Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið
Encyclopedia
The Ásatrúarfélagið is an Iceland
ic Germanic Neopagan, Ásatrú
, religious organization with the purpose of promoting and continuing a revived form of Norse paganism
. It was founded on the First Day of Summer, 1972, and granted recognition as a registered religious organization in 1973, allowing it to conduct legally binding ceremonies and collect a share of the church tax.
The organization was led by farmer and poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson
from 1972 until his death in 1993. During most of this period membership did not exceed 100 people and after the initial enthusiasm faded, there was little activity. The time of the next high priest, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen (1994–2002), saw considerable growth and activity, including the design of a pagan burial ground. These trends have continued under the present high priest, musician Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
(2003-), and as of 2011 the organization has 1700 registered members, 30% of which are women.
Ásatrúarfélagið does not have a fixed religious dogma or theology but the high priests have tended towards a pantheistic
worldview. The central ritual is the communal blót
feast but the priests (goðar) also conduct name-giving ceremonies, coming of age rituals, weddings and funerals. The organization has on some occasions taken a stance on political issues, including abortion rights, gay marriage, the separation of church and state, and environmental issues. The organisation is a founding member of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions.
, a farmer and a traditionalist poet, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen, a jack of all trades and a prominent person in the Reykjavík hippie
movement, Dagur Þorleifsson, a journalist and active member of the Reykjavík theosophy
lodge, and Þorsteinn Guðjónsson, leader of Félag Nýalssinna, an organization devoted to the theories of Helgi Pjeturss
.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson described the founding of Ásatrúarfélagið as based on a belief in hidden forces in the land and connected to "the desire that Icelanders could have their own faith, and nourish it no less than imported religions". Dagur Þorleifsson emphasized that the religion constituted a movement back to nature, seeking refuge from the ills of industrial civilization. One observer traces the origins of the organization to the countercultural and religious waves of the time, as well as to nationalism and the widespread Icelandic interest in spiritism, theosophy and elves
.
The pagan organization was formed on the First Day of Summer 1972 in a meeting at Hótel Borg. In a meeting shortly thereafter Sveinbjörn was chosen as chairman and dubbed allsherjargoði
.
, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
, and expressed interest in registering Ásatrúarfélagið as an official religious organization. The minister at first believed that the request was a joke but when Sveinbjörn and Þorsteinn told him that they were serious he requested additional paperwork. According to Sveinbjörn, shortly after he and Þorsteinn exited the ministry, the lights in the center of town went out due to a thunderstorm, leaving the minister sitting in the dark. The newspaper Vísir wrote about this in a jocular tone, noting that "the representatives of the Ásatrúarmenn got rather vague answers from the minister, — and apparently that's what Thor
the thunder god thought as well, because as the visit was at an end and the minister stood up to follow the guests to the door there was a terrible thunder in the center of Reykjavík, causing damage close to the office of the ministry".
Sigurbjörn Einarsson
, Bishop of Iceland
, recommended to the ministry that the organization not be granted recognition. In a written opinion, later published, the bishop pointed out that the Icelandic constitution granted everyone a right to "found organizations to serve god" and that this assumed a monotheistic outlook. Sigurbjörn cited the opinion of legal scholar Einar Arnórsson
, published in 1912, that "polytheistic religious organizations founded [in Iceland] would therefore not be protected by the constitution". Sigurbjörn further criticized the application for not including the declaration of an individual stating that he would assume the leadership of the organization. He criticized the organization for having vague teachings and for not including clear documents on them. He also pointed out that the organization had no dedicated house of worship.
In Sigurbjörn's opinion the most significant effort to revive Germanic paganism happened in Nazi Germany
and was connected to the racial ideology of that regime. He pointed out that the present applicants had hitherto considered themselves followers of the Nýall theories of Helgi Pjeturss
and that these theories contained the same racial elements as the Nazi ideology. The bishop expressed concern over the possible moral teachings of a pagan organization, in particular as regarded individualism, polygamy and security of person. Finally he pointed out that the group applying for recognition was small, consisting of 21 individuals. Morgunblaðið
, Iceland's biggest daily newspaper, declared its agreement with the bishop in an editorial. The paper stated that the Christian faith was the "basis of Icelandic society" and that "Christ is enough, though he was not enough for Hitler, Stalin or their followers".
In the pagans' reply to the bishop's criticism they argued that even Christianity had some polytheistic elements and that paganism could include a belief in a Supreme Being
. They denied any association with national socialism and argued that it was doubtful that the Third Reich had any genuine pagans while it was certain that a number of Christian sects had cooperated with the Nazis.
Ásatrúarfélagið was officially recognized as a religious organization by the Icelandic government in May, 1973. This gives it the right to legally perform marriages and other ceremonies as well as entitle it to a share of the church tax
in proportion to its number of adult members.
