We are often asked the same questions many times over. Therefore we present here the questions and answers which we normally give. These answers are not neccessarily an expression of Forn Siðrs collective viewpoint since Forn Siðrdoes not dictate viewpoints apart from those which are described in the by-laws. When you rerad the answers remember that worship of the old gods is a very individual matter!

This page works in such a way that any member who has received a question which thie member finds relevant for the public, can have this question and the members' own answer presented on this page. The answers we bring here are mostly given by individual members of the Board, since these receive most questions from the public.

Question : Is the Asetru religion also for women ?

Question : Are you nationalists?

Question : Are you racists ? Is the community only for Danes with a specific colour or what ?

Question : Will you get rid of Christianity and burn the churches ?

Question : How is Asetru different from Christianity ?

Question : What does the name "Edda" mean ?

Question : Which Edda translation is the most correct ?

Question : Do you really believe this ?

Question : Are you planning on spreading the faith or keep it small for the time being ?

Question : Why do you believe in Nordic Mythology instead of the others which we hear so much about ?

Question : Is this religion adapted to modern society so that the lessons in it can be used for daily living ?

Question : Are those parts of this religion which are hopelessly out of date (as is the case with ALL old religions, christianity, Islam etc.) revised in such a way that they are better matched to modern society ?

Question : What is a Blot ?

Question : Is Asetu acknowledged today ?

Question : As an Approved religious community is it permitted according to church law to be a member of another approved/acknowledged religion ?

Question : What does membership of Forn Siðr cost ?:

Question : What does Vølse mean ?

Question : Isn't it blasphemy to name your magazine after a hiorses' member ?

Question :: :

Is the Asetru religion also for women ?

Answer : Yes, definitely ! I do not believe that Asetru is for male chauvanists and therefore better for men than for women. Mythology supports my claim in that about half of the Nordic gods are female = diser. The females generally rule useful things, abilities and forces, all aspects of life - as thier male colleagues do. Womens participation in the old nordic faith is shown in various ways throughout history. In the old pagan times, certain women performed sejd (witchcraft). Sejd is about the gathering of herbs, practice of magic and sharmanism. This tradition continued up through the middle ages, but instead of being respected for thier abilities and knowledge, sejd women were persecuted by the church and called witches or (more positively) clever wives/men. Today, we have in Forn Siðr many men and women whomperform sejd.
Answer written by: Grølheim / Daisy S. Bred

Question :: Are you nationalists?

Answer : Forn Siðr is non-political. It is a religious organisation. Among our members there is a great political spread. We have everything from ultra left-wing to ultra-right-wing members. So if the question is of a political nature, the answer is No. However, we cannot ignore the fact that many people choose the old ways because it is Scandinavias old religion and they are Scandinavians themselves. A traditional religion evolves around the area in which it is created and therefore matches people from that area, more than an imported religion. The Old Way has nothing to do with that kind of nationalism which is found in large amounts in the 1700's and 1800's to strengthen christian monarchies power. On the contrary, the tribe, clan and family (which today we would call the close society) means a whole lot. Grundtvig helped to revive Asetru after the defeat of the Danes by Germany in 1864. This was done to bolster the much weakened national pride. Denmark was at that time smaller geographically speaking than at any pervious time.
:Answer written by: Grølheim / Daisy S. Bred.


Question :: Are you racists ?

Is the community only for Danes with a specific colour or what ?

Answer: As our by-laws show, we do not tolerate racial discrimination. Anyone with a serious interest in Asetru is welcome, irrespective of skin colour or origin. The kind of Asetru which is founded on Arian race theory is not considered by us as serious. In practice, I have not yet met people of non-european background within Forn Siðr, but it is porbably only a matter of time.
Answer by: Ole Nielsby.

Question :: Will you get rid of Christianity and burn the churches ?

Answer : We see no reason to do that. Tolerance is an important part of the old way. We have nothing agains people who worship other gods. You can even worship both Jesus and Maria together with Freja and Odin and still call yourself Asetru. Burning churches is a bit silly if not directly culturally destructive as was the case with Fantoft in Norway. If you have much against christians, why burn something which christians do not use anyway ?
Answer written by : Grølheim / Daisy S. Bred.


Question :: How is Asetru different from Christianity ?

Answer : Apart from the number of gods, the difference is to be found in the values which are considered important. You can read about Asetru values in the Edda poems, Hávamál, partly in the sagas and other places. We have in Asetru no commands or prohibitions. Everyone must take responsibility for his/her own life and behaviour. This means that one must accept the consequences which follow your actions. For us there is only cause and effect. Honour and dignity, or as it would be expressed today "quality of life" are important for the pagan. In other words "why one lives and is happy while doing it" is more important than "that one lives". Asetru do not believe in good and evil in the same way as the christians. Instead we believe in the importance of maintaining a fine balance.
Answer written by: Grølheim / Daisy S. Bred.


