Heathenism

"What is a Heathen?"

Their definition ...

heathen - .n pl. -thens, -then, adj. 1. an unconverted individual of a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible or Koran; pagan. 2. an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person. -adj. 3. of or pertaining to heathens; pagan. 4. irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized.

The better definition ... ours!

Heathen - .n pl. -thens, -ism, 1. an individual that places his trust in the indigenous gods and ghosts of the Germanic people. 2. the indigenous religion of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples.

The definition above is probably the best one, we as a kindred, have found. It says in very simple language what Heathenism is, and by omission what it is not. Heathens do not believe in the ancient gods and ghosts of their ancestors; they instead place their trust in them. We trust in our gods because our ancestors trusted in them, and we hope our future descendants will invest their trust in them as well. Community is created by loyalty, loyalty is created by trust; trust is stronger than faith.

"Who are the gods in whom you place your trust?"

Heathens have many gods- that makes us polytheistic. Each god has a place in the universe, his function or arena of specialization, and a distinct personality. There are two great tribes of gods in our religion: The Ése and Wena. The Ése are the gods (and goddesses) most associated with mental faculties, warfare, kingship, and order. The Wena are often associated with instinct, frith (peace), the common folk, and the natural world: its growth, bounty, and the animals whom share it with us. These are of course gross simplifications of the gods' nature because we can find each of these facets within every god. For a comprehensive list of the gods click here.

"What about those ghosts you mentioned?"

Ghost is a very generic term we use to describe the plethora of spirits whom impact our lives, usually on a daily basis. These can range from actual ghosts like our deceased ancestors (Idises) to whom we often make votive offerings, to the spirits of the land whom we respect and try to make an active part of our lives. There are also the guardian spirits known as fetches, whom look over individuals for life as well as entire lineages. We hope to have a list of the many spirits up soon.

"Where can I learn more about Heathenism?"

Well we hope this page was of help to you, and we encourage you to check back often. We plan to make this the best Heathen page on the internet. You can also go to our links page for more information, but this is hardly all inclusive. If you want to learn more about Heathen lore, the best place is in a good book on Norse or Germanic "mythology". By reading the stories of the gods and ancient heathens you will be able to extract the essence of what it means to be a heathen in the modern age.