How 'Pagan' is Modern Nordic Paganism?

When your self image was created by your oppressor?

A revelation came to me last night concerning the 'darkness' and dour seriousness that is far too apparent in Nordic Paganism today. This intense seriousness may actually be rooted in Luthern Protestantism, which sucked the joy and vivaciousness out of Germanic and Nordic cultures.

Prior to the Luthern domination of these cultures, these societies were very different indeed by all accounts. The Germanic and Scandinavian societies prior to the Protestant Reformation were less puritanical, serious and rigid. Elements we also witness in the modern Nordic Pagan scene—both in terms of self identity—and overall cultural aesthetics. This might also explain the 'churchiness' of Nordic Revival Paganism with its congregationalism and formality.

I do think the cultural undercurrent of Ásatrú owes more to Martin Luther than people fully realise.

This also might explain how English Paganism is very different from its continental Germanic cousins as it still retains a strong sense of pastrol beauty and warmth from the ‘Celtic’ and even Roman Pagan traditions of their Brytonic heritage.

I am not picking on, or causing rivalries between different versions of Paganism and Heatherny, just pointing out that what we assume is Nordic Pagan spirituality, may actually be rooted in psychic damage to our ancestors by the Christian (Protestant) propagandists. Being mistaken for the actual traditions and culture of our genuine northern Pagan ancestors. Whom I suspect were more joyous and life embracing.

Think of the Bjork role in The Northman. That had more in common with the Wyrds in Macbeth than it had in any European shamanic tradition. In other words, a Reformation-era stereotype of an evil ungodly witch. Shakespeare himself created this image as a direct tribute to King James of Daemonoligie fame.

The Luthern church had the same effect on Nordic cultures that Pol Pot had on Cambodian society. An external philosophy creating a spiritual version of Year Zero. The killing fields were the witch persecution.

We must always be careful in assuming what we think we are supposed to be.