Question :: What does the name "Edda" mean ?

Answer 1: The word "Edda" means Great Grandmother in Old Nordic. The Elder Edda is a collection of ancient nordic heroic poems, probably written down during the 12th century by unknown authors. The Younger Edda is an instruction book in the art of the minstrel from the 13th century, written by Snorri Sturluson.
Answer written by: Ole Nielsby.

Answer 2:
Mother is modir in old nordic.Grandmother is :amma and Great Grandmother is edda.::

Edda is the name of: Snurri Sturlusons (died 1241) 3 part work which contains Gylfaginning, Skáldskaparmál og Háttatal. Gylfaginning is the mythological part. But the name Edda for this work is first recorded in a manuscript dated about 50 to 60 years after Snurris death. It is not known if it was Snurri himself or a later author which has given the work this name. But because of this the name Edda has become the standard name for ancient poems about the gods, also those which are written before Snorri. These are gathered together under the common name Elder Edda. The main manuscript is the Codex Regius, which today is found in the university of Reykjavik. Snurris Edda is now called the Younger Edda. :Source:: Cleasby and Vigfusson, An Icelandic-English Dictionary,Oxford,1962::

There is only one real theological source to Asetru. That is the Elder Edda. The main text is Völuspá (The Vølvs Prediction) It contains everything from the creation of the world to the new world after Ragrarok. But one has to consider that the oldest manuscript, Codex Regius, is written in a christian age. The texts came to Iceland with christianity, and the authors emanated from writing schools in the bishopries of Skálholt and Holar.:

If one makes a thorough comparison of Völuspá with the old testament and the apocolyptic prophesies of John the Baptist, it becomes obvious, despite the differences between the two, that there are also obvious similarities, which are partly due to the christian way of rationalising and writing.:

Snorri builds on the Elder Edda when he writes the Younger Edda. He is in other words not a primary source

Language-wise, the Elder Edda is difficult stuff. It is mostly written in a language which is older than Snorris Middle-Age Icelandic, the language in which the sagas are written. Snorri has undoubtedly understood the older language, the old words and phrases and mythological meaning, but he has not himself spoken it in the 13th century. It would be the same as if we wrote and spoke now as we would have in the 17th century.

One example: In the Elder Edda the name for house is rannr. In Snorris saga language it is hus (house).:

In a strange way we still find a reference of the word in the modern Danish word "ransage" (to ransack a house) (translator: note the word ransack is also based on rannr) as well as meaning a small, derelict house.
The answer is written by: Daisy S. Bred.

Question : Which Edda translation is the most correct?

Answer 1:

It is difficult to say. It is claimed that H. G. Møllers Edda translation of 1887 is the most correct literally, but it can only be found in antique book shops. Thøger Larsen occasionally hits the mood of the original very well, but neither the rymes nor the literal meaning are repeated in any serious way. Martin Larsons' translation from 1942 matches the meaning of both the old nordic words and rymes, but the language is somewhat old.
Answer written by: Grølheim.

 Answer 2:

We recommend the book "Spurvesol" volume 1, published in 1989 by Danish Teachers Union. It is written for high school teachers of Danish language. The first chapters give a reasonable clear introduction to the ancient litterature and culture. It is not 100% correct of course, but then nothing is.

There are good translations of parts of The Vølves Prediction and The Words of the High One, carried out by Martin Larsen. There is also a somewhat easier translation of The Vølves Prediction by Suzanne Brøgger. This translation is not however specially correct.
Answer written by: Daisy S. Bred::

Comment:

The translations named above are definitely the best, but there are a great many other, less well known translations if you are looking around antique book stores anyway.
Comment written by: Christine Fentz.


Question :: Do you really believe this ?

Answer 1 :

YES ! But there are big differences in the ways in which to believe. We have among our members people who see the gods as personal powers who one can communicate with and get help from. We have others who see them a psychological archtypes into which one can delve and via them learn more about the reality in which we find ourselves. Many see the gods as a mixture of these two in one way or another, or something between them. Jjust like the Danish church, we also have members who come for the sake of the rituals. Finally, for others, it is the philisophical aspects which are most important.

It is a fact that the seasons change. The life and sun cycles turn once every year and the whole time we are affected by wind and weather - the natural forces. Whoe does not rejoice year after year at the arrival of spring ? And how can anyone do anything other than believe in the whole thing ?
Answer written by: Grølheim / Daisy S. Bred / Martin P. Hansen.

