Best products from r/asatru

I'm currently learning to read runes, I've been doing Tarot cards for a few years, and I'm a guy. I know there are sources that call it ergi for a man to learn magic, but I also believe that Asatru is a "best guess" religion - with limited sources, we can do our best to reconstruct what it was, but the reality is we need to build a religion that is constructed as much on the old ways as we can, but it needs to function in our world today as well. That also applies to those who claim the runes have no magic properties. My belief (and this is just mine) is that anything we use as a magical device, emblem, etc. and that we put our faith in as such becomes magic through the process. So again, there is ample evidence that our ancestors put some faith in the magical abilities of runes, and regardless of what other scholars might say, if you put your faith in it then it will be so. That might be a Wiccan attitude, but it is what it is.

By the way, when I say I'm learning to read runes, I mean in a sense of learning the language better. I have a set of runes and a bag, but after a little experimentation I felt like this is the type of thing I really needed to familiarize myself with the basis of before doing divination with them. That is part of my goal, along with understanding rune-bindings, but for now I'm content to study the runes themselves.

There are a number of books out there on the topic of Norse magic. The one I see mentioned the most that has sparked my interest is Teutonic Magic by Kendalf Gundarsson. I'm reading Our Troth: Living the Troth by Gundarsson and other authors, and it's good stuff, but so far I haven't seen anything on magical practices (other than citing the other book).

I know there are more on the topic, maybe /u/aleglad can get a better list, his library link is currently not working or I'd reference you there.

Here is a variation of a dice game that was said to be played throughout Scandinavia during the time of the vikings. I am not sure how accurate it is but it is something to look into:

http://chrisvnh.bizland.com/mjollnir.html



Here is a rather beautiful Valknut pendant:

http://www.amazon.com/Valhalla-Valkyrie-Valknut-Pendant-Necklace/dp/B002DXMI1Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1321818713&sr=8-2



A beautiful pendant with a Viking longboat on it:

http://www.amazon.com/Pewter-Valhalla-Longboat-Protection-Talisman/dp/B004D56HBY/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1321818728&sr=8-17



A decent DISPLAY ONLY sword: (The blade is not properly connected to the hilt and it wiggles a little.)

http://www.amazon.com/Bud-K-Classic-Viking-Sword/dp/B000UVW2GY/ref=pd_sim_misc_17



Now if you can afford to spend a little more I would recommend some of these beautiful statues. They range from $46-$73, most with free shipping. I own the Freyja statue and it is absolutely beautiful.

Thor: http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Bronzed-Finish-Statue-Hammer/dp/B004D5VW3W/ref=pd_ys_qtk_general_recs_4?pf_rd_p=1286318242&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_t=1501&pf_rd_i=home&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0RQMVB6KN9ZPDJGXTH4D

Thor: http://www.amazon.com/THOR-GOD-OF-THUNDER-STATUE/dp/B001FK63DW/ref=pd_sim_hg_8

Odin: http://www.amazon.com/Norse-Bronze-Finish-Statue-Viking/dp/B004D6DZYA/ref=pd_sim_hg_1

Frigga: http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Frigga-Bronzed-Statue-Weddings/dp/B0047EQ7IE/ref=pd_sim_hg_2

Loki: www.amazon.com/Goddess-Frigga-Bronzed-Statue-Weddings/dp/B0047EQ7IE/ref=pd_sim_hg_2

Freyja: http://www.amazon.com/Freyja-Goddess-Beauty-Fertility-Bronze/dp/B001UHM5IW/ref=pd_sim_hg_3

Heimdall: http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Giftware-Heimdall-Statue/dp/B004D679IS/ref=pd_sim_hg_4

Freyr: http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Giftware-Freyr-Statue/dp/B004D679FQ/ref=pd_sim_hg_6

There are collections of these folk beliefs but I don't think any of them deal with the pre-Christian origins of them. You might benefit from taking a look at material regarding landvaettir. I also strongly recommend Elves, Wights, and Trolls as a REALLY good place to look into this important, and sadly neglected, side of our faith. It's been a while since I read Teutonic Religion, but I do believe that it has some information on veneration of wights in it as well.

