The Troth

Trothmoot News! Trothmoot 2009 Will be held in Prince William Forest Park, June 11-14th. We've got registration and Paypal purchasing options up on the website here.

Website News: The new Troth Website is rolling out as planned. Updates on this process has been moved to here.

From this wellspring flows our being,

waters clean and clear and wise.

See down deeper in the darkness,

Shining, one of Odin's eyes.

Asatru is a religion rooted in history and relevant for the modern age. Revived after a nearly one-thousand year long sleep, our faith represents an outlook and a way of life whose time has come again.

If truth and honor matter to you, if freedom and responsibility are your friends, Asatru might be for you. If you sense that life as a human being can, and should, be a great and glorious thing, Asatru might be for you. If you love this world and seek to live in it fully, Asatru might be for you.

Would you know more...?

There are some old stories out of Northern Europe. These myths, eddas, and sagas form the roots of our culture and our way of thinking. They describe an outlook that faces life squarely, ready to take on its challenges and savor its joys. Those who hear them now often hear much more than just the words. It is from these roots that the tree of Asatru is reborn in the modern world. Only a few decades ago, a few brave people in Iceland and, later, the rest of the world, stood up and said "Yes, I know these tales. Yes, this is what I am!"

Since then, many people across the world have joined our ranks.

Asatru is not for everyone, and, unlike some religions, we won't try to tell you that you're wrong, or that there's something wrong with you, if it isn't for you. But many people have been surprised at what they learned, or learned they always knew, when they discovered Astatru. Even if you don't consider yourself spiritual or religious, this might be what you're looking for.

Would you know more...?

What does it mean to be Asatru? We talk first about things that other religions get around to later. Things like hospitality and family, truth and honor, courage and strength, fidelity and discipline, industriousness, self-reliance, and reciprocity, among others. Our gods and goddesses teach us these moral principles through their myths, and we learn them directly from our ancestors. What about the supernatural? That comes easily to some people, and doesn't work at all for others, with many variations in between. All of these find a place here.

Asatru is the formal, modern name for our religion. Historically, we were called heathens, and we use that name, too, among others. We revere our ancestors. We know and honor the rich pantheon of gods and goddesses of Northern Europe, whom we recognize as our leaders and our Eldest Kin, and their contributions to our lives. Different heathens practice their religious Knowing and Honoring in different ways. The Troth is an organization that embraces these differences, providing a place for all heathens to know each other and share what we have in common.

Would you know more...?

The question "Would you know more?" is an Asatru standard. The Volva repeats it time and again to Odin during the Voluspa, one of the most important heathen texts, and the question pervades our religious mindset. Asatru is often called "the religion with homework," a phrase coined by Manny Olds, and we continually work to reconstruct our ancient ways and fit them into our modern lifestyles. There is much to read, and some heathens learn the languages of the original texts. There is much to think about, and, although there are many heathen scholars and other recognized authorities, there is no one person or group in Asatru who is in a position to tell you what you must think or believe about it. And yet, there are commonalities beneath the varying modes of heathen practice. These shared understandings are truly striking, and serve to unify us into a greater whole.

Would you know more...?

Asatru is not a purely cerebral experience, nor is it an encounter with empty philosophy. Heathens believe in action. We are people who make things happen, in our homes and in our communities. Our religion, and the culture we build around it, is for people who want to live wisely and well.

We neither reject nor condemn life as a human being. Quite the contrary, we think that living well is one of the best outcomes possible. And we don't view the world we live in as degraded or corrupt. We and our world were made, and made well, for each other.

Understanding what that means, and acting on it, is an important part of being heathen.

Would you know more...?

Asatru is truly different from most other well-known religions. We value self-respect, personal responsiblity, and pride in ourselves, our accomplishments, and our communities.

In the creation stories you may have heard in other religious systems, Existence is a result of Consciousness. But in the Asatru creation myth, Consciousness is a result of Existence, which is cyclic, eternal, and has laws that even gods and goddesses must obey.

And what is our relationship with our gods and goddesses? Our gods and goddesses are vital members of our community, our allies, and members of our extended families. The relationships we form with our gods and goddess are not "master-slave" relationships. The gods and goddesses created us, mixed themselves in with our essence, so rather than bowing down and fearing their wrath, we revere them and work with them to improve ourselves and the world around us. They created us to stand like men and women and strive together, and this is what we do. Having something to be proud of is part of what heathens do in life. Crawling in the dirt to apologize for something we never did is not.

If this makes sense to you, then you might be one of the people for whom Asatru works where nothing else will.

Would you know more...?

Some heathens think of our gods as having physical bodies: able to stand before us in person.

Some heathens think of our gods as spirit entities: not physical, but able to influence the world we live in.

Some heathens think of our gods as manifest in aspects of our normal existence: undeniably real, present, and powerful, but hard to talk about outside of myth.

Some heathens don't actually believe in gods at all, but even these will tell you "...but if I did, these would be the ones!"

What do these different points of view have in common? An outlook that is undeniably heathen. And when we come together for our rituals, we each touch the gods and goddesses in our own way, and are touched by them in return.

Would you know more...?

What do our gods expect from us, and what do heathens expect of each other? The central issue is that we each strive to live honorably.

Do you have to be of Northern European descent to be heathen? No.

Asatru is a religion that values a relationship with ancestors, so most of us will tell you that ancestor worship is a part of what we do. It is good to know your family's past, just the same as it's good to know the gods and goddesses and the culture of those who made you. People tend to be interested and involved on that basis. But if the gods of your ancestors don't speak to you, or if they do but you really don't like what they have to say, perhaps you will find a new home with ours. If our gods and goddesses speak to your heart, your home is probably already here.

Do you have to be a superhuman physical specimen, or some kind of mystical adept, to be heathen? Absolutely not! All you have to be is a person who finds the lore of Asatru personally compelling. It's that simple. And if it turns out that you're not such a person, that doesn't mean we'll think you're evil or broken. As long as you're a person who strives to live honorably and can respect our differences, we'll be glad to know you, regardless of what you believe.

Would you know more...?

The Troth has a lot of resources, and we share most of them freely. Come, take the time to see what we have seen, and listen to what we have listened to. After that, if you want to learn even more from us, join us! We welcome all heathens regardless of race, gender, or sexuality, and we will make room on the bench in our halls for you.

Would you know more...?