Answer 2:

For me the word "believe" is misleading! I do not believe in the Sun, since there is no doubt connected with it. On the other hand, I worship, honour and hail it as I also do with the Moon, the Earth, the seasons and forces in and around mankind, which the gods represent. My more or less animalist attitude to nature - that it has soul - is an expression of that I regard mankind as being dependant upon nature, despite the fact that we time and again try to take power over it. In other words we must respect nature and its laws if we wish to survive and live in harmony.
Answer written by : Christine Fentz.

Question :Are you planning on spreading the: faith or keep it small for the time being ?

Answer 1:

We are not missionaries. Forn Siðr consists of people who have contacted each other or gathered together on thier own initiative, sometimes inspired by friends. But is looks as though we are growing.
Answer written by : Ole Nielsby.

Answer 2:

To have a large number of members is not in itself a goal. What is important is to have a place where people who believe in the nordic gods can gather together and practice thier faith in whichever way they wish. Additionally we consider it as a lack of respect to other people, to force our beliefs on them just so that we can increase the number of our members.

There is however no doubt that the more we are, the more weight we have behind our attempts to obtain judicial rights such as the right to perform legally binding marriages, obtain our own grounds etc.. We are growing because people are discovering that Asetru and Forn Siðr are right for them. On that basis we can guarantee that we are who we are, people who have a free will and the right to do what we wish with our lives.
Answer written by: Martin P. Hansen.

Question : Why do you believe in Nordic Mythology instead of the others which we hear so much about ?:

Answer:

Our reasons are very different. For some it is all about Nordic roots, for others a way of cultivating nature. Some have a feeling of personal connections with the gods and some have found personal clarification through runes or minstrelry...etc. etc. Answer written by : Ole Nielsby.

Question : Is this religion adapted to modern society so that the lessons in it can be used for daily living ?

:Answer 1 :

It is very individual how people connect religion with thier everyday lives. It is my impression that we do not discuss this subject enough in Forn Siðr.
Answer written by: Ole Nielsby.

Answer 2 :

Just as several levels of interpretation are to be found in fairy tales and the myths of other religions, there are also several levels in nordic mythology. A wise man once said, there are examples today of young people being taken by the trold Drugs. And once in a while one has to sacrifice his right arm for the for the good of the community (which Tyr did).

There are at least 3 books on the subject. One is "Asatro - de gamle guder i moderne tid" ("Asetru - the old gods in modern times") written by Viktoria Godtved (member of medlem af Forn Siðr). I warmly recommend it. The second book on the subject is "Odin og harddisken"  ("Odin and the hard disk") by John Carlson. It is however a bit philosophical and heavt readiung for beginers. Then there is an easier version of "Hávamál/Den højes Ord" ("Hávamál/The words of the High One") in Keld Gall Jørgensens translation: "Vikingernes visdomsord" ("Wise words of the Vikings"). The book has the sub-title "Den autentiske Hávamál - den berømte nordiske guide til at klare sig i hverdagen". ("The authentic Hávamál - the famous nordic guide to managing everyday living")
The answer is written by: Daisy S. Bred.

Question :: Are those parts of this religion which are hopelessly out of date (as is the case with ALL old regigions like christianity, islam etc.) revised so that they are better matched to modern society ?

Answer :

Yes. We are for example against sex discrimination. We buy our horse flesh at the butchers instead of bashing the horse on the hear ourselves. We even use candles and porter for ceremonies, even though not everyone is pleased about that. And we no longer walk around with swords which which to defend ourselves.
Answer written by: Ole Nielsby.


Question :: What is a Blot ?

Answer 1:

A Blot is a ceremoni for honouring the ancient nordic powers. The 4 most important Blot depend on the position of the sun. These are the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes. The 4 lesser are Thoreblot at the end of Febuary, Vårblot about the 1st of May, Høstblot in August and Ætteblot about the 1st November. The 4 lesser Blot are dependant upon the position of the moon.

Additionally, individual Blot can be held when you need the help of the powers or at ceremoniess such as weddings, naming and burials. How these are carried out must be experienced. They cannot be described on a web site.
Answer written by : Grølheim.

