Is Asatru the oldest religion? Older than Christianity?
I'm just curious as I really don't believe in a lot of stuff other religions believe in, but I find that what I know of the Asatru, its the closest to what I believe in.
Asatru is definitely older than Christianity. It's existed long before Christianity invaded northern Europe... and despite their trying, Christians have NEVER been able to wipe the Asatruans out.
?satr? (Icelandic "?sir faith") is a new religious movement which is attempting to revive the Norse paganism of the Viking Age - as described in the Eddas - prior to the arrival of Christianity.
?satr? was established in the 1960s and early 1970s in Iceland, by the ?slenska ?satr?arf?lagi? an organization founded by Sveinbj?rn Beinteinsson. ?satr? is an officially recognized religion by the governments of Iceland (since 1973), Denmark (since 2003) and Norway. The United States government does not officially endorse or recognize any religious group; however, numerous ?satr? groups have been granted nonprofit religious status going back to the 1970s.
While the term ?satr? originally referred specifically to the Icelandic adherents of the religion, Germanic neopagan and reconstructionist groups widely identify themselves as ?satr?, particularly in the USA. In this wider sense, the term ?satr? is used synonymously with Germanic neopaganism or Germanic paganism, along with the terms Forn Sed, Odinism, Heithni, Heathenry and others.
I love the Asatru and Heathen beliefs too, but they are not all that ancient. They are under 1000 years old. I think Hinduism is the oldest established religion. Does the age really matter? Asatru and Heathenism are modern perspectives on an older paganism, so they are pretty young, but the practices and deities they utilize are much older than the 'movement' itself.
Not the oldest religion, but much older than Christianity. The creation myths of Scandinavian mythology bear striking resemblance to the Hindu creation myths, e.g. the world being created from the body of a giant.
Most of what you find in Asatru today is a reconstruction. Not that there aren't lineages of Heathens that have never converted to Christianity. But they are truly rare. The Christians did come & successfully convert the Kings of the old heathen religion. The people were soon to follow... Norway's King Olav Tryggvason converted in 995 Ce.
Iceland formalized their conversion around 1000 Ce at the Althing
The Swedish were the last to convert. The Swedish people converted only very gradually, and it was not until well into the 12Th century that there were no more kings or great nobles who worshiped the old gods.
The chances of finding an unbroken line are very slim, but the reconstruction is based on the surviving Edda's & Sagas. Which makes it probably the closest reconstruction of an ancient belief system.
Here is a good site for more info http://www.thetroth.org/
Here is another http://www.ealdriht.org/
I think animism is the oldest religion... at least that is what I was taught in anthropology class....
The oldest religion is Christianity, it wasn't until After Jeus died did people start calling it that, Adam and Eve believed in Jesus Christ, and hoped for the day he would come to earth.
Is Asatru the oldest religion? Older than Christianity?
