User:Kim Dent-Brown/Germanic Neopaganism

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Germanic neopaganism, also known as Heathenry, Ásatrú, Odinism, Forn Siðr Theodism, and other names, is the contemporary revival of historical Germanic paganism. Precursor movements appeared in the early 20th century in Germany and Austria, and a second wave of revival began in the United States, Great Britain, Iceland, Australia, and other places the late 1960's. Dedicated to the ancient gods and goddesses of the North, the focus of Germanic neopagans varies considerably, from strictly historical polytheistic reconstructionism to syncretist (eclectic), pragmatic psychologist, occult or mysticist approaches. Germanic neopagan organizations cover a wide spectrum of belief and ideals.

Goddesses and gods
Adherents are polytheists, and they honor a number of gods and goddesses. With Norse-based Germanic neopaganism these deities are Æsir, who dwell in Asgard, and Vanir. who dwell in Vanaheim. Although these two groups of deities once made war, they have made peace, and exchanged hostages. The war is described in Völuspá and also in in the Prose Edda.

The afterlife
Regarding afterlife, the Germanic neopagans may hold different views. According to their lore, the soul is not a single entity, but a composite of parts both physical and metaphysical, a microcosm of the immense macrocosm.

The most famous post-death destination is Valhalla. The devotees of Odin who die heroic deaths will be his guests in Valhalla. The death-song of Ragnar Lodbrók describes this belief, so, too, does the poet of Eiríksmál. In Ynglinga Saga it is further said that all those who are cremated with their possessions after death will also go to Odin.

According to the poem Grímnismál collected in the Poetic Edda, the goddess Freyja allots seats to half of those that die heroically in her hall Fólkvangr, while Odin receives the other half.

Also, in chapter 24 of the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning, Snorri Sturluson writes that Freyja has a dwelling in the heavens called Fólkvangr, and that "whenever she rides to battle she gets half of the slain, and the other half Odin.

Cosmology
In Germanic neopaganism there are multiple worlds, with Norse-based Germanic neopaganism specifying "nine worlds" , with a "World Tree" known as Yggdrasil serving as an axis. A complete list of the nine worlds is never mentioned entirely, in any source, but these worlds are identified Poetic Edda or younger Prose Edda:


 * Ásgarðr, world of the Æsir. (Poetic and Prose )
 * Vanaheimr, world of the Vanir. (Poetic and Prose )
 * Álfheimr, world of the Álfar (Elves). (Poetic and Prose )
 * Miðgarðr, world of humans. (Poetic and Prose )
 * Jötunheimr, world of the Jötnar (Giants). (Poetic and Prose )
 * Niðavellir, world of the Dvergar (Dwarfs). (Poetic ) / Svartálfaheimr (Prose )
 * Múspell, world of fire and the Fire Jötnar. (Poetic and Prose ) / Múspellsheimr (Prose )
 * Niflhel, world of ice and mist, into which the wicked dead are cast. (Poetic and Prose ) / Niflheimr (Prose )
 * Hel, world of the inglorious dead, located within Niflhel /Niflheimr and ruled over by the giantess Hel. (Poetic and Prose )

Ethics
The Germanic Neopagan community emphasize personal character: truthfulness, self-reliance, and hospitality are important moral distinctions, underpinning an especially cherished notion of honour. Germanic Neopaganism notably lacks any discussion of redemption or salvation.

The Asatru Folk Assembly and the Odinic Rite encourage recognition of an ethical code, the Nine Noble Virtues, which are culled from various sources, including the Hávamál from the Poetic Edda. Other Germanic neopagan groups have similar core values; for example, Fyrnsidu has the Twelve Great Thews and the Sidungas, Urglaawe has additional nine "ancillary virtues" called "Newwereenheide": Generosity, Spirituality, Curiosity, Compassion, Introspection, Self-Improvement, Stewardship, Kinship, and Wisdom.

