FAQ

What do you believe in for an afterlife? 

In Germanic Paganism it is believed that when a person dies, their soul goes to the Underworld, Goddess Holle’s Realm. There, the soul is broken down into different parts in her mill and put together with new soul parts to create a new soul construct. Then the person is reborn into a new body.

What do Germanic Pagans believe?

We believe in a pantheon of Norse gods and goddesses. There is also a wide range of household and land spirits known as Land and House Wights. Certain ancestors also step out of the life cycle to look after and protect their family lines, they are known as the disir/women and the elves/male, and they aid us in our day-to-day struggles. We believe that everyone is responsible for his or her own actions and we hold them accountable for the paths that they choose to follow.

What is Germanic Paganism?

  Germanic Paganism is the religion of our pre-Christian European, Germanic and Scandinavian ancestors. Over a thousand years ago the crusades threatened the very survival of our way. Our folkways were pushed underground by the greed of kings and bloodthirsty armies of Christ. “The way”, however only temporarily faded from public view. Now with the end of forced conversions and overt religious persecution, Germanic Paganism has re-emerged as the fastest growing tribal movement in America.

Is there a sacred text?

 Not really is the simple answer. We do not have an equivalent to a bible. What we do have is a series of documents that were recorded during the Viking era that have been translated into our modern languages. Some of these are as follows: The Poetic Edda: This series of poems tells us of the deeds of the gods and the creation of the world. This also covers some of the more famous heroes that have lived before recorded history. From this we get the standards and morals of the ancient culture that we grew out of. Havamal: Havamal is a special document that is believed to be the words of the Odin. It is rich with wisdom on how to live a full happy life and how to deal with others that you come in contact with regardless of their intent.

Do you have a church?

Yes and No. Our ancestors believed that the gods and goddesses should be worshiped outside in nature. They had specific, sacred groves, to perform their rituals. But, there were no official buildings of worship in Germanic Paganism. The gods and goddesses are honored throughout the day in a variety of ways from the way we live and interact with others to formal group rituals. There are no restrictions on how, when or where we honor them. It is very much a part of our daily lives and cannot be confined in a box. We generally meet in organized groups known as Kindreds for the purpose of ritual.