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Ásatrú's mythology has deep roots in Western culture, but its source materials are historically compromised and often fragmented or contradictory. Considerable study is required to get an adequate feel for the mythology as a whole. Important sources include the Eddas and Sagas, written in Iceland during its golden age of literature, 1150 - 1400. A poem known as Hávamál is especially important, as it is attributed to Odin, the leader of the Ćsir. Other guidance can be found in the folklore, history, and antiquities of the Germanic/Nordic peoples, as well as those of their ethno-religious cousins, the Slavs, the FinnsThe Finns as the term is used today, denotes the population of Finland. The 20th century history of Finland has made it natural for the Finns to emphasize their bond to their country, independent only since 1917. The severe divisions between social classe, Baltic peoples the Celts, GreeksSee The Greeks for the financial term for the set of measures derived from the Black-Scholes option pricing formula, named for the use of the Greek alphabet to denote parameters. Greeks in Ancient History In Latin literature, Graeci (or Greeks in English), and early Hindus and PersiaPersia is the historical name for the state of Iran. The name was used in the West due to the ancient Greek name for Iran, Persis''. Persia is used to describe the nation of Iran, its people, or its ancient empire. The name Persia comes from a province inns.
This may be regarded as an indigenous ancestral faith, as ShintoShinto ( Japanese: ) is the native religion of Japan. It involves the worship of kami which could be translated to mean gods, nature spirits, or just spiritual presences. Some kami are very local and can be regarded as the spirit or genius of a particular is for the Japanese. It represents the beliefs of the ancient (roughly the year 1000Events World Population 300 million. Gunpowder invented in China. Scandinavia, Iceland and Hungary Christianized. Stephen I becomes King of Hungary. Sancho III of Navarre becomes King Aragon, Navarre, and Castile. Leif Ericson lands in North America, call) inhabitants of present-day Scandinavia, England, Germany and the Low Countries. It is closely related with Finnish paganism and Baltic paganism .
Ásatrú appears to be the northern branch of an earlier Indo-European religion, analogous to the way in which the Proto-Indo-European language evolved into such offshoots as Sanskrit and the Germanic and Slavic languages. Religious siblings of Ásatrú include the Greco-Roman religion in southern Europe, the Slavic religion in Eastern Europe and early Hinduism in the east. Numerous scholars such as Georges Dumézil, H. R. Ellis Davidson, and Hans Gunther have commented on the philosophical similarities of these religious systems.
In modern times, Ásatrú is a reconstructed religion. It is not Neopagan in the usual sense, and many believers reject the Neopagan label. Practice is based on historical record to the extent possible. The rites of different groups and individuals vary, but tend to be similar. Ásatrú survives by tradition, with a strong literary foundation.
After having few, if any, practitioners for many centuries, Ásatrú was revived in the 19th Century during the late Romantic Period amidst a general resurgence of interest in traditional Germanic culture. Organized Ásatrú groups existed in Germany in the early 20th century. Several early members of the Nazi Party were part of the Thule Society, a study group for German antiquity, although interest in Ásatrú seems to have been something of a fringe element that was not widespread among the party (see Nazi Mysticism). Adolf Hitler is quoted as opposing any open revival of belief in the Norse pantheon, and there is no evidence of official activity in the Third Reich fitting the description of Ásatrú, despite the Nazis' use of runic symbols in various contexts. Nonetheless, many people in Germany today associate Ásatrú with the Nazi movement and neo-Nazi groups, whereas in Iceland it has left wing associations.
A second revival began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Ásatrú was recognized as an official state religion by the Icelandic government in 1973, largely due to the efforts of Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. At about the same time, Else Christiansen began publishing "The Odinist" newsletter in Canada. In the United States, Steve McNallen, a former U.S. Army officer, began publishing a newsletter titled "The Runestone". He also formed an organization called the Asatru Free Assembly, later renamed the Asatru Folk Assembly, which held annual "Althing" meetings. An offshoot of McNallen's group was the Asatru Alliance, headed by Valgard Murray, publisher of "Vor Tru". The Odinic Rite was established in England, and, in America, The Troth. Today, followers of Ásatrú may be found all over the world, but principally in Scandinavia, Western Europe, North America and Australia/ New Zealand. Estimates of the size of the Ásatrú population vary widely.
Ásatrú organizations generally favor democratic and republican forms of church government, as inspired by the parliamentary Things of the Viking era and subsequent parliamentary systems of Britain and the Scandinavian countries. They promote individual rights and freedom of speech reminiscent of Norsemen of the saga era. There is no central authority, and these groups are mostly small and often fractious.
In the United States, the most prevalent form of Ásatrú organization is a small group called a Kindred, sometimes also known as a Hearth, Garth or Stead. Larger Ásatrú organizations, such as The Troth, the Ásatrú Alliance and the Ásatrú Folk Assembly, serve as organizers of yearly gatherings (" Things" or "Moots"), and as clearinghouses for religious information.
In addition to local groups, an unknowable number of solitary practitioners exist. These are often people who have encountered Norse or Germanic mythology as literature and see it as a foundation for religion, but are unaware that others exist who share their beliefs. The Internet has been helpful in making them aware of modern Ásatrú as a larger phenomenon, although solitary practice continues to be the norm for many, even after they have discovered an Ásatrú organization.
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