In The Beginning...
Ásatrú is a young term coined in the 1800’s to refer to the religions of the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples. Ása refers to the “gods” and trú is old English for “faithful” or “being true unto”.
There are basically two races of Gods in Norse Paganism. The Æsir (or Ása) are known to be Sky Gods. The Vanir (or Vana) are known to be Earth or Nature Gods. A person who worships the latter pantheon would more properly be categorized as Vanatrú rather than Ásatrú.
An interesting theory claims that Ása comes from the same root as the word Asia. This would be significant because the Aryan people supposedly descended to Europe from the Himalayas much earlier in history. This would be validated by the Poetic Edda which tells us that we humans were created by the Æsir/Ása from Ash trees (male) and Elm trees (female). Thus the gods lived in the high east and "created us" from that which extends upward in Eastern Europe - a poetic way of giving an oral history of the migration of the Aryans.
So why is Ásatrú so big in Iceland?
Many Ásatrúar make their pilgrimage to Iceland to visit the Runestones, discover their heritage and to learn about Ásatrú which is a very popular National Religion there. Ásatrú, although far less common than Lutheran Christianity is still prevalent.
Runestones, although much more common in Sweden and Norway, are still present in Iceland and in pretty good shape. These are large inscripted rocks that jut out from the ground and were initially created as a sort of community message board. The modern "rune stones" that they are often confused with are hand-held tools for divination.
Iceland was one of the last countries to be settled in Europe. Since it was founded by the Vikings in as late as the 9th century, it can be assumed that Ásatrú was the first religion of the land.
Iceland was also the last European nation to convert to Lutheran Christianity during its period of Pietism. In 1973, the government of Iceland recognized Ásatrú as an official religion again. This leaves a significant number of Pagan customs and beliefs still being held in reverence. The belief in elves is quite common in Iceland as one example.
The Icelandic pop singer known world-wide as Björk includes some Pagan themes in her music and has appeared in an art-house film about native witchcraft called The Juniper Tree.
The Ása Faith Society is the official title of the Church of Ásatrú in Iceland and their priests, or Godar, can officiate any civil process like marriage. Currently, the Ása Faith Society only claims a couple thousand members but their religious celebrations are very en vogue with the Icelandic people and some beliefs stemming from the Eddas (Hávamál and Völuspá) are fashionably bohemian.
Yule and Midsommer
Yule (or Jul for the Ásatrúar) lasts 12 days (thus the 12 days of Christmas) and begins on “mothernight” December 21st. A Yule log is burned to commemorate “the light coming back” when winter is over. The 12 days of celebration are symbolic of the 12 months of the solar calendar.
Midsommer (Summer Solstice) is very big in Sweden. A maypole is still used to celebrate on this holiday. Although Midsommer celebrations are not exclusively Pagan anymore, the Swedes still think of this as the witches’ day (the way we might perceive a connection to Halloween in the USA).
Easter is Goddess Worship
Ostara (The Spring Equinox) celebrates the Germanic Goddess Eostre, a fertility and “springtime reckoning” goddess. Although the symbols of Easter are mish-mash of beliefs from all over the world, the rabbit is known to be a totem to Eostre and the egg is a symbol of fertility in most cultures.
The Original Veterans Day - Einherjahr
Einherjahr (November 11th) is a day to honor the fallen heroes in battle and wish them into Valhalla (the Ásatrú "heaven" or home of the Æsir). It just happens to fall on the same day as Veteran's Day in the United States.
