What's In A Word?

          The term heathen (adj., n.) was originally (and still is, in most circles) pejorative. It implied ignorance, illiteracy, and low class particularly in regards to those who were not converted to one of the Big Three (monotheistic religions: Christianity, Islam,  Judaism). A synonym for heathen is pagan (adj., n.) but has slightly different implications. As organized  Christianity took hold of ancient Europe it targeted the aristocratic classes. This was, to say the least, an ironic twist to Christianity's humble beginnings as a message of hope to the poor and oppressed. Many modern practitioners of the ancient Germanic spiritual path have adopted the term Heathen (Pr. n.) as both a way to commemorate those ancestors who refused to convert even on pain of death and an outward acknowledgment of accepting the same doom if need be. Some practitioners dislike the term and keep a safe distance from it, as its social implications are still often very negative. There is, however, a sweet irony in calling one's self a Heathen when the path has also been nicknamed “The religion with homework” (n.) because it is very hard to develop a mature or well-rounded understanding of the faith without rigorous research in mythology, history, anthropology, archeology, and linguistics. Germanic Heathenry (n.) itself is the modern revival of the indigenous, organic folkway of the Germanic tribes. It is important to note that, until the arrival of Christianity, the ancient peoples of Europe felt no need to label their spirituality with a specific name and if asked would have likely said something translatable to “Our Way, the Way of Our Folk”. For this reason, many practitioners refer to the path as their folkway (n.) rather than using the word “religion” (indeed, there is no Germanic equivalent for that word). Another purpose behind casting off a word like “religion” is that many see it as too confining and dogmatic. There are certainly religious aspects to the spiritual path (e.g. priest-like classes and rituals) but that is only one part of Heathenry. The folkway of Germanic Heathenry penetrates every aspect of the true Heathen's life and contributes to every step a Heathen takes.

            Because naming the spiritual path is a fairly modern development and the path is not centralized, numerous names for the folkway have developed. Some terms synonymous with Germanic Heathenry among practitioners are Forn Sidh (ON for “Old Way/Custom”), Irminenschaft, the Elder Path, and the Folkway. There are also branches of Heathenry such as Asatru, Theodism, and Odinism that will be discussed at some length later.

(Annotated Bibliography not in alphabetical order due to computer glitch.)
Magnusson, Ragnar. "Assimilate." 7 Apr. 2011. File last modified on 13 Apr. 2010. Essay.
           An amateur writer in the fields of history (particularly ancient Teutonic people) and tribalism, Ragnar 
           Magnusson buttriced his scholarly essays with valid source material and, in doing so, has made 
           himself a source as well. The essay "Assimilate" deals with the issue of medieval assimilation tactics 
           used by the Church and politicians, and is important for this project in its historic discussion of 
           ancient  Heathenry and Christianity.

"Definitions and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-
           Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Web. 08 Apr. 2011. 
           <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heathen>.

            The Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a reliable source to show common understandings of words 
           within society. The M-W Dictionary is used more in this project to show contrasts between popular 
           usage and Germanic Heathenry than to give definitions used within the subculture itself.
Gundarsson, Kveldulf, et al. Our Troth. Vol. 1. North Charleston: Booksurge. 2006. Print.

Gundarsson is well known in the Heathen community and has published a vast array of works, the 

least of which not being the above named book. In the opening chapters of Our Troth Vol. 1, a 

detailed discussion of the ancient European world is layed out, from the Stone Age to the Viking 

Age and deals with several of the topics mentioned above. 

"Irminenschaft." Irminenschaft.net Irminen-Gesellschaft. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
                <http://www.irminenschaft.net/>.
                This website is a thorough analysis of Germanic Heathenry as a worldview and provides 
               information pertinent to this project as a whole but in particular a discussion of Irmenschaft.