Asatru is also very much concerned with maintaining family and community; two major concerns of the Germanic/Norse peoples.
Norse Religion, or Heathenry, is the modern-day practice of the ancient tribal belief systems of the Northern European peoples; the Teutons (continental Germanic tribes) and the Norse (Scandinavian and Gothic tribes). Although their deities were pretty much the same, they were pronounced differently among the various tribes. Thus you have Odin among the Norse, and Wotan or Wodan among the Teutons; Thor or Thonar among the Norse, and Donar or Donner among the Teutons.
There are several different modern practices of Heathenry. The main religious tradition is known as Asatru, meaning “loyalty or troth to the Gods.” The main focus of Asatru has been to recapture and reconstruct the ancient tribal religion of the Norse through the recordings of the lore and the sagas. Unfortunately, most sagas are not intact, and have been highly influenced by Christian philosophy, so the task of reconstruction is rather difficult. Asatru is one of the noblest religions, but it’s current infrastructure lends itself to some squabbling and infighting among the various sects concerning interpretations of the sagas, due in part to the unavailability of complete information.
There is also great disparity among the groups, ranging from those who believe that only those of the Nordic/Germanic blood line can practice Asatru, to more progressive branches which welcome all people. Asatru, however, is not about political agendas, but about in pledging one’s faith to the Gods and living one’s life in the most honorable manner. Asatru is also very much concerned with maintaining family and community; two major concerns of the Germanic/Norse peoples.