NORSE HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS

The ancient Germanic/Norse year was divided into two seasons: Summer and Winter. Summer began at the festival of Eostre, close to the Spring Equinox, and Winter began at the festival of Winternights, close to the Autumn Equinox. Between these two festivals was the festival of Midsummer ( Lithasblot ) at the Summer Solstice, and the festival of Jul ( Yule ), at the Winter Solstice. There are other minor festivals that are celebrated in between these four major ones, listed below in the table.

ASATRU READING LIST

By Mary Leibach and Bill Schulz

 Orientation:

This is a list of books of interest in current Asatru, a form of Norse Paganism.  It is divided into five sections.

A) Primary sources.
B) Books concerning the modern revival.
C) Books of peripheral or collateral interest.
D) Additional Old Norse and German material of possible interest in English translation.
E) Some fictional material.
F) Material actually in Old Norse, or material used for the study of old Norse texts.

WHAT IS NORSE RELIGION?

Norse Religion, or Heathenry, is the modern-day practice of the ancient tribal belief systems of the Northern European peoples; the Teutons (continental Germanic tribes ) and the Norse ( Scandinavian and Gothic tribes ).  Although their deities were pretty much the same, they were pronounced differently among the various tribes.  Thus you have Odin among the Norse, and Wotan or Wodan among the Teutons; Thor or Thonar among the Norse, and Donar or Donner among the Teutons. There are several different modern practices of Heathenry.  The main religious tradition is known as Asatru, meaning ‘loyalty or troth to the Gods.’