Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

AESIR

The major race of deities, including a Pantheon of sky gods and Goddesses, in Germanic and Norse religions. The Aesir live in the mythical realm of Asgard, located somewhere on the island of Sjaelland in Denmark, and were once engaged in a war of attrition with the race of chthonic deities known as the Vanir. They are also in unending conflict with their chief enemies, the harbingers of darkness and cold, the frost giants. The leader of the Aesir gods is Othin (Odin, Woden) and, according to Snorri Sturluson, they number twelve excluding Othin - Thor, Balder, Tyr, Bragi, Heimdall, Loki, UIl, Forseti, Hod, Vidar, Vali and Njord (a Vanir sent to Asgard as a hostage when the two races were at war). Several Goddesses, including Frigg, Othin's wife, Idunn, Sif, Saga and the giantess wife of Njord, Skadi, also live in Asgard. Loki, being of giant extraction, is not a true member of the Aesir by pedigree.

The word As derives from the old Norse ass, meaning a beam or pole, suggesting that these deities were originally worshipped in the form of the 'High Seat Pillars', carved planks of wood which were erected on the shores and elsewhere as guardian totems.

The Aesir Pantheon is fundamental to the modern religion of Asatru which has a growing membership in Europe and North America, and to the London-based Pagan organization, The Odinic Rite.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one defintion may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differring practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc