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Our view of the Afterlife.
The afterlife within Asatru is complex, in addition to there being several places, there are different parts of our bodies, senses, etc. (e.g. ǫnd, hugr, hamingja and fylgja, etc.) which are distributed in different ways at death. Describing where you end up in the afterlife in a concise way is extremely difficult. Moreover, we do not know everything that awaits us; much of this information is lost to us forever.
But there is some information left about different realms of death, yes we have several realms of death to get to depending on the compilation of how choices / profession / role in life you made etc.
The following is a simplified list of the most famous reaelms of death, which is partly more adapted to our time today but rests on a foundation based on sources, archaeology and research.
Where do norse heathens go after death?
Odin and Valhall
Most people know Valhall as the main place to go in the afterlife. It is where Odin waits for fallen warriors. As life today is very different from the time when Asatru was the commonly held belief, dying in armed conflict to get to Valhalla is no longer as common.
People who are caused by selfless sacrifices for their community and/or family. For example, a heroic action that requires a lot of courage. This is a conscious choice. Odin wants the bravest fighters at his table.
Freyja and Folkvangr
Only half of the brave come to Odin’s Valhall. As Freyja is the leader of the Valkyries who retrieve the fallen, she has priority in choosing who gets to visit the Sessrumnir Hall in her Folkvangr. Freyja also welcomes people with seidr skills to Folkvangr, as seidr is one of her areas of activity.
Hel and Nifelhel/Nifelheim
We believe that the majority of people end up with the goddess of death Hel in her domain called Nifelheim. The realm of the dead where ordinary people go is usually called Helheim or just Hel. Gods and goddesses also go to Hel when they die, as the story of Baldr’s death tells us: when Baldr dies, he is welcomed to Hel with drink, food and feasting. It is common for people today to mistake Helheim as the Christian hell (where people go to live out eternity in torment).
On the other hand, oathbreakers, outlaws, murderers etc. come to the beach of Narstrand in Nifelheim, where they are allowed to wade in the corrosive ooze of snakes and suffer for their deeds. Hels vite is what it is called when Hel punishes a person to suffer in the afterlife.
Forsete and Glitnir
Forsete, son of Baldr and Nanna, is the god of justice, so it is to his abode Glitnir that people who have worked in law come. In addition to practicing law, they are also said to have been skilled in their profession and to have judged impartially and fairly.
Ran, Aegir and the bottom of the sea
Fishermen, sailors and those who lose their lives in connection with the sea end up with Ran and her husband Aegir.
Gejfon
To Gejfon come those who are unmarried, servants, daughters or virgins.
Thor and Bilskirnir
Thor is the god of the common people, peasants, thralls and the unfree, and it is to Thor’s hall Bilskirnir that peasants, thralls and other unfree people come.
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