​Northern Mist Kindred
Within our religion there are varying opinions on who can or can’t practice the old customs. Below are the three main types.
There are those that feel that your ancestors must have come from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Germany, or one of the other countries where our religion was practiced in order to be admitted.
Ok the Vikings as we have come to call all of the various peoples that raided the lands of Russia, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Africa, France, etc, settled in many of these areas and raised families. So how do we know 100% for sure who is or isn’t related. Another consideration comes from the fact that when people migrated sometimes they changed their name, and sometimes like at Elis Island you name was changed because the person could not understand you.
There are those that are open to everyone with no stipulations.
While on the surface this does not seem like it could be a problem, there are a couple of issues that could come into play. First is are the intentions of those coming in. Are they serious or just looking for some place to get drunk. Second are they looking to study the religion or are they looking to incoporate theirs into ours.
There are those that welcome everyone who seriously believes in our ways or is interested in learning our ways.This is where we fall.
We simply ask that you seriously believe in the old ways or are seriously interested in learning about them. We are not looking to become Wiccan/Asatru or another blend of religions, or into the shock and awe aspect. While we respect and want to learn from any and all religions we do not wish to become some hybrid religion. We are dedicated to the Viking ways: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-reliance, Perseverance also known as the Nine Noble Virtues.
How is Asatru Organized?
Asatru is non-authoritarian and decentralized, expressing our love of freedom. While we do have definite tenets, we have little dogma. There is no all-powerful spiritual leader whose word is law. Each person is free to worship as they desire.While we have Gothar there is no guru or priest has an exclusive direct line to the Gods. The Gods live in you!
How we appear before our Gods
We stand before our Gods. We never surrender our will to our Gods or humble ourselves before them, because we see ourselves as their kin, not as inferior, submissive pawns. We do not beg and plead for forgiveness or help. We commune with them and honor them while seeking their blessing, wisdom, and guidance through rites and meditation. Living a full and virtuous and industrious life is a form of prayer in itself. Our religion affects all aspects of our lives, not just those fragments that we choose to call "religious".
Are All the Stories True?
We often get asked if we feel that every story or myth that has been written about our Gods and religion are 100% true. I simply state this. Every book or article on every religion was written by a man or woman and not by the gods themselves. Could there be the proverbial fluff, yep so we try to put together what we know is fact along with what we feel in our hearts, and then incorporate the writings of everyone to put a picture of our religion together.