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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
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Published On: Apr 26, 2006 10:02 PM
Let's Think About It First.
Note: This piece has been updated and can be
found in its updated state as an entry on 5 April.
So, are you thinking about proclaiming yourself
Asatru? How long have you been thinking about this? Because maybe, just maybe,
you shouldn't.
I'm not trying here to set myself up as an expert. I do, however, believe I have a finger on the pulse of Asatru, and can provide some useful advice to the interested seeker. In the end, of course, this is just my opinion. Kinda like everything else I write.
First off, let me clarify something very important. While Asatru may have been revived in the same century as various other "pagan" religions, there are some important differences. First and foremost: Asatru is not a religion you join and walk away from when the learning experience is over. Many new religions seem almost built around the idea that you can study it for a while, learn what you need, and move on to another new religion. In the same vein, Asatru does not support plug and pray hardware. It is not a matter of picking up a book that is just like 50 other books on 50 other religious paths, inserting the names of deities into stock rituals, and naming yourself Asatru.
Proclaiming yourself Asatru is stating, explicitly or implicitly, that one is vowing to be faithful to the Regin. Walking away from those vows may be hazardous to your health. One is encouraged to read the story of Thidrandi Whom the Disir Killed. When the time of Iceland's Christianization was approaching, a young man named Thidrandi went outside after dark, and was struck down by nine goddesses riding horses and bearing swords, who could not bear the thought of losing their worshippers. Your oaths are part of you in Asatru. I'm not saying you will be killed if you break those oaths, but they should not be made lightly. (I really wish I could truthfully use the phrase here "The graveyards of the world are littered with those who stopped being Asatru," because it sounds really cool. However, I haven't actually done any research into the mortality rates of those who leave heathenism behind. I guess I could get away with saying, "Of all those who turned away from the Aesir in Iceland a thousand years ago, none have survived.")
The following are a few very bad reasons for wanting to be Asatru:
1. Experience with Ralph Blum's rune set.
2. Wiccans don't have that bad-ass reputation.
3. Some god from another pantheon told you to.
4. You're rebelling against your parents, your society, your church group, or whoever.
5. Your favorite comic book was The Mighty Thor."
6. You had a vision, while on acid.
Now, none of the above are a reason NOT to become Asatru, either. Just because you toyed with Ralph Blum's rune book and accompanying clay discs is no reason to feel yourself banned forever from becoming Asatru. Enjoying The Mighty Thor isn't a bad thing, so long as you can differentiate between a comic book super hero and a divine entity. If you weren't rebelling against something, you probably would never have been considering another religion at all. Etc.
It's just not a decision that one makes overnight. It is a decision for a lifetime, more permanent (in these days) than marriage. One should think about it a great deal. There is a lot to consider:
1. Societal stigma. We have a Christian majority in the United States. You are going to have to choose: whether to be open about your religion and face discrimination; or to be hidden about it, which is basically discriminating against yourself before anyone else gets a chance to. Are you willing to either live with one of these two options or move onto a remote mountaintop?
2. Established standards. Within Asatru there is a set belief system. This is not something one can individually alter. There is room for Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG) around the edges, but if one is using UPG to defy the Lore, then you're not being Asatru anymore. Not to belabor the point, but it's not like the "anything goes" attitude of many branches of Wicca. Are the general rules, allowable conduct, and behaviors of Asatru in keeping with your personal moral code?
3. Studiousness. Asatru is a reconstructed religion. In order to learn, you are going to have to read. A lot. If you're looking to be spoon-fed religious values, you're in the wrong place. Are you willing to put the time and effort into studying the Eddas, sagas, thattir, rune poems, historical texts such as Saxo Grammaticus's HIstory of the Danish People, etc. in order to have a basic understanding of the religion you wish to join?
4. Proving yourself. Asatru is about community. While your beliefs are ultimately between you and the Aesir and Vanir, if one doesn't have a support system in place it will be a lonely and difficult road. Yes, we pride ourselves on self-sufficiency, but we are not rugged individualists. It's more of a group self-sufficiency. Even if there is a local group in your area, they may be selective about their membership, over any of a number of factors. Are you willing to have to "prove yourself" to a group in order to have fellowship with other heathens? Do you have the strength, charisma, determination, and organizational skills to start your own hearth, hall or kindred?
