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

VANIR

The race of deities in Germanic and Nordic belief concerned with the peace and fertility of the earth. Conflicting with, and distinct from, the Aesir, they are generally considered to include the god Njord (closely identified with the sea from which came much of the sustenance of the Nordic peoples) and his offspring, the god Freyr and his twin sibling, Freyja. The struggle between the two races may reflect the contrasting life styles of the warrior and the farming peasant in northern Europe.

There is some evidence that a Sacred Marriage, not unlike that found amongst ancient near eastern cultures, formed an integral part of Vanir worship. They appear to have endorsed marriage between siblings and they were also regarded as magicians or seidr. Among their forebears may have been the 1st century Danish Goddess, named by the Romans as Nerthus, although there is no proven connection.

The worshippers of the Vanir focused their attention on the earth and the ancestors interred therein, the great ship burials probably being closely identified with Njord. Their orgiastic rites included Ecstasy and sacrifice.

The Vanir deities, being chthonic or earth gods and Goddesses, are of particular importance to the modern cult of Asatru and to the Odinic Rite.

see also: NORSE PAGANISM

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 definition 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 differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc