Knowra Ásatrú Ásatrú Ásatrú is a modern form of Germanic Neopaganism centered on the pre-Christian Norse gods, especially the Æsir. Its practices draw on medieval sources while adapting them to contemporary religious life.
Norse mythology : The body of myths about gods, beings, and cosmic events preserved in Old Norse sources. Its stories supply much of Ásatrú’s divine cast and sacred narrative.
Symbel : A Germanic ceremonial drinking gathering involving formal rounds of toasts, boasts, or oaths. Some Ásatrú communities use symbel to structure communal speech and pledges.
Germanic Neopaganism : A modern religious movement that revives or reconstructs pre-Christian Germanic traditions. Ásatrú is one branch within this broader family of revived religions.
Folkish Ásatrú : A current within Ásatrú that defines religious belonging through ancestry or ethnic identity. Its ethnic criteria for belonging conflict with Ásatrú’s inclusive currents.
Runes : Characters used in several early Germanic writing systems, also given modern esoteric interpretations. Runes appear in some Ásatrú settings, where historical and modern meanings can diverge.
Æsir : The principal group of gods in Norse mythology, including Odin, Thor, and Frigg. Ásatrú takes its name from devotion to this group of gods.
Yule : A midwinter festival with Germanic roots, later incorporated into the Christian calendar as Christmas. Many Ásatrú groups mark Yule as a major seasonal celebration.
Norse revival : The modern revival of interest in Norse mythology, literature, and pre-Christian religion. This wider cultural revival helped create conditions for Ásatrú’s emergence.
Universalist Ásatrú : A current within Ásatrú that treats the religion as open to people regardless of ancestry. It offers a direct alternative to ancestry-based definitions of religious identity.
Norse paganism : The religious traditions practiced in pre-Christian Norse societies, known through archaeology and written sources. Ásatrú’s relationship to this historical religion shapes claims of continuity and revival.
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