In the Althing
, Halldór Blöndal
and Magnús Jónsson, members of the Independence Party
, requested an explanation for why Ólafur Jóhannesson had given legal recognition to Ásatrúarfélagið. The minister defended his decision on the grounds that the constitution granted freedom of association
and freedom of religion
. Magnús Jónsson argued that the constitution applied freedom of religion only to monotheistic religions and that the recognition of an organization practicing polytheism and idol worship was thus an illegal act. The minister countered that legal scholars had debated whether the clause applied to polytheism.
In 1975, the Althing changed the law in a way that made it more difficult for new religious organizations to gain recognition.
(plural same as singular) in Iceland since public blót were forbidden by law in the year 1000. The event was held at Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson's farm at Dragháls in pelting rain below a plaster statue of the god Thor
made by Jörmundur Ingi Hansen. The blót was described by the newspaper Vísir as "vigorous and energetic" while Sigurður A. Magnússon commented that the historic significance of the event had not been matched by the quality of the ceremony, "It could hardly have been simpler or more pedestrian".
Ásatrúarfélagið had received extensive media coverage even in its very early formative stages and by the time of the
first public blót that attention extended to foreign media and had become disproportionate to the scale of the event
with about as many journalists as participants attending.
Early on, the organization had ambitious plans for building a temple, getting a burial ground, and dividing the land into goðorð, led by individual goðar. However, membership in the organization did not increase as quickly as these goals would have necessitated. In 1973 Ásatrúarfélagið had 58 registered members, in 1974 it had 70 and in 1976 it had 77. As its leaders realized that the organization's more ambitious goals could not be quickly achieved, the society settled down to a low level of activity. In 1983 a blót had not been held for three years, but one was arranged to provide the makers of a documentary with
material.
By the mid-80s, membership in the organization started to rise every year. In 1985 there were 74 members and by 1992 membership had risen to 119. At that point the organization decided that the time had come for increased activity. The same year, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson published his autobiography.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson acted as allsherjargoði from 1972 until his death in December 1993. He lived a simple life on a farm without modern luxuries. A popular grandfatherly figure he was "a little eccentric and shy in his role as a media spokesman". He left a lasting impression in people's minds.
In late 1993, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson died and in 1994, elections were held for a new allsherjargoði. The candidates were Jörmundur Ingi Hansen and Haukur Halldórsson
. Jörmundur Ingi ran on a platform of continuity while Haukur promised more innovation. Jörmundur Ingi won with 59 votes against 34.
While Jörmundur was, like Sveinbjörn, an older man knowledgeable in ancient literature, he differed from his predecessor in his greater skill at dealing with the media. Jörmundur's time as allsherjargoði saw a rapid rise in membership in the organization, going from 172 in 1994 to 628 in 2002. Jörmundur's time also saw an increase in the percentage of women members, going from 13% in 1994 to 21% in 2002.
In 1999, the organization achieved one of its oldest goals of having a burial ground of its own. The burial ground was designed by Jörmundur Ingi and the first burial took place the same year.
In the summer of 2000, on the occasion of the 1000 year commemoration of the Christianisation of Iceland, the Icelandic state and the Church of Iceland organized a celebration at Þingvellir
. Ásatrúarfélagið had its own annual blót at Þingvellir at the same time, leading to conflict over the use of facilities with some underlying ideological tensions. In the end, more than 1000 people participated in Ásatrúarfélagið's summer event, more than in any previous ceremony by the organization.
In 2000, Ásatrúarfélagið passed the Buddhist Association of Iceland and the Icelandic Bahá'i Community to become Iceland's largest non-Christian religious organization.
The growth of the organization brought with it increased complexity and internal disputes.
(born 1958), was chosen as allsherjargoði. As of 2009, he remains in office. The demographic trends of previous years have continued. The number of members went from 628 in 2002 to 1395 in 2009 while the percentage of women has gone from 21% in 2002 to 29% in 2008.
In 2005, a decision was made to sell the organization's property. The property had increased substantially in value since it was bought in 1998. The profit from the sale made building a temple
a realistic option and an application for a plot of land was sent to the Reykjavík city council. Processing of the application took longer than the organization had hoped for due to political instability in Reykjavík. In January 2008, a plot of land was finally granted in Öskjuhlíð
. Ásatrúarfélagið commissioned five architects to present proposals for a temple building. Those were ready in September 2008. The organization lost a substantial amount of money in the collapse of the Icelandic banks in October 2008 but is still proceeding with study of different options for a temple building.
In 2006, the Ministry of Justice increased the number of pagan priests allowed to conduct legally binding ceremonies from two (the allsherjargoði and his substitute) to five. Two of those five priests are women.
The website of Ásatrúarfélagið (as of 2009) defines Ásatrú as belief "in the Icelandic/Nordic folklore
, the spirits and entities the folklore represents, in addition to gods and other beings from the Nordic pantheism
".
From the beginning, Ásatrúarfélagið has not had any fixed religious dogma or theology. Individual members have various beliefs (there are, for example, a number of Wicca
n members). Though members are not expected to follow the lead of any religious authority, all the high priests have publicly expressed their personal beliefs at one point or another.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson summarized his religious convictions in his autobiography, saying that he had not a simple religious conviction but a "somewhat unquiet faith".