5. Mount Fuji. Many New Age religions have adopted the idea that there is one great big source of divinity, and that all religions are just different ways to look at it (Confucius say: There are a million ways to look at Mount Fuji, and all of them are right). One hears it many different ways-- "All gods and goddesses are one. We just look at it differently," "The gods and goddesses are facets of God," and "The Great Goddess has many names." In Asatru we don't believe in a multiple personality disorder divinity. Each of the Aesir and Vanir is a separate entity unto itself, with his or her own personality and idiosyncrasies. If you believe otherwise, then Asatru ain't for you. If you have adopted this idea, are you willing to give it up?
6. Do you know who you are? Someday, when I'm old, crazy, and sick, I like to think that there will be someone around who knows me well to make any medical decisions for me. The idea of a complete stranger making those decisions is horrifying. On the same note, you should make sure that you know yourself before committing to ANY religion. Give this decision time. That way you can ensure that it's not a passing fancy, or temporary insanity, or anything else that's going to make you regret that decision further down the line. Are you mature enough to make this decision? Are you sure this is what's best for you? How long have you felt this way?
7. Other religions. If you could buy only one set of clothing for the rest of your life, you would for damned sure make sure that they fit you (or were a little large if you're planning on growing) were of good quality, and were in a style that you could live with for the rest of your life. There are a lot of religious options out there. Consider them and learn from them. Many of them are a lot easier to follow than Asatru. Perhaps one of them actually fits you better. You're dealing with lifelong oaths here; it's in your best interest to shop around, and make sure that the religion fits you best. Are you sure there is no other religion for you?
Most importantly,
8. The Powers. This combines and expands upon many previous points. It's a very basic question. Do you like the Aesir, Vanir, Disir, landvoettir, ancestors, and worldview of heathenism? If you don't, then why are you still reading this?
It's a risky business, choosing a religion like Asatru. Hedge your bets and consider the above things, okay? I didn't do that; I felt "called." Lots of people feel called, but they don't last as Asatru. I got extremely lucky that Asatru fits me so well, but most aren't so lucky. Just think, you may move on to some religion that has karmic retribution, and you'll have seriously bad karma from breaking those oaths.
I sincerely hope that this helps you. Maybe someday we will meet and you can say "I'm heathen too! Isn't it great?!" Or even "I considered heathenry, but it wasn't for me." Please DON'T tell me "I used to be Asatru, but I left it for X." Just keep walking.
I'm not trying here to set myself up as an expert. I do, however, believe I have a finger on the pulse of Asatru, and can provide some useful advice to the interested seeker. In the end, of course, this is just my opinion. Kinda like everything else I write.
First off, let me clarify something very important. While Asatru may have been revived in the same century as various other "pagan" religions, there are some important differences. First and foremost: Asatru is not a religion you join and walk away from when the learning experience is over. Many new religions seem almost built around the idea that you can study it for a while, learn what you need, and move on to another new religion. In the same vein, Asatru does not support plug and pray hardware. It is not a matter of picking up a book that is just like 50 other books on 50 other religious paths, inserting the names of deities into stock rituals, and naming yourself Asatru.
Proclaiming yourself Asatru is stating, explicitly or implicitly, that one is vowing to be faithful to the Regin. Walking away from those vows may be hazardous to your health. One is encouraged to read the story of Thidrandi Whom the Disir Killed. When the time of Iceland's Christianization was approaching, a young man named Thidrandi went outside after dark, and was struck down by nine goddesses riding horses and bearing swords, who could not bear the thought of losing their worshippers. Your oaths are part of you in Asatru. I'm not saying you will be killed if you break those oaths, but they should not be made lightly. (I really wish I could truthfully use the phrase here "The graveyards of the world are littered with those who stopped being Asatru," because it sounds really cool. However, I haven't actually done any research into the mortality rates of those who leave heathenism behind. I guess I could get away with saying, "Of all those who turned away from the Aesir in Iceland a thousand years ago, none have survived.")
The following are a few very bad reasons for wanting to be Asatru:
1. Experience with Ralph Blum's rune set.
2. Wiccans don't have that bad-ass reputation.
3. Some god from another pantheon told you to.
4. You're rebelling against your parents, your society, your church group, or whoever.
5. Your favorite comic book was The Mighty Thor."
6. You had a vision, while on acid.
Now, none of the above are a reason NOT to become Asatru, either. Just because you toyed with Ralph Blum's rune book and accompanying clay discs is no reason to feel yourself banned forever from becoming Asatru. Enjoying The Mighty Thor isn't a bad thing, so long as you can differentiate between a comic book super hero and a divine entity. If you weren't rebelling against something, you probably would never have been considering another religion at all. Etc.
