Ásatrúaphobia
This is an edited version of an article that I originally wrote in May of 2019. My thoughts on the fractures within Ásatrú coalesced following a viewing of the Penny Lane documentary, Hail Satan? This 2019 film reminded me of the importance of educating people about our religion, reducing irrational fears, addressing defamation, and protecting the civil rights of Heathens.
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Ásatrú has a public relations problem. Most people aren’t even aware that anyone practices the pre-Christian religion of Northern Europe. Those who have heard the news are likely to have a negative view since the vast majority of stories mentioning the subject do so in a pejorative way. Perhaps we Heathens should be used to it by now. The early Church persuaded many Europeans to adopt the new faith by recasting our gods as devils. Indeed polytheists have long been a persecuted minority –at least since the days of the witch trials and the obligatory burnings that followed. While such methods may no longer be in vogue, the thinking that led to such abuses has not changed substantially.
So misunderstood is Ásatrú and its practitioners that we are, at times, even confused with Satanists. It should go without saying that Satan is a Christian concept and entirely outside of the pantheon of Norse gods. Heathens not only don’t worship Satan – we don’t even believe in his existence. While Satanists were the targets of a media “scare” in the 1980s, the irrational hatreds based on preconceptions and notions of what Satanism was thought to be rather than what it is have largely dissipated. A new documentary, Hail Satan? about the Satanic Temple appears to be a public relations boon for members of that group as reviewers positively note the group’s progressive political activism and support of the U.S. Constitution. Reviewers have called the film, “Provocative and hilarious” as well as “Delightful.” The New York Times entitled their review “Pitchforks, Black Clothes, and Good Deeds.” Rolling Stone called it a “portrait of religious freedom and social hypocrisy.” This is certainly a far cry from the hysteria about ritual sexual abuse of children that dominated headlines some thirty years ago. Today, it would be fair to assert that Ásatrú’s public image is worse than that of Satanism.
Contrast the reviews of Hail Satan? with the swipe at Ásatrú that appeared in Time in April 2019. Time’s scare piece by Dorothy Kim is entitled, “White Supremacists Have Weaponized an Imaginary Viking Past. It's Time to Reclaim the Real History.” Kim begins her article by recounting the mass shooting that occurred in New Zealand in March 2019. She argues that the shooter not only used guns but also used a “weaponized” viking history that has been embraced by the political far right. While there is little evidence that the shooter was involved in any way with Ásatrú, the author leaps like a mad conspiracist from a maniac with a rifle to the nineteenth century German völkish movement, ultimately arriving at modern day Heathenry. The article complains that there are even “gatherings where extremists drank mead from a traditional viking horn and prayed to the Norse god Odin.” While perhaps surprising to those who aren’t aware of modern day Heathenry, it is what Heathens do when they gather to celebrate their religion. Such a practice is not very different than that of Christians gathering to drink wine from a traditional chalice and offering prayers to their god Jesus. If the Kim article stood alone, it wouldn’t warrant comment, but it is buttressed by other mainstream news stories that never fail to wield the accusations of “racism” or “white supremacy” when taking aim at Ásatrú.
Contrast the media’s treatment of Ásatrú with its treatment of Islam and Christianity. Certainly the world’s dominant religions have suffered bad press from the criminal activities of some minority of their members. All around the globe there have been acts of terrorism committed by adherents of the Muslim faith. Yet, the media is quick (and right) to remind their audiences that the act of an individual Muslim or even a terror-cell comprised of Muslims hardly warrants blaming the whole of Islam. Likewise, it would be unfair to attack the reputation of Christianity as a whole or even Catholicism specifically because of the actions of some number of pedophile priests. However with even weaker evidence, all Ásatrúars are often blamed for the crimes of an individual.