In a 1992 interview, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen expressed his views on various theological subjects, including the nature of the gods and the basis of his pagan beliefs.
In a 1996 interview, Jónína K. Berg said:
In a 2003 interview, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson summarized his faith.
The central ritual performed by Ásatrúarfélagið is the communal blót
feast. A blót starts with a goði hallowing the ceremony with a certain formula and declaring a truce between all present. This is followed by the reciting or chanting of verses from the Poetic Edda
. Next, a drinking horn
is passed around and participants drink to the gods, the wight
s and the ancestors. Libation
s are offered. This initial part of the ceremony, often conducted outdoors, is followed by a communal feast, typically indoors. The feast is often accompanied by musical performances or other forms of entertainment.
In the early days of the movement, the founders were asked whether they conducted ritual slaughter
of animals during blót. The general response was that while this would not be morally problematic it was not practical. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson commented:
Nevertheless, during the first public blót "a sympathizing visual artist brought along a live cock and had it beheaded in the kitchen, while the lamb was being cooked".
The four main blót are Jólablót ("Yule blót") on the winter solstice, Sigurblót ("Victory blót") on the First Day of Summer, Sumarblót ("Summer blót") on the summer solstice, and Veturnáttablót ("Winter Nights
blót") on the First Day of Winter. The organization also holds Þorrablót
and individual goðar hold local blót on various occasions.
Other rituals include name-giving ceremonies, siðfesta (a coming of age
ritual), weddings and burials. The first pagan name-giving ceremony took place in November 1973. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson performed the first pagan wedding ceremony in August 1977, marrying Dagur Þorleifsson and Ingibjörg Hjartardóttir. Since 1999, the organization has its own burial ground and several burials have taken place.
As a part of the Jólablót, children light candles to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. The organization has intermittently run a Sunday school and a youth group.
only represented the private opinions of its author.
In the following years, Ásatrúarfélagið mostly did not involve itself in political questions, though individual members did. Having been unable to advance his racial ideology within Ásatrúarfélagið, Þorsteinn Guðjónsson in 1982 founded a separate organization, Norrænt mannkyn ("Nordic Race"), to lobby for the reduction of immigration and banning of abortion. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson was active in the peace movement, erecting a níðstöng against nuclear power in 1985.
Summarizing her 1991 study of Germanic neopaganism, literary scholar Stefanie von Schnurbein
describes Ásatrúarfélagið as a "mix of individualistic anarchists, atheistic church opponents, and racist spiritualists". In a 2001 study of paganism in Iceland, anthropologist María Erlendsdóttir disagreed, pointing out that von Schnurbein's field research included only two interviews with members of the organization and arguing that this was "not enough to give sound grounds to her accusations". She further argued that "the heavy accusations of Von Schnurbein contradict certain clues that Ásatrúarfélagið has an open mind to people of other cultures and races" and concluded that "Icelandic paganism in contemporary society has strong roots within folk belief and literary tradition".
In a 2000 study of Ásatrúarfélagið, religious studies scholar Michael Strmiska noted that "Ásatrú movements in America and Scandinavia have been known to espouse racist and Neo-Nazi ideology" but that he was "not aware of any member of Icelandic Ásatrú espousing such sentiments or ideology".
Since early on, environmentalism
has been important to members of Ásatrúarfélagið and the organization has been active in environmentalist causes. In October 2003, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson erected a níðstöng against the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project
. Jóhanna G. Harðardóttir, a goði, wrote on the occasion: "We have come to call upon gods and good wight
s. We intend to ask for mercy for our land and we intend to erect a níðstöng to those who dishonor their mother, the earth."
Since 2007, Ásatrúarfélagið participates in forest reclamation in Heiðmörk with the Icelandic Forestry Association.
The organization has fought for the right to marry gay couples.
Ásatrúarfélagið has fought for the separation of church and state
, and for a share in a fund currently only accessible to the National Church. The Church supports the latter effort. Ásatrúarfélagið cooperates on issues of common concern with other Icelandic religious organizations, in particular the Reykjavík Free Church
.
In 2003, Sigurjón Þórðarson
, an active member of Ásatrúarfélagið and a goði, was elected to the Althing
for the Liberal Party. When asked if his faith shaped the way he approached laws and the structure of government he replied: "I’m in favour of separating faith and law, but I do think that faith marks the individual."
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic Germanic Neopagan, Ásatrú
Ásatrú
is a form of Germanic neopaganism which developed in the United States from the 1970s....
, religious organization with the purpose of promoting and continuing a revived form of Norse paganism
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
. It was founded on the First Day of Summer, 1972, and granted recognition as a registered religious organization in 1973, allowing it to conduct legally binding ceremonies and collect a share of the church tax.
The organization was led by farmer and poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson , a native of Iceland, was instrumental in helping to gain recognition by the Icelandic government for the pre-Christian Norse religion...
from 1972 until his death in 1993. During most of this period membership did not exceed 100 people and after the initial enthusiasm faded, there was little activity. The time of the next high priest, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen (1994–2002), saw considerable growth and activity, including the design of a pagan burial ground. These trends have continued under the present high priest, musician Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson , also known as HÖH , is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið ....
