Ok, I was talking to my friend, and he says he wants to revoke his Christianity and I told him he's still a Christian until he announces his removal from the Church. So she said he would become a Pagan after wards, and so we get to talking, and he asked me about a scenario of two choices, one leads to a messed up life, and the other is death. I told him I have to go down fighting, because a death in glorious battle means war in Valhalla.
This got me thinking, what happens to you if you don't die in glorious battle? I know half of the death fighters to go to Odin's Hall and the other half to Freya's Hall. I'm not entirely sure, and I'm no expert on Asatru, and I'd like an answer from someone who has a clue on the matter of fight less death.
Failing to die gloriously in battle is no shame if you don't happen to be a warrior.
The majority of our ancestors were farmers or fishermen and even slaves, the likely hood of any of them being gloriously slain in combat was very very slim.
Some modern ?satr?ar believe that should you die a "straw death" but you lived a good life you will find yourself in the relatively pleasant lower reaches of Hella's realm where the aforementioned hell serves mead and feasts daily, however others believe that people not killed in battle expected to remain in the grave and to have their personal "luck" remain with their families or even to be reincarnated at least partially into their descendants in future generations.
Personally I do not know what will happen to me when I die and to be honest I don't much care, what's important to most Heathens is how we live here and now, we let the afterlife (if there is one) attend to itself
Errrr, no. Sorry to be the bearer of correction, but "Valhalla" is a post-Conversion misinterpretation that meant far more to romantic/nationalist revival writers and poets opining *about* heathery than it ever meant to actual Prue-xian heathens.
In the elder worldview, body and soul were not a duality; not separate or separable qualities. One's luck, ones *being,* remained with ones bones, in the mound, in the company of ones ancestors; one was still part of the community from there, and some kind of "life" continued . . . but the only immortality available was *word fame.*
Dying in battle, like dying at sea, was a concern for our ancestors because it meant they would not be rejoining their ancestors in the family mound, and certain metaphors sprang up around that unease---Ran's Hall, for those lost at sea, and Valhol, or "Valhalla," for those who fell in battle far from home, and were buried with their weapons and armor still on, and whatever fight was left in them, friend and foe alike, in a common grave on the battlefield itself.
I've read several things on this. One being that one did not have to die in battle to be sent to Valhalla if one was dedicated to Odin and died by the sword. HR Ellis Davidson mentions evidence of men committing suicide by spear on their death beds. That being said I think that has more to do with the emergence of Odin mystery cults then the more "ancient" beliefs.
I have also read things on what Boar mentions. I tend to gravitate more toward the beliefs that we simply go to the mound. If anything happens at all. It's about being with your family, contributing to your family, community, kith and kin. You live your life and build your luck for future generations. If your REALL want immortality you'd better do something that puts you in the history books. Shakespeare is immortal, Alexander the Great is immortal. I will "live" as long as I am remembered. My eternal life is in my children, my children's children and so on. I will pass part of who and what I am to them every day and they will in turn pass it on. That is enough for me. I will die how ever I will die. I will go where ever I will go. What is important to me to leave a legacy and stability for my bloodline.
edit: and also as was stated above there will be no shame in my death. I'm not a soldier nor do I want to be or intend to be. I'm happy being a stay at home mom and soon to be psychologist. Frigga and Freyja are just plain ed thrilled with me and so is Odin. It doesn't mean I have no honor. I am a woman and mother. That holds a great deal of power in our faith.
I am more or less with Boar and Heathen Princess on this. I had mentioned it in another forum.
That said, I DO believe that at least some of us live on in some form after death. I believe this because my maternal grandmother is very much still with us, and every family blood relation (I am the only one not Christian) has experienced her presence.
In Heathenry, she'd be referred to as a Dis.
I don't know who else lives on or why, but my UPG on the matter is that if we carry on, if there's some sort of afterlife, it is as a reflection of what we were in life.
Mormor was very much a person people went to for help and advice.
The Afterlife is something that contemporary Heathens don't agree upon; but neither did the "old-time" Heathens! The Road to Hel by Hilda R. Davidson (the maiden name of the renowned scholar of Germanic religion, H. R. Ellis Davidson), is a must-read. Your local public library's Interlibrary Loan dept. should be able to get it for you at little to no cost if you can't find it in your city. To complicate matters even further, most Heathens believe in a multipartyTeoul complex, which means that not all of you has to go to the same place! My working theory, at least for myself, is to focus on the idea that upon death, we journey toward the God or Goddess we were closest to in life. I hope you enjoy your reading and research on the subject; I know I have mine. BTW Winifred Hodge Rose published in Idunna a couple of years back a series of articles on Heathen soul-lore. Check out http://www.thetroth.org and you should be able to find them and purchase back issues at a reasonable price!
Jordsvin
http://home.earthlink.net/~jordsvin
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeathenNews
Kahlesswon and Heathen Princess are right.
Some heathens also believe that the word "battle" needs to be re-interpreted to include non military definitions.
It's no fun to answer after Boar, it sounds completely lame
I have to agree with most of the answers here, the goal for me would definitely be the mound. In my humble UPG, the gods don't really particularly care about me. I mean, as much as the board of directors in a corporation cares about an entry-level employee. But I get the feeling that after being sold Christianity for however many years, most people aren't open to the idea that there is not a god actively trying to get in touch with them.
More on topic, I heard someone argue that our soul is in our DNA. Passing on your DNA is a continuation of your afterlife... A very interesting interpretation
Death in Asatru/ Norse Paganism?
