I will inspect the origins, beliefs, ceremonies, and organization of Ásatrú in Iceland to determine whether a premodern religion can truly be “revived” in a post-modern world. The Icelandic Ásatrúarfélag is a Neopagan movement in Iceland that was founded in the 1970s and has been gaining popularity since the mid-1990s. I plan on using a participant observation method to study different factions of Ásatrú in Iceland, including Reconstructionist groups and Odinist groups. I will use compare these two groups to each other and also to ancient Icelandic culture to study invented traditions and their effect on the people of Iceland.
II. Background
Although academic information regarding Ásatrú from the 1970s and onward is incomplete, the pre-Christian …show more content…
According to Religious Narrative, Cognition and Culture: Image and Word in the Mind of Narrative, Ásatrú increased by 420% during the 1990s (Geertz 2016). The revival of Old Icelandic beliefs brings a sense of nationalism, which for the most part is peaceful and accepting, but in some cases can be damaging. Stories and practices documented in the Old Icelandic texts are utilized as legitimization devices for identity, some harmful among the Ásatrú. For instance, Odinism and their extremist faction Wotanism, who believe in “Aryan survival and advancement” (Gardell 2003)
Other factions of Ásatrú, like Reconstructionists, work from the principle that literature from the past such as Eddas and sagas help Reconstructionists’ connection with deities and spirits while still keeping a modern worldview in their religious philosophies. In Reconstructionism, there is less focus on the archeologically correct methods of praise and more on a personal connection with the Aesir on a personal level. Reconstructionism is focused more on drawing on the past to find personal meaning in postmodern society, and less about the correctness of reconstruction (Strmiska …show more content…
I will focus on the use of invented tradition among Ásatrúar, defined as “a set of practices, normally governed by overtly or tacitly accepted rules and of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behavior by reputation, which automatically implies continuity with the past.” (Hobsbawm 1983) As an organization, Ásatrú is filled with historical confusion and uncertainty, with a lack of means to resolve these problems: a reflection of today rather than the period the movement has its background
II. Background
Although academic information regarding Ásatrú from the 1970s and onward is incomplete, the pre-Christian …show more content…
According to Religious Narrative, Cognition and Culture: Image and Word in the Mind of Narrative, Ásatrú increased by 420% during the 1990s (Geertz 2016). The revival of Old Icelandic beliefs brings a sense of nationalism, which for the most part is peaceful and accepting, but in some cases can be damaging. Stories and practices documented in the Old Icelandic texts are utilized as legitimization devices for identity, some harmful among the Ásatrú. For instance, Odinism and their extremist faction Wotanism, who believe in “Aryan survival and advancement” (Gardell 2003)
Other factions of Ásatrú, like Reconstructionists, work from the principle that literature from the past such as Eddas and sagas help Reconstructionists’ connection with deities and spirits while still keeping a modern worldview in their religious philosophies. In Reconstructionism, there is less focus on the archeologically correct methods of praise and more on a personal connection with the Aesir on a personal level. Reconstructionism is focused more on drawing on the past to find personal meaning in postmodern society, and less about the correctness of reconstruction (Strmiska …show more content…
I will focus on the use of invented tradition among Ásatrúar, defined as “a set of practices, normally governed by overtly or tacitly accepted rules and of a ritual or symbolic nature, which seek to inculcate certain values and norms of behavior by reputation, which automatically implies continuity with the past.” (Hobsbawm 1983) As an organization, Ásatrú is filled with historical confusion and uncertainty, with a lack of means to resolve these problems: a reflection of today rather than the period the movement has its background