Asatru

"Asatru" is the name of a pre-Christian religion of Northern Europe, specifically based on Norse/Germanic ("Viking") mythology, It has numerous gods, such as Tyr, Odin, Thor, and Freya, among many others, major and minor. The most accessible current book on the mythology underlying this religion is Kevin Crossley-Holland's "The Norse Myths".

Ásatrú was established in the 1960s and early 1970s in Iceland, by the Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið, an organization founded by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. Ásatrú is a religion officially recognized by the governments of Iceland (since 1973), Norway (since 1994) and Denmark (since 2003). The United States government does not officially endorse or recognize any religious group, but numerous Ásatrú groups have been granted nonprofit religious status going back to the 1970s. While the term Ásatrú originally referred specifically to the Icelandic adherents of the religion, Germanic neopagan and reconstructionist groups widely identify themselves as Ásatrú. In this wider sense, the term Ásatrú is used somewhat synonymously with Germanic neopaganism or Germanic paganism, along with the terms Forn Sed, Odinism, Heithni, Heathenry and others.

The formal name "Asatru" (pronounced OW-sa-troo) is a fairly recent invention of the 19^th Century: if the Viking Age people had an explicit name for their religion, that name has been lost. The casual name for this religion is heathenry. Whether Asatru can or should be classed as neo-pagan is hotly debated, as it reconstructs a religion that is known beyond question to have historical roots. Many heathens distance themselves from practitioners of more popular modern pagan religions such as Wicca.

Asatru is a "hard-polytheistic" religion. Its many gods are seen as distinct, not as specifics of some larger generalization. Furthermore, the gods of other religions are acknowledged, but not worshipped. Heathens are quite willing to respect other religions, on the condition that such respect goes both ways. Proselytizing is frowned upon, but discussion is not.

Among pagan religions practiced in modern times, Asatru is one of the most conservative. For example, military service is highly respected by the heathen community, and the right to keep and bear arms is not considered a legalistic abstraction to quibble over.

A Kindred is a local worship group in Ásatrú. Other terms used are garth, stead, sippe, skeppslag and others. Kindreds are usually grassroots groups which may or may not be affiliated with a national organization like the Asatru Folk Assembly, the Ásatrú Alliance, or the Troth. Kindreds are composed of hearths or families as well as individuals, and the members of a Kindred may be related by blood or marriage, or may be unrelated. The kindred often functions as a combination of extended family and religious group. Membership is managed by the assent of the group. Kindreds usually have a recognized Goði to lead religious rites, while some other kindreds function more like modern corporations. Goði or Gothi (plural goðar) is the Old Norse term for a priest and chieftain in Norse paganism.

Asatru has some similarities to the Japanese Shinto religion: respect for nature and its forces, and veneration of ancestors. A list of explicit virtues is promoted (the "Nine Noble Virtues), and the swearing of oaths (not to be confused with foul language) is taken very seriously.

1. Courage 2. Truth 3. Honor 4. Fidelity 5. Discipline 6. Hospitality 7. Industriousness 8. Self-Reliance 9. Perseverance