(2003-), and as of 2011 the organization has 1700 registered members, 30% of which are women.
Ásatrúarfélagið does not have a fixed religious dogma or theology but the high priests have tended towards a pantheistic
Pantheism
Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek meaning "all" and the Greek meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of...
worldview. The central ritual is the communal blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
feast but the priests (goðar) also conduct name-giving ceremonies, coming of age rituals, weddings and funerals. The organization has on some occasions taken a stance on political issues, including abortion rights, gay marriage, the separation of church and state, and environmental issues. The organisation is a founding member of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions.
History
Origins
The idea to found a pagan organization came about in late winter 1972 in discussions in a café in Reykjavík. The four men who would become the organization's early leaders and ideologues were Sveinbjörn BeinteinssonSveinbjörn Beinteinsson
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson , a native of Iceland, was instrumental in helping to gain recognition by the Icelandic government for the pre-Christian Norse religion...
, a farmer and a traditionalist poet, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen, a jack of all trades and a prominent person in the Reykjavík hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
movement, Dagur Þorleifsson, a journalist and active member of the Reykjavík theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
lodge, and Þorsteinn Guðjónsson, leader of Félag Nýalssinna, an organization devoted to the theories of Helgi Pjeturss
Helgi Pjeturss
Helgi Pjeturss was an Icelandic geologist and philosopher. In 1905 he became the first Icelander to graduate with a PhD in geology. He conducted extensive research on the geology of Iceland from 1898 to 1910. In 1919, Helgi started publishing Nýall, a collection of essays outlining his theories on...
.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson described the founding of Ásatrúarfélagið as based on a belief in hidden forces in the land and connected to "the desire that Icelanders could have their own faith, and nourish it no less than imported religions". Dagur Þorleifsson emphasized that the religion constituted a movement back to nature, seeking refuge from the ills of industrial civilization. One observer traces the origins of the organization to the countercultural and religious waves of the time, as well as to nationalism and the widespread Icelandic interest in spiritism, theosophy and elves
Huldufólk
Huldufólk are elves in Icelandic folklore. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. According to these Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk...
.
The pagan organization was formed on the First Day of Summer 1972 in a meeting at Hótel Borg. In a meeting shortly thereafter Sveinbjörn was chosen as chairman and dubbed allsherjargoði
Allsherjargoði
Allsherjargoði was an office in the Icelandic Commonwealth, held by the goði who held the goðorð of the descendants of Ingólfr Arnarson, the first settler of Iceland...
.
Recognition
Shortly before Christmas 1972, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson and Þorsteinn Guðjónsson visited Ólafur JóhannessonÓlafur Jóhannesson
Ólafur Jóhannesson was the fifteenth Prime Minister of Iceland for the Progressive Party on two occasions. He was a member of the Progressive Party, serving as party chairman during the 1980s.-Career:...
, minister of justice and ecclesiastical affairs
Ministry of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs (Iceland)
The Icelandic Ministry of Justice and Human Rights was a cabinet-level ministry within the government of Iceland. Since 2 September 2010, the minister had been Ögmundur Jónasson...
, and expressed interest in registering Ásatrúarfélagið as an official religious organization. The minister at first believed that the request was a joke but when Sveinbjörn and Þorsteinn told him that they were serious he requested additional paperwork. According to Sveinbjörn, shortly after he and Þorsteinn exited the ministry, the lights in the center of town went out due to a thunderstorm, leaving the minister sitting in the dark. The newspaper Vísir wrote about this in a jocular tone, noting that "the representatives of the Ásatrúarmenn got rather vague answers from the minister, — and apparently that's what Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
the thunder god thought as well, because as the visit was at an end and the minister stood up to follow the guests to the door there was a terrible thunder in the center of Reykjavík, causing damage close to the office of the ministry".
Sigurbjörn Einarsson
Sigurbjörn Einarsson
Sigurbjörn Einarsson was a doctor of theology and a priest of the Lutheran Church of Iceland. He led the church as the Bishop of Iceland from 1959 to 1981. The current Bishop, Karl Sigurbjörnsson, is his son.-References:...
, Bishop of Iceland
Bishop of Iceland
List of the Lutheran bishops of Iceland:* 1801-1823: Geir Vídalín* 1824-1845: Steingrímur Jónsson* 1846-1866: Helgi G. Thordersen* 1866-1889: Pétur Pétursson* 1889-1908: Hallgrímur Sveinsson* 1908-1916: Þórhallur Bjarnason* 1917-1939: Jón Helgason...
, recommended to the ministry that the organization not be granted recognition. In a written opinion, later published, the bishop pointed out that the Icelandic constitution granted everyone a right to "found organizations to serve god" and that this assumed a monotheistic outlook. Sigurbjörn cited the opinion of legal scholar Einar Arnórsson
Einar Arnórsson
Einar Arnórsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 4 May 1915 to 4 January 1917. Einar graduated in Laws from University of Copenhagen in 1906. Einar was elected to Althingi and sat there in 1914–1919 and 1931–1932 for the Independence party. He was Minister of Education and Justice during Björn...
