Neopaganism in Scandinavia

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Neopaganism in Scandinavia is dominated by revivals of Norse paganism (Asatru, Forn Sed, Nordisk Sed, Folketro).

Contents

[edit] Denmark

In Denmark Forn Siðr formed in 1999, recognized in 2003[1]

[edit] Norway

The Åsatrufellesskapet Bifrost formed in 1996 (Asatru fellowship "Bifrost"; as of 2005, the fellowship has some 140 members) and Foreningen Forn Sed formed in 1999. They have been recognized by the Norwegian government as a religious society, allowing them to perform "legally binding civil ceremonies" (i. e. marriages). Forn Sed is a member of World Congress of Ethnic Religions.

[edit] Sweden

In Sweden, the Swedish AsatruSociety (Sveriges asatrosamfund) formed in 1994, and

The Nätverket Gimle formed in 2001, as an informal community for individual heathens. Nätverket Forn Sed formed in 2004, and has a network consisting of local groups (blotlag) from all over the Sweden.

[edit] Iceland

The Íslenska Ásatrúarfélagið was recognized as an official religion by the Icelandic government in 1973, largely due to the efforts of Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. The group has some 1,000 members (ca. 0.3% of the total population).

[edit] Folklorism vs. reconstructionism

Folketro (Danish, Norwegian) or Folktro (Swedish) is the Scandinavian for "folk religion" or "superstition", referring to Scandinavian folklore in particular. In Scandinavian neopagan discourse, the term is used for a religion that consists of a folklore that is believed to be the descendant of historical Norse paganism. Folktro is considered a living tradition and that does not include the use of reconstructionism in any way, nor the use of historical sources such as the Edda or notation of folklore. The term is in conscious contrast to Asatru, the reconstructionist or historicising revival of medieval Norse polytheism. Preferred terms are fornsed "old custom" or nordisk sed "Nordic custom", avoiding the connotation of hard polytheism evoked by reconstructionist approaches centered on the Aesir. Attention is rather given to traditional song, dance, folk music and festivals. Critics refer to the Folketro movement as Funtrad (for Fundamentalistisk Traditionalisme "fundamentalist traditionalism". Not to be confused is the "radical traditionalism" of the New Right, which invokes national mysticist or occultist notions of a "Pan-Indo-European tradition" rather than the unpretentious focus on regional customs advocated by Folketro. Proponents of Folketro include:

A similar approach is current in Baltic neopaganism. Lithuanian Romuva and Latvian Dievturība traditionally emphasize local folklore to a much greater extent than is common in generic "neopaganism" in Western Europe and North America, which was much more strongly influenced by Romanticism and occultism (Wicca, Germanic mysticism) or the New Age movement.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Forklaring til Forn Siðr´s ansøgning om godkendelse som trossamfund.

[edit] External links

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