Essential Asatru: Walking the Path of Norse Paganism

by Diana L. Paxson, Isaac Bonewits (Foreword)

A Journey to Fulfillment and Renewal

In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers.

Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its acceptance as an official religion in the 1970s.

Essential Asatru also includes:
• A complete history of Asatru gods and goddesses, including Odin, Thor, and Ostara
• The life values, such as honor, truth, fidelity, and hospitality, that shape Asatru's tenets
• Indispensable information on rituals, rune casting, ethics, and divination

Essential Asatru is an elegant and splendid introduction to a centuries-old religion that continues to enrich and fascinate its followers today.

Genres: Religion, Paganism, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Occult, Mythology, Witchcraft

204 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Diana L. Paxson (born 1943) is a novelist and author of nonfiction, primarily in the fields of Paganism and Heathenism. Her published works include fantasy and historical fiction novels, as well as numerous short stories. More recently she has also published nonfiction books about Pagan and Heathen religions and practices.

In addition to her multiple novels and collaborations, she has written over seventy short stories. Her best-known works are the Westria novels, and the later books in the Avalon series, which she first co-wrote with Marion Zimmer Bradley, then took over sole authorship of after Bradley's death.

Paxson was nominated for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards twice, in 1989 for the "White Raven" and in 1983 for "Lady of Light".

Paxson's non-fiction books include Taking Up the Runes, Essential Asatru, and Trance-Portation. She writes a regular column for the women's spirituality magazine, Sagewoman.

Paxson has been active in the leadership of a number of organizations. She hosted the first activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism, and was subsequently among that group's founding Directors and Corporate Officers when it incorporated[1]. She was the western regional director of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and is a frequent panelist at science fiction conventions, especially Baycon, where she was the 2007 Fantasy Guest of Honor.

A leader in the Neopagan and Heathen revivals, Paxson is the founder of the The Fellowship of the Spiral Path and has served as First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess. She has been Steerswoman of the Heathen group, The Troth, a member of its Board of Directors, and currently edits its journal, Idunna. She is a pioneer in the revival of Oracular Seidh, which she has taught and performed at many Neopagan and heathen festivals and retreats.

She composes and plays music for the harp. She currently lives at her home, Greyhaven, in Berkeley, California.

More can be found on her blog: http://dpaxson.livejournal.com

Reviews

[Aaron Blum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk what the hate is about. Whether something actually happened or not, it doesn't matter because it doesn't take away that special something. Who cares if someone says the history of this book might not have happened, it was real in my imagination and that's good enough for me.

Anyway. Rune casting connects my European (Norwegian) roots with my Jewish roots, as it blends Jewish Kabbalah with European heathenry. I encourage more Jews with European ancestry to look into BOTH sides of their roots. Also, this book shows us why Asatru is important - the equality between men and women in various ways mentioned by one of the fabulous reviewers here. Christianity's strict gender roles & sexual mores, and persecution of heathens and Jews has done so much harm to our society. European heathens and Jews (who have led the fight for LGBT rights) must stick together as persecuted minorities. From a Rainbowdinist ;0

[Michele Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Michele Lee and Michael Lush

Asatru is the pagan path that follows Norse tradition. For laypersons, this means Odin, Thor, Loki, their stories and their kin. Ask any pagan their views on Asatru and you'll get mixed responses. While many people, especially men, find their spiritual home as followers of the Asgardians, it's also been adopted by hateful, racist sects. Asatru, however, is not a racist belief system, in fact it's one of the few ancient paths that holds men and women equal. Goddesses and gods are equal, Odin accepts men and women into his ranks of warriors and in the Norse lifestyle men and women could both own land and hold respected social positions.
Because of Asatru's adoption by small groups of racists, and the reputation even centuries later of the Viking invaders, books on the subject often hint at the faith only being applicable to those of Northern European decent. However, Essential Asatru is different.
To begin with it points out that the Vikings traveled so far, to the Americas, even into Africa, that it's possible that many people who don't look Nordic might still have Norse blood.
Essential Asatru also focuses on the other thing that makes Asatru different from other pagan paths. Asatru is a functional religion, it's designed to blend into a life, not rule it. In Asatru the gods are allies in every day life, not overlords who must be appeased for humans to survive. Interacting with the religion is, and was, a low priority (which is not surprising when considering that the original Vikings lived with 9 months of winter a year, implying that they often had little time for anything other than survival.)
Essential Asatru is the first fully satisfying non-myth book we've added to our collection on Asatru. It's a choice pick for those interested in the faith, readers interested in religious studies in general and writers looking for research books on the Norse faiths.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the historical overview, but found Paxon to be somewhat biased. As a liberal feminist, I appreciate a liberal feminist interpretation. But as an historian, I cannot support some things.

