The Troth

Readings:
The Elder Troth: An Introductory Course of Study.
Introduction. Gundarsson speaks in more detail regarding source materials and the books needed to follow along with his work. Most of these can be found at local libraries, through inter-library loan, or purchased via your local book store or online at amazon.com.

Alongside Gundarsson’s recommendations, The Troth’s books: Our Troth, Second Edition, Volumes One and Two are extremely useful. This online course will cite the relevant chapters in Our Troth Vol. 1 or Vol. 2 for reference.

The essay provided below.

An Introduction to Heathenism
By: Patricia Lafayllve

“Hear me, all ye hallowed beings,
both high and low of Heimdall’s children:
thou wilt, Valfather, that I well set forth
the fates of the world which as first I recall.”1

These words begin the Voluspá, also known as The Prophecy of the Seeress, found in the Elder or Poetic Edda. Heathenism, also known as Asatru, is primarily a reconstructionist religion. It is from texts such as the one cited above that one gleans the information needed to practice a revival of this ancient faith.

In brief, there are three main places where Heathens look in order to reconstruct our religion. First, naturally, are the records left behind from the “Viking Period” (approximately 800-1100 C.E.) Luckily, there are many archeological sites, place names, and rune stones in the Scandinavian countries and on the European continent to give us clues as to what life was like for our ancestors. The Norse peoples were widely traveled, so information can be gleaned from studies of historical sites in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, England (the Anglo-Saxon period and the Danelaw), Ireland, and Scotland as well as in Continental Germany and even France (the Franks were originally from the north). Second, there are writings left behind from sources outside of Scandinavian culture, particularly those of the Romans Tacitus and Saxo Grammaticus, but also Adam of Bremen and the Venerable Bede. Writings such as these must, of course, be read with an understanding that the authors were outsiders to heathen culture, often Christian or Roman. As a result their works are fraught with errors, but form a valuable contribution to understanding heathenry in an ancient context.

The third place, and perhaps the most important, is the surviving lore, or works of mythology and saga-history. Much of the lore is not whole, of course, and again is written by Christians, but it does exist. The Poetic or Elder Edda cited above is a collection of 29 poems dating from the second half of the thirteenth century. The Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, was written by Snorri Sturrlson around 1220 C.E. and contains the myths, the saga of the Volsungs and the Skaldskaparamal (basically a list of kennings for the Icelandic skald, or bard). Additionally we have a wealth of Scandinavian and Anglo Saxon folklore, healing charms, and the like. Taken together, these things tell us most of what we need to know about the ways of our ancestors. It is from these sources, combined in some cases with personal gnosis, that we delineate what is “Heathen” in today’s world.

This begs the question: “What is Heathenry in today’s world?” Simply put, this is a reconstructionist religion based upon the ancestral beliefs and values of the Scandinavian/Northern European cultures. A personal loyalty (or “Tru”) to the deities of the Northlands is an obvious assumption. In fact the term Asatru literally means “true to the ases,” or “gods.” Another self-evident tenet is a deep respect and even reverence for Germanic religions, culture and history.

What many do not realize, however, is that there is a strong determination to practice moral principles found among most Asatruar/Heathens. The so-called Nine Noble Virtues are a modern innovation, but have been adopted by many as a way to live one’s life. These Virtues are: courage, truth, honor, loyalty, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self-reliance, and steadfastness. These tenets give Heathens a guideline for how to live life as a member of this faith, and also tell other Heathens what to expect. The Hávamál, also found in the Poetic Edda, outlines a list of polite behaviors and expected ethics. This is another source for the modern heathen to build a strong ethical structure.

Now, it must be mentioned that Asatru, or Heathenism, is considered an ancestral faith. In many minds, this means that a person should be of Germanic descent in order to practice Asatru. This attitude is very similar in most respects to the view held by many Native American tribes, and is to be respected. On one end of the spectrum are people who believe that Northern ancestry is not essential, because ultimately the gods choose whom they will. Then there is what is known as the “folkish” viewpoint, which says that people must have Germanic/Scandinavian ancestry in order to fully connect with the gods. Most modern heathens today seem to rest in the center of this continuum, believing that some Germanic ancestry is important, but not required to practice the religion. Sadly, there are those who take this belief in one’s ancestral blood to the extreme, and use Asatru as a way to promote racism and hatred. It must be made clear – there is no evidence in the lore or any other traditional source that racism occurred in the Viking Period. The vast majority of Heathens are not, in fact, racist in any way, and the term “folkish” is not synonymous with the term “racist.”

