The old Nordic religion (asatro) today

still venerates Thor and Odin 1000 years after the Viking Age. Some believe that the old Nordic religion - the belief in the Norse gods - disappeared with the arrival of Christianity. It did not, however, and was instead practiced secretly or under a Christian veil. Around 500 to 1000 people today in Denmark worship the ancient gods of the old Nordic religion. 

As the Vikings did, modern believers in the old Nordic religion meet outside in the open air. There they praise the gods and offer sacrifices to them. In honor of the gods, they drink a toast and eat a feast. In order to wish prosperity and a good harvest, for example, the toast could be made to the fertility gods Njörd and Frej. The modern believers would then toast themselves. Young women can praise Freyja for several reasons, including becoming pregnant or finding everlasting love. In the case of a challenge, Thor can be praised for strength, and Odin for wisdom.

As a result, the modern belief in the Norse gods does not follow directly from the beliefs of the Vikings.  Since there are so few written sources on the subject, it is more of a revival and reinterpretation of the old religion. Often, these are short pieces written by Christian monks or short stories from the sagas.

What is Asatro?

In Norse mythology, Asatro is the worship of the gods. In addition to gods, giants and ancestors are also worshipped in this religion. Asatro is a relatively new term that became popular in the 19th century. When the Vikings encountered Christianity, they did not have a name for their religion. As a result, they called it "the old way" (Forn Sidr), as opposed to Christianity.

Forn Sidr is also the name of the largest Nordic religion society in Denmark. The Danish Nordic Religion Society was established in 1997, has around 600 members, and is the only officially recognized Nordic religion society in Denmark. The approval was granted in 2003. Members are organized into groups across the country. Individual practitioners are also present.

Old Nordic religion adherents can also be found in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. There are also a few groups in Great Britain and the United States. 

A revival of ”the old way”

Old Nordic believers revive the beliefs of the Vikings based on myths handed down through written sources, primarily the Elder and Younger Eddas. Despite the absence of an overall interpretation of the written sources, the religions are practiced in order to give meaning to the individual.

They make offerings at pre-Christian cult sites to feel the power of their ancestors. For example, the location could be a Bronze Age burial mound or a Viking Age ship. 

"Gode" (male cult priest) or "Gydje" (female cult priest) leads the sacrifice. A circle of participants usually forms. As a result, "a holy space" is created - a kind of portal to the world of the gods. They then pay homage to their gods until the circle is ceremonially closed again. Depending on the season and the theme of the sacrifice, different gods are invoked.

Offerings are made around four times a year - at the winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice, and autumn equinox. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the summer solstice is the longest day. During the spring equinox and autumn equinox, day and night are equal.

Facts about Asatro

Vikings divided up the year based on their work and daily lives. The division was based on the yearly course of the sun and the phases of the moon.

The Viking year began on 13 October. In the winter half of the year, they had a large public harvest sacrifice, and ended it with a corresponding victory sacrifice when spring began around 14 April - which marked the beginning of the war season. The Vikings also celebrated the winter solstice around 21 December, the shortest day of the year, between these two sacrifices. The days gradually became longer and warmer after this date. Christmas was the great festival of the winter half of the year, as it is today. Beginning in mid-January, the holiday lasted for weeks.     

In the summer, the Vikings gathered supplies. The Vikings held their midsummer sacrifice celebrations around 21 June, the summer solstice, on Midsummer's Eve, the longest day of the year. The year then went back into darkness. Once again, the day and night were of equal length at the autumn equinox. Winter was once again here, and darkness had triumphed over light.