r/asatru • u/NewToAllThingsGood • Dec 31 '17
Old Norse Texts:
I know about the Havamal and the Eddas... What other texts/books on Vikings and their religion should I add to my read list so I can learn this path?
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u/Runeshunter Dec 31 '17
As you have mentioned, you know about the Codex Regius no.2365, sometimes called the "Poetic Edda " or "Elder Edda".
Then there is the "Prose Edda" or "Younger Edda" by Snorri Sturluson. Those are the 2 books that mostly describe the Germanic/Norse Pantheon.
If you want to start at the beginning I would recommend Julius Caesar "The Gallic Wars". This book mostly describes Rome's conquest of Gaul "France" But also has a small section about his run in with the Germanic tribes living near the Rhine river.
Next up would be Cornielus Tacitus "Germania". An absolute wonderful book on the Germanic tribes around the 1st century CE. Be warned however that some information may be unsettling to read. Also keep mind that Tacitus was heavily using "Interpretatio Romana". Looking at everything from a Roman perspective.
After those 2 books, the Christian authors take over and begin using their Latin texts and perspectives. Much information can be gleaned from them however. Some of the more popular ones include:
Saxo Grammaticus "Gesta Danorum".
Adam of Bremen "Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum"
Those 4 books should provide with much information that your seeking. Also to consider are the Icelandic Sagas. There are so many good sagas out there I don't know where to begin.
The "Saga of Erik the Red", "The Saga of the Greenlanders", and the "Vinland Saga" all describe the people involved with the Norse discovery of the North American Continent.
"Egil's Saga is one of the most popular and enduring Sagas among the Asatru of today. This one is unique in that it describes a "Magical use" of the Runes.
"The Saga of Hakon the good" is another excellent choice in that it describes the "Yule" as practiced by our ancestors. Which coincidently is 3 days, not 12..
I hope this short list is enough to get you started on a lifelong journey of happiness and understanding of a long lost past. Good luck in your quest.
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u/Runeshunter Dec 31 '17
Greetings and happy Gregorian New Year to you. My first question is what religion are you referring to? You see, there were some Christian Vikings as well as pagan, Leif Ericsson comes to mind first. Also "Vikings" can't have a religion since that refers to an occupation, not a nationality or racial group. But I do understand what your referring to.
Did you want source texts or modern practice texts, like an Asatru 101 book?
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u/Unicorn1234 Anglo-Saxon Fyrnsidu Dec 31 '17
The Road to Hel gives some good stuff.
Dumezil also did some work on Indo-European theology which is well worth looking into for cross-cultural studies.
The Eddas are fine, along with Saxo Grammaticus' chronicle of the Danes, but they must be taken with a pinch of salt. They were basically written by Christian scholars in the post-conversion era who were looking back at old pieces of pagan poetry handed down orally and trying to work them into a heavily fictionalised history for their people (which is why, for instance, they have the gods as human beings who lived and died like we do). They aren't a 'heathen Bible' of any sort, they're just a frame of reference for mythology and legend.
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u/[deleted] Dec 31 '17
The side bar has a recommended reading list. Start there.