The following text was written by Frank Ottosson, a board member of the Nordic Asa-Community, for a Facebook group associated with the Nordic Asa-Community.

Oaths and Oath Rings – The Bonds of Honor and Law in the Old Norse Society

In Old Norse society, an oath was one of the most binding actions a person could undertake. A promise was not merely a verbal assurance but a sacred obligation, a bond between individuals, the gods, and örlög (fate) itself. Swearing an oath meant placing one’s life, honor, and future in the hands of the gods, and breaking it was to defy both human and divine laws.

Oaths permeated all aspects of society and were used in legal proceedings, alliances, trade, warfare, and daily life. At the thing (assembly), an oath could decide a dispute when evidence was lacking. The one swearing an oath before the legal assembly often had to place their hand on an oath ring, a sacred object made of silver or iron, which was kept in temples or carried by chieftains and jarls. These rings were not merely symbolic—archaeological finds from Uppsala, Uppåkra, and Torsbjerg bog show that such rings were indeed used in ritual and legal contexts. In Njál’s Saga, the law-speaker Hrut swore an oath before the thing to assert his right to an inheritance, and in Eyrbyggja Saga, an accused man attempted to prove his innocence through oath-taking. The oath functioned as a legal guarantee, and anyone who lied under such an oath risked not only their reputation but also the wrath of the gods.

But oaths were not sworn only in court. In war, the oath was a way to bind men to one another and to their chieftain. Warrior bands swore oaths of loyalty by touching an oath ring, a custom mentioned in the Kings’ Sagas. Breaking such an oath was an insult to both men and gods and could lead to blood vengeance. In the Völsunga Saga, Sigurd swore loyalty to King Gunnar but broke his oath through deceit and manipulation, setting off a chain of vengeance and bloodshed. Similar themes appear in The Lay of Atli, where betrayal and broken oaths are described as the cause of King Atli’s downfall.

For a Norseman, oaths were also part of everyday life. In marriage, vows of fidelity were made; in trade, oaths were sworn regarding the quality of goods; and between friends and foster brothers, oaths could seal eternal loyalty. In Laxdæla Saga, a broken oath of loyalty led to a prolonged feud where honor demanded bloody retribution. Those who broke their word risked being labeled a níðingr, an outcast with no rights or protection in society. Being called a níðingr was one of the worst insults a person could suffer, and there were few ways to restore one’s honor after such a disgrace.

The gods do not look kindly upon oath-breakers. Loki, who once swore a blood-brother oath with Odin but later betrayed the gods, is destined to be bound in a cave while venom from a serpent slowly drips onto him. His fate reflects the inevitable justice that befalls those who break their oaths. The gods demand loyalty and honor, and those who violate their oaths can expect divine wrath to find them sooner or later.

The oath was not only a promise between people but also a connection between humans and the gods. In the Landnámabók, an oath ring in the temple at Uppsala is mentioned, used in religious ceremonies and legal proceedings. Similar finds have been made in Norway, where large silver and iron rings connected to temples and chieftain seats have been discovered. In Heimskringla, it is told how kings and chieftains carried such rings and had their men swear oaths of loyalty by placing their hands upon them.

Thus, oaths were more than just words. They were a link between people and gods, between the past, present, and future. Archaeological finds, sagas, and legal texts show how deeply rooted oath-taking was in Old Norse society. To swear an oath was to take örlög (fate) into one’s own hands, to place one’s life in the scales of the gods. Keeping one’s oath was to preserve one’s honor, one’s rights, and one’s place in the world. Breaking it was to lose everything. And even today, the gods watch over the oaths that are sworn, and those who break them do so to their own ruin.

How do you view oaths today? How seriously do you take the promises you make?
And what does it truly mean to keep one’s word in a world where oaths and promises have, in many ways, lost their value?

28. März 845

Die Wikinger überfallen Paris

Reginheri (Ragnar, ja genau der Ragnar) heißt der Befehlshaber, der mit seinen Nordmännern die Seine hinunterfährt. Angeblich bringt er 120 Schiffe und 5.000 Mann Besatzung mit, aber das sind Zahlen, die mit der Dämonisierung der barbarischen Wikinger in der christlichen Geschichtsschreibung der Mönche zu tun haben. Vermutlich sind es eher ein Dutzend Schiffe und Kämpfer im dreistelligen Bereich. Ihre wichtigste Waffe ist eigentlich das Langschiff mit geringem Tiefgang: extrem schnell und wendig. Und blitzschnell an Land gestrandet.

