Asatru a la Deoridhe

[Deoridhe]

Table of Contents:

First Page:
General Information
Personal Information
Cosmology
Gods and other Wights
Ethics and Morality
The Self
Wyrd and Orlog
Holidays
The Afterlifes
Magic
Worldview
Poetry
Questions and Answers
Bookhoard


Updates:

13 February, 2006: Opened thread, posted some history and the titles for the other areas.
16 May, 2006: Added to the wights section with brief notes about homes, relationships, and a little story; added Q&A section; linked to Runic Corner and posted there.
22 May, 2006: More housekeeping; added a section on Ragnorak.
06 November, 2006: Poetry section added  

[Deoridhe]

General Information

Current Information around Asatru:

Asatru is one of the reconstructional religions focused on the Gods of North-East Europe known as the Aesir and Vanir. Historically, the tribes who worshipped these gods were the Norse and the Germanic tribes, though their names for them and some of their gods and stories differ.

Reconstruction of the Old Ways (Forn Sed) or the worship of the Aesir (Asatru) is occuring in multiple places with different foccii and constitutions of members of these groups. Some groups disaprove of others - in particular, the individuals who still live in the places where the gods were long ago worshipped wonder at individuals on a new continent doing so. There is some evidence that there may be specific Prussian or Icelandic Family traditions in addition, but they are very insular.

The biggest challenge for Asatru, and by extension many of the other reconstructional and Aesir-specific forms of worship, is the association it has with white supremicist movements such as neo-Nazis. While Asatru comes out of a different cultural revival, nominal nods to the gods - such as calling a movement "Odinist" - are given while the real purpose is a melanin-based superiority movement. There are several large and well known counters to this movement, including the internet Nidstang that originated in (I believe) Iceland proper.

History:

The longest holdout of the old ways was Iceland, who lasted until the 900s CE and made a peaceful and economic-based decision to convert after the King went "under the cloak" to consult with the gods. Iceland also retained written records of some of the old stories, now known as the Poetic Edda. The Prose Edda was a retelling of other stories by Snorri Snorrison, who interpreted the gods as immigrants from Eurasia; due to the reinterpretation, the Prose Edda isn't as relied on by most Reconstructionists as the more fragmented but likely less tampered with Poetic Edda.

Other sources of information for reconstructive purposes include the Rune Poems and anthropological data such as grave findings.  

[Deoridhe]

Personal Information:

I have been Asatru for about eight or nine years, now, and I've been dedicated to Odin for the entirity of that (and very likely before I called myself Asatru). About three years back I asked Loki a favor and developed a relationship with him as well. I've also pursued relationships with Eir, Thor, and Saga.  

[Deoridhe]

Cosmology:

Laerath/Yggdrasil:

Voluspo (Bellows Translation)

19. An ash I know, | Yggdrasil its name,
With water white | is the great tree wet;
Thence come the dews | that fall in the dales,
Green by Urth's well | does it ever grow.

Ygg is one of Odin's names, and can be translated to "the Terrible". Yggdrasil may actually mean, "Horse of the Terrible", which (UPG) ties it to Sleipnir (eight legs and a head as the nine worlds) and references Odin's movements upon the tree between the worlds.

The Nine Worlds:

Nifelheim: One of the first of two realms - the realm of ice/stasis.

Muspelheim: One of the first two realms - the realm of fire/change.

Asgardhr: Home to the Aesir and some Vanir (namely Frey and Freya).

Alfheim: Realm given to Frey as a tooth-gift; Alfar live here. Alfar can also be found at barrow mounds, leading to speculation (UPG) that Alfar also include male ancestral spirits.

Vanaheim: Realm of the Vanir; once at war with the Aesir.

Midgard/Mithdarth: Realm of the humans.

Svartalfheim: Realm of the svartalfar, which may or may not be dwarves.

Jotunheim: Realm of the Jotun, enemies of the Aesir.

Hel: Realm of the human dead; run by Hel/Hella, who may or may not be Loki's daughter.

Ragnorak

My take on it is thus: the cycle of Ragnorak refers to a cycle seen in every life, in subsections of every life, in the life of every institution, group, and thing. There is a beginning - a time of growth, of diversification, of energy, when things are set down and named and organized. There is a middle, where things expand, and conflict develops, and things arrive and depart, and compromises are made. There is an end, when compromises are shown to be false, and brother turns against brother, and much is destroyed, leaving fertile ground for the beginning.

I think Ragnorak has happened and will happen again. The twilight of the gods was when humanity turned away from them for a new god. However, due to the faith and wisdom of Kings and people alike, enough of the old ways survived so that centuries later the worship of the gods could arise again. As far as I'm concerned, we're at the beginning of Voluspa again religiously, setting the ground, finding the ways, diversifying and growing.  

[Deoridhe]

[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

[Deoridhe]

Ethics and Morality:

Historical:

Modern:

Personal:  

[Deoridhe]

[ Message temporarily off-line ]  

[Deoridhe]

Wyrd and Orlog:

The Norns:

Voluspo (Bellows Translation)

20. Thence come the maidens | mighty in wisdom,
Three from the dwelling | down 'neath the tree;
Urth is one named, | Verthandi the next,--
On the wood they scored,-- | and Skuld the third.
Laws they made there, and life allotted
To the sons of men, and set their fates.

