What is Odinism?
Odinism is the continuation of the religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe and their descendants both in Europe and the “New World”. Our ancestors had a very subtle understanding of the relationship between humanity, nature, and human and divine destiny. This highly moral and scientifically advanced viewpoint was suppressed when Christianity was imposed on the North Sea Peoples, but it never died out.
Today it is flourishing once again, and is recognised as a valid religion by the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Iceland. In the 21st century we have become heirs to the wisdom of our forebears, and we are gradually rediscovering just how wise they really were.
What does Odinism involve?
The Nine Pillars of Odinism
The Nine Pillars of Tradition
The majority of Odinists around the world are of Anglo-Saxon origin. Our spirituality is therefore certainly not confined to texts that have survived from Scandinavian sources. Our religion doesn’t lay claim to an historical founder. Nor is it defined by a single holy book. All sincere affirmations of our faith may be considered holy as long as they are sanctioned by the following sources of tradition:
Odinism is the continuation of the religious, spiritual and philosophical beliefs of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe and their descendants both in Europe and the “New World”. Our ancestors had a very subtle understanding of the relationship between humanity, nature, and human and divine destiny. This highly moral and scientifically advanced viewpoint was suppressed when Christianity was imposed on the North Sea Peoples, but it never died out.
Today it is flourishing once again, and is recognised as a valid religion by the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Iceland. In the 21st century we have become heirs to the wisdom of our forebears, and we are gradually rediscovering just how wise they really were.
What does Odinism involve?
- Odinism is the key to both the past and the future. It is one of the few living traditions that still honour the religious and philosophical traditions of ancient Indo-European spirituality.
- Modern Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism have perverted that tradition, but the eternal truths of Odinism have been preserved, both in texts and in practice.
- Odinism provides an understanding of the next stage of our history, during which a higher form of humanity will come into being, and helps us deal with this difficult period of transition.
- We recognise many gods and goddesses, some of whom are familiar from the names of the days of the week. Tuesday, for instance, is named after Tiw, Wednesday after Woden (In Scandinavia known as Odin and in Germany as Wotan), Thursday after Thor, and Friday after Frigga.
- The gods and goddesses are our friends and allies.
- Our ancestors are sacred. Some are already living with the gods.
- Many of us will be reincarnated until we reach our potential.
- The world is currently undergoing a period of dislocation and depravity, known in our sacred texts as the “Wolf Age”. If we and the gods work together, the forces of chaos can be defeated, and humanity can be surpassed by a higher evolutionary entity.
The Nine Pillars of Odinism
- To maintain candour and fidelity in love, and devotion to the tried friend: “Though he strike me I will do him no scathe”.
- Never to make wrongsome oath: grim is the reward for the breaking of plighted troth.
- To deal not hardly with the humble and lowly.
- To remember the respect that is due to great age.
- To suffer no evil to go unremedied and to fight against the enemies of family, land, folk and faith: “My foes I will fight in the field, nor be burnt in my house”.
- To succour the friendless, but to put no faith in the plighted word of strangers.
- To strive not against the word of fools and drunks: for many a grief grows from such things.
- To give kind heed to the dead: straw-dead, sea-dead or sword-dead.
- To abide by the enactments of lawful authority, and to bear with courage the decrees of the Norns.
The Nine Pillars of Tradition
The majority of Odinists around the world are of Anglo-Saxon origin. Our spirituality is therefore certainly not confined to texts that have survived from Scandinavian sources. Our religion doesn’t lay claim to an historical founder. Nor is it defined by a single holy book. All sincere affirmations of our faith may be considered holy as long as they are sanctioned by the following sources of tradition:
- Historical information that has been handed down from relatively early times – such as Tacitus’ observations on the continental Angles, Bede’s disclosures on the faith of his ancestors, and so on.
- Archaeological evidence bearing on our ancestral beliefs and religious customs, such as the excavations at Yeavering and Sutton Hoo.
- Aspects of our religion that have been transmitted in non-literary ways, such as folk-customs, music and art.
- Incorporations of our beliefs into partially or even predominantly Christian texts and activities, such as Beowulf, Caedmon’s Hymn, and the Yule and Easter festivals.
- Primary religious texts in non-English languages that may have been written in Britain, such as Eiriksmal.
- Surviving texts and traditions from the related pre-Christian faiths of Europe and Scandinavia, as well as the broader Indo-European tradition.
