~riversongs~ Source: wikipedia Ásatrú is an Icelandic (and equivalently Old Norse) term consisting of two parts. The first is Ása-, genitive of Áss, denoting one of the group of Norse gods called Æsir.[1] The second part, trú, means faith, word of honour; religious faith, belief[2] (archaic English troth loyalty, honesty, good faith). Thus, Ásatrú means belief / faith in the Æsir / gods. The term is the Old Norse/Icelandic translation of Asetro, a neologism coined in the context of 19th century romantic nationalism, used by Edvard Grieg in his 1870 opera Olaf Trygvason. The use of the term Ásatrú for Germanic heathenism preceding 19th century revivalist movements is therefore an anachronism. Ásatrúarmaður (plural Ásatrúarmenn), the term used to identify those who practice Ásatrú, is a compound with maður (Old Norse maðr) man.[3] In English usage, the genitive Asatruar of Æsir faith is often used on its own to denote adherents (both singular and plural). Differences from Scandinavian and German usage There are two main strains of contemporary Germanic Paganism known as Ásatrú, originating near-simultaneously in Iceland (Ásatrúarfélagið, 1972) and the USA (Asatru Free Assembly, 1974). While the Scandinavian branch emphasizes polytheistic spirituality rooted in medieval and contemporary Scandinavian folklore, the American branch postulates a native religion of the peoples of Northern Europe reaching back into the paleolithic.[4] In Germany, the term Asatru is used in the wider sense of Germanic neopaganism. As Ásatrú implies a focus on polytheistic belief in the Æsir, usage of the term in Scandinavia has declined somewhat. In Scandinavia, forn sed / forn siðr old custom, Nordisk sed Nordic custom or hedensk sed / heiðinn siður heathen custom are preferred.[5] In both the Anglosphere and German-speaking Europe, the word Asatru is widely used interchangeably with other terms for Germanic Neopaganism.[6] There are notable differences of emphasis between Ásatrú as practiced in the USA and in Scandinavia. According to Strmiska and Sigurvinsson (2005), American Asatruar tend to prefer a more devotional form of worship and a more emotional conception of the Nordic gods than Scandinavian practitioners, reflecting the parallel tendency of highly emotional forms of Christianity prevalent in the United States.[7]
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 04:39:30 +0000
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