VIKINGFEST.COM

Over the past decade there has been a resurgence of interest in the cultural traditions of the Nordic peoples of the past. Though suppressed for over a thousand years by the advent of Christianity, Norse traditions and customs remain as a living testament to the ancient life ways of Nordic Scandinavian and Germanic culture.

This burgeoning interest is reflected in the growing popularity of neo-pagan religious explorations, such as Wicca and Asatru, which are modern faiths inspired by what is known about the ancient pagan belief systems of the Celtic, Germanic and Norse peoples. Throughout Scandinavia this renewed belief system is called Forn S’ir, meaning “Ancient Way”.

It is natural and right for people to yearn for a connection with their cultural heritage and past, and the unfortunate truth is that too many of the traditions and beliefs of our Nordic, Germanic and Celtic forebears were wiped away or co-opted by the zealous imposition of Judeo-Christian religious and cultural templates on the peoples of western and northern Europe.

Today we live in a more enlightened age, and people are free to follow their own consciences as regards their own and their family’s spiritual beliefs and cultural traditions. Many families are reawakening to the values and traditions of their Nordic, German and Celt ancestors and are sharing these rediscoveries with their children. And though some criticize this cultural reawakening, and brand it as sinister and racist, these criticisms have no grounding in fact. The values and mores of these traditions, from Asatru to the many and varied Wiccan traditions, display no discernable supremacist or racialist elements whatsoever.

In fact, Asartu is grounded firmly in what is called the Nine Noble Virtues: Courage, Truth, Honor, Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance and Perseverance. Family is honored and valued above all else, and any form of discrimination based on ethnicity, gender or race is categorically rejected.