Germanic Paganism
Germanic paganism is found throughout the Germanic peoples spread throughout northern and central Europe. They believe in a number of gods / goddesses and a spiritual connection to the world around them. Two notable features is the widespread belief in a fire god throughout the regions they are found, as well as some slight connection to the Celtic pagan practises. Both believe in the spiritual connection to nature, sacrifices to the deities, and to divination. The Romans have mentioned that in many tribes the spiritual leaders are usually a priestess, and seeress, mentioning they are tall, with glaring eyes and wearing flowing white gowns while wielding a knife used for sacrifice. Captives had their throats cut and bled into giant cauldrons or their intestines opened up, and the entrails thrown on the ground as a form of divination.
Many gods/goddesses are worshipped, such as Odin / Wodan /Woden, and Thor / Donar. Others include Freya, Frigg, Loki, and Hel. There is also Surtur the fire Jotan, Jormungandr the world sepent, Fenris / Fenrir the wolf child of Loki, and the Norns (the Three Fates). The main gods and many other beings (Fire Jotans, Frost Jotans, Svartalfs, Dwarves, Alfs) all lived in or on one of the nine worlds of the world tree of Yggdrasil, or somewhere on the tree itself. The gods are split into the Vanir and Aesir. The former live on the world of Vanaheim / Vanaheimr. The latter live in Asgard where Valhalla (where the glorious dead reside). The two sets of gods do fight each other, marry into each clan, set treaties, and are classed as contemporaries. The Vanir are mostly related to cultivation and fertility, and the Aesir with power and war. Many followers of these deities claim ancestry from or use the names in some way for themselves.
Type
Religious, Cult
Notable Members
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