The word "Asatru" means "True to the Asa", or "True to the Gods." It is the pre-Christian faith of the ancient Germanic peoples, those being the Norse, Swedes, Germans, Danes, Anglo-Saxons, Frisians and Icelanders.
Today, Asatru is practiced by living one's life in a honorable manner (for some Asatruar, this is defined by the Nine Noble Virtues) and by worshipping the Gods of Asgard through rituals and through day-to-day behavior.
Asa-folk worship the Gods of the north, which include the Aesir and the Vanir. Most people are probably familiar with at least some of the Aesir: Odin, Thor, Frigga and Baldur are all members of the Aesir, among others.
The Vanir were the original Gods of the north, but after a war and exchange of hostages, shared space and sovereignty with the Aesir. Now the two groups, Aesir and Vanir, live together in peace. Members of the Vanir include: Freyr and Freyja, Njord and Nerthus.
The following links give more information about Asatru:
Four Bedposts An extremely brief overview of Asatru.
The Nine Noble Virtues A set of moral guidelines for Asa-folk.
Norse Rites and Rituals Brief descriptions of major Norse rituals.
Holidays A brief description of some of the major Asatru holidays.
Suggested Reading Some of the books worth reading if you're interested in more information on Asatru.
Norse Links Other web pages dealing with Asatru/Norse Paganism.
Other Kindreds and Groups A partial listing of other Norse/Asatru groups.
Great Ash Kindred
Copyright © 1998
Revised - 2/11/07
URL:
http://www.speakeasy.org/~barhelm/gak/greatash.htm