I've been considering coming to Asatru for quite a while now, maybe even from around mid 2005, but i have a few issues concerning my Veganism for one. During gatherings, a horn is used to drink, presumably from an animal, which is against my beliefs; also, the belief that a pig is slaughtered at Odin's table in the afterlife too is an issue, is this said to be a literal pig? since reading around i have also heard that our souls etc. in the afterlife have no need for food. Could someone please clear this up for me? Also,the creation of the universe by the Gods that i have read, seems to be very much like the Christian view, are they meant to be taken metaphorically as many asatruars elsewhere have said about other lore involving the Gods?
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Vegan asatruars?
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Zephyr
Moved on
Well, around here we sure use a horn. Can't beat tradition there. I'm sure that somewhere people conduct things differently.
As for the whole delicious pig thing, just don't worry about the afterlife. Focus on the whole living part. Even if I didn't need food, I'd still eat it. Food tastes good.
And for creation, I take most things metaphorically. Even the gods are just seen as ways our ancestors saw things.
All this coming from a major carnivore.
As for the whole delicious pig thing, just don't worry about the afterlife. Focus on the whole living part. Even if I didn't need food, I'd still eat it. Food tastes good.
And for creation, I take most things metaphorically. Even the gods are just seen as ways our ancestors saw things.
All this coming from a major carnivore.
Queenspeak
New Member
Indigenous cultures (including the Germanic and Scandinavian peoples) all depended to some degree on the animals they lived with for their very survival. Cattle, fish, and swine were especially favored. Horns and mead are a part of the cultural past and present. It is important that we recognize our ancestral traditions. So we better understand their worldview.
That all said, modern Asatruar/Heathens live in a new world. A world that does not require animals for survival. A world our ancestors could not have predicted. I do not believe they would have approved of factory farms. I believe that animal agriculture of today angers Freyr, the Landvaettir, Nerthus, and Jord and others (Sif? Idunna?).
Asatru/Heathenry says nothing about this topic and this leaves room for individuals to come to their own conclusions regarding our relationships with other animals. You do not have to consume animal products to be Heathen (though you will be in the minority). While a horn is unnecessary, you can purchase synthetic ones. If you choose to avoid honey, you might substitute wine. Here are two links to start your search:
Frey's Vineyards (sells organic wines): http://freywine.stores.yahoo.net
Das Horn (sells BPA-free plastic horns): http://dashorn.com
That all said, modern Asatruar/Heathens live in a new world. A world that does not require animals for survival. A world our ancestors could not have predicted. I do not believe they would have approved of factory farms. I believe that animal agriculture of today angers Freyr, the Landvaettir, Nerthus, and Jord and others (Sif? Idunna?).
Asatru/Heathenry says nothing about this topic and this leaves room for individuals to come to their own conclusions regarding our relationships with other animals. You do not have to consume animal products to be Heathen (though you will be in the minority). While a horn is unnecessary, you can purchase synthetic ones. If you choose to avoid honey, you might substitute wine. Here are two links to start your search:
Frey's Vineyards (sells organic wines): http://freywine.stores.yahoo.net
Das Horn (sells BPA-free plastic horns): http://dashorn.com
vaguelyhumanoid
Active Member
Whatever works, but I feel like some deities would strongly prefer meat. Oðin leads the Wild Hunt and feeds his table scraps to his pet wolves - do you really think he'd be happy with a plate of tofu?
Also, plastic is the ultimate disrespect imo. It's literally fossil fuels. Far more destructive of living things than horn, provided the animal whose horn you're using wasn't factory-farmed. It frustrates me greatly when vegans talk about how harmful meat animal products are to the earth and then advocate plastic and soy substitutes. (The soy industry is utterly ruthless and a major cause of deforestation in South America.)
Also, plastic is the ultimate disrespect imo. It's literally fossil fuels. Far more destructive of living things than horn, provided the animal whose horn you're using wasn't factory-farmed. It frustrates me greatly when vegans talk about how harmful meat animal products are to the earth and then advocate plastic and soy substitutes. (The soy industry is utterly ruthless and a major cause of deforestation in South America.)
Queenspeak
New Member
Yes, many of the gods would probably prefer meat (as do most Asatruar). Your path may be impacted by the god/desses with whom you have the most contact. I do not believe followers of Freyr historically would have even considered a vegetarian diet and, historically speaking, animal sacrifice to Freyr was common. However, He has many aspects that directly tie Him to the health/fertility of the land, and to peace and plenty. It is reasonable to develop a strong UPG (unverifiable personal gnosis) regarding Frey's position on modern agriculture and factory farming.
As far as soy goes, though I didn't mention it and use soy very rarely, it is in my opinion that buying organic soy is a must else you support a very harmful industry. Incidentally conventional soy is fed to factory farmed animals so eating conventional meat supports the soy industry where organic soy fights against it.
Regarding plastic, I make efforts to keep plastic from my day to day lifestyle and avoid artificial textiles. I mostly wear linen, organic cotton, hemp, and raglan. I mostly use glass and metal. Complete removal of plastic from the modern lifestyle would be an epic feat and if you have accomplished this, please let me know how you do it!
That said, for those vegan Heathens who prefer to make head nods to our ancestral culture, the site I linked to is the only resource I have found and I certainly searched for something classier. Perhaps in the future artisans will make stoneware horns. In the meantime, I have no idea where each and every horn maker sources their horns and so I can only guess what the cattle must have lived through.
Hail to you, vaguely humanoid, for providing an interesting addition to the discussion.