Auf der Seine allerdings sind die Langschiffe eher langsam: Sie können nicht segeln, die Ruderer kämpfen gegen die Strömung an. In Paris weiß man längst, dass die Nordmänner kommen. Aber das Frankenreich ist durch eine Teilung wenige Jahre vorher geschwächt. Und König Karl II. („der Kahle“) macht einen taktischen Fehler: Er positioniert sein Heer an beiden Seiten des Flusses und halbiert die Stärke auf jeder Seite dadurch. Er muss zusehen, wie ein Teil seiner Armee geschlagen wird und die Wikinger - der Legende nach - 111 gefangene Franken auf einer Seine-Insel erhängen.

2,5 Tonnen Silber als Schutzgeld

Karl ist geschlagen, und die Wikinger fahren ohne großes Aufhebens unermessliche Schätze ein. Denn der fränkische Herrscher bietet Reginheri zweieinhalb Tonnen Silber als Lösegeld für fast achteinhalb Tausend Menschen an. Fortan entwickelt sich die Schutzgeldzahlung zum Einkommensfaktor der Nordmänner - vor allem im angelsächsischen England.

Durch den Schachzug wird Reginheri zur Vorlage für den mythischen dänischen König Ragnar der späteren altnordischen Saga-Literatur. Sein Kollege Rollo tut es ihm gleich und zieht genau 40 Jahre nach Reginheri mit 350 Kilo Silber aus Paris wieder ab. 911 belagert er die Stadt Chartres, wird dort aber vernichtend geschlagen und vertrieben.

Karl III. bietet ihm trotzdem die Grafschaft Rouen im heutigen Nordfrankreich am Unterlauf der Seine an: So werden Rollos Plünderungen eingedämmt. Und ein Wikinger sorgt dafür, dass andere Wikinger an der Seine nicht mehr brandschatzen können.

#wikinger #vikings #geschichte #history #ragnar #ragnarlothbrok

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Another post to start conversation

Encouraged or enabled alcoholism in Heathenry / asatru there seems to be little care for recovering alcoholics or people who have a visable issue with alcohol the people before us who practiced asatru or Nordic polytheism yes used alcohol in ritual and in celebration and drank ale dailyfor hydration but they did not live in a modern excess like we do ale was for hydration because water was not safe and people at ritual or in kindreds that almost encourage drinking at holidays or ritual are apart of the problem so my question to you is how do we fix this tell me in the comments what you think the havamal says to not drink to much but why does nobody seem to follow this

Today, on International Women's Day, we honor women – those who have borne, shaped, and guided our world throughout history. But to fully understand and appreciate the strength and role of women, we must look back to the societies of our ancestors. In the Old Norse countries, women were not a shadow in the men’s world – they were a force, creators, and decision-makers. Their voices carried weight, their hands governed the farm and household, and their will shaped the future of the clan.

Our foremothers held a position that, in many respects, was stronger than in many contemporary societies in Europe. They could own land, engage in trade, and even negotiate and participate in legal disputes. Widows or single women could assume full responsibility and manage their own affairs without a guardian. In the legal compilation Grágás, clear provisions exist regarding women's rights to own property and seek divorce.
Women who were housewives ruled the household and were responsible for the finances within the home. They held the keys to the storerooms, a symbol of their authority. But women were not just household managers – they could, for example, be warriors, gyðja, and experienced traders. Stories of women like Freydís Eiríksdóttir, who, according to the Greenland Saga, took up arms and defended her people, or Lagertha, the sharp-witted and feared shield-maiden mentioned by Saxo Grammaticus, show that women were not confined to the home.

Archaeological finds, such as the graves in Birka, testify to female warriors and women in trade. This shows that women not only possibly participated in warfare but likely held high military ranks. Saga literature, such as the saga of Egil Skallagrimsson, mentions strong and decisive women like Egil's grandfather Myrkjartan and his sister Thorgerd, who did not hesitate to make their own decisions and put men in their place.

But then came Christianity. With missionaries and swords, the new faith spread across the Nordic countries, and with it, the position of women changed. The old customs, where women had influence and could exercise power, were deemed heathen and should be replaced by the church's order. The Catholic Church brought laws that restricted women's freedoms, such as making them legally subordinate to their husbands and limiting their rights to own land. Women lost the right to be leaders in spiritual life – the völvas disappeared into the shadows. With Christian legislation, such as the Norwegian Kristinréttir laws from the 1200s, it was established that women must submit to their husbands, and their previous rights were curtailed.