, published in 1912, that "polytheistic religious organizations founded [in Iceland] would therefore not be protected by the constitution". Sigurbjörn further criticized the application for not including the declaration of an individual stating that he would assume the leadership of the organization. He criticized the organization for having vague teachings and for not including clear documents on them. He also pointed out that the organization had no dedicated house of worship.
In Sigurbjörn's opinion the most significant effort to revive Germanic paganism happened in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and was connected to the racial ideology of that regime. He pointed out that the present applicants had hitherto considered themselves followers of the Nýall theories of Helgi Pjeturss
Helgi Pjeturss
Helgi Pjeturss was an Icelandic geologist and philosopher. In 1905 he became the first Icelander to graduate with a PhD in geology. He conducted extensive research on the geology of Iceland from 1898 to 1910. In 1919, Helgi started publishing Nýall, a collection of essays outlining his theories on...
and that these theories contained the same racial elements as the Nazi ideology. The bishop expressed concern over the possible moral teachings of a pagan organization, in particular as regarded individualism, polygamy and security of person. Finally he pointed out that the group applying for recognition was small, consisting of 21 individuals. Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið is a newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen & Olaf Björnsson, brother to the first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. Six years later, in 1919, the corporation Árvakur bought out the company...
, Iceland's biggest daily newspaper, declared its agreement with the bishop in an editorial. The paper stated that the Christian faith was the "basis of Icelandic society" and that "Christ is enough, though he was not enough for Hitler, Stalin or their followers".
In the pagans' reply to the bishop's criticism they argued that even Christianity had some polytheistic elements and that paganism could include a belief in a Supreme Being
Supreme Being
The term Supreme Being is often defined simply as "God", and it is used with this meaning by theologians of many religious faiths, including, but not limited to, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Deism. However, the term can also refer to more complex or philosophical interpretations of the...
. They denied any association with national socialism and argued that it was doubtful that the Third Reich had any genuine pagans while it was certain that a number of Christian sects had cooperated with the Nazis.
Ásatrúarfélagið was officially recognized as a religious organization by the Icelandic government in May, 1973. This gives it the right to legally perform marriages and other ceremonies as well as entitle it to a share of the church tax
Church tax
A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.- Germany :About 70% of church revenues come from church tax...
in proportion to its number of adult members.
In the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
, Halldór Blöndal
Halldór Blöndal
Halldór Blöndal is a politician of the Independence Party . He is the son of Kristjana Benediktsdóttir, Bjarni Benediktsson's sister. He worked as a teacher and a journalist from 1959 until 1980. Form 1971 to 1979 he frequently sat on Althingi as a substitute member...
and Magnús Jónsson, members of the Independence Party
Independence Party (Iceland)
The Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. Liberal conservative and Eurosceptic, it is the second-largest party in the Althing, with sixteen seats. The chairman of the party is Bjarni Benediktsson and vice chairman is Ólöf Nordal....
, requested an explanation for why Ólafur Jóhannesson had given legal recognition to Ásatrúarfélagið. The minister defended his decision on the grounds that the constitution granted freedom of association
Freedom of association
Freedom of association is the individual right to come together with other individuals and collectively express, promote, pursue and defend common interests....
and freedom of religion
Freedom of religion
Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
. Magnús Jónsson argued that the constitution applied freedom of religion only to monotheistic religions and that the recognition of an organization practicing polytheism and idol worship was thus an illegal act. The minister countered that legal scholars had debated whether the clause applied to polytheism.
In 1975, the Althing changed the law in a way that made it more difficult for new religious organizations to gain recognition.
First allsherjargoði (1972-1993)
On August 5, 1973, Ásatrúarfélagið held the first public outdoor blótBlót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
(plural same as singular) in Iceland since public blót were forbidden by law in the year 1000. The event was held at Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson's farm at Dragháls in pelting rain below a plaster statue of the god Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
made by Jörmundur Ingi Hansen. The blót was described by the newspaper Vísir as "vigorous and energetic" while Sigurður A. Magnússon commented that the historic significance of the event had not been matched by the quality of the ceremony, "It could hardly have been simpler or more pedestrian".
Ásatrúarfélagið had received extensive media coverage even in its very early formative stages and by the time of the
first public blót that attention extended to foreign media and had become disproportionate to the scale of the event
Media circus
Media circus is a colloquial metaphor, or idiom, describing a news event where the media coverage is perceived to be out of proportion to the event being covered, such as the number of reporters at the scene, the amount of news media published or broadcast, and the level of media hype...
with about as many journalists as participants attending.
Early on, the organization had ambitious plans for building a temple, getting a burial ground, and dividing the land into goðorð, led by individual goðar. However, membership in the organization did not increase as quickly as these goals would have necessitated. In 1973 Ásatrúarfélagið had 58 registered members, in 1974 it had 70 and in 1976 it had 77. As its leaders realized that the organization's more ambitious goals could not be quickly achieved, the society settled down to a low level of activity. In 1983 a blót had not been held for three years, but one was arranged to provide the makers of a documentary with
material.