- The living corpus of Odinist art, music and literature produced since the Christian conquest.
- Rites and ceremonies practiced in a variety of twentieth century movements within the Odinist revival.
- Personal experience of the ancestral gods and goddesses – or aspects of them – perhaps through morphic resonance with others who have previously followed the same religious path.
THE MELBOURNE CREED
1. I believe that Odinism is the innate religion and spiritual inheritance of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe, and their brothers, sisters and descendants in all lands and times.
2. I believe in our sacred ancestors, who are eternally with us.
3. I believe in the gods and goddesses of our people, however they are perceived by human minds and by whatever names they have manifested themselves to us.
4. Our gods and goddesses are beautiful, powerful, benevolent, wise, and forever worthy of our love and loyalty.
5. They raised up the Folk through their spiritual blessings, and by the gift to us of their own sacred blood,
6. in order that we may surpass the present level of humanity, and be the allies of the deities in their sacred struggle against the forces of chaos.
7. Anyone who opposes the will of our deities and the decrees of the Norns is a blasphemer, and must be renounced by all righteous men and women.
8. Anyone from within the Folk who opposes the will of our deities is also a traitor, and must be cast out from our holy Nation.
9. My loyalty to our deities and their purpose for the Folk is absolute, unwavering and eternal — and takes precedence over all other loyalties and commitments.
1. I believe that Odinism is the innate religion and spiritual inheritance of the indigenous peoples of northern Europe, and their brothers, sisters and descendants in all lands and times.
2. I believe in our sacred ancestors, who are eternally with us.
3. I believe in the gods and goddesses of our people, however they are perceived by human minds and by whatever names they have manifested themselves to us.
4. Our gods and goddesses are beautiful, powerful, benevolent, wise, and forever worthy of our love and loyalty.
5. They raised up the Folk through their spiritual blessings, and by the gift to us of their own sacred blood,
6. in order that we may surpass the present level of humanity, and be the allies of the deities in their sacred struggle against the forces of chaos.
7. Anyone who opposes the will of our deities and the decrees of the Norns is a blasphemer, and must be renounced by all righteous men and women.
8. Anyone from within the Folk who opposes the will of our deities is also a traitor, and must be cast out from our holy Nation.
9. My loyalty to our deities and their purpose for the Folk is absolute, unwavering and eternal — and takes precedence over all other loyalties and commitments.
Mjollnir: (Thors Hammer)
In Norse Mythology, Mjollnir is the hammer of Thor, the Norse Gpd ofThunder. Distinctively shaped, Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains. Though generally recognized and depicted as a hammer, Mjölnir is actually an axe or club but misconceived as a hammer. In the 13th centuryProse Edda, Snorri Struluson relates that the Svatalfar Sindri, the brother of Brokkrr, made Mjölnir while in a contest with Loki to see who could make the most wonderful and useful items for the Gods and Goddesses inAsgard.
The most popular version of the creation of Mjölnir myth, found in Skaldskaparmal from Snorri's Edda, is as follows. In one story Loki sends up to the dwarves called the Sons of Ivaldi that create precious items for the gods: Odin's spear Gungnir, andFrey's foldable boa tSkidbaldnir. Then Loki bets his head that the two Dwarves, Sindri (or Eitri) and his brotherBrokkr would never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of Ivaldi's sons. The bet is accepted and the two brothers begin working. Thus Eitri puts a pig's skin in the forge and tells his brother (Brokkr) never to stop blowing until he comes and takes out what he put in.
Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm but he continues to blow. Then Eitri takes out Gullinbursti which isFrey's boar with shining bristles. Then Eitri puts some gold in the furnace and gives Brokkr the same order. Loki in the fly guise comes again and bites Brokkr's neck twice as hard. But as before nothing happens and Eitri takes out Draupnir, Odin's ring, having duplicates falling from itself everyninth night.
Drawing of hammer depicted on runic inscription located in Åby,Uppland, Sweden.
Eitri then puts iron in the forge and tells Brokkr to never stop blowing. Loki comes again and bites Brokkr on the eyelid much harder than before and the blood makes him stop blowing for a short while. When Eitri comes and takes out Mjöllnir, the handle is shorter than was anticipated and so the hammer can only be wielded with one hand. Eitri and Brokkr win the bet, which was Loki's head. However, the bet cannot be honored since they need to cut the neck as well, which was not part of the deal. Thus, Brokkr sews Loki's mouth shut to teach him a lesson.