Blót
Blót is the historical Norse term for sacrifice or ritual slaughter. The word blót actually translates to "blood." Historically, the ritual slaughter of a farm animal was central to the rite, but modern Germanic neopagans do not usually practice animal sacrifice. [source needed]

Blóts can be celebrated in homes, in a "sacred enclosure" in the forest, or in hof constructed for honoring the deities. Currently, two hofs are planned for construction in Iceland, one in Reykjavík and one in Akranes, the latter designed by Heathen artist Haukur Halldórsson.

A blót may be highly formalized, but the underlying intent resembles inviting and having an honored guest or family member in for dinner. Food and drink may be offered. Most of this will be consumed by the participants, and some of the drink will be poured out onto the soil as a libation. Home-brewed mead, as the "Germanic" drink par excellence, is popular.

The blót ritual may be based on historical example, scripted for the occasion or may be spontaneous. Certain Germanic Neopagan groups, most notably the Theodish, strictly adhere to historical formulaic ritual, while other groups may use modernized variants. [source needed]

Seiðr
Seiðr and Spae are forms of "sorcery" or "witchcraft", the latter having aspects of prophecy and shamanism. Seid and spae are not common rituals, and are not engaged in by many adherents of Germanic Neopaganism. Usually seid or spae rituals are modeled after the ritual detailed in the Saga of Eric the Red: a seiðkona dressed in traditional garb will sit on a high-seat or platform and prophesy in a formulaic manner as women sing or chant galdr around her. In the UK, seidr relies less on formal ritual and more informal practices of healing (Blain, 2002b), protection, and for developing links with land and ancestors. It may be related — in past and present — to alterations of consciousness and negotiations with otherworld beings.

The berserkergangr may be described as a sort of religious ecstasy, associated with Odin, and thus a masculine variant of the 'effeminate' ecstasy of Seid.

Modern revival, 1960s to present
Another revival, this time based on folklore and historical research rather than on mysticist speculation, took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In Iceland, Ásatrúarfélagið, led by farmer Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson, was recognized as a religious organization by the Icelandic government in 1973. In the United States, around the same period, Else Christensen began publishing "The Odinist" newsletter and Stephen McNallen began publishing a newsletter titled The Runestone. McNallen formed an organization called the Asatru Free Assembly, which was later renamed the Ásatrú Folk Assembly (AFA). The AFA fractured in 1987-88, resulting in the creation of the Ásatrú Alliance, headed by Valgard Murray, publisher of the "Vor Tru" newsletter. Around the same time, the Ring of Troth (now simply The Troth) was founded by other former members of the AFA.

In 1972 the spiritual descendants of Mills' Odinist movement in Australia obtained from the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth of Australia a written undertaking that open profession of Odinism in Australia would not be persecuted. The Odinic Rite of Australia subsequently obtained tax deductible status from the Australian Tax Office. The ATO accepts this as the definition of Odinism: "the continuation of ... the organic spiritual beliefs and religion of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe as embodied in the Edda and as they have found expression in the wisdom and in the historical experience of these peoples".

The Odinic Rite was established in England in 1972, and in the 1990s expanded to include chapters or kindred bodies in Germany (1995), Australia (1995) and North America (1997) and later (2006) to the Netherlands. In 1992, The Odin Brotherhood by Mark Mirabello contained claims of a surviving Odinist "secret society", allegedly founded in 1421 to pagan tradition from Christian persecution, comparable to the Witch-cult hypothesis forwarded by Gerald Gardner (1954). Neopagan groups calling themselves the Odin Brotherhood based on Mirabello's account have since been listed in The Encyclopedia of American Religions.

In Germany, the Heidnische Gemeinschaft (HG) founded by Géza von Neményi in 1985. In 1991 the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft (GGG), led by von Neményi, split off from the HG. In 1997 the Nornirs Ætt was founded as part of the Rabenclan and in 2000 the Eldaring was founded. The Eldaring is affiliated with the US based Troth.

