Resources Beliefs Patron Deities | The Troth
Patron Deities | The Troth
Summary
Patron Deities are a controversial subject in Heathenry, Asatru and Norse Paganism. It’s not a requirement to practice Norse Paganism, but it is one of the most common topics of discussion. It’s as common to hear someone say “So and So is my Patron God” as it is to hear “we don’t have Patron Gods!” So who is right and who is wrong? The answer depends on how we define Patron Gods, and this is usually what trips people up.
Does Ásatrú have Patron Deities?
Patron Deities are a controversial subject in Heathenry, Ásatrú and Norse Paganism. It’s not a requirement to practice Norse Paganism, but it is one of the most common topics of discussion. It’s as common to hear someone say “So and So is my Patron God” as it is to hear “we don’t have Patron Gods!” So who is right and who is wrong? The answer depends on how we define Patron Gods, and this is usually what trips people up.
What is a Patron Deity?
A Patron Deity (also called a ‘tutelary deity”) is typically thought to be a God or Goddess who has taken a special interest in a particular person, place or profession. We see this in ancient Greece and Rome, with Romans being particularly keen on the idea (Augustus adopted Apollo as his Patron God). This is thought to be a relationship initiated by the God, who takes an interest in the person, place or profession and decides it is worthy of Their protection and guidance.
Relationships with Patron Deities nowadays vary in degrees of reverence. It’s common to hear someone talk about their Patron God like a friend or a relative. It’s less common that the relationship becomes so casual as to result in something that sounds like disrespect “Oh, yeah, I’ve worked with the Old Man (Odin) many times. He’s a real bastard” and the like. Even less common is to hear about relationships with Gods and Goddesses that are romantic or erotic in nature.
The most common way you hear about relationships with deity is the phrase “I work with…”
This is usually said in lieu of something like “I worship” for philosophical and theological reasons. Some feel that “working with” implies a sense of equal or mutual respect between the Deity and the person, where “worship” implies a clear hierarchy between the two.
It’s not just philosophical, though, it’s how they practice. Often when someone claims to “work with” a Deity it is in a magical sense. They are borrowing power from the Deity to work a spell. They are bartering with the Deity to achieve a result. They are learning from the Deity to gain some kind of skill. This relationship begins to feel like “Patronage” where the person feels like the Deity has chosen them to work with.
This is very similar to the way we see Romans thinking of tutelary Deities, like Augustus and Apollo. The person is in some way “chosen” by the Deity and then are guided by Them in some way towards a common goal.
But this more practical relationship of patronage isn’t the only way people see “Patron Deity.” Sometimes, that relationship can be a lot more intense.
You’ll sometimes hear someone talk about their experience with Patron Deity as being overwhelming–that one is seized by the experience of being near death. That you’re hurtled through the air up to 10000 feet. That the overwhelming presence of the God captured you for a moment and you just got rocked. This is an experience described by people from religions all over the world for centuries. It’s not surprising that Heathenry has people who claim those experiences too.
The trouble with these experiences is that they are intensely personal and aren’t something like a skill that you take time to learn and practice to get better at. There also isn’t some kind of “scientific method” of testing and repeating results. These experiences simply happen, or they don’t, like a lighting strike or a shooting star. You might see one, you might not.
It’s not for us to interrogate these experiences to see if someone “really” had a divine encounter. If you haven’t had a direct encounter with divinity, you are still just as much of a Heathen as people who say they have. And just as importantly, you do not have to take what they say about that deity, or their experience or any message they say they brought back from that encounter to be true for you. It’s perfectly possible that someone encountered a deity and misunderstood the encounter. People make mistakes all the time.
Unless someone asks for your opinion about a divine experience they had, you don’t have to give it. Even if they ask, you don’t have to give it. If you disagree, it’s not like you can “prove them wrong” anyway. What are you going to do? Yell at them in Old Norse till they change their mind? Wave an Edda at them? Threaten them with Njall’s Saga? Recite Beowulf from memory until you pass out? It’s pointless. Just give it a rest.
In Old Norse literature, you see the word “Fulltrúi” appear.
In one reference, it’s a reference to a God which is someone’s “Fulltrúi” and in another sense there is a piece of chest armor that a warrior calls his “Fulltrúi.” This means that a God or an item has the full trust of a person.
How is that trust earned? That trust is earned, most likely, because it has been tested. The armor has held against mortal strikes, for example. But how does that relate to a God?
Fulltrúi describes a relationship that has been tested and consistently proven. You prayed or offered to this particular God and this God answered those prayers in your time of need or has never failed to return your gifts with gifts. That’s what makes them trustworthy, worthy of your trust.
How do I find my patron deity in Norse Paganism?
You don’t have to have a Patron Deity in order to be Heathen. This is a religion, not an RPG character sheet that you need to fill out. If you want to be Ásatrú, there aren’t pre-requisites.
Again, this depends on the way you conceive of a Patron Deity and the way you think that relationship is initiated. Some people meditate, go on spirit quests, do some magic work… all kinds of stuff. Heathenry is part of Paganism, after all, so there is a lot of stuff out there you can find that people say will work to get you a relationship with a God.
But we’re going to suggest something different and very simple.
If you want to find a Patron Deity, one place to start is with Blót
Blót is the most fundamental and most important ritual in Heathenry. It is our part of the Gifting Cycle relationship that we have with our Gods. In our article on Blóts we talk about the permutations of making offerings to “all the Gods” in general or specific Gods.
Step by Step Way to Find a Patron Deity in Ásatrú (Fulltrúi)
- Perform a Blót
- Continue performing Blót
- Seriously, just keep going.
OK, OK think about this:
The modern understanding of the Gods has been shaped by fairy tales, myths and legends and Disney, the nuance flattened for children’s consumption. Today, many of us believe that Gods have “departments.” Thor is the “God of Thunder” and Odin is the “God of Wisdom” and Freyr is a “fertility God.” So you pray to Odin for wisdom and Thor for thunder and Freyr for fertility.
But that’s not quite how things always work.
The truth is, the Gods and Goddesses don’t have always have neat and tidy “departments” like when we think of something like Saints.
One way of thinking about it is that the Gods and Goddesses can do whatever They like and can help however They wish. Polytheism doesn’t always just mean we all pray to many different Gods. There are some of us who are fully polytheist who only offer to one God because that’s the God who most responds to us. You can just as well pray to Thor for love as you could pray to Freyja for wisdom. You could pray to Freyja for everything if you want to. If She responds to your prayers and never fails to return a gift for a gift, then why wouldn’t you?
You don’t have to form “Fulltrúi” relationships with every single God or Goddess, or feel that you need to have a true “Pantheon” in terms of worshipping all the Gods and Goddesses. Sometimes that just doesn’t feel right to you and what feels right is to devote your deity oriented worship towards one or just a few Gods or Goddesses. That’s perfectly alright!
We are always seeking connection with the Gods
The idea of a patron deity has been a part of our religious practice in one form or another for decades. While these are the three most common ways you see the relationship, there are dozens more permutations and nuances that people experience. The important thing to remember is that all of us are seeking connection with the Gods in our own way. When we share those ways of connecting and celebrate those connections together, we build a foundation for our religious community.