With her dedication, energy, and commitment to strengthening Ásatrú in our lands and fostering the bond between Danish and Swedish friends and kin, we welcome Ulfva Hvidegaard as Thegn for the Nordic Asa-Community in Denmark.
Ulfva was appointed as Thegn of the Nordic Asa-Community during the midwinter blót of the blót kindreds Gungnir and Draupnir. She is now the contact person for the Nordic Asa-Community in Denmark. A Thegn functions as a DBR (District Blót Responsibles) and holds the same responsibilities and tasks as a DBR, but outside Sweden’s borders.
Here is a presentation of Ulfva – Thegn in Denmark:
My name is Ulfva Hvidegaard, and I have the honor of being the Thegn of the Nordic Asa-Community in Denmark. I am 61 years old, Danish with Swedish ancestry on my mother’s side, as my maternal grandfather’s family comes from northeastern Skåne, Sweden.
Since childhood, I have been drawn to nature, and hiking in the forests and mountains has always shaped the way I organize my life. I hike alone, I camp, and I prefer to wander in northern Sweden, where I feel at home. I am best suited for a seasonal nomadic lifestyle, with a winter home and roaming during the summer.
On a religious level, I come from a typical Danish background, where one is automatically a member of “the Danish Folk Church” without necessarily considering oneself Christian or ever attending church. However, for me, it was important to leave the “Folk Church”, which I did when I turned 18. When it comes to Ásatrú, it is something I have been aware of since childhood. We heard about the gods in school, and my grandfather, who was an old sailor and often took me on long trips into nature, made the stories of the Edda even more exciting for his grandchild. Since my grandfather was red-haired like myself, I actually assumed for a while as a little girl that we were related to that red-haired Thor with the goats.
But as a child, it was not a religious experience for me; the gods were more like supernatural friends or heroes. There were no gods in my childhood, only nature. However, my studies led me to an interest in Buddhism, and for several years, I was a practicing Zen Buddhist, engaging in intense meditation practice and spending extended periods in Zen monasteries. Eventually, I realized that I needed to reconnect with my own tradition, and as my love for the outdoors began to take over again, the Nordic powers occupied more and more of my time. It became religious—I started making offerings to the gods when I was in the forest—but for many years, I felt no need to seek out other followers of Ásatrú or join an Ásatrú organization.
It was not until 2017 that I became a member of Forn Siðr, and in 2020/21 that I joined NAS/NAC. I joined both FS and NAS/NAC because I find it odd that national affiliation within the Nordic region should play a decisive role for us as followers of Ásatrú. Despite regional differences between the Nordic countries, Ásatrú is a shared Nordic heritage, and I believe it is necessary to connect Ásatrú across the Nordic region to secure its future and prevent it from once again being marginalized or diluted beyond recognition in the age of globalization.
As long as Ásatrú in individual countries thinks narrowly in national terms rather than collectively as a Nordic faith, we remain vulnerable. I would like to see Ásatrú in the various Nordic countries organized not according to political borders but rather based on how people prefer to worship the gods. I believe a future in which Ásatrú gains a strong foothold with a large network of blót kindreds and gudahof can become a reality if we fight for it. The Nordic Asa-Community’s approach to Ásatrú aligns well with my own, and I want to help realize it in Denmark as well.
Contact information for Ulfva:
Email: [email protected]