Ásatrú is indeed the latest "boogeyman" of the mainstream media. Using modern psychological language, often adopted to highlight unwarranted fear or hatred, I dub such opinion as “Ásatrúaphobia.” Contributing to the irrational fear of those who wear the hammer of Thor is a very divided community within Ásatrú. The two opposing factions of Heathenry are the “folkish” and the “universalist.” The folkish camp takes the position that Ásatrú is the ethnic religion of the indigenous Northern European peoples while the universalists embrace the idea that anyone who feels called to the religion, regardless of ancestry may be accepted. It is worth noting that there are an increasing number of groups that embrace a third position --typically labeled “tribalist.” The tribalists attempt to straddle a mid-ground that focuses on building their organizations from a close-knit group of families without the baggage of race or ethnicity.[1]
Unfortunately some universalists have identified those with folkish or tribalist beliefs as the problem. Some have even actively supported the persecution of such tribes or kindreds. Tactically such differentiation may appear in the short run to be a way to save one’s neck from the “hangman’s rope.” There seems to be little comprehension however that, in the long run, this is a failing strategy. Imagine during the height of the Satanic scare if one group of Satanists declared, “But we’re the good Devil worshippers!” while pointing their pitchfork at some other group of Satanists across town. Few seem to grasp that all Heathens are impacted by the fears that result in persecution and censorship.
Even though Ásatrú suffers from a public relations nightmare, it continues to gain adherents. People from all walks of life are drawn to it. The Norse gods are featured in movies and television shows. Their re-appearance is all around us. One finds Thor’s hammers for sale in cultural festivals and department stores and gift shops in the most unexpected locations (I bought a baseball cap with a Thor’s hammer in a gift shop in Cape May, New Jersey). This heightened interest in the old ways is a double-edged sword. While it swells the ranks of various organizations and kindreds, it raises the religion to the level that results in attention from the media. The mainstream media often seeks a sensationalist angle to sell magazines or improve ratings. It is almost inevitable that media outlets will spread stories that evoke fear or hatred –especially when commenting on marginal religions such as ours. It is critical then that people respond to correct the record. As Ásatrúars, we must look for ways to change the narrative. Heathen organizations would do well to reach out to their local communities and share information when they participate in charity events or otherwise serve their communities. We need more stories that demonstrate the good works of our kindreds and tribes. Most importantly however, Ásatrúars need to set aside their differences – at least when they are under attack by sources outside of Ásatrú – and defend each other.
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” I would hope that many could apply his admonition from another time intended for another cause and apply it to our own. It certainly seems that the time has come to put aside our fears of one another and to promote understanding. Until we heal our own fractures, how can we enhance an understanding of Ásatrú to those outside of our religion or protect the civil rights of our practitioners?
Hel, if the Satanic Temple could do it, why can’t we?
Notes:
1. See especially Edred Thorsson's Re-Tribalize Now! A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultural Renewal (North Augusta, SC: Arcana Europa, 2020).
*********
Ásatrú has a public relations problem. Most people aren’t even aware that anyone practices the pre-Christian religion of Northern Europe. Those who have heard the news are likely to have a negative view since the vast majority of stories mentioning the subject do so in a pejorative way. Perhaps we Heathens should be used to it by now. The early Church persuaded many Europeans to adopt the new faith by recasting our gods as devils. Indeed polytheists have long been a persecuted minority –at least since the days of the witch trials and the obligatory burnings that followed. While such methods may no longer be in vogue, the thinking that led to such abuses has not changed substantially.
So misunderstood is Ásatrú and its practitioners that we are, at times, even confused with Satanists. It should go without saying that Satan is a Christian concept and entirely outside of the pantheon of Norse gods. Heathens not only don’t worship Satan – we don’t even believe in his existence. While Satanists were the targets of a media “scare” in the 1980s, the irrational hatreds based on preconceptions and notions of what Satanism was thought to be rather than what it is have largely dissipated. A new documentary, Hail Satan? about the Satanic Temple appears to be a public relations boon for members of that group as reviewers positively note the group’s progressive political activism and support of the U.S. Constitution. Reviewers have called the film, “Provocative and hilarious” as well as “Delightful.” The New York Times entitled their review “Pitchforks, Black Clothes, and Good Deeds.” Rolling Stone called it a “portrait of religious freedom and social hypocrisy.” This is certainly a far cry from the hysteria about ritual sexual abuse of children that dominated headlines some thirty years ago. Today, it would be fair to assert that Ásatrú’s public image is worse than that of Satanism.
