Asatru - Norse/Nordic Paganism - Folkish vs. Universalist



Divisions and Disputes 


Conflicts have erupted in the United States between the three divisions of Nordic Paganism, as well as dozens of smaller local associations and nonaffiliated solitary worshippers, over differing definitions and interpretations of the Nordic heritage that all of these organizations and individuals are dedicated to reviving and upholding. 


The question of whether this heritage is primarily cultural, as preserved in the myths, texts, arts, languages, and other cultural expressions of ancient NorseGermanic peoples, or genetic or racial, as encoded in the genes or DNA, collective unconscious, or racial memory of people of Northern European ancestry, is a hot topic of debate. 





The two perspectives are frequently mediated by a third position in which Nordic heritage transmission is understood as both genetic and cultural; 

  • Inherited from ancestors as a genetic predisposition that is activated by cultural stimulation, but also passed on and shared via cultural communication to people of unrelated ancestry. 

There is also a fourth viewpoint, which might be described as a more theological one: 

  • The Nordic gods exist as real, supernatural beings who reach out to people who want to become Heathens, imparting Nordic spirituality directly to whomever they choose, independent of genetics or culture. 


The viewpoint that each group and individual member takes on this genetic/cultural split defines who is eligible to participate in the rebirth of Nordic Paganism. 


Whether Nordic Pagan groups limit their membership to people of Northern European ancestry or open their doors to anyone with a spiritual interest in the Nordic cultural heritage depends on whether the Nordic heritage is understood as something passed through genes and ancestry, culture alone, or a combination of the two. 


These two views were long contested as “folkish” vs “universalist” forms of Nordic Paganism among the American Asatru/Heathenry community. 


  • If Nordic Pagan organizations limited participation in Asatru or Heathenry to Northern European "folk," that is, individuals of Northern European origin, with some reference to nineteenth-century 
  • Romantic notions of each country having a collective "folk-soul," they were characterized as folkish. 


The universalist term was given to individuals who thought that anybody, regardless of race or ethnic origin, might join a Heathen or Asatru organization if they showed a genuine interest in Asatru— if, as one interviewee put it, they felt a strong “pull” toward the old Nordic gods. 


  • The AFA and the Asatru Alliance have tended to prefer a more ancestrally focused folkish viewpoint, while the Troth has favored a more open-to-all, feel-the-pull, universalist viewpoint. 
  • Some have ridiculed the universalist-leaning Troth as "Wiccatru," which refers to an unholy mix of Asatru and Wicca. 



However, dividing these organizations, as well as the numerous smaller groups and individuals associated with them, into folkish vs universalist, racist versus nonracist groupings, is not true, no matter how appealing it may seem to those seeking tidy categories and classifications. 


  • The ideas at stake in the folkish-versus-universalist argument are not established matters of doctrine in any of these groups, but they are open to dispute in all of them. 
  • The never-ending arguments in Judaism over who is allowed to be a Jew and under what circumstances and with what limitations a non-Jewish person may convert to Judaism are a good analogy. 
  • Individual kindreds and individuals take a wide range of positions on this and many other issues, owing to the decentralized structure of authority in Asatru and Heathenry, with the AFA, Troth, and Asatru Alliance only being umbrella organizations, not hierarchical authorities delineating a strict party line for all to follow, regardless of the stances of such leading figures as Steven McNallen of the Asatru Alliance. 



An additional complication is that, despite their apparent doctrinal differences, members of various Nordic Pagan groups often communicate with one another. 


  • Even when disagreements arise in e-mail discussion groups or other forums, the similarities among various Nordic Pagans or Heathens usually exceed the differences. 
  • Even among the more exclusive or folkish Nordic Pagans, the desire to preserve the cultural and spiritual heritage that they see as a cultural and/or genetic inheritance from Northern European ancestors is not an assertion of superiority over other peoples with different ethnic traditions, nor is it a call for hatred against other peoples and their traditions. 



As one writer in the AFA magazine Runestone puts it, 


  • "It is a sad commentary on our times that murmurs raised in pride by Europeandescended people would attract charges of "racist," while furious screams from other groups will not." 
  • WE ARE NOT RACE HATERS (unless being of European heritage and not hating yourself is racist). 
  • We condemn all forms of racial hate and intimidation, regardless of who is perpetrating them. We celebrate brave men and women of all races, ethnicities, and religions. 



The AFA sympathizes with all ethnic and racial groups in their struggles to preserve their identity and advance their legitimate interests... 

After that, we'd want to point out that we're not pathetic ethno-masochists, cowering in front of the politically correct court, ready to apologize for existing. 

We are proud of the many generations who have given us birth, and we shall proudly stand as their sons and daughters. (“The Asatru Folk Assembly: Building Tribes and Awakening Our Ancestors' Spiritual Path,” Asatru Folk Assembly website) 



In contrast, Raven Kindred North, an East Coast Asatru group, supports the idea that, although Nordic Paganism is about Northern European ancestry, it is not only for Europeans. 


  • “Asatru is for everyone who wishes to live with respect and serve the Eddic Gods,” the group's advertising material says. 
  • Anyone, regardless of gender, race, color, nationality, national origin, or any other dividing criterion, may become an Asatru. It is NOT necessary to be of European ancestry”. 



To give you a taste of a third, somewhat different point of view, consider the following statement from the Asatru Alliance's promotional literature: 


“Prior to the Christian dominance of Europe, Asatru was the native/organic religion of the peoples of Northern Europe... Those who actively promote and believe in the Aesir and Vanir [the two major groups of gods in Norse mythology] and our common European heritage are invited to join the Alliance. Anyone interested in joining the Asatru Alliance should seek approval from their Kindred of choice” 


(Asatru Alliance website).


You may also want to read more about Asatru, Norse Paganism and Nordic Pagans here.


You may also want to read more about Paganism here.

Be sure to check out my writings on Religion here.



Online Resources


American Asatru Associations




Icelandic Asatru Association


Ásatrúarfelagi≥ (Asatru Fellowship of Iceland). At http://www.asatru.is.


Icelandic Photography



Statistical Information


  • Hagstofa Islands (Office of Statistics, Government of Iceland). 2004. “Ísland ítölum 2002–2003” (Iceland in Numbers). Reykjavík, Hagstofa Islands. At http://www.hagstofa.is.


Asatru Publications Available Online


  • “The Asatru Folk Assembly: Building Tribes and Waking the Spiritual Path of OurAncestors.” Available at http://www.runestone.org/








By Jai Krishna Ponnappan
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