Answer 2:

The Icelandic saga which describes Blot and other cultural rituals in most detail is Eyarbyggja Saga. It is written in old nordic and is also very difficult to find. Unfortunately it is not included in the great work "The Icelandic Sagas" from 1930, but perhaps it can be found singularly in a Danish or Norwegian translation. For folk who practice blot it is the closest one can come to an authentic description of the Blot House, the various requisites, the ritual and much more. Additionally various forms of magic are mentioned, including sjónhverfing, (vision disruption) a form of sejd which confuses the vision of ones enemies:

But sagas generally must be enjoyed with care. The most important were written in the 13th century, more than 200 years after the christians gained power on Iceland. The same goes for :Snurri Sturluson who died in 1241. , author of the Younger Edda. Some sagas are considered as belonging to Snurri but there is no sure evidence to support these claims. Answer written by: Daisy S. Bred.:

Question :: Is Asetru acknowledged today ?

Answer :

To set the record straight - there is a difference between acknowledged and approved. See the Church Ministrys' guidelines for The Advisory Committee on:  :http://www.km.dk/publikationer/20020912_retningslinier.rtf:: 

The following is an excerpt from the site:

”On the special status of religious organisations:

Laws and edministrative practices allow certain religious organisations to obtain special status. There 5 different categories of religious organisation. 1) Danish State Church, 2) Approved religious communities, 3) Acknowledged religious communities, 4) Religious communities and 5) Groups approved according to tax law §8A. The concept 'acknowledged religious community'  includes religious communities which are acknowledged by royal charter. According to the marriage law of 4. June 1969, this acknowledgement practice stopped and was replaced by a licence after application by individual, named priests to perform weddings and/or of approval as a religious community by a religious organisation. The two last named groups 'religious community' and 'group approved according to tax law §8A.', are mentions in tax laws and are approved solely by the tax authorities."

Approval is in other words the highest a religious community can achieve. Acknowledgement via royal charter has at this time only been given to a very few religious communities in Denmark. Now there are approves Asetru communities on Iceland, in Norway, Sweden and as of 6th November 2003 also in Denmark.:
:Answer written by : Daisy S. Bred og Eyvind Vang Jensen:.


Question : As an Approved religious community is it permitted according to church law to be a member of another approved/acknowledged religion ?

Answer :

That a religion is acknodledged means only that we are accepted as existing. There are no legal demands in connection with acknowledgement. There is on the hand in connection with approval of a religious community. An approved religious community can have its own wedding ceremonies and burial grounds. Read the answer to the previous question.

According to church law, the state church will not allow you to be a member of more than one place simultaneously, but we do not need to follow or copy this rule . This means that Forn Siðr is permitted the freedom to make our own rules, which we ourselves must keep and police. As Forn Siðrs by-laws are today, there is nothing to prevent membership of another acknowledged or approved religious community and at the same time be a member of Forn Siðr. The question is, whether or not the individual has a clear conscience in the matter by splitting faith in this way.
Answer written by : Daisy S. Bred / Eyvind Vang Jensen.


Question :: What does membership of Forn Siðr cost?

Answer :

The Board has chosen to set the subscription for 2003 to 300 kr. For this you get 4 numbers of our membership magazine Vølse, voting rights at Alting, member rebates for certain arrangements and a well functioning religious community (with or without approval) which in time will rival the state church ! Since we Asetru should increase in numbers, Forn Siðr has created rebates for members living together (irrespective of whether it is as a couple or just sharing a flat). The first member of the household pays full subscription (kr. 300) and receives Vølse and other written material. Following members in the same household pay kr. 160 annually but do not receive thier own copy of Vølse. There are youth rebates for persons between the age of 15 years and 18 years old. A youth membership therefore costs 120 kr.. For this you receive Vølse and have the same rights as other members in connection with Altinget.
Answer written by: Martin P. Hansen / Daisy S. Bred / (Grølheim / Óttar Ottósson).

Question :: What does Vølse mean ?

Answer :

It means a horses' member. It is written in an old document that the bailiff of the norwegian king once confiscated an embalmed horses' member which was worshipped by a pagan peasant family, after which he gave it to the familys' dog. You can read the story in Skalk, I think it is from Febuary 1997. It was badly done of the kings bailiff to feed the dog with something so holy to the poor peasant family, and the least we could do was give them some form of recompense through the magazine.

Even though you are not a member, you can take out a subscription on Vølse. All you do is send your mail address to (treasurer/secretary) Ole Bang Pedersen, Jyllandsgade 7, 3. tv. 8900 Randers - 8640 1684 - :ole.bang@pedersen.mail.dk:
Answer written by: Ole Nielsby::


:Question :: Isnt't it blasphemy to name your magazine after a horses' member ?

Answer :

This is the pagan god Freys' most important attribute. The only blasphemi is to let the dog bite it off. So watch out all you postmen who bring Vølse out to eagerly awaiting suburban housewives. Do not let the dog have the holy thing ! it is written :o)
Answer written by Grølheim.