In Scandinavia, the Swedish Asatru Society formed in 1994, and in Norway the Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996 and Foreningen Forn Sed formed in 1999. They have been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious society, allowing them to perform "legally binding civil ceremonies" (i. e. marriages). In Denmark Forn Siðr also formed in 1999 (and was recognized by the state in 2003) and in Sweden Nätverket Gimle formed in 2001, as an informal community for individual heathens. Nätverket Forn Sed formed in 2004, and has a network consisting of local groups (blotlag) from all over the Sweden.

Demographics
Today, Germanic Neopaganism is practiced throughout the world. Scandinavia, Germany, Britain, North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand all have numerous Germanic Neopagan organizations. Groups and practitioners also exist in other parts of Europe and in Latin America.

The exact number of adherents worldwide is unknown, partly because of the lack of a clear definition separating Asatru (or Odinism) from other similar religions. There are perhaps a few thousand practitioners in North America (10,000 to 20,000 according to McNallen ), about 1950 in Iceland, a thousand or so in Melbourne, Australia, and 350 organized Asatru in Germany, with other groups scattered world wide. These figures, however, do not include the many thousands of Germanic heathens in Russia (see below).

North America
As of 2001, the City University of New York estimated that some 360,000 people in the USA self-identify as "Pagan" (excluding Wiccan (134,000), New Age (68,000), Druid (33,000), Spiritualist (116,000) and aboriginal religions (4,000)). The total number of Neopagans worldwide has been estimated at roughly three million and according to these findings, a third each are located in the UK, the USA, and over the rest of the world.

In Canada according to the 2001 Census 21,080 people identified as Pagan an 381% increase from 5,530 in 1991. How many of these are Heathen can only be speculated and it is possible that the number may be higher, but out of fear of prejudice they do not disclose. However, Heathenry in Canada has grown greatly in Canada since 2001 with the creation of many independent kindreds and some provincial organizations.

UK
The Odinic Rite (OR) was founded in 1973 under the influence of Else Christensen's Odinist Study Group. On 24 February 1988 the Rite became the first polytheistic religious organisation to be granted "Registered Charity" status in the UK. This led to some controversy that the Rite had presented Odinism as a monotheistic religion in order to gain acceptance by the Charity Commission. In 1990 a split occurred in the Rite. Two organisations were formed from the schism, initially each claiming the same name and therefore known by their postal addresses. "BCM Runic" is now known as the Odinic Rite with the motto "Faith, Folk and Family". "BM Edda", now known as the Odinist Fellowship, is the part of the organisation which retains charitable status.

An annual gathering of Heathens in the UK called Heathenfest has been held at Peterborough since 2005, it is organised by Woden's Hearth. Past speakers have included Pete Jennings, Jenny Blain, Thorskegga Thorn and Stephen Pollington.

Scandinavia
Ásatrúarfélagið was recognized as an official religion by the Icelandic government in 1973. For its first 20 years it was led by farmer & poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. As of 2008, it had 1,270 members, corresponding to 0.4% of the Icelandic population.

In Sweden, the Swedish AsatruSociety (Sveriges asatrosamfund) formed in 1994. In Denmark Forn Siðr was formed in 1999, and was officially recognized in 2003 The Norwegian Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost was formed in 1996; as of 2011, the fellowship has some 300 members. Foreningen Forn Sed was formed in 1999, and has been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious organization.

Continental Europe
Interest in Germanic neopaganism in particular becomes apparent in Germany in the later 1990s, based on inspiration from the English speaking world rather than historical Deutschgläubig groups, foundation of the Rabenclan (1994), a German chapter of Odinic Rite in 1995, followed by Nornirs Ætt in 1997 and the Eldaring as a chapter of the US The Troth in 2000.

