This is the Intro To Heathenry course offered by The Troth. It is designed to give people new to Heathenry an overview of the religion which is largely based on Norse Mythology. There are eight lessons in total with four parts per lesson and I’m doing one lesson per month / one part per week. I usually spend the early part of the week do the readings and answering the questions. Then by Thursday or Friday I will post my answers to the questions. I really encourage you to do the readings on your own and then see what I’ve written. What I pick out of the lessons might be quite different to what you find! I’d love hear your thoughts on any of the lessons, no matter where I am in the course. The lessons will appear in order from the beginning to the latest that I’ve done. You can find The Intro to Heathenry course, which is now being called Heathen Essentials, on The Troth website.
The Nine Worlds – Lesson One Part 1
Heathenry, as it is known in modern times, is a worldview constructed from historical sources and based on the customs and belief systems of the pre-Christian, Germanic peoples of northern Europe. Heathens, as the practitioners of this religion are commonly known, call these peoples ‘the ancestors.’ One of the main goals of those that practice […]
Ymir and Audhumla – Lesson One Part 2
The oldest known source of the ancestral story of creation is found in a poem called Völuspá, which can be found in the Poetic Edda. Jackson Crawford’s version, which I am using as a source, says Völuspá literally means ‘The Witches Prophecy.’ I’ve heard it translated as ‘The Seeress’s Prophecy’ and as ‘The Sybil’s […]
The Norns and Wyrd Lesson One Part 3
The Well of Wyrd (‘Urd’ and ‘Urth’ are anglicized versions of the old Norse ‘wyrd’ but are all the same word with the same meaning), is mentioned in the last line of stanza 19 of the poem Voluspa where the seeress describes the location of the world tree, Yggdrasil: it stands, forever green, above Urth’s […]
Innangard and Utangard Lesson One Part 4
Within Heathenry the concept of Innangard and Utangard is a subjective one, and is important in reconstructing the ancestral worldview. Innangard and Utangard are used to define boundaries. Simply put, that which is inside, Innangard, is of importance, and that which is outside, Utangard, is not. The words translate to ‘in the yard’ and ‘outside […]
Odin – Lesson Two Part 1
The most well known and possibly the most revered God in Heathenry is Odin. He is a mysterious and magical God known for is many attempts to gain wisdom to aid in the battle of Ragnarok. He is husband to the Goddess Frigga and father to the God Thor. Aside from creating the cosmos of […]
Thor of the Aesir – Lesson Two Part 2
While Odin is considered the father of all the Gods and men, Thor, his first son, is quite possibly the most popular. His mother Jord, the earth, is well known and worshipped in modern times. It is truly a sign of the heathen worldview that earth is a mother figure for she is greatly revered […]
Loki Laufeyson – Lesson Two Part 3
An introduction to Loki in Norse Mythology, the Scandinavian sources and his role in Heathenry.