Contrast the reviews of Hail Satan? with the swipe at Ásatrú that appeared in Time in April 2019. Time’s scare piece by Dorothy Kim is entitled, “White Supremacists Have Weaponized an Imaginary Viking Past. It's Time to Reclaim the Real History.” Kim begins her article by recounting the mass shooting that occurred in New Zealand in March 2019. She argues that the shooter not only used guns but also used a “weaponized” viking history that has been embraced by the political far right. While there is little evidence that the shooter was involved in any way with Ásatrú, the author leaps like a mad conspiracist from a maniac with a rifle to the nineteenth century German völkish movement, ultimately arriving at modern day Heathenry. The article complains that there are even “gatherings where extremists drank mead from a traditional viking horn and prayed to the Norse god Odin.” While perhaps surprising to those who aren’t aware of modern day Heathenry, it is what Heathens do when they gather to celebrate their religion. Such a practice is not very different than that of Christians gathering to drink wine from a traditional chalice and offering prayers to their god Jesus. If the Kim article stood alone, it wouldn’t warrant comment, but it is buttressed by other mainstream news stories that never fail to wield the accusations of “racism” or “white supremacy” when taking aim at Ásatrú.
Contrast the media’s treatment of Ásatrú with its treatment of Islam and Christianity. Certainly the world’s dominant religions have suffered bad press from the criminal activities of some minority of their members. All around the globe there have been acts of terrorism committed by adherents of the Muslim faith. Yet, the media is quick (and right) to remind their audiences that the act of an individual Muslim or even a terror-cell comprised of Muslims hardly warrants blaming the whole of Islam. Likewise, it would be unfair to attack the reputation of Christianity as a whole or even Catholicism specifically because of the actions of some number of pedophile priests. However with even weaker evidence, all Ásatrúars are often blamed for the crimes of an individual.
Ásatrú is indeed the latest "boogeyman" of the mainstream media. Using modern psychological language, often adopted to highlight unwarranted fear or hatred, I dub such opinion as “Ásatrúaphobia.” Contributing to the irrational fear of those who wear the hammer of Thor is a very divided community within Ásatrú. The two opposing factions of Heathenry are the “folkish” and the “universalist.” The folkish camp takes the position that Ásatrú is the ethnic religion of the indigenous Northern European peoples while the universalists embrace the idea that anyone who feels called to the religion, regardless of ancestry may be accepted. It is worth noting that there are an increasing number of groups that embrace a third position --typically labeled “tribalist.” The tribalists attempt to straddle a mid-ground that focuses on building their organizations from a close-knit group of families without the baggage of race or ethnicity.[1]
Unfortunately some universalists have identified those with folkish or tribalist beliefs as the problem. Some have even actively supported the persecution of such tribes or kindreds. Tactically such differentiation may appear in the short run to be a way to save one’s neck from the “hangman’s rope.” There seems to be little comprehension however that, in the long run, this is a failing strategy. Imagine during the height of the Satanic scare if one group of Satanists declared, “But we’re the good Devil worshippers!” while pointing their pitchfork at some other group of Satanists across town. Few seem to grasp that all Heathens are impacted by the fears that result in persecution and censorship.
Even though Ásatrú suffers from a public relations nightmare, it continues to gain adherents. People from all walks of life are drawn to it. The Norse gods are featured in movies and television shows. Their re-appearance is all around us. One finds Thor’s hammers for sale in cultural festivals and department stores and gift shops in the most unexpected locations (I bought a baseball cap with a Thor’s hammer in a gift shop in Cape May, New Jersey). This heightened interest in the old ways is a double-edged sword. While it swells the ranks of various organizations and kindreds, it raises the religion to the level that results in attention from the media. The mainstream media often seeks a sensationalist angle to sell magazines or improve ratings. It is almost inevitable that media outlets will spread stories that evoke fear or hatred –especially when commenting on marginal religions such as ours. It is critical then that people respond to correct the record. As Ásatrúars, we must look for ways to change the narrative. Heathen organizations would do well to reach out to their local communities and share information when they participate in charity events or otherwise serve their communities. We need more stories that demonstrate the good works of our kindreds and tribes. Most importantly however, Ásatrúars need to set aside their differences – at least when they are under attack by sources outside of Ásatrú – and defend each other.
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” I would hope that many could apply his admonition from another time intended for another cause and apply it to our own. It certainly seems that the time has come to put aside our fears of one another and to promote understanding. Until we heal our own fractures, how can we enhance an understanding of Ásatrú to those outside of our religion or protect the civil rights of our practitioners?
Hel, if the Satanic Temple could do it, why can’t we?
Notes:
1. See especially Edred Thorsson's Re-Tribalize Now! A Step-by-Step Guide to Cultural Renewal (North Augusta, SC: Arcana Europa, 2020).
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