Ásatrú and Odinism

Is there a difference between Ásatrú and Odinism? Well I guess that depends on who you talk to. Like any religion there are sects or divisions with in the overall belief system. Take a look at christianity; within Christendom you have the two major divisions catholic and protestant. Then each of these has their own sects, protestantism having the most. Ásatrú has its own divisions, as it did throughout history. Like all religious divides these divisions have one thing in common, a central religious base. In our case Ásatrú encompasses all of Norse/Germanic Heathenry.

The ancients had no word for their religion, it just was. It was a part of their being and their every day life it was all around them. Using the term "Asatru" in reference to heathen ways is fairly recent in origin, as the Icelandic folk chose this term for their reconstructed religion in the 1970's. Ásatrú in modern Icelandic compound derived from Áss, which refers to the Æsir, an Old Norse term for the gods, and trú, literally "faith", roughly meaning "belief in the Gods".

Odinism is a sect of Ásatrú. Odinism has a slight difference in its ‘system’ of worship than other areas of Ásatrú but at its core it is the same. Odinists are hard core Ásatrúar. They, like many Ásatrúar, believe that the Gods and Goddesses are 100% real, they are their friends, and they are their allies. I am an Odinist but I am also an Ásatrúar.

The first time I heard the word Ásatrú was in the late 1990s. I never saw the word Ásatrú in any books on the subject of Heathenry until this point. However the claim is that the word was in use.  When I rediscovered my troth in the 1980s the term Odinism was used to describe my beliefs, then the word Teutonic appeared, followed by Ásatrú. I use the term Ásatrú as blanket coverage for Norse/Germanic Heathenry.

We named ourselves Yggdrasil Ásatrú Community because we view ourselves as our own little world tree with Ásatrú Halls upon its branches. YAC promotes the growth of Ásatrú no matter the sect. Our Halls represent Ásatrú with differences in their Ásatrú beliefs and traditions. Our members all come together as kinsmen to celebrate what is collectively known as Ásatrú.