By the mid-80s, membership in the organization started to rise every year. In 1985 there were 74 members and by 1992 membership had risen to 119. At that point the organization decided that the time had come for increased activity. The same year, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson published his autobiography.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson acted as allsherjargoði from 1972 until his death in December 1993. He lived a simple life on a farm without modern luxuries. A popular grandfatherly figure he was "a little eccentric and shy in his role as a media spokesman". He left a lasting impression in people's minds.
Second allsherjargoði (1994-2002)
Haukur Halldorsson
- Haukur Halldórsson :Haukur Halldórsson was born 1937 in Reykjavík is an Icelandic artist and member of the Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið....
. Jörmundur Ingi ran on a platform of continuity while Haukur promised more innovation. Jörmundur Ingi won with 59 votes against 34.
While Jörmundur was, like Sveinbjörn, an older man knowledgeable in ancient literature, he differed from his predecessor in his greater skill at dealing with the media. Jörmundur's time as allsherjargoði saw a rapid rise in membership in the organization, going from 172 in 1994 to 628 in 2002. Jörmundur's time also saw an increase in the percentage of women members, going from 13% in 1994 to 21% in 2002.
In 1999, the organization achieved one of its oldest goals of having a burial ground of its own. The burial ground was designed by Jörmundur Ingi and the first burial took place the same year.
In the summer of 2000, on the occasion of the 1000 year commemoration of the Christianisation of Iceland, the Icelandic state and the Church of Iceland organized a celebration at Þingvellir
Þingvellir
|Thing]] Fields) is a place in Bláskógabyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. It is the site of a rift...
. Ásatrúarfélagið had its own annual blót at Þingvellir at the same time, leading to conflict over the use of facilities with some underlying ideological tensions. In the end, more than 1000 people participated in Ásatrúarfélagið's summer event, more than in any previous ceremony by the organization.
In 2000, Ásatrúarfélagið passed the Buddhist Association of Iceland and the Icelandic Bahá'i Community to become Iceland's largest non-Christian religious organization.
The growth of the organization brought with it increased complexity and internal disputes.
Third and fourth allsherjargoðar (2002-)
In 2002, the board of directors sacked Jörmundur and installed Jónína Kristín Berg (born 1962) as temporary allsherjargoði. In 2003, musician Hilmar Örn HilmarssonHilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson , also known as HÖH , is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið ....
(born 1958), was chosen as allsherjargoði. As of 2009, he remains in office. The demographic trends of previous years have continued. The number of members went from 628 in 2002 to 1395 in 2009 while the percentage of women has gone from 21% in 2002 to 29% in 2008.
In 2005, a decision was made to sell the organization's property. The property had increased substantially in value since it was bought in 1998. The profit from the sale made building a temple
Temple
A temple is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, or analogous rites. A templum constituted a sacred precinct as defined by a priest, or augur. It has the same root as the word "template," a plan in preparation of the building that was marked out...
a realistic option and an application for a plot of land was sent to the Reykjavík city council. Processing of the application took longer than the organization had hoped for due to political instability in Reykjavík. In January 2008, a plot of land was finally granted in Öskjuhlíð
Öskjuhlíð
Öskjuhlíð is a hill in the centre of Reykjavík, Iceland. It is 61 metres above sea level. The hill is a designated outdoors area and is covered with trees. At the top of the hill stands Perlan, on top six water tanks...
. Ásatrúarfélagið commissioned five architects to present proposals for a temple building. Those were ready in September 2008. The organization lost a substantial amount of money in the collapse of the Icelandic banks in October 2008 but is still proceeding with study of different options for a temple building.
In 2006, the Ministry of Justice increased the number of pagan priests allowed to conduct legally binding ceremonies from two (the allsherjargoði and his substitute) to five. Two of those five priests are women.
Beliefs and theology
Scandinavian folklore
Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the Swedish speaking parts of Finland.Collecting folklore began when Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden sent out instructions to all of the priests in all of the parishes to collect the folklore of their area...
, the spirits and entities the folklore represents, in addition to gods and other beings from the Nordic pantheism
Pantheism
Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek meaning "all" and the Greek meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of...
".
From the beginning, Ásatrúarfélagið has not had any fixed religious dogma or theology. Individual members have various beliefs (there are, for example, a number of Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n members). Though members are not expected to follow the lead of any religious authority, all the high priests have publicly expressed their personal beliefs at one point or another.
Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson summarized his religious convictions in his autobiography, saying that he had not a simple religious conviction but a "somewhat unquiet faith".
My faith is based on a constant search but I don't search frantically. It's no use to
rush out into space to search for some gods there, if they want to have anything to do with
me, they will come. I have often become aware of them, but I don't rush after them or shout at them.
