deo? The person who passed on that warning- what was their explanation as to why it was relevant?

That it gives more info about the writer's pov, if I remember correctly. I got the warning some fifteen years ago.

I'm sorry. I really am having a very hard time wrapping my head around this.

In my universe, it makes as much sense as saying "Tea talks a lot about the Rroma, but she's studied Christianity- so watch out for that."

I understand that this means something, I just don't know what it intends to imply?

No, in your case it would be, "Tea wrote a lot about Christianity, but she is Rroma."

It's a marker letting someone know that someone is writing from outside, rather than inside, a religion.

To expand, I treat what you and Ananel say about Christianity differently because you come at Christianity from outside and he comes from it form within.  

[TeaDidikai]

Deoridhe

To expand, I treat what you and Ananel say about Christianity differently because you come at Christianity from outside and he comes from it form within.

Interesting. This explains what I was seeking to understand. Thank you.  

[CricketBrain]

patch99329

Also, either you or tea mentioned something about some Asatru choosing not to worship loki. Again, is there a reason for this?

FWIW, someone I met said that all of the Lokians that he knows have lives that are rather shambley and chaotic.  

[Deoridhe]

CricketBrain

patch99329

Also, either you or tea mentioned something about some Asatru choosing not to worship loki. Again, is there a reason for this?

FWIW, someone I met said that all of the Lokians that he knows have lives that are rather shambley and chaotic.

Ur... um... I manage to pay most of my bills on time. sweatdrop  

[TeaDidikai]

Deoridhe

CricketBrain

patch99329

Also, either you or tea mentioned something about some Asatru choosing not to worship loki. Again, is there a reason for this?

FWIW, someone I met said that all of the Lokians that he knows have lives that are rather shambley and chaotic.

Ur... um... I manage to pay most of my bills on time. sweatdrop

Did I just see you cast your lot as a Lokian?  

[Deoridhe]

TeaDidikai

Deoridhe

CricketBrain

patch99329

Also, either you or tea mentioned something about some Asatru choosing not to worship loki. Again, is there a reason for this?

FWIW, someone I met said that all of the Lokians that he knows have lives that are rather shambley and chaotic.

Ur... um... I manage to pay most of my bills on time. sweatdrop

Did I just see you cast your lot as a Lokian?

I have for a long while, I just tend to not advertise it as much as my relationship with my old man. It was inadvertent, though; I asked him for a favor without being specific enough about what I offered in return.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Deo: Out of curiosity, are you close to any of the goddesses?

Also, other silly questions that are open for all-

Is there any basis in the lore for a person having a fylgja? If not, where did the concept come from?

Reincarnation-I've read in a few places online that there isn't a basis for it in the myths and lore, but I've also heard others say that it works. I'm of the opinion that it doesn't really fit, but I am curious as to other people's opinions and findings.

Thank you in advance.  

[Deoridhe]

Ultraviolett1127

Deo: Out of curiosity, are you close to any of the goddesses?

Not really. I have made overtures to Eir, Frigga, Saga (which may be another name for Frigga, the lore is not clear; my UPG is that they are similar), and Freya. Frigga responded quickly and powerfully and scared the s**t out of me; she is awesome.

Ultraviolett1127

Is there any basis in the lore for a person having a fylgja? If not, where did the concept come from?

Fylgia is definitely lore based, though I couldn't find you the sources off the top of my head. They're nearly always animals. I have a very odd fylgia for the culture of the Norse and Germanic peoples; a snake.

Ultraviolett1127

Reincarnation-I've read in a few places online that there isn't a basis for it in the myths and lore, but I've also heard others say that it works. I'm of the opinion that it doesn't really fit, but I am curious as to other people's opinions and findings.

