[odin_is_rite]

greetings.

does anyone here practice asatru?

for those who do not know about asatru, please take the time to listen to this short introduction.

[Hylean]

Well, for a start, Ásatrú wasn't ever practised in Europe before Christianity, certainly not in the form we know it today, either from the Edda or from the reconstructions. I gave up after the first couple of minutes because he stretches the truth so much.

[Alpharius]

Is this just another Neo-Pagan religion?

[odin_is_rite]

(Original post by Hylean)
Well, for a start, Ásatrú wasn't ever practised in Europe before Christianity, certainly not in the form we know it today, either from the Edda or from the reconstructions. I gave up after the first couple of minutes because he stretches the truth so much.

greetings. asatru simply means 'faith in the gods'

asatru allows the european people to reconnect to their ancient belief systems which they practiced in one form or other for tens of thousands of years before the coming of christianity.

like all religions, they evolve over time. for example, the christianity of 2000 years ago is not the same christianity practiced today. the same can be said of all religions. asatru is no different.




please watch the whole video and if you have further questions please visit this link:


http://www.asatru.org/aboutasatru.php

[Hylean]

(Original post by Alpharius)
Is this just another Neo-Pagan religion?

Yes, it's a reconstruction based on Norse mythology.

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
greetings. asatru simply means 'faith in the gods'

asatru allows the european people to reconnect to their ancient belief systems which they practiced in one form or other for tens of thousands of years before the coming of christianity.

like all religions, they evolve over time. for example, the christianity of 2000 years ago is not the same christianity practiced today. the same can be said of all religions. asatru is no different.

I know full well what "ásatrú" means. As you can see from my signature, I have a degree in Icelandic and study in Iceland.

There is no such thing as a "European people".

The various tribes in Europe had a huge range of beliefs, of which the Norse mythology is but a very small part. Unless you wish to suggest the Celts worshipped the same gods; the tribes that later became the Finns, the Sami, the Greeks and the Romans. None of those groups worshipped the Germanic gods. So to suggest that Ásatrú reconnects "the European people to their ancient belief systems" is a flat out lie.

True, religions do evolve over time. Ásatrú isn't an evolution, it's a flat out reconstruction that at times takes rather huge liberties with the source material. It's generally accepted by scholars in that field that the mythology found in the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda bear little relation to the beliefs of the Scandinavians pre-Christianity; Prose Edda especially. There's the question of Christian influence, misremembering, deliberate change of facts, etc. Suggesting that Ásatrú bears more than a passing resemblance to what was probably a mixture of belief systems that Snorri and others condensed into one system is rather misleading.

As an example of a liberty taken, I know that certain Ásatrú sects believe that if one dies with a sword in their hand, they will go to Valhöll. Now, please explain why Óðinn or Freyja would wish to receive someone who has never fought a battle in their life purely because they died with a sword in their hand? Makes very little sense.

[Norton1]

If we're going to be making up religions surely we can do better than this?

[Norton1]

(Original post by Hylean)
As an example of a liberty taken, I know that certain Ásatrú sects believe that if one dies with a sword in their hand, they will go to Valhöll. Now, please explain why Óðinn or Freyja would wish to receive someone who has never fought a battle in their life purely because they died with a sword in their hand? Makes very little sense.

Well, as all these religions (pagan, wicca, on and on it goes, idiots who want to grow their hair long and not have proper jobs) are a load of made up old *******s arguing over it is just bald men fighting over a comb.

OBVIOUSLY if you die in battle Óðinn or Freyja will kiss you better and you can go to Valhöll and drink mead out of a cows horn. These "Gods" are real. OBVIOUSLY.

Oh no wait.

[odin_is_rite]

(Original post by Hylean)
Yes, it's a reconstruction based on Norse mythology.




I know full well what "ásatrú" means. As you can see from my signature, I have a degree in Icelandic and study in Iceland.

There is no such thing as a "European people".

The various tribes in Europe had a huge range of beliefs, of which the Norse mythology is but a very small part. Unless you wish to suggest the Celts worshipped the same gods; the tribes that later became the Finns, the Sami, the Greeks and the Romans. None of those groups worshipped the Germanic gods. So to suggest that Ásatrú reconnects "the European people to their ancient belief systems" is a flat out lie.

True, religions do evolve over time. Ásatrú isn't an evolution, it's a flat out reconstruction that at times takes rather huge liberties with the source material. It's generally accepted by scholars in that field that the mythology found in the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda bear little relation to the beliefs of the Scandinavians pre-Christianity; Prose Edda especially. There's the question of Christian influence, misremembering, deliberate change of facts, etc. Suggesting that Ásatrú bears more than a passing resemblance to what was probably a mixture of belief systems that Snorri and others condensed into one system is rather misleading.

As an example of a liberty taken, I know that certain Ásatrú sects believe that if one dies with a sword in their hand, they will go to Valhöll. Now, please explain why Óðinn or Freyja would wish to receive someone who has never fought a battle in their life purely because they died with a sword in their hand? Makes very little sense.

its very true that the european peoples held a range of beliefs, but these beliefs shared a common essence as they originated from the experience of the european people themselves.

asatru is a distillation of this unique european essence with an emphasis of norse mythology.

asatru it is a throughly modern religious practice. it has no holy book. it followers are not required to actually believe in the myths, but to view them as allegory to explain the divine nature of the universe.

asatru is a way for the european people to reclaim their ancestral spiritual heritage -- a heritage which was violently removed with the coming of the alien monotheistic religion from the middle east.

