Hey - i am looking to become more of a spiritual person and I did some research into my lineage which led me to norse paganism. I've seen some pretty disconcerting search results about nazi's. i've seen some blogs that are very blatantly homophobic, transphobic, racist, misogynistic. i am very concerned about continuing this journey... but i came to your page and noticed you had pronouns and nazi's not welcome so i was curious if you could help me steer clear of troubled water?
TOPIC: Navigating White Supremacy in Heathenry
I certainly can! Nazism in Heathenry is a pretty extensive topic but I can definitely give you the lowdown to get started:
Where It Came From
The blending of Norse Paganism with pro-Aryan concepts began with Neo-Völkisch movement of the late 19th century, continuing into the rise of Nazi Germany. This time period produced Else Christensen, a Dane who espoused a lot of Nazi ideals. She immigrated to Canada in 1951 and connected with the New York branch of the American Nazi Party, where she acquired notes on a new religion called âOdinism.â This religion was originally intended for the American Nazi Party before that idea was scrapped.
Christensen greatly expanded on Odinism and founded the Odinist Fellowship in 1969; this is where a lot of âracialistâ ideals come from in Heathenry. Once established, she taught Odinism in the United States, particularly to prison inmates during the 70âČs and 80âČs. Before imprisoned for drug trafficking in 1993, she gave her membership notes to Stephen McNallen, who used them to build the Asatru Folk Assembly.
Heathenry that espouses âracialistâ and âethno-nationalistâ views is called Folkish or Neo-Völkisch Heathenry. Because this is the first form of Heathenry to really be popularized in America, itâs the most common. Many Heathen books and resources are Folkish in nature or cite Folkish resources in their work. This is further confounded by the fact that European Heathens are now very suspicious of American Heathens and keep their material to themselves. Not many books by European Heathen authors are available in English, and the ones that are require digging deep for. Fortunately, not all Heathen books written by Americans are Folkish.
How to Navigate This
Unfortunately, all this this means you really have to be your own navigator in your Heathen practice. This is very different than, say, a Protestant approach, where you lean on authorities for guidance. Not so much in Heathenry.
While no book or resource out there is going to be truly unproblematic, you can definitely arm yourself with tools to navigate troubling material and grow your Heathen practice:
Google your authors. I canât stress this enough. Learn about an authorâs lineage, affiliations, and reputation. If you need to, type in â[author name]+controversyâ into Google search.
Seek a wide variety of resources. Thereâs no right, true, or best way to be Heathen. Anyone or anything saying so is probably selling something. You can get started with some resources by visiting my pinned post and clicking on âResources.â Thatâll take you to a bank of resources I and others have vetted.
Recognize dogwhistles. I have another article called Discerning Dubious Heathen Resources you can find in my pinned post. It discusses the kinds of shady behavior Iâve personally witnessed in books and articles. It also contains a list of Folkish âdogwhistles.â A dogwhistle is a kind of coded language used to signal alliance with a belief.
Be cautious of dogmas. Is a resource saying you have to do X to be Heathen? Does it suggest Heathenry has a certain look, or has values you must follow? Stuff thatâs more Folkish in nature has a habit of focusing on how Heathenry should be.
Donât let communities, people, or resources prey on your resentment for Christianity. Iâm not sure what your personal relationship is with Christianity, but Iâm putting this here anyway. Many American Heathens come from Protestant backgrounds. Sometimes theyâre resentful of this upbringing. A healthy community wonât encourage you to define your Heathenry by how much it opposes Christianity. Communities that do keep you in a place of anger, which makes it easier for you to believe in the âus vs. themâ ideals found in Neo-Völkish Heathenry. You deserve to move past Christianity, not make it your âenemy.â If you need to heal from Christianity, I recommend seeking out a professional that can help you with that.
Some Closing Statements
Here are some extra random thoughts to make navigating Heathenry easier for you. Not sure if itâll all make sense to you right now, but itâs worth saying:
Sonnenrad, or the Black Sun, is a Nazi symbol created for Nazis by Nazis. Itâs based off actual historical Norse motifs known as âsun wheelsâ. The Black Sun has made its way into Heathen circles but is not Heathen itself.
The word âFolkishâ canât be reclaimed because it was never ours to begin with. Itâs name is a callback to the Germanic Völkisch Movement. If you want to describe an ancestral Heathen practice, just say âancestral practice.â
The word âOdinistâ canât be reclaimed either, nor is it a fancy word for âOdinsperson.â It distinctly describes the Neo-Völkisch designation.
The Nine Noble Virtues were created by the Asatru Folk Assembly and contain Neo-Völkisch beliefs. Theyâre not universal or ancient Heathen values by any means.
Speaking of ancient, calling ĂsatrĂș an âancient religionâ is misinformation. The word was coined in the 1970âČs and describes reconstructed Heathen practices. The ancient Norsepeople didnât have a word for their practices. Likewise, there are no surviving pre-Christian Heathen lineages.
The Poetic and Prose Edda are historical texts that preserve stories about ancient Norse Pagan gods and heroes, but they arenât scripture. HĂĄvamĂĄl is not scripture either, though some Heathens do find spiritual value in it.
Controversy over Loki only really exists in America. This is due to the fact we live in a very culturally Christian society. Loki is absolutely beloved in countries all over Europe and isnât regarded as an âevilâ figure.
Heathenry is an open practice and therefore can be practiced by anyone.
I think thatâs it for an overview! Like I said, itâs a big topic. Let me know if you have any more questions and Iâll do my best to answer! @yumsauceÂ