In any case, I didn't read it for a history of the peoples of the region. I read it for an overview of the northern tradition, and that's what I got. I would have appreciated more depth, but as a foundational read, it was fairly good.

I also could have asked for more information about daily practices. Someone new to the path is working alone by definition, until they form or find a group that is congenial to them. It would have been nice to have even more of a focus on the household traditions.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really into the fake story though, I'd rather have the plain facts and history when purchasing a nonfiction book. If I want a fake story about Asatru, I'd get a fiction book. Otherwise, I like it.

[Clover · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

If this was supposedly updated in 2021, I don't even want to know what the 2006 edition said. There's a few newer references, but the book still feels very dated. It gives a very Amazon-Published vibe which only makes the content worse.

I do respect the effort of the index, bibliography, and list of resources. It's a hit or a miss with occult books if they include even some of that. It can't be that hard if this book can do it well!

This isn't a modern guide, it's broad brushstrokes of Asatru and mainly Paxson pointing at herself and her organization—the Troth—saying they're very inclusive and so far from any far right issues at all! Yet she plugs her ex-members book who was kicked out of the group for Islamophobia. She makes some weird remarks about being envious of Indigenous peoples and how sad it is to not be able to use the swastika anymore—I'm assuming religously as a white person who follows the Norse pantheon, but like what? Really? It's 2025 (or 2021 or 2006), it's not a shame it's banned in plenty of countries.

The opening to every chapter is a part of a fictional ceremony that I guess shows how a kindred works? It was very weird and pulled you out of the book. At first I had to double check that I had picked up a nonfiction book, but I got used to it. Overall, it didn't teach me much, although I did like that it addressed Asatru vs Wicca to a small extent. It's hard when most Americans are coming at it from an ex-Wiccan background (and some of the other associations teaching about Asatru support hate groups).

I think I would be happier reading the Eddas myself and finding another book as a companion. Most of what I found was already covered in mythology books, so I recommend looking into the lore yourself because this book doesn't dive deep enough into the things I was curious about as a beginner.

It covers a lot of stuff but I left feeling like I still had no real idea what it is. Maybe it would resonate better with someone with Norse ties? I'll stick to mythology books.

[Wulf · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book that going into it, I kept hearing people talking about how great it was. It was a book, also, that I could easily pick up at any bookstore locally.

Once I got it home and started reading it, I noticed there was a lot of misinformation based on the author's unfounded biased opinions. With that said, having a title such as Essential Asatru, can be misleading if the content is based more on personal opinion, rather than fact.

[Jeff · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very fluffy book that is supposed to be about Asatru, but is really just another neo-pagan fluff fest with only a vague passing resemblance to a true Heathen worldview. Maybe a decent intro to Asatru, but not really a good place to actually learn about our ancestors beliefs.

[Laelen Torrance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel this is a good introduction to Asatru and Heathenry in general. As someone who has practiced solo polytheism for years, I was curious if this would be too "baby pagan" for my taste, but it contained great historical information, commonly held modern lore and UPG, and provided a better understanding about rites and religion (including explaining how heathenry and religion are not inherently at odds.) It also provides a wealth of resources to look into further, which is great.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a beginner resource, I found it very informative and helpful. The terms were well explained, but not much detail was gone into. I didn't mind how the beginning of each chapter started with a part of the example of a kindred gathering, but the italics eventually got on my nerves, so I eventually skipped them. The chart in the section on the gods is a handy thing, and I plan on utilizing that in the future (especially in regards to the halls of each god, that is absolutely useful). I may need to read it a second time, as I read some reviews for the book before I had finished, and did not totally see what they were talking about. But that won't be a problem, if I intend to make it apart of my library at some point. Regardless, though it was a little short and offered the beginner info, I think I will definitely invest in a copy, more for general ideas a structure. The sources were also a plus.

