My Little Asgard? A summary of one Neoviking's beliefs

[Lillia 69]

Someone asked me what I believe as a follower of Odin and the Gods of Asgard.

 

Before I tell you any of that, I'll give a bit of background.

 

I have struggled my whole life with what I really believed. My mother is a dyed in the wool Christian, and wanted to see me grow up to be a Christian as well, but I was never really on board with the program, as it were. It never sat right with me. I even tried seeing if any of the branches held anything for me, and while the people at my mother's church were all very nice and welcoming, and there are a lot of decent Christians out there, I found each group's actual beliefs left me feeling empty as before.

 

But I knew I believed in the Divine. I've spoken to the Divine a number of times, and I've even received replies. I just didn't believe as these other people did.

 

So I decided to heed a bit of ancient Roman advice: I "shopped around" and "tried things on" until I found a fit; stories I could believe in and live my life by. The religion of my Old Norse ancestors eventually beckoned, and I answered.

 

In the old sagas, I found everything I could have hoped for and more. In the tales of Asgard, there are stories and lessons of honor, betrayal, and justice. Songs of brave heroes and wise and powerful Gods who face their destinies, no matter how terrifying or dreadful.

 

I knew at my first glance that these were the stories I wanted my kids to grow up with; I want my children to be brave and honorable just as their ancestors were.

 

Do I believe? I know I believe in this more than I believe that a man dying on a cross can forgive every soul's sins, past, present, and future. Do I follow? You bet I do. Every meal is begun with a thanksgiving to Sif. Every hard decision includes an appeal to Odin and Frigga. Anytime I need strength, I wonder what Thor would do, and ask for his assitance. Freyja offers comfort and guidance when my relationships hit a rocky patch, and when all is said and done, at the end of the day I ask Nótt to guard my family against nightmares as we sleep.

 

And I know I don't feel empty anymore. I feel like I have a purpose for the first time in a long time. There are no more unanswered prayers. I have fewer questions, and I never curse the heavens for my misfortunes; the Gods will do nothing for me that I can do for myself.

 

My mother and I have our friction over my choice of Gods. But I'm glad she's no longer trying to convert me back (thanks for the advice on that subject, everypony!). This is my path, and I have chosen it for myself.

 

So onto what I believe, as a follower of Asgard.

 

It's admittedly a very different faith than most other paths I might have taken.

 

I believe that Odin and Freyja are looking for warriors to call upon to fight alongside the Gods during the Ragnarok.

 

The Vikings believed that by giving their life to the glory of battle, they would impress Odin and Freyja, and be taken to their halls to train for Ragnarok by day and regale each other with the stories of glory and conquest by night.

 

Obviously, that's hard for many of us today. Not all of us can just get up in the morning and pick up an axe and die gloriously in battle against the Roman Empire or whatever. And it's not very nice anyway.

 

But I have come to the conclusion (after asking Odin for advice on the matter) that if one cannot "Die as a Sword" then one must "Live as a Shield."

 

Live in good deeds and honorable acts. Reflect well upon the Gods you revere, and bring them honor and glory through your life's actions.

 

There is also a level of respect for one's ancestors in my faith that I believe is sadly lacking in modern times.

 

Just as you inherit the honor of your father's name, you should bring new honor to that name as well.

 

NEVER rely on your ancestors for reputation. Instead do them credit, so that when you meet them in the halls of Asgard, they can say with great pride that their blood led to your life. Name yourself to honor those who came before you.

 

No boy should ever be less a man than his father. No daughter should be less a woman than her mother.

 

Some people believe that due to their birth or baptism, they are somehow "God's Chosen" and that this gives them a more or less free pass to heaven, and yet while many do believe this and still follow the path that brings honor and goodness into the world, others who have similar vows continue to behave as dishonorably as a man can act.

 

I believe that nobody has a birthright to being chosen by the divine; such a notion inspires laziness and spiritual apathy. Nobody is born a hero. It is something you make of yourself.

 

The favor of Odin or Freyja is something that must be won through a lifetime of work and action.

 

They forgive mistakes as should any God, but only insofar as your own drive to get up when you fall down and continue to honor yourself, your ancestors, and your Gods. If you cowardly turn from your path, you will be punished and denied a place in their halls, to be cast into Hel's domain in the dark of Niflheim.

 

So go out and do good. Be a hero how you can. I won't ask you to slay giants or dragons, but I will ask you to help slay evil and malevolence. Protect your fellows, and bring honor to your name. When the Valkryies call on your deathbed, be able to tell them that when destiny demanded it, you stood as a warrior, not that you cowered in a cave like a mouse.

 

And that's what I believe.

 

Go make Freyj-- I mean Princess Celestia proud!

Edited August 24, 2012 by Lillia

[Evilshy 5,090]

One of my friends is a neoviking, or at least, I think he is. We don't talk religion very often, but he has mentioned various Norse Gods in a way that makes me think he believes in them.

 

May I ask what your Gods think of atheists, or really, anybody who doesn't believe in them? I am atheist, but I like knowing how many religions would still let me into the good part of the afterlife, because I might be wrong

[Ink 191]

I didn't even know about neovikings until you posted about it in Life Advice. Pretty interesting stuff. I'm from Scandinavia myself so I surely have ancestors who believed in stuff like this, but I didn't realize it was still around now.

 

Is "neovikings" really the official name for it, though? Just seems sort of weird considering the vikings were pirates, not necessarily all followers of the Norse gods.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Shaoni

[Lillia 69]

I didn't even know about neovikings until you posted about it in Life Advice. Pretty interesting stuff. I'm from Scandinavia myself so I surely have ancestors who believed in stuff like this, but I didn't realize it was still around now.

