THE WORLD'S MOST POPULAR BELIEFS, DOCTRINES AND RELIGIONS
2. GERMAN RELIGION / VIKINGS
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Estimated year of creation: 4500 BC
God of the Germanic Religion: Odin, also called Wotan or Woden.
Headquarters / Capital in the world: Trondheim, the Viking capital of Norway.
Number of faithful around the world: Unknown.
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Main symbol of the god of the Germanic Religion: Valknut, the symbol of Odin.
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The Valknut is one of the most intriguing symbols that the Norse people have left behind. The name consists of two root words, "valr," which means "slain warrior," and "knut," which is easier to decipher as a "knot." Thus, the Valknut is the "knot of the slain warrior."
The design of the Valknut is always a series of three interlocking triangles. Triangles are sometimes drawn in the borroman style as three discrete but overlapping and intertwined shapes; however, the most interesting variation is a nifty unicursal where a single endless line completes all three shapes as one.
Main book of Odinism / Viking Religion: It does not exist, its origin and existence was by oral tradition.
Main deities of the Germanic Religion:
In the Yggdrasil tree there were nine kingdoms. Viking gods inhabit two of them. Specifically, Odin and his court of æsir are located in Asgard; the Vanir, for their part, dwell in Vanaheim. Of all these, which gods did the Vikings worship? Until the end of paganism the ancient Scandinavians worshiped both groups of deities.
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There are two types of Nordic deities: The Æsir and the Asynjur.
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The æsir (singular, áss) and ásynjur (singular, ásynja) are the main gods and goddesses that make up the Norse pantheon. They are the youngest generation of Viking gods, the one that resides in Asgard and is related to Odin. They are mainly related to power and war. Some of its most illustrious members are Thor, Balder, and Tyr.
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They were incorporated into Viking mythology by merging with the Vanir, rather than replacing them. In fact, they formerly fought a war against the Vanir, but later they made peace and exchanged prisoners.
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The leader of the æsir is Odin, who created the world with his brothers Ve and Vili. Their main enemies are the jotun or giants of ice and rock, with whom they maintain a constant confrontation. Although it may be surprising when it comes to divinities, the æsir and ásynjur are mortal. These Viking gods keep young by eating the apples of Iðunn. The vast majority of them are doomed to die during Ragnarök, and only a few will survive to rebuild the world.
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Basic principles of the Germanic Religion:
The Hávamál (sayings of Har) is one of the great poems of the Poetic Edda. Here a series of rules is proposed to live wisely and to be able to survive. This code is the one most used today by the Asatruar.
Small description of the Germanic Religion.
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The Germanic religion or Germanic paganism is a term used to describe the common religious traditions among the Germanic tribes, before and during the Christianization of Europe . Its origins are in the Stone Age in Scandinavia , the Baltic areas and Northern Germany , where it was practiced for centuries. Various archaeological sites in Scandinavia yield valuable information about ancient Scandinavian culture and the origin of its religions. Some of these examples are the petroglyphs , or helleristninger, [3] which are usually divided into two categories according to their age: "hunting glyphs" and "agriculture glyphs". The hunting glyphs are the oldest (9000 - 6000 BC) and are frequently found in northern Scandinavia ( Jämtland , Nord - Trøndelag and Nordland ). These discoveries seem to indicate an existence based primarily on hunting and fishing; these motifs were gradually subsumed (c. 4000 - 6000 BC) in glyphs with more zoomorphic , or perhaps, religious themes. The glyphs from the Bohuslän region were later supplemented by more recent "agricultural glyphs" (c. 2300-500 BC), which appear to portray an existence based on agriculture. The motifs generally consist of portraying ships, solar and lunar themes, geometric spirals and anthropomorphic beings, which seem to indicate in an ideographic way, the beginning of the Scandinavian religion. Paganism is described as a religious manifestation of Indo-European origin whereby the Germanic peoples have traditionally related to the divine and the world around them. Current knowledge about Germanic and Norse paganism has been inferred from archaeological findings, the etymological and linguistic studies, and by the written sources of the time. Some experts such as Georges Dumézil , suggest that various structural and thematic elements within the certified Scandinavian religious ideas, place Scandinavian paganism, within the basic structure of the pan-Indo-European expression of spiritual ideas as a whole. The contemporary reconstruction of this ancient religion is Odinism , which emerged in the 20th century.
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Reference
Odin
Thor
Frigg
Tyr
freya