I have gotten to know them a bit in myself and also in other people. ... Primarily it is the effects of the great force felt by everyone that make me religious. ... The most remarkable thing about faith is that it gives us growth, the possibility to grow and
thrive. And humility cannot be neglected. Without it we cannot live to any useful degree,
though of course it has its particular place. But a man who is completely without it is a madman.
In a 1992 interview, Jörmundur Ingi Hansen expressed his views on various theological subjects, including the nature of the gods and the basis of his pagan beliefs.
From my perspective, the world is split into two in its nature, divided into constructive forces, the Æsir, and the destructive forces which we call jötnar. ... Ásatrú or heathenry is basically only to realize this dichotomy and to decide to side with the Æsir. The best way to do that, in my opinion, is to be self-consistent, live in harmony with nature, associate with it with respect and to submit to the public order. ... The gods shape the dwelling places of people, the earth and the solar
system out of the material that already exists. To that extent we can look on the forces of nature as the gods themselves and to
a large extent that is what people did in antiquity.
In a 1996 interview, Jónína K. Berg said:
Ásatrú is a pantheistic belief. The earth, the air and the water has great value to us. We are a part of the earth and not its masters.
In a 2003 interview, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson summarized his faith.
I believe in a higher power which appears to us in the multiplicity of nature and of human life. We have manifestations of certain primal forces which we regard as gods and we have a division in the roles of the gods. These are powers that are visible, half-visible and sometimes invisible. One could have a long scholarly discussion on the role of individual gods, but in the end this is a question of a feeling for the different aspects of life.
Blót and other rituals
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
feast. A blót starts with a goði hallowing the ceremony with a certain formula and declaring a truce between all present. This is followed by the reciting or chanting of verses from the Poetic Edda
Poetic Edda
The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems primarily preserved in the Icelandic mediaeval manuscript Codex Regius. Along with Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the Poetic Edda is the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends, and from the early 19th century...
. Next, a drinking horn
Drinking horn
A drinking horn is the horn of a bovid used as a drinking vessel. Drinking horns are known from Classical Antiquity especially in Thrace and the Balkans, and remained in use for ceremonial purposes throughout the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period in some parts of Europe, notably in Germanic...
is passed around and participants drink to the gods, the wight
Wight
Wight is a Middle English word, from Old English wiht, and used to describe a creature or living sentient being. It is akin to Old High German wiht, meaning a creature or thing.In its original usage the word wight described a living human being...
s and the ancestors. Libation
Libation
A libation is a ritual pouring of a liquid as an offering to a god or spirit or in memory of those who have died. It was common in many religions of antiquity and continues to be offered in various cultures today....
s are offered. This initial part of the ceremony, often conducted outdoors, is followed by a communal feast, typically indoors. The feast is often accompanied by musical performances or other forms of entertainment.
In the early days of the movement, the founders were asked whether they conducted ritual slaughter
Ritual slaughter
Ritual slaughter is the practice of slaughtering livestock for meat in a ritual manner. Ritual slaughter involves a prescribed method of slaughtering an animal for food production purposes...
of animals during blót. The general response was that while this would not be morally problematic it was not practical. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson commented:
No, for the simple reason that we can't be bothered. It's far easier to just get a carcass so that's what we do. In earlier times it was normal to slaughter the animal in place because people couldn't store meat. But in modern circumstances it's completely unnecessary and too much trouble."
Nevertheless, during the first public blót "a sympathizing visual artist brought along a live cock and had it beheaded in the kitchen, while the lamb was being cooked".
The four main blót are Jólablót ("Yule blót") on the winter solstice, Sigurblót ("Victory blót") on the First Day of Summer, Sumarblót ("Summer blót") on the summer solstice, and Veturnáttablót ("Winter Nights
Winter Nights
Winter Nights or Old Norse Vetrnætr was a Norse winter festival that was initially celebrated in pre-Christian Scandinavia. It was said by Snorri Sturluson that Winter Nights is one of the three most important festivals. This festival also marks the end of the summer and start of the winter meaning...
blót") on the First Day of Winter. The organization also holds Þorrablót
Þorrablót
Þorrablót , or Thurseblot, is an Icelandic midwinter festival that takes place in the month of Þorri, according to the Old Icelandic Calendar, which starts in late January and ends in late February. These festivals were started by Icelandic student associations in the latter half of the 19th century...
and individual goðar hold local blót on various occasions.
Other rituals include name-giving ceremonies, siðfesta (a coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
ritual), weddings and burials. The first pagan name-giving ceremony took place in November 1973. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson performed the first pagan wedding ceremony in August 1977, marrying Dagur Þorleifsson and Ingibjörg Hjartardóttir. Since 1999, the organization has its own burial ground and several burials have taken place.
As a part of the Jólablót, children light candles to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. The organization has intermittently run a Sunday school and a youth group.
Politics and activism
In June 1974 Ásatrúarfélagið issued a press release opposing the legalization of abortion and recommending strict punishment for distributors of narcotics. In April 1975 there was another press release opposing abortion, this time noting that the battle for legalization of abortion could be "traced to international movements opposed to the Nordic nations and in particular to the Nordic race". A few days later, Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson stated that this latter press release did not have its origins in any legal meeting of Ásatrúarfélagið andonly represented the private opinions of its author.