[Elena]

This was...fine. I have listened to it as an audiobook. It's very hard for a book to keep my attention, and this book didn't do a very good job of it.
I did learn a few new things about rituals and the fact that there are quite a few believers, but that's about it. Can't really rate it, so I'll leave it at that.

[Kadin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very negatively biased in its portrayal of Loki. It doesn't capture the reasons why people choose to worship him. Other than that, it's a good book (so far).

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERHAPS THE BEST "INTRODUCTION" TO THE SUBJECT

Diana L. Paxson "has been a consecrated Ásatrú priestess since 1982, is the founder of the Fellowship of the Spiritual Path, and editor of the journal Idunna. She has written many other books, such as 'Taking Up The Runes: A Complete Guide To Using Runes In Spells, Rituals, Divination, And Magic,' 'Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World,' 'Celestial Wisdom for Every Year of Your Life: Discover the Hidden Meaning of Your Age,' 'The Mistress of the Jewels,' etc.

She wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, "it was not until Christians began their attempt to convert the North that the Germanic peoples needed a name for their beliefs. Christians called the religion, and its followers, heathen. When scholars and romantics began to study the old ways in the nineteenth century, some called it the `troth,' or faith, of the gods---Ásatrú... It is a word from Old Norse... It also has the distinction of being the name by which the only state-supported... pagan religious organization is known." (Pg. xiii)

She emphasizes that "racism has no basis in the lore. For the ancient Germanic peoples, the important relationship was to the immediate and extended family or clan. Beyond that stood loyalty to a king or war leader... Whether other tribes were enemies or allies depended on whether they had common or conflicting interests, not on race, as can be seen ... by the fact that the Vikings took slaves wherever they raided, irrespective or race or religion... prejudice against Jews was an outgrowth of European Christianity that never took root in Scandinavia. However it proved fatally attractive to Germans seeking a scapegoat for their sufferings after the first World War." (Pg. 48)

She prefaces her description of Heathen Holy Days: "In the sagas, we hear of feasts at the beginning of winter, Yule, and spring. Folklore attests to midsummer festivals as well. In addition, a number of other observances are mentioned. Though not all of them are understood very well. Today, most kindreds observe the seasonal blessings and pick and choose among the additional possibilities for their other meetings during the year." (Pg. 109)

She points out, "One way in which we prove our Honor is through loyalty, good faith, or Troth. Most will have encountered the term only in the old-fashioned wedding ceremony, where it indicates the importance of the vow. Pledging and keeping troth means that you will stay true to your word through thick and thin, that others can both trust and believe in you. It is a word for the sacred bonds between people, and for the bond between us and our gods... When we keep troth, we not only keep our word to someone, we offer help, defense, or whatever else he or she needs." (Pg. 141-142)

She clarifies, "The major difference between Wicca and Ásatrú is that where Wiccan rites may invoke deities from several cultures, heathens stick to gods and goddesses from the Germanic lands. In addition, where Wicca is usually duotheistic and archetypal, seeing all female deities as aspects of the Great Goddess... and all male deities as aspects of the Horned God... heathenry is more straightforwardly polytheistic, worshipping a range of gods and goddesses who all come from the same culture... and can stand alone without need for a male or female complement...

"[Wicca] ceremonies include a rather elaborate preparation and warding for the circle ... Heathen rites... [are] generally much less formal... observes a strict cycle of ceremonies consisting of regular `esbats' held at the full moon... Where heathenism tends to be much more formal and precise than Wicca is in its relationship to the lore... adherents are encouraged to read the primary sources as well as scholarly works discussing them." (Pg. 157-159)

She also includes names, addresses, and contact information for various organizations, and a helpful bibliography.

This book is an excellent, reasonably comprehensive, and engagingly-written modern summary of the "old religion," and will be of great use to anyone wanting to know more about these traditions, and how modern practitioners utilize them.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit that one of my life-long hobbies has been studying the different forms of religious beliefs around the world. Religious beliefs intrigue and amuse me. It has also lead me down my own personal path as a "psychological deist" - meaning that I believe in a "creator", but not a particular "god" or "goddess." As Heinlein put it:

"History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it."

