Contemporary Heathenism in Norway: Narratives and reflections from members of Åsatrufelleskapet Bifrost and Forn Sed Norge

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how contemporary inclusive Heathens in Norway find inspiration in the Old Norse traditions and myths and construct a modern and inclusive religion. This is a qualitative research project where individual in-depth interviews have been conducted with members from the two faith communities Åsatrufelleskapet Bifrost and Forn Sed Norge. Through this research project, I seek to answer the following research question: How are inclusive Heathens in Norway constructing their modern version of Åsatru and what does their notion of inclusivity entail? The study is also approached by foregrounding the complex historical, political, and religious context in which modern Heathenism is situated. This includes the religious landscape of new religious movements, and Paganism in particular, as well as the utilisation of Old Norse symbols and myths in Nazi- and other racist political agendas, both historically and presently. Åsatrufelleskapet Bifrost and Forn Sed Norge have both overtly taken a stance against this use of the Old Norse tradition and strive instead to be inclusive religious communities. Seeking insights from the members of these faith communities enables an investigation into how this inclusive religion is constructed and an exploration of what this inclusivity looks like and entails. The interview data is processed through thematic analysis, where reoccurring themes and sub-themes from the interviews are identified. This resulted in four main themes which uncover various aspects of the construction of a contemporary Åsatru and several features of their inclusivity. The findings suggest that the Heathenism in Åsatrufelleskapet Bifrost and Forn Sed Norge is largely heterogeneous, as members experience a strong individual freedom in terms of religious practice and belief and engage with the Norse tradition (and at times other religious traditions) in a variety of ways. Additionally, a shared willingness to make the religion compatible with the modern, multicultural, and religiously pluralist world, combined with an awareness not to romanticise ‘the past’, was also identified.