It's just not a decision that one makes overnight. It is a decision for a lifetime, more permanent (in these days) than marriage. One should think about it a great deal. There is a lot to consider:
1. Societal stigma. We have a Christian majority in the United States. You are going to have to choose: whether to be open about your religion and face discrimination; or to be hidden about it, which is basically discriminating against yourself before anyone else gets a chance to. Are you willing to either live with one of these two options or move onto a remote mountaintop?
2. Established standards. Within Asatru there is a set belief system. This is not something one can individually alter. There is room for Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG) around the edges, but if one is using UPG to defy the Lore, then you're not being Asatru anymore. Not to belabor the point, but it's not like the "anything goes" attitude of many branches of Wicca. Are the general rules, allowable conduct, and behaviors of Asatru in keeping with your personal moral code?
3. Studiousness. Asatru is a reconstructed religion. In order to learn, you are going to have to read. A lot. If you're looking to be spoon-fed religious values, you're in the wrong place. Are you willing to put the time and effort into studying the Eddas, sagas, thattir, rune poems, historical texts such as Saxo Grammaticus's HIstory of the Danish People, etc. in order to have a basic understanding of the religion you wish to join?
4. Proving yourself. Asatru is about community. While your beliefs are ultimately between you and the Aesir and Vanir, if one doesn't have a support system in place it will be a lonely and difficult road. Yes, we pride ourselves on self-sufficiency, but we are not rugged individualists. It's more of a group self-sufficiency. Even if there is a local group in your area, they may be selective about their membership, over any of a number of factors. Are you willing to have to "prove yourself" to a group in order to have fellowship with other heathens? Do you have the strength, charisma, determination, and organizational skills to start your own hearth, hall or kindred?
5. Mount Fuji. Many New Age religions have adopted the idea that there is one great big source of divinity, and that all religions are just different ways to look at it (Confucius say: There are a million ways to look at Mount Fuji, and all of them are right). One hears it many different ways-- "All gods and goddesses are one. We just look at it differently," "The gods and goddesses are facets of God," and "The Great Goddess has many names." In Asatru we don't believe in a multiple personality disorder divinity. Each of the Aesir and Vanir is a separate entity unto itself, with his or her own personality and idiosyncrasies. If you believe otherwise, then Asatru ain't for you. If you have adopted this idea, are you willing to give it up?
6. Do you know who you are? Someday, when I'm old, crazy, and sick, I like to think that there will be someone around who knows me well to make any medical decisions for me. The idea of a complete stranger making those decisions is horrifying. On the same note, you should make sure that you know yourself before committing to ANY religion. Give this decision time. That way you can ensure that it's not a passing fancy, or temporary insanity, or anything else that's going to make you regret that decision further down the line. Are you mature enough to make this decision? Are you sure this is what's best for you? How long have you felt this way?
7. Other religions. If you could buy only one set of clothing for the rest of your life, you would for damned sure make sure that they fit you (or were a little large if you're planning on growing) were of good quality, and were in a style that you could live with for the rest of your life. There are a lot of religious options out there. Consider them and learn from them. Many of them are a lot easier to follow than Asatru. Perhaps one of them actually fits you better. You're dealing with lifelong oaths here; it's in your best interest to shop around, and make sure that the religion fits you best. Are you sure there is no other religion for you?
Most importantly,
8. The Powers. This combines and expands upon many previous points. It's a very basic question. Do you like the Aesir, Vanir, Disir, landvoettir, ancestors, and worldview of heathenism? If you don't, then why are you still reading this?
It's a risky business, choosing a religion like Asatru. Hedge your bets and consider the above things, okay? I didn't do that; I felt "called." Lots of people feel called, but they don't last as Asatru. I got extremely lucky that Asatru fits me so well, but most aren't so lucky. Just think, you may move on to some religion that has karmic retribution, and you'll have seriously bad karma from breaking those oaths.
I sincerely hope that this helps you. Maybe someday we will meet and you can say "I'm heathen too! Isn't it great?!" Or even "I considered heathenry, but it wasn't for me." Please DON'T tell me "I used to be Asatru, but I left it for X." Just keep walking.
Posted: Mon - March 29, 2004 at 01:50 PM