The reality is that our faith, our way of life, is very broad and there is a lot of different areas for people to focus on. Americans are most strongly oriented towards the gods of Asgard and Vanaheim, as this forum clearly shows. The Icelanders, as /u/Argit has shown us, are much more pantheistic and the landvaettir play a very strong role in their expressions. There are other variations as well, so if this is what appeals to you most, explore it.

Those are good things, but it's always important to remember what I said about them being a snapshot of one part of the oral tradition from ~1000 years ago.

Another route, as I mentioned, is to seek out places like this to get ideas about modern books of heathen thought. This lets you take advantage of the decades of work that has already gone into trying to understand our ancestors culture as it might apply to the modern world. A good place to start would be A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru by Patricia M. Lafayllve. It's a beginners book, but a very good one that even a heathen who's been around a while can get some use out of. And it's certainly a good place to get some answers that will let you formulate more and better questions.

Hello mate, I would recommend you this order: First of all, The Norse Myths:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394748468/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002HLAF32&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=5ST3KMPDJ47HVWWV2AW4

The who´s who in nordic pantheon. Has the most known myths plus a superb introduction to cosmology. Myths are in chronological order, from Ginnungagap to Ragnarok. The writing is very good, adult-oriented with some touches of dry humor.

After it go for the 2 Eddas. Why is important to know about the myths or the gods? Because all the books you are going to read name or make references to the gods or to myths or both. You will want to know what on Midgard are they talking about.

After that, if you want to know more about Asatru specifically, read in this order:
The Asatru Edda
https://www.amazon.com/%C3%81satr%C3%BA-Edda-Sacred-Lore-North/dp/1440131783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473832369&sr=1-1&keywords=asatru+edda

The Norroena Society made a superb job publishing this Edda taking away all the christian influence. Really great job. They made with the Eddas what Dr. Viktor Rydberg did with the teutonic myths.

Next in line:
A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru

https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Heathens-Guide-Asatru/dp/0738733873/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=8M3GCMHG28EVGP5090FX

Exactly what it says.

Now, if later on your path you feel the itch to learn more about teutonic myths, their social construct, history etc etc let me know that I can recommend more books depending on your needs.

Welcome!

A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru is a great beginner book. Probably essential for new heathens.

If you want to start reading about the gods, the Poetic Edda is our main source for Norse mythology. I recommend Jackson Crawford's translation. I have it, and it is a simple English translation. Crawford also has a great Youtube channel about Old Norse language and mythology. Heathen Talk, the mods' Youtube podcast, is pretty good as well for getting a feel for everything.

Hmm. When I first started to learn about Norse culture, I started with The Norse Myths, then quickly branched over to the Poetic Edda. I thought this would be a more "true" and accurate leap into my learning. But having known that is was written after the Vikings had ended or were ending, I knew it could very well have had significant Christian influence injected into it, and it seemed so as the language was sometimes like reading straight from the Bible. So I didn't know if that was a very good source to use. I thought maybe the Havamal section would be the best from the book, as it contains wisdom for daily life during that time (which is what I'm after), as well as info on the Runes and their uses. A quick search of "Havamal" brought up the "Pocket Havamal" and I though, "aha! This must be a 'bible' type thing for Asatru." I quickly learned that to not be the case, and was stumped. Then, through this subreddit and some simple Amazon searches, I found out about the Practical Heathen's Guide, and thought maybe that would get me in the right direction.

After reading through some of the comments, it does seem the Practical Heathen's Guide would be superior to the Havamal for what I'm after. I can also see the Havamal being a difficult to interpret source due to its old style of writing and context. Maybe to find what I'm after, I should start in my own era, and let that experience connect me with the past, to form the link between ancient man and modern.

Thanks for stopping by the sub, may I ask your age please?

If you are new to Heathenry perhaps you should begin with some core reading to better understand our relationship with the Gods? We don't (usually and generally) ask them for anything as individuals or pray to them like people do in other religions to their god(s). Expecting a gift like protection means earning it, through your deeds, reputation, and the gifting cycle of your Kindred and/or family. I suggest reading this book, to begin a better understanding

Here is a quality tomb regarding the landvaettir, and this book will help you in understanding house wights.

