If you've checked previous post(s) or the About page you might have read me refer to something along the lines of a "Great Divide" within Asatru. So, I figured I would go into that a little bit. Now, I'm still "new" at this whole thing - having only studied for about two years or so. If, like me, you're still new or you're just getting into it, let me go ahead and issue this"warning".
There is a Great Divide amongst our people. On one side, the re-constructionists... on the other side, the UPG people. I didn't even know what UPG was nor had I ever heard it before running into it along this path. So, if, like me, you're scratching your head as to what UPG means.. here ya go.
1. Re-constructionists are more along the lines of the logical thinkers in society. They are the history buffs, they are the scientists. They're the ones that require strict rules and demand order. They want to know that what they are being told is authentic and true. And, in my humble opinion, do not necessarily desire to interpret anything for themselves.
2. UPG people are the faithful. They are the ones who see the mysteries and enjoy them. They want to know the authentic information however, they want to connect on a more personal level. They want to be shown where the path begins but don't want anyone to hold their hand as they walk it.
As you can tell, I am one of those UPG people. I love the mysterious side, the mythical side, the side that brings your heart peace. The side that says there is more to this world than we can see, that there is something more, something greater, and that there is something powerful out there. Witnessing this great divide shows more and more that being Asatru is more than just a simple religion. It truly is a society unto itself. We are divided instead of united. Like so many societies, we would be much stronger and greater if we could accept one another and not look down on each other for our beliefs. Many people who identify more with the re-constructionists are those who want to keep the information free of influences from other religions, primarily christianity. This is an admirable goal however, I don't see the christian influences being a huge problem in our lore and I'll tell you why. Each and every one of us came home to this belief structure and we followed our hearts or our minds. This way of life demands that we continue to follow our hearts and minds, to continue the same curiosity that brought us back to the old ways in the first place. So, identifying the christian influences in our lore is something that we should be doing anyway and of course, disregarding that information or taking it with a grain of salt and using our investigatory ways to discern the truth from the influence. This is something I think we should all be doing. However, I don't see that as the big problem. The major christian influence that I've witnessed in these groups of heathens is their inability to accept other people's beliefs. Their pushy nature to force the "truth" on to others. The.. general talking down about people who put their "UPG" out there, to me, this is the true christian influence. And the true problem.
I don't want to sound all preachy but... it is sad to me that there is this divide. Let's be honest here, there aren't that many of us out there and our ancestral lore has been pilfered and destroyed to the point where, it got really close to being a society that just vanished. We are very lucky to have the information that we do have and it's full of holes and questions but that's where we come in. The Gods don't want us to follow blindly some text that was written centuries ago. They want us to stand on our own two feet with respect and honor to both them and our ancestors. That is the core of our religion, our society, our group, our people. Freedom. Is there another attribute that runs so deep in Asatru? It's one of the main ones. Like the Vikings, our ancestors as well, mine included, freedom was and is key. Freedom is what it's all about. Not being a slave to anything. To text, to people, to a group, to a church.
So, I say to you, internet people, whether you're Asatru or not, be... humble. Be accepting. Be grateful. Be happy.
There is a Great Divide amongst our people. On one side, the re-constructionists... on the other side, the UPG people. I didn't even know what UPG was nor had I ever heard it before running into it along this path. So, if, like me, you're scratching your head as to what UPG means.. here ya go.
UPG = Unverified Personal GnosisYeah. Basically, it's your opinion or interpretation about something with no sources to back up what you're saying word for word. Join any Asatru group online and you'll soon realize what I mean when I refer to it as the "Great Divide". It does just that. It divides us. And for me, personally (UPG ALERT), that's quite sad. It truly hurts my heart to see this infighting. And I have an opinion on the matter (UPG ALERT)...
1. Re-constructionists are more along the lines of the logical thinkers in society. They are the history buffs, they are the scientists. They're the ones that require strict rules and demand order. They want to know that what they are being told is authentic and true. And, in my humble opinion, do not necessarily desire to interpret anything for themselves.
2. UPG people are the faithful. They are the ones who see the mysteries and enjoy them. They want to know the authentic information however, they want to connect on a more personal level. They want to be shown where the path begins but don't want anyone to hold their hand as they walk it.
As you can tell, I am one of those UPG people. I love the mysterious side, the mythical side, the side that brings your heart peace. The side that says there is more to this world than we can see, that there is something more, something greater, and that there is something powerful out there. Witnessing this great divide shows more and more that being Asatru is more than just a simple religion. It truly is a society unto itself. We are divided instead of united. Like so many societies, we would be much stronger and greater if we could accept one another and not look down on each other for our beliefs. Many people who identify more with the re-constructionists are those who want to keep the information free of influences from other religions, primarily christianity. This is an admirable goal however, I don't see the christian influences being a huge problem in our lore and I'll tell you why. Each and every one of us came home to this belief structure and we followed our hearts or our minds. This way of life demands that we continue to follow our hearts and minds, to continue the same curiosity that brought us back to the old ways in the first place. So, identifying the christian influences in our lore is something that we should be doing anyway and of course, disregarding that information or taking it with a grain of salt and using our investigatory ways to discern the truth from the influence. This is something I think we should all be doing. However, I don't see that as the big problem. The major christian influence that I've witnessed in these groups of heathens is their inability to accept other people's beliefs. Their pushy nature to force the "truth" on to others. The.. general talking down about people who put their "UPG" out there, to me, this is the true christian influence. And the true problem.
I don't want to sound all preachy but... it is sad to me that there is this divide. Let's be honest here, there aren't that many of us out there and our ancestral lore has been pilfered and destroyed to the point where, it got really close to being a society that just vanished. We are very lucky to have the information that we do have and it's full of holes and questions but that's where we come in. The Gods don't want us to follow blindly some text that was written centuries ago. They want us to stand on our own two feet with respect and honor to both them and our ancestors. That is the core of our religion, our society, our group, our people. Freedom. Is there another attribute that runs so deep in Asatru? It's one of the main ones. Like the Vikings, our ancestors as well, mine included, freedom was and is key. Freedom is what it's all about. Not being a slave to anything. To text, to people, to a group, to a church.
So, I say to you, internet people, whether you're Asatru or not, be... humble. Be accepting. Be grateful. Be happy.
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