Werkgroep Traditie is a Flemish (Belgian) group founded by Koenraad Logghe in the 1990s. In Russia the many neo-pagan groups venerate the "Golden Age of the pre-Christian Rus" (the Rus being early Scandinavian settlers in Russia), and "In general, Neo-pagan newspapers ... appear irregularly in editions ranging from 10–50,000 copies, or more rarely, as many as 500,000 copies".

Ásatrú
Ásatrú (pronounced in Icelandic,  in Old Norse) is a modern Icelandic compound derived from Áss, which refers to the Æsir, an Old Norse term for the gods, and trú, literally "faith" or "trust." Thus, Ásatrú is the "faith in the gods" or "trust in the gods.". The term is the Icelandic translation of Asetro, a neologism coined in the context of 19th century romantic nationalism, used by Edvard Grieg in his 1870 opera Olaf Trygvason. Ásatrúar, sometimes used as a plural in English, is properly the genitive of Ásatrú.

Modern Scandinavian forms of the term, Norwegian Åsatru, Swedish Asatro, Danish Asetro (Ēsatrēowð in Old English), were introduced in Neopaganism in Scandinavia in the 1990s.

In Germany, the terms Asatru and Odinism were borrowed from the Anglosphere in the 1990s, with a chapter of Odinic Rite formed in 1995 and the Eldaring as a partner organization of The Troth formed in 2000. Eldaring takes Asatru as a synonym of Germanic neopaganism in general, following usage by The Troth. Other organizations avoid Asatru in favour of Germanisches Heidentum ("Germanic Heathenry"). Eldaring is the only pagan organization at the national level in Germany self-described as Asatru.

The term Vanatru is coined after Ásatrú, implying a focus on the Vanir (another Old Norse word for "gods", possibly denoting another divine group) rather than the Æsir. After that, the word Rokkatru was coined to imply a focus on the Rokkr or Norse Underworld Deities, such as Loki.

Odinism
The term Odinism was coined by Orestes Brownson in his 1848 Letter to Protestants. The term was re-introduced in the late 1930s by Alexander Rud Mills in Australia with his First Anglecyn Church of Odin and his book The Call of Our Ancient Nordic Religion. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Else Christensen's Odinist Study Group and later the Odinist Fellowship brought the term into usage in North America. In the UK, Odinic Rite has specifically identified themselves as "Odinists" since the 1970s, and is the largest group to do so.

Although one Odinist group, the Odin Brotherhood, is neither racist nor folkish, the term "Odinism" is sometimes associated with racialist Nordic ideology, as opposed to "Asatru" which may or may not refer to racialist or "folkish" ideals. As defined by Goodrick-Clarke (2002), Nordic racial paganism is synonymous with the Odinist movement (including some who identify as Wotanist). He describes it as a "spiritual rediscovery of the Aryan ancestral gods...intended to embed the white races in a sacred worldview that supports their tribal feeling", and expressed in "imaginative forms of ritual magic and ceremonial forms of fraternal fellowship".

Odinists are "hard polytheists", and they believe that the gods and goddesses are real beings with distinct personalities. In the words of the Odinist Fellowship, "Odinism is a polytheistic religion. We believe in and honour the life-giving and bountiful gods and goddesses of the Odinic pantheon, whom we refer to collectively as the High Gods of Asgarth, or as the Æsir and Vanir. Our gods are true gods, divine, living, spiritual entities, endowed with power and intelligence, able and willing to intervene in the course of Nature and of human lives. It behoves us to seek their goodwill and succour through prayer and sacrifice. But the gods do not require us to abase and humble ourselves; they do not seek to make of us craven slaves. Odinists therefore do not bow or kneel or kow-tow to the gods, but address them proudly like free, upstanding men and women. Odinists regard our gods, not as our masters, but as firm friends and powerful allies."

In more recent times, the Odinist community in Australia has endorsed the "Melbourne Creed" of Odinism, which is a 9-point statement of belief, "An Odinist Creed."