Congrats! I find that both Hinduism and Asatru religion stand out as mystical and complex.
Guess this proves the theory wrong that once you go hindu you never go back
Only kidding.
What would you say are the fundamentals of your beliefs?
Thanks.
Fundamentals, though I don't know everything there is to know:
As in any, or most religions, there is a lot of metaphor and allegory, and personal interpretation. Asatru, being a reconstructed religion, is very open to personal interpretation, within the basics. It's reconstructed, or being reconstructed because during and after the Christianization of Scandinavia a lot of the lore was lost. What there is of it (which is copious nevertheless) has been preserved by Icelanders in the Prose Edda, Poetic Edda and other literature.
The universe is populated by a host of gods and other supernatural and supra-mundane beings. There is a center of the universe around which everything revolves. Metaphorically and mythologically, it's Yggdrasil, the cosmic tree. Traditionally there are nine worlds inhabited by different classes of beings, including humans (Midgard) and the gods (Asgard). The gods ('Aesir') interact with the beings of all the worlds, in one way or another. For example, Thor is usually pounding the crap out of the Jotuns, who make trouble for man and gods.
The gods and goddesses have different qualities, attributes, duties and "departments". The primary gods (at least to me):
Thor; thunder, rain, protector of earth, keeping things in line for mortals;
Odin and Frigga, king and queen of Asgard; Frigga is
not the mother of Thor (that's Marvel Comics
), though he is Odin's son. Thor's mother is Jord, a Jotun, who is the personification of the earth. So you see, not all Jotuns are bad.
Freyja, goddess of love, sexuality, beauty, fertility, war (she is one who brings dead wariors to Vahalla).
Freyr, Freyja's twin brother, god of virility and prosperity, sunshine and fair weather, fertility, peace and pleasure;
Tyr, law and heroism;
Baldr, god of light and purity (though he is currently held hostage by the goddess of the underworld).
Heimdallr is pretty important too, he is the gatekeeper of Asgard and guardian of the Rainbow Bridge (Bifrost). He has foreknowledge, sharp eyesight and hearing, and keeps a lookout for the beginning of Ragnarök.
There are many, many more. The gods are not immortal, though they are extremely long lived. There will be a final huge battle called Ragnarok in which most of the gods will die, including Thor and Odin, but the world will be reborn with a new human race, and the gods who do survive.
So that's kind of the cosmology and mythology.
Practices can be as complicated or simple as one likes. There are no requirements. Some people are into more esoteric and mystical aspects, some not. I don't know enough about any of that, and it's really not my cup of tea. I'm still just a bhakta, a devotee of a god.
There are no temples, simple rituals are held outdoors in a consecrated area. There are priests and priestesses but they more like leaders or elders. Worship of a god(dess) can consist of a small offering of light (even a little fire outdoors or candles indoors), a libation of some sort (usually beer or mead), a food item, incense, flowers, etc. Even just prayers, and reading or reciting verses in praise of, or thanks to the gods. I've taken to reciting what's in my signature as a mantra, of sorts. I light candles and incense and say some prayers. I don't drink (just personal choice), so I haven't served beer or mead yet, but I may. I asked someone what you do with the offerings afterwards. Answer: whatever you want, it doesn't matter. That is, you can consume part of it, but usually put it outdoors to return to the earth.
Reverence for ancestors is important. There's a really nice prayer/poem (they used it in the movie The Thirteenth Warrior):
L
o, there do I see my father.
Lo, there do I see my mother,
And my sisters, and my brothers.
Lo, there do I see the line of my people,
Back to the beginning!
Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me take my place among them,
In the halls of Valhalla!
Where the brave may live forever!
Death and the afterlife are kind of up for grabs, some believing in rebirth, others not so much (I do).