There is no basis, but there is nothing counter to it either. Ultimately, though, I personally feel that the afterlife is really a minor concern for the living. All indications are that how we live probably determines where we go and what we can do, so that being said I'm trying to live as I would like to continue to live.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Did Asatru stem from Odinism? confused
Someone in the LD is saying it did...but her sources aren't....supporting that. I'm pretty sure it isn't...but I don't know why this person is throwing me for such a loop >_<  

[Deoridhe]

Ultraviolett1127

Did Asatru stem from Odinism? confused
Someone in the LD is saying it did...but her sources aren't....supporting that. I'm pretty sure it isn't...but I don't know why this person is throwing me for such a loop >_<

Ahhh.... complicated question.

Odinism is what happened (roughly) when racist white people wanted a religious excuse to be racist that didn't include Christianity. Some of them are Neo-Nazis, many come from the prison population (from what I've heard; people have all kinds of rationals for why the prison population is so racist), some are just racists in general.

Asatru came out of the metaphysical revival of the 20s-50s, and had close ties with Wicca for a while, but has branched off.

Some Asatruar have abandoned the term for Forn Sed because racists started using Asatru. I've refused to abandon the term, and instead joyfully curse racists whenever the topic comes up. I am rather rabid about wishing them to Ran's arms as rapidly as possible; may all joy be like ashes in their mouth until they renounce their bigotry.

This is all US specific, btw. It's different in Europe (though, of course, many fo them consider me and my ilk country cousins who should give up on the gods and go back to being Christian becuz wr doin' it rong). Interestingly, one of the public Nidstangs (a horse-headed cursing pole) was made against racists perverting the religion of the gods to their own venal ends, and I believe it stands today in Iceland. I've not been there yet; I hope... someday. Germany was so lovely.  

[Taliah]

This thread has deepened my curiousity of the Aesir and Vanir, and the Norse/Germanic mythos in general.

My boyfriend and I took a college Mythology course at my local Community College, but our professor was profoundly Judeo-Christian, and seemed to try and make certain gods be God or Jesus. sad

Despite this, we were both very interested, and we read most of the Prose Edda in class in order to write our essays.

Are there any other sources that you might could direct us to that would deepen our understanding? Any books or authors that you might recommend?

Any and all help is much appreciated. ^^  

[TeaDidikai]

Taliah

My boyfriend and I took a college Mythology course at my local Community College, but our professor was profoundly Judeo-Christian, and seemed to try and make certain gods be God or Jesus. sad

That may not have been his fault. Some of the translations were colored by the Christian monks that recorded the tales.  

[Taliah]

That's true, and on reflection, I suppose he did really try to keep everyone with the Christian background interested by making parallels to what they know.

It just seemed to distract from who they actually were. Especially when he tried to make comparisons of Baldr to Jesus. I would have this strange hybrid of a blonde, muscular warrior man wearing the clothes of the Middle East preaching and performing miracles.

But that may just be me.  

[Deoridhe]

Taliah

My boyfriend and I took a college Mythology course at my local Community College, but our professor was profoundly Judeo-Christian, and seemed to try and make certain gods be God or Jesus. sad

Heh. Blame Snorri for this one. He started it, with making Baldr the next coming of Christ. Interestingly, I've yet tomet an Asatruar with any interaction with Baldr. Once I manage to get into Hel, I might look him up and see if he's there yet. Ditto, Asgardhr, since he has a hall there.

In any case... books. I started with Kveldulf Gundarsson. Keep your salt lick handly; he was quite new when he wrote that, and has come out as saying he didn't know what he was thinking with different sections since, but I think he's still fighting with Llwellyn to get his copyright back. Ring of Troth published Our Troth, which is a compilation of what a lot of Asatruar do. Salt lick re: elements of public Wicca and the usual newagy we're so special stuff. Steven Flowers published Galdrabok[/iu] which will give you a picture of curses, though they are post-Christian. Jenny Blain is an Asatruar I hold in high respect, and she published a book on Seidhr, but it is very specifically about Seidhr. I'm partial to Hollander and Larrington's translations of the Poetic Edda, but Bellows is available free on the net so I cite it a lot. All of them give you a different perspective, which is always a bonus.

A lot of Asatru is growing in the blood and bones of it's Adherants, though, with the requisite local differences which I think should be part and parcel of any experienced religion.