 

Is "neovikings" really the official name for it, though? Just seems sort of weird considering the vikings were pirates, not necessarily all followers of the Norse gods.

 

It's not an official name by any means; just something I came up with so laymen could get a better grasp of my faith more quickly. Most people automatically equate "Viking" with "Norse", and indeed, some even take Viking as a term emcompassing Scandinavia as a whole. Which is foolish, but whatever.

 

One of my friends is a neoviking, or at least, I think he is. We don't talk religion very often, but he has mentioned various Norse Gods in a way that makes me think he believes in them.

 

May I ask what your Gods think of atheists, or really, anybody who doesn't believe in them? I am atheist, but I like knowing how many religions would still let me into the good part of the afterlife, because I might be wrong

 

Odin is less the type to care about who you believe in, and more about what you do. He'd like to be part of your life, but what's really important is that you live well, live wisely, and live honorably. If you find a way to live that way without him, at the end of it all, he'll still be glad to say you lived.

 

The Sagas never really had Odin go on a tyrade about how only people who believed would get to go to Valhalla, but at numerous points he espoused the virtues and values of courage and wisdom.

 

Those who live gloriously and die honorably all have a place at the Allfather's table, regardless of what they believe.

[silvadel 1,393]

Actually what you say here tends to make the open admission that a lot of us would move to equestria seem like it is the kind of thing that would be frowned on. And yes in a way that might be true. I mean so long as you are in the game here being where you need to be.... Eh. Its odd. Mine is a very old soul and I sometimes do have that urge seriously to live in a place like equestria.

 

As for evilshy, the fact that you are still caring about what would happen if religion X were correct kind of means you arent an atheist, at least in a pure sense. An atheist has a firm belief that the gods do not exist -- in a way it is as much a religion as any religion out there. What you stated kind of puts you more on the agnostic spectrum -- meaning that you simply do not know but in your case you lean towards disbelief on a mental level.

[Evilshy 5,090]

As for evilshy, the fact that you are still caring about what would happen if religion X were correct kind of means you arent an atheist, at least in a pure sense. An atheist has a firm belief that the gods do not exist -- in a way it is as much a religion as any religion out there. What you stated kind of puts you more on the agnostic spectrum -- meaning that you simply do not know but in your case you lean towards disbelief on a mental level.

 

Kind of. I'm reluctant to say anything with 100% certainty. I won't believe a claim unless it has a reasonable amount of evidence, but a lack of evidence supporting a claim doesn't mean it's 100% false, just that it's probably not true.

When dealing with higher beings, one could assume that a being with god-like powers would be able to cover up evidence of their own existence so their followers would have to go by faith, which is central part of many religions. The problem is, you can't objectively test anything like that, so evidence supporting either side can never actually be found. There Ian actually any evidence for the non-existence of Deities, there is simply no evidence for them, and plenty of evidence for natural forces causing many phenomena usually attributed to Deities.

 

I guess, in short, I just don't like being 100% certain about anything. I guess it's the scientist in me

[Lillia 69]

Actually what you say here tends to make the open admission that a lot of us would move to equestria seem like it is the kind of thing that would be frowned on. And yes in a way that might be true. I mean so long as you are in the game here being where you need to be.... Eh. Its odd. Mine is a very old soul and I sometimes do have that urge seriously to live in a place like equestria.

 

There's more than one way to finish with honor, friend. And you don't have to be a soldier to be a warrior. The terms are not mutually exclusive.

 

Being a warrior to me simply means that you live your life with focus, determination and a strong sense of duty and honor. You can be a defender and still be a warrior. The man who ventures forth, slays many foes and conquers many kingdoms is not intrinsically more honorable than the man who remains behind to protect and provide for his family.

 

If you read the Sagas, Frigga proves this to Odin when they find two sons of a local King stranded at sea. They each take one under their wing for the winter; Frigga teaches her ward to be kind and compassionate to all. Odin teaches his to be the best hunter and fighter he can be. After the winter ends, the boys are sent home, and the fighter hurls his brother into the sea and goes home alone to become King. Odin visits in disguise years later, and is disgusted with the cruelty of the boy he had once taught. After he is tortured for days on end to delight the cruel king and his men (but being helped at night by the brother who had been Frigga's student, who had also returned in disguise), Odin casts off his wanderer's appearance and condemns the "mighty king" for his cruelties and dishonor, transforming him and his thuggish men into beasts of the forest, and installing the compassionate brother as the new king, who is said to have earned his people's love many times over until his death.

 

Given that story, I really don't see any conflict at all with the messages of MLP. I could easily see the Mane 6 passing the test of Odin. They are warriors in the exact sense that I speak of; they live each day supporting and defending their friends and families. Kindness and compassion take a different kind of strength than battlefield prowess; it's an inner strength, and one that is much harder to acheive, but even more valuable.

[Sugarcube 213]

Thank you for the information! Very interesting and glad to see you have found your own spiritual path! I may message you sometime, I would like to hear more.

 

Out of curiousity do "neovikings" consider themselves in the same category as pagans in general?

[Guest]

Very interesting, cool to see a "old" religion revival in a sense, so are there a good number of people out there with similar beliefs. Do you ever meet with them for prayer stuff, or is it more personal?

 

I'm currently agnostic, but kind of window shopping at various religions, wondering if any would catch my fancy, cool to learn about another.

Edited August 26, 2012 by Guest

[DashingRainbow36 264]

 

 

This is the most interesting this I have ever read.

 

The thing about making good with your ancestors, and helping them restore their name is something that my Native American family takes to heart in their beliefs. I hold that honor too, but I don't do the spiritual stuff. Except smoking ganja which is part of the rituals hehehe

 

But it does make me happy that you found some solace in your life. Thank you for sharing!