[Hylean]

(Original post by Norton1)
Well, as all these religions (pagan, wicca, on and on it goes, idiots who want to grow their hair long and not have proper jobs) are a load of made up old *******s arguing over it is just bald men fighting over a comb.

OBVIOUSLY if you die in battle Óðinn or Freyja will kiss you better and you can go to Valhöll and drink mead out of a cows horn. These "Gods" are real. OBVIOUSLY.

Oh no wait.

A well considered and reasoned response. I salute you, sir. Also, nice stereotyping.

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
its very true that the european peoples held a range of beliefs, but these beliefs shared a common essence as they originated from the experience of the european people themselves.

Did they? Attempting to suggest that the "European people" shared some form of common essence is a claim that demands evidence. What exact essence does a Celt in northern Iberia share with a Scandinavian in northern Norway or a Sami in northern Finland? Just as an example.

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
asatru is a distillation of this unique european essence with an emphasis of norse mythology.

Not really. It's a reconstruction of the Germanic beliefs found within the two Eddur, with archaeology and some academic scholarship included. It's religion based on a number of belief systems, which may or may not have interacted with each other, and it's certainly not a "distillation".

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
asatru it is a throughly modern religious practice. it has no holy book. it followers are not required to actually believe in the myths, but to view them as allegory to explain the divine nature of the universe.

Of course not, but many do. Hell, some heathens completely reject the source material and prefer their own experiences with the gods that exist within said material. I sort of wonder about that logic: "the source material can't be trust, but still those beings exist!" I am actually involved in a debate on another site about Loki revolving around a similar theme.

And let's be honest, the Eddur are pretty much holy books. Not on the same level as The Bible or Qur'an, but still.

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
asatru is a way for the european people to reclaim their ancestral spiritual heritage -- a heritage which was violently removed with the coming of the alien monotheistic religion from the middle east.

Again, what heritage does Ásatrú have for an Italian, a Greek, an Irishman, a Sami? Nothing, really. It has no connection to them whatsoever, so it's really not "European" in the slightest.

[Norton1]

(Original post by Hylean)
A well considered and reasoned response. I salute you, sir. Also, nice stereotyping.

If someone worshipped the wombles I wouldn't bother with a particularly in depth response to them either.

[amime]

Sounds like one giant white-knight cult.




I'm out.

[odin_is_rite]

(Original post by Hylean)
A well considered and reasoned response. I salute you, sir. Also, nice stereotyping.




Did they? Attempting to suggest that the "European people" shared some form of common essence is a claim that demands evidence. What exact essence does a Celt in northern Iberia share with a Scandinavian in northern Norway or a Sami in northern Finland? Just as an example.




Not really. It's a reconstruction of the Germanic beliefs found within the two Eddur, with archaeology and some academic scholarship included. It's religion based on a number of belief systems, which may or may not have interacted with each other, and it's certainly not a "distillation".




Of course not, but many do. Hell, some heathens completely reject the source material and prefer their own experiences with the gods that exist within said material. I sort of wonder about that logic: "the source material can't be trust, but still those beings exist!" I am actually involved in a debate on another site about Loki revolving around a similar theme.

And let's be honest, the Eddur are pretty much holy books. Not on the same level as The Bible or Qur'an, but still.




Again, what heritage does Ásatrú have for an Italian, a Greek, an Irishman, a Sami? Nothing, really. It has no connection to them whatsoever, so it's really not "European" in the slightest.

do you consider yourself a european? i sense a hostility towards the europeans peoples.

[Hylean]

(Original post by odin_is_rite)
do you consider yourself a european? i sense a hostility towards the europeans peoples.

As much as anyone can be "European". There's no "hostility" towards them, I'm just pointing out the various flaws in your arguments. So, now we've done trying to divert attention away from them, care to respond to my points?

[morecambebay]

...of all the forums you could've joined to advertise a new religion.

[bishbash72]

Only in America...

[Left Hand Drive]

I prefer Ard Greimme sun god.

[Hylean]

(Original post by Callum828)
Only in America...

It started in Iceland originally.

[Dont Tread On Me]

(Original post by Norton1)
Well, as all these religions (pagan, wicca, on and on it goes, idiots who want to grow their hair long and not have proper jobs) are a load of made up old *******s arguing over it is just bald men fighting over a comb.

OBVIOUSLY if you die in battle Óðinn or Freyja will kiss you better and you can go to Valhöll and drink mead out of a cows horn. These "Gods" are real. OBVIOUSLY.

Oh no wait.

The same mockery can be made from any religion.

[Norton1]

(Original post by Dont Tread On Me)
The same mockery can be made from any religion.

Except these "religions" were basically made up in the sixties.

When my Grandad is older than the belief I tend to lend it little credence. I'd draw no distinction between this nonsense and scientology.

[Hylean]

(Original post by Norton1)
Except these "religions" were basically made up in the sixties.

When my Grandad is older than the belief I tend to lend it little credence. I'd draw no distinction between this nonsense and scientology.

Well, given Ásatrú is based off beliefs from at least the 13th century, I think you can give them a little more leeway than your grandpa, Scientology or the wombles.