That being said, the worldview of the average Heathen is polytheistic. The gods and goddesses of Asatru are seen as distinct entities, and are not reflections of one another. The concept of maiden-mother-crone, for example, so prevalent in other pagan religions, is not seen in the lore or in current Asatru worldview. Snorri Sturlson tells us there are twelve (12) gods and twelve (12) goddesses. The goddesses are ranked no less holy than the gods, which is a reflection of an overall equality of status enjoyed by women in Norse society.

Odin, known as Allfather, Wotan, Woden, and a host of close to two hundred other names, ranks chief among the Aesir. He is the god of war and death, riding his eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. He is also the god of wisdom, poetry, and divine inspiration. He is a shamanistic god, and learns seidhr (the Norse trance-magic practice) from Freyja, the Vanic goddess of sexuality, love, battle, magic, and death. Closely following Odin, and even exceeding him in popularity, is Thor. Thor (also Donnar and Asa-Thor) is the red-bearded god of the common man. His hammer, Mjolnir, is the chief weapon used to strike down the Thurses, or destructive giants. Thor is a god of battle and protection, but is also known as a god who blesses marriages and the farmer’s fields. The third most common god, based on the multitude of places named after him, is Freyr, also called Ingvi-Frey. Frey is definitely a god of abundance and fertility, and is also a god of the Vanir. Statues of Freyr always portray him with a large erect phallus. It is said that Freyr is the ancestral father of the traditional kings of Sweden.

The goddesses are just as complex. Frigga, or Frigg, is Odin’s wife. She is the one who governs the home and social order, and childbirth is also under her purview. Frigga is also known for being as wise as Odin, although she keeps her own counsel as to what she knows. The distaff is one of her symbols. Freyja, Freyr’s twin sister, is well known as the Lady of love, sexuality, battle, and magic (Freyja, in fact, means “Lady” just as Freyr translates literally into “Lord”). Freyja is known for Brisingnamen, her beautiful gold and amber necklace. It is Freyja who teaches seidhr to Odin, and who receives into her hall Sessrumnir half of the slain brought to Asgard by the valkyries. Another well-known goddess is Skadhi, who is actually a giantess. She marries Njord, the father of Freyr and Freyja, but pines for her mountain home and ends up divorcing him. Skadi is a goddess of snowshoes, hunting, skiing, and the like.

In addition to the gods and goddesses, Heathens honor the landvaettir, or land-wights. These wights are spirits of the land. There are house-wights as well (and even apartment-wights for the city dwellers). Honoring one’s ancestors is very important to the Heathen. The Disir, or female ancestral spirits, are known to help protect the home. The Alfar are elves, but also may well be the male ancestor spirits. Heathens also recognize and respect a number of other beings, such as dwarves, trolls, and giants. Yggdrasil, the mighty ash tree, runs through all nine worlds in the Heathen cosmology. Yggdrasil is recognizably the World Tree, and is treated with respect accordingly.

The most important holiday for the Heathen is Yule, which begins on the winter solstice and lasts for 12 days. It is important to remember that to the Northern ancestors, there were only two seasons – summer and winter. Yule, then, is a focal celebration. Winternights, usually held around the middle of October, is seen as the beginning of winter and Ostara, held between the spring equinox and the first full moon after it, is the beginning of summer. Many other holidays exist, Walpurgisnacht (early May, usually considered the night before May Day), Ostara, Disablot, and harvest blots among them. Additionally, many Heathens use common American holidays such as Memorial Day as a way to remember their ancestors who have fallen in battle (heroes who die in battle become Einherjar, and so many Asatru call Memorial Day and/or Veteran’s Day “Einherjar Day.”). Samhain is not mentioned in the lore, per se, but is used by many as a day to honor the dead.
Central to the Heathen worldview are the concepts of wyrd and orlog. These are difficult concepts to understand, and often give rise to the misunderstood belief that Asatru believe in predestination. Wyrd is made up of all people’s actions, past and present, and all one’s own actions. Orlog, on the other hand, is based entirely upon one’s own past actions (literally, the “ur-law” or “primal/first law”). The most common analogy is of a riverbed and a river. If wyrd is seen as a riverbed, and orlog seen as the water, then it is clear that, for the most part, the water will follow the riverbed. Now as we all know, sometimes rivers do not stay in their beds – and this is why a simplification such as “belief in fate” is inappropriate to the Asatru worldview. Complicating matters further, there is another concept known as hamingja or luck, which can be passed down through families, stored up, and wasted away. A person with good luck will probably get it from his/her ancestors. A person with bad luck has the same situation. In both cases, the individual can build up a store of personal luck – which will naturally impact his or her wyrd and orlog and the wyrd and orlog of all his/her descendants.

