The Norse Tradition: A Beginner's Guide

What an excellent little book this is. Full of information, and the right information, for anyone having an interest in the Northern Tradition, or Asatru. It is, however not OVERfull, which can be daunting and confusing for the newcomer. The faith of our ancestors, before the advent of Christianity, is enjoying a remarkable renaissance at this time, and a great many people are rediscovering it, not least because modern depth psychology has uncovered the relevance of polytheistic faith to modern man. Pete Jennings is to be congratulated in the writing of this little book, which gets straight to the point and answers many of the questions which an interested person might ask. All the relevant information is here, along with recommendations for further reading to take one further along the path when one feels one is ready for it. The way it is presented, too, means that the learning is progressive. I cannot recommend this book highly enough for anyone wanting basic information about Asatru, and some directions as to where to look next.

As introductions go, Jennings does a very nice job of presenting Nordic-based Heathenism in this clearly written, non-inflammatory book.Jennings is able to highlight the outstanding points of Norse trads and how they differ from other Pagan Paths (without falling into the trap of saying that one Path is superior or inferior to the rest).For such a small volume, Jennings fills the pages with nice tidbits about the various Northern Gods, their attributes and what they can represent to the practitioner. He includes some of his own experiences with confrontation (including how he, his wife, and a former hearth-member of theirs faced down a gang of Skinheads at an open Northern event). That is one of the things that really impressed me about this little book--Jennings' attempt to enlighten readers that Northern Heathenism does NOT equal Nazism!Even better, at the end of each section Jennings gives a short list of suggestions that the seeker can undertake, in order to acclimate him/her to the Path and to judge for themselves if this is even a Path they want to follow. The recommended reading list (also at the end of each chapter) is a plus if you are interested in finding books that deal with a specific topic--although some of the books Jennings listed are questionable, so caveat emptor.All in all, this text is well worth the money.

I purchased this book on a good friend commenting that it was one of the books on Norse traditions and religion that is actually ACCURATE. (I was a little tired of being confused, and saying "huh?" every ten seconds in conversations regarding it.) Unlike many other books, the runes are drawn correctly and have the correct meaning. It is an excellent first book for anyone wishing to learn more about Norse religions such as Asatru (often refered to as Odinism.)It begins by defining norse traditions (which often have a "paganism in your face" approach) and giving some history. It also explains how it is different from other pagan paths, such as Druidry and Wicca.It then continues to explain some of the basic mythology, and contains an extensive table of dieties, some of their nicknames, and their realm of influence. (Also explained is the Yggdrasil, the world tree). Following that is a chapter on runes, their signifigance, how to write and use them, and their meaning. The Eldar Futhark is given. The book also contains information on where to find sacred sites, and some suggestions in ways to go about establishing your own.One other strong point of this book is that at the end of each chapter is a list of sugggested reading and listening, both factual and fictitous. This gives excellent places to move onto when one is done, or if you want to know more about a given aspect.