Hello there. May i ask you what the main differences between Asatru and Vanatru are? Also, i feel very attracted (spiritually speaking) to Pagan Religions, but i am utterly confused by the number of different faiths around. How could i figure out which Religion suits me best?
Hi higurethestillwind,
Keep in mind that these definitions are kind of fuzzy, so they are not going to get 100% agreement from the respective branches.
What falls under Asatru depends on what area you are in and who you are talking to. Many people use it as the default term for all of Norse-Germanic paganism, or do not know that there are terms for other branches. In some places, it represents generic Heathenry, while in other places it’s regarded as being a bit more new-age and occult-flavored than generic Heathenry (with some Asatru authors pulling ideas from Neo-Wicca and Ceremonial Magic while dressing them up as authentic Old Norse concepts). Additionally, Asatru tends to focus predominantly or exclusively on Icelandic source material. Many times the Aesir are given prime importance, and other Deities are given notice specifically because they joined the Aesir. There is a tendency I’ve noticed more towards a “warrior mindset” and a focus more on Gods and the community (and group politics) than there is on nature, the earth, local landvaettir and other vaettir, etc. (In the USA, at least. Asatru in Iceland itself seems to be very nature-focused.)
Vanatru is the branch of Heathenry that focuses more (though not necessarily exclusively) on the Gods who are members of the Vanir. Who is considered “part of the Vanir” gets debated quite a lot. Freyr, Freyja, and Njorðr are all considered Vanir without argument, and the list grows from there depending on who you are talking to. There’s a bit more of a focus on nature, the earth, seasons, and there can be more of a focus on fertility. Vanatru seems to pull heavily from Swedish sources (where Freyr was the “top god”) and some Anglo-Saxon sources, particularly regarding the alfar (who, given that they are ruled by and closely tied to Freyr, are featured heavily in Vanatru). For some people, Vanatru will look like “Vanir-flavored Asatru”, while for other people it might look like Northern Tradition Paganism or be closer to general Neo-Paganism. (If I was going to practice Vanatru, mine would basically be Swedish-focused Forn Sed/folketro.)
I don’t know if you are aware that there are many other variations besides these two, as well as just being a “general Heathen”. You don’t have to pick either Asatru or Vanatru.