 

[Deoridhe]

Holidays:

Historical:

Modern:

Modifications made and why:  

[Deoridhe]

The Afterlifes:

Valhalla:

Hel:

Moundwights:

Disir:

Personal:

Reincarnation:  

[Deoridhe]

Magic:

Runes:
The Runic Corner: The thread I created to explicitely discuss runes

Seidhr:

Curses:

Divination:  

[Deoridhe]

Worldview:

Historical Notes:

Modern Notes:

Personal Notes:  

[Deoridhe]

Poetry

I am an odd off poet at times, although my attempts at a more traditional style aren't as good as I'd hope. I'll list my religious poetry here, though. Non-religious poetry and fiction can be found in my lj for it; contact me for details.

The first is my attempt at a traditional style where assonance and rhythm are what mark the poetic style and there is no rhyme scheme. I wrote it in early college some ten years ago, and was honored when a pagan I admired asked to host it on her website; it remains there to this day. The space is included via a spacer image; the web is not kind to creative formatting. While I am less than pleased with the phrasing, the sentiment contained remains true. This is, in many ways, my equivelant of the nine noble virtues.

One Vitki's Troth

From Yggdrasil's branch hold out your hand
Without honor's touch thy hand is lost
Thy word is thy bond so keep it strong
Speak truth to all wights when runes are cast
True face to thyself unchanged and whole
Respect to the wights whose honor shows
By the loom as it moves
By the eye in the well
By the hammer of might let it be

Thy face shall be watched by thee and all
Back straight under weight strong standing well
Adhere to the Norns but watch their hands
Work weal for the world through pain endure
Let into your home both blood and bile
And harm come to naught who with you stay
By the jewel as it girths
By the well at the heart
By the eagle of pride let it be

With runes in thy hand as Vitki known
And honor a strength to guide thy hand
Spread care over kin and kith alike
As long as that eye with orlog rests
Both thy and thy loves' life path endures
Stand hard to the pain thy hand engaged
By the wings as they beat
By the spear through the chest
By the word of the troth let it be

This poem contains one of my favorite lines of all time. It was one of my earlier sonnets; I've gotten better since then, I swear. I've reworked it gently over time, but sonnets are not a forgiving medium.

Gallows Load

Burnished gallows set with red
Caress the fevered, empty mind
Of man who hangs bloodied and blind
To reach for wisdom, not for bread.

I think to hang there in his stead
And wonder if I dare to bind
My destiny to be his kind
And follow where he never lead.

To ride my orlog like a steed,
If I could dare to take the plunge
Into the noiseless emptiness
That calls me with its baseless need,
Of wisdom’s touch and daring’s lunge
To aid with endless lovingness.  

[Deoridhe]

Questions and Answers:
Spelling and grammar have been corrected, both for questions and answers.

Sovereign of Darkness: Do most AsatruaR get their religious morals from Havamal?

Deoridhe: I would say a certain amount, but the rest of the stories are important too, as is the cultural context a person lives in. For example, historically weirgild was a good way of keeping the body count low; in modern times it really wouldn't be, since humanity is much more dispersed as to where most Asatruar and faithful to the gods are. Instead, a system of law is in place, and that should be taken into account when making choices.

----------------

BlueRoseTorn: I've heard of the Nine Noble Virtues of Asatru, but I can't really find where they originated. Any information on that?

Deoridhe: The Nine Noble Virtues were invented by modern Asatruar to give a list of relavent morals. I have issues with the fact that it is a list, and with some of the virtues listed. I'll probably get into that when I discuss them.

----------------

bobz: Every source I've found that has info on the runes/rune poems seems to spell the names of the runes differently. In your opinion, or in your studies, have you noticed this too? Also, what would you consider to be the best source for a listing of the rune-spellings (in English)?

Deoridhe: The problem is, those poems were all in different languages that did use different spellings for the runes. That's one of the core problems with Asatru; it draws from diverse cultures and attempts to synthesize them. I use the spellings used by Edred Thorsson and Kveldulf Gundarsson - mostly because I read their books first. So, Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, etc... In the main part of the forum I have a rune thread floating around that lists them all. I need to get back to work on that.

----------------

PhantomPhoenix0: Is it possible to be an Asatruar, but have no specific diety you work with?

Deoridhe: Very possible. In fact, I even know an atheistic AsatruaR who participates in a kindred. The concept of gods as patrons and matrons for everyone is a relatively new one. In the past you might favor a god and give more offerings to them, but there wasn't the sense of being chosen back, by and large, outside of the clergy. Some have explained the difference by saying that those being called back into the service of the gods would have been the clergy back then. I feel this is part of the story, but I dont' feel it is all of it.  

[Deoridhe]

Bookhoard:

Published:

Online:
The Eddas and Sagas on Sacred Texts - includes the Bellows' Translation of the Edda that I use
The Nibelungenlied, Daniel B. Shumway, translator
Hero Tales and Legends of the Rhine, by Lewis Spence
Germany, by Tacitus - translated secondary source; Tacitus was biased to view the Germans as Noble Savages.