In the following years, Ásatrúarfélagið mostly did not involve itself in political questions, though individual members did. Having been unable to advance his racial ideology within Ásatrúarfélagið, Þorsteinn Guðjónsson in 1982 founded a separate organization, Norrænt mannkyn ("Nordic Race"), to lobby for the reduction of immigration and banning of abortion. Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson was active in the peace movement, erecting a níðstöng against nuclear power in 1985.
Summarizing her 1991 study of Germanic neopaganism, literary scholar Stefanie von Schnurbein
Stefanie von Schnurbein
Stefanie von Schnurbein is a German professor of modern literature who first became well known for her 1992 book Religion als Kulturkritik as well as for publishing research about occult literature.-Biography:...
describes Ásatrúarfélagið as a "mix of individualistic anarchists, atheistic church opponents, and racist spiritualists". In a 2001 study of paganism in Iceland, anthropologist María Erlendsdóttir disagreed, pointing out that von Schnurbein's field research included only two interviews with members of the organization and arguing that this was "not enough to give sound grounds to her accusations". She further argued that "the heavy accusations of Von Schnurbein contradict certain clues that Ásatrúarfélagið has an open mind to people of other cultures and races" and concluded that "Icelandic paganism in contemporary society has strong roots within folk belief and literary tradition".
In a 2000 study of Ásatrúarfélagið, religious studies scholar Michael Strmiska noted that "Ásatrú movements in America and Scandinavia have been known to espouse racist and Neo-Nazi ideology" but that he was "not aware of any member of Icelandic Ásatrú espousing such sentiments or ideology".
Since early on, environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
has been important to members of Ásatrúarfélagið and the organization has been active in environmentalist causes. In October 2003, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson erected a níðstöng against the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant is a hydroelectric power plant in eastern Iceland designed to produce 4,600 GWh annually for Alcoa's Fjardaál aluminum smelter to the east in Reyðarfjörður. The project, named after nearby Mount Kárahnjúkur, involves damming the Jökulsá á Dal River and the Jökulsá...
. Jóhanna G. Harðardóttir, a goði, wrote on the occasion: "We have come to call upon gods and good wight
Wight
Wight is a Middle English word, from Old English wiht, and used to describe a creature or living sentient being. It is akin to Old High German wiht, meaning a creature or thing.In its original usage the word wight described a living human being...
s. We intend to ask for mercy for our land and we intend to erect a níðstöng to those who dishonor their mother, the earth."
Since 2007, Ásatrúarfélagið participates in forest reclamation in Heiðmörk with the Icelandic Forestry Association.
The organization has fought for the right to marry gay couples.
Ásatrúarfélagið has fought for the separation of church and state
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
, and for a share in a fund currently only accessible to the National Church. The Church supports the latter effort. Ásatrúarfélagið cooperates on issues of common concern with other Icelandic religious organizations, in particular the Reykjavík Free Church
Reykjavík Free Church
The Reykjavík Free Church is a church in the Free Lutheran congregation of Iceland. Its head priest is Hjörtur Magni Jóhannsson....
.
In 2003, Sigurjón Þórðarson
Sigurjón Þórðarson
Sigurjón Þórðarson is an Icelandic politician. He was a member of the Althing for the Liberal Party from 2003 to 2007. In 2010, he was elected leader of the Liberal Party...
, an active member of Ásatrúarfélagið and a goði, was elected to the Althing
Althing
The Alþingi, anglicised variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national parliament of Iceland. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary institution in the world still extant...
for the Liberal Party. When asked if his faith shaped the way he approached laws and the structure of government he replied: "I’m in favour of separating faith and law, but I do think that faith marks the individual."
See also
- Ásatrú holidaysÁsatrú holidaysWithin Heathenry many holidays or tides are observed. Lesser holidays may vary considerably in name and date according to the calendars adopted by the specific Heathen denominations, local traditions, and organisations. However there is a group of holidays which are acknowledged and celebrated by...
- HuldufólkHuldufólkHuldufólk are elves in Icelandic folklore. Building projects in Iceland are sometimes altered to prevent damaging the rocks where they are believed to live. According to these Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk...
- Norse paganismNorse paganismNorse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
- Religion in IcelandReligion in IcelandReligion in Iceland was initially the Norse paganism that was a common belief among mediaeval Scandinavians until Christian conversion. Later, the nation became half-Christian and then more fully Christian. This increasing Christianization culminated in the Pietism period when non-Christian...
External links
- Ásatrúarfélagið Official webpage
- 2010 Interview with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (in English) - Part 1, 2, 3
- 2010 Interview with Jóhanna G. Harðardóttir (in English) - Part 1, 2, 3, 4
- Interview with Jörmundur Ingi Hansen
- Video of pagan ceremony Video showing the haustblót of 2006, Iceland Review
- Asatru in Iceland (CityTV)
- http://www.mmedia.is/odsmal/