Paxson lays out the foundations of Asatru in a well-organized and readable manner in this book. Though by no means complete, she provides the curious with a very good introduction into the Norse theology without too much embellishment.

The author does a very good job of explaining the rituals and the meanings behind them, as well as a list of resources for those who wish to find out more about this belief system and study it a bit further or perhaps follow that particular path. All-in-all, a very good introductory book for a beginner with an interest in, or looking at/trying to understand, various non-traditional beliefs.

I was first introduced into Asatru back in the mid-70's via science fiction and Pohl Anderson's fictionalization of Norse and Danish mythology. In my reading, I discovered that this was NOT the religion of neo-Nazi's (Hitler and the Nazi Party merely co-opted some of the symbolism and distorted it - and the Neo's still distort it to this day). Instead, Asatru is a belief system of inclusion and equality among the sexes - probably more so than most other "pagan" systems.

That said, as with any religion, (IMHO) this one suffers from the same weakness, failings and shortcomings of all the others (most especially, the major religions). It is my personal belief that deities should not have petty human weaknesses such as "jealousy," "lust." or "anger". A deity should be above all that. In other words, a proper deity shouldn't have any human traits at all. It is their "energy" (spirit) in which we share an "image and likeness", not flesh-and-blood along with all the other mammalian bullshit.

Unfortunately, as with any system designed for control and power-wielding by the shrewd, providing deities with those traits makes them "more believable" and gives those wielding the power and control a means for laying blame on those they wish to target. Petty behaviors among "gods" and/or "goddesses" make them less-than-omnipotent and -omnivalent (and thereby, not a "deity").

Again, Heinlein put it best:

"The most ridiculous concept ever perpetrated by Homo Sapiens is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of his creations, that he can be persuaded by their prayers, and becomes petulant if he does not receive this flattery. Yet this ridiculous notion, without one real shred of evidence to bolster it, has gone on to found one of the oldest, largest and least productive industries in history."

[Valerie Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I got the entire understanding of Asatru from a book that calls itself "Essential Asatru". Sure, there's some info in there about the northern tradition, but it's still lacking. After looking into Asatru, you can't deny that it has progressive core values. There's more to Asatru than rituals, for example. What impact is it having on the world? Who does it appeal to, and why? Do these answers share anything with Asatruar back in other historical eras?

Asatru is native to Iceland, which is described as very liberal, anti-racist, and a gay rights paradise. This is why we see LGBTQ runes, and hundreds of pagans signing declarations against hate, racism and bigotry http : //declaration127 DOT com/ and https : //declarationofdeeds DOT com/ .

I realize this book is outdated, but it's important to note that Asatruar have significantly changed Iceland. Asatruar brought same sex unions to Iceland. Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, leader of the Ásatrúarfélagið said, "Both Ásatrúarfélagið and the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association were instrumental in the legalization of same-sex marriage in Iceland." (https : //archive DOT is/2JKy8). Ever since, same sex wedding ceremonies are "exploding" in Iceland. This makes more sense now that we know that in the stories, Odin was a crossdresser, was in a same sex union, and drank semen (pgs 165, 157, 162, 166-167, from https : //books DOT google DOT com/books?redir_esc=y&id=gsTW-RedBx8C&q=semen#v=snippet&q=semen&f=false ).

Non-Icelandic pagans also show inclusion towards LGBTQ. One study claims that nearly a third of pagans identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (Berger, 2003). Another study mentioned that nearly half of neopagans in England, Wales, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand identified as non-heterosexual (Tøllefsen, Inga Bårdsen; Lewis, James, 2013). Pew Research Center's 2015 study found 11% (nearly double the general population) of LGB respondents identified mostly with non-Christian faiths, especially neopaganism.

This book doesn't give the full picture, but through no fault of it's own (the time when it was written).

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a basic primer on the modern Asatru movement of restoring the spirituality and religions of the Nordic people and was not disappointed. It covered a basic introduction, some history as well as some of the modern understandings of the Modern Heathens and Pagans who are seeking to restore the heritage of the Norse Mythology.

Paxton covers it all but I would caution that her coverage is by her own admission incomplete and very wide but not very deep. One thing that is a unique touch is that each chapter starts with a fictionalize section of Asatru Sumble of a ficitonal Brethren to illustrate the points that will follow. It is a nice touch and very enjoyable.