At the end of the day, it's about respect and discovering what works for you and yours. [UPG] Wights seem to be unique in their personalities, wants and desires. A lot like people are. Sometimes it can take some experimentation to find what works. At times, honoring some spirits can be a simple as leaving offerings of whole foods, or milk. Other wights seem to prefer something a little more formal. In either case, a regular routine seems to be about the only commonality. [/UPG] That's just my experience though. Your mileage may vary.

There are two JOCHT's, but the last volume of this anual publication is if 2012. It is a pretty academic work.
Similar journals are "Mímir", "Northern Traditions" of Primordial Traditions/Numen Books (less academic) and in German the "Heidnisches Jahrbuch" (six volumes, the last one from 2012.
Less heathen, but still upto a certain degree is "Tyr Journal" (with Collin Cleary who wrote some books worth reading.

Not sure the age of your child but I have D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths. Nice large hardcover book with illustrations and a decent approach to the mythology for a child. My kids are 6 and 8 years old and they enjoyed it.

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X

Oh, and I also recommend Lee M. Hollander's The Poetic Edda. Good, strong, translation without added fluff or wiccatru.

A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru has been a pretty good foundation for me, give it a crack. It lays down a lot of the basics, including generally accepted forms of both blóts and symbels.

Elves, Wights, and Trolls


The Tradition of Household Spirits


Demons and Spirits of the Land: Ancestral Lore and Practices


Theodish Houserites


Become familiar with reddit's search function, it will save you a lot of time! This sub has been around for a few years now, so there are plenty of very helpful posts archived.

My advice? Do whatever feels right to you. Many modern heathen organizations have developed new rites and ceremonies, such as the profession ritual you've been reading about. I don't think it's based on anything historical, and it just rubs me the wrong way because it strikes me as a holdover from the religion of the White Christ. On the other hand, heathenry is not the religion you were born into, so it may seem entirely appropriate to have a profession ritual. Additionally, we shouldn't feel bad about practicing our religion differently than how our ancient ancestors practiced it, since religions evolve over time. We couldn't even practice it their way if we wanted to, given the huge gap of information we have.

As far as a good place to start, I hear a lot of good things about this book:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0738733873/ref=gno_cart_title_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

You might think I'm crazy, but children's style books helped me with the stories and the concepts, then I read the more complex literature. This is honestly still one of my favorites, and one I can't wait to share with my sons and daughters some day.

Diana Paxson's Taking Up the Runes is very well-regarded by almost everyone.

And if I can sneak in a bit of self-promotion, while learning the runes myself (not that I'll ever be done learning) I created a playing card deck with runes, images, and meanings on them. It's helped some of my friends learn as well. It's mostly based on the meanings given in Taking Up the Runes, plus a little bit of extra I've picked up here and there.

The first thing I read when I came to heathenry was "Our Troth" its a two volume set but I found it very helpful even if its around 1500 pages combined. Vol.1 Vol.2

• 1 Let them. Tell them that you disagree, and that that is fine.
  
  
• 2 What has this got to do with heathenry?
  
  
• 3 Many like to offer mead. I brew mine myself.
  
  
  I would recommend checking out the reading list. Especially A Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru and Culture of the Teutons.
  
  
  

The most popular translation is the Hollander translation.

This might help. And this and definitely this

Hi again

This book was great and the first I read after the Poetic Edda

http://www.amazon.com/Our-Troth-History-Kveldulf-Gundarsson/dp/1419635980

The other book that really opened things up for me was this one, but you need to read the Poetic Edda a couple of times first

http://www.amazon.com/Masks-Odin-Wisdom-Ancient-Norse/dp/0911500731/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347640806&sr=1-1&keywords=the+masks+of+odin

Start with this book

https://www.amazon.com/Elves-Wights-Trolls-Practice-Heathenry/dp/0595421652

The Practical Heathen's Guide to Asatru is everything you're looking for.

Here you go if you are getting charged too much for shipping then it's Amazon just being a bitch....