Neopaganism in Scandinavia
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Neopaganism in Scandinavia is dominated by revivals of Norse paganism (Asatru, Forn Sed, Nordisk Sed, Folketro).
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[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 200 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. 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
Ásatrúarfélagið was recognized as a religious organization by the Icelandic government in 1973. Its first leader was farmer and poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson. It is largest non-Christian religious organization in Iceland and has some 1,300 members, making up approximately 0.4% 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 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:
- Samfälligheten för Nordisk Sed, Sweden
- Foreningen Forn Sed, Norway
A similar approach is current in Baltic neopaganism
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- http://www.mmedia.is/odsmal/
- http://asetrofaellesskabet.dk/
- http://www.fornsidr.dk/
- http://www.bifrost.no/
- http://www.forn-sed.no/
- http://www.asatrosamfundet.se/
- http://www.nordisksed.se/
- http://www.asatru.is/
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