Heathenry

Heathenry
Family	Modern Pagan / Germanic
Origin region	Modern revival communities in Europe, North America, and elsewhere
Founding period	Modern revival from the 19th and 20th centuries CE
Estimated adherents	Unknown; organized groups and solitary practitioners exist internationally.

Heathenry is heathenry is a modern Pagan religious family inspired by the pre-Christian traditions of Germanic-speaking peoples, including Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Continental Germanic, and related sources.

Overview

Heathenry is a broad term for modern Germanic Pagan traditions. It may include Asatru, Odinism, Anglo-Saxon Heathenry, Theodism, and other approaches. Practitioners draw on archaeology, folklore, medieval texts, runic inscriptions, and local culture. The movement includes inclusive, folkish, reconstructionist, devotional, and eclectic forms, and there are significant disagreements over ethnicity, politics, and religious identity.

Key beliefs

Honor for Germanic gods, ancestors, and land spirits
Reciprocity, oath, gift-giving, hospitality, and community obligation
Sacred narratives preserved in Eddic, saga, and folkloric sources
Diverse theology including polytheism, animism, ancestor veneration, and symbolic interpretation
Many inclusive groups reject racial exclusion and extremist appropriation

Practices

Blot offerings
Sumbel toasting and oath-making
Ancestor rites
Seasonal feasts
Study of historical and linguistic sources

Places of worship

Home altar
Outdoor sacred site
Hof or ritual hall
Community gathering

Sacred texts

Poetic Edda
Prose Edda
Sagas
Runic inscriptions
Anglo-Saxon and Germanic folklore sources

Holidays and observances

Yule
Midsummer
Winter Nights
Harvest feasts
Group-defined holy days

Branches and related traditions

Asatru - A modern Heathen movement focused heavily on Norse sources.
Norse paganism - The historical source tradition of the Norse world.
Anglo-Saxon paganism - Historical and reconstructed religious traditions of early English peoples.