But the strength of women can never be suppressed. Our strong foremothers live on in today’s women – in those who dare, in those who fight, in those who refuse to be silenced. Every woman who raises her voice for justice, every woman who refuses to be chained by norms, is an heir to the pagan women who once ruled, defended, and shaped their own destiny.

So, on this day, International Women's Day, let us honor the women who came before us and the women who today carry forward the legacy of strength, wisdom, and courage.
Let us remember the völvas who whispered the words of fate, the housewives who ruled with a firm hand, the shield-maidens who lifted the sword, and the women who refused to bow to a world that sought to make them small.

Hail our foremothers!
Hail the women of today!
May your strength never fade, may your voices never be silenced!

Sometimes honoring the land vaettir is about taking something rather than leaving am offering.
Someone carried them into the spot where I found them drank then crushed the cans, and left them behind.

text + link further down.

Bevarandet av vår Tro och Kultur.

I hjärtat av de nordiska länderna, där de snöklädda fjällen möter de vidsträckta skogarna och de djupa sjöarna, finner vi en rikedom av kulturell och jordnära arv. Det är här, bland de dramatiska landskapen och de uråldriga traditionerna, som Nordiska Asa-samfundet tar sin plats som en bevarare och stöttepelare för vår tro, vårt arv, vårt ursprung och våra traditioner.

Asatro, eller tillbedjan av de nordiska gudarna och gudinnorna, är en tro som har rotat sig djupt i den nordiska kulturen och historien. Den sträcker sig tillbaka till forntiden då våra förfäder, med sitt djupa band till naturen och kosmos, fann förankring i en tro på krafter som Oden, Tor, Freja och alla de andra makterna. Denna tro har överlevt århundraden av förändringar och utmaningar och lever idag vidare genom Nordiska Asa-samfundet.

Läs hela artikeln på:
https://asa-samfundet.se/bevarandet-av-var-tro-och-kultur/

The Preservation of our Trú and Culture.

In the heart of the Nordic countries, where the snow-covered mountains meet the vast forests and deep lakes, we find a wealth of cultural and earthly heritage. It is here, among the dramatic landscapes and ancient traditions, that the Nordic Asa-Community takes its place as a guardian and pillar of our trú, our heritage, our origins, and our traditions.

Asatru, or the worship of the Norse gods and goddesses, is a belief deeply rooted in Nordic culture and history. It dates back to ancient times when our ancestors, with their deep connection to nature and the cosmos, found anchorage in a faith in powers such as Odin, Thor, Freyja, and all the other mighty beings. This belief has survived centuries of changes and challenges and lives on today through the Nordic Asa-Community.

Read the full article at:
https://asa-samfundet.se/en/the-preservation-of-our-tru-and-culture/

Coming from a place of personal history and not as a moderator.
Since here recently I have seen a lot of videos and talk of symbols that predate Nazi Germany. I will never discredit history and won't argue that yes symbols have been around far longer. But living an animistic lifestyle and honoring my ancestors here is my view on it. My great Grammy and her family moved to America after she lost her mom under the symbol. She had to raise her siblings and her dad drank himself to death. I grew up very close to my great Grammy and my Grammy and hearing her stories of how families were torn and broken and lives were lost I choose to not bring such an impactful symbol to my home. I have alters for my ancestors. I would view that as disrespect. We can not rewrite history no matter how hard we try. I am very well aware of history before and will not discredit that. But out of respect for those that came before me I will not personally bring hurt to my great Grammy trying to erase that part of her history for sake of an argument. So please keep in mind that everyone has their own thoughts on the matter.

Don't you sometimes wish to leave this life here In this sick world? When I look at all of our lives, I just want to get away. Into a forest where there is no pain and suffering. Wouldn't it be nice to live together with many people? In a group that is there for each other. If I could, I would do it immediately. What do you think about it? Or am I the only one who thinks so?

Wünschst du dir nicht manchmal, dieses Leben hier in dieser kranken Welt zu verlassen? Wenn ich mir unser aller Leben anschaue, möchte ich einfach nur weg. In einen Wald, in dem es keinen Schmerz und kein Leid gibt. Wäre es nicht schön, mit vielen Menschen zusammen zu leben? In einer Gruppe, die füreinander da ist. Wenn ich könnte, würde ich es sofort tun. Was denkst du darüber? Oder bin ich der Einzige, der so denkt?