Religions → Asatru

Asatru

Fast Facts on Asatru
Adherents unknown
Date Founded ancient form has no founding date; modern revival founded 1970s
Place Founded ancient form flourished across northern Europe; modern revival founded in Iceland
History Revival of Norse and Germanic paganism, 1970s Scandinavia and USA.
Founders no founder of ancient form; modern revival founded by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson
Ethics Nine Noble Virtues
Practices Sacrifice of food or drink, toast to the gods, shamanism (less frequently), celebration of solstice holidays. Nine Noble Virtues is moral code.
Holidays Summer Finding, Winter Finding, Midsummer, Yule
Texts Eddas (Norse epics); the Havamal (proverbs attributed to Odin)

Ásatrú (Icelandic, "Æsir faith") is a modern revival of the pre-Christian Nordic religion as described in the Norse epic Eddas.

Ásatrú is an Old Norse word consisting of Ása, referring to the Norse gods, and trú, "troth" or "faith". Thus, Ásatrú means "religion of the Æsir." The term was coined by Edvard Grieg in his 1870 opera Olaf Trygvason, in the context of 19th century romantic nationalism.

Generally synonymous terms for Asatru include Germanic Neopaganism, Germanic Heathenism, Forn Sed, Odinism, Heithni or Heathenry.