Heimdall the White God – Lesson Two Part 4
In Gylfaginning 27, High describes Heimdall as the white God. I believe this to mean that he is handsome, or good. In Thrymskvitha (15) he is said to be one of the Vanir, and the handsomest of Gods. Faulkes says: He is known as the white As. He is great and holy. Nine maidens bore […]
Wights – Etins – Lesson Three Part 1
Wights Wights is a word of Germanic origin that means creature. All creaturely things can be considered wights, including humans. However, it is commonly used in Heathenry to describe spirits, ghosts, or supernatural creatures. Some of the most common wights found in the lore include the Idises, souls of the female family line, also known […]
Disir – Lesson Three Part 2
Disir – female ancestors The disir, or idises, are the souls of the female family line, often thought of as the elder mothers. The term ‘dis’ can refer to human women, female ghosts, goddesses and even Valkyrie. Snorri called them Norns. If they appear dressed in white they bring good fortune, dressed in black they […]
Elves or Alfar – Lesson Three Part 3
Continuing with the topic of wights, are the alfar or elves. They include light elves, dark elves and black, or svart elves. Light Elves The light elves, or light alfar, whom some think are ruled by Freyr, are ghosts of air and brightness. They dress in shining colours and according to Snorri are fair to look […]
House Wights & Landvaettir – Lesson Three Part 4
House Wights House wights or, house ghosts, are helpful or harmful unseen creatures inhabiting the houses of humans. In Norway they are known as tussen, in Denmark nissen, in Germany kobolds, in Sweden tomten, and in England brownies. Charms can be made to call them or to get them to go away. They can be […]
Holy Steads – Lesson Four Part 1
Worship Lesson Four of the Intro to Heathenry course deals with worship, the where and the how. In Part 1, we’ll go over some of the different Holy Steads; places of worship. First of all, where do you live? In a city? In the country? An apartment? If you are lucky you are living where […]
Heathen Holidays – Lesson Four Part 2
Heathen Holidays Heathen holidays, or Holy Days, are often marked with a feast. The most popular form of feast is called a blot, or blood-sacrifice, which I’ll explain in Part 3 of Lesson Four. There are three main seasonal celebrations based on the words of Snorri Sturlsson in Ynglingsaga, Section 8 – Odin’s Lawgiving On winter day […]
The Goddess Freyja – Lesson Four Part 2a
The Goddess Freyja This is one of those months that has five weeks in it, so I’m slipping in The Goddess Freyja and my write-up about her. It also coincides with the completion of my newest design which is also Freyja! Of course I did plan it this way! The Goddess Freyja is the twin […]
Daily Rites – Lesson Four Part 3
Prayer Before Christianity replaced the religion of our ancestors, religion was not structured and organized the way it is today. It was not separate from the culture of daily life. There may have been temples for public rituals, but they were not in widespread use. More commonly, the Heathen religion, as we call it today, […]
Heathen Rituals – Lesson Four Part 4
Heathen Rituals There are three primary Heathen rituals practiced by modern Heathens; blot, húsel, and symbel. The tools used in these rituals can include a drinking horn or cup, mead, ale, blessing bowl, sprinkling twig, and hammer. There are other forms of ritual, such as naming ceremonies, land-taking rituals, weddings and burials. I will leave these […]
Defining Heathen Morality Lesson Five Part 1
A Heathen Worldview Defining Heathen morality needs to be understood through the lens of a Heathen worldview. It is particularly important to understand the difference between a Heathen worldview and ‘other’ world views, such as the Christian worldview. When we talk about morals, the idea of right vs wrong and good vs bad might come to […]
Freyr – God of the World
Freyr – God of the World Freyr, the Norse God of nature, sexuality, peace and prosperity is known by several names – Ing, Ingvi, Ingvi Freyr, Frea, Fro Ing, Frey, Freyr, Lord, and God of the World. Farmers often seek Freyr’s blessing for the vitality of their fields and livestock. He is often depicted in statues and […]
Defining Heathen Morality Lesson Five Part 2
Virtue A virtue is a behavioural quality that is considered desirable. The modern meaning adds the Christian value of goodness and elevates the meaning to conduct oneself with high moral standard. In Defining Heathen Morality Lesson Five Part 1, I explained how Heathen morality and Christian morality might differ. This is largely due to understanding […]
Heathen Culture – Lesson Five Part 4
Defining Heathen Culture Further Thews which to help define Heathen morality but also to round out the Heathen culture include equality, strength, wisdom, open-handedness, and kinship. Evenhed Equality, often thought of as Evenhed, was a matter of fact and not something that was conscious or had to be fought for. There were differing roles that […]
The Heathen Soul – Lesson Six Part 1
The Heathen Mind, Body, Soul Complex In a Heathen worldview, the mind, body, and soul are connected in a multitude of ways that are complex and hard to understand, but fascinating nonetheless. In this article I’ve sourced information from a variety of sources recommended by The Troth’s Heathen Essentials introductory course on Heathenry including Winifred […]