There are a lot of resources listed from various sources if you want to know more and I know I will be following up on some of them. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Sethesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ottimo per chi non ne sa proprio nulla di nulla della religione nordica, noioso per chi almeno un’infarinatura ce l’ha (ed eccomi qua!). Ad ogni modo, non scende troppo nei particolari, porta molte opinioni dell’autrice, credente e praticante e sembra incentrate ad introdurre all’attuale culto in Usa.
Per i completi neofiti è un inizio soft.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of good information, mixed in with a little stuff that's outdated technologically (elists and similar). Recommendations or authors that have since become more ... isolationistic.
Overall, a good read. The reader does a good job with something that could have been very dry in someone else's hands.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guide, well written

A beginner work explaining tradition and faith focused on language and custom, this book opens a door to rich knowledge. The reader found a comparison between heathenism and Wicca, the Nine virtues, holidays, and customs. One might feel prepared to seek further information, especially to reading or re-reading the Eddas.

[Hannah Cochran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't really one thing or the other. I didn't really get much from a historical perspective (which isn't the books intention but I always appreciate getting some context for belief systems, especially lesser known spiritual traditions that have been somewhat suppressed).

[Carol Bourque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable Resource on Asatru

This book is packed full of valuable information and instruction about the Northern Asatru religion. It is a must have for anyone who is interested in learning.

[Christine Rossi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general introduction to Norse/Germanic Paganism

I found this book a very helpful aid for anyone who is trying to explore their attraction to Northern European pre Christian spirituality.

[Shawna Skeens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book which I found very useful for myself to learn more about Asatru.

[Jay Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very hard to grasp, and not written for those with reading issues. Otherwise, very informative.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic information. Although I understand the author's intent with the "story," it was really unnecessary and distracting.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brand new to Heathenry, this was a really good introduction to me!

[Nienke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to Asatrú by an experienced and respected author.

[Sieglinde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't appreciate the heavy bias in this book at all. As well as the distortion of some stories to support that. It's fine otherwise, but I didn't really enjoy this.

[Bree Hatfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and accessible base-level information. Some information isn’t great, but as a beginner-level book, it’s a great one to start with. It loses one star for not condemning the AFA, but Paxson does not mention them more than a couple of times and she is not affiliated with them.

[Steve Cran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with the exponetnial growth of Wicca and Neo Paganism there has been an upsurge of interest in the Norse Gods and their mythology. Those that follow the Norse ways are often identified as heathens. Heathen do their best to reconstruct rituals from Norse sources such as the Edda and the Younger Edda. Diana Paxson give forth a great over view for the newcomer and a good refresher for someone more advanced in their studies. Hence it also makes a great reference.

Europe has had the same population for thousands of years. DNA tests show that most Europeans are inter related and there has been little change in the population. As Glaciers melted various tribes settled in the European continent. As the climate would get colder the Germanic tribes would move further south, over taking the Roman Empire and reaching as far south as North Africa. In prehistoric times Indo European tribes moved into Europe from India. They believed in three gods; sovereign magic god, war god and the agricultural god. These people were known as the Kurgans and their buried their dead in mounds. they also had a sect that wore animal skins and would act like these animals on wild hunts. They did not impact the genetics of Europe but their culture made a profound change.

Most Europeans descend from seven women who in turn descended from 23 women that came out of Africa. These twenty three are bre from the original Eve. In the beginning there was probably a mother earth goddess and maybe a sky god. The Romans recgnized the Earth Goddess as Nerthus but no Norse text suports such. According to the mytholgy the Fire world and the ice world came into contact with each other. This created Ymir and a giant calf. The giant calf licked the ice world and created Bor. Later Bor's children would slay him and use his remains to make the world in which we live. From the Giants came forth the Gods. Odin , Vili and Vi tied together three types of tree and Odin breathed life into them. This there is als0 a description of festivals, blots and sumbles.

Magic is not all that central to Heathen but it is their. There are three types the first being Rune magic where in something is inscribed with Runes to give it magical properties. There is also spoken magic where a rhyme is recited for magical effect. Lastly there is Seid or trance magic.

The book is concise and easy to read. I found it enjoyable, exciting, comphendable and informative. This book is a must read for anyone just browsing into Norse Heathenism or someone just starting out. Five hammer out of five.