In Norse Mythology, Mjollnir is the hammer of Thor, the Norse Gpd ofThunder. Distinctively shaped, Mjölnir is depicted in Norse mythology as one of the most fearsome weapons, capable of leveling mountains. Though generally recognized and depicted as a hammer, Mjölnir is actually an axe or club but misconceived as a hammer. In the 13th centuryProse Edda, Snorri Struluson relates that the Svatalfar Sindri, the brother of Brokkrr, made Mjölnir while in a contest with Loki to see who could make the most wonderful and useful items for the Gods and Goddesses inAsgard.
The most popular version of the creation of Mjölnir myth, found in Skaldskaparmal from Snorri's Edda, is as follows. In one story Loki sends up to the dwarves called the Sons of Ivaldi that create precious items for the gods: Odin's spear Gungnir, andFrey's foldable boa tSkidbaldnir. Then Loki bets his head that the two Dwarves, Sindri (or Eitri) and his brotherBrokkr would never succeed in making items more beautiful than those of Ivaldi's sons. The bet is accepted and the two brothers begin working. Thus Eitri puts a pig's skin in the forge and tells his brother (Brokkr) never to stop blowing until he comes and takes out what he put in.
Loki, in disguise as a fly, comes and bites Brokkr on the arm but he continues to blow. Then Eitri takes out Gullinbursti which isFrey's boar with shining bristles. Then Eitri puts some gold in the furnace and gives Brokkr the same order. Loki in the fly guise comes again and bites Brokkr's neck twice as hard. But as before nothing happens and Eitri takes out Draupnir, Odin's ring, having duplicates falling from itself everyninth night.
Drawing of hammer depicted on runic inscription located in Åby,Uppland, Sweden.
Eitri then puts iron in the forge and tells Brokkr to never stop blowing. Loki comes again and bites Brokkr on the eyelid much harder than before and the blood makes him stop blowing for a short while. When Eitri comes and takes out Mjöllnir, the handle is shorter than was anticipated and so the hammer can only be wielded with one hand. Eitri and Brokkr win the bet, which was Loki's head. However, the bet cannot be honored since they need to cut the neck as well, which was not part of the deal. Thus, Brokkr sews Loki's mouth shut to teach him a lesson.
The Valknut
The valknut (Old Norse valr "slain warriors" + knut, "knot") is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangle, and appears on various Germanic objects. A number of theories have been proposed for its significance.
The name valknut is an unattested modern invention used to describe the symbol, and was not used contemporarily when the symbol was used.
In Scandinavia today the term valknute is used for a square with a loop on each of its four corners.
The historically attested instances of the symbol appear in two traditional, topologically distinct, forms. The symbol appears inunicursal form, topologically a trefowil knot also seen in the triquetra. This unicursal form is found, for example, on the 7th century Tagelgarda stone on the island o Gotland, Sweden. The symbol also appears in tricursal form, consisting of three linked triangles, topologically equivalent to the borromean rings. This tricursal form can be seen on one of the Larbro stones, also on Gotland, Sweden, as well as upon a ring found in the River Nene in England, and on a bedpost found within the 834Oseberg ship burial from Slagen, Norway. Although other forms are topologically possible, these are the only attested forms found so far.
The valknut (Old Norse valr "slain warriors" + knut, "knot") is a symbol consisting of three interlocked triangle, and appears on various Germanic objects. A number of theories have been proposed for its significance.
The name valknut is an unattested modern invention used to describe the symbol, and was not used contemporarily when the symbol was used.
In Scandinavia today the term valknute is used for a square with a loop on each of its four corners.
The historically attested instances of the symbol appear in two traditional, topologically distinct, forms. The symbol appears inunicursal form, topologically a trefowil knot also seen in the triquetra. This unicursal form is found, for example, on the 7th century Tagelgarda stone on the island o Gotland, Sweden. The symbol also appears in tricursal form, consisting of three linked triangles, topologically equivalent to the borromean rings. This tricursal form can be seen on one of the Larbro stones, also on Gotland, Sweden, as well as upon a ring found in the River Nene in England, and on a bedpost found within the 834Oseberg ship burial from Slagen, Norway. Although other forms are topologically possible, these are the only attested forms found so far.
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