Question:

Have you read the lore? What do you feel its place is in the context of your practice/Heathenry as a whole?

Answer:

Yes I do, though I wish I had more time to read more. Most heathens agree that the most important lore texts are the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda – I have read both as well as parts of the Codex Regius such as the Havamal. I do however need to read more of the insane trove of Icelandic Sagas that I have. Granted, I know these are not necessarily heathen texts, but I feel they are important. I have read a handful such as Njal’s Saga, Egil’s Saga, and Eyrbyggja saga. I also need to get a source for some Skaldic poetry and dive more into that.

Also, I would say that you can add a few modern books considered as Lore simply due to the insane scholarship they contain. The Brothers Grimm’s Teutonic Mythology and Deutsche Sagen are very important books, and helped paved the way for many modern scholars. Another is Vilhelm Grønbech’s The Culture of the Teutons and Paul C. Bauschatz’s The Well and the Tree has been greatly recommended to me, but I have yet to read it.

I feel that having a firm grasp of The Lore not only enriches on spiritually, especially if one is used to having a more codified set of religious texts handy. Granted, most historical Heathens likely did not read or care about such works, its the closest way we will ever have to be able to take part in the oral traditions that they had, as skewed as they may be now. I also feel its important to help get away from people that take The Lore and mangle it into a narrative to push an agenda such as racism or politics. Most people that due that have likely never read any of this, and fall like a house of cards if you make it obvious you know what you are talking about.

30 Days of Heathenry – Day 1	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 2	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 3
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 4	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 5	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 6
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 7	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 8	30 days of Heathenry – Day 9
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 10	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 11	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 12
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 13	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 14	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 15
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 16	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 17	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 18
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 19	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 20	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 21
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 22	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 23	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 24
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 25	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 26	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 27
30 Days of Heathenry – Day 28	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 29	30 Days of Heathenry – Day 30