Finally, there are two main ritual activities that occur on holy days. These are known as the blót (rhymes with “boat”) and sumble (also spelled “sumble” or “symbel”). In blót, the basic format is to hallow the area (or make it sacred, often using a hammer as a blessing tool), to invoke the entities being honored, then to pass the horn (generally filled with mead) around the circle while all members give thanks. After that, a libation is poured out as an offering to the gods. Blót comes directly from the word for bless, and is cognate with the word for blood2, and it is at this time that other sacrifices are made. While very few heathens practice animal sacrifice (due in the main to factors such as living standards and ability to slaughter animals properly), “forn” or symbolic ritual objects can also be given. Bogs abound with swords deliberately bent and broken to be sacrificed, as well as items of wealth such as neck-rings, armor, shields, etc. Many modern heathens also use fire to burn offerings.

Sumbel on the other hand is held as a means to strengthen community ties. Some heathen groups have more formal sumbel structures than others, but the basic format is the same. In a sumbel the horn is passed at least three times around the circle. The first “hail” or toast is generally to the gods or goddesses. The second toasts the memory of heroes and/or ancestors. The third round is often called the “boast and toast.” Here people can toast whomever or whatever they wish to. Often boasts are made of one’s accomplishments. Occasionally, oaths are made – although it is always cautioned that taking an oath in sumbel is taking an oath before the gods, and should be taken quite seriously. The third “round” can actually continue as long as there is need. Sometimes people recite poetry or sing as part of sumbel. Typically, a blot is followed by a feast (also called husel) and then a sumbel.

An important thing to remember about sumbel is that the Heathen believes that wyrd is dynamic and can be acted upon. What happens in sumbel is that the words and deeds of all those present form a layer in the Well of Wyrd itself. Thus, while to the outsider sumbel seems little more than a drinking festival, the reality is much more serious. Certainly laughter is a part of life, and humor is often expressed. But in sumbel that which is spoken is spoken over the mead in the drinking horn, which is connected symbolically to the Well itself. Thus, people who make false or outlandish boasts will often be called on to prove themselves. This is not meant as insulting, but rather as a means to protect the luck of the hall, and the wyrd of everyone present. The best example of a sumbel in the extant literature can bee seen in Beowulf, when Hrothgar and his men gather with Beowulf and his men to drink to one another.

Heathenry, or Asatru, also called Odinism, the Elder Troth, Theodisc and other names, is a complex living religion. It is modern, yet based soundly on the surviving evidence of the ancestral beliefs of the Northern European peoples. It is a polytheistic faith and emphasizes elements of ancestor worship as well as a profound tie to the land. Asatru groups are called kindreds, tribes or fellowships, yet there are also people who are “solitary” and have no affiliation. Several larger umbrella organizations exist for the purposes of networking and/or building the faith on a national level. There are many facets to Heathenism. The main ones have been covered here, but there is, as always, more to learn.

“Wit ye know, or how?” [Will thou know more, or what?]3

Notes:
1 Hollander, Lee M., The Poetic Edda, Translated with an Introduction and Explanatory Notes by Lee M. Hollander, trans. By Lee M. Hollander, Second Edition (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1996), page 2.

2 The Oxford English Dictionary etymology reads as follows: OE. blóedsian, blédsian, blétsian: not found elsewhere in Teutonic, but formed on the OTeut. type *blôdisôjan, f. *blôdo-m (OE. blód) blood: cf. OE. mildsian, miltsian, ME. MILCE, to be mild, show pity; also, for the formation, OE. rícsian to rule = OHG. rîchisôn: OTeut. *rîkisôjan, f. *rîk-s, Goth. reiks ruler, king. (An equally satisfactory derivation of blétsian, if it were the original form, would be from blót sacrifice, on OTeut. type *blôtisôjan; but besides that blóedsian actually occurs earlier, the change of ds to ts is phonetically natural, while the reverse is not.) The etymological meaning was thus ‘to mark (or affect in some way) with blood (or sacrifice); to consecrate’.

3 Hollander, page 7.

Author’s Note: Original Article published in The CWPN, Inc. Wiccan Read, Yule/Imbolc 2002/3 edition. Updates and revisions done March 2008 by Patricia Lafayllve, original author.