Hey SoM go-ers! I plan on making an article fairley soon on a Heathen F.A.Q to answer the most commonly asked questions about Heathenry. I present this thread to you as an oppritunity to ask your question and have it answered in the upcoming article. If you have any questions or concerns about heathenry, how it works, or how to start out, leave your questions below! Many thanks and brightest blessings!
P.S I apologize if this needs to be in the advertising forums instead of the Norse Paganism forum.
I think it would be helpfull for outsiders to explain the different pathes within Norse Paganism, from Runelore, to germanic shamanism, from Seidr to Rokkatru etc.
@LunaBlood05 In Heathenry or Paganism in general? Yes to both, just not sure which you meant.
While there are several groups [like Asteru, The Troth, Theodism, Odinism, Wodenism, and Odalism] Heathenry tends to come in 2 flavours, those who actually read the Futhark and understand Heathenry as an inclusive religion [Asteru, The Troth, and Theodism] and the alt-wrong nazis [Odinism, Wodenism, and Odalism]
If you read the Futhark [Norse mythology which the religion is based] you'll hear tales of cross dressing, gender fluidity, woman as equals [Google Valkyries and Shield-Maidens] and many teaches which can be boiled down to "If you're a good person, you're my brother."
However, then you have the white supremacists who see Oden as this alpha male and Thor as this manly man giga Chad and it was all white and amazing and insert every toxic view here. They usually identify themselves as Odinists [see also Wodenism, and Odalism] and their faith is shaped less by historic evidence and more by whatever nonsense Hitler believed in [If you've seen the first Captain America movie where Hydra is searching for the Tesseract and they've got a bunch of Tree of Life and Norse imagery everywhere, that's essentially what the Nazi higher ups were into] This is also who a number of their symbols were ancient symbols they turned into symbols of hate [this isn't me advocating "reclaiming" them, especially if you're not from the cultures they were appropriated, it's just a historic fact] this is why many people are cautious when they meet a Norse Pagan/Heathen because "Are you a big teddy bear, or should I run?"
With that said, I want to stress all the Heathens I know are wonderful and it's more common to find the Asteru and Troth type of Heathen. It's just the Odenists are loud [and give people who actually work with Oden a bad name] Most people I know who either work with Norse deities, or identify as Heathen, are LGBT [Everyone I've met who works with Loki says they're gender fluid with they/them pronouns. And when you've turned yourself into a female horse to seduce a male horse, thus giving birth to your eight-legged horse child Sleipnir, I'm inclined to believe the god of mischief doesn't really care about gender as a construct]
With all of that said, I'm not a Heathen, just someone with a minor in folklore and mythology. If you're interested in researching Heathenry, I'll link some stuff for you.
Heathen Branches: https://theelementalmind.com/2024/10/12/what-are-the-many-branches/
Pagan Federation about Heathenry: https://www.paganfed.org/heathenry/
The Troth about page: https://thetroth.org/asatru-our-religion/
Information on Heathenry: https://www.asatruuk.org/whatisheathenry
Elder Futhark: https://www.shieldmaidenssanctum.com/blog/2019/3/12/the-elder-futhark-runes-and-their-meanings
Norse Heathenry: https://skaldskeep.com/norse/
After reading the last post, I'm compelled to comment...
I was born into and have practiced the Northern Ways for more than 60 years. That should be sufficient to assume some mastery of the subject. The above descriptors are nothing even close to what this actual faith entails. The modern versions of America and England that were created as a revival in the 60's are purely speculative. I can also say that Von List et all are equally faulted and the wartime German compilation is also a far off tangent. It is unfortunate that most of the written accounts of our ways are skewed in some manner to fit one of these narratives.
We are not pagans, heathens nor supremacists. Those are terms coined by other groups to denigrate members of the Northern Faith. No one should study a Furtharkor the Lore and Legend to find a way to practice. The Furtharkis a quasi-scientific acronym to describe the runic writings found with artifacts of the period. The Lore and Legend are surviving accounts of tales of the time period as are the Icelandic Sagas. There is no "Bible" for this particular faith as much as some of the Folk wish for it to be.
There are only three paths to this faith. The Gods have theirs, Nature has its own and there is the path of Mankind.The Northern faith is one's ability to correlate and understand the combination of the three. This faith is quite simplistic, one needs no special accoutrements or special abilities to participate. One only needs to accept that what happens in life is a product of nature, consequences of our own doing or in special cases, guidance or interference from deity.
An appropriate course of study for a new acolyte would be to read of the Pantheon and get a basic understanding of what each of the named deities is associated with. Then study the cycles of nature and getin tune with the seasonal order of the world we live in. Lastly, take a hard look at historical accounts and compile a list of behavioral norms and observances that a person of this faith would assume in normal life. An example would be that loyalty is a series of concentric circles with the family unit at it's core. Transgression (misdeeds) have no forgiveness, one can only strive to do better in the future. As an agrarian society, we are tied somewhat to the land so we must manage it properly and observe change with reverence. Celebration and custom have regional flavors worldwide.
Read everything and listen to everyone's accounts. Afterwards, you simple agree or disagree. There is value in all opinions.
