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An Asatruar is an adherent of Asatru, a neopaganistic religion derived from an old Norse religion which involves belief in and worship of the Aesir.
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What is an Asatruist?
An Asatruist is someone who follows the modern revival of the ancient Germanic and Norse religion known as Asatru. Asatruists typically worship Norse gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyja, and often focus on concepts like honor, hospitality, and interconnectedness with nature. Community and celebration of ancestral heritage are also important aspects of Asatru practice.
Does the god Odin really exist?
Depends who you ask. To me and other Heathens, Asatruar, and the Theodish, they would say yes. Just like any other God, is there any hard scientific evidence for his existence? No. Is lack of proof of existence proof of lack of existence? Again, No.
What is Asatru?
Asatru is a reconstructionist religion, which means that followers are creating a faith system based on that followed by ancient peoples of a certain culture. For Asatruar, the culture in question is old Norse/Germanic peoples.Asatruar believe in the teachings of the old Norse myths, such as those presented in the Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda, and the various sagas. We walk hand in hand with the old gods of Norse faith - such as Odin, Thor, Freyja, and Loki - and try to relate their teachings to our modern-day lives. Asatruar do not attempt to live like vikings or old Norsemen; we attempt to follow the faith of our ancestors in a manner consistent with the world we currently live in and with the principles integral to Asatru.
How many people practice asatru?
It is pretty difficult to answer this one because many countries prohibit religious census such as France. Also, many Asatruar are pretty discreet about revealing their faith. We can say roughly that we are 100000 to 300000 in the US, maybe 10000 in Canada, 100000 to 300000 in Europe and 300000 for the rest of the world. We only estimate these numbers from Asatru portals such as Irminsul Aettir.
Name and describe names of Norse gods?
The people of the Viking age honored many Gods and Goddesses. There were two tribes, the Aesir, and the Vanir. It is believed by some that the Vanir were the native Gods of the people who were indigenous to the Northern European lands before the Indo-European migration. The Aesir being the Gods of those Indo-European.The Aesir can be summed up as the Gods of the Sky, and heavenly phenomena. The Vanir as Gods of the land and oceans.There are many myths that have been lost to time, but many do remain. The Poetic Edda being the foremost source of these myths and stories.The most common God honored by the people in the Viking Age was Thor. He was the God of the common working man, described as being half-giant (Jotun), strong, burly, and though the surviving myths show as being dim-witted, his wit was more in line with common sense. He would favor the simple and direct answer over an elaborate scheme. Thor's name is directly related to the word Thunder, and he is the God of thunder and lightning. His weapon, a hammer called Mjolnir, means "crusher" or "destroyer." It was a holy symbol, and still is to those who practice Asatru, or Norse Reconstructionism. (I myself wear a Mjolnir Pendant.)The most common God among the actual Vikings (that is, the traders/raiders who went about to different lands to trade and raid, and then trade some more) was Odin. He is called Alfadir (All-father) since he is indeed the father or Grandfather of many of the Gods. He was a sorcerer first and foremost, skilled in galdr (rune magic), but also a God of Blood sacrifice, poetry (which is closely tied to galdr), self discovery, and war. His name means "The Frenzied." Od being a prefix word meaning Frenzy, or Insanity, such as Odroerir, the Mead of Inspiration. Directly translated, it means the Rower of Frenzy (Row, as in to row a boat). Odin's most primordial aspect is that of the wind, especially the Autumn wind, the sudden windstorms that were believed to the Wild Hunt, when Odin would gather the souls of the dead from the previous year. Odin is a psychopomp (like Charon, the ferry-man of river Styx, from Greek mythology).Another popular God was Freyr, who's full name would be Freyr Ingvi, or Lord Ingvi. He was of the Vanir, and was the God of peace, prosperty, and Fruitfulness. His sister is Freya, who's proper name is lost to us. Freya of course meaning Lady. She was the Goddess of witchcraft, a warrior Goddess, and also of sexuality.Odin's wife is Frigga, who's name means "Beloved." She is the Goddess of the clouds, and of the Ladies of the Estate. A husband was always the guest in his wife's home. She held all the keys to the house, and even though the man ran the house, in the end, it was the woman's house.Heimdall is the God of the rainbow, and guards Bifrost, the three colored burning bridge that connects Asguard and Midgard (Heaven of the Gods to Earth).Loki is a Jotun (A giant) who was accepted into the realm of the Gods. He is a trickster, loves a good joke, and constantly getting into trouble, but also benefits the gods greatly when he gets out of that trouble. Contrary to belief, he is not the "Norse Devil." There is no "Norse Devil."Tyr is the God of the pillar of the sky. He is the Lord of Justice and of Just Victory, warfare, and the most Honorable of the Gods. He sacrificed his hand so that a vicious enemy of the Gods, Fenrir, could be bound. Some say he gave a false oath to the Fenris-wolf, but they are wrong. He upheld his end of the bargain by allowing the wolf to bite off his hand.I can of course go on, but there are too many to name and describe. Aegir and his wife Ran, Nordr and his quick marriage to Skadi, Thor's mother Jord, Frigga's handmaidens, Odin's sons Baldr and Hodr, Thor's son's Modi and Magni. More information can be gotten here:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_paganismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_godshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asatru(Asatru is the modern day reconstruction of the Norse Traditions. I myself am an Asatruar)
How many viking gods were there?
The vikings believed in many different Gods, each performing a specific function such as war, or healing, all of whom resided in a place called Asgard. The main Gods known to the Vikings were Thor (thunder), Freyja (Goddess of love & war), Odin (war), and Loki (the mischievous god).
Does God exist?
( : Hello wiki user . . . Don't think God exists. Creation could exist. God c = Invisible with a capital I for Invisible. Air c = invisible with a small i for invisible. Just because God ( could equal ) c = Invisible may not = that God may not = some - where. Just because air c = invisible may not = that air may not be or = some - where. Christmas c = on the way. Hope you have a merry one. ( :
