What is the difference between Asatru, Heathenry, Odinism and Wotanism?

Is there a difference at all?
No I didn't make them up, I think if you research paganism you'd find that they're pagan paths.

Did u make those words up?

Asatru is being loyal to the Aesir gods. Heathens can be also Vanatru (who honor the Vanir gods) or Rokktru (who honor the giants, Jotnar). Heathenry is finding yourself in the Norse religion (taking one of the paths), Odinism is focusing on Odin in the worship (if a lot of people do it, it becomes a current with a name) and Wotanism... I may be wrong but Wotan is another name of Odin so it may be the same thing as Odinism.

EDIT: Wikipedia says that Wotanism and Odinism are different, though they both focus on a rather racist path.
EDIT 2: While I admit some of the questions on Y!A are stupid and deserve some ridicule, this guy above me was being nasty, ridiculing something he has no knowledge about whatsoever! I wish people would stop doing that.

Today most groups that use the terms Asatru and Heathenry are positive, Neopagan, Recreationalist religions, while some of those who use the terms Odinism and Wotanism use religion as an excuse to be racist.


This of course isn't true for all groups who use these terms.

Heathenry applies to any non-Xtian form of ancestor worship (IE shamans, Shintoists, emetics, Hellenists ET AL are all "heathens"). Asatru specifically venerate the Aesir.

Odinism and Wotanism are a mixture of norse/germanic paganism and nationalism, often with racist overtones.

?satr? is a focus on the Icelandic tradition of Germanic paganism, this term was also appropriated by the American movement that began at almost the same time. ?satr? means faith in or loyalty to the ?sir which is one of the tribes of Germanic gods, the other being the Vanir.

Heathenism is a broad spectrum term used to describe all the Germanic paths and to separate them from other forms of paganism. Heathen is a word of Germanic origin whereas pagan is of Latin origin.

Odinism was the first name given to the re constructionist movement during it's first incarnation in the late 1800's. During the second movement in the 1970's the British called their movement Odinism (at this point heathenism resurfaced in Iceland, America and England separately but almost simultaneously). There is definitely a more foolish element to Odinism but it's not specifically racist per say although many racists exist within the organizations calling themselves Odinist. Odinism does NOT focus exclusively on O?inn contrary to the common misconception but rather honours all the Germanic gods.

Wotanism is a purely racist movement glorifying the German Nazi party and once again abusing ancient germanic symbolism (Wotan being the Old High German name for O?inn). This is distinctly different from Wodenism (Woden being the Anglo-Saxon name for O?inn) which is heathenism based more upon the Anglo-Saxons than the "Vikings" although this is more often known as theodism.