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Introduction to the Asatru Interview
This is an interview about Asatru with Aundrea M. Grooms. For more information, click above on the "Introduction to the Asatru Interview" link.
CAINE:What does the term Asatru actually mean?
GROOMS: The term Asatru is from the Icelandic language, and literally translates into English as Asa ("Gods") tru ("Belief").
CAINE: Which term is preferred when referring to Asatru: Paganism or Heathenry?
GROOMS: Many Asatur prefer the term "Heathenry" because it is from the Germanic language instead of "Paganism" which is from the Italic language. Another reason why an Aastur may prefer to be called "Heathen" is because in the modern culture "Pagan" has become synonymous with Wicca, and we do not wish our tradition and way of life to be confused with the later.
CAINE: Asatru is often classified as a reconstructionist religion. Could you explain what that means?
GROOMS: Asatru questions the spiritual evolution of our ancestors through their adoption of Christianity. We study the traditions, customs, beliefs and way of life of our pre-Christian ancestors and work to implement them in their unadulterated form into our modern lives.
CAINE: Must a person be of Germanic or Scandinavian descent to practice Asatru?
GROOMS: My answer to this would be that a person of Germanic or Scandinavian descent would be more likely to practice Asatru than someone who does not have that ancestry. It is not an exclusionary way of life anymore than the traditional spiritualities of the Native American nations. In fact, it was members of the Apache, Comanche, Choctaw and Kiowa nations who instructed me to "find my own people" in order to "find my own way" when I attended their Pow Wows in my youth.
CAINE: Aside from polytheism, what is the primary difference between Asatru and Christianity?
GROOMS: Where Christians are servants subject to the laws and whims of their deity, we Asatur believe we are the masters of our own lives while honoring the existence and invested interest the Gods may have in us as individuals and as a people. We truly have free will, as a quote from one of our historical text states, "For the gods have long taken great care for their offspring, even though many now neglect that faith."(Saga of St. Olav pg. 308) The Heathen concepts of time, the afterlife, the spiritual worlds, the soul and sin are all different from that of the Christian.
CAINE: How important is a sense of community and family within Asatru?
GROOMS: As an ancestral way of life community and family play a big role in Asatru. Our Gods are our eldest of ancestors, and because of our belief in the afterlife, we feel an obligation to those who have come before us as well as to those we bring forth and shall come after we have gone. We also have the belief in quality vs. quantity, and understand that our own actions reflect upon all others who claim to be within our culture and society. It can pretty much be summed up by one of the sayings of the High One. "The young fir tree dies that stands sheltered by neither bark nor needle in the field, such is a man whom none love. Why should such a man live longer?" (Stanza 50)
CAINE:How do the runes fit in with Asatru?
GROOMS: The runes are used in Asatru as a means of communication with not only our Gods but also with the inner depths of ourselves and the world in which we live. It is considered a sacred script that is only minimally used for mundane writing.
CAINE: Who are some of the primary gods and goddesses of Asatru? And who are the Aesir and Vanir?
GROOMS: The Aesir is the family of Gods of whom we consider our eldest of ancestors. The Vanir are spiritual friends of the Aesir and men, and a few of them who are known to us are also honored as Gods. The primacy of any God or Goddess over the others is a matter of developing a personal relationship with all or only a few of them, and it is dependent upon the individual Asatur. Some of the most commonly known Gods to non-Asatur would be those of which the days of our week are named: Mani (God of the Moon)- Monday, Tyr-Tuesday, Woden-Wednesday, Thor-Thursday, Frigg-Friday and Sunna (Goddess of the Sun)- Sunday. Two of our most honored Goddesses are Earth/Nerthus and Easter/Ostara, the Goddess of Spring, for whom even a Christian holiday is named.
CAINE: What holidays are associated with your religion?
GROOMS: Our major holidays are near Winter's Day (Autumn Equinox), Mid-Winter/Yule (12 days beginning with the Winter Solstice), near Summer's Day (Spring equinox), and the Thing-Tide/Mid-Summer (Summer Solstice). We also recognize the mid-points between these holidays for various reasons such as the honoring of particular heroes and our ancestors.
CAINE: What about children in Asatru? Do you think it's difficult for non-Christian children to assimilate into a predominantly Judeo-Christian society?
GROOMS: There is a trend within modern Heathenry to homeschool our children, but it is mainly due to the desire to provide our children with a higher standard of education than what can be obtained in the current realm of public education. Those of us who can afford to live in the neighborhoods where the schools are the best in our respective states do send our children to public school. In most cases "assimilation" is a non-issue. We are tax paying, voting, law-abiding U.S. citizens and raise our children in much the same way the rest of the people of European heritage raise their children.
CAINE: If someone were interested in learning more about Asatru, where would you direct them?
GROOMS: Personally, I take the newly interested under my wing. However, if the individual is not in my local area, I would direct them to the Asatru Folk Assembly.
http://www.runestone.org
info@runestone.org
Asatru Folk Assembly
PO Box 445
Nevada City, CA 95959
CAINE: Most religions possess a moral code. Can you describe some of the moral principles of Asatru?
GROOMS: Our fundamental moral code is titled "The Nine Noble Virtues", which were derived form the Havamal, which can be found in the Poetic Edda. These virtues include: Courage, Discipline, Frith (Keeping The Peace), Generosity, Honor, Loyalty, Perseverance, Self-Reliance and Wisdom.